1.3: You gotta accept it was just another nasty accident!

[Sierra]

[12:13] <Leona> "So..." Leona drawls, keeping an eye on the jumpy woman with a musket. "Is there anything else to cover here?" she asks her fellow militia members.
[12:15] <Santiago> "That's great. I think we'll do our best to make sure you get another fifty years of peace," Santiago suggests. "Please excuse us whilst we confer for a moment, Mr. Bosque." He gives the man a polite nod before standing aside with the rest of the militia. "If his staff is getting harassed by thugs, we should try and catch the thugs," he asserts.
[12:16] <Luiza> "We should let our superiors know about a potential problem like that," Luiza dissents.
01[12:16] <@El-Cideon> As the Militia officers confer amongst themselves, Bosque retreats to his employees to have a private conversation with them, occasionally casting an uncertain eye back towards the party.
[12:17] <Leona> "They're not going to do anything where they see uniforms about," Leona points out, one of her clawed hands tugging at her grey tabard. "Besides that, It's not our job to play peacemaker for every neighbourly dispute."
[12:18] <Luiza> "It is when granaries explode, don't you think?"
[12:19] <Leona> "When my brewery exploded everyone came around and made lots of humming noises and stroked their chins, then they went away again after the novelty passed. I didn't try and pass the blame off onto someone I'd been quarrelling with, and there's no proof anyone else from outside actually came in and deliberately exploded it."
[12:20] <Santiago> "I must contend that it is, in fact, our job to do so! At least when the dispute reaches the point flagrant property destruction is involved," points out Santiago. "Besides, as to that, I have a simple idea," he admits. "With... Mr. Bosque's cooperation, perhaps, I might disguise myself as one of his employees and walk their route for a few days. We can set a trap like so."
[12:22] <Leona> "How does that help us find out who blew up the granary, though?"
[12:23] <Luiza> "And if the attacks are happening on both sides?" Luiza agrees with Leona, before telling her, "I'm not certain this case is the same as your own precisely because buildings on both sides appear to be damaged unnaturally."
[12:25] <Santiago> "We can interrogate instigators and, one may hope, determine if they are part of a general campaign of harassment," replies Santiago.
[12:26] <Leona> "Alright, so say Santiago pretends to be hammer-man over there and someone stops him on the road and hurls some abuse, what then?" Leona asks. "Are we supposed to jump out of the bushes and force them to reveal their secrets?"
[12:27] <Luiza> "Perhaps we can offer our services to look over the other property on a rotating basis, so it wouldn't be strange if some of us are in the area?"
[12:28] <Leona> "That's up to the sergeant if she wants to post people here permanently, or would we be doing this while off duty?"
[12:29] <Santiago> "We can see their harassment for ourselves," reasons Santiago, "And if they attempt to get physical, we can arrest them on the spot and question them at base. If it's just a matter of words, we can ignore them for now and find a way to casually question them later, perhaps in town or some such." He folds his arms with a frown. "Perhaps we could track them down without such hyjinx, of course. I will inquire over appearances and names."
[12:30] <Luiza> "Of course it's up to the Sergeant!" Luiza insists. "We should check with her, first of all."
[12:33] <Santiago> "Very well. A moment, then," replies Santiago, walking back to Mr. Bosque to ask about the identities of the men harassing his employees, and to offer his sympathies for the time being.
[12:34] <Morrison> Morrison just turns to glance at the burned roof again. Hmm.
01[12:36] <@El-Cideon> Bosque's employees relay descriptions of their most recent offenders--a beefy, middle-aged blond man with a long facial scar, and a younger black-haired fellow with a squint--before Bosque addresses Santiago with an appraising look: "If I may make an observation, you do seem to be invested in resolving disturbances like this." He isn't diplomatic enough to conceal a degree of surprise.
[12:37] <Santiago> "Fires grow if left alone, Mr. Bosque, and the weather is getting warmer as of late," replies Santiago.
01[12:41] <@El-Cideon> "Yes, that they do," he glances back at the treeline of the small forest surrounding his mill, then to his employees, then turns back to Santiago. "I'm pressed to propose something I'm not wholly comfortable with myself. It's clear that Dimas won't listen to me personally. He covets the land too much. But we wonder whether the Militia might convey information that might compel him to settle the matter in court rather than escalating it further."
[12:42] <Santiago> "Do you have something in mind?"
