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  #46  
Old Apr 7th, 2017, 02:04 PM
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Andrzej Zaituc
Andrzej watched the exchange, paying attention to Adivion's face as he
Dice Sense Motive:
1d20-2 (15)-2 Total = 13
spoke. Regardless of what his gut told him, the Varisian did not like this pompous, dandy. Even if he hadn't been kin to Carlo, the fancyman rubbed Andrzej the wrong way.

"Come, fratti, we have work." He pulled his kin out of the room and squeezed his arm reassuringly. He had gotten Carlo's message about the they, but didn't want to discuss that particular subject any further. Not here, not now. Not with Adivion and the barrister present. Not with the trial hanging over them.

 
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Old Apr 9th, 2017, 04:07 PM
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Adivion nods dutifully, looking at Mara with something between thanks and contempt, before digging through the papers, as if he's going through the motions of something he has no intention of doing... because he's done it before. But that seems unlikely, unless the prosecution has the same documents. Which, of course they do. Jamir smiles up at the rest of the group as it seems they're primed to depart.
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Kaple nods. Standing, he moves through the door and calls out. "Cadet Almsdale! Almsdale? Where the Devil did that girl—" A voice issues forth from the stairs, quick steps rising up them. "C-coming! I'm coming, so sor—OH!" As the mousy-haired girl from before appears, she trips on the last step, stumbling forward at the feet of some legal aides in front of the prosecution's room. Dressed in the blue uniform of the Lepidstadt Constabulary, she seems too small for it, and for the blade at her side, her red-brown hair bouncing and bobbing all the way to her faceplant. The two aides move to help her, as she lays motionless, but as they touch her, she holds up a blue-gloved hand. "I'm... I'm ok." She rises, slowly, and Kaple, his face somewhere between worry and embarrassment, steps forward.

"This is Cadet Veronique Almsdale. She'll be your escort to interview the witnesses, who are currently in the prisoner's holding chamber until we move them into the court chamber in half an hour, I believe. Cadet, where would be a good place for my associates to conduct interviews of the witnesses?" She steps forward, a large red mark appearing on her left cheek; at least it wasn't her forehead. "The Common Room, I can kick the others out. Uh, hi, I'm Veronique. Call me Veronique. Please?"

Kaple nods. "Are you alright, Cadet?" She meekly scrunches her face up, then nods twice. "Y-yes, I'm just... clumsy, is all. Nervous. The Prisoner, sir. We.... I'm just on edge." Kaple narrows his eyes, then smiles. "Glad to hear it, but put something cold on it. Check with the chef, she might have something worthy of your head."

He turns back to the others, before Hrani, Carlo, and Andrzej head off. "You all have inquisitive minds, but I'm beyond hope. Prove me wrong. Find what I've missed, with eyes unclouded. And don't muck this up." He moves back into the Defense chamber, and shuts the door.

The two legal aides privately laugh among themselves, the same laughter as joined Adivion a moment before. The viewing chambers above are still empty, the chamber of judges somewhat audible but indistinguishable from the near-party attitude of the prosecution chamber.

From there, the two groups split: Hrani, Andrzej, and Carlo head downstairs first, while Cadet Almsdale leads them southward, into the holding cell.
WitnessesThe room is simple, a wooden room with the symbol of Iomedae hanging on the wall. It has no windows, and a gray disposition to it. Fortunately for that, everyone in the room has a near-identical persons within it. All are drab and dull, at least in appearance, and each of them is a different kind of dull. There is the Gnome, his hair a bright coppery orange with white near the roots, dressed in a gray uniform that reminded them of a custodian; three villagers, a man and two women, all nervous but sitting together, seemingly quiet only because their conversation had been interrupted by the oncoming crowd of strangers with the Cadet; three sisters with crooked noses, wearing pastels and busy doing their make-up with ancient compacts, each with a symbol of Desna on them; and a man covered in burns on his face, neck, and left arm, his robes white, his eyes covered by a cloth.

The only witness not present? Anyone who looks like a Professor. Perhaps that's for the better.

Each of them pauses enough to look at the crowd that enters, somewhat confused. Almsdale speaks for them. "Um, this is, um. Uh. I'll let them speak for themselves. Let me know who you want to interview first, and um, we'll bring them downstairs, one by one." This confuses the witnesses, but they don't speak up.
The Good ProfessorDownstairs, they remember the way out of the Courthouse on their own. Varisians have a knack for that, it seems. Getting out of course houses, that is.

Outside, the guards let them through but the crowd in the Square is grown exponentially. They aren't lining up just yet but there is still an impressive amount of souls out there, many of them performers, many of them salesmen. Why not work the crowd before joining it?

Moving past the crowds to head down a different side street from the one containing the Lorrimor Apartment, they head towards the towering heights of Lepidstadt University, past the Iomedaean cathedral where the Varisians stayed the night before.
As they do so, they spy a figure coming up the street, dissheveled and dropping first his books, then his pens, then his bag, then his glasses, then his quiet demeanor as he curses. Hrani recognizes him at a distance, the sweating visage of the tall, powerfully-chinned Montagnie Crowl, Professor of Antiquities.

"Oh, um, you are, um.... Oh!" Picking up his glasses, a scroll falls out of his bag; everything seems to be falling.

"Apologies, I'm a bit of a mess, and I remembered this morning I'm being called as an expert witness for the case. Why did we need to meet again this morning?"

How has he forgotten already?
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  #48  
Old Apr 11th, 2017, 11:47 AM
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Pike looks over the crowd, smiles and nods "Good afternoon all and allow me to thank you for showing up with such short notice. It is well and truly appreciated." he takes a slight bow "I am detective Torsten Pike and with me are Miss Mara and Sister Runa, we would like to ask you a few questions. I assure you this wont take long." another smile and he turns toward Cadet Almsdale and moves inside the empty room where the interrogations were to be held "Veronique, if you could send the groups in the following order: Karl from Sanctuary, The three sisters Karolsburg from Hergstag, the group from Morast and finally that gnome, uh I didn't catch his name, from the University." adding "Please, and oh Veronique if possible make sure the ones that we have finished interrogating don't mix with the ones waiting, thank you."

