After a brief stroll through the nearest portal arch and a friendly nod to the Axial Monitors at the entrance to the Empty Court (which the Monitors do not return), you find Hao Jin still at work in the ampitheater. She nods her greeting to you all as she approaches. "I see you've located my memory emgrams. Good work."
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As they float back towards the Ruby Phoenix Alonso barrages Eleven Sun Truth with questions, A tribunal you say, who are the judges, what are the charges, whon has the burden of proof, what is the standard of proof, what are the potential penalties if she is found guilty is there an appeal mechanism, who can speak on her behalf...
As they reach the Phoenix and hand over the engrams he assks,
OK then, what now? You have your memories, what will you do with them?
Eleven-Sun-Truth replies with gusto with what it knows, thrilled to be discussing the finer points of Axial law. "The one known as Eleven-Sun-Truth knows not the identity of the judges, but they must be influential and important, given the reaction of those to whom Eleven-Sun-Truth reports. By the time we get to the courthouse tomorrow, the crowds will be abuzz with information--word of the trial is already spreading through nearby districts, and residents will no doubt be keeping an eye out for whom enters to the courthouse. The intent is to revisit Hao Jin's original charges and discuss appropriate actions. There is no burden of proof, merely presentation of proof, both material proof and witness testimony. The standards of proof lie within the justices' own sense of judgement. The penalties are what's dictated by the tribunal. As advocates, you'll have the opportunity to provide testimony. We'll know more tomorrow once the tribunal convenes."
Hao sits carefully on the edge of a seat in the ampitheater bowl, then asks for the the engrams.
She takes them one at a time, and sits holding it, deeply immersed in each one for a much longer period of time than any of you who were visited with visions.
After studying the engram with the weaver, she explains that she found the technical skill with which he created cloth was not only the inspiration for how she bound together her demiplane, but also that his meticulous detail and care conveyed the importance of taking her time and abiding by the multiverse’s laws as she understood them. Even one figurative thread out of place could unravel the whole creation, and she spent many years studying arcane and planar theory before even attempting to build the tapestry.
As for the one containing the vision of the black sapphire, she explains that the multiverse renews itself thanks to the cycle of souls, in which souls gradually meld with the Outer Planes, are eroded by the Maelstrom, and return to the Antipode to create new souls. Her demiplane did not have the benefit of new matter and energy being infused into it in the same way, so she borrowed trace amounts from those who perished on the demiplane—all in order to sustain the life-giving environment. The process ultimately didn’t impact those souls’ afterlives, though it did infuriate an olethros psychopomp who refused to accept any of Hao Jin’s explanations. Although she recognizes in retrospect that there were better techniques she hadn’t yet discovered, she stands by her assessment that the demiplane was not impacting the River of Souls in any significant way.
The museum fire was, of course, a vision of her as a child, and she explains that her passion for history was unbridled and unfocused when she was younger, and that led to her reckless play that ultimately destroyed part of the collection and killed her. Being resurrected not only represented a sobering sacrifice on her parents’ part and awoke Hao Jin’s magical abilities, but it also imprinted on her an unshakable sense of care and responsibility so that she could prevent any more such losses and miscalculations. Even if you don’t agree with her techniques, Hao Jin is certain that her subsequent creations and actions stemmed from this newfound sense of responsibility.
She looks at each of you and says, "I see now, how I may aid your Society in freeing those inside the tapestry. I will need the better part of the day to transcribe the ritual. You don't mind remaining in Axis for another day?"
At this point, Eleven-Sun-Truth informs Hao Jin of the tribunal being convened on the morrow. She seems completely indifferent to the notion of the tribunal revisiting her case, other than being relieved that she'll be able to finish the work on her transcription for you by the time the tribunal convenes. In fact, it sounds like she plans on representing herself and not even offering any kind of defense. She brushes off any attempts by the party to discuss the matter, and asks for the time and privacy she requires to transcribe the needed ritual.
