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[Weirdsound]

You order your host to fetch Azuma. She arrives several hours, dressed in suit of fine green cloth and leather armor. A sharp steel knife sits on her hilt, which is enough to remind you the girl is dangerous; As a magic user with a vengeful nature, she has a real chance of coming out on top should this confrontation become violent.

4

Lahara repeats the charges against your daughter. Azuma listens with a wide smile on her face.

"What the spy-master accuses me of then, mother, is genius." Your daughter answers as her grin becomes a smug smirk. "If her story is true, it proves I am smart enough to pull off the perfect crime, that even now you cannot prove, and means that I now control a powerful artifact... or have traded it for something of equal value. Regardless of if word of the staff's theft reaches the dwarves and their Panthoen or not, we both know you wish to make war with them. When such a day comes, would you rather have me as a friend or an enemy?"

You grit your teeth in frustration. An almost-but-not-quite confession.

Your daughter continues to pace the room. "I do not live in a vacuum. I know what Nishi did. She means to overthrow her half brother and take the Empire for herself, and because I am fated to be her foil, that means my role is to serve as Sun-nut's servant and protector. I am both the most powerful and the most loyal of your mortal children; You wouldn't throw that all away just because I may or may not have done something selfish in my younger days, right?"

Azuma approaches your throne and takes a knee. "I am at your mercy, mighty goddess. Choose my fate wisely."

A: You are guilty! The sentence is death!
B: You are guilty! The sentence is banishment!
C: You are guilty! Your punishment shall be a slap on the wrist!
D: I cannot find you guilty as this time, but nor can I close the investigation. If you have the staff and know what is good for you, return it to the grave before proof surfaces.
E: I find you not guilty!
F: ...You know what? You win. I know you did it, but your actions are a clever deed to be praised, not a crime to be punished! If the dwarves take issue with that, I dare them to stop us!

[Iris]

D

[helmacon]

C

[Maximum Spin]

D

[Weirdsound]

You sigh. You are not going to throw the book at your daughter, but you cannot let her get away either. "I cannot find you guilty at this time, but nor can I close the investigation. Perhaps it would be best for everybody if the Staff were just to show back up at the tomb."

3

Azuma laughs nervously. "I don't see that happening. I... have a hunch that the staff either has been destroyed, or is about to be."

A: Dammit... Guilty then. Prepare for a slap on the wrist.
B: WHAT? WHY? Now I have to banish you for your crimes!
C: WHAT? WHY? Now I have to execute you for your crimes!
D: Well then, I guess the case is closed then.
E: Ugg... If I promise you leniency, will you just confess and tell me the full story already?

[Maximum Spin]

E, and let's trade her the full story of the prophecy as well.

[randomgenericusername]

C

[Hotfire90]

E

[Weirdsound]

"Azuma just tell me what happened," you groan, "you are right in that you are too valuable to punish harshly. I need to know what is going on. There is a prophecy that could spell the Empire's doom, and your actions may play a part in it."

"A prophecy?" Your daughter asks, "What prophecy?"

6

You instruct Lahara to recount her dream for your daughter. As the goddess speaks, the smile on the mortal's face fades, until the very end when Lahara mentions the tidal wave, which causes your daughter to ball her fists, leap into the air, and shriek with joy.

"Mother, the dream indeed prophesies that my actions will bring us to war with the dwarves," she explains, "but it also shows that I am the only one who can save us. I am the tidal wave! Sun-nut has been secretly sending me through the tunnel to meet with Queen Ikarinojoō, as I am loyal to him, but a Kappa by blood. Should the mountain dwarves ever attack the Empire, I am to lead any Kappa force that Ikarinojoō sends to our aid."

"That is a bit of a stretch," Lahara counters, "equating yourself to the tidal wave when the being who both had the dream and uncovered your crimes is the actual goddess of tidal waves!"

Azuma grins at Lahara. "You have a point, but I haven't even told you of the best part. When you took over the investigation, I knew I had to make the Staff disappear. As a practicing witch and daughter of a goddess, I know much about the various magical beings of this world. There is a colony of savages who inhabit the Haunted Canyons beyond the mountianhomes. They are called Goblins, and among them is a demigod smith called Gnoll who specializes in the corruption of dwarven artifacts. I hired him to work upon the Staff of Creed. His orders are to corrupt its shape so that nobody might recognize it as evidence of my crime, and to corrupt its function so that it governs not ice but watter! When Gnoll is finished, the power to raise tidal waves from the Imperial Rivers shall be mine!"

The throne room falls silent at your daughters confession. You suppose you not only have to decide what to do with your daughter, but the staff as well.

As for Azuma...
A: Death!
B: Banishment!
C: A slap on the wrist!
D: No punishment!
E: Praise, for the champion who shall protect us from the dwarves!
F: Lock her up but treat her well. I shall withold judgement until after I resolve the matter of the staff.

As for Gnoll and the Staff of Creed...
A: I shall send my host to raid Gnoll's workshop. Hopefully the staff will still be intact when I get it back!
B: Gnoll's modifications to the staff are clearly part of the prophecy, but Azuma cannot be allowed to enjoy the fruits of her crime. I shall send Senshinochi to supervise Gnoll, and ensure that the artifact is returned me, not Azuma, when he is done with it.
C: I will not interfere with Gnoll or his work.

[Maximum Spin]

I'm okay with this, but I'm not going to praise her for it until she actually manages to win.

DC

[randomgenericusername]

FB

Changed vote.

[MonkeyMarkMario]

I'm okay with this, but I'm not going to praise her for it until she actually manages to win.

DC

+1

[ANGRY_DEMON_NOISES]

Change to FB

[mightymushroom]

F B

Just because she did that part doesn't mean she's the prophesied wielder.

[Felissan]

F B

Just because she did that part doesn't mean she's the prophesied wielder.

+1