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#17
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Pike betrays few emotions as they move through the city, choosing to keep his thoughts to himself. The bustle at the Town Square causes him to stop for a moment, light a cigar and take in the view through a cloud of sweet smelling smoke "Huh." is all he offers before moving on. Discarding the cigar before they enter the courthouse he can't help but notice the resentment the guards harbor towards them so he keeps a straight face, a smile or a frown could sway them further away and who knows when they might need to call upon their help in the near future. The weeping echoing through the courthouse has him clenching his jaw, unnatural and yet so mournful it sends shivers down his spine "So the Beast apparently has feelings...." he mutters through clenched teeth, brows furrowed as they enter the defense chamber. He watches the stammering Barrister Kaple and listens in as Hrani speaks before stepping forth "Barrister Kaple, I am Torsten Pike of Kerse and these are my colleagues. I have been a practicing detective in my home city for years and as such I have extensive experience with finding what others may have missed, puzzles here - puzzles there and then I piece them together. My colleagues are a selective group of scholars and experts each in their field, just as Master Hrani here already told you. We do dirty work that no one else dares do and we do not fear the outcome, also we are more than good at what we do." he tucks his thumbs in his belt, raises an eyebrow knowingly at the Barrister "I've been here less than a minute and already I can tell that you believe you have a lost case on your hands, you believe your client is guilty as you probably have not got a shred of evidence to help in his defense. It has you stressed out and unable to handle this mess the city is in. But you can't go on without a trial and even though the Beast may very well be guilty of all sorts of crimes the only thing the prosecution can pin on him is breaking in and vandalism, but they'll probably throw every wild story possible and impossible at him and we all know where that will end." Pike draws a deep breath and let's out a sigh "You probably thought we'd be another burden on your hands but we're a blessing if anything. We'll get you the evidence needed to mount at least a reasonable and fair attempt at a defense and if nothing more we'll at least make sure you wont look like a fool trying to defend a lost cause." Pike steps back, having said his piece. |
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Father of proud children. Expect the next 18+ years to be erratic and/or chaotic.
Last edited by Thorsten; Mar 20th, 2017 at 11:43 AM. |
#19
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Carlo ponders the words of his countryman as they make their way back to join the others. Perhaps they should let Runa know the ordeal with Adivion, or perhaps Pike? But then it is Jamir first out the door to greet them, and he is reminded again of why he did not want to share these thoughts earlier: that Halfling with his nose always in the business of others. you know, for all the mind readers in the party to be aware of…But the concerns about Adivion dominate his thoughts as they make their way to the courthouse.
His resolve is further tested by the gauntlet of guards they must pass in order to enter. Why did he agree to this? Something about the Paladin. But at the moment his mind is filled with the cackling of those crows. It is all he can manage to keep his head down and follow the others instead of giving voice to those thoughts. His body sways a bit from the struggle to control his tongue. Perhaps this draws jibes from some in the guard. But soon the ordeal is past him. And then there is the barrister. There is something familiar about this man, it is at the stutter in his voice that Carlo realizes what. Carlo wonders for a moment if this detail is worth sharing, but then Pike speaks up. Pike seems to know all this and more. And what good would it do to expose his knowledge of this man? Perhaps by whatever standards of morality this man held, Carlo should be tied up and taken back to his family. No, there was no purpose in bringing up the connection to the Sczarni clan. A connection that was held together by nothing beyond the pinpoint accuracy of Carlo’s own memory. No, there are some things best left unsaid. Even Carlo knows this much. At least sometimes.
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On hiatus while I figure out my gender. Checkout my games at itchio. my mailbox is full, but you can reach me on twitter: @goatmealery |
#20
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The courthouse is full of surprises for Mara.
