While the nearby speaker gives most of the group a bit of a suspicious look, he says to Myth, "Archivin Walder was murdered last night! And I heard it was that big flying creature o' those stinkin,' greasy Varisians that did it. Bad enough with the thievin' and their lazy ways, now it's not safe for us law-abiding citizens to even walk the grounds! Can't believe Sheriff Feldane hasn't locked up that thing." When his tablemates try and point out that the jail isn't big enough to hold the sphinx, and that it's supposedly under lock and key at the carnival, he just offers a grumbling harumph.
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"If the Locked Box's owner was murdered, we should definitely look into that." Brin says with sudden attention.
Responding to Leppin's and Myth's comments, he says with equal attention, "I am glad you did Leppin. Very astute of you to notice that Myth. Shall we go then?" and without waiting for any to agree, he continues, "Wonderful! There is so much to learn here!" and he heads to the blue tent as directed.
The patrons grumble and make for the exit when Patros speaks; they're not seeking any trouble. Nobody heeds Jerbrick's words as they quickly exit, avoiding eye contact.
When you arrive at the circus, the carnival has not opened for the day’s business yet. Almara waits beside a large private wagon with an adjoining blue tent whose sides have been removed to form a canopy, and
chairs are arranged around a nearby campfire. She greets you warmly but with a businesslike air, and after a brief introduction gets to the reason for her invitation.
“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. 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.”
"The body was found this morning just outside of Jherizhana's tent, and he definitely died violently, cut to shreds--it happened some time well after we had shut down for the night. I can assure you that Jherizhana did not do this. I know this for a fact, though I cannot provide any actual proof. I need you to find out what really happened. If you can find conclusive proof of the identity of whoever did kill him, we'll pay you 600gp."
"And if you are willing to take on this task on behalf of the Umbra Carnival, I'll sign and seal this for you." She holds up an official looking writ legally designating you to act on behalf of the Carnival.
"This should help you when dealing with the Sheriff. I don’t believe Sheriff Feldane is an unjust woman, but I think she’s under greater pressure to keep the peace than to find the guilty. After all, my people aren’t her first concern. My belief is a third party investigation stands a better chance of clearing our good name than the local constabulary. In fact, it might be a good idea to seek her out as soon as you leave the Carnival, so she's aware of your investigation. And of course, feel free to speak to any of my people that you'd like. I've already spoken with the entire crew, and nobody saw or heard anything.”
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"I am in agreement as well. I believe we can help you." Brin starts off pleasantly.
Then in a more direct and serious manner, he continues, "In addition to Patros' questions, I have some as well. Firstly, you say you know for a fact that the sphinx did not do this. Were you with Jherizahana all evening or is there some other reason why you know this, and if so, what would that reason be? The more we know, the better we will be at discovering new information that will help determine the identity of the actual killer."
To Patros, she says, "Almost all my crew are part of my extended Varisian clan. The few exceptions are like Narthi, who's been with me for years. I trust all of them with my life; in fact, I have upon a few occasions. We haven't been in Ilsurian before, and none of my crew know anyone here... It is kind of odd that most of the people in this town seem to be of Chelish blood given it's locale..."
To Brin: "I'm afraid it'll have to suffice for me to say it simply could not have been Jherizhana. I realize that may be frustrating, but you'll simply need to accept that. I appreciate your discretion and forbearance."
She pauses for a moment and considers Wisp's words. A small smile crosses her face, and she silently chuckles once to herself, before her demeanor resumes its businesslike facade. "Tell you what, my little Wayang friend. If you can prove beyond all doubt or impossibility that Jherizhana did in fact commit this murder--if indeed it was murder--I'll double your fee."
To Mythryndyr she says, "This isn’t just about lost revenue or personal reputation, or even protecting who they accused. This carnival relies on being able to buy provisions in the towns we visit. I can’t allow our ability to perform and obtain supplies to become compromised. So please, do your best. "
You all have a sense that she's sincere in what she says--even your resident skeptic, Patros. She believes every word, though Patros does think she may be holding something back.
