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ERYFKRAD

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Strap Yourselves In Serpent in the Staglands Shadorwun: Hong Kong Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
Ok, x1BA.
The bowing business is too damn easy-sounding.
 

Absinthe

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The killer had a grazing wound inflicted by Jiang Zheng's short sword. The problem is that even if there is a scar, we don't know where it came from because even Jiang Zheng doesn't remember where he struck the killer. If I were Fu Xia and I did it, I'd say that it came from somewhere else. In fact, I'd probably say this:
We're better off restraining Fu Xia just in case. The unknown weapon also makes me pause. I don't want to risk going up against an instant-kill poison. Heading it off is better. I think the A vote means "Lets do this the hard way" and "Lets do this the hard way" means "Possible dead ally (or even dead Jing)." Besides, that's a terrible reason to let a suspect go free. We're still better off throwing him behind bars and getting info out of him.

It was a glancing blow anyways, so you might not even be able to tell if he was cut by the Chief's sword anyways. And really, there are a variety of ways for him to have been involved in the conspiracy without actually being the killer. He could simply be loyal to a Grand Eunuch and an inside man brought to sabotage the investigation, in which case, we just tipped off our suspicions for little reason.
Well, I'd be banking on Cao'er's skill to get some good info out of this. The girl has 12 perception, 10 herbalism, and immortal eyes. I'm going to say, yes, she probably really is that good and can determine what kind of weapon determined the wound and how old the wound is. If we can match the time to the moment of murder and weapon of the wounds to Du Yao or Jiang Zheng's weapons, then we've got some solid evidence.

I mean, it isn't entirely implausible that he's the killer, I'm with you on that.
You mean it's extremely plausible. He was gone for the entire duration, had a weapon matching the crime scene, and has no story for what he was up to. What, he was brawling with monks for two full hours but despite this stupidly long fight he only came out with some cuts and bruises? It's worth questioning him to know what he has to say about his mysterious disappearance as well. He was up to shady shit, we all know it.

He could have left after the brawl, did the deed just before the middle of hai hour, then met up with Xiaofang and got into a confrontation with the eunuch just after hai hour. But I'm not sure if we should start with that as our assumption - we might be lucky and get it right, but it's just plain sloppy on our part and I suspect that there's more to the matter than just one man.
You know the proverb "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush"? You're letting him run because you're hoping you might get something more this way.

She is still sure it is thrown. The pattern is in a line, and they aren't that close. Slightly spread out, but the different angles of entry indicate that they originated from a single point.
Could they be a qi emanation technique? Seems like it could be a Nine Yin art. We might want our 12-year-old looking at this.
 
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Kipeci

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If you don't want to go against the instant death poison and think he's the killer and you'll gain evidence to prove that by searching him, what's to stop him from using the stuff on you?
 

Absinthe

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Well, we don't give him the opportunity to do anything. We seal his movements from the start. And when I say "searching him" I was thinking more "search his room."
 

Kipeci

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Well, we don't give him the opportunity to do anything. We seal his movements from the start. And when I say "searching him" I was thinking more "search his room."
If he really is guilty, do you think he won't be paranoid that we might do just that? Knowing that we're onto him and he's about to get busted could result in him trying to get rid of us so that he can get out of this sticky situation.

I'm not at all fond of the 'this choice will get Xu Jing killed!' statements to sway a vote one way or the other unless the danger is presented pretty unambiguously, but if you're saying that he's going to kill us if we just leave him be you've got to admit that attempting to bring him in may very well result in the same.
 

Absinthe

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That's not how it works, Kipeci.

The enemy has some stupidly lethal poison that kills people in seconds flat. That's a pretty unambiguous danger.

If this happens to be Fu Xia, ask yourself: Do you want to face him on his terms or on our terms?

I'm not saying we'll be poisoned for certain, but I think the possibility is real enough to consider.
 
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ERYFKRAD

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Strap Yourselves In Serpent in the Staglands Shadorwun: Hong Kong Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
That's not how it works, Kipeci.

The enemy has some stupidly lethal poison that kills people in seconds flat. That's a pretty unambiguous danger.

If this happens to be Fu Xia, ask yourself: Do you want to face him on his terms or on our terms?

