?
Arctis Tor
Some people say that repetition helps cushion shock, even for traumatic events. Perhaps that was true. After the second occasion of Apollo being forced to watch as his client, his sort-of-sister Queen Rayfa, being arrested after he'd cleared her of a dangerous sentence, something like numbness overtook any feelings of anger or betrayal. But, he thought, it was better to think of it as resolve. They had left the Defendant Lobby, and Athena was trailing behind his businesslike strides, looking worried about what was to come. "Uh, Apollo? What's the plan?"
That was the million-dollar question, wasn't it? Apollo was still putting his larger plan together. Instead of talking about that, he told her, "They've arrested Rayfa again, so she's likely been sent back to her quarters. We should head there, after we-"
Before he could finish his sentence, an incredibly tall fellow wearing a leather duster and carrying a staff strode up from behind them, clasping Apollo on the shoulder with his good hand. The aging face of Harry Dresden held no mockery for Apollo. Instead, sadness in the eyes that refused to meet Apollo's, Harry said, "That was rough, kid. Getting screwed like that, and this time by the freaking vampires. But trust me, I know how that feels. Those political schemers have busted my balls more times than I can count." It was clear to Apollo he was trying to be consoling.
The only problem with that was, Apollo wasn't in the mood for being consoled. "It happened, I'll deal with it," Apollo replied, trying to keep his voice level, calm. It came out sounding more steely. He also rolled one shoulder, and Harry got the message that he wanted the hand off of him. Apollo wasn't mad at Harry, he just wasn't the biggest fan of being touched.
"Ready for me to escort you both back to the mortal realm?" Harry offered, clearly trying to perk up his tone a little.
Athena looked happy at the idea of getting out of the freezing castle, but Apollo spoke up, feeling at least a little sorry to be delaying her preferred travel plans. "That would be good, but there's something else we'd like your help with first."
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Arctis Tor - Detention Room No. 32
"Stars and stones..." Harry whispered, his hands lightly gripping the top of Rayfa's head. The royal herself was sitting up straight in a chair, but there was no light in her eyes any longer. It was easier to look into someone's mind when they weren't home, Harry had explained, before getting to work.
While Rayfa had quickly accepted Apollo's idea, Athena had seemed more hesitant. Perhaps as a scientist of the human mind, the idea of magic playing about with the inside of people's heads hit her harder than most. With one hand gripping her other arm, Athena asked, looking away from the spectacle, "It's that bad?"
The notion was, in Apollo's book, quite simple. They'd known for a little while now that somehow, Rayfa was in the center of these events, even if she wasn't the culprit. But her testimony, her own memories, were gone. They'd guessed it was something magical in nature, but Apollo wanted to be sure of what exactly had happened.
A lot of the technical work of evidence involves experts. If there's blood splatter, call the forensic investigators. If there's a broken lock, call a locksmith. If there's magic...call a wizard. Harry had given a few warnings ahead of time, trying to make clear to everyone, especially Rayfa, that he wasn't really a 'charm person' wizard, but more of a 'fireballs and magic missile' wizard. Still, he knew at least a little about what was required, and he clearly found something, judging by his magical epithet. "Is there something more than just a magical memory block?" Apollo asked, trying his best to look and sound as stoic as possible.
Based on the wince that question got from Harry, Apollo guessed he had at least landed in the right ballpark with that swing. "Probably? Look, like I said, this is not my area of expertise. If Grasshopper was here, she'd be able to give you exact timestamps of what happened when, all the details you need. The best I can give is that whatever happened to her, it was definitely magical, and it definitely did something to her memory, and maybe more than that."
Apollo was happy to have that confirmed, at least, though he'd hoped for more. But he'd missed something that Athena hadn't. "Grasshopper?" she asked, playing with her earring, like she always did when she was thinking about something.
Pulling his hands slowly and carefully off of Rayfa's head, Harry explained, "She was my apprentice, and a good friend. Molly can make herself completely imperceptible when she wants to, and is too strong with mind magic for her own good. I haven't seen her in a few years though." Apollo nodded, accepting that, at least for now, this was as good as he'd be able to get.
