Sangkip, you look around carefully, but see no sign of a dagger along the path he fled... and that path is easily followed due to all the blood he is loosing from Huni's attack.
"They consort with demons!" The stranger yells, as he drinks a potion in his hand, finally stopping the bleeding. "More likely one of them ran afoul of their fiendish masters!"
You also realize it doesn't look quite right... Almost as if there were a second spell that occurred at the same time. Unfortunately you are not quite able to recognize what it might have been, or where it came from.
As the rest of the Pathfinders start trying to claim he himself is the murderer, he can only look around in wonder.
"I am but a single man." He wails, "They are many! Keep them away from me! Please!"
"It is all words!" Ekira shouts, her eyes on the Pathfinders, not the stranger. "Iomedae herself is telling me of their duplicitous nature!"
Sheriff Luin steps in, waving the mob back "All of you, calm down. They claim it is that one. That one claims it was them. It should be easy enough to detain them all, and sort this out."
He calls forward some of the guards that came with him, a few you recognize from his home. Soon all of you are being watched by an armed volunteer militia member.
Tobias approaches the 'victim'. "I do not recognize you sir. What is your name?"
"Davio Kingfisher, sir." He replies quickly. "Thank you for saving me from those murderers!"
Ekira seems to be seething. She strides forward, her eyes starting to glow. "I can easily get to the bottom of all of this! The Inheritor has given me the tools to ferret out evil. To see through their lies!"
She looks at the fallen man for a few seconds. "I find no evil intent on this man!" She finally proclaims, as she glances up the pathfinders.
Again, her glowing eyes start to focus on each of you... but she quickly stops, turning her full attention to Alessio.
"That one. There." She exclaims triumphantly, pointing at the alchemist. "That one has the taint of evil all over him! We have found our murderer! Another Pathfinder!"
The crowd starts to surge forward again, and it takes all of the sheriff's attention to push them back.
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"Sheriff, we were warned that such shenanigans was inadmissible." Referring to Ekira's spell. "And everyone present knows her bias. We don't offer spells from a god." Huni uses air quotes for 'spells' and 'god'. "But physical evidence as proof of our innocence."
If the shopkeeper is present, "He says he saw the murderer. Says it was a tall man. That does not describe the halfling nor the dwarves due to be killed for the act.
We have this letter luring us to this house, which matches the handwriting of the other letters that lured us to your fine town as well as that of the anonymous letter that implicates the other Pathfinders.
We have this button, which if you'll check, Sheriff, is the same one we showed you before. It came from the array of finery clothing him.
Someone has worked very hard to get Pathfinders here. Someone has worked very hard to implicate Pathfinders in the murders. I say it was this man here with the help of this false priestess who hates Pathfinders and would do anything even claim to hold private conversations with THE GODDESS to do us in."
Huni can't be sure of all he said, but if he's wrong, they are all dead anyway. He's still not sure if Ekira is involved, but she is so annoying that he just does not care.
Diplomacy
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The taint of evil you sense is whatever devil that man put inside me. While I was unconscious, post-stabbing, I had visions of this place burned to the ground, a hellscape. But I tell you, Ekira, I have saved more lives on the battlefield than you can count and have put my life up for others on countless occasions. If your god can see true, then she will see that. Look closer. You will see that it is not part of me. Alessio sternly addresses Ekira.
"What? You mean the blade he does not have?" Ekira snaps back. "I see through your lies, Pathfinders. And it is not your story that's checking out!"
"Enough Ekira." Tobias yells. "The rest of you, go home! We will take all of them into custody, and sort this out in an orderly fashion."
None of the mob seems to take him up on his suggestion, though do stop trying to press their way in.
Ekira seems only slightly molified, though steps back, keeping a close eye on Alessio.
"Let us try them here and now." She exclaims. "Before they can further hide their trail. I will know who lies, and who tells the truth. The inheritor has gifted me that much."
Again there is a magical glow about her.
Tobias sighs. "You can if you wish, but as I've told you many times before, we can not use that to convict anyone."
Ekira just scowls. "Your lack of faith in the Inheritor is unfortunate, Tobias... but these are your laws. It will help us in our questioning though."
The sheriff only nods.
The sheriff separates Davio from the Pathfinders, and put him under the watchful eye of a couple of the volunteer militia.
He and Ekira both stand in front of the man with serious faces.
"Alright." Tobias starts, standing directly in front of the man, while Ekira watches over his shoulder. "We shall get to the bottom of this tonight, it seems, starting with you, Mr. Kingfisher."