I'm not saying we'll be poisoned for certain, but I think the possibility is real enough to consider.
Clearly we must combat poison with Laxatives.
 

a cut of domestic sheep prime

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but if you're saying that he's going to kill us if we just leave him be you've got to admit that attempting to bring him in may very well result in the same.
Eh. If you bring him in, you are the one planning with your entire team to ambush him and take him down. The initiative is yours. If you just leave him, he is the one planning to take you down and you are just doing your best to watch him and look out for any accomplices that may be in the shadows. The initiative is his and he's the one waiting for the opportunity to screw you over rather than vice versa.

Ambush or be ambushed. Both carry risks, but they are not the same level of risk. That is, at least you are on the offensive and reasonably prepared if you are the one ambushing vs trying to be on the alert 24/7 for a possible ambush that may not even come.
 

Nevill

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There is a third outcome. 'Ambush' him too early, and without any evidence to implicate him he will have no problems claiming his innocence, and people on your team will have no choice but to believe him. Then you get all the perks of having him on the loose without an ability to easily catch him red-handed due to warning him beforehand.

Crying 'wolf' is different from playing it safe.
 

Absinthe

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That made zero fucking sense. First off, if we grab him, we might actually find some evidence doing this. Second off, even if we don't have evidence of guilt, we can still keep him locked up because around here that's just the way shit goes (unless he can prove his innocence, we can keep him locked up on suspicion). Lady Suien isn't so tenderhearted as to let him go (she suggested interrogating him, remember?), and the rest of the team answers to us.
 

Nevill

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Ah, in that case, she can stick around with us no problem. Back to A1AA.
Perfect. Now, if only I could draw people's attention to the fact that telling Yunzi about our Firelordship does not change her plans and how she intends to go about them in the slightest:
If she knows Ahura is with the Flame (or wherever dead people go according to the Cult's beliefs) she needn't concern herself with secrecy at all in the first place. The Temple is completely our (as in, hers and Jing's) turf then.
She's going to spread the news via word of mouth. 'Go to the Fire Temple quietly at your own pace, and don't start shouting about how you're going to revive the great Ashina tribe' is pretty much the message being sent out.

Regardless of whether or not she knows Ahura is dead she won't change this approach. It should be simple enough to understand why if you just think about it.
I am a bit concerned with our interpersonal dynamics if we get to travel together. I'd rather keep things between us as they were. But I guess there is not much chance of that.

On the bright side, at least we get to molest Armaiti without risking our life.
 

Baltika9

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And I'll re-draw your attention to this:
Kinda, yeah. The point of telling her of Ahura's demise and our new leadership is that she won't have to account for him in her decision-making and will know that she has our approval to do whatever she needs to do to strengthen the Cult's position. Which is why I'm in favor of telling her in the first place.
I'm down with being as open and honest with her as possible, to build a strong relationship. Honesty is kinda a big deal in that, and it will serve practical purposes as well. So...yeah.
 

Nevill

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The point of telling her of Ahura's demise and our new leadership is that she won't have to account for him in her decision-making and will know that she has our approval to do whatever she needs to do to strengthen the Cult's position.
That's my point. There are no decisions so far that need to account for Ahura's well-being.

I don't get why this sudden change of attitude is happening now of all times.
 

Baltika9

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Uh...because Ahura is obviously a factor in how she will carry her shit out and a concern for her:
“I am sending out word to any of my scattered folk that I am alive, and that they should gather at the temple… don’t worry, I’m not planning some sort of invasion. Not yet, anyway… though I will have to make sure Ahura does not catch wind of my plans,” she replies calmly as she takes a few sips of tea.
That's what this whole phrase is about. She obviously isn't going to go around China shouting about the Ashina's rebirth because:
Hey, here's an excuse to fund an Eight Sects expedition backed by ten thousand soldiers! The Ashina led an invasion into the Central Plains forty years ago, they're trying to regroup under their princess only this time with the Fire Cult that also killed our heroes, let's stomp them before they start getting any ideas! And also loot the temple for martial arts manuals so that Hero Nie Wuxing can get even stronger to protect the nation!
But Ahura is definitely a thorn in her side so long as she thinks he lives. This will untie her hands completely and give her and us free reign and action. Openly working together between us to strengthen the Cult is also a great idea.

I know the desire to trololol her when she shows up at the Temple is strong, but I just think that telling her about it will be better from a functional standpoint.
 