01[12:44] <@El-Cideon> "I said that I didn't personally witness anyone igniting my barn. This much is true. But someone did. The issue is that, insofar as my understanding of the law is concerned, the actual witness is unlikely to be regarded as credible under any normal procedures."
[12:46] <Santiago> "A difficult situation," replies Santiago, sympathetically. "Who witnessed this event?"
01[12:46] <@El-Cideon> Bosque is not wholly comfortable admitting: "A tree."
[12:47] <Santiago> "A tree."
01[12:47] <@El-Cideon> Bosque nods gravely.
[12:47] <Santiago> "I can see why burnings would be of particular interest to a tree."
[12:47] <Luiza> "You have a talking tree?" Luiza inquires with barely-restrained excitement.
01[12:48] <@El-Cideon> "I should hope so," he says. Then he turns to Luiza to make a pedantic correction: "I do not *have* a talking tree. We share the property."
[12:48] <Luiza> "I think we need to question it," Luiza states in no uncertain terms.
[12:49] <Leona> Leona facepalms. With three hands.
01[12:50] <@El-Cideon> "I thought as much," he sighs.
[12:50] <Luiza> "It's not shy, is it? It can't be if it talks!"
01[12:53] <@El-Cideon> "The point I need to make is that there's no value telling Dimas how I know a saboteur came from his estate because a tree told me so. I'm sure it'll only provoke more attempts at destruction, not fewer. I wasn't at all keen to mention it myself, but you seem...trustworthy," he concludes with a little difficulty.
[12:53] <Luiza> "I understand the need to keep a talking tree secret," Luiza does her best to assure him.
01[12:55] <@El-Cideon> "Very well." He turns toward the treeline. "But please understand before we go that it's ordinarily of personal interest not to make this sort of introduction."
[12:56] <Luiza> Luiza is all too happy to nod in understanding if it gets her to meet a talking tree!
01[12:58] <@El-Cideon> Iliandariel leads you deep into the copse of trees behind his mill, though never out of sight of the river. Sunlight glittering off the water ensures that the path ahead remains clearly visible to everyone, whether possessed of elven vision or not. In time, you end up at a clearing on a small rise overlooking a bend in the river. The tall trees make way here for a single willow occupying a prominent position at the center of the clearing.
01[12:58] <@El-Cideon> "Daphne?" the elf queries to the open space. There's no immediate response.
01[12:58] <@El-Cideon> "She spends most of her time sleeping, these days," Ilia explains to the party quietly. "I expect one day she won't wake up at all, and only the tree will remain. Then that too will wither away." He shrugs. "I can imagine worse fates, but I've no eagerness to hurry her on her way."
01[12:58] <@El-Cideon> He raises his voice and tries again: "Daphne? We have visitors, if you feel capable of entertaining."
01[12:58] <@El-Cideon> After a moment, a humanoid form materializes from the trunk of the tree—though one gets the sense that it must always have been there, somewhere. It's a woman, nude, with skin the same gray-brown as the trunk of her tree, and deeply craggy—though with a familiar human look of severe age, rather than of actual bark. Her fantastically long mane of hair is composed wholly of leaves on vines; despite it not yet being autumn, the leaves show signs of reddening.
01[12:58] <@El-Cideon> She offers a faintly uncomprehending smile and then bows, deeply and carefully. "Oh, forgive me, please, I've just woken." She suppresses a yawn. "I had the most remarkable dream. I dreamed that I was a tree."
01[12:58] <@El-Cideon> OOC: K:N of relevance for those who have it
[12:59] <Santiago> roll 1d20+3
[12:59] <Rei-chan> 6,0Santiago rolled :6,0 1d20+3 --> 6,0[ 1d20=11 ]4,0{14}
[12:59] <Morrison> roll 1d20+8
[12:59] <Rei-chan> 6,0Morrison rolled :6,0 1d20+8 --> 6,0[ 1d20=20 ]4,0{28}
[13:00] <Leona> That's not a tree, that's a tree-person! It's completely different. "Hello," Leona gives a little wave. "I sometimes dream that I'm a spider," she offers in the spirit of sharing.
[13:00] <Luiza> "You really are a tree!" Luiza informs her, staring in awe.
01[13:01] <@El-Cideon> "Really?" She looks fascinated by Leona's admission, and presses with wide eyes: "What is that like?"
