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Old May 1st, 2017, 10:41 AM
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Prisoners of the MindSo many questions, so little time.
SanctuaryExperiments: that is the main nature of the questions asked of Karl thereafter. The nature of these experiments... their good barrister had mentioned a distaste for the activities of the Sanctuary, that they were good intentioned but the methodology was... he didn't say. Unethical? Vile? Repulsive? Who's to say. What can be discerned is that Karl went along with it, though he may not have been entirely complicit with these activities.

Runa asks her question first. "In a manner of speaking, yes. They were exposed in some way to recognize the horror of their ways, to see that what they did was asocial behaviorally and that it was not tolerable, in a way to attempt to guide them towards self-rehabilitation. No successes. But there were no arsonists amongst the patients with us, ever that I can recall. The records were all destroyed but I had worked with the good doctor for almost all of its history. No arsonsts were accepted, or even offered." A dead end, that line of inquiry, it seems, but a fair one all the same. "He would have used flames, if there were, though."

Karl becomes grim at Pike's question. "Every patient died. No one but I survived. But..." Karl looks around, to where Veronique stands; she squirms, uncomfortable. "There were no bodies. Not one was found." It hits like a punch in the gut, there being no bodies. "We had a cemetery, if that's what your question is implying. It's hard to sully the name of the dead; Pharasma knows their deeds. You may investigate that line of inquiry at your leisure, but I buried those who passed on myself." In that, he seems confident, certain that there was no attempt to study the dead. But it's also a non-answer: he didn't answer the question directly.

Mara's are of a more practical nature. "The deformities varied. Some were as simple as deformities of the mind, as I mentioned. Similar to arson, though not including it, but also voices of a non-external nature, multiple identities, any number of things. Physically...." Karl frowns, the burnt part of his face looks somehow more than a little grim. "Limbs that were out of place, twisted. He tried methods, some of Xian Tia, to fix these. Others included elongations of specific parts of the brain, such as enlarged frontal lobes or simply oblong brain cases. His methodology therein was one of observation more than simple curing. It's hard to correct a physical deformity, rather than a behavioral one." It offers some insight, but not enough depth.

That may be for the best.
HerstagThe sisters sit in their seats, their story told, somewhat more comfortable now than when they entered the room. Questions. Always more questions. But at this juncture, they've been showered with questions for months now. A village does not simply die without questions.

"Eh, no, Ellsa was the sixth child." The eldest corrects her sisters, but the other two look to one another, as if suddenly scared of something. "But yes, on the sixth day, that was when the Beast came and brought her body." The younger sisters relax, if just a bit. Runa recognizes the tattoo, of course; it's a symbol of Desna, goddess of lucky and travelers and the beauty of the stars. A cosmic goddess and free spirited, indeed, she is good in nature and deed, though perhaps less disciplined than Iomedae. She is a patron goddess of travelers and Varisians in particular, and of course Runahildr knows the symbol well. Still, there is the question of the correction.

"Yes, lights. Near the edge of town, heading into the Dipplemere. And the Beast returned at dusk." A question from Pike, seemingly related to the rest. A fair one, but they don't know it. Veronique does, however. "Scar? Well, his arm was stitched on, but the parts of him that he had... skin like porcelain. Ruined by that hideous face, but he carried with him no scars to speak of, except markings of how he was made." A contradiction to Karl's tale, and indeed, as they would later learn, to the Morast-folk's. The Beast appeared to have two appearances, then, or faulty witnesses. "Laughing and smiling? No, not smiling. Its mouth hung open, and it mashed its teeth, but... make no mistake, that noise was a dark, hideous, monstrous laughter. The laugh of the insane." Karl might could attest to that, but that was an inquiry for another time.

The three sisters look to one another, shrugging. "No idea," says the second sister. "We never got a look. But it was especially small, given how exceptionally large he was. Even Ellsa seemed a Halfling in his arms." Jamir would have glared at the comment. Mara has questions of her own. The eldest sister shakes her head. "Most have joined their parents on the road, in caravans, or have headed to other towns. That I know of, only Pellin Marko still remains in Lepidstadt, with his mother and uncle." Another line of inquiry. "I can introduce you to them, if you like. He's a bright boy, if imaginative."

No sign of a stone hitting the pond after the light correction at the beginning. Had it been imagined, or...?
MorastA surly bunch, to be sure. Runa recognizes the holy symbol of Erastil readily, a god of agriculture, tradition, and family, vigilant and strong. A rustic deity more and more often, Erastil is a proud ally of the Inheritor, though they differ about proactivity, they never waiver in their agreement of how to deal with things and what an important task the preservation of goodess is. To Erastil, you will never need to defend your homestead from depravity if the members of your house know how to combat it already. Tend to your fields, have a family, live honestly: all good advice, but it doesn't stop evil from showing up at your door with a smile and a knife.