The following morning, there’s an immense yet orderly crowd of curious inevitables, glimmering axiomites, petitioners, and off-world visitors gathered around the sprawling courthouse on the day of her trial. Eleven-Sun-Truth escorts you through the crowd, which parts smoothly and politely to make way. Once you are inside, Eleven-Sun-Truth requests that you remain in the general area while it checks in with its superiors, mentioning that the trial’s set to begin in about 2 hours. "Feel free to explore the courthouse’s expansive, three-story entry hall where a host of barristers, bureaucrats, scribes, and more are discussing a combination of legal theory and the upcoming trials for the day."
Ragnar and Auriferous are able to pick up that a likely judge is Tchekua, an apkallu who was part of Hao Jin’s first tribunal. Tchekua was fairly sympathetic to Hao Jin centuries ago and might still be. There’s also word that one of the judges is arriving from another plane for this event, which is rare.
Polanco learns that Hao Jin’s demiplane offended many axiomites concerned with the stability of the cosmos, but apparently it perturbed even Otolmens, a primal inevitable demigod of Axis concerned with machinery, mathematics, and physics. Bystanders believe they saw the Tenth-by-Third, the herald of Otolmens, enter the courthouse, and it seems likely the herald will serve as one of the judges.
Tenth-by-Third is dogmatic even by the standard of inevitables. The scent of chaos offends the herald, whereas interacting with lawful-aligned beings sets the herald at ease. Some bystanders believe that the yamaraj Zahal may be serving as one of the other judges. A yamaraj is an extremely powerful dragon-like psychopomp that operates one of the Boneyard’s courts to determine souls’ fates. Any psychopomp judge would take offense at any interference in the River of Souls, so such a topic should be handled carefully if it’s brought up.
Gwynnis is able to learn that Tchekua is an enthusiast of mortal history, having studied and catalogued the lengthy timelines of thousands of worlds. He is an avid archivist who understands the merits of preserving and understanding the past. The prevailing rumor of the off-world judge is that they’re a representative of the Boneyard, based on the group of psychopomps seen alighting and entering through the courthouse’s back entrance. If it’s true, the psychopomps would be especially interested in anything Hao Jin did that influenced the River of Souls (the means by which the dead reach Pharasma for their final judgment).
Also, Tchekua has a slight bias toward those who speak in ornate ways, and he’s readily wooed by those who demonstrate sincere passion. The secretive psychopomp is a yamaraj named Zahal (yamarajes are dragon-like beings considered the strongest psychopomps) who specifically requested a position on the tribunal upon learning of it.
Alonso learns that The herald Tenth-by-Third respects logical arguments and those backed by quantitative data, whereas they interpret impassioned arguments as muddied by emotional interference. As for Zahal, few understand her, considering her a wild card. In the Boneyard, she’s as often chided for her leniency—even for crimes that others would consider unforgivable—as respected for her grim verdicts, though such decisions almost always come down to the context of the deeds.
Just as you're finishing sharing information that you've managed to glean during the time before the trial, Eleven-Sun-Truth comes floating up. "The one known as Eleven-Sun-Truth has learned a bit about how this trial will be conducted. Any advocates of Hao Jin will be allowed to participate, most likely as a witness called forth to answer a question posed by a judge. The one known as Eleven-Sun-Truth has nothing new for the court since he last was an advocate for Hao Jin centuries ago, other than secondhand information from each of you. It's more important that you provide the information directly. And it would be best if each of you took a turn addressing the judges, rather than just one of you answering every question. The judges will not look too kindly upon that. Also, do not try and use enchantments or illusions and the like to try and fool the judges, nor--" Eleven-Sun-Truth is interrupted by a loud gong resounding in the hall. Eleven-Sun-Truth says, "Hmm, no more time. Come we must enter the courtroom and present ourselves as advocates."
You follow Eleven-Sun-Truth into the courtroom and it leads you to the arbiter recording the court proceedings. You register as Advocates of Hao Jin, and are lead to the witness box. Hao Jin enters and takes her place in the box set aside for the accused. Everyone stands as the three judges enter the court.
After the courtroom has settles back into their seats, a giant, 8-foot brass sphere with mathematical symbols floating all around on it surface, almost like tides on the surface of a planet, glides forward. This could only be the Herald of Otolmens, Tenth-by-Third. Its voice resonates throughout the hall:
“The basis of this trial is the nature of this mortal’s demiplane, which violates at least fifty-three firm principles of astral safety, in turn triggering twelve separate instances of multidimensional uncertainty and instability. Safer techniques existed by which to achieve a similar result, yet she embraced an unintuitive and untested methodology—all compounded by a sorcerous disregard for cosmic calculus.”