[13:01] <Morrison> "...If you've never seen one before, she is a dryad." Morrison explains. "An elder one."
[13:02] <Santiago> Santiago's voice catches in the back of his mouth, and he can only stand in mute contemplation.
[13:03] <Leona> "Complicated," she admits reflectively, tapping a clawed digit against her chin. "There's a lot to keep track of when you have so many limbs and walk on such fine threads."
01[13:03] <@El-Cideon> "I should imagine so!" she agrees, sounding impressed by such preternatural coordination.
01[13:04] <@El-Cideon> Bosque clears his throat. "Daphne, the officers are here to ask about the fire."
[13:04] <Santiago> "Yes, yes, that's so. We understand you, ah, saw one?"
[13:05] <Luiza> "Yyyyes," Luiza reluctantly agrees, forcing herself to be professional. "Can you please tell us all about it?"
01[13:06] <@El-Cideon> "The trees saw one," Daphne corrects, conveying in her stricken tone of voice the deep concern of all things both highly flammable and naturally immovable.
[13:06] <Leona> "How do trees see without eyes?" Leona asks to cover the first of many logistical hurdles here.
01[13:12] <@El-Cideon> "Oh, there's more to seeing than eyes," she elaborates eagerly. "One can feel movement over the ground in her roots, and sense disturbances in the air through her leaves and branches. It isn't the same as I see you right now--" though in truth Daphne's eyes look somewhat clouded with age, "--but it's enough to know what's happening around you. A large old tree senses a a great deal, and many trees sense even more! It's as good as seeing, once you've tried it." Her voice tenses up with a deep and primal fear of uncontrolled conflagration as she continues: "Good enough to tell when some scoundrel creeps into the yard from beyond the fence, sets a building alight, and then scurries back home again!"
[13:14] <Luiza> "And can you tell us who the other trees saw setting the fire, or whether they heard these people say anything during it?"
01[13:18] <@El-Cideon> "It was a man," Daphne insists, without elaborating beyond adding, "An awful one." Bosque cuts in: "I'm afraid that to a tree, one man appears much like another. But it's clear enough where this man came from and returned to, yes?" he prompts. On this point, Daphne is very clear: "Oh yes, that estate next to our forest. That..." She processes the word with a little difficulty: "...farm."
[13:18] <Luiza> "Did you see anyone going to or from that farm after this?"
01[13:21] <@El-Cideon> "Oh, yes," she says guilelessly. At this point, Bosque cuts in again: "Which brings us back to my proposal."
[13:22] <Luiza> "Can you tell us who and when?" Luiza asks curiously, as if Bosque hadn't spoken.
[13:22] <Santiago> OOC: Can I SM bosque there
01[13:22] <@El-Cideon> OOC: sure
[13:22] <Santiago> roll 1d20+12
[13:22] <Rei-chan> 6,0Santiago rolled :6,0 1d20+12 --> 6,0[ 1d20=15 ]4,0{27}
01[13:24] <@El-Cideon> "It was just last night!" Daphne helpfully provides. "Somebody left," she says, adding a helpful hand-gesture illustration of a man hopping over a fence, "and then he came back home again." She smiles, glad to be of assistance to the friendly officers.
[13:26] <Luiza> "Thank you!" Luiza chirps, hesitating before asking, "Can I shake your hand?"
[13:26] <Leona> "Somebody left *here* last night over the fence?" Leona cuts in at that revealing confession.
01[13:27] <@El-Cideon> "Of course," she says, offering one gnarly old palm. "This is a human gesture, yes? I have heard of it." She leans in close and states solemnly: "Pleased. To. Meet. You."
[13:27] <Santiago> Santiago's eyes swivel back to the elf, regarding him with a raised eyebrow.
[13:28] <Luiza> "Pleased to meet you as well!" Luiza says, taking the proffered hand gingerly so as to not snap it off. "My name is Luiza."
01[13:31] <@El-Cideon> "The point I should like to make," Bosque presses on, "Is that I would happy to talk with a judge about what may or may not have happened in the Sastre property last night, assuming Dimas would be equally well disposed toward acknowledging before a judge what happened in my yard so recently. Whatever property damages should be assessed in a civil court, well, that's only money. I'm only here to mind the woods as long as Daphne's alive. Which I'm sure will be a much shorter tenure if I explain any of this to him."
01[13:32] <@El-Cideon> Daphne stands up straight. "Do you like our forest, Luiza?"
