Vosil snaps his fingers after the woodsman has spoken: "Dregan, you are absolutely right. No need to question all the inhabitants of this town - we're looking, most probably, for someone who arrived the day of the first attack. That's why there wasn't an attack on the first few nights of the full moon: they weren't here."
He turns towards Kesten. "Kesten, how many people arrived in town the day of the attack - and, more importantly, are still here?"
"Or they could have been biten the night before and survived, maybe check around for people with wolf bites... or human bites."
"The maid never made it home from her shift at the inn. Perhaps she was followed by a guest? We should interview her coworkers and any of the guests there."
"We don't keep track of who comes in and out of Fairhaven. At least, not in any formal sense. Our gates are pretty open during the day, and people come and go as they please."
"Perhaps asking around to the people in general? There is a lot of unease about these killings. The people would be greatly relived if the Council were out investigating among them"
Asha does not know of any such spells, but can tell that wolfsbane is an herb that can be used against lycanthropy.
"What I do know is that tonite is the last night of the full moon. I believe we have one more night...and whatever it is may kill again..."
Vosil nods gloomily at Kesten's statement. "Oh, well, time to rely on some ... other sources. You'll excuse me."
With a tip of his hat to the ladies present, he bows and melts away into the crowds. Time to see what the seedy underbelly of Fairhaven has to say to its Spymaster.
Dregan goes to the taverns and talks to the hunters and trappers that are in town to see if they have heard anything (or have bite marks).
Armed with the findings of her council, Talia makes her way around the city (with the others, just in case she's successful in finding the creature). She hopes that the showing her face within the town's taverns, shops, and streets engenders a sense of hope - and of the duty to which they all feel towards their citizens.
First, around town to put up fliers, whereby she talks with passerby. Then back into the houses of gossip - the taverns - that Dregan was in earlier, to follow up some leads. Next, they visit the dead waitress's workplace, and then make their way to the outskirts of town near the farms, stopping all they pass on the way, at each turn Talia flashing her winningnest smile, her most compassionate and concerned eyes, until it feels as if she's wearing a mask, rigid and fake, as the day wears on...
Talia frowns, her face grim. "Well then. It looks like it could have been this visitor to town that followed the young lady home. Dark times have come to Concord. Let's visit this tribesman?"
Vosil nods, ensuring that his alchemical silver dagger is loose in its sheath and still has its edge (it's some time since he last used it). He walks alongside Edric as they enter the tavern.
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The innkeeper is surprised to see the squad of soldiers outside his establishment, and more surprised when the Council itself enters the tavern.
'Wha...what c...can help you with, milords?" he stammers.
"Y-y-yes indeed there is, or was, such a man here milords. But I haven't seen him all d-d-day. Left his room early he did. I h-h-have the keys to his room if you w-w-wish to go see it."
The innkeeper leads you to the second floor of the tavern. The heavy oaken flooring creaks as you make your way to the room where the Kellid slept. The innkeeper stops at the last door on the left, unlocking the door with trembling hands. The heavy door swings open revealing a simple room: bed, small stool and table, one window.
Vosil looks at it curiously. "Someone else's, I fear: I rather suspect this is what is left of the unfortunate maid!" He hands the grisly trophy back to the paladin. "Best hold on to this - it is proof enough to detain him if we find him. Time, alas, is not our friend right now."
With a touch of anxiety, he looks out the window to see how close they are to nightfall.
Her face flashing crimson, Talia can barely speak the words. "So, he brought it back with him? Edric, your soldiers need to go, immediately. We can't spook this man into hiding. Vosil, can you set anyone to watch the inn? We need a thorough description from the innkeep, and protection for the guests here."
"If we find him, do not hesitate to treat him as you would a dangerous animal."
Talia's words bring inspiration. "Animals! That's what we need - a dog. No matter where he went, a good hound will follow his scent anywhere." He looks at the others. "Someone in this town must have a dog fit for this purpose, surely?"
Dregan nods, "He might well have finished what he came to town for and gone home. But given our suspicions we need to track him down anyway. I'll go talk to some of the hunters and see if I can get a good hound."
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Naralesh pets the snow-white fox in his arms as she squirms to the front, sniffing the air. "Nora can help with tracking, though I doubt she'll be as effective as a trained tracking hound." He looks at the others, lowering his voice. "It may be prudent to see if a silver blade or two can be located. If we are truly on the trail of a lycanthrope, weapons of steel will be far less effective than those of mithral or silver."
Gavriil nods along with the others' whirlwind of an investigation. Once they had a solid lead to go on and began talking about what to do next, Gavriil speaks up, "Could he possibly not know what he's doing? Or that he doesn't even know what afflicts him? Which may or may not make detaining him all the more difficult. If he really doesn't know, he may act aggressive to being accused. If that ear really was a trophy, don't you think he would take it with him rather than stuff it under the bed and leave it forever?"
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Edric listens as the rest of the council begin bouncing ideas back and forth. As the conversation dies down a little he leaves the room to issue orders to his guardsmen.
"Captain, the suspect is no longer here. Disperse the men and continue with the normal patrol schedule. If anyone sees the man then it should be reported immediately. He should be followed but not engaged. Finally." He raises his voice to carry to all his men. "Does anyone have, or know of, a good tracking dog that we can borrow?"