Rayfa's eyes blinked open blearily, like she'd just woken up from a long nap. "Horn Head? Wizard? What happened?" They told her what little Harry had been able to find out, and it looked as though the young queen was not as accepting of the answers as Apollo was. "I cannot believe someone would do that to me! Invade my mind, and pluck my experiences out! Such vile sorcery should be outlawed!"
Harry raised a finger, ready to point something out, but Apollo beat him to it. "It is, Rayfa. Third Law of Magic: Thou Shalt Not Invade the Mind of Another. But whoever did that to you is probably also the killer, so we know they're not one to obey laws anyway, right?" Athena and Harry looked amused by Apollo's explanation.
His client, however, accepted it sincerely. Nodding her head, she suddenly took on a smug affectation, and pronounced. "Very well. As your sister and your queen, I, Rayfa Padma Khura'in, Queen of the Holy Mother's Divine Kingdom, command you to find this criminal and bring them to justice!" In response, Apollo bowed low to her, to complete the scene.
This was a rough time, for both of them. Rayfa had been through so much already, and being falsely accused of crime after crime wore at her with each day in captivity. Apollo had used every tool in his belt to try and get her free, but thus far it hadn't been enough. Despair was beginning to mount an offense in his mind. Was he going to fail? Would he let Rayfa, and this country, down? He hoped that wouldn't be the case.
So they took this moment, this silly interaction of false bravado and faux obedience, to try and lift their spirits up. To tell themselves they would sort this all out soon. That a happy ending was just around the corner.
October 17th, 8:22am
Khura'in Royal Palace - Grand Foyer
After Dresden took Apollo and Athena back into the city, Apollo already had a destination in mind. It was only once they'd entered the royal family's palatial estate that Athena asked for the second time, "So, what's the plan?"
This time, said plan was fully formed enough for Apollo to give her a proper response. "So far, we've been winning on technical counts, not by solving mysteries. We don't know who Mask DeMasque really is, and we don't know who killed Ringo Raith. But the trial tomorrow? That's our last day. Our last chance. But unlike today, there won't be a new crime to talk about. We'll be covering the same murder as before. So unless we get lucky, we're not going to be handed any new evidence. We need to solve these mysteries, today." It was really the only conclusion he could come to.
Flashing a big smile and a thumbs up, Athena replied, "That's the spirit, Apollo! So, how are we going to do those things?" The question was almost enough to make Apollo laugh. Even after all that had happened between them, Athena still trusted him, one-hundred percent.
"We need to start at the beginning, by investigating the crimes of Mask DeMasque more thoroughly. Hopefully, that will give us the clues we need to unravel this case." He turned his attention back on the area around them, looking for the correct hallway. When he saw it, Apollo started heading directly towards their destination. "Which means there is someone we'll need to talk to, and I'm sure he won't be here for much longer."
Athena followed behind, curious, as Apollo weaved his way through the palace. Even if he didn't know exactly where his prey was, who lived where in the palace was determined by department. Courtiers in one area, guards in another, et cetera. As a broader category, the witness Apollo was looking for would fall under the umbrella of 'advisor', so it was the south wing he needed to investigate. It may have actually been difficult to find the exact room, if Apollo's sharp eyes hadn't seen the dark silhouette of one Grim Moir trying to sneak out of his room, carrying what looked like everything he owned with him in several bulging suitcases. "Going somewhere, Mr. Moir?" Apollo asked, not hiding his smugness as he cornered his target.
Just before the wizard said anything, Athena, who Apollo had asked to stand a little further away while still being in Apollo's field of vision, activated the special mode she's put in Widget, allowing Apollo to see what the wizard was really feeling whenever he talked. (After all, as a piece of highly advanced technology, it wouldn't work if she was too close to him.) Not that Mr. Moir noticed this was happening. To no one's surprise, Widget lit up with the clear blue of fear as Moir tried to look serious and menacing, telling Apollo, "I have somewhere to be, though I do not believe that is any business of yours."
"Mr. Moir, you are a witness to an ongoing investigation. Regardless of how scared you might be about what's been revealed so far in court, you're still needed to find the full truth." Apollo's words rung with every ounce of authority he felt he was granted as an attorney of the courts.
Though, judging by the genuine anger showing in Moir's face and in his voice, according to Widget, it seemed he did not have the same opinion. "Watch your tone, boy. The 'truth' you are looking for does not exist. Sad as it may be, the queen killed Sah'kred. That is the beginning and the end of the story."
