trusthell | Take Responsibility.

The time allotted for investigation this week is a bit longer than normal - not due to anything done wrong on the part of the Apprentices, but perhaps due to a basic understanding that two corpses are going to be decidedly more difficult to handle than one. However, at the end of the time period you've been given, the elevator is waiting for you, as cold and sterile as always in its journey up to the courtroom; you're down to almost half of your original number, and if anything is going to indicate that this shows no signs of stopping, it's probably this week.

The deceased have had three more join their numbers since you were here last - Gold, Varric, and Viktor's portraits have been greyed-out and set atop their spots in the podium circle, the podiums themselves draped in black fabric.

As always, the lectern above stands empty.

Whether he's with you or not, however, once everyone has found their place in the circle, the Wordsmith's voice can be heard throughout the room.

"Welcome back. Two more Apprentices are missing from your number today, and I have little doubt that weighs heavily on your minds. Balanced and Capricious have been lost to you, so that the guilty may have a chance to leave the academy and possibly even gain something otherwise impossible to attain.

If you wish for your fallen Apprentices to receive justice in death, then you know what to do: yet again, hold the guilty accountable."

Sixteen Apprentices remain. However many leave here at the end of the day has yet to be seen.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It could very well be the wrong lead, Mr. Wayne.

A comparison only helps expediate our efforts. There's still a possiblity he's innocent even if it's a match, but without a concrete yes or no, we're just twiddling our thumbs.

His opposition to the thought doesn't help matters.

And we're not twiddling our thumbs already by focusing on this? Please. He's said it himself that the stupid thing sheds, and we still don't know what order everything happened in.