SanctuaryHe takes a seat at a table and gather his thoughts while he waits for the blind assistant to enter, the pressure of being ill prepared for something he has never done before starting to settle in. At this moment he'd kill for a glass of burnt spirits and a good, solid cigar but that was not to be. He offers Mara and Runa a nervous smile and takes a deep breath.

As Karl enters he is quick to his feet "Here, let me help you." he says, offering the blind man his arm and guides him to an empty chair.

"Mr. Karl, as you know we are here on behalf of the defense. We only wish a fair trial and let me assure you we are not here to get anyone off the hook. We are simply trying to assess all evidences in accordance with the given law." he motions for Cadet Almsdale "Can you call for a pitchers of water and cups for everyone present?"
he straightens his shirt and crosses his fingers in front of him on the table "First of all I'd like to know more about Sanctuary and the work there done by Dr. Brada and yourself. Tell me, what was the nature of the work performed at Sanctuary, who were the patients and how many were being treated at the time of the fire?"

"How was your work at the Sanctuary funded and was the income steady? Who sent these patients to you?"

"Tell me a little about the good doctor himself; what kind of man was Dr. Brada? Did he have any enemies? Love affairs? Business or work related partners besides yourself?"

"Where exactly did the fire start? How quickly did it spread?"

"How would the Beast be able to gain access into Sanctuary without you noticing him?"

"Can you describe the Beast to us in as much detail as possible? How clearly did you see him and what was he doing at the time?"


Having finished his first round of questions he looks to Mara and Runa for any input.

 


-----------------------------------------

As Karl leaves Pike takes moment to speak with Runa and Mara about what they thought before asking for the next group to be escorted in.

-----------------------------------------

HergstagThe three sisters emerge and Pike stands to greet them "Ladies, thank you again for your time and my I say that I am terribly sorry for your loss and for the loss of all Hergstag." he motions for them to sit before taking a seat himself "Now, as you know we are here on behalf of the defense. We only wish a fair trial and let me assure you we are not here to get anyone off the hook. We are simply trying to assess all evidences in accordance with the given law." a good statement as any to start but the sisters make him somewhat nervous, the people of Hergstag had been described as religious - having had to leave their home due to these horrible events has to have had an deep lasting effect on their faith "I will need to ask you a series of questions, please answer as truthfully and detailed as possible. Now, before the first child went missing did anything unusual happen, any occurrence out of the ordinary around Hergstag?"

"Who was the first one to go missing and do you know if the children all went missing outside the perimeter of the town itself or did they go missing from their homes at any times?"

"How much time did pass between each abduction?"

"When the ghost started appearing, where did they com from? Any specific direction or during any specific time of day?"

"What was the state of the ghosts as they appeared, as in: Besides being a ghost, how did the children appear?"

"What was the state, emotionally if will, of the Beast when he came to return the body of Ellsa?"

"Did you see the body? If so, was there any apparent cause of death?"

"Did the Beast return any other children?"

"Before the appearance of the Beast, what did you believe to be the cause of these events?"

"Can you describe, in as much detail as possible, the appearance of the Beast?"

"Did the Beast threaten you in any way?"


As he finished his first round of questions he again looks to Runa and Mara for input.

 


----------------------------------------------

Pike has a glass of water before calling in the next group and quietly talks with Mara and Runa of what had transpired.

----------------------------------------------

MorastPike, again stands up and offers the group of two women and one man a seat as they enter "Please, sit. Glass of water? Apologies to have kept you waiting. We are all working on a tight schedule." he sits himself down and goes through the same routine "Now, as you know we are here on behalf of the defense. We only wish a fair trial and let me assure you we are not here to get anyone off the hook. We are simply trying to assess all evidences in accordance with the given law." at that he nods at the group and gets straight to business "We need to get a clear picture here of how these events unfolded. Tell me, for how long of a period approximately did this tragedy take place?"

"How many bodies were taken and how many people were attacked that you can say for certain was the work of the Beast?"

"How did he attack the family in town? Did he do so under cover of night, was he silent?"

"Did the Beast feast upon the bodies? Did you find any.. uh... apologies; leftovers?"

"Where is Lazne now?"

"Did you see the Beast? Can you describe him in detail? Did he give off any sounds or appear threatening?"

"You say the Beast was thought dead after a blood caiman attacked him, did you see this attack? Were you ever able to recover any remains of the Beast after this attack?"

"Approximately where did the Beast fall to this caiman?"


Having finished his first round of questioning for the Morast group he looks to Runa and Mara for input.

 


---------------------------------------------

After the group has left the room they talk quietly about what they'd been told.

---------------------------------------------

UniversityAs the last witness enters Pike smiles and stands to greet him "Welcome and I am so sorry to have you waiting for so long. Please, sit." and then comes the pitch "Now, as you know we are here on behalf of the defense. We only wish a fair trial and let me assure you we are not here to get anyone off the hook. We are simply trying to assess all evidences in accordance with the given law. he offers the gnome a nod and a smile before going on "So let's begin, this shouldn't take long. Tell me, what exactly did you see on the night of the break-in?"

"Was the Beast acting alone or were there others? If so, what can you tell me about them?"

"The Effigy that is missing clearly wasn't on the Beast, who do you think took it and why would someone want such an item?"

"What state was the Beast in when you found him, just sitting there?"

"Did the guards have a hard time taking him into custody?"

"Did the Beast say anything? Threaten you in any way?"


Having finished the first round of questioning he looks to Runa and Mara for input.

 

  #49  
Old Apr 12th, 2017, 04:12 AM
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Runahildr Valkadottir

Runahildr had placed herself to the side during the interviews and simply remained there with her arms crossed, watching the proceedings as Pike had people brought in in turns and questioned them.