"So please, tell us what happened here." He finally asks, nodding towards Ekira, who watches him carefully.
Davio looks at them nervously, then glances towards the Pathfinders not far off, a fearful look on his face.
"I saw them." He finally blurts out, pointing towards the rest of you. "I saw them all, last night, in that alley in town, where those two men got killed. It musta been them, right?"
He looks down at his feet, a shameful look on his face. "I didn't say nothing yesterday, cause I was afraid." He mutters. "There was six of them, and only one of me."
"Then you came and said all that stuff about keeping an eye on them, to make sure they didn't kill no on else." He adds, looking earnestly at the sheriff. "Now, I ain't from Dawnton, no sir. I came down from Blue River. Check out the fair, a little entertainment, you know... like everyone else, I imagine. Country folk gotta look out for one another, right?! So I decided to keep an eye on 'em, like you said... make sure they didn't murder someone!"
He looks down at his feet for a moment. "But they musta spotted me too... I can only guess they tracked me here. All six of 'em tried their best to kill me too!"
He holds his arms out, showing all the blood on his clothing from the wounds he received. "And now they're claiming one of me attacked six of them?" He shakes his head in stunned amazement.
"If you hadn't come along, I'd probably be dead too... just another victim to the murderous rampage!" He finally concludes, grabbing the sheriff's hand, and shaking in gratefully.
Tobias glances over at Ekira, and she gives the man one last stern glare, before turning back to Tobias. "Everything he says has no hint of falseness." She concludes, clearly pleased. "It is obvious the Pathfinders are the murderers, Iomedae herself has informed me of."
"We all don't have a direct line to the divine." Tobias responds, with a frown. Clearly Davio's accounts sound entirely plausible to him as well. "So we question all of them. Do what the law requires of us all."
Ekira frowns, but nods. "The Inheritor herself has informed me of this man's innocence, and condemned those who attacked him." She calls out, no longer addressing the sheriff, but instead the crowds gathered around. Many of them nod in agreement, apparently ready to hang all of the Pathfinders already.
Now the burden falls on you.
You're not sure where it came from, but over by the Sheriff, Ekira, and Davio, at best guess.
Floria's words only gain her a number of frowns.
"You do not get to ask questions of the witness." Ekira says sharply. "Be silent!"
"You will have your turn to speak." Tobias echoes, not appreciating the interruption either.
"Why would I have attacked all of them, alone?!" Davio cries, unprompted, getting only a nod from Ekira, who goes back to eyeing him closely.
___________________________________
Once Davio's testimony has been taken, Tobias calls Huni over, the warpriest eager to say his piece.
Ekira eyes him closely, one hand suddenly on her own weapon.
"Now, what do you have to say for yourself." Tobias starts.
Of course Huni has plenty to say, and the sheriff listens closely nodding at times, while Ekira keeps her eyes on him the entire time, her frown deepening.
"Ekira's magic are not being offered as proof, merely a safeguard, if you will." He interjects. Ekira only snorts.
"You mentioned Orug's statement before, and I have since talked to him a little more 'stringently'... he has confirmed your description of what he saw." He accedes. "He always was one for a bit of embellishment. As for the letters, let me see it."
He takes the note asking for help, looking at it closely for a moment, before shaking his head. "I can not tell so easily." He points to one of the guards. "You, take Joe, and go get the notes from evidence. Hurry."
The guard looks to one of the others, then both hurry off towards town.
"As to this button, you mentioned it before..."
"He lied there." Ekira interrupts. "About the button coming from this man's clothing."
Tobias frowns, and adds. "An easy enough fact to prove." He offers. "Give me the button please."
"We still have no proof of where that came from." Ekira reminds him, getting only a slight nod from the sheriff. "And check those others as well."
Again, Tobias nods, and takes the button, examines it for a moment, then compares it to everyone, starting with the Pathfinders. He takes his time, but finding no matches to your own clothing, then turns to Davio.
It doesn't take long, before he looks up, and says simply. "It does appear to match. And there's one missing right down near the bottom here." He adds, pointing to the man's coat.
Ekira scowls, and demands. "Let me see that." As she takes the button, and compares them herself.
"Its just a button!" Davio blurts out. "There's lots of buttons like that one, all over. Like the lady said, who knows where it came from. They must have taken it when they attacked me!"
"They showed this button to me yesterday." Tobias interjects. "It was not taken this evening."
Ekira looks up, and nods slightly, still frowning. "It does appear to match." She concedes. "Though I still question its authenticity."
As they finish their examination, the guards return with the letters, and both Tobias, and Ekira take a few minutes examining all three.