[13:32] <Luiza> "It's very nice," Luiza asserts.
[13:34] <Leona> "Yes..." Leona settles down a bit there. Someone who'd burn a barn would probably have few qualms about burning a tree, inhabited or otherwise. "If we went back saying whatever proof we have also implicates the farm's side as well, that might draw a confession and then damages could be assigned without having to reveal Daphne's specific part in any of this?" she suggests to her comrades.
01[13:36] <@El-Cideon> Daphne nods. "I can see the river from here," she says, striding over to admire the play of sunlight on water with her hands on her hips. "Not every dryad gets to grow up right next to a river," she says, impressed still by her good fortune.
[13:36] <Santiago> "Mmm. We ought force the principles to come to our keep for arbitration," suggests Santiago, clasping his hands together. "There must be a bit of theatre to a mediate resolution."
[13:37] <Luiza> "You must be especially lucky, then!"
01[13:39] <@El-Cideon> "Whatever resolution dissuades further adventureism of his employees into our land, I regard as the safest," Bosque concludes. "But you understand that I can't have her mentioned or involved in any official way, I see."
[13:41] <Morrison> Morrison tilts his head slightly and looks over at Bosque.
[13:41] <Santiago> "Your concerns are noted," replies Santiago, glancing at Luiza, Leona and Morrison. "Shall we return and report, then?"
[13:42] <Luiza> "Oh," Luiza says, turning away from Daphne. "If, despite our efforts, there is further trouble please seek us out first?"
[13:42] <Leona> "Let's," Leona agrees. "It was nice meeting you, Daphne," she adds.
01[13:43] <@El-Cideon> "Oh, of course. Please come back sometime." The dryad waves, trying out another exaggerated human gesture: "Good. Bye!"
[13:44] <Luiza> "Goodbye!"
[13:46] <Morrison> Morrison says something to Daphne before he turns and follows the others.
01[13:48] <@El-Cideon> Daphne looks impressed, and says something back before the group formally parts.
01[13:58] <@El-Cideon> Day passes into night, the squad disbands to go home, and another day's shift arrives. Dimas and Bosque both arrive the next day in response to summons. Dimas is dressed every inch the respectable businessman; Bosque looks much the same utilitarian as before, except he at least has the good grace to appear unarmed this time. "Good day once again, officers," Dimas says gregariously. "I'm happy to see that your investigations have borne fruit."
[13:59] <Luiza> "Good day," Luiza greets the pair. "Please, come in and have a seat."
01[14:00] <@El-Cideon> Both duly sit down at the office's main table, as far from one another as civility allows.
[14:00] <Leona> "Yes," Leona says, currently in her non-monstrous form because who'd actually take a swing at her here at headquarters? "Though it's a bitter fruit to be sure."
01[14:01] <@El-Cideon> "Is that so?" Dimas asks, with evident curiosity. Bosque remains silent past the pleasantries of greeting.
[14:04] <Santiago> Santiago seats himself next to Leona. "Quite. Still, good medicine tastes bad, as you know." He nods for a moment. "Luiza, can you lay it out for the gentlemen?"
[14:07] <Luiza> "Oh, certainly!" Luiza cheerfully agrees, turning towards Dimas. "You see, Mister Dimas, our thorough investigation turned up irrefutable evidence that it was a freak lightning strike of the sort you described to us previously while talking of Mister Bosque's barn. They say lightning doesn't strike twice, but in this case, it certainly seems to have!"
01[14:09] <@El-Cideon> Dimas calmly waits and listens. He sits straight up in his seat, with excellent posture and hands clasped on the table before him. Bosque does his best outsider's imitation of sitting at attention, but looks more naturally disposed toward a relaxed poise. "Is that so?" Dimas asks simply, with one raised eyebrow.
[14:09] <Luiza> "Oh yes! We've turned up a witness to both events!"
01[14:11] <@El-Cideon> "Did you now?" he looks around. "Is this witness present today?" he asks, sounding perplexed by the small gathering, if so.
[14:12] <Santiago> "I'm afraid not," replies Santiago, leaning forward. "For the sake of their privacy, the witness intends to remain absent unless we needs must take this case to court.
[14:15] <Santiago> "We'd prefer to avoid needing to make treks back and forth from Solfrina and the subsequent disruption of your daily lives, Mr. Bosque, Mr. Dimas, by taking dispute resolution so far. But there should be no need in this case, I'm sure you can agree? After all, we have only a pair of unfortunate accidents, nothing more."