Baltika9

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treave, if one combines Shangguan's sword qi techniques and the Cult's fire qi, would they be able to set their weapons on fire?
 

treave

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Codex 2012
You don't need the Sword Saint's techniques for that. Just coat the weapon in oil and put a torch to it.
 

treave

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Codex 2012
Day of the Trial

“What?” Yunzi shoots up, slamming her palms on the table in surprise and attracting some looks from the nearby tables. Her fake beard almost drops off, and as she frantically readjusts it, you gesture at her to be more quiet and to sit down. Her expression continually changes as she tries to get to grips with the situation. “I… is he really… You’re lying, aren’t you?”

“We need proof, Holy Maiden. Let me contact Vahista at the Temple,” whispers Armaiti.

Without saying another word, you show Yunzi and Armaiti the ember – the small spark that the Flame had left within you. That finally convinces them.

Yunzi takes a deep breath, a vacant look in her eyes. “If that is the case, then… but… what if…” mumbles the girl unintelligibly, “…that means you are… and I have to… with you…” Life returns to her gaze, and together with it a very obvious blush as blood rushes to her head, the realization of her current circumstances striking home. “Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha.” Letting out an awkward laugh, Yunzi stands up rigidly, knocking over a few dishes as she does so. “T-t-t-this is a bad joke, isn’t it?”

“Wait-“ Armaiti reaches out, but Yunzi has already run out of the restaurant, screaming. Turning to you, she gives you a quick, apologetic bow before going after her mistress.

You guess she won’t be helping you out after all; it looks like that revelation was too shocking and important for her to focus on any investigations at the moment.

***

Later that night, you find yourself bowing to a little girl, forehead plastered to the floor.

“You really have no pride or dignity, do you?” she sniffs admonishingly, though you can hear the pleasure in her voice.

“Strangely, it is less shameful to me to kneel before a little girl than I am a burly man,” you say without looking up. “Would you like your food now? I am afraid you took the last duck in the city… I hope you enjoyed it.”

“A-ah, well, it was nice. Of course I enjoyed it. You have the makings of a good servant, boy. You may be at ease.”

“I was born one,” you reply smoothly as you get up. Qilin is making a look at you that says ‘this girl is your responsibility’.

“Good, very good! I like you. I think I’ll keep you!” laughs the girl.

You think it a rather daring statement coming from someone who plans to be leeching off you for the forseeable future, but you hold your tongue. Before the conversation can progress any further, however, Qilin drags her off, saying, “The two of you can talk after you have your bath, girl. You’re really dirtying up our room.”

They return minutes later, the girl scrubbed clean. Qilin looks exhausted from the effort. The girl’s hair is jet-black and long, almost reaching down to her knees. Her skin is as pale as snow and her eyes large and shining, granting her a doll-like beauty. You cannot resist poking at her fair cheek – it is soft. The girl reddens and swats your hand away angrily. “Such insolence!”

“So, what brings you to Youxia City, mistress?” you ask.

“Now, don’t be surprised when I tell you this,” grins the girl arrogantly, “but I am actually not a normal little girl. I am the Tianshan Child Elder, master of the Tianshan mountains who has been also been called the Thousand Year Snow Devil and the Eternal Ice Beauty, amongst many other names.” She looks at your face and frowns. “You do not seem very surprised.”

“I… ah, I had my suspicions,” you say. “Why are you all the way down here… and so dirty, too?”

“Oh, that is a long story,” she grumbles, her mood clearly taking a turn for the worse. “Some imbeciles in the Xueguizi thought I had the Xuanming Jiuyin Holy Art. Many of the Xueguizi’s techniques stem from that silly manual, but we have not held that book in centuries. My predecessors gave it away somewhere in the Central Plains.” She slams the table with her small fist, fuming. “In fact, only someone who knew the actual techniques in that book would be able to seal away my inner strength! Idiots! Fools!”

“You mean…”

“Yes, I am not a normal little girl, but currently I am only barely better than a normal little girl,” she sighs. “It was someone from the orthodox sects that visited Tianshan just recently, searching for the manual. My memories are hazy… I do not remember many of the circumstances that led up to the sealing thanks to those bastards, but I do recall my lieutenants turning on me in their greed for power.”

“I see, Mistress Tianshan… you are here to track down the culprit?” you ask politely.

“I barely escaped with my life! I came down here thinking that that brat, Wang Zhengchong, would be able to help, but it turns out that he somehow got himself killed two years back.”

You suppose that is why she is here in Youxia City – she must have been heading to Wudang before she found out about the news.