She was silent for the most part, only occasionally adding her own phrasing of a question when, or if, it seemed the person questioned had trouble understanding or found difficulty formulating a response. The rest of the time she spent taking note of the little details - quirks that manifested itself during conversations, nervous ticks that might appear when someone was pressed or asked to answer questions they had not necessarily prepared for or signs that someone was openly lying or relaying something from a preplanned script.

The paladin combined this with her more spiritual sight, and went through each witness, in turn, searching their souls for signs of a taint or lingering evil. It the Whispering Way wanted to twist this trial to their favor then there was always the risk that they had inserted elements among the witnesses to pervert the truth and color the proceedings with their brand of wickedness. If any such persons were here, she would do her best to catch them now, and tear their testimony to shreds before they had a chance to tell it in front of an actual audience.



 
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Old Apr 13th, 2017, 04:10 AM
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Allowing Pike to take the lead, Mara doesn't ask any questions herself. Rather, she spends most of the interrogation simply listening with interest to the testimony, and ensuring that the witnesses are comfortable, or at least not too nervous, with the dwarf's businesslike questioning. “Please, there is no need to fret. We understand what a terrible bother this must be for you, telling your tales yet again.” She smiles sympathetically, her warm voice suffused with genuine compassion—after all, she herself wouldn't want to be the recipient of a dwarven interview. “But, unfortunately, the questions are quite necessary, so I do hope you'll indulge us. At any rate, we shan't be as troublesome as the prosecution.” A mirthful expression dances across her face as her eyes twinkle playfully. “We have no agenda; we do not wish you to feel compelled to answer a certain way. We are simply interested in learning all the details of what truly happened—no more, no less.”

During one of the breaks, Mara smiles congenially at the guard and gently takes her aside. “Thank you ever so much for assisting us, Veronique. It must be a challenge working here in the courthouse, under the present conditions.” The singer looks pointedly in the direction of the weeping sound, then glances at the group of witnesses from Morast. “I imagine the witnesses must be anxious too—perhaps more so than when they first arrived? I wonder how the experience has changed them?” Mara pauses for a response, then clasps an outstretched hand over her breast, gently shaking her head as she sighs. “I think that everybody is nervous about this entire affair. But ... if I might ask, what exactly is it about the prisoner that puts you so on edge? Has he been acting strangely over the past several days?”

 
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Old Apr 13th, 2017, 01:29 PM
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Andrzej Zaituc
Andrzej's eyes drifted from the roiling mass of flesh pressing inwards in the square to the fellow black sheep of their Lorrimor created group to the haphazardly thrown together figure of the professor. Where had it all gone so wrong? A not-small part of him longed for the simplicity of arguing with Barrabas and bedding Melaine. No Whispering Way or Beast to fret over, just where next the Court was performing.

He glanced back at Carlo. The Szarni had been diminished by his encounter with Olga. Andrzej wondered if life and death with the Varisian criminal family was really so bad in comparison to the horrors Carlo had experienced in the barn with the hag.

Hrani, on his other side, was a complete mystery. They hadn't shared more than a handful of words since the elf had appeared at Harrowstone and other than over a meal, hadn't shared a drink either. The elf had the answers, though.

"Fill him in, Hrani. Seems we are all pressed for time."

 
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Old Apr 13th, 2017, 07:52 PM
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Perhaps Carlo waited a half a second to answer the question that was almost assuredly directed towards Hrani, but it was hard to tell. And his countryman's attempt at letting the elf explain their goals here went completely unacknowledged. The opportunity to bring chaos to this whole process was so ripe for the taking that he could hardly pass it up. Probably the exact reason why he had been selected for this particular mission.

“Drinks, my man. Drinks,” Carlo says enthusiastically. “Our elf friend here needed to call in some backup for this mission, as he’s a bit of a neophyte in that department. We just came from the courthouse, and they are going to be tied up all morning with the other witnesses. bluff:
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1d20+7 (7)+7 Total = 14
No sense in even arriving there prior to noon. Besides, from my experience a courthouse is much more interesting after having knocked back a few.”


Carlo was completely oblivious to Hrani’s conspiracy theories, but was at least observant enough to notice he’d been avoiding all the alcohol that had flowed so freely in their midst.

The fallen scrolls and books go completely ignored by the arcanist. He never was one to go out of his way to help another out.
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Old Apr 16th, 2017, 05:11 AM
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'Perfect!' Hrani thinks, as he sees the disheveled professor in the streets, his demeanor quickly confirming what the elf had already suspected: That he was the expert witness. Andrzej seems content to let the magus answer why they were meeting, but Carlo quickly jumps in with his own explanation...and one he isn't convinced will go over well given them time of day. Hrani's expression remains neutral, however, as he contemplates his options. He had figured something like this would happen, after all, if he went out and about with the two Varisians. They would certainly prove most useful when it came to working Myphar and the general populace of Lepidstadt, but the elf knew better than to have any illusions about being able to control the pair in any way. He'd be happy if he needed some mayhem caused and could succeed at pointing Calro and Andrzej the right way to take care of it, but he wasn't even sure of that much.

Still, his companion is correct in that they are here to delay the professor, so as to draw out the university proceedings going on today. "My companion always has drinks on his mind, but I think those are for a little later. Here, let me help you..." Hrani bends down to begin assisting the professor in picking things up, having decided on his strategy to delay the good man. Or at least it seems like he is helping, in reality he could hardly be moving more slowly. Whenever the distracted Doctor Crowl is looking another way to pick something up, Hrani sets whatever he is holding back down, farther from the man than he originally picked it up. Every so often, he will take the chance to knock one of the smaller items a foot or so away. But this is all just minor stalling, intended to drag this meeting out. Because the professor of antiquities has already proven to be forgetful. Maybe they can get him distracted enough that he won't be in a rush to get to the courthouse, with Carlo's words about a delay in the proceedings in the back of his mind.