He made a move to walk around Apollo, but the younger man stepped in his way, quickly replying, "I didn't want to ask you about the murder!" That got the wizard's attention, and he stopped trying to escape, if just for the moment. "Sir, you were the first victim of the fifth Mask DeMasque's crime spree, correct? If you could tell me more about that incident, I can try to find out exactly what's been going on here." There was no hostility or deception in Apollo's voice. This was a plea, one that he knew Mr. Moir could ignore without suffering a penalty.
Mr. Moir ran a gnarled hand through his thick, bushy black beard, clearly thinking the proposal over. Finally, after nearly a minute of suspense, he gave a response. "I suppose there is no harm in that, so long as it does not take up too much of my time." He set down the suitcases he'd been carrying, then stretched with his hands on his back. "You were correct, I must admit. My closeness with the vampire, as well as my deals with the scorpion, have ensured I am not welcome here any longer." A quick glance at Athena's device showed Apollo the man's emotions were rather placid, though leaning towards sadness.
"Regarding the theft: what exactly was it that was stolen?" The second he'd asked the question, Apollo's sharp eyes noticed a brief flinching from the man he was speaking to.
Rather than answering at first, he started coughing, but even that was getting a clear reaction from Widget: fear. "Well, it was all in the papers...a family heirloom, a beautiful chandelier, worth a fortune. Did you want to hear about the calling card?" The more Mr. Moir talked, the more scared Widget showed him to be, even though it barely showed on his face.
Apollo had to think. Clearly, he did not want to talk about what had been taken from him any longer. The topic was scary to him, and he wanted it changed. Why would that be? Why would the victim of a crime like that be scared to talk about what they'd lost. It didn't make sense...unless there was something implicating about the item in question. The only problem was, Apollo didn't have evidence to back it up. So...he'd have to try it another way. "Mr. Moir, you seem nervous talking about that chandelier." The man visibly recoiled at the accusation, which only seemed to prove the point. "Which leads me to believe it wasn't just some normal lighting fixture." Once the accusation was out there, a streak of yellow surprise bled through the fear.
A far worse coughing fit struck Mr. Moir, and it took him time to recover enough to ask the question, "W-what are you accusing me of?"
There wasn't necessarily one definite conclusion Apollo had reached, but with Widget's help, he could circle around the topic until he saw the reaction he needed. While the man was coughing, providing an emotional reading, Apollo started talking. "It could be a lot of things. Perhaps the item was already stolen, or it was a fake, or maybe there was something supernatural about it you didn't want anyone to know about." That was it! The second Apollo used the word 'supernatural', the surprise came back, sharper than before.
Waving his hands, Mr. Moir started to hush Apollo. "Please! Please don't speak too loudly about that, I'll tell you!" Once Apollo nodded, moving closer to hear what the man had to say more privately, the wizard continued. "You see...the chandelier in question wasn't entirely natural. I'd heard stories of powerful beings capturing pixies, the most minor beings of Faerie, to use as sources of supernatural lighting, and I wanted to recreate that with the chandelier."
Apollo almost couldn't believe what he was hearing. Eyes widening, Apollo asked, still trying to keep his voice as low as he could, "Are you telling me you were kidnapping and enslaving Faeries?!" He could see Athena flinch at the sheer anger in his voice from his peripheral vision, but it was hard for him to care about that. If what this man had just admitted to was truly what Apollo suspected it was, then he felt well within his rights to be a little angry.
Raising his hands in a mollifying gesture, Mr. Moir shook his head fervently, whispering, "You misunderstand!" Apollo took a breath, and waited to hear the wizard's explanation. "Faeries, you forget, are not mortal. They are not human. They have no Free Will at all, only able to follow their nature. They can not make a true decision any more than they can speak a lie or touch cold iron. There is nothing inhumane about putting them to...other uses."
Nothing Grim Moir had said made Apollo want to sock him in the face any less. In fact, it might have somehow made him even more angry. But he pushed the anger back, and let reason reassert itself. This wasn't the time to fight injustice. Solve this mystery, save Rayfa, and then research this issue more, see if there's anything to be done for the man's transgressions. Trying to sound as level as he could, Apollo asked, "Did they belong to Winter or Summer?" He didn't know a lot about these creatures, but the fact they seemed to be a part of one of these two opposed nations seemed important, especially when the judge of their trial was queen of one of them.