"They do all seem to have come from the same hand." Tobias says finally, and Ekira reluctantly agrees.
They finish questioning Huni, and he turns his final words into a personal attack on Ekira.
Her scowl deepens, and she responds quite angrily. "Oh, I hate Pathfinders. That is true, I have made no secret of that. You may or may not have killed these people here, but that does not absolve you of the thousands that have died, because of you."
She spits out that last. "I watched hundreds upon hundreds killed in Kenbras, when the wards fell. So few escaped, and only because of sacrifices of others more worthy then we."
"But I am an inquisitor of the Inheritor, we will find the truth, whatever hole it tries to hide in, whatever guise it tries to hide behind." She turns her angry glare on all of you. "And the truth was, that it was the Pathfinders behind it all."
"All of those deaths, not just in Kenabres, but up and down the country side, all the way to Nerosyan. And my glorious city overrun by demonic hoards... all because of you people."
"So yes, I do despise you. All the people of Mendev should... and I will see you pay for the evil you have done."
"Ekira!" Tobias warns. "We are here for the law, not your vendetta."
"I follow the law, always." Ekira retorts, though breaks off from her angry diatribe. "The Inheritor is behind me."
Tobias finishes with Huni, then turns back to the Pathfinders. "Who's next?"
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Sigh, this would be a perfect moment to solve things with a nicely thrown dagger again.
"Not just you Alessio. Anyone able to point out sneaky things? I get a feeling that's not an angel on Ekira's shoulder."
"Oh by the way, anyone notice that Alessio here got stabbed in the back? How does that add up with murdery-mcmurderer's story?"
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When called to testify Floria will state clearly that she hasn't killed anyone, that they were attacked first. She will also mention that spells to fool alignment detection are cheaply obtained, and that of the suspects only the pathfinders have denied the murders while under Ekira's gaze.
Finally she will reiterate the evidence that Huni already gave about the letters and the button, and suggest to the sheriff that if he finds the man who brought the letter, she could identify him, and then he could identify the child, who might in turn be able to identify the culprit.
The gathering crowd seems to have grown as you inquiries go on, more and more folks appearing out of the night, the sun long since dropping below the horizon.
The Tobias listens to each of you that wishes to speak, weighing what is said thoughtfully. Ekira listens as well, though is far less inclined to believe what you say.
Davio stays quiet through most of it, just watching what is happening, ocassionally a slight smile working its way onto his face, before he wipes it away.
Huni's original please get mixed results, neither Ekira nor Tobias holding much stock in the words of the store owner. But the letters, those seem to get both of their attentions, as even Ekira has to admit the handwriting is the same, on all three, and concede that it is highly suspicious of some sort of deception. Though both concede it is not proof of anything.
The button comes with mixed responses, Tobias finding it quite damning... though Ekira again points out that they only have the Pathfinders word as to where it came from.
When Alessio steps in to try to offer some insights, he only receives cold glares from both, Ekira insistent that bias has nothing to do with her ruling, and Tobias reluctantly agreeing. Alessio can't help shake the feeling that anything he says has become suspect at this point, due to the ill-timed effects of Kara's spell. Though he does wonder if that is the nature of all such infernal bargains.
Though the moment you hear it, it seems to stop, until you're not sure you heard it at all, over the clamoring crowd.
Floria manages to be a fair bit more eloquent... though can't help but continue sniping at Ekira, which does not earn her any good will. As it turns out, the man that delivered the letter to them is in the crowd, and immediately steps forward when it is mentioned again. He turns out to be a long-standing citizen of Dawnton, and neither he, nor the sheriff are sure who the girl was that delivered the letter to him.
Still, it raises more questions, even Ekira starting to frown puzzled at this point.
Huni speaks up again, trying to make one last plea, and both of them appear to hear him out, the sheriff nodding, Ekira frowning with a grim look on her face.
Finally, the two of them have an animated discussion for a minute, before turning back to the accused and the crowd.
"It would appear," Ekira finally says, as if choking out the words. "That there is enough doubt here, to exonerate these Pathfinders on this current charge, and to cast doubt on previous accusations."
The crowd immediately bursts into a frenzy, part confusion, part outrage, part relief.
Sheriff Luin immediately chimes in. "There is also enough evidence, that we shall be reexamining the case for the other Pathfinders, and until we do, postponing tomorrows execution."
Ekira frowns, but nods. The crowd again, bursts into a chaotic mass of noise at this news, many of them shouting for answers, as the sheriff tries to get them to calm down.