"The main reason we wanted to meet this morning..." Hrani says, wrapping his knuckles loudly on the chest of books he has set down on the ground - incidentally right on top of some of the scrolls Crowl had dropped so he would have to spend even more time looking for those - intending to startle the man into hopefully dropping another armful of this things. "Is that we were going to bring you these books. You know, the ones Professor Lorrimor wanted us to deliver to you in his will? They must be truly fascinating, because even though he has had access to them for over a month now, Jamir, my companion from yesterday, spent all night pouring over them one last time before he had to give them away today. It would be for the best to put these somewhere safe as soon as possible, don't you think?" If only he had the slithering tongue of some of the others in the group, this would probably be an easy sell. But Hrani is Hrani, an elf of action. Subtlety of words eludes him, and how to talk to other races all the more so. Still, he does his best to
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appeal to Crowl's emotions and curiosity, rather than his rationality like he would for an elf. Humans seem to value those more highly, for some ridiculous reason that only makes sense to them...
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Old Apr 18th, 2017, 09:48 PM
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QuestionsPike has questions.

Many questions.

No one seems happy to be questioned, yet again for many of them, but no one says as much; Karl even smiles, as if being polite. What other choice does he have? The cadet does her part, meekly nodding at the order given and who to bring where. Then, she walks to Karl, and leads him downstairs as she shows the group the room they will be interrogating the witnesses in. To keeping them apart, she salutes, then puts her arm away, realizing how stupid that might look. "Y-yes sir, Mr. P-pike, sir."

And then, it begins.
SanctuaryKarl is blind, but he sees plenty.

Being led by the Cadet, he is light on his feet, if unsure. As he comes to the room, Pike helps him, the man laughing. "You're quite the gentlemen, Mr. Pike, and if I didn't know any better I'd assume you were here simply for my good graces. Alas, we are here on a darker business altogether." Rapport: a good thing to start with.

Karl is a simple fellow, in dress and in temperament. His smile is an attempt to put others at ease, something difficult given the scar on his face. His left chin, cheek, and ear are covered in hideous pink burns, burns that extend over both of his eyebrows, as though he fell longways and then face-first into a fire. The rest of the burns seems to confirm this. But from his right side, he's not bad on the eyes. He sits in such a way as to present this side, hiding his left side as best he can.

The cadet goes for the water, and the man nods, grimly, without saying another word;
his smile falters.
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"There were twelve patients in total, Dr. Brada, and myself. He was dedicated to working with patients with severe physical and mental deformities, hoping to cure them of their afflictions. Their... deformities of the mind. He was inspired, you see, by his own uncle. A man of poor temperament, he killed several people who were attempting to cure him. Brada disagreed, but was a child at the time, because they were setting him off, going after his... what did he call them? His 'switches'? He had hoped to find a universal switch in all Mortals, able to turn off these outbursts, thoughts, what have you. He never found them." He looks further to his left, as if hiding his scars more.

"He attempted to use functional bases in psychology as a basis for his work. Functionalism is, after all, a relatively new branch out of Andoran, focusing on Mortals as being of function, that we can be conditioned, adapted to our environment. So, expose a rapist to the horrors of their work, they shan't rape again. Force a serial murderer to look at scenes of extreme brutality, they will find it distasteful. The experiments... I don't have to defend him anymore. They were abject failures. And in the end, they only seemed to get more and more... cruel." Karl swallows, hard. Everyone in the room can tell there's more to this than he is saying.

And then the questions turn more to Karl. "My work was very steady. I made the rounds at night, I checked on the patients, made sure they were properly restrained and medicated, assisted Brada at times, did whatever was asked of me. I wasn't quite a volunteer, but the pay was kind enough given that I lived on the island with him at the time of the.... fire." A fair question that seems to draw him back into the gentility of before. "I'm not aware of any dalliances or business connections. Donors had long since stopped coming to the Sanctuary, and we were losing funding, in the end. I wasn't sure how we were going to keep on. But somehow we did. Patients came from all over, but largely the Free Counties. Well to do noble and merchant families, though at the time of the fire we did have a former crusader from the Worldwound in our midst. So they claimed, at any rate."

Finally, questions of the fire. The tension on the man is palpable, and he is completely turned in his chair now. "The fire began in what was once a chapel, which had been turned into a recreational room, at which the head of was Dr. Brada's office. I awoke to the smell of smoke, driving me deeper and deeper in. By the time the smoke had reached my room, the fire had spread over much of the Sanctuary, wooden as it was. The ceiling was on fire by then, and I attempted to cross the room quickly to get Brada's office. That's when I saw him. It was the last thing I saw."

He turns, revealing the whole of the left side of his face now.

"Oil had been overturned outside the office, catching a curtain and quickly spreading to the other parts of the building. I could hear the screams of the patients, confined to their beds, and I needed to get the keys out of the room. But when I entered, there he was. The Beast was seven, eight feet tall, I couldn't be sure. His skin glistened in the fires, his skin seemed not to fit, and that smile... it wasn't Humanoid. When he saw me, I stepped back, my foot catching a board that had always been oppressively threatening. It broke and flung me into the fire.... I stood, as best I could, my eyes and face on fire, and ran from the halls, screaming, into the river. I put out the fires, but... it was too late for my eyes."

He sighs. "By the time help arrived, I was passed out and the Sanctuary a charred skeleton. No bodies were recovered. The Beast never threatened me, only smiled. His teeth were large, too large for the mouth, arms long and lanky, scarred I thought on one side from... I couldn't be sure. Bites? He wore no clothes, was nude, and was male. He was lean, but muscular enough, I suppose." With no further questions, he leads himself out, and Veronique does her best to assist him. Before he goes, he speaks plainly.

"I hope he burns for this. Not for what happened to me. But for what he did to the Doctor. Brada was a good man. Desperate, but a good man. And the Beast should burn for taking him from... the world." His grin is thin, then, returning only when he is done speaking, and visible only on the burnt side. It looks more sinister than it has any right to.