Vosil looks skeptical. "So, he brought home someone else's ear - and somehow failed to notice? We certainly have enough proof to detain him for questioning; if he resists arrest, I have no qualms with putting him down."
When the ear comes out, the innkeeper faints dead away. It takes some time and liberal applications of cold water to make him come to, but when he does, he confirms the ear belongs to the girl.
Edric's soldiers disperse after telling him no one knows of any tracking type dog that is available.
"Vosil can leave a few men to watch the inn. With the Fox's help I can have a go at tracking him. Let's get going."
Talia nods. "Three long blows of a horn should be enough to alert us to return to the inn, if he makes an appearance. Vosil, instruct your men to let a guards-captain alert us if this beast shows his wretched self here again."
Gathering her cloak about her, the Viscountess makes towards her horse. She'd be little help with the tracking, but she'd see this one through to the end - preferably of the animal attacking her people.
The fading light does not deter Dregan and Nora from quickly picking up the man's trail as it heads west out of Concord. The little white fox sniffs at a point on the road, then circles repeatedly with short, high-pitched yips. Dregan confirms the man left the road at that point. From there the trail leads to another -different- copse of trees on a low hillock.
Riding along the open field towards the trees, it's obvious that you are exposed to anyone who may be watching. The short climb up the hillock is steep, but not impossible. Soon you are under the edges of the tree boughs. Night has nearly fallen. The full moon will rise in 30 minutes...or less, you figure.
Suddenly a man's voice calls out in stilted Common: "Stop! Who are you? Why you follow me?"
remember since we are in woods every get +2 to this roll.
Dregan quickly readies his bow then looks around and fails to see where the voice is coming from. "Ya are sick. We came to help ya."
By putting an arrow through your head.
Talia nods. "Three long blows of a horn should be enough to alert us to return to the inn, if he makes an appearance. Vosil, instruct your men to let a guards-captain alert us if this beast shows his wretched self here again."
Vosil nods, with a sweeping bow. "As you wish."
As the voice calls to them Vosil looks around, tightening his grip on the reins of his horse. Alas, he sees nothing.
The sound of the man's voice carries clearly to the wizard's ears, and Naralesh glances upwards into the trees. Even with only one eye, an elf's vision in the near-darkness is far sharper than a human's, and he quickly spots the shape among the trees. He wastes no time, immediately chanting the words of a spell. This spell won't hurt him directly, but it'll ensure he can't hide from the others, he thinks.
"PRISMAK! INVIKAR! BAENATH!" he cries, casting Naralesh's flashbang on the crouching shape in the trees. The glimmering sphere shatters with a flash of light, spraying bright particles which gleam brilliantly in the darkness, giving away the man's location.
"ARRGGHH!!" The man cries, clutching at his eyes. "Go away! Ye can't be knowin' what's wrong with me! Go away!"
"We could make a reasonable guess what's wrong with you - besides your diction and elocution, I mean," Vosil murmurs.
Moving forward, he lashes out with his whip, aiming to catch the man's ankles and pull him down from the tree so they can subdue him.
Vosil's whip wraps around the man's ankle, dislodging him from the branch he was resting on. He lands on the ground with an audible oof!
The man's aura is evil.
Vosil takes advantage of the man's sightless condition to grab him, trying to wrestle him to the ground. "I'm inclined to take him alive - he could have ambushed us from the tree, but instead he called out and tried to warn us away from him. Edric, give me a hand here - we need to get him tied up before the moon rises."
Talia frowns and thinks about spitting upon the man, relenting at the last moment as Vosil shows some compassion. Trusting that the man's broken Taldane indicates an imperfect mastery of their tongue, the Viscountess speaks quickly, with big words. "Perhaps, though the primative could just be the mendacious sort, avowing to himself to capitulate to his baser urges at the foremost opportunity. The right to our legal dictums perhaps have been earned. But make no mistake how this ends."
"But make no mistake how this ends."
Talia's words ring in Vosil's ears as he wrestles with the burly Kellid, trying to pin him to the ground. "With his death, you mean? Nothing like a fair trial, Lady," is his only observation; deliberately choosing blunt words as a contrast to Talia's own elaborate phrasing. "But why go to that trouble, if you have already decided on his fate? We could just as easily string him up from this conveniently-situated tree."
He pauses for a moment, and then sighs. "Simply give the word."
The memory of an old conversation worms its way into his mind: And what kind of ruler will YOU be, Talia of House Khavortorov...?
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Edric puts his hammer down to help Vosil restrain the man. before glancing up at the rest of the group.
"He is an evil man, I know that for certain, but that does not place him outside the law. If that were the case then I would have to execute a number of Concord's citizens on a daily basis. Our case, such as it is, is circumstantial throughout. We have no eye-witness, no actual proof of anything. Unless we actually see him turn and secure a confession from him then I will have no part in his death - and neither will you Talia." Standing, he places himself next to Vosil, glaring at the Viscountess. "The Law means nothing unless it is just. A just law supports the freedom of each person and protects them where needed - it does not condemn without proof.
"However a rabid dog is put down because of the danger it poses. This man is the same. He might not intend harm but he kills. If you think you can restrain him until moon rise and after let's make sure it is him. But after unless someone can cure him of this curse we have little choice as I see it."
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You successfully subdue the man. He puts up only token resistance, more consigned to his fate. "You should run," he mumbles, "My dreams...my dreams...blood and screams...and I wake up covered in it...run while you can!!"