"Well...I do...a big man with a red beard asked me to make a scene....he gave me a gold coin!" The panotti says with a worried look on his face.
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"Dear sir, you do know such men are usually not to be trusted?" Clair asks the panotti with a similar worried look on her face.
Clair takes 2 gold from the reward received after calming the dragon and tosses the coins up at the flying man. "These are for you. Could you tell us more about this man, like where he could be now? I'd very much like to prevent further catastrophes. And please don't trust random strangers with shady requests in the future, even if they pay you."
I also learned that I chose poorly to run this on here, I should not have picked this particular scenario. My apologies on that as well. Regardless, I'm here if you guys are game. If not, I apologize for wasting the time of all involved.
The panotti smiles at the gold, "Oh thank you! That is most kind," he says slightly nervous, looking around and leaning forward. "You are not the first one to pay me this day. A big man with a red beard gave me a gold to put on that show."
The Master of Beasts grunts at that, looking as if he does not believe the big eared creature.
The panotti looks at the money in his palm and then at Davreena and nods. "Sure!"
The group manages to look through all the tents very thoroughly and eventually, the panotti returns, giving them a report that nothing was to be found. After he says this, the Master of Beasts scoffs again and mutters "It was probably all a big ruse. He's such a liar!" The group is thanked again for their assistance and then told where they can find lodgings for the night.
The following morning, as the group has breakfast, one of the workers at the carnival that had been at the front gate comes into the inn, "Good morning, Mistress Delisen has asked that you come to the carnival for a job opportunity." He then holds out a formally written summons to the nearest among them and dashes off, seemingly quite busy...or stressed.
"I appreciate your efforts yesterday in the regrettable incident with our dragon. I fear I could also use your help with another matter. You may have heard there was a murder in town last night."
She pauses upon seeing that they had not heard that fact.
"That isn't a huge surprise, you are newcomers. The circumstances, I am told, implicate people from my circus-something I find very hard to accept. I 'd like to contract you to represent the Umbra Carnival to determine who is really responsible and preserve our reputation."
"Yesterday the group of you proved yourselves to be some of the most capable people in town, between the carnival's games and the way you handled my dragon. And since you are also strangers to this land, you don't have any of the Sheriff's need to keep the peace over finding the culprit."
She pauses, realizing what she just said could be taken negatively, "That isn't to say that I think that Sheriff Feldane is an unjust woman, I just don't think she is going to be given time or resources to find the truth, only to keep the peace. Her primary concern is to her town, and mine is to my people. Therefore, I think a third party would have a better chance of finding the truth."
"Of course there is a crime scene. However, I'm not allowed in it, since I have been considered a potential part of the crime, or at least hiding the killer. You can speak with the Sheriff and she can show you the murder site."
She takes a deep breath, "Please clear Jherizhana of these baseless allegations. There is six hundred gold in it for you, if you can do so."
"I suspect she or one of her...constables...deputies...minions...I'm not really sure what they call them in this town is still at the scene of the crime, which is among our tents here, near the trouble you dealt with so handily yesterday."
"My carnival has never had any issues, it is why we have been allowed everywhere so freely. It's unbelievable. Impossible."
She shakes her head and hands the group a letter. "Within, I give you permission to be my third-party investigators. Give this to the Sheriff."
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The group is ushered to the scene of the crime where a red-headed woman walks up to them immediately, "I'm sorry folks, but this is a crime scene. May I help you?"
"Oh, yes, yes. I'm Sheriff Feldane. Been here for about 15 years now and this is the worst pair of violent crimes I have seen. It was clearly a joint attack. Archivin Walder, the town moneylender, is the victim here of the murder here. His body is not here, but there are plenty of signs of struggle here that you are welcomed to look at it."
She takes a deep breath, "The body is with the other body at The Locked Box, Walder's place of business. The moneylender had four guards. One stayed at the shop, while the other three went looking for the missing Walder. When they found him, they returned to find two humanoids rushing from the building, and the fourth guard dead."
"I'm going to be honest with you...The mood in town is sour. There are stories all over the place about a great four-legged beast flying over town last night after the circus closed down, silhouetted across the moon. Of course, I'll be damned if I can find a single eyewitness who actually saw the sphinx. Then poor Walder is left dead in some bushes. It'd be one thing if these deaths were accidental, but the robbery angle has people thinkin' of a Sczarni heist. I'm not proud to say it, but this stirs a lot of unworthy opinions about Varisians."
"I will help you where I can, but in the end, I have to take care of this town. Be careful."
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Hey, another redhead. Though not male, so it probably isn't the one mentioned by mister fly-with-ears.
After handing over the letter Clair listens to what the sheriff has to say. "You be careful too. It's usually not a good thing when great four-legged beasts fly over a town."
Clair takes a look at the crime scene, looking for anything that could've been overlooked by the sheriff.
"I wouldn't have served this town for almost two decades if I weren't careful. Good luck to ya!"
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"There are tracks of a large, clawed creature. Hmm... no indication it moved around before or after arriving. Seeing the tracks suddenly appear and disappear I figure it's the flying beast that was mentioned earlier."
Clair stretches her arms and back when she gets up from inspecting the tracks. "Unless one of you sees something I've overlooked, I suggest we head to The Locked Box to inspect the bodies. I expect to find them shredded."
The Locked Box! What a beautiful name for a mortuary!
Beau informs the group of her findings
Arriving at The Locked Box, an elderly woman sits in the front room, red-rimmed eyes indicate the amount of crying she has been doing. Two large guardsmen flank her.
"Ca...can I help you? We...we aren't opened for business today..."
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"Guessin' that this is late Walder's Missus..." Bo schools her face into something she hopes seems consoling.
"Ma'am, we're here on behalf of Sheriff Feldane, assisting in the investigation. I know this is a difficult time but might we be able to ask you about what you know... perhaps look around a bit?"
"I should have gone with him...I should have...but..but," she whimpers slightly.
"It just bothered me to think of him ogling that winged she-lion whats it-all that prancin' about without a top on. But none a'that would matter if only Archie was still here with me!"
"It's all over town that people saw something flying over us last night...and he died at that horrible show, so surely it all fits. You can't trust those people...I knew you couldn't and they just proved it!" Anger has seeped into the tortured pain.
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'Those people' she notes with some disdain, but attempts to not let it show. Informing her that the sphinx is likely blameless won't help if her mind seems made up. "Ma'am, I remind you nothing has been proven at this point, and conjecture clouds the issue."
"Your husband was a moneylender, yes? That's an important position in a town - but it tends to attract trouble." She nods to his guardsmen; late Walder certainly thought so. "Might you have known of some enemies a little closer to home?"
"People were excited by the carnival...especially when they heard there was a sphinx. Though...though...I have to say with all the Varisians among them, I was always...concerne..," before she can finish she starts sobbing again.
After several uncomfortable moments, she looks back up to the group, "No, I can't see why or if anyone would be wanting bad things for the carnival...before today that is."