Deckard (I recognize that name )? Lyle? Which one is first and which is last name for that guard?

Bastard criminal? Seems the memories of old times aren't necessarily positive.

Deckard is here?
Well I think we need more information to investigate more. All the newly introduced seem to be nice people at first sight, not raising any suspicion they could be murderers^^

Seems to me the Queen knows this pair of old.
As I was reading I was wondering what the chances were that
Aaron Moss is the murder? He could have killed her, returned to the ball and watched the hallway until someone went into it then 'stumbled' across them. Although I think he would have hoped for a more mature person as the centaur isn't much help.
It always seems to me the murder is the person who is most helpful! They want to help find the criminal so they can get themselves out of trouble.

Aaron Moss was known by the Queen, he knew Passiflora "the lingering thoughts of Passiflora" He was in the ballroom then decided to head to the garden where he found her, what was she doing outside? Perhaps wanting to take a breath of fresh air, a break from the ball? Or was she meeting someone there?

If Aaron Moss was such a criminal, how did he catch wind of the ball in the first place? Usually you have to have a written invitation to attend something like that, especially if there's going to be royalty there. Did he have ulterior motives? Was he invited by someone else?

Does Arcos have anything to do with this besides finding Passiflora? He does seem pretty scared, but maybe he's not scared because of the body...maybe he's scared because he saw the murder and the killer told him to keep his mouth shut or they'd off him too.

edit: Was it.....one of US?!?!?!?!?!

I nervously laughed. “Now, is that any way to greet an old friend?”

“Old friend yes, but I do seem to remember that you served a year,” she said through a smile.

I adjusted my hat a little, and tried to match her attitude, “Yes, and that was at your hands, m’lady,” I replied, the tiniest bit of venom leaking into the last word.

“Alright Ron. Spill it. Why are you here?” Elanor’s deminer changing to a more casual tone. That’s the E I know.

“Well, you’ll be happy to know that I was INVITED this evening,” I retorted. The last time I crashed a royal event…. Not so much.

“Yes, yes. It was an open invitation to all. Do you know him, dear?” Reginald remarked, leaning over to Elanor.

“I do. Regretfully,” Elanor said flatly. Ouch, your majesty.

An awkward silence fell for a second. I finally broke it. “Well, you’ll be happy to know that the commotion out there was warranted,” I informed, “There really was murder.”

An uncomfortable feeling filled the air. “...Where?” Elanor asked.

“How can we be sure you’re-” the guard who I had first met started, but Deckard cut him off.

“Watch your tone when speaking to her grace, Lyle, or your ass will be on the dirt faster that you can blink.” Deckard heated in response. Lyle glared at his superior but fell silent.

“I can show you. It was down the hall from the ballroom. Opposite the way to the garden,” I said. Elanor paled a little at this.

“Close to my chambers. Let’s move fast,” Eleanor stood up, and Deckard was as well in a flash. She started moving to a wall. The rest of us clamored up to join her, and as we did we saw Deckard hit wall in certain area. The old walls shuddered a bit, then moved to the side.

“A secret passage,” I mused, “How original for an old castle.”

Elanor looked back, a wicked smile on her face. They moved through a dim corridor, only lit by the small torches every so often. Soon they came to another wall, and upon Deckard doing the same actions as before, the wall again ground to the side. The group moved into a hall. I wasn’t sure where in the castle we had ended up, but Elanor’s voice broke the silence.

“Where did you say the body was found, Aaron?” she queried, not turning around to meet his gaze.

“It was down the hall opposite from the garden,” I replied.

She turned on a dime and started moving down the hall. Again, we moved to keep up with her speed, when we heard voices and struggle. Deckard and Lyle moved to the front of the group, and Elanor moved near the read with the other two guards. We slowly crept forward, and then, with spears branded, Deckard and Lyle quick jumped around the corner. Ahead lay Passiflora’s body, but before that a guard trying to wrestle down someone. As we got a bit closer, I got a better look. Was that…?

“Kashmas??” I wheezed, taken aback.

The naga the fae guard was trying to pin down managed to wriggle away some from the guard, and look behind.

“Aaaaaaron! Is it really you? It’s been so long! How have you been?” she gushed as she smiled her toothy smile.



Kashmas was an interesting soul. Pale skin with green and red scales, she was hard to miss in a crowd. I had met her years back, when she was just a budding student of detective work, and she had a good nack at it… if she wasn’t so easily persuaded from her good ideas. She also seemed to end up looking very guilty a lot of the time trying to do her investigations, and this was no except to her streak.

