"Well darn it, I guess gathering information from the dead isn't going to be an option now eh."
Teresa look at Sir Rekkart and ask politely,
"Sir, may I know how exactly was Jarbin Mord sentenced? Is he imprison for life? Hung? Executed?"
She then turn back to Tran Duc Lao,
"You said you found a letter, may I have a read?"
Without waiting for a reply, Teresa made her way to Tran Duc Lao in a way as if he already agreed to hand the letter over to her.
The Ulfen's eyes dart around at the others. They were really going to trust this woman? Torag forgive us...If this Witch leads us to our doom, we deserve it. Avalerdis visibly swallows and steps back from Elianndor. The hammer lowers.
"I'm watching you, Witch. If you betray us..." The large woman chews on her lip, clearly worrying about the repercussions of this decision. What would my father say about this?
Ava's hands are shaking after she lowers her weapon.
Killian
he replies to Teresa in his british accent
"As I said lass,
he died 10 years ago,
in this courthouse's gallows,
and it was by hanging."
"I'm sorry," Lao says to Teresa. "I'd gladly let you read the letter, but Miss Pharysene has it."
Fascinated by the newcomers but wary, Pharysene let the others talk while she tried to make sense of their presence.
When Avalaerdis balks, she lays a hand on her arm.
"Be at peace warrior. They too are in hideous danger from these flesh eating ghosts."
She winks in reassurance at Avalerdis.
"At the very least until we are freed from this place."
When talk turned to the letter, she starts and says; "Yes of course. I have it here..."
She searches through her bag for what seems like a long time before she pulls it out triumphantly.
"Here it is!" The letter flutters in unseen breezes as it wafts over to Teresa.
Perception:
When Teresa heard Pharysene, said "flesh eating ghosts"
"Oh I see."
Teresa turn her direction slightly from Tran Duc Lao to Pharysene, as she picked up the letter, she said softly to Avalerdis,
"I could reassure you, that we are not behind this. And together, we might just have a chance to get to the bottom of this."
Teresa then walked back to Eliannador, and together they both read the letter.
Eliannador reads the letter along side Teresa, her forehead wrinkling slightly as she studies the script on the parchment. "Killed before the letter could be sent? True enough, but this letter looks like it's not even finished. Where did you find it?"
As she regards the letter and addresses the group, Nef scoots up her arm and over her shoulder, dropping into a padded pouch in her backpack. He circles several times before settling in, his head resting on the edge of the pouch.
Ava nods to Pharysene as she speaks comforting words. She takes a deep breath. When Eliannador moves to read the letter, Ava takes several steps back to avoid being in her way.
"It was in one of the judge's desks. He was a colleague of Trabe. Trabe's office was...more disturbing."
"Let me make sure I've got this straight. You believe that Jarbin Mord was falsely convicted for murdering his family, a conviction which led to an otherwise innocent man's execution by hanging. Several of our number here," she nods her head toward Malgrim, Killian, and Rekkart in turn, "were members of the jury which returned the guilty verdict. A heretofore unidentified judge wrote this letter blatantly ousting another judge, one Silman Trabe, as being complicit in Mord's false conviction."
"What else am I missing? When was Mord's execution? Who were the other members of the jury? If Mord really is reaching from beyond the grave for vengeance against those he thinks responsible, where are these other jurors?"
Killian
he replies to Teresa in his british accent
"You have no ear's lass,
he died 10 years ago,
in this courthouse's gallows,
and it was by hanging."
"All the jury members are here, except for those that past away.
The surviving members are; Me, Ebin, Halgrak, Madge, Malgrim, Patrissa, Sir Rekkart, and Tablark."
Tablark
"Mord was I child killer, I know it.
It was true justice that was served."
Patrissa
"I just think he was guilty, at the time."
Halgrak
"You didn't have your toes cut off."
Madge
"Mord got what he deserved"
Eliannador smiles coldly at the foppish man and his ragged hat, "I'm sorry, I was busy staring down a mountain of a woman with a gigantic hammer intent on smashing my brains from my skull. I must have missed your mentioning that Mord's execution occurred a decade ago. T'wont happen again." Her last sentence is offered in an over-the-top immitation of Killian's accent.
Teresa place the letter in her cassock's inner pocket, and corrected Killian
"It wasn't me that ask the question again, it was Elainnador."
She then continued look at Tablark and then Madge,
"Is it not obvious now that Mord was falsely accused, how could you still be so ignorant."
Pharysene thoughtfully tapped the side of her chin.
"I wonder..."
She looked north up the great hallway, to the unopened doors; then she turned back to the companions.
"After all this time, we (the uninvolved third parties) have turned up some new evidence. Perhaps the sword of Justice must be forged by New hands."
She suddenly looks embarassed.
"Or so it seems to me. Shall we continue seeking?"
Lao smiles at Pharysene's statement. "That was well phrased, though I wonder how I was picked to be a blacksmith. Let's press on to the rooms we haven't checked before." Lao walks to the door that's north of the door to the judge's chambers on the east side of the building.
"By all means," Eliannador smiles at Lao, "lead on." She casts an icy, distrustful glance at Ebin* before falling into step beside Avalerdis.
