The magi are let into reception hall where they should wait for the mayor. Do you keep your guards or should they wait outside? A manservant has gone to make the mayor aware that his guest has arrived. Some time pass by and the mayor walks down a staircase to meet the magi. Accompanying the mayor is another man by the style of his clothing it seem like he is an important man. The mayor greet the magi. Welcome here scholars. Kolberg is most gracious that you have decided to aid us in these dark times. Please accompany us into our council chamber. The mayor gestures towards a large pair of doors at the end of the reception room. This is Ardh Johan the magistrate of Kolberg. The mayor shows the magi into the council chamber and summon servants to bring the magi something to eat and drink. Once the small talk and a bit of the eating is concluded the mayor speaks. Where do you wish that we begin this tale of most tragic events?
The guards should wait outside, of course, unless there's a meeting room from them there.
Thanks for seeing us so diligently.
As for the current events, you could begin from the start. The first murder. Such a recap would help us better grasp the situation and its implications. Unless there's something before that that we should know, of course.
There have been two incidents, two grotesque murder sites. The first site where at the house of the owners of the Three barrels merchant company. The entire family where found dead, children and all. The door where locked from the inside so the guards had to break the door down. The second site where as gruesome as the first but from what I heard the guards found even more strange marks on the bodies, there where strange burn marks. I have not seen the bodies for myself so I cannot give you more details. Anything you wish to add magistrate?
The magistrate speaks. Yes, I have not seen the site until some time after murders. I spend my nights in my country house so there for I have not seen the houses until morning. But my watch master can give you more information about the locations. For the moment there are a number of merchants closing shop here and leaving for other cities. The people of the city are blaming the Jews. There is only of when the citizen will take matters into their own hands and storm the Jewish quarters. For now my guards are keeping a perimeter between the Jewish quarters and the rest of the city. Keeping a close watch on who enters and who leaves. This is to prevent that the violence escalates.
I fear that many of my men share the views of the common man so if a uprising is coming they won’t stand in the way. The more respectable citizen are suggesting or trying to demand that I arrest every Jew and question them until I find the sorcerer that are responsible. Such a solution even though vile will at least cost a less amount of blood. I hear that you are specialists in the mystical arts? Remember that the streets are dangerous for ordinary citizens. Even more for those that looks suspicious. There have been a few incidents, more that usual, where lone walkers of the dark hours have been attacked and slain by citizens that are doing something about the problem. The magistrate seems troubled by the situation.
We will need to speak with the Watch Captain , visit the murder sites and also see the bodies if they have not yet been buried. We may be able to determine much from that, you need have no fear that we will fall victim to vigilantes when we are on the streets , our magics are quiet enougth to kill any vigilante your city is likely to muster.
Although, of course, we would only use such power as a last ressort, in order to save our, or an innocent's life. We have no intention to hurt anyone if we can avoid it, save, of course, the perpetrator of these murders.
That being said, we thank you for your trust. Have faith that we'll see to it that the murderer is stopped.
For now, I suggest we found an housing for us, and start enquiring tommorrow morning.
The magistrate and the mayor both look at each other when Mariella’s comment about harming the vigilantes of the city. There is a slight worry in their face. The magistrate speaks, I can offer you my town house, it is at the other end of the square. Personally I spend my night in my country house with my wife. It is not far outside the city. I have a few servants there that will take care of your needs. The bodies have been buried but I will send the watch master to you in the morning. If you do not have any more questions then I could follow you to my house.
Be assured that my sodales would only use their deadly powers as last resort. If we see another way - like letting our guards deal with a problem - we prefer that ourselves. We have no more intention than the next man to kill a fellow Christian who just acts out of fear. But your city shall mourn for those victims of your vigilantes who have already lost their lives because of the fear-induced violence of your people. Sometimes that is just the plan of the servants of evil, to set good men and women against each other and to corrupt their souls by growing unjust violence. It is your city, but in your position I would order a general curfew from dusk till dawn. Everybody found on the street except your guardsmen and people who like us get your special permission has to be put into jail. This won't stop a riot, but at least it should minimize the numbers of casualties up to then and give us free reign for our investigation. Ah, and perhaps someone could convince the priests of your local churches to preach about the virtue of temperance. If the citizens also get the impression that something is done about the killings, this might help to calm things down.
Your offering of your town house is most generous; having a shelter in the city saves time. Thank you.
So now we shall concentate on the murders. My first questions are mundane: Did the victims have any known enemies, and did they have anything noteworthy in common? Perhaps we can find the culprit by searching for the ones who benefit from these atrocities. Ah, and did anyone see those marks you mentioned in detail - or even better made a copy of them before the corpses were buried? Perhaps we could identify the symbols. Finally, I would contradict my sodales in one respect: We should visit the murder sites immediately; the traces of the magic used shouldn't have any more time to fade, and if ghosts are involved, they are more likely to be encountered by night. We can get to sleep afterwards.
"Though the watch captain might know more, are there sights that someone went searching through the houses of the murder. Killing without stealing seems to be different than killing to take something of value. If things were taken, that could be perhaps be used as way to find the ones responsible." People always seem to kill to steal from the fae courts so that is most likely reason.