"The Horror? Skin like ours, though stretched over his body. Kind of red in places, especially after the bleedin' started." Nods all around, and a grunt from Lazne. "I don't recall any hair, none at all. Pretty damn hairless." The villager looks at her leader and to her fellow villager, who nods. Pike goes in a different direction, and the three villagers look at each other in exasperation. Tools? Hands? One of the two women speaks. "We never thought to look. You'd have to look yourself." The next question seems to confuse them even more. "What? No, no sparklin' crackles or mismatched skins or stitches. He was fair-skinned, like you bunch, but... different. Skin too tight over his body, like it didn't fit." That description is familiar to them. Very familiar. And to Pike's next question, the two villagers shake their head, while their leader looks confused. "No book. He was tryin' to make off with our dead, ain't had hands enough for it." It's logical to assume they also mean that the Beast was not wearing any clothes in this instance, but it is not stated.

With no further questions, on they go.
LepidstadtThe Gnome's mustache moves like a broom over his face. "Reckon you'll see'em true 'nuff. Pale skin, scarrin' like rivers, near his joints. Like his shoulders 'nd arms, part'a his head. Wore pants, but I reckon he got some downstairs mix-ups too. His right arm ain't like his left, like it came from some other creature." A sniff. "Blackish gray hair, he don't keep it good and it don't look like it grows right, neither. Eyes were white when the color left'em, 'nd that was when he were knocked out. I only just saw the color leavin' 'em, couldn't tell ya rightly what they were when he was rampagin'." Veronique nods to this line of inquiry herself, when asked.

Both Veronique and the Gnome deny any such book on his personage, and while the Gnome seems confused by the question, the cadet seems to understand why the line of inquiry, though she doesn't state as much. "Nothing. He might have had it at some point, but he seems to have memorized whatever such book of poetry he had. And plays, too. From both." Once Mara's question is completed, Veronique smiles. "If there no further questions for me, or if you want to see the witnesses again, I'll check on the prisoner, to see if he's available for an interview. I believe he's being prepped for the trial now."
The Great LibraryAnd off they go, into the great tavern crawl of 4711. At least, in theory.

Hrani attempts to get himself out of the situation, and does so almost admirably. But before he can go too far, Carlo interjects. Almost instantly, the Professor seems confused, looking between Elf and Varisian, mumbling answers to himself as he searches for a right answer. "I, uh, well, hm, I." He looks over both carefully,
then continues after catching himself. "Well, I'm not a purveyor of taverns, such as Myphar is, those days are long behind me and I'm a relatively quiet fellow myself, but I can suggest the Brazen Skull, a fairly popular place, but there are a few others. Black Tom's is more a tavern than a pub, but it might serve excellently. Closer to the river there's the Landlocked Albatross, which specializes in fish and chips, and in that regard is lovely, though I cannot stomach it anymore, Northgate has the Hog's Delight, one of the oldest public houses in all of Ustalav, dating back to before the rise of the Whispering Tyrant. Somehow it was kept open all this time, in the hands of the same family. I've always found that suspect, but..." Another theory for another time, perhaps. "Myphar has class for the time being, I believe, but should be out and ready to assist me in the Antiquities Lab before noon, though I doubt I'll be back there by then. I certainly would not mind lending him to you in this regard." He looks to Carlo, and to Andrzej who interjects in his own way, turning the tide for his kin. "Yes, I think that's agreeable. The books must be heavy, and the Library is their destination.

They turn from the Courthouse, the Professor's intended destination, and the distraction is complete. There will be no expert witness today.
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Hrani's trickery not yet over, the questions of the book lead Crowl to smile. "Indeed, something special through and through. I lent them to Lorrimor, who knows I'm something of a curmudgeon for lending my things out. He was honored in due course, and said so in his letters; now, I have the books back, and there's a bittersweet manner about them... but that's not what you meant." As they pass through the square, the crowd becomes easier to navigate, and much to Andrzej's delight, the figures that had seen them do not follow; they stay and socialize. But who was the short little man?