“Kashmas, what are you doing here? I though you had left Fae to visit Tek?” I asked.

“I did, but even a kingdom over, the Fae Halloween Ball is the stuff of legends! I knew there would have to some crimes to solve with such a thrilling night!” Kashmas was practically vibrating with excitement, “and look! I found a dead body!”

She turned back to the body, which a few yards away from her. All eyes turned to the match her gaze, and the room turned that same cold, icy feeling from earlier. Samson nearly lost his footing, when he saw it, quickly regained it, and rushed forward. He knelt down and looked over her, hands not touching and quite visibly shaking. He slowly closed her eyes, and leaned in to cradle her head. Quiet chokes tuned into audible sobs as he mourned his daughter. Elanor stepped forward and knelt next to him to offer comfort. The rest of use stood somber and quiet, letting a grieving father say his last goodbyes. After what felt like 15 minutes, Samson spoke, deep and slow.
“Who did this?” he asked, his voice barely containing a fiery rage that was almost tangible.

“We don’t know. I found her already dead and-” I didn’t even get to finish my sentence before Samson stood and turned in one graceful motion, then closed the gap between us at an almost inhuman speed, and with in an another almost inhuman feat, closed the gap between myself and where he had been standing only what felt like a second ago. A large hand grabbed my jacket, and he slammed me hard into the nearest wall, knocking the wind out of me. I looked down to see his eyes burning with anger, as well as some pain deep down. He also seemed to have pulled a dagger out thin air, and said dagger was dangerously close to my throat. I knew if I so much as breathed wrong, I would be finding it much harder to breath with lungs full of blood!

“Sam!” Elanor cried out.

“Chose your next words carefully, or I will gut you from throat to crotch,” Samson breathed, the heat of his words practically scorching my skin. “Who did this to my Flora?”

“I- I don’t know,” I said breathlessly, still trying to collect the air I had just so violently lost, “But I will find them.”

The hallway was quiet, save for the din of the Halloween Party that was still going on in another part of the castle. Samson held me there for a minute, the fire in his eyes slowly turning to cinders, and he put me back on the ground. I slumped a little now that I was back on solid ground, then stood to observe the scene.

Elanor’s face was sorrowful, as well as Samson’s absolute distraught expression. Reginald’s expression was hard to decipher… almost bored. Maybe aloof? Not what I expected, but I guess everyone process grief differently. Deckard, Lyle, and the other guards were discussing posts and who could have possibly be seen during the patrols. Arcos seemed ill, not sure what to do or where to go. Kashmas, still being help by the guard by her right arm, turned my way and smiled her famous smile. It was quite the scene, but this was no time to stare. It was time to act.

Hey all! Royal here again! We have our scene set, and now we need to investigate. How to participate is simple, and y'all have been doing it! Collaborate, and trying a solve this. Ask any questions you have by leaving an @ at Arron_Moss, and he will ask the questions of the suspects. Your list of suspects are:

Acros
Samson
Reginald
Elanor
Kashmas

These are all the major suspects, and anyone of the could have done it! We have 8 days of onsite time (Until November 18th), and by then, one person needs to be picked by the end, as we'll see if we picked right! Let the investigation BEGIN!

It might be useful to have a short title/descriptor of each individual by their names, to keep track of things.

Lucille

@Aaron_Moss Can we get answers to some of the questions floating around the thread already?

Hmm... As I pondered the scene, I walked over the body. The blood had dried by now, and my eyes caught on the yellow powder again. I knelt down, and felt it. It felt very fine, and when I gave it a sniff, my nose was assaulted. I started sneezing like a mad man, and it took a minute for my sinuses to return to normal. Only one could have caused that: Pollen. Allergy season in the Fae kingdom could be hell, what with the abundant greenery. Although during this time of year, not many people had flowers still. Only the wealthy could afford gardens year round. The Queen was no exception, as Reginald was known to have a fondness to flowers, so she kept a garden for him year round. Maybe Passiflora has been in the garden this evening? Had someone gotten it on her during the struggle? So many questions

While I was still kneeling, I awkwardly slid to the side where the armor had been knocked down by Arcos. I looked at the pieces. It was clearly ornamental, as it was in almost prestine condition. I noticed something as a picked over the armor: A short sword. Not one designed for slicing, but one for stabbing. It had red wrap around the hilt, and also a tiny line of dried crust on the blade. Blood. No doubt this was the murder weapon. I decided to keep this to myself. It should come in handy lately.

MsMeiriona

It might be useful to have a short title/descriptor of each individual by their names, to keep track of things.

