Birseko can tell that she both suffers from an addiction and has taken some damage to her constitution both from drug use and withdraw, making her fairly frail. She does not have enough power in her soul to show her alignment. She looks at him very nervously.
Why... Why he staring at me like that? It's creepy.
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Birseko stares piercingly into the skulk's eyes. "I know what you have been doing, I know what you are craving, by the power of Lord Ranginori - who is surely going to return soon - my friends and I can help you. Or perhaps you'd rather discover how merciful the sheriff is feeling? I'm not sure that she'll consider your role as an accessory to murder as leniently as you've found in the past with your thieving. If I were you, I would tell us everything you know. It'll be better for you. Or would you prefer that I go inside your mind...?"
It only takes a few minutes to force march the skulk back to the sheriff at the jail.
The sheriff has her nose down studying some paperwork when you enter. She looks up and raises an eyebrow.
Walder's Murderer? That was admittedly fast.
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Daedîn shakes his head. "No, ma'am, she killed no one, she was hired to rob the Locked Box and her cohorts killed one of the guards. The robbery and murder are connected...but this one doesn't appear to know much of the details other than her part in the robbery. She doesn't appear to be tied to the circus..."
He takes a breath and continues. "Also, the Sphinx did not commit the murder. The leonine tracks around the murder scene were not deep enough to be made from a creature her size...there were also signs of human tracks that someone tried to wipe clean. Some group of people are trying to frame the Sphinx...and perhaps the carnival as well. We'll continue our investigation and try to find more definitive evidence..."
The sheriff nods.
Very good... Men?
Deputies come up and drag the skulk away.
We'll hold her until we have more info, but conspiracy and attempted grand theft will be plenty good enough for now. Keep up the good...
At this, the doors slam open behind the pathfinders.
SHERIFF! I DEMAND YOU DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS NOW!
A burly man, roughly the size of a bear, walks in and pushes his way through the pathfinders before slamming his fist down.
THOSE DAMN VARISIANS ARE AT IT AGAIN! YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING!
Unphased by the large man the sheriff sighs.
What, Jorgen, exactly are then Varisians at exactly?
Jorgen turns beat red and continues his tirade.
The thievin’ Varisians are trying to bleed the town dry! Everybody suspects a cut purse at a big gathering like this, but not dozens of people right after the other! It's one thing selling cheap rigged games, but stealing a man's purse?! They plan on taking all our money and running off with it. And if you don't do something, Brick and the Seine brothers are going to lose it. They where ready to take names when I left, and I only imagine it's gotten worse.
The sheriff grits her teeth in frustration.
I am not even gonna bother asking what your proof is Jorgen. I already know that you don't have any. But if Brick and his boys start something...
Jorgen growls.
You're making a mistake Sheriff, and you know it.
He turns and slams the door on his way out.
She sighs and turns to the team.
You mind? I have to look neutral in this, if I go stand in front of them they'll think I'm siding with the circus, or bewitched, or some sort of nonsense like that. Just keep them from killing each other is all I ask. 'Sides, I want you to confirm that creature didn't do a stint with the freakshow or anything... could be a motive for a frame up..
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"This carnival is attracting the wrong kind of games... i can see why you wish to remain neutral. Some people around here clearly are not keen on outsiders and don't care who knows it. Still, if this isn't the fault of the circus folk then we could be looking at some kind of smear campaign trying to discredit the owners."
Volara stops and thinks for moment as if trying to decide the best course of action.
"Whatever the cause we certainly can't have this turning to violence. We must intervene."
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Daedîn nods at Volara's words. "Perhaps we should head to the carnival now...we can try to confirm the skulk was not working there...and see if we can find anything out 'bout the pick-pocketing...and we can intervene if there is any trouble..."
The Elf bows to the Sheriff and hurries out the door...
The team moves swiftly out to the Circus Parade grounds, and is met with a clash ready to happen. On one side are several screaming, angry villagers. On the other are some of the guardsmen of the circus, looking more and more twitchy with each passing minute as they grip their staves in expectation of a fight, but they are outnumbered by the townsfolk. Circus workers hide behind the guards and seem unsure if they should run or wait it out, but it doesn't look like things are going to end well at this rate.