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Myth smiles and bows to the lady. "Very well ma'am, give us the writ and we'll be on our way to talk with the sheriff. We'll likely be back before too long as we'll need to check out the murder scene. We'll also need to question your crew to see if they might've had any interaction with the victim...or witnessed any interactions he had with other carnival goers earlier in the evening..."
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Leppin nods sympathetically to the Almara. "I'm sorry for your people's trouble. You were probably just convenient stooges to blame for Walder's murder--even better that you had monsters to blame."
He cocks his head to the side and asks, with a slightly inappropriate amount of eagerness in his voice. "We should definitely see the sheriff right away, but, when we're done, cane we talk with Jherizhana?"
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Now that the group is out of earshot of the carnival people, and Wisp has made his statement, Brin chimes in, "I agree with Myth. Before we start in, we should talk with the sheriff. I also agree with Wisp. He may be on to something. Almara was unusually evasive, and she is absolutely certain that the sphinx could not have done this. But it doesn't serve her, our employer, to have us expose the sphinx as a fraud if that is the case, so we should not focus on that aspect of this investigation. Question the sphinx? Certainly. Is it something that we need to do immediately? Certainly not. Let's visit the sheriff first."
You notice there is definitely more of a subdued air to among the townsfolk as you make your way to the Town Jail, and more than one distrustful glance comes your way as outsiders. Inside the jailhouse, you see a woman in her early 40s wearing light armor, shuffling through some paperwork at her desk. She instroduces herself as Sheriff Kyra Feldane, and asks your business. When you explain your presence and produce Almara Delisin's letter, the sheriff breaks the seal and carefully reviews it. With a nod she looks up.
"Before I share any information, understand first and foremost, as duly appointed representatives of the Umbra Carnival, any actions you take will reflect on the carnival as well. Understood?" She pauses for a moment until at least one of you nods. Then she continues.
"The victim was Archivin Walder, the town moneylender and sometimes pawnbroker who owns a local business called the Locked Box. Walder was found mauled while walking to his home after the circus last night. Walder’s wife discovered the body in a small wooded area not too far from the Carnival."
"When he never came home, Agnes Walder became worried and begged her husband’s four full-time guards who live at the Locked Box for help. Three of them left their post to search, and one guard stayed behind to secure the office. Thieves, presumably in league with the creature that killed Walder, burst into the Locked Box, killed the remaining guard, and stole many easily carried valuables (such as gems and jewelry). The robbery was interrupted when the guards brought Walder’s body to the office instead of his home, and they glimpsed two humanoid figures fleeing in the night. Upon finding the guard dead and the building burglarized, the three remaining guards secured the building until I could be notified." The sheriff pauses and looks you over before continuing.
"To be honest with you, I'm not convinced a creature from the circus is responsible for the murders. While he was clearly mauled by a large creature with immense claws, it's also clear the robbery is tied to his murder. And if the circus wanted to pull off a heist, why do it on the first night of their run? Wouldn't they have waited until they were getting ready to leave town? Besides, Ms. Delisin strikes me as an honest sort." Then she heaves a great sigh. "That being said, the people of Ilsurian are fiercely independent and can be quite reactive...even impulsive. I need to find the culprits sooner, rather than later. Anything you could do to help that would be appreciated, but understand, I need to get to the bottom of this."
She stands up and straps on her weapons belt. "I suppose you'll be wanting to visit the crime scenes? Where to first?"
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"The body, yes. We should see the body first..." Brin mumbles, somewhat lost in thought. Continuing to mumble, mostly to himself but still out loud, "It could be easy enough to make it look like a creature did the killing, with an easy scapegoat being the traveling carnival. Hmm... If the killer was trying to pin this on Jherizhana they wouldn't likely know of any special reason that would preclude her from killing anyone, as per what Almara seemed to be saying... but we have much still to look over. We need actual evidence and not wild speculation at this point..."
