THE THIRD TRIAL

[strangerpeople]

THE THIRD TRIAL

[After the finale clues are found, the ticking which we totally didn't forget to add to the investigation post in everyone's head stops, and the Elder Steward's voice echoes through the webs.]

Excellent. Now, please, proceed to the ossuary! Do not tarry.

[Just like before, the Ossuary rumbles upwards to accept the remaining Strangers, with bats hassling those who take too long. Just like before, chains drag everyone to their respective coffins, and in the center are souls for sustenance. You might expect the only true difference to be that piles of skulls now replace the coffins where Zelda, Bangladesh, and Jun might have otherwise stood when they were alive. However, one more change has been made - Eric's coffin is now quite a bit fancier and even a little less coffin-looking. For example, it has a nice chair! Apparently there's some favoritism afoot.

Once everyone is in place, the Elder Steward strolls forward to the edge of the circle, hands crossed beneath his robes. The scrolls glow to reveal the evidence and the suspect list as this happens.]

THE OVERBOARD	THE CIRCUIT	THE RUBBER	THE NEON
				THE ENEMY

Now. Let us get started, shall we?

[And with that, the ticking begins anew. Someone killed. It's time to decide who's responsible.

The trial for the murder of Jun Ushiro, The Launcher, has begun.]

Comments

[hexposition]

...Ask me whatever you will. I think we already know how this ends.

[It looks like Emma's already marking on her scroll.]

[whiterosefoes]

[Harriet glances up from the scroll, where she was glowering down at her own picture.]

What, you're just going to give up? If you actually did it, great, but let's have a proper confession if that's how it will be.

Frankly, I doubt it. I know a trap card when I see one.

[relieable]

[Osomatsu would say something to her about her defeatist attitude but he was the same way, wasn't he? still he gives her a withering look]

Why don't you just tell us what happened? What brought you up to the library in the first place?

[incendiarize]

[Ask whatever, huh? Alright.]

Can you use a bow and arrow?

[joinhands]

[Okay well setting aside the two completely different militaristic train wrecks in slow motion]

Excuse me for a moment, but there's significant reason to believe someone other than Miss Millstein was moving around during the crime. This was in the secret passage.

[Krone produces the preserved just-doused torch-in-bucket, which Osomatsu may examine if he pleases.]

If we accept the testimony that Miss Millstein entered through the main door, this paints an undeniable picture of someone else passing through the secret passage at the same time.

Unless someone was on a stroll for fun? In that case, please tell us now!

[whiterosefoes]

Seems unlikely that someone on a stroll would be carrying piano wires to drop, though.

[relieable]

So I saw some clay was missing from the workshop. And it looks like it was found in the library? [also... buckets] I wonder what it was used for. Or, gonna be used for.

[joinhands]

That is strange. In the library did it look disturbed at all? If not, doesn't that imply it was set up before either of those two got in there?

[notadinosnack]

I'd imagine it wasn't intended to make a statue. Did anyone even find anything made of clay here? I don't recall seeing such a thing on the scroll.

[necroyalty]

That's odd.

I'd seen a bucket underneath one of the shelves filled with clay.

[incendiarize]

So, hey, has anyone ever seen one of these before?

[He produces his drawing. The boy does not have a career in art.]

[whiterosefoes]

I'd say that is either the worst drawing of Sangan I've ever seen, or a good drawing of something I've never seen.

[relieable]

[okay that drawing is pretty creepy]

I've never seen it... What is it?

[notadinosnack]

Never, which really leads me to believe he may have been hallucinating like both were last week.

DIAGRAM TIME

[whiterosefoes]

Let's try to put this all together. Does anyone have something to write with?

[After she's gotten it from a person or the stewards or whatever, she comes up with a map.]

Jun's body was right here by the chair nearest the bookshelves, by the way. I didn't have room to draw him, and...

[maybe not the heart either.]

[relieable]

[he's looking at the map]

...it's like someone tried to create some kinda... domino effect, maybe. Like one of those machines... I can't think of the name. Gold-something.

EY NECROMANCY TIME

[necroyalty]

We're not getting anywhere at this rate. Gods, I just wish I could have explained this earlier...

To hell with it. It's easier to ask forgiveness than permission.

[She takes a blue egg in her hand and concentrates on the raw arcane energy within her, chanting an incantation. ]

My heart inside of me...my heart inside my image...Oh Jun...live once again.

[hexposition]

[UM,]

[relieable]

[IS THIS CHEATING]

HE WAS TAKING A NAP!!!!

[icanhearscreams]

[Bandages slowly pull together in the shape of a small form, a mask appearing on its face.]

... Uh?

QUESTION FOR SOME FOLKS

[joinhands]

There's been no innocent explanation for the piano wires. And Kirogi hates having people in there—he must have changed his tune only because the intruder pleased him even more by having their hand in a murder. So we know that someone was in the secret passage shortly before that loud noise we heard. Perhaps they shot through the window, perhaps something else happened. This even could have been Jun himself setting up the trap right before what happened, though I doubt it personally.

Is it possible that this exonerates the people who first investigated the library? I wasn't there myself - please sound off, who was?

[notadinosnack]

I arrived in time to assist Eric with lifting the bookshelf off of Jun.

[hexposition]

U-um... Eric... Osomatsu... Ambrosine, Arthur, and Mr. Beldine? I... I think that's who I remember.

[relieable]

Oh, I think Arthur and me were the first ones there. And then Eric?

[necroyalty]

I was there.

[ SHE'S BUSY MAINTAINING CONCENTRATION ON THE NECROMANCY WHOOPS ]