It begins with the guards who stop them, and then, somehow, magically find their names already on a list—a list that could have only been provided by the same judge who had explicitly told them Quote:
It continues with the weeping. In such close proximity, the terrible, mournful sound reverberates throughout the courthouse, a low, lonely song penetrating through dense wood and solid stone, but not, apparently, through the hardness of human hearts. It surrounds and envelops the songstress, surprising her with its intensity, and reminding her of the low rumbling calls of some great creature descending into the ocean depths. With a strange almost-familiarity, the cries evoke a breathless sympathy that borders on empathy. The final surprise is Gustav Kaple himself. Judge Daramid did describe the barrister as 'in over his head', but still, Mara expected someone more ... eloquent. She sighs. “My companions speak true.” She smiles and nods, acknowledging Hrani, Pike, and Runa, then introduces herself with an elaborate flourish of her hand. “You may call me Mara. And this is Andrzej, and Carlo,” she indicates the Varisian duo with a broad sweep of her arm and a knowing smile. “They have special skills—magical talents that will, no doubt, prove useful to your cause—and Spending a night in Ravengro's jail counts, right? some familiarity with the law.” With at least some credentials established for the silent pair, the soprano deftly deflects any follow-up questions about the Varisians' admittedly dubious legal expertise by focusing upon her own shortcomings. “As for myself, I must confess that I have no background whatsoever in legal affairs—but, of course, that hardly matters. You are the legal expert here,” her gentle voice glides smoothly into the realm of flattery, acquring a tone of admiration and respect as she appeals to an official's need to feel important, “and we would not presume to advise one as learned as you in such matters. No, what you lack are time and personnel, and that is what we shall provide. You shall be the Diplomacy check DC10 to Aid Another (Pike). Dice Diplomacy:
Success adds +2 to Pike's roll for a total of 29.legal mastermind, organizing our talents to maximum effect. We can gather and investigate the evidence for you; search for witnesses who can attest to the Beast's numerous acts of mercy and compassion; even conduct mundane but necessary errands; and, if you should happen to be especially busy, we might even speak on your behalf to the court, to save your precious time for other matters.” The songstress flutters her lashes coyly, then adds, in a silky smooth voice that is a complete opposite to the barrister's juddering stutter, “The art of persuasion is important in the courtroom, is it not?”
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#21
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The Elf speaks first, and Kaple listens, his arms crossed as he does so. It's not hard for anyone looking at the barrister to get a gauge of his feelings on this matter. He is terrified of this case. He is on edge, and he has no doubt he's been handed a losing case. Runahildr detects that much from his words, but from more than that, she can detect that Kaple does not immediately trust them. That may change once the honeyed tongue, as Hrani calls it, gets to work out of Mara and Pike's mouths, but the Elf spoke first, and his words are the ones that flow.
Hrani wracks his brain for court cases. Ustalav is, after all, a land of monstrosities and its court system is not known for its just rulings, save for here in the Palatinates. He does, of course, have some familiarity with all of the court cases that surround the Haunting of Harrowstone, even beyond the main five prisoners that she and his companions dealt with. Unfortunately none dealt with monsters. There were a few cases with constructs in some parts, one in particular near Caliphas where a baron's court wizard attempted to seek personhood for his construct, as he wished to marry her. He did not win that case and was thrown out of the court; that was a good hundred years ago, before Caliphas became the political capital of Ustalav as well as its economic and cultural capital. In Ardis, too, there was a Dhampir who sought personhood, as it was apparently taken from him. Most did not know what a Dhampir was, the depraved spawn of a Vampire and a Mortal. In this case, through careful argument and against a Priest-Prosecutor of Pharasma, the Dhampir, a doctor of some repute, was able to win his personhood by proving that, despite his vampiric-like allergens and tendencies, he was not a monster. He did not devour the living, feast on their lifeblood, or anything of the sort. Indeed, his role as a doctor granted him access to alternatives, and the good he did outweighed his bad blood. Would that apply here? What good has the Beast done, truly? Convinced though they are of the Beast's innocence, what good does Monteucleise v. Ardis have here? The rest that he can think of all end in monsters burning in Ustalav, but that one might be of use. "T-t-t-that's all well and g-g-g-g-g-goood, Master El-f-f, but I'm af-f-fraid you'll have your work c-c-c-cut out for you." Kaple sighs, looking away. "There's almost n-no evidence showing innocence." He sighs, and though he is about to begin again, he looks over the group, and Pike starts as he can. The barrister seems put off at first, but then, begins to listen. Honeyed tongue