The group does really well at the different sports events - in particular Marra, who wins a long jump trophy (though some evil tongues suggest that she used illegal magical substances to enhance her performance - feh!). Who wins, has friends, an adage that rings ever true in the town of Dawnton.
Friends confide in friends, and the pathfinders pick up some rumours from the sporty participants. It seems not everybody is convince the pathfinders are guilty, though finding somebody to speak his mind is hard, especially since that Inquisitor - Ekira - is throwing accusations around and since the population wants to see the guilty hung.
Ekira seems to a fanatic. It is widely accepted that she hated Pathfinders even before this series of murder, and she was elated to see the prisoners executed.
A murder most foul. And not one of them, but two.Orug is quite the chatty fellow, he positively seems to revel in his gossiping, You see, I witnessed the second murder.
I heard a scream, and quick as I was, I dashed to the place. I saw the murder with my own eyes. A tall man, he tried to run away from me, and he hit me with a cheap blow when I tried to intervene.
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Malena tries not to let her doubt of the man's firsthand account betray her feigned enthusiasm.
"How brave of you to try and stop such a brute!" she says, placing a hand on the shopkeeper's thick, hairy arm. "I knew these people were grave diggers and thieves, but murderers? It does not surprise me, but how do you know this man was part of Pathfinders?"
Coming to think of it, there have been rumours of a tall man, a quite kind of feller, with a bald patch on the back of his head has arrived at about the same time as the pathfinder did. He was asking around a lot about them, too.
I'm actually pretty convinced that the rumours about Ekira are true: she is a demon among us, posing as an inquisitor. She's been using her guise to slay heroes up and down the countryside, already claiming ten victims - an nobody dares speak up, of course!
The morning passes without further events.
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"I'm going to visit Fairground again this afternoon. I'm fairly confidant I can meet a few people with reliable information there."
Once at Fairgrounds, Aetherys juggles and tumbles with acrobat, trying to bond with them and learn information. Likewise, she'll try to impress the crowd, get to know a few young men and learn what she can by chatting with them after her acrobatics.
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Hearing of another stranger to the town - and asking about the accused Pathfinders, to boot - Malena rushes back to the tavern to share the information with her comrades. She only hopes that her flirtations and innocent questioning hasn't arisen any suspicion among the townsfolk.
*****
I shall try to speak with sheriff again," she says. "See what he knows of tall, bald stranger. I can keep him occupied if anyone wants to try to sneak down and talk to imprisoned comrades."
--Afternoon--
Aetherys: Acro(18) at Fairground
Cressyk: Fort(22) at Beer garden
Malena
Marra: Dip(20) at beer garden
Rhanloi
--Afternoon--
Aetherys: Acro(18) at Fairground
Cressyk: Fort(22) at Beer garden
Malena
Marra: Dip(20) at beer garden
Rhanloi: Appr(13) at Fairground
Rhanlois and Aetherys move around the fairgrounds, and Aetherys soon team up with a couple of young nimble people who seem to know a bit more of the low-down of this place.
This Ekira? She claim Iomedae speaks to her directly, something that started when she just arrived here. It seems she's thinking about setting up a church, or even running for mayor.
Rhanloi finds a little jewel stall, ran by an old crone. She comes up to Rhanloi and says There's a witch in town! She killing innocents people to raise them as undead. They'll attack the town on the morning of the execution!
You are with those new strangers, right? the old crone adds, you must be aware, a tall man was asking for you. Short, dark hair and a small chin patch...
Nearby, Cressyk and Marra are having a splendid time at the beer garden: Cressyk's strong constitution makes him the absolute Cider King, while Marra makes good use of the commotion to catch the latest gossip.
The sheriff himself wants to hang the murderers. He had one of the pathfinders write a testimony. I'm sure they're guilty, one man says, yes, the other adds little Nellie saw one of the Pathfinders, mutilating the corpse of Dancel. Nellie only barely escaped when the pathfinder came after him. Poor boy.
Finally, Malena tries to find the Sheriff. Sending out Korvus, the silly bird spots the Sheriff of Dawnton walking down the street. Corn?
As the adventurers move back to discuss the afternoon's proceedings, there are held up by a woman, clad in crusader armor and sporting a holy medallion. .
She asks sternly and bluntly: So you're the group of armed individuals that have been going around town asking questions about the pathfinders. That leaves me to suspect: are you? Are you members of the Pathfinder Society?
Very well. The voice of Iomedae has spoken to me and told there is a new group of Pathfinders in town. And so now we have even more stranger. Let it be known that I, Ekira Corum, am watching you.
Looking at Marra, she adds you'd be better off not mocking me, halfling.
With that, she takes a turn and leaves.
There's a bird on the rooftops, and it's not Korvus. It does seem to be following you around.
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"I understand this woman, she's moved by her faith, but sometimes we... I mean she must lose perspective on reality. For now we'd better look for that stranger, find information about him."
Aetherys heads for the inn, hoping to gather some information about that man. To that end, she tries beating the local toughs at their favorite drinking game... thus loosening their tongue.