And then, more water, a wait, and the appearance of the next three.
HerstagThe sisters are not nearly so cordial, but seem happy to see Pike, working his charm, and Mara besides. The Paladin's presence disrupts nothing. The sisters are three in total, the eldest taller than her younger sisters with blond hair that dulls near her ears, and her two younger sisters brunettes with similar cut hair, different in how it is parted. The only thing that they share between them is a crooked nose; their dress is flashy, but simplistic, in a very Varisian fashion. About their arms are tattoos, their wrists each marked with a swallowtail butterfly, a symbol of some religious importance, Runa notes.

"Desna has her ways. We merely follow her path." The two sisters nod, the eldest taking the lead. But when asked questions, the three confer amongst one another. "I don't think there was anything off at first?" Both the younger sisters shake their heads. "No, not until Maarten disappeared. Poor lad, always going off on his own. He disappeared one day, didn't return for sup. The next day, another child went missing, and another. Six days this went on, until poor lass Ellsa was taken. Our searches into the Dipplemere turned up nothing, nary a thing. We prayed. Goddess knows, we prayed. And then, It came." Both other sisters groan, as if pained.

"Every night, the children said that they saw their friends, but different. As if tricks of the light. They would see one of their friends go off into the hills, and then, never return. One by one. Some trick of the Beasts, I should think." The first sister nods. "Right." The second shakes her head. "Right awful thing." The eldest nods. "Right awful. But we never saw them, not at first. Not until after It appeared, carrying her body. I knew something was wrong, the moment I laid my eyes on her little legs. Bouncing there, from his gigantic arms. Ten feet tall, that thing, or taller, and covered in stitches about his arms and legs, and that one arm? Not even Mortal!" The first sister shakes her head. "Ain't nothing Human about it." The second sister nods. "Natural it weren't."

"It was laughing, as it brought her. Carried her right to Ellsa's father, frozen in fear here was. Unable to move except to take his little girl. Took her in his arms, and cried. And the Beast? It laughed. It laughed, and laughed, and when we came at it with our weapons, it ran off, laughing all the while." As if to contradict this, the building shakes with what are clearly tears. The three sisters grab one another's hands.

The second sister speaks, after a long silence. Her make-up is the worst, overdone in blush and eyeshadow, and her nose the most crooked. "That's when the hauntings began. First the families: their children returned at midnight, stayed 'til dawn. About drove them mad. Then, the rest of us. They would tell us things, our darkest secrets; how did they know? And they was deformed, they were, and a few folk got sick. On the third day, we packed our things, and we made for the walls of Lepidstadt." The first sister nods. "Village's been abandoned every since." Seven months ago, then.

He has further, more detailed questions, and they oblige. The first sister speaks to the first question thereafter: "Looked as though she'd simply been drained of life. He hadn't strangled her with those gigantic hands, no bleedin'. She was simply... simply dead." The second sister nods. "There was only Ellsa's body. No others were discovered."

The three sisters looked between one another, unsure of how to answer the next question. "We didn't have any right idea of what it might be. The Dipplemere Horror, certainly, it entered our minds. But...." The eldest nods in agreement with the second sister. "Will o'wisps? Bog voices? Cairn draugir from Kellid shrines?" Nods from the first sister, but no words.
left-aligned image


At last, the last two questions: "He didn't threaten no one, he just brought the body. That was threat enough: 'get outta my Swamp, or I'll do worse next time than take your children!'" The first seems almost ready for tears. The eldest shushes her while the second comforts her. "The Beast was ten, eleven feet tall, no mistaking it. White eyes, hair that draped over its front or back, depending on the blowin' of the wind. Wore a vest, pants, no shoes. Skin like the grave, but almost blue in places. Seemed to have some kind of energy to it, like a crackling at times." The second sister nods, holding her now-weeping sister. "No scars, save the ones near its arms. Clearly it'd been stitched together, or some such." The first nods, but adds nothing.

"Carried a book at it's side," notes the eldest sister, and the other two nod. "Didn't see the title, though." Nothing new there. There is little else to say, and then, the three sisters rise, the first still beside herself.

The eldest speaks as the other two leave, joining the Cadet at the door.

"You're sourin' the Lady's work, you are, by interferin' like this. You let this trial run its course, and you let that Beast burn. It killed those children, and we know it! Don't take away our justice. We can't get our children nor our village back. But we need this. We need this justice." With that, the middle-aged woman storms out, slamming the door behind her.

Nothing but truth there on this one. Every word was true... in their minds.
MorastThe next trio don't seem terribly happy about being here, and the charm, don't seem terribly willing to warm up to the three. Despite this, Mara does win them over. The three are not related, though they do carry in them a kind of stocky build. Thick necks, thick chins, broad cheeks and thick brows, they are hardy folk, despite their seemingly thin frames. The man has gray straw-like hair, green eyes, and crooked teeth. The woman to his left has black hair, brown eyes, and a mole the size of a small River Kingdom on her nose. The woman to his right is short, stocky, and rosy-cheeked with red hair, her eyes dull in color and almost overly watery; something about that strikes Mara as familiar. Runa notes a symbol of a silver bow and arrow about the neck of the black-haired woman, another symbol she recognizes. All three have skin not unlike the color of reddish mud.

While Mara and Pike attempt to work their charm and win over the women, the man, an elder, is not won over, his arms crossed. "Ain't gonna talk to no city folk or furriners 'bout this, 'nd don't care what 'chu think." The two women seem put off by this, look to one another, and decide that speaking is going to need to happen one way or another. The man chews a weed in his mouth, one that stinks when he breathes out, to Pike especially.
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"The Beast, he came f'r our dead first, see. Dug'em up, fresh ones, fresh as far goin' back as possible." The stocky woman, Maladie, speaks plainly, her accent not quite as thick as the man's. The other woman, black-haired Vivein, nods. "We dunno how long he was doin' that, none way no how. Then, he came, he did, terrorizin' the village, lookin' f'r folk to pick off. Five nights, ten souls, eleven if you include poor Portea. She went missin' not four days 'fore th' Beast started attackin'. Well, we all met at Lazne's place, determined to drive the Beast off." Maladie nods. "We got our fires 'nd our pitchforks, we did. Drove the Beast off, right 'nto the water." The elder smiles. Vivein speaks. "Then the blood caiman got'em." The elder chuckles a bit, approvingly. Vivein continues. "Got'em by the arm, dragged'em 'low the water. We didn't see'em no more. Last we saw'a that ol' Beast, thought he were dead sure." All three sigh, seemingly in unity.

