Anzu notices a scent of something unfamiliar coming from.
Ayla and Highroost enter the room and find it empty.
Herald and Amaron just spot the man has he goes to turn back up the stairs. He currently has a dagger drawn.
Surprise round-Bold May Act
Amaron
GM
Herald
Round 1
Feuerseele
Amaron
GM
Ayla
Herald
Finger Highroost
Amaron attacks, and catches the male off guard. He suffers a grievous wound. Amaron's dino attacks, but the wall gets in its way.
The man attacks him back, but the blade misses.
Surprise round-Bold May Act
Herald
Round 1
Feuerseele
Amaron
GM
Ayla
Herald
Finger Highroost
The male makes a swipe at the druid before heading back up stairs.
Pathfinders are up.
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Hearing a commotion, Ayla peeks down the stairs. Following her ally's gaze she looks at the opposite stairwell. "Got it!"
She heads down the hall and into the central room on the second floor. She whips open the opposite door and sees someone!
"Ha! Found you! Are you a bad guy or a victim? Tell me now!"
Amaron gets a hit in as the male backs away up the stairs.
At the sight of the gnome and tengu, the man drops the dagger and runs away screaming. "Help they are trying to kill me"
Once in the room, he opens the window.
Pathfinders are up
The paladin grabs hold of the man before he gets chance. He continues to shout, "Murderers, let me go." He yells even louder towards a crowd approaching the house. "Help they are trying to kill me"
He struggles against the paladin. But can not break the hold.
Party is back up
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Quiet, you. You're just trying to draw attention to yourself. We have no intention of harming you, if you'll answer our questions.
The Herald stands ready...for the hundredth time...to calm a potentially angry mob. This he knows how to do. Mostly.
See here now. We are on a mission to rescue a kidnap victim. You may all watch us ask him questions if you wish. We have no intention of murdering anyone. We seek only the truth.
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"Murderers, let me go."
"Help they are trying to kill me"
Finger can hear the frame-up go exactly as he suspected, ”Two can play this game.” He stomps outside where Flusee is watching the door, ”Back me up here”, then starts shouting, ”PEOPLE OF DAWNTON! WE FOUND THE REAL KIDNAPPING MURDERER! COME! COME!”
Highroost pins the man into the window seal as the crowd gathers round. Now noticeable up close are the pitchforks and other assortment of make shift weapons.
The Sheriff Luin catches up to the head of the mob. The mob shouts nearly drown out the the Sheriff's commands, and then Ekira yells out above them all. "See the murderers are at it agains."
The man speaks up from the paladins grasp, "Sheriff you have caught them in the act, I was just sleeping upstairs when they came barging into my home. I was nearly killed by him." He says gesturing to Amaron, clutching his midsection where he was wounded.
The Sheriff moves himself in between the mob and the PC's. "Y'all come on out of the house and we will settle this."
Once outside, the Sheriff tells you to release the man, and ask the male what has happened. "Now sir, State your name and what has happened?" Now let him tell his peace, you will have your chance to speak"[/b] He then shifts a glance to Ekira, "Not a word from you in this?"
"My name is Dalton." The man states while wincing in pain."I saw these thugs murder a man last night. They must have found out that I was a witness and tracked me here. And then they attempted to silence me."
The Obsidian Button (+1): If the PCs bring forth the obsidian button found at Otto’s farm, they can demonstrate that it does not match the clothing worn by the Pathfinders. The bonus granted for presenting this evidence increases by 2 if the PCs can also link the button to the clothing that Dalton is wearing.
Handwriting Comparison (+2): If the PCs bring forth the letter sent to Venture-Captain Jorsal of Lauterbury and either of Dalton’s other notes, they can demonstrate the same person wrote the letters and seemed intent on luring more Pathfinders to Dawnton to be executed. Increase the bonus this evidence grants by 2
if the PCs present all three letters.
Orug’s Testimony (+2): If the PCs call forth Orug as a witness, he can relate his having glimpsed the killer on the night of the first murder—specifically that the murderer was tall, whereas the three Pathfinders arrested are all quite short.