"Three tomes, I believe it was: On Verified Madness, Serving Your Hunger, and the Umbral Leaves. On Verified Madness is a text much like the discussion we had yesterday, which dealt with the Dark Tapestry, even naming some far-off places in the stars. My favorite is a place called The sole cameo of Earth in all of this gameEarth, where rests the dread Cthulhu, but... in summary, it's a manual of aberrations, their environments, and attempts at their backstory. But the author was insane and died in mysterious circumstances, making all of it highly questionable. The book might help me in discovering more details about the stolen statue, however. Serving Your Hunger, grim as its title suggests, is a sacred book of Urgathoa, written by her antipaladin commander Dason. This was a complete version of the text, which contains, beyond the basic tenants of the faith, recipes for cooking more than extravagant meals. If we're able, Hrani, we might be able to have Elf Ear Stew." He smiles, innocently, and while the Varisians are certain of the coy playfulness, the Elf is not so sure. "It covers the gambit of her faith, of the undead, of diseases, of how to best serve her. Lorrimor wrote me that he heavily annotated this volume, so I look forward to that. The last of the books, is a Taldane translation of the holy text of Zon-Kuthon, The Umbral Leaves. It's largely similar to the Urgathoa text, except more a manual in the extremities of pain and pleasure and how enlightenment is found in their congruence. Personally I find it the most distasteful of the three." He goes no further in describing it. "All important to my studies, and now that they've returned, my collection is once more complete." He is pleased by this fact.

As they pass the Cathedral, the University looms long on the horizon, as it did this morning. Its spires stand strong against the morning sky, a dazzling gray color this morn. Students roam the outer walls of the University, and soon, they turn onto the grounds. "I feel as though I'm forgetting something..." Crowl seems to be on the verge of remembering his appointed task, but Hrani quickly steps in, asking more banal petty talk. "The Professor? Oh, I knew Lorrimor, going well back a ways...." His story is typical: he knew the Professor from when he was a graduate student here, at Lepidstadt University, and studied under him. Then, he served as a colleague for almost fifteen years before the Professor retired, in which time he always admired his tenacity, though he himself had no constitution for going out and doing lectures outside of the town. The story sounds suspiciously similar to Jamir's own story, without the following aspect, and sounds like something Carlo might do himself. Andrzej, the least academic of this bunch, finds the whole of it alien, at best.

The Library is massive on the outside, a gray building with a red roof matching the same style as the rest of the University, but the interior is what grabs their fancy. No wonder the Professor taught here. The halls past the front desk are gigantic, going up two stories and perhaps more, with plenty of siderooms to explore. The bookshelves are at least fifteen feet tall, each, and require a ladder between rows; at the end of each row is a bust of a distinguished scholar of something, which, while Hrani and Carlo might have heard of a few, they have no idea who all of them are, DC 25 Knowledge (of your choice) check to identify these names and facesnot without careful study. Occasionally in the center, where there is not a table on which to study, there are collections, housing rare books mostly that run the gauntlet of scrutiny: one is even an Azlant text, written in that ancient tongue. Tian Xia, Vudra, Casmaron, Garund: all continents are represented here in writing, as are almost all Ages.

A sign occasionally appears and reappears sporadically across the Library that reads: "FOR PRIVATE COLLECTION VIEWINGS, GIVE PERMISSION PAPERS FROM PROFESSORS TO ARCHIVISTS." An invitation for chaos, if the Lorrimor group is remotely involved.

Crowl, looking over each soul to see if they are impressed, smiles. "How may I help you?"
 
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Old May 2nd, 2017, 11:51 PM
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Nodding politely to Karl's answer, Mara seems part relieved, part resigned by Dr. Brada's apparent difficulties with physical deformities. Of course they are harder to correct than simple behavioral issues—this comes as no surprise to the songstress. She idly wonders if any of the Crooked Kin had ever sought the doctor, but does not vocalize her query—it would be better to ask the travelling troupe directly, for an alternate view of the Sanctuary.

To the Hergstag sisters' offer of introduction, she flashes an appreciative smile. “That would be lovely, thank you. Pellin sounds like a spirited fellow indeed.” Before the trio of sisters depart, the singer briefly inquires about where to find the Marko family in Lepidstadt, and when would be a convenient time for one of the sisters to introduce her.

After the questioning has concluded and Veronique has left, the soprano turns to confer quietly with her companions. “I am beginning to understand why Barrister Kaple is so disheartened. There is no hard evidence that the Beast is guilty of these crimes,” she glances at Pike to ascertain whether he shares her assessment, “save the relatively minor incident at the University, of course—but that does not seem to matter. The witnesses do not care about the truth—they simply desire that someone pay for the injustices visited upon them. It appears that circumstantial evidence and prevailing prejudice will suffice—the Beast is guilty until proven innocent.” She slightly tilts her head, looking inquisitively at the paladin. “Is this usual for,” she looks around the room warily, ensuring that they are truly alone before hinting ever so slightly at her secret, “for justice in your lands?”