"From the Boneyard? Five, I reckon." Maladie looks to the elder and Vivein for confirmation, and the latter nods. "Freshest dead, goin' back half a year. Beyond that, the ten we know for sure, then Portea. We dunno if she be dead, never found no blood, nor no body. Could'a ate her, like he did the others." Vivein shakes her head. "We dunno he done did that, there's just blood in th' houses." The elder grunts. Vivein continues to the next question. "Nope. No leftovers, but left lotsa blood. Took the bodies with'em, he did, after killin'em. Never saw how he did it, neither. But there was blood, true as I sit here."

When asked where Lazne is, the two women look to the elder man. He stares at the Dwarf, and says nothing. That's answer enough.

The two women answer almost in unison, their description similar to what they've heard before. "He were about as tall as if you got on top of that one-eyed woman there, Dwarf." Together, how much would that be, if Runa and Pike were put together? "Sleek-lookin, with real leathery skin that looked all mismatched. No hair, evil eyes, too. A smile like a dragon, I tell you what. Didn't wear nothin', neither, and when the blood caiman took'em, ooh girls, I tell you what, he did squeal and that caiman did bite. If he ain't dead, it left a sure scar, Erastil as my witness."

And then, the caiman attack: "We sure did, and reckon the Beast ain't gettin' away from ol' Green-eyes, That's what we call'em, see: blood caiman got orange, yeller eyes? This one has green, makin' it look real weird next to that red on its head. Green-eyes' 'bout fifteen feet long, weighs more'n a few tons; we all together don't weigh that much." Maladie nods. "We seen Green-eyes since then, had a real full belly for a while. Thought for sure he did in the Beast. But then we heards about Herstag 'nd the Sanctuary, 'nd well...." And then, the location, to which Vivein answers. "Right outta town, headin' t'wards the Boneyards, which is on an island durin' high tide. Well, sure was high tide when we sent'em there, 'nd that's where Green-eyes got'em." So near the Boneyard. With a high and low tide, that means that evidence is unlikely to be found there.

At the first instance the questions are done being asked, Lazne stands and heads for the door, throwing it open and leaving. The other two, looking to one another, say no more and head on. No insults this time, no questions of sanity. Only the leaving.
UniversityBest that the Gnome is saved for last.

Goopin O'Darr is a Gnome with a fanciful mustache, but aren't all Gnomes? The only problem is that, further from the nostrils one gets, the more chaotic the frayed ends of the hair get. Near the nose, the hair is a coppery orange, while further away it is a powerful bleached white. The same applies to the hair elsewhere: the area behind the ears is a bleached white, while the crazy mad-scientist hair about his head is a coppery orange that hangs around him like a mane. His clothing is a bleak gray, containing the seal of his place of work: Lepidstadt University. He smells of cleaning supplies, strong to Mara, and his mustache twitches as he sits, his arms crossed, his slouch powerful.

He answers the questions bluntly, and shortly.
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"I was cleanin', I was. Beast broke in, I hid. It was talkin', didn't see nobody at first, then some weird folk with masks came in. Beast went into the storage room, tore through this'n that, got the thing, and gave it to the masked folks a'fore collapsin', like some kinda enchantment overcame'em." Short and sweet. "The other folk wore black, mostly. Masks were like a skull, but only o'er the eyes. Kinda clothy, too. Had scythes. Saw that for sure, I did." He keeps going, a quick back and forth with Pike.

"Gave it to the strangers, I think it did. They ran off, and that was that. Said somethin' 'bout a meetin' place. Didn't say where." And then, the Beast's state. "Like he was enchanted, like I said. Though, little bits of blue light kept flashin'. Like lightnin', but comin' from his body. His eyes changed from deep red to somethin' else. I didn't see none, I got outta there. Had to change my pants."

He shakes his head to the next question, his mustache dancing like a broom before his mouth. "Nope. He was knocked out, he was, so they dragged him. When he came to, they had 'nough chains on him to keep him in custody, 'nd 'nough helpers, too. Volunteers, mostly students." That made sense, given the location of the prisoner. He shakes his head again to the next question. "Nope. Not that he knew I was there, I think he didn't. Never saw me once he woke up. Don't think he knows I exist. Darn thankful, I be." Pike notes he has never met a Gnome with less flourish. And never so dull.

He is off as slowly as he came, and before he leaves, the Cadet looks the trio over. "Anything else?" And of course, there is.

Veronique nods to the inquiry as to her duties here and how hard they are, glad to be appreciated, for once, but then the questions begin to turn towards her instead of simply the work, and the larger situation at hand. "O-of course. They're terrified of the—of him. The Beast, I mean, ma'am. They're anxious and the sudden interest, I mean, the celebrity of being witnesses, it means that most of them are terrified. Karl isn't, he hasn't changed any, nor have the Morast folk. Lazne is... particularly trying, but has been the whole time, if you don't mind me being frank. But the Herstag folk? I don't... I don't know there. They seem to be more at terms with the situation, calmer about the interest. Perhaps because of the revenge they want? Maybe? If I can speculate, that is." Looking over her shoulder, she quiets her voice. "The Gnome is the same, too. So dull! They say it's what happen when a Gnome loses its lust for life, and when they turn all white, they die." It sounds childish, from her mouth. But it rings true.

And then, the Beast and her own experience.