Supporting Rumors (+0): For every three true rumors the PCs present, they can attempt another check to influence the NPCs. Neither Tobias nor Ekira hold these rumors in high regard, but they provide context for the PCs to continue pressing their case. Fabricated Evidence (+0): The PCs can attempt to fabricate evidence with a successful DC 21 Bluff check. The Bluff DC to present fabricated evidence increases by 2 each additional time the PCs use this option, as their testimony becomes increasingly hard to believe the more their testimony deviates from the crowd’s understanding of events. If the PCs fail the Bluff check, the number of successful checks they need increase by one.
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Ayla strokes her fabulous moustache. "Yes! Murders most foul have occurred in this town, but NOT by US! Ohohoho, no! But, gather round! And allow us to enlighten you!"
As her fellow Pathfinder present their evidence she twirls her moustache, makes gasps, oohs, and aaahs at the appropriate moments, and points dramatically at the witnesses and guilty when called upon!
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Herald warms to the job, his voice gaining confidence.
Sir Highroost, a Paladin of unquestioned honesty, will you please show the crowd the letter we received, purportedly from a small child, but sharing the same handwriting of a letter sent to Venture-Captain Jorsal of Lauterbury?
Someone... he pauses for effect ...is luring Pathfinders here to be framed and executed!
...another letter supposedly "from a concerned but frightened citizen" which shares the same handwriting!
Someone has gone to a great deal of trouble to pretend to be three different people presenting lurid accusations.
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The Herald seeks out Orug in the crowd.
You, sir. Orug is your name, am I correct? You caught a glimpse of the murderer outside your shop, yes? Am I correct that the person you saw fleeing the crime was a tall person?
But how is that possible, if the accused Pathfinders are all short in stature?
Ladies and gentlemen, there is ample evidence that someone has a grudge against Pathfinders, and is manufacturing evidence and committing crimes in the hopes of pinning them on people. You have a murderer in your midst, but it is not a Pathfinder.
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"The same buttons, ladies and gentlemen"
Finger adds with dramatic effect, pointing almost into Dalton's face, "AH-HAH!"
"shares the same handwriting"
Points at the letters, "AH-HAH!!!"
"all short in stature"
Points at Ayla, "AH-HAH!!!!!"
"And what about the rumors that you have testimonies - are they reliable drunkards? And the rumor that the first dagger that JUST happens to fit into the sheath of the Pathfinder - just like me? And the rumor that Otto is skinning people alive out on his farm - maybe he IS? AHHHH_HAAAAHHH!!!!!"
"Go back to milking your sheeps - leave us be!"
"Slinging threats like that is not helping you case" The sheriff shouts at Amaron.
Ekira picks the button out of Amaron's hand and holds it up to the shirt of Dalton. "It is a match" Dalton straitens his jacket and and grabs a flask out of the pocket.
Orug retells the story that he gave the pathfinders to Sheriff Luin, "Orug, I wish you would have came sooner with this information"
Both Ekira and the Sheriff take the notes and examine them closely. Tobias is the first to speak, "They do looks similar, will need to look at them under a magnifier. Here you look" He says passing the letters back to Ekira.
"They do look very close." She says leveling an eye at Dalton and moving them over to the Pathfinders. Dalton drinks from the vial.
Ekira approaches the pathfinders, "I apologize, I made a mistake in judging you prior to the evidence."
Dalton scoffs at the declaration of innocence, "Jeez, how hard is it to frame somebody these days." He then pulls another dagger from the small in his back.
The crowd is becomes panicked and tries to get away.
Dalton 7hp
Dalton moves forward through the crowd and attacks the paladin. But in his weakened state, misses hitting the vital spot.
Pathfinders are up
Finger fails to grab ahold of him, and pays for opening himself up.
Dalton fights off the daze spell and avoids The Heralds maddening touch.
Dalton slashes at the paladin this time. But misses by a wide margin.
pathfinders are up.
Dalton takes a swing at Finger with his dagger, but misses as his feet are swept from under him.
All but Finger may act