Mara pensively entwines a lock of hair around her finger. “It appears that we will need to find the actual perpetrators if we are to save the Beast.” She does not seem happy at the prospect. “Which means that we shall need to visit all these locations. And soon.” She sighs.
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Old May 3rd, 2017, 03:55 AM
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Runahildr Valkadottir

Runa waited for the last of the witnesses to leave and stood, pondering, while Mara said her piece. When the songstress was done, she nodded.

"Indeed. I note that two of the witnesses explicitly stated that they needed this judgment - as closure perhaps - but it only helps paint how difficult a trial this will be for us. Especially if we put an accusation to the ground without providing the true culprit in each case."

The paladin pursed her lips in thought for a brief moment before she continued.
"I find myself emboldened by this, though. While it does not absolve the prisoner fully, it is clear to me that in several of these cases he is not the wrongdoer. That alone makes dealing with him and this entire case go easier on my soul."

Metal clanking, Runa turned and began pacing slowly back and forth.
"Let us summarize what we've learned so far in regards to the perpetrators of these incidents:

"Karl described The Beast as seven, eight feet tall, with glistening skin that seemed not to fit."

"The sisters said he was ten feet tall or taller, and covered in stitches about his arms and legs, and that one arm was not mortal. According to them he had skin like porcelain but carried no scars to speak of, except markings of how he was made."

"The people from Morast claimed he were about as tall as Pike and I together. They also described it as 'sleek-lookin' with real leathery skin like ours, mismatched and stretched over his body. Kind of red in places, especially after the bleedin' started. They recall no hair on the creature."

"The gnome from the university described him as having pale skin, 'scarrin' like rivers, near his joints'. He too stated that one arm - the right - looks nothing like the left and seems to originate from something not human. Blackish gray hair, red eyes that turned to white when the color left them."


The paladin stopped her pacing.
"From the sound of it, there are at least two different creatures being described here. One sleek-skinned, hairless entity that bleeds - a rather important point, I believe - which was present at Morast and Sanctuary, and one pale-skinned, stitched, ten feet tall entity with black hair and an unnatural arm that is not human, present at Hergstag and the University. And that is going by descriptions alone. Interesting, no?"

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Old May 4th, 2017, 07:34 PM
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Pike watches the last of the witnesses leave the room, having no further questions for them at the moment. He sighs and rubs his eyes, this was nasty business of the kind that tore at ones spirits "Well that was something." he says, pouring himself a glass of water and moving into the corner of the room, as far away from Mara as he can and lights a cigar "Apology Miss Mara, but my sanity insists." he says with an apologetic smile.

He listens to their words nodding to himself "There is that." he says "But mere testimony won't save him from the inferno, we need evidence." sighing he extinguishes the cigar in the cup of water and stands up, his legs and back stiff from sitting for too long "The difference in height is not so odd, they are describing a large and a terrifying being, a feet or two added or subtracted is a matter how they perceive the terror in front of them. But everything else just doesn't add up to the right sum." he clears his throat and stretches his back "I sensed no lies coming from any of them, though some truths are still hidden or perhaps altered. The anger and the grief, however.... well you both sensed it as well I believe. They are afraid and justly so and this kind of fear is contagious, dangerous." he looks at the women "Proving our client is innocent isn't enough, we'll need to find that other "Beast" and bring it in."
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Old May 4th, 2017, 10:48 PM
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The dismissive treatment over the dropped books is totally forgotten once they get to the library. Carlo seems a kid in a candy store as he looks about the place. He starts with the statues that line the library. He pauses at each one, drawing from his memory each shred of detail he can about them. As with the consequential connection to Kaple, these shreds of details add up. Unlike with Kaple, he takes the time to spell them out to those around him. For a few of the statues this is rather quick, maybe a minute or two. For others, he goes into greater detail, perhaps up to ten minutes for those few statues that touch closer to his areas of interest: a fellow Varisian, for example, or someone known for their ability to bind outsiders to this plane. If Hrani or Crowl care to engage in his monologue he will certainly be willing to quibble over a few details, extending the time devoted to statues even longer. There are no shortage of statues to converse about: thirty or more. And Carlo has something to say about all but two of them: there are two that he doesn’t know anything about.

