With confirmation from Aiuda, Bill teleports the entire crew back to civilization with a few hand motions. The group travels instantaneously to a location just outside of Alkenstar so the group can enter without too much of a hubbub.
Bill brings the party back to civilization. It is only now that you realize how dirty you are. Some quick cantrips from Bill fixes that, and you enter the city without any of the hubbub you wish to avoid.
Given that the Magistrate is such a public figure it'd be easy to find him yourselves, or you could go to the authorities. You could also simply leave, but that wouldn't be very heroic...
So, do we want to confront the man or take what we have to the authorities and let them decide on a course of action?
"Authorities are best suited to deal with this as we are only here on Minister Baratella's request. I doubt she has the power to arrest him, so we should consult her, chap." Bill advises.
Sounds reasonable.
I agree with Bill. Lady Eliza Baratella gave us this mission, I think the first thing to do is going right to her.
We have enough evidence and with her help we will end the mastermind behind all of this.
It is our duty to protect community from such harm.
You make your way to Lady Baratella's office in the High Parliament building. It takes some convincing to get in to see her, as she's currently putting together the last of her notes before the day's session. Her assistant informs you that while normally they meet monthly, the berserk guardians have forced them to meet almost daily.
To make matters worse, many nobles seem to be ganging up on her, blaming her and even saying she's been wreaking havoc on purpose for some reason.
The lady is relieved to see you, but she still seems extremely stressed. "You're back, and ALIVE! Please, please tell me you've found your way to the bottom of this."
Zelkin will introduce the evidence that was found by the party during their time of investigation. He'll give a brief outline of the events and then leave any convincing to those with the talent to do so. I do believe we have completed the task given to us. It is now up to you to determine any new course of action.
She looks at you each, for a long span. "I can't. My position is tenuous at best."
She takes a deep breath, exhaling sharply through her nose. "I ask of you one final task. Present the evidence to the counsel. I warn you though, the magistrate will be there. Given the evidence you've shared, I think we have a good - VERY good - chance of winning our case."
"Very well. When is the next meeting of the magistrate?" he asks of the lass.
"2 hours from now." there is no mirth in her voice.
-Posted with Wayfinder
"Perfect. Enough time to visit the local academy and relay my findings and hopefully send a team to bring back the cannon that we found!" Bill says with glee as he floats out from the meeting with Eliza Baratella.
---
In nearly two hours, Bill will appear with a flash in front of the magistrate's building. "I have arrived!"
Zelkin will find Bill when the academic arrives. Do you believe the counsel will see it our way? I do hope you have all the facts you require to prove our case.
She responds to Zelkin, "It'll take more than facts, it'll take some good speachmaking. It can be as sharp as a gearbox in their. Who's going to do the talking?"
I'm not the best talkative person, but I know the drill.
Says Sven
Before they will go expose the traitor, Sven will casts Hunter's Blessing on himself and his friends and comrades.
"My good man. Facts are an academic's domain, but if speech-making is involved then you are sorely out of luck with regards to my participation." remarks Bill.
"I once gave a lecture on the intricacies of weaving necromantic energies into evocative principles and three of my students had died from boredom." he says with a mirthful laugh. "Or at least that is what they tell me, I still maintain that they were zombies to begin with and the flesh had merely sloughed off after the 37 hour lecture."
Aiuda smiles at Bill's story and admits, "My training in skirting out drow in the caverns underground did not include a course on public speaking, alas. Sven, you seem the most comfortable with that sort of thing. Present the evidence for us and we'll be there in case you forget anything."
In this case, I will try my best to represent the evidences we found.
Bill vanishes to prepare to retrieve some LARGE evidence. Meanwhile eyes turn to Sven.
When the hour approaches, you are led to the debate chamber. The room is already buzzing with rumors of what's going to take place. Thankfully the accused is unaware that he's about to be fingered.
Before going in a paige informs you of the procedure.
1. One of you must state your case. This person is the official speaker, and they are responsible for all communication. (Make a Diplomacy check.)
2. Each of the others can give testimony. (Aid Another.)
3. Evidence is presented. Each exhibit grants a +2 on the roll. IF Bill describes how he's going to teleport a 1,000 lb canon into the chamber, I'll give that an extra +2, making that piece of evidence +4
Then we'll see how this goes!
Grouh !
Says Whitestripe who put one of his pawn on Sven's side.
At the beginning of the meeting, Bill decides to grab the largest piece of evidence after consulting with the academy for a few new spells to his repertoire.
He vanishes from amongst his colleagues and finds himself next to the large cannon. With a smile, the academic opens up his spellbook to page 33 and quickly incants the spell. "Concedo me fortitudine decem viri."
As his muscles bulge, the man flips two pages forward and quickly recites the passage. "Et humeris portant orbem."
His body becomes covered with a strong chitin, but the man does not stop there as he flips to the very end of his spellbook and rips forth the newly printed scroll. He slams his hand down on the parchment as his blood gushes onto the page. How it was cut is unknown, even to Bill.
As the scroll activates, Bill is engulfing in a swirling parchment that slowly grows for a few seconds until a mighty gold dragon erupts from the pages swirling about.
The golden dragon roars in delight before speaking in Common to himself. "Ah, I could get use to such a form. Very majestic." he says reflectively before invoking a well-known spell as he hoists the cannon in one claw.