The question spurred Mr. Moir to start coughing again, and when he was able to breathe properly, he answered, "Yes and no. I believe there were at least a few of them who owed allegiance to each court, as well as quite a few Wyldfae, independent beings who answer to no one." Even saying that, beads of sweat started to run down Mr. Moir's face, making his yellow make-up start to smear.
Putting his hand to his chin, Apollo thought about this a little harder. "In other words, there are other reasons someone might have wanted to steal from you. This wasn't just an expensive piece of property. It contained trapped beings, some of whom were sworn to other supernatural powers. The theft could have been politically motivated."
The wizard looked confounded by that idea. "How? They were mere pixies, lawyer. Worth nothing. Taking them back would not be worthy of being granted a boon from even the most minor lords of the Sidhe." It struck Apollo that he spoke of these pixies the same way a person would talk about some flowers or a bag of soil: something of little importance to be used, not a living creature.
"Maybe it wasn't political then," Athena said, having come over to huddle into the conversation at some point. Her interjection made both Mr. Moir and Apollo jump a little in surprise. "Maybe...whoever did it...just wanted them out of your hands? It could have been personal."
It looked like Grim Moir wanted to toss that idea out immediately. "Personal? A few pixies? Young lady, you are clearly unaccustomed to our world. The only person I know who gives any thought to such little creatures is that fool Dresden." That said, he grabbed his suitcases and nodded his head at Apollo. "I must leave. Mr. Justice, I hope you are able to find the truth surrounding this case. Find who took my pixies and...who killed my friend." With that, Mr. Moir walked off, leaving Apollo and Athena standing there, considering what to do.
"I don't know about you," Athena said, once the wizard was out of earshot, "but I don't like that guy."
She got a nod in return. "No arguments from me there. Once we're done with this case, I'm going to talk to Harry about what can be done about his kidnapping those faeries." Apollo didn't fail to notice Athena's smile grow just a little wider as she heard that. He was happy to see she agreed with him on that front. "But for now, let's get going. There's someone else in this city we can talk to about Mask DeMasque."
October 17th, 10:17am
Unseelie Traveling Exhibit
It surprised Apollo to see that the yellow caution tape from two days ago was still surrounding the entrance to the traveling art exhibit. He winced. Had the business been closed due to the theft? Hopefully it didn't hurt them too much. Heading inside, neither he or Athena saw the curator at first. Instead, they found themselves looking at the pieces of art that hadn't been stolen while they waited.
There were a lot of paintings by artists Apollo had never heard of, though he supposed if Mr. Wright had been there, the ex-art student might have had some insight to share. Most of them were nature scenes, nearly all of them set in a snowy winter-time. Some looked like depictions of old fables, like Hansel and Grettle or Rumpelstiltskin, but others simply looked like gorgeous landscape shots. Even those, however, were more than they first appeared. The closer Apollo looked at those sorts of paintings, the more small details he noticed. Wolves in the dark, hunger in their eyes. Beautiful beings watching from the trees, something about them distinctly inhuman. An overall feeling of...dread, more than any sort of tranquility.
"Oh, I didn't realize you were an art fan, Mr. Justice!" The sound came from directly behind him, and Apollo jumped, quickly spinning around to face Anna Fanna, the woman he'd come to talk to. She was wearing the same large, thick glasses that immediately drew the attention of anyone looking at her, but this time Apollo realized another part of what gave her a strangely plain appearance: her make-up was put on somewhat thickly, and what looked to his layman eyes as improperly. Had she been getting dressed up to see someone? The fact she was wearing a dress that day, long and green with embroidered sunflowers on the sides, added to that impression. "I assume you wanted to speak to me about the crime?"
Ready to start taking mental notes (which he could later turn into physical ones), Apollo nodded. "That's correct. To begin with, could you tell me more about the painting that was stolen?" All he knew up to that point was that it was titled "The Frozen Queen". He hadn't even seen the recovered portrait, or a reproduction of what it looked like.