As I stood from the armor, I surveyed the individuals in the hall to get all my thoughts straight.
Elanor Proudheart: The Queen of the Fae Kingdom. She knew Passiflora as she grew up through her teens, as Samson and Passiflora visited a few times a year to discuss. Could she have a motive?
Reginald Proudheart: Elanor's Husband, and her right hand man. He was a kind man, with a good heart... But he seemed off this evening. Must just be how he copes with tragedy.
Samson Birdsong: The Tek ambassador to the Fae Kingdom, as well as Passiflora's father. There's no way he killed his daughter after that show of emotions... is there? I couldn't rule anybody out quite yet.
Kashmas: A budding detective, and bit of a surprise to see tonight. See was found by that guard right near the body, so she looks guilty in his eyes. Her history seems to be littered with instances like this, but could it have changed this time?
Arcos: The first to presumable find the body, which really paints him in a poor light. However, he's been a bit a bit in shock this whole journey. Could he have done it?

That was my list of suspects for the time being. Deckard and Lyle were both stationed at the party, so they seemed incredibly unlikely as suspects. I also wondered if anyone in the group thought I was suspicious. I was the one who had caused the panic in the ballroom, which did me little to improve my image to the new faces... Hm...

@Aaron_Moss
Was there any gossip about the girl regarding things she did or people she spent time with, which was disapproved by others, namely parents or formerly close friends? I mean, her name was Passiflora, passion flower, there might be something to the name, coincidentally.

Where in relation to the girl was the armor lying? Close to her? Could she have stumbled over it in the evening's darkness and, I dunno, stabbed herself?
What was the armor even doing out there? The guards might know where it usually belongs. Was she trying to bring it someplace else?

The boy was the first who found her. If the shock allows, ask him if he had changed the position of the body? Maybe to check if she was still alive?

@Aaron_Moss Flederfalle has a good point. What kind of person was Passiflora? Was she mature or perhaps playful? Did she trust easily? Was she the kind of person who liked being solitary, thus maybe why she was alone outside, or was she social and would be more often seen around others? If so, what would make her go outside to the garden? If we went to the garden, perhaps there are more clues? If there was pollen on her, it looks like she might have either picked a flower or brushed up against one while walking in the garden. Is it possible to go there and check to see which flowers had yellow pollen and which ones looked damaged?

SeaCrest

@Aaron_Moss

Does Samson know of Passiflora's plans were for the evening? Was she planning to meet anyone in particular?

Flederfalle

@Aaron_Moss
Was there any gossip about the girl regarding things she did or people she spent time with, which was disapproved by others, namely parents or formerly close friends? I mean, her name was Passiflora, passion flower, there might be something to the name, coincidentally.

Where in relation to the girl was the armor lying? Close to her? Could she have stumbled over it in the evening's darkness and, I dunno, stabbed herself?
What was the armor even doing out there? The guards might know where it usually belongs. Was she trying to bring it someplace else?

The boy was the first who found her. If the shock allows, ask him if he had changed the position of the body? Maybe to check if she was still alive?

ScuroFenice

@Aaron_Moss Flederfalle has a good point. What kind of person was Passiflora? Was she mature or perhaps playful? Did she trust easily? Was she the kind of person who liked being solitary, thus maybe why she was alone outside, or was she social and would be more often seen around others? If so, what would make her go outside to the garden? If we went to the garden, perhaps there are more clues? If there was pollen on her, it looks like she might have either picked a flower or brushed up against one while walking in the garden. Is it possible to go there and check to see which flowers had yellow pollen and which ones looked damaged?

The worst was yet to come. I quietly moved over to Samson, who was still quite emotional. I tried to figure out how to phrase this.

"Samson... I'm so sorry for your loss," I started, "I can't imagine what you're going through right now. If there's anyway I can help, and catch this killer, I'm all ears to help. I am, after all, a detec-" Samson turned abruptly to face me. I flinched in surprise, remembering what he had done before. However... he didn't make any move towards me. Me just locked eyes with me, and I saw it. Determination. The look of someone who was going to by any mean necessary get what they wanted, and what he wanted was a name. The name of who took the life of his daughter. I nodded, even though no words were spoken.

"Aaron, was it?" he stared. "Thank you. We have to find who did this, or I'll never stop hunting for them."

"Maybe you can answer a few questions about Passiflora for me, just to get an idea what could have caused this," I offered. He nodded in agreement. "Why are you guys here tonight? I would think such an exciting time would be well spent with family."

