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"ENOUGH! I SAID ENOUGH! LET ME THROUGH!" barks the good mother as she finally makes her way through the crowd, followed by a rapidly losing patience sheriff Luin.
"Pathfinders huh? As Iomedae herself whispered to me. Another sign of the righteousness of my cause. And the depraved lawlessness that organization is willing to sink to. Who but law-breakers would send more of their kind to a gods-fearing town like this one, to interfere with the lawful process that has taken place" she asks rhetorically, before pointing at you. "They were here to break their guilty partners out of jail!"
"They be-spelled me!" cries out the chel. "They wanted me to kill these people to frame me because I'm an outsider!"
"Hold on!" shouts Tobias Luin, rushing briefly to hold back one of the would-be victims, who seems to vigorously disagree with soul-patch's assertion. "First off, calm down Jethro. Second, are you Pathfinders, and did you come to break out your fellows?"
He turns to the man on the ground before he finally asks: "And you said you're being framed?"
Soul-patch nods.
"Then why'd they give you a weapon when you've got your own?"
And as the Sheriff asks his own question, you feel as if the crowd dynamic has changed... With those who were in Mother Corum's mob starting to quietly disperse and more locals and inn patrons coming to your defense. Whispers of "that Iomedaen b!%@~" can be heard here and there emanating from the crowd. Your crowd.
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Fargrim clears her throat.
"I am a pathfinder." she says clearly.
"And I believe that there is a real risk of a miscarriage of justice."
"You-" she says pointing to the man who witnessed the murder.
"Do you see the man who did foul murder here?"
She then points to the captive. "And by your own words you admit to assulting one of the locals." She then points to the stolen small weapon. "And if you had been 'bespelled' to frame you, surely you would have been forced to use your own weapon, not one that belonged to my young Frankie."
She then points to herself. "The captive pathfinders are still where they have been this entire time. In jail. I have spoken with them and they are the ones who seem to have a story that is worth hearing. They came here under the bidding of a written note." She pulls out the initial note.
"We were then were summoned here by a similar note, in the SAME WRITING." She pauses "I suspect if we look through this mans equipment and jouranls we will find that the writing matches."
She pauses.
"These fellows over here, who SAVED your local villagers from the man they apprehended have also made some notes about the amount of blood discovered at the other murder scene, and whether it is actually likely the murder happened there or elsewhere."
She looks around the whole assembly. "Foul murder has been done. But not by the three SMALL folk in your fail. But I suspect by this man who by his own admission tried to do so again."
She finally turns to the good mother. "I fear this man from Cheliax has done darker deeds still, but I cannot prove it. Put aside your hatred for Pathfinders for a moment. As in any large organisation there are some that will do ill, as there are many that do good. Look to the evidence before you, and the gifts that Iomedae herself has given you."
All but worn out she gestures to the sheriff. "This is the evidence we have discovered in the last two days. I suggest there is enough doubt here that you may want to at least delay the hanging until you can sort through to your own satisfaction what really happened here. "
Shaking her head at the bound man, Fargrim opens her senses to him, trying to understand his morals and ethics.
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"I am also a Pathfinder," Arnold says meekly, hoping he will not jeopardize their case. "We did not come here to break our fellows out against the law. We came here to discover whether they were innocent or guilty of the crimes for which they were imprisoned. If we found that the latter was true, our orders were to let them hang, as is what should be done when one breaks the law."
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"I am a Pathfinder," Quentin confesses, "and I was sent here with my companions to find out the truth."
He swallows hard, "If you take the time to speak with the good woman on the hill, she will tell you that the Chelish man has been here long before us and has shown a great deal of interest in the Pathfinders in jail and in us since our arrival. He has likely asked questions of many of you. Think to those encounters. Did his questions seem odd?"
"Mother Corum, certainly Iomedae has gifted you with the ability to judge a man's heart. Can you not see the truth when it is spoken in front of you?"
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Frankie retrieves his rapier, then pokes around looking for the scabbard
"Oh this IS my sword! Where'd that scabbard go to? These things are SHARP!" He looks up at the crowd, with a bit of a dumbfounded look "Oh, ya I'm with them. Someone's gotta keep things light and fun around here!" He continues the act to make it pretty unclear whether or not he's a child... because that's Frankie.
