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You can almost hear the gears clunking and clanking in Arthrax's skull as he squints, his brow furrowing deeply. "Hey! Aren't the guys in charge of Alchemists called guild masters?" He looks to the tiefling inquisitively, feeling quite proud of his powers of deduction.
"I wouldn't know, Gallant Sir Bellringer. I was never a part of any guild. But, you may be onto something!"
"The other alchemists in Absalom never let me join any of their groups. The Pathfinder Society was the first group ever to accept my application for admission without subsequently asking me to leave."
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Following up on the information you recieved back at the Locked Box, The group heads over to the temple of Erastil located in the Ivy District. As you arrive, you note that it's a rather plain wooden building with little decoration. Knocking on the front door, you're greeted by an elderly man in brown and green robes. He greets you with a tired smile as he says "Greetings my children, and may the blessings of Ol' Deadeye be upon you today. What is it that I can do for you?"
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** spoiler omitted **
"Gallant Sir Bellringer, Imposing Lady Evenstar, Knowledgeable Sir Dolph, Kind Sir Dar'erthan: I believe these wounds were caused by alchemical agents."
Remembering that Arthrax is getting suspicious of Alchemist Guilds, Misforstått add: "It wasn't me. I've been with you all for the last several days."
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"May the sun of the dawnflower light compliment the natural warmth of Ol' Dead Eye." says Dar'erthan touching his brow and bowing slightly. "In our travels, we have come across the slaughter of many creatures in a cavern not far from here. I do not have the wisdom and power to cleanse the evil from the massacre or the bodies. I would ask that to keep the natural balance of life and death, the temple send your holy men and women to cleanse the area. It is not for me that I ask, but the people of this town, for whom you tend as your flock."
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"Thank you brother, it was our investigations into Mr Walder's death that led us that way. If you would allow, we should look at Mr Walder's body? It would be useful in our investigations. We have a letter from Lawkeeper Feldane to seek the truth and find those who did the terrible deed." The cleric shows the document to the brother of ol' dead eye.
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The priest takes you down a flight of stairs and into a cool, dark chamber. There on a slab of stone lays what's left of Archivin Walder."This is the hall of the dead, where we prepare the departed for the afterlife. Please treat this room with the respect it deserves." says the priest before stepping back out to attend to his other duties. With that, the party gets to work with the autopsy. After an extensive review , you're not certain that the a sphinx, or any type of big cat for that matter, could have inflicted these wounds. They're much too deep for a cat's claws to inflict. Also, there are bite marks and the last time you checked, Sphinxes have human teeth.
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"Yes, I agree we should report back to the sheriff. Though we haven't found the true killer, at least we have cleared the sphinx," Evenstar says.
Looking at Misforstatt, she says "I'm glad you have been able to bond so much with the priest we have known for what...the last two minutes? You two seem very close..."
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As the group leaves the temple of Erastil and heads back out into the streets, you note that people are running past from the direction of the circus parade grounds. When stopped and asked for details, one woman cries out "There's been another murder! All hell is about to break loose at the carnival, and everyone's sayin' that their purses have been cut while walking around the carniva!" Another of the crowd stops and shouts “The thievin’ Varisians are trying to bleed the town dry! It's time to run 'em off for good!”
When you arrive, the situation has escalated into a full-blown confrontation on the parade grounds between four Ilsurian men and two circus enforcers who are trying to drive them back toward town.
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Dar'ethan takes out the sheriff's letter holding it aloft. "See here Lawkeeper Feldane's seal! Do as this lady says..." pointing to Evenstar "and you will not interfere with the Law's course. The law will prevail and justice done, none shall escape it's grasp or the wrath of the righteous." The cleric shouts with authority. he watches as Misforstatt starts to move away, and then reurn under Evenstar's command. He scratches his head, wondering what hold the mighty female fighter has over the tiefling vivisectionist.
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Evanstar's outburst is enough to scare off most of the angry townsfolk. Those who don't initially run off follow soon after as they realize that they're numbers aren't so impressive anymore. As the circus grounds begin to quite down once again, you see the carnival's owner, Almara Delisen, come running up to you. After a moment of catching her breath, she says "My thanks for the timely crowd control, but unfortunately we have more pressing issues at hand. There's been another murder, and this time it's in the sphinx's tent. Come, quickly!"
As you arrive inside the sphinx's tent, you notice that, while the giant cage and pillows are still in place, the sphinx herself is nowhere to be seen. Off to the side, an elderly woman in torn green & brown robes lays dead in the grass.
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As you begin putting the pieces together, a large commotion can be heard outside as you hear a woman yell "Like the hells I'm not permitted inside! Now get out of my way or I'll remove you from my way!" Shortly after, Sheriff Feldane comes storming in as two circus guards can be seen laid out at the entrance. Feldane marches right up to miss Delisen and begins shouting. "That's it, two murders in as many days!? I have half a mind to arrest you, kill that damned sphinx, and ban your entire outfit from the city for life! Speaking of which, where is that wretch of a creature!?"
Almara quickly tries to calm down the sheriff as she replies "Please, good sheriff, this isn't our fault! Lady Jherizhana couldn't have committed these atrocities as she's...lounging in her travel wagon at the moment. At any rate, the investigation is ongoing and I'm sure the adventurers have uncovered something that proves our innocence." At that moment, both women turn to look at the group, sheriff Feldane with a scowl and Almara Delisen with a silent plead.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't clap the whole lot of them in irons right now." growls the sheriff as she continues to look at the group.
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Arthrax begins unsurely, not nearly the most social of the characters, but trying to allay the growing conflict. "Sheriff Feldane, we were able to figure out that it was skulks who performed the murder of the moneylender, as we caught one in the basement and sent it with your guard to be held for questioning. When we went to investigate the cave where the skulks lair, we discovered a small group of them, dead. They had apparently been blown apart through alchemical reactions. The skulk we had captured kept mentioning a guildmaster, as well. In addition, my comrades found these nearby." He indicates the three small glass vials. "There are no tracks that would indicate the sphinx, but there are some that lead there," he indicates a portion of the tent, "and the stakes have been pulled up to allow entry and exit."