indeed. Carlo, for his part, never forgets a face, it seems. He remembers Kaple's face, his uses according to some in a darker trade, and knows that he's more than well-intentioned. He's a good barrister, beyond the stutter, but Pike knows that too. Everyone has their own field, he says, which makes them all invaluable. And they are all good at what they do. Though his words are golden, he is wrong about a key point, and doesn't even know it. A golden tongue is fine, but that's a mistake that will cost them in court. Pike, and everyone, can see he's done something wrong, but no one as of yet knows what. Runahildr, fortunately, is the first to truly answer the barrister's question: what do they think the Beast has done? What is he being tried for? She hits at it. Other crimes. The dark look on Kaple's face begins to fade. Mara then speaks to her end, and introduces those who do not speak, though not Kendra nor Jamir. Kendra wonders for a moment if she might have done something wrong, but Jamir doesn't seem to mind. He is too busy looking over everything. "So a wide skill set. I'm g-glad to have you on, and welcome you. All of you." His eyes fall to the silent Varisians. "And you already know the basics, but it is still inadequate. You do not know enough: for one, you do not know th-th-the charges." He turns, ushering them all to come around the table, on which is scattered a myriad of notes, drawings, newspaper clippings, and a map, on which are three major labels. Taking a seat, he picks up his tankard, full of something that looks stronger than ale, and takes a swig of it, then begins. "These are the facts. The Beast of Lepidstadt, also called the Dipplemere Horror, has been accused of many crimes over the last twenty-one years. Facts of his creation are hearsay at best, and will be irrelevant in this case, though the prosecution may emphasize the abomination's nature in that regard." Jamir scoffs, and Kaple's eyes dart to him. He's on a roll, why should the Halfling ruin it? "Regardless, the specific charges are as follows: the breaking in and wanton destruction of much of the Department of Antiquities, a week ago. The alleged theft of an artifact, a week ago. The murder of ten citizens of Morast, one year ago. The slaying of six children near Hergstag, seven months ago. And an attempted arson of the Sanctuary on Karb Island, which led to the death of Doctor Brada and the blinding of his assistant, Karl. While there are others, and indeed facts for each of them, these are the primary cases the prosecution will be using, due to their relative recentness." As he spoke, on the map his finger traced each of the locations, showing them where in regards to Lepidstadt each was. Looming in the distance is Schloss Caromarc. Notably, the more they look at it, the more typical maps of Ustalav make the area out to be a giant swamp; the area looks more stable than it seems. "Each of these has witnesses, and today marks the initial presentation of cases, as well as evidence. Today will also be the presentation of the University evidence, though there is not much to be done there. The theft is the most easily refuted of the cases. Everything else? The witnesses and evidence is fairly solid, and what's worse, plausible. You've little time to interview each of the witnesses but it could be doable today, if you request it. Since most of you seem to be implying you are 'field agents,' and I have little taste for walking into haunted villages, it would be best if you did so on the Beast's behalf. But I must ask: now that you know the direct charges, are you so sure of the Beast's innocence?" Kaple seems more capable now, more cunning. He does not seem the bumbling man he was before. "What do you p-p-pu, dammit, Gustav! Propose, to do with this information, now that I've given you? What is your p.... plan?" Kendra, blinking, looks back at the others. Jamir, meanwhile, is in deep contemplation. From the prosecution's room, laughter can be heard.
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he/him\his
In Repose |
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Father of proud children. Expect the next 18+ years to be erratic and/or chaotic.
Last edited by Thorsten; Mar 23rd, 2017 at 03:47 AM. |
#23
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Pike listens to the charges, nodding in a slow rhythm as he does. They were indeed more severe than he had dared hope and he'd need to hear more about each event before he can even begin to form an opinion.
"It should be fairly easy to refute the charges of theft, just as the prosecution can safely nail him for vandalism. But these other crimes, do you have any further information about them for us?" he raises an eyebrow in question "How much time can you buy us to investigate these places without risking a mob on our hands? He nods at Runa "I agree, we talk to the witnesses in town first as well as the Be.. our client, than we move forward." |
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The barrister listens once more, and the plans presented are numerous and all of them helpful. Somehow that does nothing to change the face of Gustav Kaple, weary and nervous. "Impartial though you may be, that helps nothing. Only conviction can save the defendant, conviction built on facts we do not have." As to the plan of stalling, he squints. "What d-do you have in mind?" His listening becomes more intent, as if Runahildr is giving him a godsend.