---
Poof!
A giant Gold dragon appears in the center of the Magistrate Council room with the huge cannon in tow. He speaks to his comrades. "It only took a few minutes. Sorry for the delay, but continue Sven." he says as he conjures a dragon-sized tea cup and begins to sip with his claw clenched delicately around the china.
Before entering the debate chamber, Sven asks Whitestripe to stay outside and to not make trouble.
He also bought new clothing, more suitable than his usual to present himself to the parliament members. and took a true bath while adding a slight of perfume.
He hopes it will help him be seeing more like a normal person than a simple adventurer.
A little nervous, he moves in, bowing to the crowd.
Ladies and Lord of this noble Assembly. I am Sven Marsh, follower of Erastil. Along my three other comrades, here present, we were hired for a secret mission by Lady Eliza Baratella. This mission was to know what is making the guardians bersek.
We went to the Kargath mines and to Megator Facient an ancient forge.
There, we found many evidences of what was going on and who's behind the malfunctionnal guardian.
Sven makes a small pause and continues
First,we found the journal of Captain Retham who was in charge of the Kargath mines. In it, the late captain write about the story of how the mine came to be controlled solely by the Sultur Family, and his succumbing to a fatal illness shortly after her crew discovered a strange mineral known as eidite.
The details on this crystalline substance are vague and scattered, since the toxin appeared to have a grave effect on the captain’s memory as her condition progressed. Even memories of her treacherous fellows, mentioned as untrustworthy and despicable early on in the journal, decayed near the end and she see them a true friend !
But the best way to understand how it is important is to read you a small passage.
Sven shows the journal, open it and begin to read the passage giving her state of mind
Second we found slaves, who tell us that the mines were used anew and that an ogre and a follower of a demon prince were runing the show. We freed the slaves and kills both the ogre and the demon.
We also found Lady Eliza Baratella's assistant Arvanor alive and free him too.
He continues
We found in a hallowed out copy of Braving the Wastes a sealed letter with the official seal of the Grand Duchy of Alkenstar.
Sven shows the letter and give it to the an assistant.
We also found a Brass Guardian in this place matching the descriptions of the ones going crazy here in Alkenstar and another journal, written by a someone named Krauss. It recounts progress on work for Gurstweld and someone named Syckar. Within she frequently mentions meeting with Gurstweld in the Magator Facient. Her journals make several mentions of a "minister".
Again, Sven gives the journal to an assistant before continuing.
After a last round of exploration we found something... huge. No less than a Quake Cannon !
But Bill's here could tell you more about it.
After a short pause he says.
With all these informations, we went to the abandoned factory called Megator Facient.
There, we face a cleric of Brigh and kill the mine's guardain, the Hill giant named Gurstweld.
In the cleric's office we find evidences ! Correspondances where Minister Sultur's seal appears on many of it as well as uncashed payment slips to the banks owned by Minister Sultur. We also found hundreds of luckies stamped with consecutive serial numbers.
Sven stops for a few seconds and says turning to Sultur.
Minister Sultur is the true mastermind behind all the problem you have with the brass guardian !
"We found this evidence ourselves and have seen the workings of his treachery with our own eyes. We have defeated his minions and now plead justice before the court." Aiuda adds.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Zelkin will also present some of the weaponry that the vanquished enemies had to show more proof of the party's exploits. These minions were quite hostile, of course.
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Sven's words (backed up by Aiuda, not Zelkin) begin to sway the parliament. When Bil arrives, mummers become shouts. Without being told, guards make their way to Aredil.
The crowd seems swayed, and that's when Lady Eliza steps in, "ARREST HIM!"
The guards immediately grab the Magistrate who shouts, struggles, nd spits, but by now it's too late. The evidence and the rhetoric of the party is too much!
The commotion soon subsides, and all other business is postponed. You're mobbed by lords and ladies alike who want all the details. Eventually they make their way out, undoubtedly ready with their own version of the events so as to make them look like a key figure.
With Aredil Sultur's involvement in the reanimation of Megator Facient for his own foul machinations revealed to all, the City of Smog's leaders are astonished to learn of the traitor in their midst and shower you with lavish rewards for your heroic exploits. Eliza Baratella is particularly pleased with the results, since your success means the arrest of Sultur and Eliza's absorption of his wealth and power on the High Parliament. She uses her reinforced political position to elevate YOU to members of Alkenstar's elite, earning you a fully furnished living complex in one of the coveted towers that make up Graeson's Fingers, as well as her eternal friendship. Using her influence in the city to its fullest, Eliza throws open the doors to the Guild of Brass's coveted vaults of inventions and allows you to take from them whatever you desire, including clockwork servants and miraculous devices to aid everyday living.
As for the rest of the Clockwork Metropolis, the citizens of Alkenstar are only too happy to have the dilemma with the Brass Guardians resolved. Once word of your efforts and successes reaches the general public (via both one of Alkenstar's printing presses and through word of mouth), your efforts earn you a modest level of fame among all Alkenstarians!
A job well done, fellows. Now I must be off. To where, who knows.
Aiuda nods at Zelkin. "Indeed, I must be back to my people. I am glad we were able to solve the mystery and put the man to justice and hopefully the town will return to normal, or what counts as normal in this strange place. If ever you need help, don't hesitate to contact me."