1 = Killian
2 = Tablark
3 = Patrissa
4 = Halgrak
5 = Madge
6 = Ebin
7 = Malgrim
8 = Rekkart
Avalerdis is surprised by the Witch's choice to walk beside her. She forces herself to look at Eliannador and then looks away. When she does, the sight of Malgrim catches her off-guard. In the commotion of the new arrivals, she had almost forgotten about the Hobgoblin.
"What are you looking at, criminal? If this all isn't the Witch's doing, then you're still to blame. Mord's spirit wants justice and you seem to be at the heart of it."
Eliannador also retrieves a bullseye lantern from her pack, offering Nef a quick pat and scratch under his chin as she does so. With the lantern in hand, she snaps her fingers and the wick within the lantern begins to glow but not burn.
all of you spot malgrim going back in the judges room.
and run after him as odds are he's going to do an evidence clean up
you see the door slam, but not by his hands.
A harsh staccato whisper builds to the rasping
croak of a strangled man that echoes through
the entire courthouse. Malgrim screams
frantically over the horrid sound. “No! Get
away from me! You’re dead! I saw you swing!
No!” The jangling of a chain and wet gurgling
follow. Then all goes silent.
"Hey, where are you go-" Ava is cut off as the door slams. She looks at the others and then hears the sound of Malgrim's screams. "Stand back Witch!" Ava runs over to the door and slams it with her earthbreaker.
you hammer it open and Malgrim is hanging by his own chain.
As Avalerdis bursts through the door, Eliannador zips defensively behind Rekkart*, offering him a cute, sheepish smile should he turn to regard her.
1 = Killian
2 = Rekkart
3 = Halgrak
4 = Tablark
As Avalerdis breaks open the door, Teresa ran pass her and inside the room and look for the person or thing that Malgrim was addressing:
you see no trace of anyone else being in the room.
Lao goes into the room where Malgrim is hanging. "Let's get him down from here, there may still be time," the cleric says as he tries to get Malgrim down.
Lao goes into the room where Malgrim is hanging. "Let's get him down from here, there may still be time," the cleric says as he tries to get Malgrim down.
it's to late as the spiked chain cut a few important arteries, and you can't get him down, as the other end of the chain is in the cieling, and their are no foot stools to stand on.
Teresa attempts to loosen the chain to lay Malgrim down, by jumping up to the ceiling.
Killian
in his british accent
"how in blue blazes did Malgrim get hanged gents and lasses?
and the chain ends in the ceiling to boot."
"If Malgrim was who the spirit was after, then this is finished." She looks at the others. "Though maybe, we all die."
Killian
in his british accent
"I get the feeling that what got Malgrim is hunting the Guilty.
and finding evidence may give it reason to let you live or die."
"So," Lao turns his gave at the surviving jurors. "You may want to share any information you've been withholding while you still have the chance."
"So," Lao turns his gave at the surviving jurors. "You may want to share any information you've been withholding while you still have the chance."
they spilled their guts earlier.
Ava walks up to Malgrim's body and searches it. She is looking for any sort of message the spirit might have left on him. She also looks for any items the hobgoblin might have had which could shed light on their situation.
Eliannador looks from Malgrim's body to Teresa then back to the body. "I guess there might be something to the vengeful spirit theory after all." She shudders, still huddled behind Rekkart.
"Ever heard 'a dead man tells no tale?' I agree with Lao."
Teresa eyes scanned at all the remaining jurors, making sure they could all see her doing so.
"Better tell us all that you know about this case, before another one of you was silence by the same force or being that did so to our fellow Hobgoblin here."
Teresa look back down at Malgrim and prayed,
"May your soul rest in peace."
Pharysene comes into the room, scarves clutched tightly to her shoulders. She frowns as she examines the tableau.
"Why? After so much time, why was he killed now? What was different?"
She turns and wafts over to Teresa, full of curiosity.
"Malgrim had the most peculiar look on his face when you said you forgave him; almost like shock. Then he ran in here and was killed. Why did you say you say 'I forgive you'?"
Diplomacy:
Killian
in his british accent
"It's not her fault lass,
I'm willing to bet Malgrim's taunting, cruel and merciless nature was used to a jerk or angry response,
and one of forgiveness was something so unexpected it cracked his mind.
But I suspect he went in here to do an evidence clean up,
see the chain on the judge's neck is now in the judge's lap."
"Whatever it was Teresa forgave the brute for, it's obvious Mord didn't feel the same way."
Eliannador, having been pressed against Sir Rekkart's back since the whole scene unfolded, finally pulls away, offering him a shy smile as she follows the others further into the judges' chambers. Looking up at the swinging Malgrim, then over to the remains of the judge, she offers, "Yes. See that? Malgrim hangs by his own chain - the same chain he used to kill that judge by the looks of it." She shudders, obviously unnerved by what she's been thrust into.
though your not the original in this group.
Ava continues her search of the hobgoblin's body.
Ava you find on Malgrim's hanging body;
a potion of cure moderate wounds
a gold cigar case filled with ten cigars and tools,
his mwk studded leather (can't quite remove if off his body),
silver tindertwig case,
small necklace pouch filled with gold and silver teeth,
taken from his enemies (and you think one is Ebin's).