"The panel of judges will explain how the presentation of evidence later this morning, and of course you will meet with the witnesses as you request. All are present, and are being housed by... p-parties related to the p-p-prosecution in housing about town. If I req-q-quest their p-presence, they will be forced to come." He looks past them, to the door. "And of course, the B-beast is here." He says no more there, as Runahildr discusses the ethics of what to call the Beast. "It.... h-he has offered n-no further name." More importantly, did anyone think to ask? The thought seems to dawn on Kaple. As for how much time, Kaple grins. "G-give me ten minutes, and I can give you an additional day for the trial. T-today is meant to be the investigation of t-the Morast case, but I can push to make it the University only, if I delay properly. Do you have any evidence related to the University?" More to the point, Kaple will explain the specific witnesses being utilized in this case. "The University is sending a custodian who witnessed the attack, some Gnome fellow. Also, an expert witness concerning the contents of the department. The Morast case will see two women and a man of that village who were part of the group that were terrorized and ran the B—client from the village. The Hergstag case will see the three Karolburgh sisters, former residents of that town when he, allegedly, killed those children. Finally, the lone witness, and survivor, of the Sanctuary is Karl, Dr. Brada's assistant. The arson killed the good doctor and the patients." He pauses, looking over each soul. "In sum, nine witnesses, provided you do not bring your own to bear." He waits to see what other questions manifest.
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In Repose |
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Mara shifts in her seat as she unconsciously twirls one of her long locks, a pensive expression upon her face. She is drawn out of her contemplation by Runa's invitation. “Yes, I would be glad to join you. I would very much like to speak with the witnesses myself,” she looks askance at the papers piled upon the desk, clearly preferring an oral account of the evidence to a literary one, “and the ... the defendant.” The singer tilts her head thoughtfully. “Speaking of which, what does he have to say in response to all of the charges?” She gazes evenly at the barrister, then reflects his previous question back with a disarming smile. “Do you believe the defendant is innocent?”
She glances over again at the elf, recalling his misgivings about the nature of this trial. If this entire affair is really just a deliberate ruse to distract and delay them, then who is the one responsible? “And who was it who thought to add the murder charges? The University charges are quite natural of course, given the recent vandalism and that that was where the defendant was apprehended, but it would require extra effort to research charges that date back to a year ago.” The soprano takes a small, dainty sip from her canteen. “And I do believe you mentioned 'haunted' villages. Is there something we should know about Morast and Hergstag?”
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#26
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Kendra, finally, speaks up. "This does, of course, open up other tasks for the rest of us. Getting a lay of the land, as it were." She looks to Andrzej and Carlo in particular, then to Hrani. While going to the pubs and seeing the Crooked Kin are, of course, still very necessary components of their work, it appears that going to the University may not be necessary, depending on how things progress. Before they can speak to the suggestion, Mara speaks, finally, granting that she would like to speak to the Beast and to the other witnesses, but begs other questions. Kaple looks again past to the door concerning the nature of the Beast. "He has.... you will find that keeping him lucid is a monstrous task. He is prone to powerful bouts of whichever emotion he is feeling—these days, mostly sorrow—and it seems the smallest things trigger him into becoming a babbling buffoon." He sighs, but Mara has another question.
