GM_Foxy's 2nd Carrion Crown

Game Master Foxy Quickpaw

How many rolls am I making?

"I do agree with you Grergof, investigation first, fun later."

Stam turns back to Kaleb, "I will join you after we have investigated this monster."

Stam will head over to the courthouse with Darius and the rest.

magnifying glass with a gold handle
small wooden box
walnut travelling case

Be sure to check inside the boxes

And don't forget about our errand for the Professor. He did ask us to stop by his friend. Brother Varsk says as he joins the others looking over the burning man.

Perception to see if I notice anything special with the wicker man or the croud: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19
Sense Motive to get the feel for the additude of the people in the square: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24

Spugnoir hopes there are no bees around the wicker man.

Stam will take a few minutes to inspect the items, detecting magic on them

spellcraft: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (17) + 11 = 28 Magnifying glass
spellcraft: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12 Wooden box and contents
spellcraft: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (12) + 11 = 23 Travelling case and contents

"We are good at improvisation. Just tell me when you have time and we include you as bloody victim into our play." Kaleb replies to Stam.

The magnifying glass is just that but the gold handle is real gold.
The small wooden box contains a set of brass weights

Nothing of it shows as magic.

The Punishing Man as it is called by the locals is just a figure constructed of wood. Nothing special about that. Just like when they build a representation of winter out of straw to burn when spring arrives. It's only the knowledge that a creature shall burn there that makes it creepy for the faint of heart.

But there are not many of them on the place. The atmosphere is like a funfair. It's a combination of morbid curiosity and relief that the beast of Lepidstadt is finally caught and will burn.

"Over there, this large representative building is the courthouse. If you want to know what's really going on you have to check there." Kaleb informs them.

Head to the indicated building.

A large, squat building dominated by an enormous clock overlooks the town square. A huge figure of wood, roughly man-shaped, stands in the square in front of the building. Designed primarily as a fortification, the Lepidstadt Courthouse is built of dark stone, with walls of reinforced masonry. The building is three stories high, with narrow, open windows only a foot wide. All entrances have strong wooden doors.

In the square immediately outside the courthouse stands the Punishing Man, Lepidstadt’s traditional method of executing murderers and other criminals guilty of capital crimes. The Punishing Man is a gigantic, man-shaped conglomeration of cut timber standing over 30 feet tall. Convicted criminals are placed within the figure’s hollow chest cavity and the entire structure is then set on fire in a public ceremony. Eager workers pile more timber against the figure’s legs and oil its wooden limbs, while children play games at its side and throw grass, flowers, and rubbish onto it.

The large doors of the main entrance are locked but besides it is a placard telling about the trial's schedule.

Darius heads over to the placard and checks out the schedule.

It is Oathday, 23rd Pharast, 4711

The information given at the placard is the following:

Accused is the beast of Lepidstadt of murder
The trial will start at Fireday, 24th Pharast and conclude on Sunday, 26th Pharast 4711.
Judges: Chief Justice Ambrose Khard, Judge Kasp Aldaar, Judge Embreth Daramid
Prosecution: Otto Heiger
Defense: Barrister Gustav Kaple

I guess we can look into selling these after we check out the courthouse. Spugnoir follows the others

"This whole trial smells like a troglodytes den. Am I the only one that feels a bit odd at these proceedings? Something is off about all this." Darous looks thoughtful for a moment then looks over at the huge burning man currently being assembled. "I think let's find a shop and sell that stuff. Then deliver the goods for the professor and then come back to this. It's worth investigating I think. We have a couple days."

Looking around you find a general store and the owner is willing to pay you 200gp for all of this.

Do you accept? And where to next?

Spugnoir agrees and foists more loot onto the counter.
We need to see if there is an adventurer's guild

a bronze war medallion from the Shining Crusade
an unframed Taldan painting of Stavian I
a set of a noblewoman’s silver hair clips
a masterwork punching dagger
a pouch containing a dozen masterwork shurikens
a masterwork silver war razor

"I think once this is done we should head to the university to run that errand. After that, I think Stam might know more and have suggestions on where to go next. Also, need real food. I'm not eating trail rations tonight. I'm sure a squirrel got into my bag and pooped all in there." Darius says with a halfhearted chuckle.

The shop owner offers you another 450gold.

Once you have some money I suggest gnome or elven trail rations. They are made without squirrel poo.

Hahhah :P

but are the elven ones made with Squirrel parts?

Stam will read the notice on the door a few times over, "This is a terrible justice system, they have an end date 2 days after the trial starts. Who does that? I will have to find this Barrister Gustav Kaple and see how I can help out."

He will take a copy of the notice on some paper he has.

"I agree about real food and a real bed, also I am out of food for Ned, not that we cannot just have him eat someones lawn but I don't really want to be the next charged for ridiculous charges."

"You want to meet G-G-Gustav K-K-Kapel? That may t-t-t-take some t-t-t-time." a man in a passing group makes fun of Stam. "But knock on the door and see what you get for that."

All the others with him start laughing out loud. They seem to have a fun time on Stams cost.