Anna looked both happy to tell him what she knew of the painting, while also being a bit sad about something else. "I understand that the investigation is still ongoing, but my superior has been impatient regarding when the portrait will be returned to our possession." Apollo could understand that, it was often the case that important evidence in a case could be out of its owner's hands for quite a while sometimes. "As for its history, it is generally believed to have been painted in the 16th Century by a Kasnian artist, though the exact painter and subject are currently disputed by art historians. Would you like to see a picture of 'The Frozen Queen'?"
When both attorneys nodded their heads fervently in response, Anna giggled and went over to her unlocked office door, opening it with her hip, before quickly coming back with some printed versions of the piece. Just as she handed them to the attorneys, she jumped at the sound of her office door slamming shut. She frowned, looking in its direction. "I do wish that heavy door would stop slamming itself shut." Then, she heard the gasps of her guests, and turned to look at them and ask, "What is wrong?"
There was nothing 'wrong', necessarily. Their eyes were on the prints, and to say the least it was a beautiful piece of art, even if the reproduction didn't have the same impact as the real thing. It depicted a woman, regal in bearing and devastatingly beautiful in appearance, sitting in front of a window, the landscape outside her blurred in a blizzard. What got the two to gasping was that they recognized the woman. How could they not? It was impossible for either to forget the face of the woman judging their trial. The Queen of Air and Darkness. The monarch of the Unseelie Court of Faerie. Mab.
Realizing how suspicious their reactions must look, Athena recovered first, trying to cover her shock with a fake cough to rival one of Mr. Moir's best. Then she said, "Sorry, something in my throat. It's a beautiful painting though!"
As his mind started to really turn its gears, Apollo nodded, then thought of something to ask Anna he hadn't considered before. "I'm sorry, Ms. Fanna, but can you tell me why this art exhibit is called the 'Unseelie Traveling Exhibit'?" Was it a coincidence? It felt like it couldn't be. This business shared its name with a supernatural nation, one of the most powerful ones. And the art it displayed had direct ties to that people.
Anna adjusted her glasses, looking like she was thinking hard on how to answer his query. "Hmm...that's a good question. I can't say if I've ever met the owner, but they seem to be very rich, considering they own all these wonderful art pieces. I was hired to take the exhibit where they wanted it taken, and to tell people what I can about their history and influence. It is an interesting word too, and you're not the first person to ask me about it."
That left one big topic untouched so far. Apollo cut right to the chase. "Can you recount for us the circumstances of the theft, and the night of the crime, as best as you can?" He was sure she'd had to do that for others already, but her testimony could prove vital to cracking that part of the case.
"About a month ago, the exhibit got sent a calling card, from Mask DeMasque, telling me they'd be stealing 'The Frozen Queen'. It's common knowledge Mr. Dresden is investigating the case, so I called him and asked for help." When the subject of Chicago's resident wizard came up, Anna's cheeks grew just half a shade redder, visible even under her layers upon layers of foundation. "He's been such a big help, I don't know what I would have done without him."
Putting those data points in his head, Apollo considered what he knew. So, shortly after the fourth heist, another calling card had already been sent out for the fifth. That's when Harry started helping Ms. Fanna out. "Was the exhibit in Khura'in at the time?" he asked, pressing a finger to his forehead as he did his best to turn what he knew over in his head as much as he could.
That got another nod from Anna. "Yes, exactly! In fact, I hadn't even finished unpacking when I'd called Mr. Dresden." She started fiddling with her glasses again, in the process making it harder for Apollo to see her eyes. "Let's see...on the day of the crime, Harry kept his eyes out for any suspicious signs, but never found anything. We, uh, actually went to dinner together at 8pm. It wasn't a very long dat-I mean, a very long meal, and he came back here to continue guarding the painting around 9:30pm. The next morning, Harry told me all about what happened." It was a pretty general timeline, but as far as Apollo could see, it was as specific as she could get. He'd need to talk to Harry to fill in some of those gaps.
Giving her his most confident smile, Apollo told her, "Thank you for all of that, Mr. Fanna. We'll reach out to you again if we have any more questions." They broke away from her, ready to head back out into the city, when they heard her speak up from behind them.
