Take Responsibility.

[wordsmithery]

Again, the elevator is waiting for you after the allotted time for investigation is over; it idles almost patiently at each floor, waiting for everyone to be on board before sending all of you up to the courtroom high above. Over a third of your original number is dead. The losses are made all the more apparent by the addition of several greyed-out portraits around the podium circle at the center of the room; Kira, Mercy, Judy, Nick, and Kimbley have all joined the ranks of the deceased, their podiums draped in black. Meanwhile, the lectern above stands empty. The Wordsmith waits for everyone to find their place in the circle before he speaks; once that much has been done, his voice can be heard easily throughout the room. "Welcome back, Apprentices. The past several days have been troublesome indeed, and I need not point out that your number has dropped significantly. But a matter even more pressing requires your attention at the moment. In accordance with Rule Seven, the guilty seeks to leave the university and rewrite history. If you wish to prevent that, hold them accountable and have them take responsibility for the fate of Incendiary." Nineteen Apprentices remain. However many leave here at the end of the day is up to you.

Comments

[matchbreaker]

Well he did make an ass of himself at the last trial.

[ But that... sort of... made her feel bad... for him... Sort of... ]

[deofoled]

I don't think someone who threatened to kill him would bandage him after.

[matchbreaker]

Like that gas you were just talking about?

... So the pool's toxic?

[firstaid]

But people can feel regret after doing something due to being emotionally charged and not making a rational decision as a result.

[matchbreaker]

He was rooming with him, he said.

[neverheardofhim]

I did. [Not gonna say anything else there.]

[matchbreaker]

I didn't either, but that's what he said!

[elepe]

I'm afraid it was too shattered to make out. But the glass itself was fairly concentrated, or someone may have cleaned some of it up. Considering it's proximity to the scorch mark, it could have possibly been a beaker.

[Her guess was as good as Lusamine's, at this point.]

[foundfate]

Varric wouldn't kill anyone here.

[Straight and to the point.]

Besides, he wouldn't have had the chance. I slept in his room last night.

[Nevermind that Watanuki is a heavy sleeper and someone could have easily slipped out without him noticing.]

[tsugomori]

Hmm...the other spots were probably from when the second person went to the cabinets to get the bandages.

The second one, though.... There was no trail leading to the larger concentration of water? Well, it wasn't like anyone had poured water onto that spot, so it could be where someone was standing when they were holding Kimbley, or after they had already placed Kimbley down?

[plentyfriendly]

Not really. They're used to keep the water in the pool clean, so the amount in those tabs is too low to even harm someone, let alone kill them.

[matchbreaker]

Oh.

... so what, it's like a cleaning chemical?

[foundfate]

Maybe someone was trying to make another bomb? Since apparently someone had a recipe for chlorine gas.

[plentyfriendly]

Did anyone that checked the chemistry lab find anything like that missing?

[elepe]

[doesn't he do that every trial...

She at least has the decorum not to say that but. She nods in agreement.]

[tsugomori]

[ ...Well then. ]

If that is what happened, it would explain the bad blow to the head, I think.

[firstaid]

[She has to think a moment on this...

...then it hits her.]

Do you think... he was trying to actually--

[She can't even finish that thought to be honest.]

[oyashiromama]

That...would make some sense, I think? Probably after, aah...after they put him down, it would've had to be since...there was no blood.

[quadruples]

...Could he have been planning to kill everyone?

[plentyfriendly]

In this case, sure. Most chemicals can be used several ways.

[elepe]

I'm...afraid my familiarity with chemical combinations is not as expansive, but it's possible.

[matchbreaker]

Stop it with that! Anyone here could kill anyone!

[deofoled]

They can.

[...]

It takes time to bandage someone, though.

[iaspis]

[.............]

If true, I doubt he was thinking of it, but it wouldn't have killed me.

[feistytrader]

Are you a light sleeper?

[Varric is pretty nice, and he feels kind of bad suspecting him like this, but he's too suspicious to ignore at this point.]