"I... He's a strange one. You haven't met him yet, you've not seen him, but. He looks the part. Of a Beast, I mean. The Beast of Lepidstadt. But... he's more than that, if you understand my meaning. He's... I'm not nervous because he's here. Well, I am, we all are. He's so strong! And when he loses himself to his grief and lashes out... he could bring this whole place down! And yet.... If he were truly a Beast, why hasn't he? And then...." There's more. Something more personal. "The others don't listen to his idle words. The Beast's, I mean. He speaks a lot, even when he cries. When he screams. It's not really idle, though. It's all.... When he speaks, it's as a child. But he speaks in poetry. How does such a thing as he know poetry? Know art?" She seems to be looking for answers with that last question. How indeed? If the Beast is a mindless killing machine, how does it know poetry? What kind of poetry?

She says no more, but waits for orders.
The Good BooksCrowl does not appear initially aware of who Hrani is, but he quickly finds himself despite his flustered nature. Soon, he looks over both Varisians and regards their suggestion of drinks warily, perhaps out of prejudice, but more likely for other reasons. All of the documentation picked up involves specific items, their prices, their historical value, and the cost to the University; Hrani even spies a letter from the Dean of Humanities concerning the case (but more the costs). Hrani is not surprised by the petty nature of humanity, but lesser races cannot be judged by the contents of their satchels.

The chest finds its way into Crowl's chest, throwing him to the ground and sending the papers flying once more. "Ah, yes, the books," grumbles the Professor when he gets a hold of himself, but quickly he opens the chest and realizes what they are. "My stars and garters! I've gotten all about these!" He quickly begins flipping through the obsidian book, smiling almost instantly. "And of course Petros provided annotation, as always... the devil! Listen to this: 'Now M, I know you're fond of doing these rituals just for the sake of doing them in the dead of night, but do be aware that if the god isn't listening, his servants certainly are. You could pick better vile deities to entice than Norgorber. Have you considered Calistria?' The dog!" He continues to go through them for a moment, as if he forgot what his purpose is.

"Hm? Oh, yes, if I were caught with these... Yes, I think it would be best to do something with these books. Back to the University then; I can point your friends to a few taverns, if they are not academically suited?" The silver tongue seems to work. "But how rude of me! You must be friends of the late Professor. I am Montagnie Crowl, of Lepidstadt University. Professor of Antiquities." He smiles, standing; he then remembers how the papers around him have been thrown about. His gaze has fallen primarily on Carlo.

Andrzej notices something, not wanting to engage.

He notices the tiny man with the black coat, a Halfling or Gnome, with a scarred face with gigantic, flaming red hair that dances around his head as if he were an actor pretending to be the sun in a particularly cheap production. His eyes are incredibly large, but his pupils, irises... they're so small. He inspects Andrzej, as if trying to understand him. Beside him is a man of much simpler appearance, chatting a few people up, some of whom look somewhat well-dressed, but the minute fellow has noticed Andrzej, and doesn't care if he's noticed.

Why has he honed in on Andrzej? Why is everyone honing in on Andrzej?
 
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  #55  
Old Apr 19th, 2017, 03:24 AM
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Runahildr Valkadottir

Sanctuary'Runa's distaste at the deceased doctor's methods was plainly visible on the paladin's face. In that specific regard, it was perhaps somewhat fortunate that their witness was blind. Her voice remained calm and collected as she

"So if I am to understand these experiments correctly, every criminal, every deviant was exposed to their preferred methods of deviancy in the hopes that they would be shocked into realizing the error of their ways?" She crossed her arms behind her back as her brow furrowed in thought. "I guess that leaves me with one question: Were there any arsonists among those Dr. Brada attempted to cure, and if so, did he use open flame in his attempts to cure them?"


Hergstag
"Six days it went on, meaning Elsa was the seventh? And was Elsa - or something wearing Elsa's guise - among the children haunting the village in the days that followed?" Runa had placed herself in front of the sisters, and occasionally
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glanced down at the butterfly tattoos.

"And you say the children spoke of seeing things in the dark - lights? Hmm." She pursed her lips in thought. "What time of day did he turn up with Elsa's body? Dawn? Dusk? Midday? Night?"



Morast

Runa gave Pike a once over, placing him just over four feet. Added to her own height that would make the thing these three described over ten feet high. She turned her attention back to the witnesses,
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and the symbol she felt she recognized.

"Can you describe this creature you drove out into the water in more detail? What color was its skin? Hair if it had any?"



University
Again Runa asked the one thing she had more or less repeated in front of every witness. "Can you describe him in more detail? Skin color? Scars or bite marks? Haircolor?"




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  #56  
Old Apr 19th, 2017, 03:12 PM
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To his great surprise, Hrani finds the good doctor actually swayed by his words. He has no idea how that happened. Perhaps being around Mara and the others so much has rubbed off on him ever so slightly? Or did all the stars just happen to align perfectly? The magus wasn't keen on having to push his luck any time soon in order to get an answer. Maybe Montagnie Crowl was just easily swayed. His attention span seems short, so perhaps whatever was suggested to him most recently is what he feels most inclined to do? 'Well, unless that suggestion is something he considers as outrageous as going out for drinks before lunch, apparently...'

The elf makes a note of all the documents that pass through his hands, though while he is unsurprised, he is still a little disappointed. Money, money, money. That is what this was all about in the university case. There were SOOO many questions begging to be answered, and the court apparently was wasting time on the only totally irrelevant one: How much monetary damage did the beast do? Ah, humans...

"Do feel free to point out some taverns, I'm sure they'd appreciate that. But I was going to introduce them to Myphar, he had promised a pub crawl yesterday that I unfortunately had to decline the invitation to..." Hrani says in a suggestive tone. He wants to get the professor talking, and any subject will do. Perhaps bringing up the colorful gnome in the context of drinking will loosen the man's tongue and keep his attention elsewhere, rather than recalling the fact that he is supposed to be in court.