"You should listen to them guys, they're real smart and good people. If we were here to break out them Pathfinders in jail don't you think they'd already be gone, like that tasty pie Sheriff?"
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Once he is fairly certain that more threats aren't lurking in the crowd, Marcus steps back out. "The murder scene at the farm was staged. The body had bled out, but the was very little blood at that scene. I tracked where the body was transported from. I can't prove the murder actually took place in the slaughterhouse, only that the body was moved from there to the farm for the arrested pathfinders to find."
"As far as the Chel, I've been tracking him, and was lucky to have been able to call out a warning before he succeeded in murdering that man with that stolen blade."
-Posted with Wayfinder
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The townsfolk murmur and Sheriff Luin, while a little taken aback by the fact that you are all Pathfinder agents, seems to not particularly care about that. To an abundant majority here, there is something funky, and this outsider, caught in the act of trying to kill one of their own, is definitely more suspect than the people who have stopped the crime from happening. Sheriff Luin voiced it, but a significant portion of your rapidly growing crowd supporters don't believe a word of what that man is saying and is probably considering violence against him.
As Fargrim begins detecting for evil, she does become aware of the presence of evil. But as she concentrates, she becomes aware of something wrong.
"They lie! Don't you see they are lying to save their skin? They have clearly bewitch... HEY! I SPEAK FOR THE INHERITOR, WHO SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO ME! YOU WILL HEAD MY WORDS!" shouts an increasingly distressed Mother Corum. And that's when it hits Fargrim
The moderate aura of evil in this street comes from a spot, not too far from Mother Corum's left ear.
Whatever it is, is does see that it has been spotted by at least one of you, with more to become alert as to it's presence. But, all things equal, it might as well break the inquisitor.
"You hapless b$**&. You are the most gullible sinner I have come across in your mortal realm. My only regret is that I didn't trick you into killing even more innocents, she-whore. But with a soul as stained as yours... I'll be waiting for you in the Abyss you stupid c$!!" it faux-whispers loudly, it's voice like the screeching of nails on a chalkboard, as it flies away.
It takes all of Tobias Luin's considerable ability to avoid an all out riot. It seems that word of your good deeds trailed along, and you managed to make a few friends in the day that you were in Dawnton. In the end, the Chel is put in jail, the Pathfinders are freed, and a sizable portion of the locals comes to thank you, offering gifts of food, wine or coin. Those out-of-towners quickly pack their belongings, and soon enough, the small fair is no more.
Tobias Luin, seated at the table in Orug's dining room states as he sets down his mug. "I ain't gonna say that I'm pleased you weren't tellin' the whole truth when ya came to town. But heck, it was for the best given the spirits 'round these parts this past week. You have my thanks."
The Pathfinder trio is long gone, having no desire to stay in town after their treatment. Also gone, her spirits and her faith shattered, is Erica Corum. She slowly walked out of Dawnton, silent and looking astounded in the morning, heading south.
By the time the local's thanks have ceased and you have made your way back to Nerosyan, it has been about a week, and Jorsal of Lautebury looks from your report to all of you. "You have avoided much hurt in that community. It is a shame that the cost was so high for some" he comments, inviting your input.
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RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16
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"The costs were already debts due before we arrived. We only saw the debts paid. I was very disappointed to see a servant of Iomedae fall in such a way, but it's for the best she was brought down, and perhaps she can go seek her atonement. Now, what is the fastest way out of this hellhole of a city and back to real civilization?
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Once she sees the devil or demon, or other wicked outsider that was coercing Erica, Fargrim leaves Frankie in the charge of the other Pathfindres.
"Look after Frankie. I'm not sure who let a kid that age into the soceity... but maybe it is for the best. He certainly has talents we can use."
Her focus however is on the crestfallen Inquisitor.
"Erica, wait..." she calls, hurrying after the Inheritor's servant.
She pauses, not know what to say for a moment, but just offers her a hug of support to begin with.
