Furthermore, if she does not submit to rigorous interrogation and still deny being Rhiannon, as an apprentice she can be destroyed on the spot for illegally knowing Parma Magica. It would not be depriving a magus of his magical property, since she claims that Rhiannon is dead. If she admits (or is found through investigative spells) to be Rhiannon, then she has attempted to deprive Gallius of his magic by submitting him to an uncalled for Wizard's March. If she cooperate, she may avoid being Marched herself.
Rhombia may also being investigated for complicity to deprive a magus of his magical power. She was very quick in calling for Gallius to be Marched, suspisciously so. If she is found guilty, a relatively severe penalty, such as the loss of an apprentice, familiar or talisman, may be called for. I would advise her to cooperate fully and submit to InMe verification of her innocence.
Such attempted entrapment of a member of the Order, by trying to manipulate Tribunal, is contemptible and calls for severe punishment.
First off. Kudos on this excellent idea and a very interesting read. Really enjoying it.
Secondly, about the case.
Seize the apprentice. Explain to her the options.
Claim identity as a known magus of the order (including the slain magus) and suffer the wrath of the tribunal for trying to mislead them.
Claim identity as the apprentice of the murdered Magi and have the true details ripped from her head by magic until everything is learnt, then be destroyed (unless some REALLY good extenuating circumstances are revealed) for knowing the Parma while not being a magus.
claim identity as some other being and suffer the wrath of the tribunal for trying to mislead them.
Either way the apprentice is clearly in a whole world of hurt. She is currently under sentence of death for knowing Parma without being a magus and will need to be as open as possible if she wants any chance of surviving the tribunal.
I second the other's suggestions - seize Alyssa! One way or another, she's going down.
I would note that her Parma might be due to some other magus' skill, so that I would not consider it clear evidence that she has the skill and is to be destroyed (if she is still Alyssa). However, in that case she still needs to be stopped and investigated magically, and her Magic Resistance would, I am sure, not be able to stop the resident Hoplites from gleefully discharging this duty for the gathered tribunal.
Hearing that Rhiannon was part of a mystery cult and a powerful Mentem maga adds credibility to Noliar's idea that Alyssa could really be Rhiannon, in mind if not in body.
If so, the crime is entirely different - there is no murder, but only an attack aimed at Gallius and an attempt to mislead the Tribunal.
Does anyone want to claim a slightly battered, orphaned apprentice ? I know a Tytalus magus or two who wouldn't mind shaping her into a proper maga...
Rhiannon made her apprentice impersonate her at tribunal. Later she killed her apprentice (or made Cedric kill her apprentice) and made the arrangements to make it appear as if Cedric had killed Rhiannon. It is quite telling that the apprentice, supposedly an almost gauntleted character could not stop a grog from killing her mater easily. There are a few low level spells that are easily sponted that could achieve that result. Rhiannon, impersonating his apprentice had plans to start anew under the guise of a new maga, charging her old enemies with murder while doing so. It seems it backfired.
A few spells cast on the apprentice should show the truth of the story since she is present during the whole scene in any case.
Nice story in any case. More of a murder mystery than a law tribunal case, but really cool.
The spell cast on Cedric was, according to the divination, a Rego Mentem spell of the 3rd magnitude, cast by Rhiannon.
I guess it's a Voice, Conc (or Diam) spell using the Level 4 guideline "Control the target's mental state (e.g. confused)".
Thus, Cedric's testimony should not be considered trustworthy.
Yep, just struggling to sort out a short term financial emergency (not been paid), toothache and a house inspection by my letting agent. I'm back on the ball now
Richelle ex Bonisagus (A visiting mentem expert with reputation for her manipulations of mundane minds subtlely) suggests using some CrMe to imbue the apprentice and grog with strong honesty and devotion to justice and urge to talk. "We can't help it if they talk on their own because it is their personality to do so for the moment." She suggests the corpse be examined for MuCo traces as well as the apprentice and ifthe parma does not drop voluntarily, it be forced down.
As for punishment, if the apprentice really is the apprentice and really did commit the crime, a Tytalus will step forward to have the code administered to her as a member of the order as she has just past the Tytalus house gauntlet. The prior crime was not committed by one sworn to the code so is no crime at all.