Anna was standing in front of her office door, carrying the prints she'd brought as well as what looked like a bunch of assorted files and papers. "My hands are full," she said, sounding apologetic. Not one to mind helping her out, Apollo walked over and twisted the cold iron doorknob for her, before waving goodbye one last time.
"Where to next?" Athena asked, looking pensive.
Letting out a breath of cold mountain air, Apollo explained, "Home base."
October 17th, 11:53am
Justice Law Offices
Apollo's reasons for wanting to head back to his office weren't complicated. He had decent internet access there, something not everyone in Khura'in could attest to, even if it cost him a fortune to get it all set up. There was food to fill their stomachs, without having to pay extra to eat out. But most importantly, it was a place that was his. In Apollo's opinion, being able to sit down and settle his mind was a great way to sort out his thoughts.
That was a little harder when he came to the front door of his office and found it hanging open, slightly bent out of alignment with the frame, and the lock clearly broken. "Mr. Justice!" Ahlbi exclaimed, coming up to meet them as they came into the office. "Oh, and Ms. Cykes, there you are! I've been looking for you everywhere!"
Looking around the room quickly, Apollo noticed that his laptop was still there, as was his still padlocked shut filing cabinet. What had been messed with was the kitchen area. One of the cabinets was open, and walking over to check, Apollo saw several handfuls of snacks he'd bought for himself and Ahlbi were gone. What was really weird was that there was some sort of money sitting on the counter, right under the open cabinet. It wasn't in Khura'inese currency or American dollars, but Apollo couldn't tell the origin just by looking at it. Still, it was a weirdly small sum. Turning to look back at Ahlbi, Apollo asked, "What happened?"
Shah'do ran around barking at the people who had suddenly joined him and his master, and Athena knelt down to start cooing over the cute doggo. Meanwhile Ahlbi approached Apollo, looking terrified, and said, "I came to the office early this morning, and it was ransacked! You've seen the door, and the food they took! But they didn't just leave money, they left this!" Then, he held up a card in one hand.
It was a white card, with black talon marks in each corner, and an emblem that reminded Apollo vaguely of a crow in the middle. It looked vaguely familiar, but Apollo turned it over to read the message left for him. 'Even in the depths of night, when no other bird dares to take flight, one alone soars to shine the light of righteousness on the world's blight! And that one is me! For I am the Great Thief, Yatagarasu! That said, I'm used to stealing truth, not snacks. I hope the money left covers what was taken. Anyway, you're the trump card that will help me triumph over the evil Mask DeMasque! Meet me in the alley five blocks to the west of your office at noon, and you'll get an ally like no other!'
Remembering what Harry had said about this other great thief, Apollo wondered if whoever it was really was trying to help. The fact they'd left something behind to apologize for the stolen food was something, he supposed. But then he reread the message, as Athena read it as well over his shoulder, dog in her hands. "Noon?!" she exclaimed. "Apollo, that's in like five minutes!" Realizing she was right, Apollo quickly told Ahlbi to guard the office, while Athena was handing the boy his pet. Then, the two attorneys ran outside, ready to meet with a genuine phantom thief.
COURT RECORD
Evidence
Attorney's Badge (Other): The proof of my profession. Now that I have my own office, it feels more real, y'know?
Mask DeMasque's Thefts (Document): A list of the thefts' locations, their dates, and what was stolen. Updated with victims.
June 6th, Borginia, Chandelier (Containing stolen pixies), the White Council of Wizards.
June 24th, Bialya, Enchanted Sculpture, The Jade Court of Vampires
July 15th, Cohdopia, Ruby, the Dragon Pyrovax
September 2nd, London, Manuscript, the Fomor
October 14th, Khura'in, Painting (Of Mab), the Unseelie Traveling Exhibit
Magic and You: Are You a Wizard? (Document): A pamphlet made by Harry Dresden explaining how magic works.
Mortal practitioners interfere with technology nearby them.
The Sight lets a mortal wizard see the true nature of things. It also allows Soulgazes.
Soulgazes happen when a person with the Sight looks any mortal directly in the eyes. The wizard can see their soul, but the mortal sees their soul in return.
Wizards can open Ways into the Nevernever.
People are born with a certain amount of magical potential, those with a lot can be trained into being wizards.
Magic Circles can be used by mortal practitioners for a variety of uses.
