Janos peers around the areas of the boat, the graves, and the tools hoping to find some sort of imprint of a shoe or foot. "If I know where they've stepped, I think I might be able to get us a little help."
There are no tracks on the island other than the manticore's and the party's. By the time they are done searching the island thoroughly the villagers return from their fishing. "Y'all ready ta go back now?" one of them asks the Ravengro Six.
"Indeed."
The Six load up in the coracles and make the short boat journey back through the swamp to Morast. Lazne approaches Anton, "Well An-tone, you find anythin'?"
B'yelka studiously ignores the vulgar swamp-man. Prefering instead to ready her horse for the run back to Lepidstadt. She whispers to Tibideau, "And not a moment too soon, my Dear. Any longer and the stink would become part of us!"
"Lazne, you said this island was tainted by blood. What do you mean? I dont see anything wrong with it."
-Posted with Wayfinder
"It be a spiritual taint son. Can't bury our dead where no murderin' monster met its end."
Well we found a few things but whether they are all relevant or not, it's hard to say. There was a manticore on the island . It probably moved in after you departed. We took care of it but the things we found could relate to its prey
He asks if Lazne would come to one side with him out of sight and earshot of his villagers.
We did find something particularly gruesome. he pulls out the skin mask. I know this is hard to look at but did you know this person?
"My gods, that's Nan Klebem, a poacher who used to come round Morast about once a month. I aint seen her in a year.....'bout the same time as the Beast got et by the caiman actually," Lazne replies. By this time it's late afternoon. If the Six want to get back to Lepidstadt in time to enter the evidence they've found before morning, they'll need to get a move on.
This person disappeared at the same time the 'beast' was eaten? Then how is the beast still with us? Would the mask fit Aaron? B'yelka broods on her thouhts, but says nothing. Nervously, she glances at Dantrian. What does he make of all of this?
Dantrian readies the horses as Anton addresses Lazne, eager to be away from the agoraphobic villagers.
Faces as masks. The revelations of that boggy isle are far darker than I would have expected. And if this new, face-stealing foe is still alive and at large, convicting the Beast for his or her crimes will only make them more dangerous. He shakes his head as he finishes with the last of the saddle straps and calls out to his fellows, "Come! We are losing light and must ride with speed if we hope to return to Leipstadt in time."
Thank you, Lazne. Anton says, offering the man his hand. I know what happened to your people was terrible, and nothing will change that. But we will find the one responsible, whether that's the Beast or not. Some of the things we've found... may cast a doubt on whether it was the Beast. But at the trial the truth will out, it always does. he says as he mounts and wheels his horse. One last time he touches the brim of his hat in farewell and puts his heels to the horses' flanks, gallopng into the night.
The ride back to Lepidstadt is uneventful.
Drosil looks around nervously, trying to peer into every shadow. This is ridiculous. I haven't ever felt this uncomfortable in...well, civilization. Then again, I didn't have some mysterious cult quite so eager to rid themselves of any annoyances such as I'm sure we'll become. "Let's get this evidence registered as quickly as possible, sooner the better. So," he looks to the others, "anyone know how we'd go about doing that?"
Gustav will know. Even if we head to the courthouse and find it closed, the guards may know where he lives. If they don't then the best we can do is get there early tomorrow and talk him through what we found.
"Agreed. Gustav needs to know about this immediately. He may also have some updates for us on how the trial is going. Here's hoping the man gains a bit of courage once we present this news for his case."
"Courage or no, the man's speech impediment will still cause him considerable difficulty if he is the one to present the evidence to the court during the trial proceedings. Any one of us would be better suited to the task."
(Assuming we're outside!)
Tibideau listens to his companions babble on while he tries out a surprising new ability. He floats effortlessly up above their heads and weaves soft circles with his path.
"Look what I can do! Cool, huh!" he whoops. After a minute, he descends gracefully and lands next to Dantrian. He smiles broadly at the alchemist and crosses his arms. "Jealous?"
As the group rides through the gates B'yelka notes the sideways glances, Ah, yet another reminder that we are not truly welcome here... She ponders the conundrum of being foreigners and daring to defend the beast. It'd be so much easier if the locals saw us... as honest folks. Almost like a bolt of lightning the answer hits her. "We need to find costumes." Sure that the others will think she is mad, she explains, "We don't fit in here. Being different makes us untrustworthy. If we look like we belong, it will be easier to be seen as trustworthy."
"You mean to alter our appearances and have us present ourselves as something we are not? So your plan is to engender an air of trustworthiness through disingenuous means? It is one thing to be groomed and clean, B'yelka, and another thing entirely to be paraded before the court in costume."
