That's... actually a rather smashing idea, BB. Good... good job. Yes. Never thought I'd let those words leave my lips.
But, while you're scouring through Mr. Dazmuna's files in search of our passcode, I've got a more pressing matter at hand. Yes, I believe I'm starting to piece together a picture of at least one sequence of events that may have taken place tonight. Of course, this is merely a theory for the moment, but if I'm correct... an apology is owed.
Mr. Ethos... My deepest apologies for accusing you of the vandalism from earlier. That was wrong of me, as I'm sure you'll agree - though perhaps you'd agree for a rather different reason from that of my own. Indeed, I've accused you of a crime you did not commit... and in the process of doing so, I've robbed myself of this triumphant moment - in which I accuse you of one in which you are very much involved.
I believe it's time for that old song and dance - one that's sure to be familiar to you, Mr. Ethos. That's right, I speak of course... of the Logic and Reasoning Spectacular!
Now, it's a curious thing, isn't it? We've got a body flung from the penthouse window, a lethal dose of poison to our only potential witness, and a locked room. Dare I say, the Fallen Lotus certainly isn't trying for originality, eh? But as you'd attest, Mr. Ethos, this event center operates under rather tight security, correct? You've got eyes everywhere, access is largely restricted, and your golems are certain to give anyone causing trouble a proper fright - and a good walloping, I imagine.
But how does one create and control such effective and motivated constructs? Well, if the masks are any indication - and if my ideas regarding the nature of Thalassic magic are correct - the golems are in fact necromantic constructs powered and controlled by the spirits of former staff members, summoned by you, Mr. Ethos, to inhabit those watery bodies and perform tasks autonomously using their former knowledge of the resort.
As Mr. Dhurvakt would confirm, remote control of a secondary entity takes a large degree of focus - something that I highly doubt you're exerting at all times in so many directions, Mr. Ethos. Besides, the proof is in the pudding - or rather, on the masks! Each mask within the storage area bears a rather distinctive set of initials, doesn't it? Of course, it's obvious at a glance... these initials correspond to the names of these former staff members.
But, as much as it is reprehensible... spiritual slavery isn't a crime - and in a void, it would have little to do with the murder in this case. But we are far from the void indeed, because there was something strange about the golems tonight. Earlier, Mr. Buxbaum testified that he witnessed a strange mask unlike the others traveling through the ever-present water pipes. So far, by my estimate, each golem mask we've seen has been more or less identical - so what seems to be the issue with this ill-fitting visage?
I mentioned earlier that the masks were a form of necromancy - and I believe that to be true, but simultaneously... that's not all you can do with spirits. Spirits aren't simply ghosts or devils, no - the Astral Plane houses many a strange entity... as well as those who astral project, as both Mr. Dhurvakt and Ms. ENA have demonstrated in a very public manner.
This strange mask wasn't just any mask, no - it was a mask attuned with the soul of our true killer, designed to allow them to inhabit the body of a golem and roam the resort through the pipes, unnoticed by everyone else. This, of course, is why Ms. Knotwood's Fuzzy was seen squeezing its ample body through the pipes - it was in pursuit of this special mask and the stronger arcane signature it carried.
From here, the events of the night seem to play themselves out. The victim, Mr. Dazmuna, was idly waiting within the room of his dormitory - until this special golem arrived, puppeted by our killer. The killer then sprung their trap, inhabiting Mr. Dazmuna's body and shooting out the window with his gun, before jumping to his death.
In his pocket was a vial, a vial he did not remember possessing. This is because the golem - or the killer in this case - planted the poison on Mr. Dazmuna to make it appear as though he poisoned Storm, aligning with what we know of Storm's supposed impostor during the chess event to create a closed-loop murder. DeMorge killed Dazmuna, Dazmuna killed DeMorge, and that's all she wrote, so to speak. Unfortunately for our killer - and you, Mr. Ethos, we aren't so naïve as to believe such a scenario took place.
After all, it appears to be an incantation played over the speakers that triggered Storm's poison - and you're the one bearing the keys to the proverbial kingdom, so to speak.
...On any other day, I would be willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps someone else brought in the mask, perhaps you do control each and every golem. Perhaps this was a misunderstanding. But it wasn't, was it? Because Reginald, myself, and others have all caught you in a very flagrant and obvious lie. Namely, that of the wailing sound. You've claimed that the golems produce that noise when damaged or contaminated... but that's a lie, isn't it?
Reginald is the one who contaminated those golems with flour - call it a scientific experiment if you will - and he can attest that there was no such wailing. Furthermore... I watched Mr. Dazmuna fire his own frigid bullet at one of the golems in a demonstration - and indeed, it never so much as made a sound. Surely, Mr. Ethos, you are aware of the behaviours demonstrated by your own damned golems, no?
...The simple fact of the matter is, Mr. Ethos, you are hiding something. You are lying to us about some aspect of how these constructs operate, about the secrets behind their origin, and about their activities during the night. You're barring us from accessing the potentially crucial area behind you, and you're refusing to speak about anything that would actually aid our investigation - cowering beneath the shield of national interests
.