GET OUT OF MY CITY!
SIR! PLEASE STEP BACK...
DAMN ROTTEN THIEVES! I SAVED FOR A MONTH...
MA'AM, GET BACK NOW!
YOU EXPLAIN TO MY BABY WHY SHE'S NOT GETTING ANY PRESENTS FROM THE CIRCUS YOU THIEVES!
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Daedîn nods at Jamiroquai's words and quickly moves between the carnies and the locals, speaking loudly to the angry mob...
"Enough! Return to your homes! As you know, we are assisting your Sheriff in investigating the murder and robbery. There is no definitive proof of wrongdoing by the carnival but we are still investigating...when we find proof, no matter whom it implicates, we will bring them to justice...
We have no wish to harm you...if you press this though, I and my companions will defend those you are threatening...just like we would defend you if the roles were reversed...some of you saw us subdue the dragon last night so you should know what we're capable of in a fight...
Now please leave..."
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Birseko nods his head solemnly, attempting to assist his friend's diplomatic efforts. "Aye, 'tis well known that Lord Ranginori's return is nigh, and I have no doubt that he will not look favorably upon such commotion as you are making. We are investigating this matter and no doubt when we find the true culprits we will also find your stolen belongings. Do not interfere!"
The people look at each other, and you hear a few whispers...
Bastard should be yelling at them, I oughta...
Shut it, you saw what he did with those arrows. He's right, let the sheriff handle it...
The air is tense, but the well armed adventurers and Daedin's plea causes them to slowly disburse, leaving only the angriest at the front who, realizing they don't have the backup they thought they had, back down as well. Eventually the circus is back into swing, though the air is still thick with tension. One of the guards turns to Daedin.
Thank the gods you showed up when you did... that was going to get ugly...
Suddenly, another guard runs up, his eyes wide, he speaks in a whispered hushed tone.
Murder! There has been a murder! Come quickly!
The guards quickly, but quietly as not to cause a panic, move with the team to the midway to the Lair of the Sphinx tent. The scene is a brutal one.
Just outside the cage is a woman, her body slashed and cut, and blood still pooling beneath her. Her robes clearly identify her as a cleric. Her wounds look like claw marks from a large animal, similar to those found on the body of Archivin Walder. The guards freeze in shock, then look to the team for guidance.
have been pulled to permit egress.
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Daedîn looks over the body and surveys the area inside the tent...
The Elf frowns. "Look here around her neck...this woman has been strangled to death...the claw marks did not kill her...
And there are no leonine tracks around the body...but there are humanoid tracks leading to the back of the tent...stakes pulled up...they entered from here...wait, what's this?"
Daedîn bends down and picks up the 3 small vials and shows them to his companions. "There's still a bit of liquid in them...is there an alchemist in town?
We should alert the Sheriff at once."
One of the guards nods.
I'll go get the sheriff!
He dashes out the door.
One of the other guards shakes their head.
We've got Ms. Monchello, she runs the curio shop downtown, but she's not a real alchemist, just knows a bit of herbology and such and plays nurse on the side.
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"While there's still a bit of liquid in the bottles, we should take them to this Ms. Monchello to see if she can identify them, but we'd best hurry before it's all dried up. If you want, while you finish investigating here, I can run them downtown. Or we can all go together. But someone should at least report this to the sheriff, and someone talk to the sphinx and Almara as well."
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Volara does her best to check the room but is feeling little out of her element after being in front of an angry crowd.
Daedin's question pulls her from her own thoughts.
"I have some experience with alchemical concoctions. What have you got there?"
Volara sets her pack down and takes out her kit while she tries to deduce what the liquid could be.
Volara is unable to identify any specific spells, but she is able to recognize the sign of her craft. These are an alchemists extracts, and it's unlikely that with how little is left as well as the unique nature of extracts that Ms. Monchello would be able to glean more information that she has.
Birseko identifies the woman quickly as a cleric of Erastil. The guard looks at her and nods slowly, staring with a disbelieving expression.
Sister Esrelda.... Esrelda Woodmere. She was one of the priestess of Erastil... I knew her... most of the Carnival, as well as the city did.