The Diva scoffs at Dantrian's reticence, "Dear Mr Almaeus, everything we do is 'disingenuous'. You detached airs, Anton's raggedness, my own careful appearance are all calculated to present how we want to be perceived. How is it any more disingenuous to present ourselves in a specific way to gain the specific results we want. Are town's guardsmen somehow being dishonest when they carry weapons with the inherent threat doing so implies?"
B'yelka pauses only to start again, "Further, every time we interact we are playing a role; me the student, you the teacher, Janos the swamp rat. What is the harm in costuming for a different role? Or have you practiced so long at being cold and uncaring that you can't change now..." Her voice trails off, drifting out of the conversation. Uh oh. Where did I just take that? The ball is in your court, Mr Almaeus. I am ready. B'yelka sits very straight in her saddle and awaits Dantrian's riposte.
"I shall attribute your foolish words to youthful ignorance and forgive them this time, B'yelka, but you must understand, this not some stage in Egorian. This is a court of law, whereupon we will be addressing a small group of individuals, not the thoughtless mob in the streets. The evidence should and will speak for itself once presented. If you wish to play dress up that is your decision to make, but do not expect me to participate in such vanities."
I hate to disagree with you m'lady, but my 'raggedness' is precisely because I don't overly concern myself with outward appearance. Silk shirts and satin jodhpurs aren't exactly practical on the road.
Despite the odd glances and frowning brows, Anton tips his hat politely.
I entered this not knowing if the Beast was innocent, but after what we found in Morast I have doubts over whether it is guilty or not. And that is all we have to do - call into doubt it's guilt. As I said to Lazne, the truth will out.
He turns his smile on the Diva.
And I have absolute faith in your abilities to demonstrate that truth B'yelka.
"Well, I don't know what costume you'd have in mind, B'yelka, but isn't this mostly what you'd want if I'm presenting some sort of evidence?" He looks down at his muddy trousers, boots, and worn cloak. "I don't look like someone who should be in a courtroom, but doesn't that make my words have greater impact? I look like someone who would know these facts."
Tibideau rolls his eyes at Anton and Dantrian's foolish disagreement with B'yelka. "Oh, we all have a 'look,' intentional or not, no point in denying it. Yours may not be so obviously constructed as my appearance or Red's, but you have one nonetheless. B'yelka's right. Why not give ourselves the extra edge with the judge by dressing more local? I mean, I wouldn't give a lecture to a university class dressed like a day laborer! They wouldn't respect me!" He addresses Dantrian directly. "MISTER Almaeus, if evidence alone were enough to get a conviction, then why do bribes exist? Exclusive dinner parties with the judge? "Anonymous" packages delivered to the courthouse? Maybe they do things a bit differently out here, but if I were running this operation, we'd be greasing wheels all the way up the line to ensure we get our verdict. But, I'm sure this group is too honest to let me bribe anyone, so I'll have to settle for some new clothes. Which," he turns to B'yelka and nods. "Are an excellent idea."
"As for you, Janos, you should definitely not look like you don't belong in a courtroom. You can look like an "adventurer," but you shouldn't show up disgustingly filthy. Seriously. Why is this group so idealistic today? This isn't some uplifting short story about the little barrister that could, we are totally screwed if we don't do everything we can to win."
"Win, Mister LeClerc? Perhaps I misapprehended our benefactor's request, but my understanding was not that we were endeavoring for the Beast's acquittal but rather that the truth be uncovered and justice served. It is true the one may be the other, but it need not necessarily be so. Rigging a verdict is far beyond not only the constraints of the law but also of what we have been tasked to do." He pauses, pinching the bridge of his nose once more, "And of course decorum should be met and good hygiene practiced prior to our presentations at the trial. Of course. A court room requires constraint, respect, and integrity to be displayed, yes, but not ostentation."
Drosil finds himself nodding at Dantrian's points moreso than the others. "I agree - to an extent, at least - with Dantrian. If the evidence alone doesn't convince them, then will we really be serving justice by persuading the court based on our appearance? If our goal was to get the Beast acquitted, then fine, dress me up however you please. Our goal, however, is to make sure that justice is served, and I think the evidence can do that without any...costumes...to distract the court."
Tibideau is extremely confused at what he sees as the group's willful misunderstanding. "The point isn't to distract the court from our lack of evidence, it's to make sure they focus on the good evidence we're presenting instead of our motley appearance. To blend in." He shrugs. "And I'm sorry if I've misunderstood, but I thought our job was to defend the Beast, which in my mind means our goal is to first believe in his innocence, then get him acquitted. If 'justice' is served in the meanwhile, then all the better."