“Even us Varisians know a thing or two about history, it seems,” Carlo tells the old professor. diplomacy, as much for keeping the profs attention for over an hour discussing statues as it is for gaining access to one of the rooms:
Dice Roll:
1d20+3 (2)+3 Total = 5
“Now about those two statues: might there be more information on either of them in one of those reading rooms?”
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Old May 5th, 2017, 02:05 AM
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Mara backs away to the opposite corner of the room when Pike lights his cigar. “Very well,” she nods perfunctorily, with a tight, stiff-lipped expression of discomfort upon her face, “if you absolutely must. Perhaps we can indulge your insanity some other time.” Given the dwarf's minor concession to her fear however, she is gracious enough not to protest, and even manages a small, forced smile. The smile broadens into genuine thankfulness once the cigar is put out.

After hearing both Runa and Pike out, the singer shakes her head apologetically. “You do realize how ludicrous this will sound to the court, do you not? The existence of the Beast was a legend, a myth until he was caught ... and even now, I might doubt such a fantastic creature were we not embroiled directly with his trial. But to suggest that there are two of them? Or more?” Her gaze turns towards the paladin. “I agree that there is more to the tales told by the witnesses—much more. But two such 'Beasts'? Even if there were, that would only explain the differences in appearance. Much would remain unexplained—for example, how and why did the children of Hergstag become ghosts?” She glances at the door, waiting for Veronique to fetch them for their interview of the Beast, then shakes her head again.

“Finding a second Beast would give them a second scapegoat: nothing more, nothing less. I imagine they would be equally pleased to burn two effigies instead of one. No gentlemen, I believe we shall have to solve these crimes ourselves to have any chance of saving of our client.”
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Old May 5th, 2017, 04:14 AM
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Runa tilted her head at Mara's words, as if pondering something.
"Yes... it does sound quite unlikely for two creatures to match a similar description in such a way. Especially if both creatures seemingly travel about as they do."

She frowned.
"I have been looking at this based on the assumption that the prisoner was simply a victim of bad press - that every random act of violence in the region was ascribed to the Beast, the Dipplemere Horror, and that what we would find when we dug deeper was that every instance was some local entity provoked or stirred to do evil. At least in Hergstag I believe that to be the case, as nothing so far has convinced me we are not dealing with a wraith in some form.

But it is... strange... that at least two of these cases can seemingly be placed at the feet of one other creature. Or two creatures of the same make and origin. Close enough in shape and size to have people believe it was the Beast, yet somehow different. Because either the beast has pale skin and hair, or he is hairless and has skin that does not fit his frame - it has to be one or the other."


Runa ran a finger along her brow to smooth it down as she continued talking.
"This is a theory, and a wild one at that. But we are already assuming that the prisoner is little more than a scapegoat for the Whispering Way, are we not? Then who is to say that one or more of these crimes are not of their making as well? How easy would it be to mask a crime scene and point fingers at the one thing everyone already fears and believes the root of all their problems?"

She turned to Mara again.
"The mob will want its burning, I fear. And if it is a custom and law in Lepidstadt to burn monsters, I am unsure we can stop it. What we can do is work to place the right monster on the pyre." The paladin's emphasis on the word made it clear she wasn't necessarily talking about just wildlife creatures and abominations when she talked about potential monsters. Depending on what they learned, who they ultimately caught, the kindling for the giant pyre might well turn out to be someone with a face, a name and possibly a family to leave behind.

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Old May 5th, 2017, 05:05 AM
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Pike glances at Runa and shrugs "I'm honestly not so sure about that. Why go through months of hard work, killing people, digging up bodies, waking up ghosts just to mask some alternative motive?" he shakes his head, not convinced "Let's say their motive was to steal whatever this item was at the University? Surely a simple break-in would be easier, cost less and require far less work on everyone's behalf. Unless all of the these crimes are in some way connected and we're not seeing it?" he adds "For now I'm willing to accept that we might have two entities that fit similar description and that our client might not be involved in some of these atrocities, but the Hergstag incident? Wraith you say? Couldn't the trauma from the incident itself create these ghosts? I've read that sites where acts of great evil have been committed sometimes create restless spirits? But the witnesses can point a finger at our client, claiming he was there with a dead girl in his arms. Do you realize just how hard it will be to turn the opinion of the judges, let alone the people on the Hergstag case?" he paces the room, feeling restless in the face of the work set before them.
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Old May 5th, 2017, 06:08 AM
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Runahildr Valkadottir

"Wraith is my professional guess," Runa replied. "Children being lured away by lights and images of lost friends, only to return as ghosts to terrorize their parents? That implies a level of malevolence above what a simply grieving ghost created from a single traumatic experience would be capable of. This is intentional evil bred from a rotten being, and if you placed a hundred children in the village, you would find a hundred victims of its crimes not long after.

