Report by : Insp. Tomas Reed
Rank: City Watch, Foundry Ward Detail
Assigned Under: Senior Investigator (Protagonist)
Date: 14th Day of Frostwane, 6:40 a.m.
Location: Blackwake Foundry Head Office – Manager’s Quarters
Incident Classification: Suspicious Death / Suspected Homicide
At approximately 4:18 a.m., I was summoned to the Blackwake Foundry Head Office by Foundry Security Captain Mara Vell following the discovery of the body of Edric Hallowen, Foundry Operations Manager, aged approximately 47 years.
The deceased was found within his private quarters on the first floor of the Head Office, located centrally within the Blackwake Foundry Yard. Initial reports described the death as a possible industrial accident occurring outside of regular shift hours. Upon arrival, this assessment was immediately found to be questionable.
I secured the scene pending full investigation and notified my senior.
The Manager’s Quarters are incongruous with their surroundings. While the foundry beyond roars endlessly, the office itself is insulated, richly appointed, and unnervingly quiet. Thick rugs, brass-inlaid furniture, polished shelves of ledgers and technical manuals. The air smelled faintly of coal smoke, oil, and something sharper—burned paper.
The body of Edric Hallowen was found slumped beside his desk chair, torso twisted unnaturally. There were no signs of prolonged struggle: no overturned furniture, no blood spatter consistent with a violent altercation. His throat, however, bore extensive crushing trauma. Not cutting, not piercing—compression.
Of note:
The desk clock was stopped at 2:43 a.m.
A fireplace showed signs of recent use despite the late hour and warm interior.
Half-burned documents were present in the hearth.
The windows were closed. The door showed no forced entry.
This was not an accident.
Preliminary examination suggests:
Cause of death: asphyxiation due to crushed larynx
No defensive wounds on hands
Bruising patterns consistent with mechanical force or trained restraint
This method does not align with impulsive violence. It suggests either experience or intent to simulate an industrial failure.
The following items were catalogued and secured:
Cracked Brass Insignia Fragment
Recovered near the victim’s collarbone. Industrial brass, heat-softened. Insignia does not match Blackwake issue.
Half-Burned Audit Notes
Recovered from fireplace. Legible fragments reference:
“pressure routing”
“forecast window”
“authorization not local”
Desk Clock (Stopped)
Clock mechanism intact. Stoppage appears deliberate.
Personal Ledger of the Deceased
Recent entries show concern over “scheduled failures” and “acceptable loss.”
Bootprints (Partial)
Found near service stairwell exit. Size and tread inconclusive due to soot contamination.
All items transferred to evidence custody under my supervision.
Below is a list of individuals known to have access, motive, or proximity. No conclusions are drawn at this stage.
POI: Blackwake Foundry Security Office
Vell initiated the report and coordinated initial response. Her manner was controlled, professional. Security logs later reviewed show alterations made post-incident to patrol timing.
Possible motive: Protection of internal protocols.
Status: Person of Interest.
POI: Blackwake Foundry – Melting Room
Bale had documented conflicts with Hallowen over safety violations and labor hours. Witnesses report heated arguments in recent weeks.
Possible motive: Retaliation.
Counterpoint: Bale benefits least from Hallowen’s death.
Status: Person of Interest.
POI: Iron Loom Complex Security Shed
Carries a brass insignia consistent with fragment found. Claims limited presence at Blackwake during the night in question.
Possible motive: Covering unauthorized equipment swaps.
Status: Person of Interest.
POI: Blackwake Storage Room
Records officer. Nervous demeanor. Evidence suggests falsified requisitions under Hallowen’s authorization.
Possible motive: Avoidance of exposure.
Status: Person of Interest.
Tamsin Korr, Boiler Technician, reports abnormal pressure fluctuations beginning shortly before midnight.
Old Garrick, Outhouse Attendant, overheard a heated exchange involving Hallowen and an unidentified speaker “with an officer’s cadence.”
Len Vox, Iron Loom burn ward orderly, treated fresh hand injuries on a security-affiliated individual shortly after the estimated time of death.
None provide direct evidence. All reinforce irregularity.
At this stage, motivations appear layered:
Personal Retribution – Labor-related hostility.
Professional Self-Preservation – Concealment of falsified records or unauthorized modifications.
Institutional Pressure – Suppression of discovered irregularities tied to infrastructure control.
Notably, the victim appears to have been attempting to halt or expose an upcoming “pressure event.” This terminology recurs across multiple documents and testimonies and requires further examination.
Throughout the investigation, the foundry machinery exhibited irregular acoustic patterns. The background hum reportedly shifted during the estimated window of death. While workers ascribe this to superstition, pressure logs confirm a minor but unexplained fluctuation.
The city beyond the foundry continued operating uninterrupted. Bells rang. Shifts changed. No alarm was raised.
The death occurred quietly, efficiently, and without disruption.
While individual suspects possess motive and access, the totality of evidence suggests coordination exceeding personal grievance. The scene appears staged to simulate accident while concealing administrative interference.
I am forced to note—reluctantly—that the systems governing Blackwake Foundry may have enabled this death through omission, redirection, or silent approval.
I submit this report for further instruction and defer deeper analysis to my senior.
This is not written for the record, but I feel compelled to state:
The city did not react to this death because it did not need to.
Everything continued as scheduled.
That fact troubles me more than the body itself.
Respectfully submitted,
Inspector Tomas Reed
City Watch, Foundry Ward