A Tangled Web (BrieCS)

When Ursula arrived in Pact, she was fully prepared to accept the consequences of her actions, although still mentally struggling with what she had done. Killing a man in combat was one thing, but that had been murder, and she felt such regret. It hadn’t even been that man’s choice to be there, not to her knowledge – he was likely just following orders. It was unfortunate, and it added to her disappointment over having to hit Adalia. However, there were too many things to be done.

She went to the gate of the Fifth Keep, ensuring that the items obtained from the Duke’s lab were safe in her possession, and asked to see the King. When this was refused, she asked to see her sister, and was redirected to the inn where Gräfin Naufin Mannpurtz was staying. When she arrived there, she was attacked by guards wearing the livery of House Murra. She avoided an altercation with them as easily as she was able, then she went to wait by her sister’s room. While waiting, she heard shouts downstairs, and her sister’s voice, so she ran down to witness the men attacking her sister, and her sister nearly dead.

She helped to dispatch the men, then assisted her sister before patting the men down. She found a death warrant concealed on one of the men and stamped with the three-masted ship of the House Deepwell. She pocketed it, and shortly thereafter was rushed to see to the King.

When introduced to the Council of Ministers, she set out all of the pieces of evidence and told her story. It was long, and arduous, but she was entirely honest, even admitting to the murder of the guard and hitting Adalia, She poured out the entire story, showing books with footnotes the Duke of Blackwash had written (handily translated by Sarth) about sacrifices, necromancy, and numerous other unsavoury things, as well as a series of potions (one of which was the Lich potion).

After the evidence against Duke Murra had been heard, she had one last note to address: the death warrant for her sister, sealed with the crest of House Deepwell. Duke Deepwell got took great offense, but Ursula stated that she did not believe that he had been the one who did it. At that point, Duke Deepwell’s son admitted to the crime – he had done it in some vengeful spirit to attempt to incriminate Duke Murra while repaying House Mannpurtz for their perceived betrayal (Gregory Mannpurtz’s marriage to the granddaughter of Earl Stavron Murra).

After the meeting, the King arranged for Ursula to go with the group of Inquisitors to bring the Duke of Blackwash to justice and prepare the way for the King’s occupying force.

A Thread Apart (jimtheduckie)

While in the city of Brightstar, Terasian Goldbraid held no coin back as he brought both Adalia and himself back into proper noble living arangements and attire. However in the process, the particularly entrepreneurial tailor who made their new clothes tickled Ter the wrong way, and he was quick to plan against the wealthy merchant. He also communicated via magical means with Ursula, and set his next destination for Pact. He did make a side trip back to his home city to touch base with his brethren. After paying his way through the ranks (“his fingers are lined with platinum!”) he spoke with the guild master, who was particularly impressed with the Pyramid scheme, and that humans were foolish enough to fall for it. As a result, Teresian was immediately promoted to the Guild Council, and given a sizable increase in wealth.

Family Ties (Mousetrap)

Maurissen dealt harshly with the bandits, and reasoned that the only way she would be able to assist in the inevitable attack on Blackwash would be to teleport to the capital. Once there, she ran into Ursula, who rapidly filled her in on the plan and got her into the castle. She and the high inquisitor were to advance to Blackwash before the army in an effort to capture or kill the Duke. They arrived besieged by guards, but made quick work of them and broke through to the palace’s ballroom. There, they encountered only a horde of undead and inky blackness. Maurissen grew nervous, knowing of no way to destroy or impede the walking dead. She walked slowly into the room, sharply listening for any sign of the Duke or his high guard. One of the inquisitors, she didn’t see which, dispelled the black inky darkness obscuring the room. She clearly saw Duke Reece Murra. Maurissen dashed toward him, knowing this may be her only chance. She stopped abruptly not twenty feet away. They locked eyes. “Goodbye, Father.” were the last words he heard as he turned to stone. Seconds later, the statue that was once Reece Murra was shattered.

Strange Bedfellows (BrieCS)

Ursula followed with them, helping to eliminate the threats awaiting them at the palace. She went to attack the Duke upon seeing him, but was rapidly set upon by Drealig Crowsfist the Crowsfist in an enlarged form – knocking her down. Her frustration was evident, even after the Duke was turned to stone and the large obsidian-skinned dwarf offered her a hand up. She rushed to the Duke’s statuesque figure, and attacked him, landing blow after blow.

When ordered to stop, she did, but she made sure to take one of the Duke of Murra’s stone fingers as a gift of goodwill to the Duke of Deepwell, who she was on delicate terms with after her brother married into House Murra. One of the Iniquisitor’s protectors was killed in the combat, so she offered to stand in his stead until they reached the city again. She asked if Drealig still had ties to the Duke, and he said he was simply being paid, so she offered to pay him to guard the Duke’s son until things were normal, and he threw her coins to the ground, uninterested. Affronted, she went to join the others to teleport just as Drealig snidely asked “Don’t you want to know why he did it?”

Her response wasn’t fit to be recorded.

Mismatched Results (Mousetrap)

Ursula Manpurtz was rewarded publicly for her efforts, or so Maurissen later found out. Maurissen Blacktooth, however, was not. In a way, she understood. All she requested of the king was a moment of time with the High Inquisitor. Use of his powerful divinations for a single day was the least they could do.

Royal Rewards (IceBob – GM)

To reward those involved with uncovering Duke Reece Murra’s plot, the King of Archos granted Ursula Mannpurtz the lands and titles of Far Point, with all their associated incomes, elevating her to the rank of earl – equal to her sister. To Maurissen Blacktooth – not a noble of his realm – he gave the services of his High Inquisitor and asked that she be the official envoy of the Blacktooth Collective to Archos.