GM_Foxy's 2nd Carrion Crown

Game Master Foxy Quickpaw

As Grergof makes the statement that the beast is innocent a turmoil starts in the courtroom. The people start talking and some are booing at the defense. Chief Justice Ambrose Khard hammers on his bench and demands silence and order in court. Which is impromptu restored as the Herald of the Court straitens out to react on notice of the judge.

But the court takes the question as rhetorical and doesn't react directly to it.

Good day sirs, I recently found these tools discarded on the ground while traveling and noticed these symbols and letters on them. WOuld you be able to tell me more about them and who they belong to?

"I'm sorry, but we don't disclose information about our customers." Mr. Hora replies.

2:00 p.m.: Court Recess.
Chief Justice Ambrose Khard closes the day and the judges leave the court. After the trial, Gustav suggests that the Grergof and Stam investigate the Sanctuary before tomorrow’s trial if they have not yet done so. He reminds them that the main witness of the third day is Karl, the doctor's former assistant who is now blind and lives somewhere at the river.

To Mr Hora, Darius presses. "Sir, this information could be key to saving lives here surely that supersedes any privacy matters. Unless there's something to hide?"

Post Court

"Gentlemen I am sorry for my issues during the court proceedings today, I am very tired and it is starting to show. Grergof should we head over towards the asylum to meet up with Darius and Spug?"

Stam will be seated during this, sipping from his water skin.

"Also something to eat would be good."

Spugnoir lets Darius take over charming the townsfolk.

I was going to go with good cop bad cop and I was the bad cop, but alright lets see how good I am at diplomacy.

Are you giving me a roll? Also as of now Stam and Grergof don't know where Darius and Spugnoir are.

Rolly role.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 17

Mr. Hora sighs. "I'll look it up." He frequently deals with various tinkers and itinerant peddlers who sell his wares, and keeps a ledger of all of his sales. Zbraslav noted down the purchaser. "I sold it to Vladka Kostel, a red-haired Varisian woman who wears a green silk scarf depicting a swan. She works for an auction house, but I don’t remember which one."

Grergof turns to Stam:
I understand, this time crunch is difficult to work under. We are all feeling the strain. I suggest we quickly grab some food and you can take a nap with the kin while we wait for the others to return.

"That sounds like the best plan I have heard all day. I will even buy your lunch for being so generous."

With that Stam will get some food for himself and Grergof and head to see the Crooked Kin. After eating he will take a nap till the other two return.

Grergof spends his time watching the Kin and listening for what the croud is saying.
Diplomacy Gather Rumor: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14
Or
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16

Thank you very much for your time good sir. Spugnoir will leave with Darius. Should we go tell the others? We might need some back-up

The crowd is enjoying the performance of the Crooked Kin as always. They improved their play by putting Trollblood - who is almost 8 feet tall - in a padded body suit made of a patchwork of green cloth. Which looks surprisingly similar to the actual beast sans the face. The fire effects are lacking as Trollblood is the one doing the fire breath normally. But the beast ripping the torches from the mob - played by the smaller ones of the kin - and swallowing the fire looks impressive too.

Listening to what the folks talk about you sense that they are getting impatient with the trial. And they obviously despise Grergof. They spit out in front of him and some murmur if it wouldn't be better to burn the beast now and be done with it.

"Agreed. Let's go find them. I expect some trouble if the people and things happening in this town so far are anything to go by."

Darous and Spugnoir head off to go find the others.

They are not hard to find and soon the group is back together.
Where to? Karl or the Asylum?

Let us go see Karl. Spugnoir tromps

Why Karl? We need to gather evidence from the asylum while the sun is up.

Not arguing, Grergof is just curious your reasons.

Just because it is totally plausible to ask the witness first to know what to look for?

Oh, never mind. I just figured it out. The long days are getting to me.

In my head Karl was Kara (the Varasian with the tools) not the witness...

As the group finds the cottage at the river and knocks a man with a burn scarred face and white blind eyes opens. "Good afternoon. What brings you to my humble home?" the friendly man asks with a smile.

Stam will lean down and sit on the ground, still tired from his nap, leaning back against a tree.

"Good day, we are here to ask you a few questions."

Gregof stands back out of sight listening as he is getting too recognized in association with the defense of the Beast.

"Don't sit outside. Come in - I have an open bottle of wine you could help me drinking. And some bread I have too. Please come in." Karl invites you.

Stam stands up at the mention of wine, looking at Grergof then back at the man.

"he is blind"

Stam will then head inside with the man.

"You brought friends?" Karl asks. "Come on in too. The more the merrier." He holds the door open until everyone who wants is in. Then he offers them a place at his table. The cottage is a small one, but big enough for a man living alone. The table has a corner bench and two chairs. Karl gets more mugs and puts them on the table where his mug and the bottle are. He cuts a bread into slices and puts that on a plate on the table too.