If you combine that with the fact that each missing child returned as a ghost after their death, then you reach the following conclusion."


She held up her hand and extended a finger.
"Firstly, this creature creates more of its kind. That is how each child returns after they die." Another finger went up. "Secondly, they return after they are dead, so the creature that made them is itself undead. And thirdly, they return as incorporeal specters, so it stands to reason the creator is an incorporeal being of some kind as well." A third finger joined the others, and Runa looked at them for a bit, before curling her hand into a fist and lowering it again.

"That narrows it down quite a bit. And from the description paired with these facts I would peg this down as the work of a wraith - maybe a wraith tied to the location or village somehow. That is what I believe we will find in Hergstag."

She paused.
"The prisoner, I believe, has nothing to do with the children's disappearance. If anything he seemed to be aware of what the creature actually was, which is why I think he was bringing the body of the last girl to die back - before she herself could be turned into another spawn like the rest. Because that is the undeniable point here. He carried the dead girl back into the village, and out of all the dead and missing children, that girl was the only one not to turn. I intend to inquire him about that."


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Old May 5th, 2017, 07:45 AM
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It's a grim assessment, but one Pike is willing to accept "I see, I'll defer to you on this matter. Nasty business." he hesitates for a moment, then looks at Runa "You think we'll need help to vanquish it? The church?"
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Old May 5th, 2017, 05:38 PM
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Mara listens quietly, gaining a particularly thoughtful expression when Runa mentions the Whispering Way. Pike’s last question temporarily nudges her out of her thoughts.

“Yes, the assistance of the church would be most helpful in this regard ... and even better were both involved. Perhaps the faithful of Iomedae and Pharasma could unite in cleansing Hergstag.” The singer turns to the paladin. “Did you not mention encountering an inquisitor for the Lady of Graves? Perhaps he could be of assistance?”

The songstress resumes musing silently until her thoughts are finally ordered enough to be slowly ventured. “You are quite right, Runa, that we should not neglect the role of the Whispering Way in all of this. And that brings up the problem of the vandalism at the university—for there seems to be little doubt that, even were there multiple Beasts, it is our client that is responsible.” She pauses, shifting her gaze down to the dwarf.

“There is another possibility, however, if the prisoner is but a scapegoat. I have heard of magical enchantments that can compel another to do one’s bidding. Perhaps he was enchanted by a spell? The gnome himself seemed to think so—did he not say that the Beast’s eyes changed color to … the gnome didn’t actually say what color, but Mara’s not always one for detailsgreen, was it? And who knows? Perhaps he was enchanted for one of the other charges as well. Or perhaps some other magic was used to cast the blame upon the prisoner ... say, an illusion? That might explain the discrepancies in appearance.”

The singer sighs. “If we could only track down the Whispering Way—I am certain they could provide more answers. But how does one find the members of a secret cult?” She seems to look directly at the detective as she asks this last question.
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Old May 6th, 2017, 02:09 AM
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Runahildr Valkadottir

Runa shrugged.
"Depending on how many of them we face at once, I think we could manage. The best thing would be if we could force them into the light of day. From what I have read about wraiths, they have no defense against that - they are basically malign shadows after all."

As for the question regarding the assistance of the church, the paladin made a wry face.
"Well, if we can get someone to assist us, I will not turn down the help. If only so we have someone along that can act as our own witness on the stand. Contrary to our encounter with the Phase Spider, we cannot drag the remains of an incorporeal being into court and place it out for all to see. And that would really be the best way to shut down the prosecution - hard, solid proof."


Mara's words caused Runa to nod along, thoughtfully.
"The gnome stated the eyes turned from red to something else. The sisters from Morast specifically pointed out that the Beast had white eyes. But yes, I think I mentioned something along these possibilities before. The prisoner is a construct, and such things are made as tools under the control of their creator. This one is special because he seems to have independent thought and a sense of self, as I understand it. But if he was created as a tool, who is to say he cannot still be used as one?"
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Old May 9th, 2017, 02:47 PM
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Hrani is exceptionally pleased with how things are turning out. He had hoped to delay the professor a little bit, to buy the others time, but the way things were playing out they might actually prevent him from making an appearance at all today. And best of all, the conversation is taking remarkably little effort on the elf's part. Which is good. Conversations in which he doesn't have to say anything and the other person does all the talking are his second favorite kind of discussions...right behind the sort of conversations where neither party does any talking.