"N-no, I think he is guilty." Before anyone can speak to that confession, he stiffens his gaze. "The evidence is powerful, the bias profound. I have met the Beast. I have seen his work. I have lived in Lepidstadt long enough to know to fear him, to know that he is every bit the monster he is said to be. I see no evidence in any of these cases that the Beast... the client has a speck of innocence in him. But I defend him because of this: the process must be respected. I am the last defender left in the County. They will look elsewhere, to Vieland and Canterwall, and I know what they will find. If they're lucky, they will find someone who half-heartedly defends the Beast. They will find someone who feebly pokes holes in each piece of evidence, but knows full well what they have been brought in for. There is a creature, in a land far south of Tian Xia, called a kangaroo. This is that kind of court: a court of a creature where everyone already knows the outcome and is acting out their parts. That is not process, miss. I will see process through, though I do not see the point." Kendra's face is not particularly pleased with this turn of events, but the man is impassioned. He cares for his job. Not necessarily his client, however. That attitude must be why he is suffering defeats. More questions, more questions, but that's to be expected. "It was a decision reached by the end of the day after the Beast's capture. Most wanted him to be charged with every crime since his appearance, but that would be prosecuting fairies for every changeling story you hear. No, they decided, they must try him, for his seeming sentience, as a Mortal, and as such, must find concrete crimes. These were... cooked up, and were found the most plausible. The prosecution's team, led by Otto Heiger, is behind this. It could have been any number of prosecutors, and several volunteered. Heiger pulled strings, having believed a cousin of his killed by the Beast two years ago. With no concrete evidence, this is his personal witch hunt." But then Mara asks the questions they should have been asking already. "Not Morast, no. Morast is... remote. Its people are strange, perhaps inbred. A little over a year ago, bodies began disappearing from their boneyards. The villagers of Morast are known for their blood, which keeps them young longer, healthier—disease is unknown to them—and their bodies... fresher. The Beast has a legendary appetite, and soon, its need for fresh corpses palpable. First a hunter, poaching. Then the Beast began to attack houses, taking whole families. Ten in total he took, before the village's elder, Lazne, organized a mob and drove the Beast from town, into the Marsh, where it was attacked by a For those from Ustalav and nearby regions, this is a kind of caiman that is native to the colder regions of Avistan, notable for the red scales on its headblood caiman and there they assumed it dead. Clearly not, as Herstag reveals." He places before Jamir statements of the witnesses, written down, related to Morast. He reads them ravenously. "Hergstag is—was—a religious farming community on the outskirts of the Dipplemere Swamp. One day, a boy went missing, only to return the next night as a ghost. These ghosts lured their friends from the village, to return the next night as ghosts themselves. The village soon became haunted by five ghosts, deathly visages of their children, and many began to abandon the village, fearing Desna had abandoned them. Then, one night, the ghosts did not return. Instead, boldly, in walked the Dipplemere Horror, carrying the body of young Ellsa, a girl of no more than four. He attempted to give her body to the father, but no one would have it, and he was run from the village, and the Beast fled gladly. The children continued to return, and fearing madness or worse, the villagers abandoned Hergstag. It's said to be haunted to this day. That was seven months ago." He puts the witness statements in front of Kendra this time, who reads them; Jamir steals one of them. "You will have another question, and I will answer it for you: Sanctuary. It was started on Karb Isle by Dr. Brada before my arrival here, dedicated to helping those with physical and mental deformities to find a better standard of life. While there are varying opinions of treatment, and ethics are questionable, Sanctuary remained open and inviting to all. Karl, the lone survivor, was an attendant, and perhaps a little too interested in Dr. Brada, tells the story as such: that one night, he heard shouting. He smelled smoke and rushed to investigate, only to find that Sanctuary was alight and fleeing from it was the shambling form, Karl had little use for it. Instead, he went to save Brada, but it was too late. A broken board launched Karl into the fires, burning his eyes, and he is blinded, able to survive by turning and fleeing the way he came. Only he survived. Sanctuary is now a hollowed out monument to the wanton destruction waged by the Beast. That was a month ago." A single witness statement he presents before Runa, Hrani, Pike, Mara, and the Varisians. The name atop it reads "Karl Verbonc (dictated by V. Dun)." "So you see why the city so readily remembers these crimes. They are horrendous. They are presented openly, and the anger towards the Beast has never been assuaged. Now they have a real chance. Now they have real power against an unstoppable monster." Laughter comes from the prosecution room now, almost hysterical. Kaple flinches. "I d-d-d-d-d-do wish t-t-they'd stop t-t-that."
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In Repose |
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The words fly back and forth in front of Carlo like the dark crows which cloud his thoughts. What was this all about? Why did Runa want to go to all this work if she didn’t even know if the Beast was innocent? Why did Kaple insist on doing so when he was quite sure that it was not? He was almost angered by this after the barrister’s refusal to take on his own family. Did he think the Scczarni were worth less than this Beast?