When it seems like that avenue of conversation has run out, Hrani moves on to the next. "So, the books Lorrimor sent you...they are something special, aren't they?" And when that won't go any further even with his encouragement, the next topic follows. "I've been wondering, how did you know the professor?" The magus couldn't even care less if subjects come up that were discussed already the previous evening. Normally, he really detests petty smalltalk. Because it is sooo pointless. But right now it isn't pointless, but serves a higher purpose. And Hrani has gotten plenty of practice at this smalltalk business over the last month or so...
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Old Apr 20th, 2017, 09:25 AM
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Pike listens and takes notes both mental and the more traditional paper-written ones. He realizes that he might have been overly straight forward and brusque in his questioning and is more than a little thankful for Mara's presence, keeping the witnesses calm.

SanctuaryKarl answers as best he can and it's good enough for Pike, the man seems to have faith in the work they performed even though it sent chills down the dwarf's back, he noticed the look Runa gave the man at the mention of their work and fully understood her feelings.


"Tell me Karl, were there any casualties among the patients? If so, what happened to the bodies?" he hesitates for a moment, then poses the real question he's curious about "Look, I'm not trying to sully the good Doctors name here but did he study on the deceased as well as the living?"


HergstagThe sisters are more pious and their grief is one born of fear of the unknown as much as the loss of the children, that much seems clear to Pike. He raises one eye at their description of the Beast "Excuse me sisters, but did you notice a scar on one side of this Beast, perhaps after a bite of some sort? Also other than being stitched, did his skin seem off somehow, as if it didn't fit?" Karl had mentioned a scar, but no stitches and how the skin didn't seem to fit somehow.

"Can you tell me, when it was laughing -and this may seem odd- but was it smiling as it did so? Anything odd about that smile?"

"A book? Was it like a grimoire or a spellbook or more like a smaller story book perhaps? Journal like?" the trick of the light luring the children into the hills could have been magic after all, although he felt it highly unlikely that the Beast was a mage.


MorastHe keeps a neutral disposition at Lazne's uncooperative behaviour, the women talk and that is enough for him.

"The dead he dug up, did he use instruments or did the graves appear to have been dug up by hands?"

"Mismatched skin? Did you notice any stitches on it? What about crackling energy about him?"

"Did he carry a book upon him that you saw?"


University and Veronique.The gnome speaks and Pike listens, not much to add here he supposes, except....

He asks Veronique the same question."Did they recover a book or any items from the Beast?"
  #58  
Old Apr 20th, 2017, 11:20 PM
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Carlo watches and listens as Hrani does his best to delay the would be witness. He is partly impressed by the delaying tactic the elf takes with the books and scrolls. But he is also a bit struck by what a poor job the elf does at trying to talk the man out of going to testify. Someone should help this guy out when it comes to persuasion, Carlo muses. Perhaps that someone should have been Carlo, but then he was often the one everyone tried to keep silent, so the idea to speak out now didn’t spring to mind until it was too late. Fortunately, those books pretty much spoke for themselves and it looked as if they were going back to the museum.

Unfortunately, Professor Crowl seemed to think Carlo was somehow responsible for the problems with his books. Even when he was completely innocent, they blamed him. Was it because he was Varisian? Or was it that other thing about him? Why did he even bother trying to follow the silly rules when it came to this sort of stuff. That elf wasn’t even taking responsibility for his own shenanigans. He shot a frustrated side eye at Hrani, but Andrzej wasn’t even paying attention: looking off into the crowds or something.

“Actually, I’m a bigger fan of books than I am of drinks as it turns out,” he finally says rather tersely. “I suppose we must have had some sort of communication problem and I got you mixed up with the gnome. Not that you look like someone who would drink before noon, but I try my best to avoid judging people’s habits based on their heritage. So, anyways, take me to this library and we’ll see if you have anything of interest.”

Sarcasm is a new look for Carlo, but the only other option seemed to be blowing their cover by pointing out Hrani’s trickery.

 
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  #59  
Old Apr 22nd, 2017, 01:23 AM
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SanctuaryMara looks at Karl with obvious unease—though she tries to avert her gaze, she cannot help staring at the horrific burns covering the left side of his face. She looks upon the man with pity, shuddering involuntarily as she imagines the pain and terror of being burned alive. What an absolutely dreadful fate.

The singer's face transforms noticeably, however, at Karl's description of Dr. Brada's work: her sympathy is replaced by a mixture of revulsion, curiosity, and relief. There but for the grace of Desna ... Had Dr. Brada's sanctuary been located in Caliphas ... Her lower lip trembles, knowing that she would have eagerly sought him out. Out of her desperation for a cure, she would have been one of his unwitting patients.

“What ...” Mara glances down self-consciously, smoothing out her dress, “... what sort of physical deformities did Dr. Brada treat? And ... how did he treat them?” The songstress gulps nervously, dreading the answer but compelled to ask. What 'cure' would the 'good' doctor have prescribed for her?



Hergstag“I am so sorry for your loss. Truly I am. But surely the Beast did not take all of your children? The surviving children, are they all here in Lepidstadt?” Mara pauses, twirling a long tress of dark golden hair. “I would very much like to pay my respects to the poor dears.” It seems strange that the children would see their missing friends, but not the adults. Perhaps they know something that the sisters do not?


VeroniqueMara answers the cadet's last question with a slight shrug and a kind smile. “Only Shelyn would know. But the beauty of art and music speaks to us all, noble and peasant alike.” Of course, the nobility possess a finer, more developed appreciation, but still. “Perhaps he had a book of poetry with him?” Her mind recalls the testimony of the eldest sister from Hergstag.


 
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Old Apr 26th, 2017, 12:06 AM
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Andrzej Zaituc
Andrzej watched Hrani's trickery unfold beneath the very nose of the Professor and took note. This elf had been an enigma, little more than a stoic shadow for most of the time Varisian had known him, and now he tipped his hand.

Interesting...

"Carlo, why don't you help Hrani pick up the professor's things and I'll escort him to the library. You are always such trouble."

Only stage training kept the Varisian from grinning at his kinsman.

 
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