CARRION CROWN CAMPAIGN (CLOSED) - GAMEPLAY (Inactive)

Game Master Daniel Penfold 351

What next?

"Shall we check the chapel? We may want to revisit that boarded up house as well. In the case that there are survivors there, we should let the know the spirit is put to rest."

Jenn nods at Creeden. "Yeah, maybe they'll listen this time. If there's anyone there, that is. Sounds like a good plan."

Timona nods in agreement. "I still can't figure out how they just thought to pin this all on the beast. Why are things so obvious to us but not them."

Yes head to the chapel.

A small, whitewashed timber building stands in the centre of the village, surrounded by gravestones.

It looks as if the chapel was dedicated to Desna. The pews are already overgrown and some of the windows are smashed. The holy water in the font is turning green. In the graveyard are the graves of six children

Jenn keeps an eye out for more bear traps, or anything else that might prove fatal, as she walks, absently twirling Zacharias.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 9 + 4 = 23

I believe that the girl the Beast brought back was properly buried due to it--him--bringing back her body from the hill before being run off.

Ortensia had spent the conversation adding to her notes, the evidence compiled and sorted,concluding the case. Children of Hergstag murdered by wraith, wraithspawn created from slain children killing other children. Beast not responsible. Retrieved body of girl due to being unable to damage wraith.

Zephra isn't a priest, but she'll whisper a short prayer for each of the children anyway, while laying out small bones she carries with her in a spiral. She quietly chants hymns while she walks the path next to the bones, dragging a black scarf behind her.

Since we're here, lets see them properly buried.

As the graves were dug it does not take long to bury the bodies. As you finish you get an overwhelming sense of peace from the area as if something has at last been resolved.

"Oh, that's nice," says Zephra, beaming.

Timona assists with the grave and says a small prayer to wish them well in the afterlife.

Where to next?

I see no other reason for us to linger. We know what happened. I'd rather not disturb a home its previous inhabitants intended to return to. Mayhap we can send word to the remaining villagers its safe to return.We may have to use a way to speak to Ellsa's spirit in court as a witness.But that's a last resort and may unsettle the courtroom.

Ortensia finished her note taking,adding a bookmark with a bit of ribbon.She stowed away her inkpen carefully as she cast a forlorn gaze over the abandoned village.

We've done all we really can. And probably the best for this place...

Feeling melancholic, the tall halforc withdrew into her own headspace as she contemplated the intricacies of death,the afterlife, and faith.

It is still a few hours until sunset - do you want to go anywhere else?

Jenn shrugs. "Fair enough. I'm good to head back, if you want to."

She takes her hat off for a moment, running her fingers through her hair. With a shake of her head, she settles her hat back into place.

"If there residents of the house left a diary or note, it might be good evidence for the court, but I understand your qualms about breaking and entering. If we removed the boards from the door, we could always replace them when we leave."

If the house is abandoned, I don't see the harm in exploring it, but my companions seem to have a healthy respect for personal property.

Are you leaving Hergstag

...You do make a compelling point. Fine. We'll gain entry to the house. Board it back up after we're done. We've already established entry up the wall to the windows is physically impossible without magic or tools.

Ortensia tapped her temple as she considered before nodding.

You can easily break the barriers down. Inside the house is deserted. Upstairs you can see that the window of Karin's room was opened from the inside rather than broken into from the outside.

Hm.

Ortensia made note of how the window of the child last slain had been opened from the inside rather than from without. Either from a possessed Karin before she was drained or one of the wraiths manipulating it.

Does Zephra know enough about these wraiths to tell whether or not they could have possessed people?

Knowledge (Religion), guidance: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16

Zephra, you do not think that the wraith is powerful enough to possess people. However, as a wraith anyone who is killed by it would raise as a wraith spawn which can also create more wraith spawn.

"From what I know about these creatures, which I admit isn't very much, their leader was not strong enough to possess people. The children came back as wraiths after death, but I don't think they would have been able to open the window from the inside." Zephra says hesitantly.

Is there anywhere else you want to explore?

Which means Karin had to have done it. Mayhap one of the child wraiths called to her and lulled hwr into a fals sense of security before striking. They are cruel things.

I think we're done here. Let's head back and rest up for the teial.

Zephra says slowly, "Maybe Karin opened the window for someone else? The Beast, maybe?"

The window is an upstairs window, there is no sign of and claw marks or footprints outside

"Hmm, does that mean the Beast couldn't have harmed her?"

Agreed, return to rest and then attend the trial.

Jenn searches the room, just in case.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27

You head back to Lepidstadt and can rest up for the rest of the evening.

...The following day the court is in session again. The prosecutor begins the indictment.

Its crimes in other areas were bad enough but those in Hergstag were unspeakable. It went after the innocent, the children, killing them and not even giving their parents the consolation of being able to bury them. Not content with this though, this sick degenerate of a creature took the body of its last victim, a sweet young girl called Elsa and dragged its back to her distressed parents, laughing over her poor frail body all the while

The prosecutor sneers at you

I'm intrigued to see how you can possibly prove that the Beast is innocent of this horror.

Timona will give an opening statement and perform oratory to inspire competence +2 to the skill check of her ally who speaks after her.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (16) + 14 = 30

"Once again we are here to prove this individuals innocence. After a 'more thorough' investigation we found some incriminating evidence that these attacks were done by a foul creature, one that is not even alive." She will do her best to go through the evidence with the assistance of her allies.