Suddenly he seems to come back to the group as he spins toward Patros, "Yes! To the body! Lead on good man!"
The Sheriff leads you to the undertaker's office. Along the way, she notes the dour disposition of the citizenry. “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. Now 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.”
The sheriff introduces the party to the undertaker, explains your arrangement with the carnival, and informs him to offer you complete cooperation. He leads you into his lab/morgue, where Walder's body is currently interred. A thorough examination of the body reveals it did indeed clearly die from the claws of a Large animal in a violent encounter. There are defensive wounds on his arms, where he tried to shield himself, but to little avail--the wounding was massive and his death was probably very swift. All the wounds and scratches are consistent with Large claws.
There's no aura of magic nor evil.
After bidding farewell to the undertaker, the Sheriff leads you to the Locked Box. It is a sturdy one-story building with 12' high ceilings. Sheriff Feldane brings you inside, where you find a teary-eyed older woman with 2 armed guards. The guards are quite tense and edgy when you first enter, but visibly relax when they spot the sheriff. Feldane introduces you to Agnes Walder, the freshly minted widow, and explains why you are there.
"It's my fault," Agnes Walder says, sniffing back her tears. "If only I'd've gone with him, he'd still be alive. But it just bothered me to think of being with him when he was ogling that winged she-lion whatsit—all that prancin’ about without a top on. But none a’ that would matter if only Archie was still here with me!” She starts sobbing again, and the guards move over to her to try and comfort her.
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Myth steps up and bows. "Ma'am, sorry for your loss...and had you went with him, you'd likely be dead as well...
I have a few questions, if you're up to it...could help us catch his killer. Can you tell me what time your husband left for the carnival and what time you discovered his body? Did he go there by himself?
Did he have any rivals or enemies in town?"
Patros is certain the wounds came from a Large creature, certainly much larger than human-sized.
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"He left right after lunch. I knew he was planning on staying until the carnival closed. I wasn't too worried until it got to be near midnight. Isn't that right, Biffer, Boffer?" The two guards reassuringly pat her on the back, though from the looks on their faces you're betting it was a bit earlier than that. After a few more sniffles, she continues. "He did indeed go by himself. He insisted the men stay here and keep an eye on things. As for rivals, there really isn't any other moneylenders here in town. And while he can drive a hard bargain, he is--I mean was" she starts to break down, but keeps it together. "...fair in his dealings. In fact a lot of people in this town have benefited at one time or another by his pawnbrokering...he never sold anything unless he had the okay from the original owner. He helped keep many families afloat during hard times..."
Lamps illuminate this large showroom. Glass display cases, broken in a few places, line the walls, while two additional cases sit like islands in the center of the room. The cases contain an eclectic mix of valuables such as unusual tools, masterwork weapons, jewelry, fine china, antiques, and artwork. A set of merchant’s scales rests on top of one of the display cases. Broken glass has been swept up into careful piles near the few broken cases.
She says, "We keep most of the valuable stuff in the vault downstairs. Thank goodness the boys got here before they could fully loot the place. Here's my spare key--I suppose we'll need to change the locks, since we never found Arnie's master key." She leads you to the western door and opens it up.
This area is the guard’s quarters. Two cots and a bunk bed sit in the room. Footlockers are tucked underneath the cots to store personal belongings. A table and chairs are in the room’s center, a well-used deck of harrow cards on the tabletop. A large, rusty red blotch remains on the floor where the guard’s body was discovered.
Agnes begins to sob again. "I did my best to clean up Bobber's blood. .." She hands over the master key and heads back out to the showroom.
Sheriff Feldane says, "His throat was slit. Real professional job. Never saw it coming. His sword was still sheathed. As the sounds of sobbing grow louder, she says, "I better go tend to the widow..." And with that, you're alone in the guards' quarters, with the spare master key to the place.