Well, my friend... Here's an ultimatum for you. Either you answer all of our questions, you let us into that room behind you, and you drop this coy façade - or we'll cause an international incident of our own: by arresting the manager of the Cascade Resort for obstruction of justice and cancelling AEAEA once and for all.
...I'm sure Justice Kleidi would agree - stopping this disaster here and now is far more important than your rampant, bloated ego. So please, for the love of god man, just tell the truth for once.
I'll also look for Valerie in the Exhibition Hall and show her the feather. Does it resemble any species she's aware of? She should probably also be aware that someone saw her fuzzy - or at least a fuzzy - travelling through a water pipe.
Anyway, it sounds like we got some vials of mystery black gunky stuff going around, and I hear Val is our resident expert on things black and spiky, which sounds pretty close. You recognize this stuff?
[You both decide to look for Val, and see her shiny helmet popping up in the Exhibition Hall. She's trying to make herself, and some of her fuzzies, look as small as possible while sheltered from the safety of the rain and murder, but it's clearly not working.]
- [Valerie] - ...............................................................(There's no ENA. Fine. But... I'll prepare for the worst.)
[She lets her Fuzzies hide in one of the refurbished Exhibit's plant pots before turning to confront you. Her net gun is unholstered in one hand, and her other arm is raised cautiously above her net to fight back. She reminds you somewhat of a caged, cornered animal.
...yet, you can see her visibly relax a little when you show her the feather you found. She's clearly avoiding the elephant in the room, or not in the room anymore. Always ask nerds about feathers, as a wise person would say.]
- [Valerie] - Uh. Hi. ...... Th.......! Oh cool feather. Noktmathian falcons can fly extreme distances with little water or food. I've... seen them soaring over the island skies of the uncharted islands around Findelo, while on my expeditions. They thankfully don't hunt for fuzzies, but sometimes I fear a larger one might.... like... uh. (You know.) They can be trained to deliver things, from whistles, like the ones Kleidi wears. They're cool, but deadly. I guess most things are... except if they're trying to kill my specimens.
- [Valerie] - ...........so today. I went to go check on the plants I store at AEAEA under contract, and for presentation purposes. I know. I promised Cassia to help with her cakes, after my biggest fuzzy did... that... but I'm... avoiding her too. I'm not sure I... would've helped much. Sweets just aren't my thing.....
- [Valerie] - (.........................................................It's okay Val. Just be open. You handle the hunt, they handle the investigation.)
- [Valerie] - Overhearing Dr. Buxbaum.........................the poison might be... mine.
- [Valerie] - (ELABORATE. ELABORATE RIGHT NOW)
- [Valerie] - For... research purposes, a certain stakeholder in Mycelia sometimes keeps me on contract to provide them with samples of rare plants and weeds I encounter in my expeditions. Uh... It's how I keep funding private charter boats to unexplored islands, all to find more species of terrichinoderm for my research. My latest vessel from them sent me to an island where... I found that really big one. A few months ago.
[Some of the fuzzies gather on her body again, and she feels soothed.]
- [Valerie] - You know... from reading that dossier. You know, I can talk to animals. There isn't much to it. Well, uh. No- there is. Years of practice... observation... and... taming. I name each one. You know names have power when it comes to magic...
- [Valerie] - ...well. I let them feed off of my energy, and I can interpret their thoughts... somewhat. That one... uniquely... called to me in the wild, and I took it back to my lab for a while. I knew it would, uh. Help. With research. It had... character.
- [Valerie] - ......but now, it's gone. When I finished in the Exhibition, I went to go prepare for my..... presentation I hadn't written, and... it was gone again. The cage lock left as if it had never been closed. Like before. But I did close it, I swear. This time I made sure.
- [Valerie] - Then, I found someone had gone through my samples. They. They stole the data from my contractor. I... I don't know what I'll do if my funding gets cut. It took me forever to find a natural Wydrassil Tree. And...
- [Valerie] - ........it went in the tubes you say? .......................that explains so much about how it escaped me last time. I... I might have seen a few things pass through while I was running around the depths, and the plaza, trying to find it. I saw... clothes. A weird mask, like you said, Leo. A pillow. All sorted by the system, until suddenly it wasn't. There's... every time I try and call to it, I can't find it. Anywhere. That usually means... I didn't want to believe... but I never found a body... and... I hoped...................
- [Valerie] - ...when I was running around, I saw... Kane. Garth. Aldrich. Buxbaum. BB. Rei. Moh. ENA....... maybe others. I was too panicked.
- [Valerie] - But, I can help with making a cure. I don't know how Storm was poisoned, but I've got... theories. For an antidote! I mean. But no access to a suitable plant. Quarantine has been raided. I went through all of my vials. I saw... some of the other flowers, taken. One labelled Solomon. Uh.
- [Valerie] - ...please. The big fuzzy might be... gone. But, I won't let any of my friends die. Storm included.
- [Valerie] - .................................this... this is it. It's the black poison of the Wydratree. How did-.... this is from my contractor. There's meant to be more. I. No, I have no idea how Otto could have gotten it. He was in his room, yeah? If he used this... someone might have given it to him. Or planted it on him. I... I really don't know. Please, I'm not lying...