Magic can be used by Vampires and the Fae as well as wizards.
Magic can be divided into Evocations, immediate spells, and Thaumaturgy, ritual spells.
The Frozen Queen (Other): The painting stolen from the Unseelie Traveling Exhibit. Found under Queen Rayfa's bed, and has her fingerprints on it.
Mask DeMasque's Costume (Other): The signature costume of the famous thief, sighted during several of the crimes. Not found in the Khura'in Mansion. Recently found on the body of Sah'kred Pahrohtektor.
The Laws of Magic (Document): A pamphlet made by Harry Dresden explaining the Laws of Magic as determined by the White Council of Wizards.
1st Law-Thou Shalt Not Kill. (Only applies to killing with magic.)
2nd Law-Thou Shalt Not Transform Others.
3rd Law-Thou Shalt Not Invade the Mind of Another.
4th Law-Thou Shalt Not Enthrall Another.
5th Law-Thou Shalt Not Reach Beyond the Borders of Life.
6th Law-Thou Shalt Not Swim Against the Currents of Time.
7th Law-Thou Shalt Not Open the Outer Gates.
The first five Laws only apply towards mortal humans, not supernatural beings.
Self-defence can work as a defence, but accidents can't.
Penalty is death or probation on pain of death if broken.
Autopsy Report (Report): The victim, Sah'kred Pahrohtektor, died sometime between 9pm and 10:30pm on October 14th from immolation. Details on bones show victim may actually be in his early 20's, while the number of injuries (nearly 100 broken bones across the entire body) imply a more advanced age. The victim was covered in traces of a napalm-like compound.
Crime Scene Notes (Other): The scene was built with magic circles installed in the floor. They appear to have kept the fire contained. Harry found traces of magic at the scene, but can't be sure what kind of spell was involved, or what kind of being cast them. He is sure it was an evocation.
Broken Glass (Other): A piece of broken glass found under the desk at the crime scene. Covered in a strange liquid, revealed by Ema Skye's investigation to be a napalm-like liquid chemical.
Crime Scene Photo (Photographs): A picture of the crime scene as it was first found.
Profiles
Ahlbi Ur'gaid (Age: 9)-Monk-in-training, tour guide, and sometimes my assistant as well.
Rayfa Padma Khura'in (Age: 14)-Queen of Khura'in, spirit channeler-in-training, and bratty sister to my adopted brother. She's training under a wizard, and has been arrested for killing a man with her magic.
Nahyuta Sahdmadhi (Age: 25)-High Prosecutor of Khura'in and my brother. Well, adopted brother.
Harry Dresden (Age: 48)-Wizard and Private Investigator. Seems to be the investigator for this case. Thinks he's very funny.
"The Gatekeeper" (Age: Unknown)-A Wizard who just showed up in my office, with a friend in tow.
Athena Cykes (Age: 19)-My former junior associate at the Wright Anything Agency and a licensed psychologist. Appeared out of nowhere with a wizard.
Da'ra T'ee Ka'ash (Age: 34)-Courtier for the Khura'in Royal Palace. A Ga'ran loyalist who bribed Grim Moir into hiding Rayfa's alibi.
Grim Moir (Age: 172)-Rayfa's private tutor and a wizard of the White Council. Has been secretly teaching Rayfa magic since late May. The first victim of the newest Mask DeMasque. Kidnapper of pixies.
Queen Mab (Age: ?)-The Judge of the this trial. She radiates power and beauty but scares the daylights out of me. She's the Queen of the Winter Court of the Fairies, as well as the Queen of Air and Darkness. Subject of the stolen portrait.
Godot (Age: Deceased)-Famous opponent of Phoenix Wright, died years ago, but brought back by Queen Mother Amara to be the prosecutor for this trial. He's started calling me Injustice.
Ema Skye (Age: 27)-Former detective, current scientific investigator, and my friend. Serving as coroner on this case.
Sah'kred Pahrohtektor (Age: ?)-Queen Rayfa's personal bodyguard, found dead in her secret study room dressed up as Mask DeMasque. Real name Ringo Raith, he was actually a vampire of the White Court.
Anna Fanna (Age: 31)-The curator of the Unseelie Traveling Exhibition and one of the victims of this case. Seems to have a crush on Harry Dresden?