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"If the most valuable items are kept in the vault then perhaps we should look in there to see if anything was taken. I imagine there are safeguards there, so we should be careful. I think we should ask Mrs. Walder or the guards about that before we look of course, and see if we can get a list of the contents to compare against."
It certainly looks like there was no sign of struggle. The pool of blood is pretty much exactly where you'd expect it if someone fell from the nearby chair after having their throat slit from behind.
While Agnes takes a moment to regain her composure a bit before answering Jerbrick's questions, Boffer says, "We saw a couple people running off to the East. They were too far away to get a look at them, and we were more worried bout what might've been going on inside. By the time we found our dead friend and came rushing back out, they were long gone."
Then Agnes says, "We haven't taken an inventory yet...nothing too valuable is out here in these cases. Mostly just costume jewelry and semi-precious stones. We don't have anything rare in the vault, just goods of higher quality. Jewelry that's pure gold and platinum with diamonds and other valuable gems. Some quality masterwork weapons that are rotated with the ones on display. Archie's coin collection, although that's not really that valuable. He just collected coins from all over the world and kept them in our vault more to keep us from mistakenly selling it or giving it away as change. Oh, and there are a few boxes we store for local friends and associates, since it's perhaps the most secure vault in the city. Or at least we thought it was."
The sheriff stirs a bit at your interest in the inventory. "I thought you were here to investigate the murders. While the theft is likely tied into it, it's beginning to sound a bit like you're trying to case the place. Perhaps I should begin taking inventory. Biffer, Boffer, do either of you know where the Walders keep their inventory list?" One of them nods and leads him to the eastern door, which is locked. They look expectantly at you, clearly waiting for the master key.
"Indeed, excellent suggestion, " Sheriff Feldane says. "Let's do this together, so we know what's missing."
You enter the room.
A large polished desk dominates the office. Hooks for hanging lamps are permanently affixed to the walls, while mounted behind the desk is a large framed portrait. Running along the east wall is a large display case filled plaques, framed documents, trophies, and stuffed animals. Boffer nods at the desk, and the Sheriff attempts to open the drawer. It's locked, but the master key works on that as well. The sheriff pulls out a rather large log book. She brings it out into the main showroom and plops it down on one of the intact displays. As she starts leafing through the book, she says, "This could take a while..."
She starts reading off inventory lists and Biffer and Boffer start confirming what is still there.
Patros looks around, trying to find any tracks or other signs of a trail. He finds no signs of a discernible trail--given the hard surfaces, general cleanliness and high level of foot traffic in the area, that's not surprising. He does notice that there are no signs of forcible entry into the building, nor on any of the interior doors on the first floor.
Wisp puts his hours of pouring over scrolls to learn languages to good use, quickly taking over for the sheriff reviewing the log book and noting what's missing from the front room. She seems duly impressed at his efficiency and skill. There are several shaonti copper necklaces, and various semi precious stones missing. What's missing is valued under 200gp.
Sheriff Feldane writes down her own copy of the list of missing valuables then tells you she needs to check back in at the jail. She nods at the recently returned guard. "I'm sure Billybob can show you where Agnes found the body. And you be sure to let me know if you find anything important. Good luck." With a nod goodbye, she heads out.
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"200 gold pieces? This doesn't strike me as much of a robbery then...seems like the burglars were targeting something specific...perhaps one of the necklaces or stones had value aside from monetary?"
As the Sheriff leaves, Myth turns first to her and then to the guards. "G'day ma'am...thank you for your assistance...
Biffer, Boffer...which one of you will take us to the scene of the murder?"
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"You sir, are brilliant!" Brin exclaims excitedly!
He clears his throat, calming down and continues "Please pardon my enthusiasm, but that could very well be the case. Of course we won't discount other possibilities, but we shall look at that as well. Such wonderful input from everyone. I can see our Venture Captain's wisdom now more fully."