Another deep moaning from the direction of the jail interrupts this thought. There is something in that sound that he feels must carry the answer to these questions, but he can’t quite put his finger on what it is… And then the litany of charges. Carlo’s mind shuffles this information like a deck of cards. Something will be drawn from it, though what is hard to say. Perhaps truth. Perhaps fiction. Perhaps another murder of crows. He sees the church and the singing. He sees the image of destruction at the Sanctuary. He sees the Crooked Kin. He sees Runa dragging some dead thing along behind them for reasons he can’t possibly understand. He hears that moaning sound. He hears his own sobs in the night after what happened in that barn. There is a question emerging from all of this. “What if the Beast didn’t do it? What if it was that thing, that spider thing? Is there some way we can know who its victims were?”
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On hiatus while I figure out my gender. Checkout my games at itchio. my mailbox is full, but you can reach me on twitter: @goatmealery |
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Pike sighs and eyes the barrister "You do realize how wildly unconnected this all seems, don't you? Corpses disappearing in Morast escalating into people getting attacked, kidnapped and what? Eaten due to "the legendary appetite" of the Beast? Has he tried to eat many of the guards here since his capture? Then we have children vanishing only to reappear as ghosts later and lure other children to go down the same path until one night no ghosts appear but the Beast itself carrying the body of another child, why? Why didn't he eat her as he allegedly did with the bodies in Morast? Is he a failed cannibal turned necromancer turned arson turned vandal and a thief? Thank the gods he was caught before he turned into a whoremonger and a snake oil salesman." Pike shakes his head "Apologies Barrister Kaple, but these all sound like pieces to a different puzzle. Granted he could have committed any and all of these crimes, but... but look at this! It's crazy, like being a rotten person is some sort of a hobby to him? Not buying it."
He stares at the map in front of them, scans a few of the papers and again he shake his head "I do understand why people are angry, they're afraid and odds are good that our client is responsible for some of these vile acts, but I'm not convinced he's behind them all." he looks at his companions, trying to gauge their reaction "We do not have any evidence from the University, do we focus on the other charges then? Head to Morast as soon as we're done here today?" Last edited by Cedric; Mar 26th, 2017 at 07:07 PM. |
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Hrani had been quick to introduce himself first, before the others got a chance. There was a reason for that: It meant that after that he could be quiet and listen for a long while without having to contribute anything to the conversation. Not that the introductions of the others are of particular interest to him, he knows their skillsets already after all. No, it is Kaple's reactions that he is interested in. So, the great barrister, the beast's last hope, did not believe in the creature's innocence himself. Interesting. And troubling at the same time. Things were not off to a good start. It is one thing to be, like Runa and himself, impartial on the whole matter of guilt until more evidence is examined. It is a whole other matter to be convinced the client is guilty. But Kaple at least sounds like he believes in the system. He will do his best. And if they can give him evidence, he will likely let himself be convinced he was wrong, which is something at least.