He quickly wipes at his eyes, trying to mask a tear as wiping away sweat.
She... We all loved her. See, she was of both bloods. Her mother was a acrobat, and her father was descended from one of the town founders. Whenever we had spats in the past with the city... little stuff, like somebody claiming something stolen or broken, we'd go to her to settle it. She was good at it, nobody ever left with hard feelings, and her magic would stop people from lying.
One of the other guards pipes up.
I heard she was going to interview Jherizhana today and use her magic to get to the bottom things... we all expected her to prove Jherizhana innocent so we could be done with this... now...
He coughs and shakes his head.
I can't believe someone would do this to her...
Daiden follows the tracks, his expert eyes able to pick out the tracks even through the madness of the Carnival.... at least until he hits the parade grounds, where not even a master tracker would be able to follow. However, on his way there, he does find small pile of tear-away clown costumes, 4 or 5 all told, hastily discarded and stashed behind some wagons.
Sadly, Daedin doesn't find anyone who saw any clowns that seemed strange. Well, stranger than clowns normally are.
-----------------------------------
Seems a good evaluation.
Master Venlock and Mistress Delisen Make their way into the tent. Delisen gives a little gasp and the sight and looks away, gritting her teeth.
I am sorry friend...
She sighs and turns to the guard.
Someone went to get the sheriff?
The Guard nods.
Good. I won't be part of a cover up.
A voice comes from behind her, firm and angry.
Good to hear that Delisen. Because you have a lot of explaining to do.
Behind her stands the Sheriff. "Unhappy" doesn't quite cover it, but her voice is calm.
Where is the sphinx, and why in the gods name is she not in that cage?
Delisen gulps.... Um... I don't... know... she's... technically not a captive...
The sheriff grits her teeth.
Yeah yeah, I know, you have some magic collar or some such nonsense, so you can swear it wasn't her. You can promise she didn't do it. But the fact that you can't keep her here... and you can't tell me where she is right now can you?
Deslin looks to the Master who shakes his head sadly. The Sheriff grits her teeth even harder.
Then that's it. That's the last straw.
She looks to the pathfinders.
I'm gonna lay good money you have some proof it wasn't the sphinx involved huh? Unfortunately, I'm backed into a corner. You’ve brought a dangerous creature into this community—a creature you clearly cannot keep track of, let alone control. I can’t say I know for certain there’s wrongdoing here on the part of your people, but after a point it ceases to matter. For the safety of my town, I’m putting this circus under quarantine. I don’t want any of your people leaving these grounds unless it’s to leave town completely. I’m giving you two days to get packed up and go.
Delsin gulps. But....
The sheriff cuts her hand through the air.
No. Excuses. Either the investigators catch who's really behind this, or you get out while I do what I can to protect my community...
Her tone softens, just a little bit.
And frankly, you. I heard how bad it was... a mob could have gotten you and everyone here killed... if this keeps happening... I'm not sure I can keep control of an entire city turned into a wild mob. I certainly can't do it without them hurting you, or you hurting them... with you out of town, at the very least, I can stop them from uniting to hurt you. Please understand.
Deslin nods, slowly.
I... I understand.
The sheriff sighs and looks to the pathfinders.
Show me what you got... and please tell me it brings us closer to catching these bastards.
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Daedîn returns with the clown costumes in time to hear the Sheriff. He takes a deep breath and begins...
"Ma'am, while I'm 100% certain the Sphinx did not commit these murders, the evidence is circumstantial...and we do not know who is behind them...
The Sister was made to look like she was murdered by the Sphinx, as you can see all the claw marks...but if you look closely at her neck, you'll see she's been strangled, probably with a garrotte. There were no leonine tracks around the victim at all this time, only humanoid tracks that led over there to where the tent pegs were removed and 4 or 5 humanoids entered. I followed the tracks and found these clown costumes abandoned before I lost the trail...
We also found these empty alchemical vials where the humanoids entered...what they may, or may not, have to do with the case, we do not know...