Janos looks back and forth between B'yelka and Tibideau. He shrugs. "It's not the first time, I would be ill-clothed for the occasion. If I'm going to participate, I might need all the help I can get. Besides, you did a good job with my cloak last time. I'm in. Just try not to put me in a fool's costume. Something that at least says I know what I'm talking about."
"Mr Almaeus. Wigs." B'yelka states the obvious costume that even their barrister wore outside of the courtroom. "The law in this country uses visual elements to separate themselves from their subjects. Very much as on stage, you cannot have everyone dress the same, though for our purposes we would be well suited to being seen more as part of the public than as foreigners. Unless you think that by some miracle we will be embraced and loved because we are somehow special. I am proposing that we give the impression that we are of the people." Now, she changes the angle of the verbal epee. Have you attended any universities? If you have, do you have any distinctive garments announcing your education? We aren't going to change your cool, removed academic manner, rather we are going to high light it." The Diva pitches her voice in a manner reminiscent of Dantrian's, "You can trust me! I am a university certified genius!" She then switches back to normal, "Unless you do not think your education should have merit in this case? I mean, if your education has no value, I will drop this now."
To Janos, "Yes, thank you, Janos. No costumes like Dantrian suspects, just affectations that show the people that we are like them."
Anton is disquieted by the talk of winning, bribes and presenting an image
I don't give a damn how things are done elsewhere, but I will not be part of an investigation that bribes and conives. it's way to victory! he says with sudden fire
Call me naive, it makes no difference to me - I am not an educated man, but I believe in the law. Yes, it makes mistakes but it is not our place to ensure the Beast goes free no matter the cost. I sensed no evil in the creature but the evidence and our interpretation of it will free the Beast or not. Dress me in a suit or however you please but I suggest we stop wasting time arguing about this and get on with our damn jobs!
He spurs his mount on and rides away from the pointless argument toward the courthouse.
Tibideau bursts into hysterics at the thought of Anton in a suit. He wipes tears from his eyes and says, "Oh, goodness, let's make this courthouse visit quick, it's almost naptime." He resists an incredible urge to fly to the courthouse. That would be a bit excessive.
B'yelka frowns as Anton leaves. Did I push too hard? Well, I am right, even if he can't see it. He will smile and be meek as part of his show for delivering evidence, but doesn't see that is a façade, too... To Dantrian, "Nevermind, have it your way you stubborn lumure spawn."
Riding again she moves close to Tibi, "And you dear husband, I will definitely make you look like you earned me." She winks and saunters her horse away from his side.
"Worry over your appearance as you will, spend your time and your coin as you will. It is not as if you were ever going to do otherwise. And they are lemures, B'yelka. Spare us your juvenile and spiteful namecalling." Dantrian's tone shifts from his typical stoic, even temper to one with a sharp, biting edge. The air of finality in his voice is matched later by his terse but polite refusal to participate in any further discussion. He spends the rest of the ride and evening contemplating the evidence gathered.
"These tools are surgeon's devices. It would explain the precision and care that must have been practiced to craft such a gruesome mask without damaging the tissue and skin." He pauses for a moment, his thoughts chasing after the various implications. "I doubt the Beast possesses the manual dexterity to utilize these properly. Though the fact the true culprit would have such implements at his or her disposal is unsettling to say the least."
Who might possess such dexterity, Dantrian? Clearly a surgeon. A butcher? Leather worker?
Anton then considers the tools themselves.
Do you think it would be possible to track down whose these are? That raven coukd be a family crest.
The evening had been quite tense after the argument, the pressure of the case already seeming to get to the group. He defers much of the interpretation of evidence to Dantrian - he doesn't mind, he had already admitted to his lack of formal education and the alchemist seemed capable of leaps of reasoning that were beyond Anton. At least in trying to find justice through honourable and proper means they were finally finding something in common.
Entering the evidence in court is a simple matter of going to tell Gustav who will be presenting which evidence in the morning. He makes it clear that each volunteer defendant can only present one piece of evidence per crime.
The trial itself won't begin until morning, so there is some time left this evening should the Six seek to investigate the source of the surgical tools.
Janos examines the tools again. "If these are of a medical nature, perhaps finding a surgeon in town will help us see who they belong to, or at the very least, gain some knowledge of the person's background and skill."
"Good idea, Janos! Do we know any surgeons, or doctors that would mind a late night visit?" She thinks a bit, "Maybe someone from the university?"
"Indeed, this raven symbol Drosil noted must be meaningful in someway."