[hider=Riva del Garda]Asher beamed at Ionna’s mention of an oven, unable to hide a grin. He listened to Theobald’s request, waiting until he was completely finished before he would respond. [color=salmon]“The town is equipped with standard anti-air artillery designed for harpies but they’re capable of putting a dent in a chimera if need be. The men stationed here are fully equipped with standard rifles, armor, and ammo. I don’t know what a sit-rep is, but their numbers haven’ diverged–two dozen harpies–and this is typical to the region and harpy pack behavior. They’re dropping boars and mus onto the town, who tend to either panic and wreck havoc or try to eat everything they can see. The last attack was yesterday at fourteen hundred hours and was preceded by a consistent attack for the last two months. We don’t know why it’s happening.”[/color]

He paused, scratching his chin. [color=salmon]“The locals mentioned some fierce earthquake that happened on New Years’ Day, I think. It made the news, but I don’t think anyone outside of Lorenzia probably noticed,”[/color] He shrugged. [color=salmon]“I didn’t know about it until I got here two weeks ago.”[/color]

Bianca frowned. [color=salmon]“An earthquake happened here? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of one happening in this area,”[/color] She was concerned. [color=salmon]“Wouldn’t the authorities have detected it?”[/color]

[color=salmon]“I’m told it was pretty violent, but it came out of nowhere and left just as quickly. I don’t really know how it would’ve affected the harpies’ behavior, either, but the timeline matches up,”[/color] Asher shrugged. [color=salmon]“That’s about all I know. And since the Church says you’re allowed to be here, I’m assuming you have the A-OK on that Scion magic, provided no one gets hurt. What elements do you guys have?”[/color]
[/hider]
[hider=Croia]The woman called Renata looked to the familiar voice, expression lighting up with familiarity. It lasted until he began to speak, her lips pouting as she uncrossed her arms and placed them on her hips. [color=khaki]“Officer Weber, I can promise you, [i]he[/i] yelled at [i]me[/i] first,”[/color] She insisted, pointing an accusatory finger at the knight. [color=khaki]“I believe that warrants an arrest. Go on, Officer, I’ll help you out.”[/color]

The knight stared at the blonde, dumbfounded. “...While I admit I raised my voice first, it is because it is specifically off limits. It is [i]dangerous[/i] and several people have already gone missing,” He replied to gritted teeth. “Our governor has asked the Church for assistance. Spirits respect those with the Goddess’ blessing.”

Renata sighed. [color=khaki]“The spirits will do me no harm. Your worry is misplaced and unfounded,”[/color] She said as she poked his shoulder. 

She then realized something. [color=khaki]“Why would the Church send an officer here?”[/color] She suddenly asked Jannick, confused. [color=khaki]“Or is this where you work now? Dahlia misses you terribly, she brings you up in conversation every time we speak, you know. The Holy Capital is the safest place on Gaia right now, times have become very turbulent.”[/color]

She decided to then walk past Jannick, circling around the trio of Dominika, Hollyhock, and Sara. [color=khaki]“Interesting, interesting…are you friends with Officer Weber?”[/color] She asked curiously, openly pulling on their clothes as she walked. [color=khaki] “You don’t look like officers, though. Or at least, you look much kinder than he does.”[/color]
[/hider]
[hider=Dumont]As comical as it would have been to have Tyler start kicking down doors, Lucas didn't offer much once Maya went for a more practical approach. The way she spun her words reminded him a little too much of Erica; they had that same charm where their words were spun like gold. Her little outburst earlier gave credence to this theory of his, too. From what little he knew, she had a spotless public image and was more interested in her phone than anything else, so he hadn't really given her a second thought. But Erica was also charismatic and charming whenever she decided to turn that on. Despite their differences and arguments--and despite what the public believed when it came to the notoriously difficult princess--Erica was one of a handful of people to inexplicably like him. He had always considered it a blessing as the last thing he would ever want was to be on her bad side. But if Maya was anything like Erica, then he would have to be wary of her. 

The sight of the Kaudian symbols on the pair of bodyguards was surprising. He would've thought any foreign diplomats would've fled back to their homes after what had happened in Giles Manor, but he supposed some would think enough time had passed that people wouldn't be too miffed about it. He didn't recognize the pair of voices, but hearing Rhaveus' name was enough to confirm they had found the right place. The mention of mana inheritance wasn't too surprising, if a little odd to bring up. Then again, it was a very public study here in Doumerc, so it wasn't that strange. The mention of the princess consort made him wonder where her other journals were as he had assumed they were all here. Despite the princess consort's tale of going from rags to riches being what most people had focused on--something that amused him as she was one of the Church's most faithful Scions, but that fact likely wasn't nearly as interesting--she was a well known scholar and many of her theories had been built on. Well, her journals couldn't be too difficult to track down, especially if he just asked Henry since he was her child and likely knew where Prince Aaron had donated said journals.