So the magus interjects a dutiful "Uhuh." and a noncommittal "Hmm..." every so often, and just lets Crowl take it away. Only very rarely, when it looks like the man will actually run out of steam, or remember he had a previous engagement does Hrani come up with a new question, or a new topic for discussion. Sometimes he needs to give it some thought. Other times it is a simple as dropping a "My dear professor, I do think you are right. Given the nature of the books you have described, it would be best to return them to the university before anyone sees them..."

Of course, the content of the books is not uninteresting in itself, in particular the one that might contain more information about the missing statue. "It would be most appreciated if you could take a look and let me know. I still find it highly curious that out of all the objects, that one in particular appears to have been chosen..." Not that the magus has high hopes this new book will contain a chapter on how that particular statue is used in a world-ending ritual, but an elf can hope...

Then they reach the university, and despite his visit of parts of it yesterday, Hrani is still impressed by the school proper. To say nothing of the library. Just like Carlo he takes a look at the statues, and though he is clearly less informed than the Varisian, he is happy to contribute
Dice Knowledge History:
1d20+7 (13)+7 Total = 20
what information he does know. He also has no problem with the discussion dragging on for as long as it does. All in the name of delaying the expert witness.

"My good man..." Hrani says, an air of genuinely being impressed in his voice. "You must have the willpower of a thousand men. With a library like this at my fingertips, I am not sure I would ever get anything done for spending all my days reading through every volume. Of course, we don't have time for every volume. But I remain curious about the exhibit the Beast broke into. Are there items from the exhibit somewhere here, perhaps in one of the private rooms? And if you remember, I had asked about seeing the ledger of those who had requested access to the exhibit prior to its destruction. Would we perhaps be able to see that at this point...?
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Old May 11th, 2017, 06:52 PM
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Truth and ReconciliationThe questions completed, the trio confers between themselves, for there is much to discuss, and more even to digest.

Conclusions are drawn: the Beast of Lepidstadt, if it is indeed a beast at all, was uninvolved with the majority of these crimes, if not the vast so. They discern between them a preference for which cases apply to the Beast and which do not, and with so little certainty all they can determine is that the Beast was involved at the University hence he was captured. A simple enough conclusion, but without interviewing the defendant and attempting to defend him, they have about as much proof as the zealots that seek the Beast's ashes.

left-aligned image
But there are consistencies between stories. Morast and the Sanctuary are together a different creature from Herstag and the University, which seem somewhat consistent, if nothing else. The weight of their task weighs on them, and stress threatens to drive them to drink, to smoke, or worse. Still, it steels them. They prepare themselves with how to proceed with the information that they have, and how to best present it besides. Some avenues offer more capital with the masses than others.

Another question entirely: how much of the work here is the Whispering Way? Without anymore information or interaction, that question will lack any sort of conclusion. Part of them fears for a long, long time, until evidence presents itself.

But there are other expertise they can rely upon: their own. And beyond that, the resources available to them, for the faiths of Lepidstadt, no matter the call of the crowd, answer to a higher power. And those powers have a great and mighty need: for justice, and for purity of Mortality. Suffer not the undead to live, for they corrupt the world. A similar mantra was given last night, and Runa knows she can use that. Mara's suggestion is a wise one indeed.

Before they can go too much further in examining how they will examine cold hard truth (which seems to be deeply enfamined currently), a knock at the door breaks the storm of brains. And so reenters the Cadet. "Um, well, the Beast has already been shackled and is being prepared to be brought upstairs. But... I can take you down. You'll have perhaps five minutes with it, tops, but that may be enough. If we hurry, that is." She leads them, onward.

Despite knowing the Beast is in the basement, they see no easy way to get down there. Heading to a side room on the second floor, a spiral staircase, made of stone unlike the wood around it, takes them downward, twisting and twisting until there is no natural light coming in save a single window in the basement, where a slit of light comes through, beaming down. Four guards stand in the room, all armed with swords and axes, as well as shortbows, and each of them regards the trio, the Dwarf, one-eyed woman, and the songstress, with casual disregard. The real interest of the room is on the creature in the darkness.

Too tall to escape illumination entirely, the Beast is still lurking in shadows. Its lights illuminate, as if colored from within: they contain a milky center but are otherwise white, carrying with them a passing resemblance to the eyes of a dead man in the depths of decay. Runahildr knows that look; they all do, after having spent time in that grove with the Phase Spider's victims. Mara recalls the vacant look in the destroyed body of Petros Lorrimor: his eyes looked like that.