"Erica, your soul is your own. And what peace you must made between Iomedae and yourself is only the business of the two of you. What I ask you to do is to remember all the good you have done. "
She pauses.
"Remember when I said that sometimes Desna puts challenges to me that I don't understand? I just walk the road and see where the journey takes me. What actions you took while deceived..." she shrugs.
"You have the rest of your life to decide which were worthy, and which you should go and make amends for. The people of Dawnton respected you for a long time, for the good you did and the healing you brought. There is no reason you cannot start anew in a new village that needs the gifts that you can bring. "
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"It is a shame," Quentin agrees. "When gods, the dead, and what-ever-else can speak to a man (or woman), it's too easy for an invisible voice to deceive, especially if it's saying what you want to here rather than what you need to hear."
The soldier massages a small, worn pouch at his belt. "Yes. Too easy. I wonder what the man had against Pathfinders, but this close to the Abyss, I suppose it doesn't matter."
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Frankie watches on as the small little ... thing? squawks some foul language then flies off "What the heck was that? Sounded like the smallest sailor I've ever seen!" He shrugs as Erica storms off and 'Mom' heads after her.
Through out the week Frankie happily accepts all gifts the townsfolk drop off, especially sweets, treats, and coin! He's always very very gracious accepting gifts, and prefers to sit down and eat the treats and play cards with whoever brings them over. .
Frankie smiles and cocks his head a bit, confused at the question. "I thought we did a real good job. Well, I must admit, they did a better job than I did. I mostly played kickball and ate pie! But I did a GREAT job at that."
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Arnold watches Erica go wordlessly for a minute or so. "Well, she may find herself again, she may not. That is up to her and the will of creation. Sometimes one needs some time to themselves to attempt to unravel such mysteries. Can't say I followed everything that went down, but we managed to do a bit of good, and that's all I'll ask for." The wayang still does, however, partake of some food and wine proffered by the locals.
To Tobias, he thanks the Sheriff for his understanding. "So long as we're absolving partial sins, I did sneak into your office not too long ago, and read one of your letters. My apologies, it had to be done. I hope you can still see us Pathfinders as allies, or friends, unless proven otherwise."
Reporting back to Jorsal, Arnold doesn't have as much to say. "Mission wasn't quite geared towards my skillset, but I did all I could. Some chumming up here, sneaking about there. Managed to apprehend the one responsible, although I nearly got us into another situation when I got him pretty close to the wrong side of the Boneyard."
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The massive wallaby seems less than content. So, he talked to people. Any fool can do that, just another reason why I don't. Makes the whole Tar-Baphon thing more difficult, though. Maybe next time we'll get a mission where our talents can be put to use. Spilling blood! For the glory of the Whispering Tyrant, may his name be praised forever!
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Falshin watches the entire scene with disgust when he hears the vile voice and tries to locate the invisible source with no luck! He offers his thanks to the Sheriff and offers any more of his services to the townsfolk before they depart. He then stops into Orgu's shop once more. "I am sorry for my deception, my friend. I am who I am say am, but my reasons for being in your town differed from what I told you. I hope that you will understand. If not, then I will leave you in peace and hope that one day you may come to forgive me. I would gladly come to visit you again if you would have me."
He also joins Fargrim in approaching Erica Corum as he sees the state that she is in. "Milady, my companions speaks the truth of it. You cannot let this moment in your life define you. Learn from it, strive to never let such a thing happen again. Seek out the beast that did this to you and enact your goddess' judgement upon it. Even if you cannot bear such a mission upon yourself, seek out those of your faith in this. No matter what choice you make, you need to know that none are beyond redemption. Sarenrae seeks the redemption of everyone. If you cannot face Iomadae, then come with me and I will teach you the ways of the Dawnflower. I was redeemed as a young man from what would like have been a life of crime and violence."
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However, as dawn breaks and the sun's rays awaken the people of Dawnton, perhaps one does strike the little grain of hope, and redemption placed in Erica Corum's heart by the compassionate members of the society's Silver Crusade.
Maybe... Maybe there is redemption. Inheritor, guide my path and let my footsteps be those of the redeemed.