01[14:20] <@El-Cideon> "Well, I confess to some confusion as to what harm there could be in someone coming forward to testify on witnessing a simple act of nature, but if you say so, officer." He leans forward. "What exactly is it, then, that you have in mind here today?"
[14:23] <Luiza> "What runs through my mind, Mister Dimas," Luiza drawls, "is that you have far more granaries than Mister Bosque has barns, and it would be a shame if the freak natural occurrence... occurred. Again. Wouldn't you agree that this is the best solution where everyone, including the law, is involved?"
01[14:25] <@El-Cideon> Dimas can agree to that much! "Of course, as a man entrusted with running the estate of a nobleman, it's my entire prerogative to avoid such 'accidents.'"
[14:27] <Luiza> "Excellent!" Luiza claps. "Wonderful! In that case, negotiations over your disagreements can proceed apace without any interruptions or increased patrols across such dangerous territory. And, perhaps, a mutually-agreed outcome would be in the future?"
01[14:30] <@El-Cideon> Dimas looks around at the squad, at the elf, and back again with a neutral expression. "Of course," he concedes. "It would be the most gentlemanly thing to do."
[14:30] <Luiza> "Would you concur, Mister Bosque?"
[14:31] <Leona> "That seems like it would help everyone in our town live a little more harmoniously," Leona nods approvingly.
[14:32] <Santiago> "Mr. Bosque, Mr. Dimas, you are nothing if not gentlemen," agrees Santiago. "Gentlemen united against the depredations of an angry sky!"
[14:33] <Morrison> "The wrath of nature can be terrifying," Morrison agrees.
01[14:35] <@El-Cideon> Bosque isn't a practiced diplomat, as his distaste for sharing a room with his counterpart is not wholly successfully veiled, but he does manage the most level agreement possible: "Oh, yes. It could only benefit both of us to do what we can to avoid such accidents in the future. I'm sure we can reach some sort of agreement. We can even have some manner of civil agreement officially witnessed by a representative of the state, if you like."
[14:37] <Luiza> Happy that further escalation seems to have been arrested, Luiza disappears briefly before returning with two small boxes of pestinos, one for each of their guests!
01[14:39] <@El-Cideon> Dimas presents the appearance of a man who isn't entirely sure how he came to be maneuvered into this agreement, but accepts the outcome with apparent good grace. He stands up, and offers a hand for his neighbor. "That would be suitable," he says evenly. "And what's this?" he says in a distinctly gentlemanly manner. "The Militia's hiding a fine cook on their staff, eh?"
[14:41] <Santiago> "Our own Luiza hails from a local bakery," chirps up Santiago. "Morrison is a hunter, Leona is a brewer, and this one is a bartender. Should we leave the militia in good health, we might well open a restaurant."
[14:42] <Leona> "My brewery exploded as well," Leona adds, rolling her eyes.
01[14:43] <@El-Cideon> "I daresay you should," Dimas agrees with a smile. "There's bound to be more money in such a venture, for one thing. And do accept my condolences, Miss Corinth, on your misfortune."
[14:46] <Leona> "Thanks," she nods, "I'll get back on my feet soon."
01[14:47] <@El-Cideon> "Well, if you should require a backer, remember that Don Vicente has always been an enthusiastic supporter of Verdana's entrepreneurs." He eyes Bosque. "And now I suppose the two of us had best discuss our arrangement." he admits.
01[14:52] <@El-Cideon> The two landowners depart to presumably sort out their differences amicably and within the eyes of the law this time, leaving the squad on their own for the rest of the shift.
[14:53] <Luiza> "So long as we follow up in a week or so, it should be fine?" Luiza muses, bringing out their share of the snacks.
[14:53] <Leona> "Well, I can say I'm glad I was wrong and we sorted that out rather than leaving it to fester," Leona admits. "Good work you two."
[14:53] <Santiago> Santiago sits back down with a sheepish grimace. "You don't suspect there was foul play involved with your business, correct?" he asks, glancing at Leona for a moment.
[14:54] <Leona> She shakes her head after. "Dozens of people saw the meteorite fall down in broad daylight. Unless I have enemies from beyond the stars, no. Just rotten luck."
01[14:59] <@El-Cideon> ~