The Beast is easily ten feet tall, with something on its head that might be a mop's head, or might be hair, but in the darkness it is hard to tell. No features are readily or easily read, but its dress is plain enough. Wearing black pants and a shirt that is perhaps too large for a large man, it seems small on the creature, as if the Beast is attempting to hide something within. It wears no shoes, socks, and carries nothing on its sides resembling a book or anything else. The only thing that can be told is, around its neck is a collar of finest steel, newly fashioned, and no less than eight chains that hang from it, held now by the guards and by bolts in the walls, newly installed. The Beast is too large for its cell; no one can tell how it got down here, exactly, as narrow as that staircase was.

It is hard to read, standing in the shadows. What they can tell begins to confirm some connection between Herstag and the University, and no connection to Morast or Sanctuary.

"Go and catch a falling star,
Get with child a mandrake root,
Tell me where all past years are,
Or who cleft the Devil's foot,
Teach me to hear mermaids singing,
Or to keep off envy's stinging,
And find
What wind
Serves to advance an honest mind."

The voice of the creature is deep, a rumbling kind of voice with an accent that makes it seem perhaps more Taldane than one might expect, or perhaps childish. Everyone in the room is unnerved when it begins. Despite the weeping before, there is no sign of such cracking when it speaks now. It has composure. The four guards gulp, but Veronique speaks.

"Um, Beast, sir... I mean, Mr. Beast, uh. Beast. These are some new solicitors, for the defense, I mean. They're representing you, I mean to say. In court." This elicits no response from the thing. She looks to the other guards. "How much longer?" One of the other guards shrugs. "As soon as the commander gets here, we're moving him upstairs." The Cadet turns to the group, and her silent look seems to say enough.

Make it count.
Dust and AgeThe walking professor nods to the idea. "Yes, curious indeed. So much more to take, so many items of value, and it takes one of the lesser items? A Dark Tapestry piece? But, if it's a cult led by the Beast, as some of my colleagues believe, you cannot count on the sanity of cultists such as these. Sanity is a bygone relic, to them." And on and on they go.

The Library itself is massive, garnering a million questions, a million thousand different avenues of investigation. So much to do, so much to see... and yet, they have so little time. It's rather unfair. A shame Jamir couldn't see this. He'd lose his little head. But Carlo, strategic that he is, knows he needs to distract Crowl. And Crowl is an easily distractible fellow, but his attempt is feeble, at best. "Those? I couldn't tell you; I'm highly specialized, you see. I can call one of the librarians over, if you'd like, but..." His brain seems to remember something, as if he has somewhere else to be. And then, Hrani steps in.

Recalling the state of the exhibits from the night before and how it was suggested they were somewhere else. "Ah, yes, there are a few; from the same archive as that particular artifact, too, if I recall. Shoved off into one of the smaller classrooms, if I recall, discontinued since they built Gigas Hall. Come this way." Crowl leads them on a hard right, down one of the corridors of longer bookshelves, where on each sides of the shelves in the center of the room are doorways, most of them open, some of them suggesting laughter, as if used for a less than erudite purposes. Andrzej might be more at home in those classrooms, and from the smell of what must be spellcasting, perhaps Carlo and Hrani too. But, there's things to do.

The last classroom on the left is locked, and producing a key on a ring of keys, Crowl opens it and enters. The room is illuminated by a large window, the curtains drawn back. Boxes are covered in blankets, most of them dusty, with a few items sitting on top of the dust, as if placed there for some purpose. "Here we are. Now let me find the box...." He goes off, in search of the box, leaving the trio to perhaps do some searching of their own.
 
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Old May 12th, 2017, 06:12 PM
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Pike gives Mara a curious look, his search for his mother had once led him down a dangerous path where he became involved with a cult, his father had risked everything to get him out and back on his feet. But that was a long time ago...

"We don't." he says with a ghost of a smile on his lips "Not openly at least. It's bad enough that we arrive in town to defend the Boogeyman, but if we ask the wrong person questions about the Whispering Way..." he let's out a low whistle and rolls his eyes "We might find ourselves sharing the same view of the fire as the Beast in short time.We'll just have to keep our eyes and ears open at all times." the Cadet enters and soon they find themselves in the presence of the Beast itself.

Pike studies the Beast as he recites poetry, his vision giving him a clear enough view of the creature to realize that the description matches that of the creature from Hergstag more closely than the one from Morast or Sanctuary, so no use asking him about the latter. Yet they were running short on time and unable to question him thoroughly, clearing his voice the dwarf steps forth and removes his hat "My name is Torsten Pike and with me are Miss Mara and Sister Runa, we are here to learn the truth so we could help you." he swallows his fear and looks the Beast straight in the eyes "I need you to tell us about Elsa and the children of Hergstag."

 
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