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Alessio feels some of his frustration fall away. My contributions on this mission were absolutely lacking. We persevered with a great team but a team is only as good as its worst member. Alessio contemplates briefly. I suppose if anyone needed to get stabbed, I would be first to sacrifice myself anyway. Look on the bright side, Alessio.
Alessio walks over to Kara and a points at his bloody shirt. A little help with this please, Kara. One must be presentable in these times.
,
,
The crowd seems quite riled up at the news there will be no execution, combined with the fact that they are apparently back to square one on who the murderer is.
Those that came from out of town, which you realize is actually the majority of those present, seem especially upset.
Tobias does the best he can trying to settle them down, and send them back to their beds, though Ekira mostly just keeps an eye on them, eyeing them all with her stern gaze. It proves strangely effective.
Of course, no one seems to pay much attention to the newest suspect in all of this. Davio merely watches the events, with a slight smile on his face, clearly not worried about any of it.
Finally, he shrugs slightly, turning to the two militia members watching over him "Always have to do these things yourself, I suppose."
The two guards look confused at this, until a dagger suddenly appears in his hand, seemingly from nowhere, and cuts open the nearer man from belly to sternum.
Time seems to stand still for a moment, the guard looking down at the sudden wound, the second guard looking at the first, the crowd watching from nearby.... then all hell breaks loose!
The guard drops to the ground, his insides spilling out in the dirt, and the nearby villagers suddenly panic, and start running in a hundred different directions, though all away from the man with the knife.
Davio just smiles at the sight, pivoting quickly on one foot, and a second dagger appears in his hand, instantly launched across the clear space, to strike Huni in the shoulder . Even as he does so, a strange magical glow seems to cover him.
This all only increases the chaos
The panic quickly spreads... not even the sheriff's calming presence enough to keep things in check. Ekira leaps to action as well, but is instantly overwhelmed by the surging crowd of panicked villagers, and both of them disappears in the mass.
- Round 1 (reprise)--------
Party is up!
Kara notices that someone did indeed cast a spell, but she's pretty sure it wasn't Davio... if that's even his real name!
As to what it did, it appeared to be an abjuration of some sort, protecting Davio from those aligned with the cause of good!
A discovery she is able to put to the test, a moment later, as she focuses her find, and sends a mental strike at the man, ignoring the intervening crowd entirely. She can sense the protection, but it is not nearly strong enough to keep her out. Her mind assaults Davio's and she sees the man throw a hand up to his head, the smirk disappearing for a moment from the pain.
To her right, Alessio has no luck pressing through the crowd, the panic villagers more concerned with the man holding the bloody knife than the alchemist. He has to force his way forward, only making it a short distance, before he is forced to toss his tanglefoot bag.
Unfortunately, with the churning crowd in front, he is just a little too far away to get the most accurate aim, and the bag falls short, breaking open too short to be of any use.
- Round 1 (reprise)--------
Party (minus Floria and Alessio) are up!
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Does Kara also notice this hidden caster?
'Ware! The villain has a hidden accomplice!
So...unknown spell...probably some sort of buff...he's a sneaky fellow, but how hardy is he?
How about a little fire, scarecr...Ow! Watch it!
Whatever she was planning fizzles as a panicked villager almost knocks her over.
Kara too hears the spellcasting, though does not see the cause either. Unfortunately, her attempt to cast a spell of her own, soon goes awry, as a group of villagers run into her as they flee the scene.
Sangkip, who has largely kept a low profile through most of the proceedings, manages to avoid the crowds rushing by, and vanishes from sight... though it does not make his trip through those same crowds any easier... especially when they can't see him.
- Round 1 (reprise)--------
Huni to go!
On the edge of the crowd, Huni quickly ducks into the eye of the chaotic storm, thrusting out with one rigid hand. His aim seems good for a moment, but the blow deflects at the last moment, failing to strike him at all.
Davio merely smiles at Huni, and not the nice kind, as he twirls the dagger in his hand, sending small droplets of blood spinning off into the darkness. Without notice, the spinning stops, as he thrusts the blade at Huni's stomach, almost too quickly to react. But the warpriest is not so easily fooled, and manages to deflect the blow harmlessly to the side.
The crowd continues to run in all directions, the area around Davio getting a little larger with each passing second. You can only see glimpses of Ekira, as she fights to keep her footing... you can't see Tobias at all, though given his small stature, that is not surprising.
- Round 2 (reprise)--------
Party is up!!
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Kara rights herself and takes a better position with a direct line to Davio, then emits a wordless, silent (for everyone except him) scream at him.
+ Dazed 1 rd; Fort DC16 half and negate Dazed