« Reply #7 on: June 10, 2018, 11:17:21 PM »
June 10th, 773 BCMy time in the Gendarmerie, and indeed, Port-a-Lucine itself, has proven to be a constant test of my principles. The capital may decorate itself with the splendors of civility, the banners of patriotism, and the allure of great artistic works and famous personas, but all about the posts of its foundations is a swamp of deceit, lies, bribery, and misdirection. I have come to know such intimately now, through the course of my first investigations as a Gendarme, and my attempts to advance the standing of the Trelliard name. What I have experienced has shocked and disgusted me to my very core...
The willingness of some of the Gendarmes to resort to base bribery through coin or promise, their apparent eagerness to inflict their will through the brutal pain of beatings and torture is abhorrent. The excuses that others give them are not excuses at all - no amount of horrors one may experience as a soldier give one the right to willfully prescribe physical punishment as a means to garner information. It's behavior entirely unbecoming of one of the gentry, or an officer. I would expect it from the base born, the men and women that live in poverty and ugly squalor, and only know of violence... but when one wishes to cross the line of the classes and become a respected sieur or dame of society? You must leave such base desires behind you. The higher one climbs through rank and prestige, the less and less they should resort to such actions.
There thankfully are a few amongst the Gendarmes that I respect for breaking free of their lowly beginnings. Schrotter is a cut far above the rest, doubly more so for a Falkovnian. His very nature now though, has presented a greater problem than I had expected... but such is the price of justice. His conscience has now seemed to overcome his fear and doubt, and I applaud the man for it. If we do not hold ourselves to the fine points of the law, how can we expect to hold any others? These coming weeks will be far more dangerous for him as a result of his convictions... and for myself as well. It would be simple to only be a gendarme soldier, who's only thought need be manning the walls for the upcoming assault, but I strive to be something more valuable - an Inspector.
I was set by the Lieutenant upon a case "off the books", some weeks ago, a phrase that I detest. It was not entirely without reason, and I understand the difficulties that the Gendarmerie faces now that may seem like such is required, but I detest it all the same. I am tending to have doubts that any investigation into the matter will bear fruit, and I believe my initial instincts are correct... However, events have occurred that have created a new case, branching off of this unofficial work.
I now must settle a case that began over fifteen years ago, in Edrigan. A murder, perhaps a series of murders, if the most foul possibilities are to be true. There will be scant physical evidence in a case so cold, but already, myself and Gendarmes Breeze and Schrotter have uncovered the damning piece of primary evidence that was hidden so long ago -the remains of a crime of passion and rage. That old oak tree, that mornful grave marker, the entire clearing in the wood felt so... wrong. I feel though, that our resolve that afternoon was justified. Thankfully too, many residents of Edrigan have lived in the town for years, and still have memories of what occurred there fifteen years ago... it is a matter of putting together the pieces of a dark puzzle, and bringing the truth to light. Justice for Agnes and Rasse Destine, and the children who never new the grace of Ezra's light, the purity of spring day, or the warmth of the sun. I believe we have already solved the Disappearance.. it only remains to solve the murder, and... and the matter of these children's dolls.
I can hardly remove the image of the dolls from my mind. Its unsettling, far more than I would like to admit to anyone. When Breeze set upon the doll in the empty office, I felt so dearly that I wished to scream, to hide behind Schrotter, to flee from the room... but I persisted. There is something captured there, something within, that has been imprisoned and warped and twisted, and we must find the truth of it, the way to dispel it, to banish it. The Toret at the Chapel of the Sainted Mother's Repentance in Edrigan recommended their immediate destruction by fire. A good deal of my thoughts agree with the priest, but I fear too, what the consequences of that may be. All I know thus far, is that we managed to act before any terrible travesty affected the children of the refugees at the Jalabert estate. Thank Ezra that van Haute was able to recover them. If Breeze can not discover away to... remove whatever is upon them, I feel as if we must follow the Toret's advice... Otherwise, I pray that the continuing investigation does reveal some clarity to this mire of a case.
« Last Edit: June 11, 2018, 02:07:41 AM by Dumas »
Logged