Seeing her companions' success,Ortensia joined the fray once again.
This time her heavy mace smacked chitin and pulped it in a spray of ichor.
Ortensia you deal the creature a mighty blow.
Zephra continues to step around the spider to try and flank it with Ortensia. Her feet squish in the muddy swamp, but her feet are still stable here on the edge of the water. She stabs again, trying to wound the creature enough that it reconsiders fighting them and flees.
Zephra you deal the creature a mighty series of blows
Timona attacks the creature again]
[I]Timona misses the creature.
The phase spider disappears and reappears behind Ortensia[i]
Ortensia pivoted on her heel to strike behind her.
Zephra moves after the spider and stabs it once she catches up to it.
Timona uses her standard action to start her performance back up.
Both Ortensia and Zephra miss.
The phase spider attacks Ortensia again
[i]Ortensia swings her flail at the creature.[i]
The creature reels under the blow, it is still there but only just
Zephra stabs again at the creature with both hands, swiftly activating her sacred weapon again.
Timona lets her performance linger.
She attacks the creature.
Rapier 18-20/x2
piercing damage
Wielding your dagger and rapiers in a ballet of steel you destroy the spider.
Nearby you find a potion of fox's cunning; a magnifying glass with a gold handle (worth 100gp) a small wooden box containing brass weights and 3 silver ingots worth 100sp each, a walnut travelling case with pair of superior locks and their keys and a jar of pickled garlic cloves
"Those things are beautiful," Zephra says, admiring her companions' finds while she makes sure the creature is dead. "We should go back and let the traveling entertainers we met know what happened to their missing person. It is too bad we don't have better news."
Ortensia inspected the magnifying glass admirably.Indeed. Let us deliver the body.
Gathering the stuff she could carry,she tucked the corpse under an arm and trudged through the swamp back to the road.
You head back to the Crooked Kin caravan. They are deeply saddened by the sight of Aleece's body. They bury her with a short ceremony by the side of the road. They give you a +1 humanoid (shapechanger) bane dagger and give you a ride into Lepidstadt.
------------------------------------------------------------------
When you arrive in Lepidstadt you find an almost a carnival atmosphere in the city. The news is that the infamous Beast of Lepidstadt has been captured at last and is to be put on trial for his crimes. Despite protesting his innocence, it is almost a certainty that the beast will be found guilty and put in the Burning Man, a wicker man in the centre of the square. Only Judge Embreth Daramid is trying to give the Beast a fair trail.
...An adventurer's lot in life is never a dull moment. Ortensia mused as she hopped off the back of the wagon and stretched her limbs.
Here they were to deliver a tome of ill repute and happen upon a sensational situation!
I'd like to see what all this hub bub is about. After we deliver our parcel and collect our payments.
Zephra spends the ride chatting with Ortensia and Timona, as well as the Crooked Kin, asking them more about their fallen friend Aleece and what they do for a living. She tells them what they are doing in the city, delivering books for a dead friend of theirs.
She also asks Timona about her childhood, thinking how different it must be to have grown up as a catfolk in Ustalav! She listens to the bard spin the story with a rapt look on her face.
"Of course, Ortensia," says Zephra, when they reach their destination. "Lead the way, and I will follow."
There is a bad atmosphere in the air, in the sense that the mob wants to burn the Beast know. You hear that he is on trial for various murders and thefts. Only Judge Daramid wants to give him a fair trial.
Zephra, the Crooked Kin tell you that they are a carnival troupe, they travel from town to town performing for a few coins.
Timona will tell a tale (that probably isn't true) about her grand adventures. She uses summon instrument to summon different types of instruments through-out the story and dancing lights to create imagery.
She asks around to see if she can find out where the beast can be found and where we could find Daramid. She will also see if she can find out what this beast looks like and if there is a knowledge to figure out what it actually is and what she might know about it.
Both the beast and Judge Daramid can be found at the courthouse. The Beast is rumoured to be a patchwork of flesh and bone, beast and man, it doesn't seem to care about what it has done and has been laughing ever since. Its being defended by the worst defence lawyer in Lepidstadt a fool with a permanent stutter who doesn't know what he is doing.
Timona looks to the others after pondering for a bit. "The more I think about it, it sounds more and more like this beast is a golem made of flesh. Which means... someone created it. Perhaps we can figure out who created it. This is something worth pursuing."
The Beast has been indicted for 3 accounts, murdering children in Hergstag, killing the swamper folk in Morast and burning down Doctor Brada's hospice
Has Timona ever heard of Doctor Brada's Hospice and know anything about it?