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Marra just smiles sweetly with teeth firmly closed to keep from sticking her tongue out.
That evening at the Inn's pub, the halfling bard entertains the locals with a story of deception about a cruel fey tricking a foolish farmer into thinking his animals where speaking to him. If not for his quick witted wife, the fey would have tricked the farmer.
Marra end the story "Proving appearances can be deceiving, don't listen to voices and the truth will ring out if you strike it enough!"
Marra's story draws some fascination with her story, but the mood in the tavern can only be described as worried. Aetherys keeps trying to bring the subject to the man with the bald spot, but for some reason, the conversation keeps turning to farmer Otto: He worships demons at his farm, that is why the first victim was skinned alive on his property by the murderers.[/ooc]
The crowd in the tavern seems a bit wary of the foreigners - it seems word of Ekira's encounter spreads quickly.
Rhanloi asks on the streets about the tall man, but he as well is met with only bits and pieces of information:
[b]It's said that on the night of the murder, two of the murderers were dancing in a devil's circle, in the woods just outside of town. It must've been some kind of blood ritual. When the halfling was arrested, he was covered in blood as well!
Cressyk's visits the general store, and notices Orug becoming ever slightly more suspicious, though he does his best to keep a professional attitude. I heard about your encounter with Ekira. I'd be careful - I heard rumours she plans to bring back the pathfinders as zombies after the execution. Nobody here dares get in her way..
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That evening, as the adventurers meet up again at the Inn. Shortly before arriving, they find a crowd gathered around. An awful commotion, and - upon closer inspection - it appears there are two more victims, one of them with a blade embedded in his chest - one that looks oddly familiar: it's Aetherys' dawnblade (!) The groggy elf only now notices is it no longer at her side.
The blade! It belongs to that one! a voice shouts out form the crowd. The crowd starts pushing the adventurers and jeering, but just before the crowd turns into a full-fledged lynch mob, sheriff Luin appears. What is going on here? You, he points at Aetherys explain the presence of this blade!
Sheriff Luin is impatiently waiting for an explanation...
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Aetherys looks honestly flabbergasted. "This is indeed my blade, Sheriff, but it was stolen from me. I guess someone wants us to be accused of the murder, just like the Pathfinders were accused of the first two. You can ask around, I didn't know the victims and have absolutely no motive to assault any of these good people. I am a fervent defender of Sarenrae's faith, not a murderer. What's more, this blade is an intelligent one, and will probably know who stole it. I propose this to you: take the blade into your hands, and address it directly. Dawnblade - that is its name- is sentient, intelligent, and can speak through telepathy with the person who bears it."
Everybody, go home the sheriff addresses the crowd, there is nothing to see here. Let justice handle this case, I'll not have mob rule in this town.
The crowd disperses slowly as the Sheriff addresses the adventurers Dawnblade, you say. How do I know it is telling the truth? He briefly interrogates the blade, which also reports back to Aetherys I told him what I know: some man stole me from your side, and used me to commit a most foul murder. Please wash me, I have spilled the blood of an innocent.
The sheriff continues listen, I'm not ready to arrest you just yet, but be sure I'm watching your every move.
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Marra, thanks the Sheriff "I must say you are being quite reasonable under the circanstances, I take it that the obvious attempt to frame Aetherys, is not out of the realm of possibilities give resent events. We are willing to offer any help you need in getting to the bottom of these attacks that have been plaguing your town."
Well, that is appreciated, and I will take your side of the story into consideration, the Sheriff responds, mellowed somewhat by Marra's words, do stay out of trouble in the meantime, okay?
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"Why are we fumbling around if we have a witness who can describe the murderer? Aetherys, have Dawnblade tell you who the killer is and how he, or she, did it! Then we will settle this once and for all." the elf says. He wonders how this charade can continue if an eyewitness has been found. Although he has his suspicions, Rhanloi does not want to potentially prejudice the description and so does not question the blade himself.
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Marra stands on her tiptoes trying to get a better look at Dawnblade as it communicates the answer to Aetherys, "What if the murderer wore a disguise would dawnblade see through it, also how does the sword see if it doesn't have any eyes? And if it can see without eyes how do things appear to it? It just boggles the mind to imagine what the world looks like to a sword!"
While waiting for the sword to answer, the halfling replies to Aetherys' request "Assuming we are not tracking down the murderer then yes, we can go and talk to farmer Otto and maybe the two kids."
The sword talks of a tall man. the Sheriff says and there is nobody of that description matching your group.
Is seems the killer is one the loose then the Sheriff follows up, with somewhat unconvinced words let us handle it, and stay out of trouble in the meantime.
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The next morning, the adventurers ponder going to Otto's farm.
About five miles down the main road of dawnton, Otto’s farm covers 10 acres of land that are presently unplanted and a farmhouse at the center of the fields. A line of trees along the west side of the house forms a windbreak.
An imposing man, powerfully built and clean-shaven, calls out to the adventurers as they approach: Oy! he shouts get off off my land! We don't need no stinking trespassers! Get off!