"I'd hazard a guess and say no," Felix tells Arkady. "From the holographic seeing we saw and the explanation we were given, the Queen is encased in a rather large crystal and any attempt to open it will immediately end the spell preserving her life with no chance of bringing it back up."

He glances at Preceptor Vanire.

"Though maybe I'm wrong in that assumption?" Felix asks hopefully. "A blood sample could go a long way towards helping us make an antidote, or at the very least finding out exactly what compound the poison is so we're better able to identify what the poison is and find enough of it to synthesize an antidote."

Vanire nods. "You're correct," he says, "the spell protects the Queen from violence as well as from the ravages of time. We can't get at her blood without taking down the entire spell - and only the Lady Sephrenia can do that. I take it you're going to the Palace, to present your case to the Bastard? Stop by the throne room while you're there, and you can see her for yourself. If you can find any actual proof of the identity of her poisoner, we could certainly find use for it as well."

"Yeah, if we find anything out we'll be sure to let you know," Felix says. "I doubt it would be so easy, but we'll certainly do what we can. We'll also keep an eye out for any poisons and whatnot to take samples of and test in our medical facility to see if they match the symptoms of the Queen."

Felix thinks for a moment, trying to remember something.

"Oh, and before I forget, do you know the name of any astronomers or any other sort of scholar who studies the positions of objects bodies in the night sky? I'm working on a theory and need someone to confirm some information for me."

Vanire nods. "Edward Jacobson Lenda. Younger son of the Earl of Lenda. You'll find the Earl himself at the palace, I'm sure he'll brag about his son to no end if given the opportunity."

"Good to know, thanks."

Felix rolls his shoulders.

"Now if there isn't anything else to discuss, I'd suggest we head out to meet the Primate and get this Kangaroo Court going. Unless anyone else has something they want to ask or say to Preceptor Vanire?"

With a wry look, Arkady comments: "Just this; our wagons respond badly to open flames. If a fire should break out, make sure they are pushed out of the way." Then he glances down at Piper, and adds: "Oh, yes. Do you happen to have any fruit or sweetmeats around? I told our young friend here I'd try to find one."

Vanire frowns at Piper. Then he turns his glare to one of the other, younger knights, and tosses his head towards the main building. The younger fellow runs in and comes back out, pretty promptly, with an apple for Piper.

Piper hugs the young knight, then Vanire, then Arkady before happily tucking into her apple.

--------------

The first thing to strike a modern visitor to Cimmura is the smell. Or perhaps a more accurate word would be stench. It would appear that the native population considers cesspits a suitable way to deal with human waste. Many of the buildings are dingy and run-down, and an entire section off to one side seem to consist entirely of dark alleyways. Sir Ulath leads you directly to the Palace, the biggest, fanciest building in the city.

Unless someone wants to go somewhere else before visiting the Regent?

Indoor plumbing, it's gonna be big, Felix thinks to himself as he wrinkles his nose at the smell. He keeps a careful eye out to make sure he doesn't step in anything and, perhaps more importantly, gauge how difficult it would be to bring modern plumbing to Cimmura.

"Shall we continue on, gents? I'd rather not dally when our future hangs in the balance."

"Lay on McDuff."

Nate seems mostly unaffected by the smell, although whether it's simply an act or not remains to be seen.

Sir Ulath: Alertness: +2 Roll: -2 Total: 0
Felix: Alertness: +2 Roll: +3 Total: +5
Nathan: Alertness: +4 Roll: -2 Total: +2
Arkady: Alertness: +1 Roll: +3 Total: +4

Target: +6

There's a fair amount of people milling through the streets; some nobles in fine clothing, some merchants wearing ornate jewellery, some labourers wearing plain, drab clothing. The large cart from earlier is set up at the side of the road, now topped by a large sign reading "Mark and Marque's Mostly Medicinal Mixes", and two men in flat straw hats are extolling the virtues of their cure-all medicine to all and sundry. (According to their advertising, one bottle can apparently cure anything from a broken leg to a broken heart - they also promise cures to insomnia, flu, tiredness, aches, pains, and basically anything and everything that can go wrong with the human body. Also, it makes you super attractive, and stronger, faster, and smarter than before). A little bit further, and old blind beggar (or, at least, an old beggar with black cloth wrapped over his eyes) thrusts a hat in front of passers-by, whinging "Charity?" every time he does so.

Sir Ulath ignores the salesmen and drops a coin in the beggar's hat.

Spend a fate point to tag Fortune Roulette and boost alertness by 2.

Felix: Alertness: +2 Roll: +3 Fortune Roulette +2 Total: +7

While everyone else is distracted by the blind beggar, Felix turns to the side suddenly to look back at the salesmen, and feels something tug at his pocket - as if his sudden movement had taken a passing pickpocket by surprise.

Pickpocket: Sleight of hand: +5 Roll: +1 Total: +6

Felix turns to look back on the pickpocket, smiling his most award winning smile in an attempt to mentally disarm the rapscallion and throw them off their game.

"Now now, thievery won't get you much out of me for there is no coin to be had in my pockets," Felix laughs, speaking in a voice only loud enough for the pickpocket and their companions to hear.

The pickpocket is immediately obvious. He's a young boy, about ten years old, with a completely shocked expression on his face and Felix's pistol - held by the grip - in his hand. He seems too surprised at having been noticed to make an immediate reply.

Nate discreetly moves to cut off any escape routes should the young hoodlem decide to make a run for it.