The pair of bodyguards looked at one another before looking at Renault. They might not have expected to be addressed by anyone aside whoever it was that they served. But their salvation came in the form of [url=https://i.pinimg.com/564x/b4/84/8b/b4848b77b130ec295bcb2b1b96281a95.jpg]the Kaudian in question[/url] as he stepped out of the classroom, only stopping once he noticed Renault. A tall, redheaded fellow, he almost looked pleasant. But he had that common Kaudian flaw of looking too happy in a place where he wasn't welcomed. In fact, he outright chuckled at Renault's question, speaking something in his native tongue before giving the man a slight bow.

[color=coral]"Forgive them, in my country, the help aren't to address or to be addressed,"[/color] He replied cheerfully, taking a few steps to get out of Renault's way. [color=coral]"The professor is inside."[/color]

His eyes wandered to the rest of the group, curiosity at the forefront as he looked from person to person. Lucas almost missed the way the Kaudian looked at him, and for a second, he wondered what it was about his face that the man was interested in. As far as he was aware, Kaudus didn't look kindly to nobles expressing interest in those of the same gender as it led to the end of lineages. But he realized the look the man had given him was one of recognition. From where, though? As far as Lucas was aware, they had never met. Or had they? He couldn't remember meeting any foreigners, let alone one important enough to warrant bodyguards. 

For now, he dismissed it; meeting Rhaveus was his priority. Once the bodyguards had followed their charge, Lucas stepped into the classroom, finding the man of the hour relatively quickly. 

[color=dodgerblue]"Dr. Rhaveus, I presume,"[/color] Lucas got right to it, deciding he wouldn't give the man a reason to dodge him. [color=dodgerblue]"I'm here in regards to the investigation into Scion Theodore Estora's disappearance. I was told you had put together a theory surrounding the circumstances on Serenity Road."[/color]

The lone occupant of the classroom was a thin, “academic”-looking man dressed in a simple button-up shirt and slacks, gathering books and papers from a podium at the front. Although he was tall, he was dwarfed by the massive chalkboard behind him, every spare inch of it covered in equations, diagrams, and graphs, with many parts hastily scrawled, scratched out, or emphasized with circles and arrows. 

Dr. Rhaveus looked up in absent-minded surprise from the books he was collecting at the podium, but when he saw it was the Prince who addressed him, his gaze sharpened, and he abandoned what he was doing. 

[color=FFD187]“Your Highness! Thank you for answering my message so quickly,”[/color] he greeted, eagerly shaking Lucas’ hand. When he let go, though, his smile turned sheepish. [color=FFD187]“But please, I must ask you to keep your voice down - this is sensitive business, you understand.”[/color]

To that end, he eyed the accompanying Scions and Templars a little skeptically before turning his attention back to Lucas. [color=FFD187]“Maybe we should discuss this somewhere more… private?”[/color]

Lucas returned the handshake with sincere gusto, albeit once he let go, the man shook his head. [color=dodgerblue]“My colleagues are aware of the situation and different perspectives can be useful,”[/color] He spoke as he touched his hand to the wall. [color=dodgerblue][i]“Nemo audiat.”[/i][/color]

Dr. Rhaveus seemed a little unsure, but as he noticed the strange silence that settled over the room after the Prince’s spell, he ultimately nodded. With a flick of his hand, a small flock of chalkboard erasers floated up and went to work on the board, wiping it clean. Just like he was gearing up to teach a class, he invited the Scions and Templars to sit, and stood before the board. 

[color=FFD187]“Alright, Your Highness, Holy Ones,”[/color] he addressed with a deep breath, his voice a little shaky. No doubt he was a tad nervous lecturing an audience of Scions and royalty. Nonetheless, he glanced at the board, a piece of chalk levitating at his command. 

[color=FFD187]“As you may know, I was commissioned by Commander Fyodor to investigate the disappearance of Scion Theodore. Specifically, I had a one job: to determine what stopped Scion Theodore’s car.”[/color] As he spoke, the chalk came to life, rapidly sketching an impressively accurate diagram of a mana-driven engine. [color=FFD187]“It seems like a small piece of the puzzle, but it turned out to be more of a mystery than we expected. There was no evidence of a collision, forced entry, or anything to suggest the car was stopped by force. But the car showed no evidence of willfully stopping, either. The car’s computer indicated that the brakes were not applied, and the car was still in gear; by all rights, it seems the car simply ceased to function, but there was no evidence of any damage to the engine or any malfunctioning parts. Additionally, the car’s battery was half full, so running out of mana wasn’t the cause of the stop, either. That’s why they called me.”[/color]