“Anyway, if I undo my seals normally it will take me fifty years to regain my former strength. I’ll have aged into an old hag by then,” scowls the Tianshan Child Elder. “I need to find the Xuanming Jiuyin manual and learn the techniques within to reverse what has been done to me. You have the Wuxiang Qiankun – that much I can tell, from my experience, and if that is the case it is your destiny to collide with the pracititioners of the other manuals.” She gives you a sweet, child-like smile. “So, all I have to do is to follow you around! Worry not, having me around has its… advantages, even if I might not be able to fight like I used to.”

Having heard what she has to say, you sigh. “You better pull your weight, then.”

“What is that? What is that attitude of yours? Show respect to your elders!” she shouts.

“Elders? I only see someone barely better than a normal little girl in front of me,” you grin.

“Y-y-you!” stutters the little girl angrily. Laughing, you pat her head gently as if she were some feral kitten to be tamed. “Don’t worry, I won’t abandon you. Even if you are useless.”

She seems to accept that, and withdraws sullenly, glaring at you. “Fine, I’ll let you see how useful I can be. A-anyway, from now on, call me… yes, call me Xuezi. That will do. It would be best not to refer to me as the Child Elder in public.”

***

In the end, you do not manage to gather any more evidence on your searches. Yunzi has not left the city yet, perhaps having other matters to see to, but she flees from you every time you attempt to approach her. Just as you are about to give up, you find Xiaofang just hours before the trial – or rather, Yifang and Lingshu do. Having built up some sort of strange, inexplicable caramaderie with the poorer of the city’s inhabitants on their forays, they managed to locate the young eunuch unconscious in a rundown sickhouse, feverish and half-dead.

“Poisoned… again, never seen this type of poison before…” says Cao’er.

“It’s not familiar to me too. Some components of it seem to be similar to our Wudu in origin, but I can say for sure that we do not have anything like this at the moment,” comments Qilin.

“…actually, same poison with Du Yao…”

“Are you sure, Cao’er?”

She nods. “Different body, different reaction… very interesting…”

Taking care of the eunuch, they also find that he has been struck by the Qishang Fist of the Jinkong Sect, similar to the slaughtered constables that had been the start of this entire case. His injuries were not as life-threatening as the poison, however, and Cao’er told you that it would take at least a week to stabilize his condition.

“Out of the way, let me have a look.” Xuezi – the Tianshan Child Elder – pushes her way bossily to Xiaofang’s side.

“H-hey, who let a kid into the room?” asks Fu Xia.

“Shut up, you insolent pup!” shouts the Child Elder. “Now… this mark, yes. It is unmistakeable.” She points at the tiny holes on Xiaofang’s chest.

“…same holes on Du Yao…” mutters Cao’er.

“Hanbing Needles (寒冰針, Ice-Cold Needles). It is a Xueguizi technique, where we make sharp needles from icy qi, drawing water to freeze from the air itself.”

“I see,” nods Lady Suien. “That would explain why the murder weapon could not be found. They melted. How long would a needle take to melt?”

“It can vary,” replies Xuezi. “Expert practitioners can make it last for longer, while amateurs can hold the needle together for no more than scant seconds.”

“Could they freeze poison in liquid form?” asks Lady Suien again. “Could they dip the ice needles in poison?”

“That is all possible,” says Xuezi. Then, she turns to you, a proud, arrogant smirk on her face. “See?”

You pat her on the head, causing her to explode in anger at your patronizing ways.

***

Even if you had identified the murder weapon, however, you had not confirmed the murderer. There were no other leads that bore fruit; the Jinkong Sect members did have an alibi for the time Xiaofang was attacked. You would have liked to wait until Xiaofang woke up so that you could ask him some questions, but unfortunately it looks like the powers-that-be in Youxia City would not wait any longer; neither would the garrison commander and the bandits led by Pang Xiaohu. Unrest in the city was rising at the uncertainty of the current situation, and they had agreed to close this case of Du Yao’s murder so that they could move on to other issues… like how the city would be governed from now on.

You presented all of the evidence you had to the presiding judges – all three of them, Du Yao’s lieutenant, the garrison commander, and Pang Xiaohu, who seems out of place sitting with the other two. It was not the usual way a court would be conducted, but Youxia City had some leeway to set its own legal practices due to its autonomy.

“That is all you found?” asks the garrison commander. “It seems to point towards a foreign assassin being the murderer.”