Jamiroquai has a theory, that I agree with, that perhaps the cleric was murdered since she had the means to determine the Sphinx's innocence...and Birseko also sharply pointed out that perhaps these murders could be directly related to robberies. Have y'all had any problems with thieves in the recent past?
We plan on questioning the Sphinx...I'd also like to visit the Temple of Erastil and ask some questions there...that's all I've got at present..."
The Sheriff and the ring master listen raptly to Daedin's report.
Very good. The sheriff says. You've convinced me at least that the circus is innocent, but without a murderer in chains, I can't remove the quarantine. It's for their safety as well as the townsfolk...
She looks at the ring master.
Will you object to a few of my deputies doing patrols to ehem... "Keep you in"?
The ring master shakes her head.
No... go ahead. In the meantime, I'll try and find Jherizhana so she can talk with the investigators... It won't take me to long, Promise.
She bustles out of the tent... one of the guards returns with a blanket and lays it over the cleric.
The sisters' will be here soon to take the body...
The Sheriff looks to Daedin.
Might be a good opportunity to ask the priestess's questions... it'll take a bit to be able to move the body properly. I'll leave it to you and your team... I've got to get ahead of the rumors and get more deputies on the streets before fights start breaking out.
She to leaves quickly, leaving the team to take a moment and breath.... even if it is standing over a corpse...
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Birseko takes the empty vials and begins to handle them, with an oddly concentrated expression. He barely seems to be looking at them, and yet they hold his attention completely, almost as if he were listening to them speak. A minute passes in uncomfortable silence, and Birseko’s eyes roll back into his head. He twitches, and a bit of drool runs unnoticed down his face. At last, he emerges from his trance with a curious expression. ”Alas, whatever imprint might have been left on these bottles is just out of my reach.”
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"There is also the matter of the cutpurses trying to rile up the crowd when we arrived. Daedin and Kwai, you may have something there as well. I doubt the fair foolish enough to openly rob the masses, the rare individual coin purse can be an allowance for such businesses. It would not be wise to do so while they were already under such scrutiny. Mistress Delisen seems far smarter than that, her honesty notwithstanding." He ignores the potential insult offered, he had granted her intelligence as a given and knew the perception of her folk so wouldn't waste the breath arguing that she could be trusted for anything but her own interests. It was a foolish creature indeed that did things to prevent its own survival.
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Daedîn nods at Willem. "We could be dealing with thieves...they see a Varisian carnival come into town, they can pickpocket, rob, and even murder, and the carnival is an easy target to blame...the only thing confusing me on that end though, is that your run of the mill Thieves Guild doesn't resort to murder...and assassins don't usually resort to mere robbery..."
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"I don't believe the carnival people are to blame for these thefts, and they are the perfect scapegoats. If the carnival runs to schedule someone could plan for this quite well for exactly when the circus is in town. I'm still more concerned that this is a plan to specifically discredit the carnival. I think we need to find someone who has past trouble with someone from the carnival if such a person exists."
As the team speaks at length to their suspicions and thoughts, a woman dressed in Cleric robes of Erastil comes in. She's a rather old woman, her face wrickled with time and her hair gone white.
Oh Sister... May his bow protect you in your final journey.
She looks to the pathfinders and bows a little.
My pardons it took so long to reach here. I am not as young as I once was I'm afraid, and with the sister gone, I'm the only one left in the village left to say the rights.
The woman blinks a few times.
No... Sister Esrelda and I are.... where, the last Erastile Sisters in the village. Erastile has no need for many servants.
She looks to the body.
Though I... suppose I will have to find new apprentice sister...
She looks to Daedin.
She was... a peace keeper. Said she wanted to hear the Sphinx talk, to confess her sins for all to hear, so there would be no doubt that the monster was responsible for the entire affair by herself and that the circus had nothing to do with it. She set off to meet with the sphinx and get some answers from her.
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"It seems she made up her mind before she came here... and might have been surprised to learn there was more to this than she thought, but someone out there couldn't afford for the priestess to know the truth... that's the only reason I can think of for disposing of her, other than to try framing the sphinx even further."
The priestess blinks in surprise.
I mean... nothing but what you might find in any temple... I mean, who would be so heartless as to steal holy objects from a temple?