Timona you know that the hospice was actually an asylum called Sanctuary on Karb Isle. It started as an idea by Doctor Brada, who founded the institution to cure those unfortunate individuals afflicted with madness and physical deformity. Unfortunately his treatments were a frustrating failure. 4 months ago Sanctuary burned down in an act of arson which has been attributed to the Beast of Lepidstadt. The fire took the lives of Dr Brada and his patients and blinded the doctor's assistant, Karl
Timona suggests we first talk to the judge and get a look at the beast, then we should try and find Karl.
The courthouse is a large, squat building dominated by an enormous clock, overlooking the town square. A huge figure of wood, roughly man-shaped, stands in the square in front of the building. After a moment's wait you are taken to see Judge Embreth Daramid. She is in her sixties with gray hair pulled back into a bun and with icy blue eyes. She thanks you for the books and pays you 100pp each.
There is something you could help me with actually. There is a cancer in Lepidstadt, a darkness lurking behind the shadow of a scapegoat. For many years the people of Lepidstadt have laid all their ills at the door of a creature known as the Beast of Lepidstadt - murders, thefts and terror have all been attributed to the Beast, but many of the stories are exaggerations or simply untrue.
I also know that some people have different stories to tell about the creature-about its kindness and humanity, of how it has rescued loved ones or helped those in distress. Now that the time has arrived for such kindness to be repaid, however, no one dares to step forward and challenge the Beast's reputation.
I have a keen sense of justice, and I fear the Beast will not receive a fair trial. The people of Lepidstadt have blamed the Beast for too much and for too long, and they want it to pay for its crimes, whether those crimes are real or imagined. In addition I have concerns about the crime for which the Beast was finally apprehended- the break in and theft at Lepidstadt University. I am convinced that the Beast's capture was not all it appeared to be, for why would a creature that is intelligent knowingly enter the university where it was certain to be trapped? I am unable to openly intervene.
What I need are a group of people without local bias to uncover the real truth about the Beast and its alleged crimes. The Beast's advocate is in over his head so it needs someone else to speak on it's behalf, and also investigate its alleged crimes. I will pay you 100pp each once the trial is over one way or another. The trial starts in 2 days with a day break between indictments.
Zephra looks around as if in a daze. "I remember this street!" she remarks at one point. "I grew up here, before..." she trails off and pinks with embarrassment. "Well, anyway, I think the Courthouse is that way. It will be nice to return the Professor's books to the judge."
"Of course! We will be happy to help you, to honor our friend the Professor if for no better reason."
Well,it's not as though we have anything else more pressing to resolve. I do adore courtly intrigues and unraveling urban legends.
Ortensia counted her platinum, already planning her future purchases. A lore seekers package would be most appropriate.
Hm. The Beast is a flesh golem. You wouldn't think this involves the Whispering Way, would you? Anything as perverted and macabre as a reanimated corpse used as a minion is their modus operandi. By the way...exactly what was stolen from the University?
As far as is known the Beast was created by Alpon Caromarc, who resides in Schloss Caromarc. I do not know exactly what was stolen from the University, some type of effigy I am told.
As far as is known the Whispering Way is not involved
Timona ponders, "So you're telling me, that this Golem has a mind and is likeable? But is being blamed for events that may or may not have happened? I mean. Usually Golems don't have a mind and so their death really just means more work for the creator to create a new one. Is it possible this Golem ascended somehow?" She ponders a bit more, "Or maybe I just don't know that much about Golems." She let's out a sigh.
Quite a good point,Timona. Although uncommonly rare, creatures and certain creations gain sentience through traumatic events or the most random of chances.
Zephra watches the two of them ponder, her eyes wide. "You are both so smart," she breathes.
When the group goes shopping, Zephra visits the Pharasman temple to commission a casting of masterwork transformation on her greatdagger. She'll keep hold of the magical dagger if no one objects. She will also buy scrolls with the remainder, cure light wounds and bless if they have any.
The beast is able to talk in a basic fashion. In terms of timescales the trial the trial itself starts in 2 days. The indictments are then in order:
Day 1) Killing of the Swampers in Morast
Break
Day 3) Killing of children in Hergstag
Break
Day 5) Arson attack at Sanctuary
Break
Day 7) Theft at the University
Timona will ask where we can talk to witnesses from the Swampers in Morast. She would like to question them about what they know and what evidence they have to incriminate the beast.
Morast is first, Ortensia decided.