"That's just it. Elanor and Reginald are family," Samson replied, "I've been Tek ambassador for 20 years now. Passiflora was just a few years old when we adopted her.”

“Adopted?” I ask, “She’s not yours?”

“Biologically, no. Marcus and I adopted her when she was about 3 years old. Growing up, she was always a joy to be around, and became friends with just about everyone. We had to keep an eye on her growing up because she would just go up to random noble folk and start talking, asking many questions. She’s grown up so much since then, but always kept that spark of fun, excitement, and curiosity… but now…” Samson started to get choked up, then steeled himself. “We decided to visit for some business a few days before. Marcus stayed back because he had some things to take care of, but Passiflora and I were excited to be here. She loves big parties, but back home a lot more people know her face, so visiting here is fun where she can be more herself. She had remarked how she was just excited to go out and have fun on the dance floor. So… I have no clue who would even think to go after her.”

Hmmm… Fewer people knowing her here? Then it had to be someone she knew previously. I thought to myself. “Thank you. I’m gonna keep looking around.”

Samson nodded, and walked over to Elanor and Reginald. Elanor placed a hand on his arm to comfort him. I decided I needed to get more information. I turned Arcos to get some more information.

He was over on the corner, still shaken but seemed to be doing a bit better. “How are you holding up, Lad?”

He looked over at me. “I’m… ok. I still can’t believe this.”

“I know, but are you able to answer some questions? We need to find the killer if they’re still around.” And if you’re not the killer, I thought to myself.

“Al...right. I think I can,” he said, trying to reaffirm himself.

“Did you do anything to the body before all you got there?” I queried.

“N-no, no I didn’t. I...f-found her like that,” he seemed to be reverting to his previous shy self. Odd, since he seemed to be doing better.

“Did you see how the knight armor fell?”

“I...knocked it over in shock when I found the body. It just sort of fell everywhere.” This felt more truthful.

“Alright. Thank you, Arcos.” I let him be. I wanted to talk to Elanor and Reginald, but they were still hurriedly talking to the guards, so I decided to slip away and investigate a hunch. The garden was around here, right? I go back the way to the ballroom, but keep going on to the garden.

The garden was dim, but there seemed to be lanterns for the Halloween ball out here. I take an initial once over. Time to investigate here

Well well ...
@Aaron_Moss Time to look for some plant that throws POLLEN in OCTOBER?

@Aaron_Moss If it's dark outside and just lanterns, we'd need to be extra thorough with scoping the entire area. If it's a garden, that means there's dirt outside the pathways and where there's dirt, we might find footprints. Also, will we need to look for any signs of blood or was Passiflora killed where her body was found? Someone lured her out into the garden. Are there other people outside enjoying the garden as well who might have seen her with someone, or is it empty?

Flederfalle

Well well ...
@Aaron_Moss Time to look for some plant that throws POLLEN in OCTOBER?

(Royal Here! Sorry for the late update! Got sick, so I'm finally getting on top of this! Delay the ending until Friday!)
I look around the garden. It was sill dimly lit by many lanterns that, and it was a very lovely place to be. While I appreciated it's beauty, I needed to move fast. Even with the glow of the lanterns, who knows how long they would last? I moved through the garden, looking for flowers that might have a similar pollen. Towards the center of the garden was a flower that caught me eye: a white flower with a yellow spadix. Who knew plant knowledge from Reginald would come in handy at a time like this.
I got near, and saw a little ornate sign near the front of the patch.

CALLA LILY
DO NOT TOUCH!
To R
The one who showed me a whole new life
E

I looked at the sign and then at the flowers. It seemed to be the only one that explicitly said not to touch, but I had to be sure. I reached down the nearest felts the nearest flower's spadix. The pollen rubbed off, and I felt the similar texture that I had in the castle hall. A little wheel in the back of my mind fired off, and I started to think even more. I knew I had to get back before the group broke up. I turned on a dime and moved back to where I had left the party, shortly arriving.

@Aaron_Moss

OOOOOH what if Elanor found Passiflora playing around with her husband and she killed the girl because she was angry? I just caught this, but in one of the previous entries, it said Elanor was "loved by almost all" Maybe she's hiding a part of herself away and putting on a front for her kingdom?

R and E certainly suggest reginald and elanor but we shouldn’t rule out either nicknames or an attempt to mislead. Especially if affairs are involved someone could be framing someone. Or perhaps the tek ambassador’s fallen in love with the queen and in a fit of jealously murdered the daughter in an attempt to drive her apart from the king she loves?