After taking a seat he says "Please help yourself. What leads you to me?"

Thank you for the hospitality. As you probably know there is a trial tomorrow about the fire at the asylum.
We are conducting a last review of all the information before that trial.

If you Sir would not mind we would like to review your testimony one more time to ensure everything is in order and that the perpetrator of the crime is punished.

"You're really good. Not a single word to give it away. But you're that new guy defending the beast aren't you?" Karl chuckles. "You know Otto Haiger already talked to me and he wouldn't send someone else in that case. It's too important to him."

"But what is it you want to know? It's not much I can tell you. That day a fire broke out in the asylum. It was arson. We had nothing inside that could cause a fire to spread that quickly. I tried to save the good Doctor, but I was too late. The last thing I saw was the beast fleeing the crime scene, before burning debris fell on me and did this to me." he tells pointing to his face. "No hard feelings - but I don't see where you hope to find something to defend the beast."

And you sir see far more then your eyes would indicate.

Also do you know any other details about the fire that might help us confirm that this was arson? Where it started, or other details? If we can look and find some details and track how it was started, then we may be able to prove one way or the other who really did this to you.

"I lost my eyesight. Not my wits." Karl replies. "Well. I stood in a burning building looking at it's back. But what I can tell is that it was very large and it looked as if mode from parts of different creatures. That's as close as my description gets. And I can't compare the image in there" he knocks with his index finger to his head "to the beast that sits on trial tomorrow. But how many beasts are running around here? Have you found any leads to someone or something else?" Karl asks.

We found a mask made from a human corpse as well as Surgeons tools.
In addition the "Creature" that was abducting people from the village was bitten by a large Caiman, but the Beast shows no signs of the bite even though it can not heal.
Finally we found evidence of whoever had the surgeon's tools and mask also eating and drinking, again something the golem would not do.

Given that the townsfolk only saw a big creature made of different creatures, just like you, you see why we wonder if this is the same creature...

"That sounds indeed suspicious. What are you going to do to prove your point? I don't think anything short of dragging another beast to court will help you with that." Karl replies. He takes a bite of bread and a swig from his mug.

After we are done talking with you, we head out to the scene of the fire and see if we can get anything else from there.

A few more questions for now:
Did the Doctor who ran the asylum have any enemies or act strange before the fire?
Also, were you the only survivor of the fire?[
What happened to all the patients?
For that matter, what kind of things were your patients there for? Could one of them started the fire to escape?

Spugnoir sips his drink and nibbles a little bread.

"What was your actual job at the asylum? What did it entail? The doctor there what was his main job other than being a physician?"

Stam will take a drink of the wine.

"You said you had nothing there that could have set the fire that would have burned like it did and spread like it did? So someone outside had to have set it up. Our impression of the beast is that it is a simple creature. I do not believe that it could have set this elaborate plan up."

"I didn't have the 'joy' of talking to the beast personally so I don't know that." Karl replies.

"As for the Asylum - Doctor Brada founded the institution to cure those unfortunate individuals aff licted with madness and physical deformity. His motives were born of his own horror at the fate of his uncle, who was burned by a mob because of his monstrous features. Life has a bad taste for irony to have him killed by the beast."

"As for enemies - I don't know of such."

Thank you sir, your insights were most helpful. Gentlemen, any more questions or should we head to the scene of the crime?

"If you go there be careful. There are rumors of ghasts living in the Dipplemere Swamp around Karb Isle." Karl warns them.

"I think you covered it all Brother Grergof. Thank you for your time, sir." Darius says to Karl.

"Thank you good ser, you have been most helpful. Is there anything that we can do for you prior to leaving?"

"You're welcome. I guess we'll meet tomorrow again. But you can come visit me any time you like." Karl replies.

"Maybe having a friend in this city would be helpful. Karl when you listen to the beast tomorrow really listen and make your own judgement not that of the mob. Remember the work you and the doctor were doing to help those unfortunate souls."

Stam will place his dishes in the sink and leave the house.

"So whoever burned the asylum down and caused Karl to lose his sight, but the beast burned it down and reminded Karl fo the Doctors father? Much to big of a coincidence I am thinking. So Karl thinks that undead haunt the asylum. Grergof and Darius are you ready for that? Undead has never been my forte."

Updated crime list

Off to the asylum. And watching out for Ghouls.

Getting back to the horses the group is on their way to Karb Isle and the Asylum. It's only an hour away and you know the way as you passed it already two times.

The sad remains of a broken building lie on a spur of land jutting into the river. The burnt timbers of a large house sag into the undergrowth of nettles and thistles. Nature is taking back this charred ruin, as if trying to erase dark memories. Nearby, a small cluster of gravestones jut from the weeds.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

Well that does not look inviting...
Any thoughts on how we get over there?

Just as a reminder. One roll per five minutes searching.

perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

"Walk I guess?"

Though called an island, Karb is actually an isthmus and is connected to the mainland.