Stam smiles at the, he looks behind the men, pointing and shaking as he does.

"Is that the beast that everyone is scared of? I think it has come to destroy your burning man." Bluff: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

as he points he casts ghost sound, making a great roaring noise, DC 14

You know that ghost sound has V,S,M components?

The men look sceptical but turn around to be sure and then start laughing again, pointing at Stam while they continue on their way.

Darius gives them the passing men a stern look. "Mind your manners children." he says to them.

"Mind your own business old man!" one of them rebuts much to the amusement of the others. They move on and disappear in the crowd.

Spugnoir sells the items and thanks the owner before finding the others. Here is the money from the items I sold. We had quite the little pile of trinkets.

162 gold each

"The people here seem... pleasant." Darius says sarcastically to Stam. Then turns to Spugnoir "Good job Spugs."

It was all worked into his actions, I cannot roll to save my life, lost so bad in X-Wing last night due to bad rolls.

"They seem ignorant to most things but that is not our issue right now."

Stam Turns and bangs on the front door.

After a few moments one of the courts guards opens the door. "The court is closed. The times for the trial are listed on the placard." he tells Stam. He seems tense.

"I would like to talk to Gustav Kaple, I have come seeking his aide in a few matters."

diplomacy: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (8) + 13 = 21

"I'll ask him. Wait here." the guard replies. The door closes again.

After a few minutes the door opens again with the guard standing in it and some other mah hiding behind him.

"You want-t-t-ted t-t-t-to speak with m-m-m-me?" the man asks.

Stam will smile widely, "Good day ser, we have just arrived in Lepidstadt and as someone who prior to arriving here was involved in many cases of truth finding I would like to offer my service."

Stam will hand over his business card.

"W-w-w-what for? It's not like I c-c-c-can hire someone. B-b-b-business is slow as it is already." Kaple replies as he accepts the business card and reads it.

"Well right now I can do it for free I guess, I am hoping to study at the University, I have some investigative experience. Can we talk more? Inside I assume?"

Stam will wait patiently,

Truely sir, we are simply interested in making sure that justice is being done.

None of you have told that poor man what you want. Like aid him in the trial of the beast.

"S-s-s-so are not a-a-a-asking for a j-j-j-job?"

"You're the defense lawyer for the beast? I would like to aid you, would get my name out there and we will make sure the beast if that is what it is has justice brought down in the most sensible of ways."

"Y-y-y-you want to help d-d-d-defend the b-b-b-beast?" Kaple asks waiting for Stam to laugh him into the face for falling for that joke.

As that doesn't happen he adds "Then p-p-p-please come in." He leads Stam (and everyone willing to come) to his office. Through the entrance hall it leads to a flight of stairs, up into a spacious room with a chair and a table, through the main court room into his office. "T-t-t-take a seat p-p-p-please." he offers clearing two chairs from papers.

Looking trough some of the papers and stacking them on his desk he triesto explain the situation. "Y-y-you know there is a reason I w-w-was chosen as d-d-defense attorney for the b-b-beast. If y-y-you want t-t-to help I can r-r-register you too. It would help a lot if someone p-p-present-t-ted the evidence without a st-t-t-tutter."

"And on t-t-top of all this the b-b-beast was caught as it b-b-broke into the University. All I c-c-can do is hand them the t-t-torch to set the b-b-beast aflame." Kaple glooms about the situation.

Perhaps we could investigate these areas as well as interview The Beast?

"Has the beast said anything about these crimes he's been accused of? If he has the ability to speak of course."

Hold on. Let's start at the beginning.

Do you think the Beast is innocent and would our getting involved help you or it recieve a fair trial?

Stam walks around the small room, well he more takes a few steps then turns around and goes back. Rubbing the back of his neck,

"As my companions have asked has anyone talked the beast? What kind of "Beast" is it anyway? I never saw a description of the creature. Can I see the evidence?"

Hmmmm..I might be able to mix up something that can test if The Beast was the one who did the crimes. Some blood matching..hmmm..

Fantasy-Medevil DNA testing!

Spugnoir will plan to make time to head to the university to see if he can purchase some extracts.

Darius looks around. "I'd like to see this Beast and question him myself. Would that be possible?"

"The-b-beast is b-b-bound in a chair in the b-b-basement. We can g-g-go and have a look. And no I don't think it is innocent. The beast rages most of the t-t-time. But t-t-to be honest. No one really checked. You have three horrible crimes. And three w-w-witnesses. And only m-m-me to defend it." Kaple replies.

"F-f-follow me." he tells and leads the group back down and into the cellar.

A towering abomination sits in an iron chair, bound with no less than a dozen sets of manacles. Stitching holds together this grotesque patchwork of flesh and bone, beast and man, though the wires are so taut they look as though they may fly apart at any moment. Its mouth is twisted in a permanent sneer, and a shock of lank, dark hair clings to its scalp. The creature slumps in its chair, a despondent expression upon its monstrous face.

The guard pokes the beast with his spear "Hey you got visitors." To which the beast reacts with a roaring shout.