1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 6 + 2 = 14Diplomatic

Relieved at Timona's dulcet tones setting the stage,Ortensia cleared her throat and adjusted her veil. It as my compatriot says! We've traveled to Hergstag to discover what truly happened and uncover it we did,indeed! An entire village abandoned and boarded up tight. Haunted by the ghosts of its slain children. We visited the home of the last victim,who was killed after the Beast had been chased off. The walls of her home were impossible to scale without tools or supernatural means such as spells. It was opened from within, most likely Karin herself.

Ortensia paced, her skirts sweeping the floor as she made a circuit around the cage that held the Beast.

Upon a hill there was a cave within the village which laired the true culprit. A horrid wraith that had lured the children before draining them of life. It began a horrible cycle-- each child killed by the wraith created spawn that preyed on the remaining children. We retrieved the bodies of the other children that had gone missing. We slayed the wraith,which put the spawn to rest and returned their spirits to rest. We buried them in the graves left for them in the village's chapel, where the bodies of the first and last victims were laid.

Ortensia pointed to the Beast.Why were those bodies buried and not the others, you ask? Karin was killed in her bed by a wraith that phased through the walls of her home. Then she was buried by her bereaved parents who fled their home and the village. Elsa...Elsa was the first! She was slain by the wraith before the Beast could save her. The Beast could not touch the incorpeal menace so it left with Elsa in tow, to return her body home as it was the last thing he could do for his friend he failed to save. You say the Beast was laughing? Nay! It wept! Wept bitterly even though it is incapable of shedding tears. It was not the deranged laughter of a remorseless killer. It was the sobs of sorrow for the loss of his only true friend! she declared passionately.

Zephra gasps and applauds spontaneously as Ortensia cleverly pieces the clues together into a coherent narrative.

Intimidate: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

The prosecutor tries to win back the juty but Ortensia's words together with Timona's assist are more than enough to sway the court your way. Judge Daramid intercedes

The court accepts that the deaths in Hergstag was the result of a hideous undead creature. The Beast acted like anyone would when their friend was dead, to try and bring their friend's body back to its family. We declare that the Beast is not guilty of the charges put against it

As the court files out Judge Daramid comes over to you and says

Well done, so far. But the toughest areas are yet to come. You have 1 day before the final indictments. The destruction of sanctuary and the theft from the university. In both cases there were witnesses and the Beast was even caught red handed at the university

Timona says to her allies, "I hate how they keep calling it the beast."

"As our investigation continues, I am sure we will once again find this beings innocence." She says to the judge and court then let's out a big sigh.

Creeden shakes his head. "Your friend seems to have caught every charge in the book. Where should we head first?"

Zephra bites her lip. "I guess this Sanctuary place? That's next in the trial, right?"

Hm.The University we can visit during when its open to the public. No need to add tresspassing to our exploits. We shall interview witnesses at both locations. Whichever is closest and most convenient. We have two places to cover in one day so we must split our time accordingly.

Ortensia adjusted her attire,finding her court attire rather stuffy at the prospect of investigation.

She was a good barrister. Along with a decent detective...perhaps she should expand her career into other areas?

Jenn looks very solemn. "I... uh... read some books on thieving a while back. Yeah. We'll go with that. So... might be a good idea to send me to the University. But I'm good either way."

"OK let's go talk to some people, that will give us more to research I'm sure, then we can go to university when it's open." Timona looks bright today and does a lot of moving around as if performing on a stage, though she clearly isn't.

You head to Lepidstadt University where you are met by a Doctor Crowl, the head of the antiquities department. He takes you to the scene of the crime although he explains that a fair amount of cleaning up has taken place in the meantime.

When the effigy was stolen it set off an alarm, when the guards arrived they found the Beast rampaging around the workshop.

Ortensia stalked about the scene,scribbling notes as she went. She pondered as she processed what they'd been told about the incident.

1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27Perception
1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15Kniw Arcana

The Beast was innocent of the many crimes it was accused of. It was the go-to scapegoat for unsolved happenings and crimes to the inhabitants of Lepidstadt as an elusive,enigmatic boogeyman.

But it was also a flesh-golem.Crafted from a patchwork of carrion but not animated with necromatic powers but alchemical or magical means. Designed to be controlled.

And there existed several ways to pilot a golem.Could someone have found a way to briefly gain control of it and make it break into the University? So that this item could be burgled?

Ortensia frowned as she paced, lost in her musings.

Or could it have been something simpler, someone tricked the Beast with its childlike mindset into doing their dirty work and the Beast threw a tantrum upon realizing it had been duped?

While Ortensia is investigating the crime scene, Creeden asks around the University to see if there are any witnesses who would have more information, or any rumors about who would have wanted the Seasage Effigy.

Knowledge (local), gather information: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11

Jenn looks for the local drinking hole. She invites anyone who wants to come to join her, and otherwise arranges to meet the others at a pre-determined time and place.

Once she finds a place, she orders a pint and settles in, observing for a bit before approaching anyone to chat. She tries to break the ice where appropriate by referring to the item as the "Sausage Effigy".

Kn. Local: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

Zephra suggests talking to The Beast again. "Maybe it can tell us why it was there in the university?"

Ortensia you can see that the back door was clearly forced open from the outside. There is also a fine silver wire with a tiny bell attached, the material components for an alarm spell. Several people have walked through the area since the theft but you can see the prints of a large, heavy creature in iron-nailed boots.

Zephra, you talk to the Beast. It does not know how it got to the university. It remembers going to sleep on a lonely hillside and then waking up in the workshop. It does remember as it woke up as if its mind was clearing, like its mind was foggy before but was slowly clearing.

What do you want to do next?