"I agree with you, Pike, the connections between all these things seem dubious at best, and contradict themselves in some places. And while you might even be able to convince our good barrister here of that, it will do little good. I fear that given the opinion of the public, and likely the opinion of the court, our client will be considered guilty unless proven innocent. Circumstantially pointing out that the charges are unlikely to be true won't help us." The elf examines what has been laid out in front of them, thinking things over. He wracks his brain for court cases that might be applicable, and is unhappy to find they almost all ended in the burning of the 'monster' in question. And most often the trial was just for show, as it appears to be here. There is only a single glimmer of hope. "Are you familiar with the case Monteucleise v. Ardis, barrister? It is where I would look for the strategy to win here. As was done in that case, I think there will be two components required for success: Proving our client's innocence of these crimes he is to be convicted of, and show the good deeds he has done. Even if we can accomplish the first, but the public still sees him as a monster, we might well fail. I agree our plan for looking into the charges is solid. But I worry it will cost us the entire time of the trial and leave us no chance to bring forward evidence of what good he has supposedly done. Isn't it so, that there were many stories to that end as well, before the people telling them were silenced by the pressure of the public trial? Finding them seems of extraordinary importance as well, does it not?" The magus thinks things over some more. He is definitely out of his natural element here, and unsure how to proceed. Fortunately, Pike has a suggestion. "I realize it is too late to insert evidence on the university matter, but I think it might be good for at least me and maybe one other to head over there anyway. For one, we still have some books we need to return. It would not do to forget our old responsibilities in light of these new ones. Additionally, I think just having a more complete picture might be helpful. And there are two other things I'd like to do while I'm there: I have made a...friend...at the university, one Myphar Drago. He is the sort of person with lots of contacts in the city, because he gets around - that is to say he goes out for drinks - a lot. I think I could convince him to ask around for any stories of positive deeds attributed to our client. Perhaps he can even point me in the right direction immediately. And while I'm at it, perhaps he knows this custodian to be sent. I think I already have an idea who this expert on the contents of the department might be. If I can tie either of them up at the university a little bit, that might make it a little more easy to draw out the whole proceedings of today, no?" Hrani looks to Kaple for confirmation that this would indeed have the desired effect on the trials and not just push another point in the agenda up, exactly the opposite of what they would want. And he looks to the others for their opinion. "I agree it is important to interview witnesses and look through the evidence today. As well as meet our client and ask him his name so we can stop calling him 'the client'. But the first two of those can probably be managed without all of us being present. You could fill me in on our trip, and of course if there is something that requires my particular expertise I'll of course be happy to take a look. As for meeting the infamous prisoner, that should perhaps be the first order of business, no? The question is, do we all go, or might this be counterproductive? If he has a hard time staying lucid, too many of us there might prove too distracting. Perhaps we send only a few? Those that will be good at reading him, but also those he will trust. Perhaps those that most believe in his innocence?" Hrani suggests, though at this point he isn't entirely sure who in the group that would be. "Something else to consider: I would like to talk to the guards who have stood watch over our client and question them about his behavior since he has been there. Preferably those who have been in the closest proximity. Naturally, I don't care whether I do this or someone else. In fact, given my difficulties relating to humans, it would probably be best if someone accompanies me who would be more skilled at coaxing information out of them..." |
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Mara seems quite confused when the barrister admits his lack of faith, and in no uncertain terms, in his own client. She can understand doubting the Beast, especially given the many horrific tales told about it, but to be virtually certain of its guilt—then why defend it? To her it makes no sense to defend someone who, in your own mind, is guilty. It would be like her defending the Splatterman: completely incomprehensible. Nonetheless, she can’t help but feel a small measure of puzzled respect for Kaple’s passion for the law, misplaced though it may be. And at least they can trust in him to do his best, regardless of what he believes. It is a small consolation, but a consolation nonetheless, and one that grows when he describes the crimes as ‘cooked up’ by Heiger’s team.
The singer nods vigorously in agreement with the detective. “The ‘evidence’ does seem remarkably flimsy. The Beast flees a fire—as any normal, sane person would do—and is accused of setting it? He returns a child to her family, and is accused of, what, killing the children and coercing their ghosts to lure more children to him?” She shakes her head sadly. “The prosecution is clearly counting on the anger and fear of the populace to amplify these incidents into more than they are.” She twists her hair thoughtfully, trying to remember what she has heard about this case and Ustalavic law in general. “But the trial is before three judges, if I am not mistaken, not a jury of ordinary townsfolk. Do you think that they would be swayed by such meager evidence? Who are the judges for this case? Do they have any … tendencies that we might exploit?” The songstress glances at Hrani and nods. “Uncovering witnesses who would testify to the Beast’s acts of compassion and mercy is indeed crucial. And even for an ordinary prisoner, a visit by eight people all at once might be overwhelming. I can only imagine how the Beast might react, if he is as prone to bouts of emotion as claimed. In that case,” she curls her hair in the opposite direction, “I would suggest that Pike, Runa, and myself visit the prisoner. And after we interview the witnesses,” she looks at the map with a sigh, “I suppose we need to head to Morast as soon as possible, if we are to find additional evidence in time for the trial. Speaking of which,” she turns her attention back to Kaple, “after you obtain a delay in the proceedings, could you provide us with a schedule for the trial, so that we can better plan our travels?”
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