“They might have escaped the city long ago,” sighs the lieutenant. “Still, there is nothing that says Jiang Zheng isn’t the murderer. He might actually know this needle technique in secret.”

Pang Xiaohu offers no insight, sharpening his axes in boredom.

“Perhaps a confession is in order,” continues the lieutenant.

“Perhaps the city simply is too insecure, allowing the assassin to escape,” says the garrison commander. “But I can see the appeal of obtaining a confession, in the absence of any other possible suspect.”

It looks like they will order Jiang Zheng tortured in an attempt to make him confess.

***

A. You keep quiet. Since the garrison commander and Du Yao’s lieutenant appear to be agreeing on this matter for some reason, it would be best not to upset the boat. The evidence you have managed to gather is there, and if it cannot convince them of his innocence, that is all you can do. The truth will out itself eventually, and perhaps the chief will be a necessary sacrifice to keep the peace.

B. You speak up, attempting to persuade them that the true assassin has fled the city. It is in fact a very likely scenario, though you cannot be sure whether it is the truth. If it works, however, you at least spare Chief Jiang from any torture, though you are also unsure what future ramifications this conclusion would have for Youxia City.

C. You still think Fu Xia is hiding something. You had refrained from interrogating him until you found more evidence that might point to him, but you have no choice now but to bring him into the spotlight for a public interrogation in a last-ditch attempt to fully solve the case even in the absence of that evidence... although you are not sure whether it will actually be fruitful at this point.

***

Final tally:

Absinthe - C
Baltika9 - B
Lambchop19 - C
Zero Credibility - B
Esquilax - B
ERYFKRAD - C>B
Smashing Axe - C>B
asxetos - C
Nevill - B
Kz3r0 - B
Tribute - B>C
Kashmir Slippers - B
Elfberserker - B>C
Jester - C
Akkudakku - C>B
Kipeci - B>C
TOME - B
XenomorphII - C
profreshinal - B
ScubaV - B
The Brazilian Slaughter - C
Azira - C
skaraher - C
Rex Feral - B
archaen - C
Grimgravy - B
Fangshi - B
LWC1996 - C
GreyViper - C
Tigranes - C>B
root - C
Sunnmøring - B>A

***

A - 0
B - 14
C - 16
 
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Baltika9

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Messages
9,611
:lol: Oh god, I fucking called the Tianshan Child Elder. So hilarious. Say, treave, now that she is de-powered, she will age normally?
 

Nevill

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Joined
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Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Baltika9,
You guess she won’t be helping you out after all; it looks like that revelation was too shocking and important for her focus on any investigations at the moment.
:nocountryforshitposters:

You've lost her. Again.

It looks like Lambchop19 is the last bastion of defense against the homo threat. Forgive me, bro, for I knew not what you had to struggle against daily. I'll vote for Rance choices from now on.
 

Absinthe

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C

The other options are shit. We should've interrogated Fu Xia privately before but this is all we're left with now. He's much more likely to have done it than Jiang Zheng.

If we vote A:
  • Pro: We're done. No fuss.
  • Con: Jiang Zheng dies despite being innocent. We basically fail.

If we vote B:
  • Pro: We just might get Jiang Zheng free.
  • Con: If we fail to persuade them, Jiang Zheng dies despite being innocent.
  • Con: If we succeed at persuading them, Jiang Zheng quite possibly dies anyway for political expediency. They need a scapegoat to pin it on.
  • Con: Raises a ruckus.

If we vote C:
  • Pro: If Fu Xia is guilty as we all suspect, then we have the right culprit and case solved.
  • Pro: Jiang Zheng does not die.
  • Pro: Even if Fu Xia somehow really is innocent, he is much more expendable than Jiang Zheng.
  • Con: Fu Xia might die as an innocent.

I think we need Jiang Zheng to continue the manual investigation. Voting C, because not only is Fu Xia most likely to be guilty, he is also expendable even on the off chance that he somehow isn't guilty.
 
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Baltika9

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Messages
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Baltika9,
You guess she won’t be helping you out after all; it looks like that revelation was too shocking and important for her focus on any investigations at the moment.
:nocountryforshitposters:

You've lost her. Again.

It looks like Lambchop19 is the last bastion of defense against the home threat. Forgive me, bro, for I knew not what you had to struggle against daily. I'll vote for Rance choices from now on.
Oh, relax and stop being such a drama queen. The girl is venting her frustrations. Better now than at the siege of the Fire Temple. She's still in the City. Give her time.
 

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