"A good point, I had only been considering the magical aspects of this situation. We should consider the motivation as whatever magic is being used is most likely directed by a human agency, Theft, Jealousy or rovalry all of these could be motives , it would be good to know if anything was stolen or if the there is one person or group who had reason to dislike the victims of both these incidents
The mayor speaks. I have heard that the marks where not markings but rather burn markings. Regarding the victims, they where both major merchant families here in Kolberg. There are a few families here in Kolberg that are dominating the economy and these where two of them. Some of the remaining families are leaving Kolberg and some are staying behind. Apart from that I can’t tell you anything else that could be a reason for these murders. Personally I have great trouble believing that anyone could have a reason to commit such gruesome murders…
The magistrate speaks. The hour is getting late but if you wish I could arrange that you could look at these murder sites now or if you rather wish in the morning. The watch master is probably home with his family but I can send for him if you wish.
At this stage, conjecture is useless. This could just as well be vengeance, or a diversion. But my sodales is right about the ghosts. Let us go to the house, then, and see what transpires of these events
You have two sites to go to in different parts of town. There is a risk that you will be outside after dark… What is the plan do you do to one site? Both sites? As a group or do you split up? Make a few decisions. The magistrate can provide with both guard and guide.
Well, since we're at least 3 with second sight, I say we can split up and go on both sites.
I'd say Tatiana and I should go one way, with Mariella and Petrulus going the other way. Ricardo is free to go as he wants IMO, as his presense seldom impacts magical ressources.
Be cautious, however: We don't know what we'll find there, and I am the only one of you with any real power against spirits and demons
That makes sense, I can probably deal with most weaker demons or spirits but I don't have your specialised spells , yet unless it is a demon in which case I do have a suitable spell
Tatiana considers this and agrees. She doesn't have much against spirits yet but she can most definately handle humans and she has second sight even if it is not as good as some people.
She waits until she is out of the house and on the way to the location. "I suspect it is not a ghost. Why would a ghost travel across the city to two different houses. I suspect we are going to find a human agent at work here which makes things tricky. We can't exactly act like crime investigators every time the Mayor calls. He will force us into solving all his tricky crimes because he said it was a ghost or supernatural being. We need to decide ahead of time what to do if we do discover a completely human agent at work."
If there is a human agent behid it which I agree seems likely , it wil either be an infernalist in which case it is an enemy of the order and we kill them, or it is a Mage in which case it is Join or Die time , although given this putative mage's actions there is a good case for skipping the options as he could potentially bring the wrath of the mundanes down on us. Which is our best reason fro getting involved if we do not police mages who cause trouble like this we risk stirring up the mundanes and waking up with the covenant under siege by the Knights of the Sword and it would be a pain to have to kill them
[color=red]I second that 
"If it is either, we will deal with it. I just am asking about human with torch and perhaps some trickery to lock door behind them doing the killing. Not everything is magical." Tatiana speaks. She is trying to keep the concept that it might be fued of some sort.
My repartition also took this into account, as mariella can quickly dispatch groups of mundanes, while we're limited to one at a time
Anyway, if the perpetrator is a mundane, he shall be judged by mundanes. This is what we should probably do in most cases of mundane action, unless the killer is too powerful for them to handle and falls under our juridiction.
However, the problem endures. How do we make sure we do not become "kolberg's magi", yet remain in friendly terms with the town? We could be accused of being akin to court wizards. Yet, there's also the risk of an hedge magus bringing upon us the wrath of the church
Well, Sodales, if we split up in order to investigate, I'd like to have you with us,Riccardo. Our two sodales are pretty good and impressive with their swords, but I have never really been trained in the arts of combat, and If I am not much mistaken, Mariella would also be forced to use the mystical arts if pressed. So I would be glad to have your blade, your wits and your tongue at our side. We shall split our grogs and take somebody from the city watch along. This in itself might avoid trouble with the locals.
I wouldn't worry too much about future calls and just settle this right now. - Mr Mayor, you just need to know that we are good neigbours, but we follow rules that don't allow us to interfere in non-wizard affairs without good reason. I assume that you generally will appreciate this, as you wouldn't like to have wizards who take too close an interest in your city. So, of course we will help you now, as this seems to be an supernatural threat, but if you should ever call on us without a good reason - or if you should ever assume that we have to follow your call - this will fall back on you.
Now we can commence with the business at hand and shouldn't waste more time. Just let me renew my Second Sight spells. Mr Mayor, just to show you parts of our arts and to assure you that there is nothing evil about them, I will, given your permission, prepare myself in front of you. These spells will only effect me.
After these words, and given nobody contradicts, I rise to my feet, turn to the wall and start to chant and pray. If necessary, I will explain a bit more of what I am going to do, and if the mayor stays unconvinced, I will wait and do the casting outside of the house; shouldn't make much of a difference. Anybody knowing some Latin will understand that this magic obviously includes various prayers to angels and saints
I rolled 10 d10 (see: http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2227501/), the last two in reserve, if some of the previous ones were needed for botches or positive stress results (not needed) and used them for the casting in the same order as before. So this are the results. I assumed a Dominion aura of 3 in the mayor's house, but given the good results, even 4 wouldn't make a difference:
Entreating the divine powers: 1d10 stress +Presence+Divine Lore(names of power): 6+1+3=10
Gift of the Seer (SuMa15): 1d10 simple+Com+Su+Ma: 1+3+2+11=17
Entreating the Divine Powers: 9+1+3=13
Magician's Second Wind (SuMa20): 9+3+2+11=25
Entreating the Divine Powers: 8+1+3=12
Strengthening the Mystical eye (SuMa 15): 9+3+2+11=25
Entreating the Divine Powers: 9+1+3=13
Magician's second Wind (SuMa 20): 7+3+2+11=23
So, all the spells work, and they don't result in fatigue. I am ready to go.