Dr. Rhaveus’ voice had steadied; he now sounded no different than any well-practiced professor teaching a class. His chalk moved down and drew another diagram consisting of circular arrows intersecting certain objects: a tree, an animal, a person. [color=FFD187]“To understand what happened, it’s important to understand the nature of mana. Mana, like energy, cannot be created or destroyed, but instead flows continually from one thing to another - however, it is distinct from energy in that it can take on certain characteristics which have an observable effect on the objects and creatures it encounters. This is best observed in the phenomenon of tainted mana, where mana that has taken on negative qualities ‘poisons’ everything it comes into contact with, ultimately creating monsters.”[/color]

The chalk moved again, drawing a sketch of a monstrous creature eating a deer. Dr. Rhaveus’ tone was picking up, a tangible enthusiasm colouring his voice. [color=FFD187]“Consistent with this principle, creatures heavily laden with a certain type of mana, like monsters, cannot consume mana of opposing types. However, we know that monsters regularly consume creatures with more balanced mana. The question, then, is how.”[/color]

Dr. Rhaveus pointed to the monster diagram, circling it with his finger. [color=FFD187]“The answer is that they neutralize the mana - I call it mana [i]negation.[/i] Essentially, if you picture the nature of the mana as its ‘shape,’ monsters use the process of negation to change the shape of the mana to match their own, which is then fit for consumption. A sort of mana digestion, if you will.”[/color] He flashed an amused grin at his audience, but apparently realized it was inappropriate and cleared his throat, continuing on. 

[color=FFD187]“Everything that consumes mana operates on the same principle. Most mana is neutral enough to be suitable for wide use, but strongly aspected mana is incompatible with use by anything except monsters, essentially. And this is where we come back to Scion Theodore’s car.”[/color]

He gestured up to the engine diagram. [color=FFD187]“Like everything else we make, mana cars run on neutral mana, channeled by mages into batteries. The mana wants to move, so it naturally flows from the battery and through the engine, powering the car. But,”[/color] the chalk floating overhead tapped the board for emphasis, [color=FFD187]“if the car’s mana was [i]negated,[/i] changed into an incompatible ‘shape,’ the car would cease to function. That is my hypothesis.”[/color]

Dr. Rhaveus shook his head. [color=FFD187]“The problem with [i]that[/i] was that there were no signs of a monster attack; even if there had been one, I have no doubt that Scion Theodore would have dispatched them without any trouble. That’s why I posited that a [i]person[/i] had somehow negated the mana in Scion Theodore’s car, perhaps from a distance. However, neither I nor anyone else knew of any way to replicate the mana negation performed by monsters. Until now.”[/color]

Dr. Rhaveus turned to face the Scions, sporting a fervent look in his eye. It was the dangerous glint of a passionate researcher on the heels of a great discovery. [color=FFD187]“It took months of research, but I have managed to replicate mana negation on a small scale. My version wasn’t strong enough to stop an engine; it only managed to kill a lab rat. But it shows that mana negation by humans [i]is[/i] possible. And furthermore, it is the only way to explain the state of Scion Theodore’s car.”[/color]

As quickly as it came, the excitement of the new discovery left Dr. Rhaveus. In its place, a heavy dread crept over him. [color=FFD187]“Of course, then comes the bad news. If my theory is correct, it means someone else got to it first - and that some enemy of the Goddess has the power to perform mana negation, and on a large scale at that.”[/color]

He shook his head, looking worried. [color=FFD187]“To confirm my suspicions, I got news around New Years that something strange had happened to you all that sounded suspiciously like mana negation. Dame Irina Albakova sent me a device she thought might have had a role in it. I’m working on figuring out if that’s the case, but the device has been… difficult to crack.”[/color]

The researcher looked at his audience expectantly. With a wave of his hand, a notebook on the podium opened, a pen hovering over it at the ready. [color=FFD187]“To that end, Holy Ones, I would like you - all of you - to describe to me what you experienced on New Years when your magic failed you. I appreciate that the memory must be painful, but it will go a long way toward unearthing the truth behind Scion Theodore’s murder.”[/color]

The professor’s explanation gave an important piece of the puzzle–despite there being no signs of a struggle, with this explanation, those bastards had the means to create a perfect ambush and it let them get away with Theo cleanly. It made his blood boil just to think about it and this mana…[i]negation[/i] sounded outright sacrilegious. It was dangerous and against the Goddess’ design, not to mention a huge problem if it was something they could just casually deploy against them.

Lucas put the thought aside for now as he decided to give his take. If it would reveal more, he could ignore any discomfort. [color=dodgerblue]“I remember feeling dizzy for a moment, and after that I found it increasingly difficult to move,”[/color] He wouldn’t bother mentioning how Tyler had to drag him out. [color=dodgerblue]“Lasted about an hour. My magic didn’t come back until around eight in the morning, so it was a total of eight hours without the ability to manipulate mana.”[/color][/hider]