The herald begins to detail each and every one of these consistencies in Hao Jin’s behavior before Zahal encourages it to get to the point—-that Hao Jin’s techniques were irresponsible, that she didn’t respect arcane theory, and that her sorcerer spellcasting is too unpredictable to be trusted with demiplane creation.
Tenth-by-Third then turns to the witness box. It pauses for a moment while observing you all. "Hmmm, minor heroism--I suppose it's reasonable for lesser beings to want to prop themselves up with a false sense of heroics. Certainly not worth raising an objection..."
It raises its voice "Which of you will address this issue?" All three judges peer closely at the party, awaiting your response.
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Alonso will float forward first to answer the charge. He directs his comments at Tenth by Third.
Whilst it is true that the magic of the sorceress Hao Jin is of the undisciplined and innate sort it cannot be denied that in her construction of the Tapestry she has demonstrated almost wizard like skills of arcane creation, manipulation and control of multiple facets of dimensional weaving. The Tapestry has remained a stable demiplane for multiple centuries, depsite extensive invasions, interruptions and interferences with its fabric by multiple different parties over time.
At this point Alonso launches into an explanation of planar cosmology, inter dimensional wave theory, the interaction between the river of souls and demi-planes when fragments of souls are divetted and how the stability of the Tapestry demonstrates a clear adherence to the laws of cosmic calculus, depsie Hao Jin being a sorceress. There are charts and diagrams and a giant white board showing his calculations created by means of a minor illusion spell (which he makes very clear so as not to cause any offence or breach of the rules). The whole presentation goes on and on and on. There may also be a test at the end of it all.
Tenth-by-Third in particular appreciates the thoroughness of Alonso's answer, though before Alonso can enter the second hour of his lecture, he is cut off by Zahal. "Yes, yes, you've made your point. Let's move this along, shall we? *ahem*"
Zahal clears his throat and waits for Alonso to sit back down before floating forward and saying. "“Consider the actions that followed: she used her untouchable redoubt to abduct mortals—as many as hundreds at a time. Was there just cause? Was there consent? Or was this the callous action of a sorcerer focused on her own goals rather than aware of the bigger picture?”
The yamiraj voices further concerns tied to the demiplanes’ inhabitants, the conditions in which they lived after being kidnapped, the motivations that could possess a spellcaster to behave in this way, and the way in which this is reminiscent of a night hag poaching spirits from the River of Souls. "Such a thing is an abomination to Our Lady of Dreams."
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Auriferous steps forward and addresses her answer to Tchekua .
"Great judge. While the removal by Hao Jin of mortals is without question, it is the motives and method which is in question here."
She pauses and offers a smile.
"The Ruby Pheonix is not one who has ever sought power over people, but rather to use the powers gifted her to help and aid others."
She draws from what she has heard of others who have ventured into the plane. "Those who were drawn in, were taken to preserve them, and to preserve their culture. The tapestry was not a prison by design, but a refuge. "
Pausing for breathe she adds "The 'untouchable redoubt' was a place to preserve that which would otherwise die. It was not a seat of power for her, but an island of preservation."
First Tchekua, then the other two judges nod their heads as Auri speaks. They confer a bit amongst themselves. Then, Tchekua stands and addresses the witnesses.
“Indeed preserving the people who were drawn into the tapestry has merits, but it pales in comparison to the enduring stone structure that might survive for thousands of years, its carved walls and sheltered libraries preserving the lore of lost ages for all who follow. To have such sites swiped not only steals the past from future generations, but it also robs the present people of their cultural heritage.”
Zahal finds this point curious, and Tchekua elaborates on how Hao Jin’s capturing sites for her own desires seems self-centered, may have harmed some of the creator cultures responsible for those sites, and ultimately paints Hao Jin as someone who doesn’t actually respect history.
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Ragnar steps forward focusing on Tenth-by-Third.
"Some of our agents visited one of those libraries recently. The journals say a local tribe has been using it as a location for coming of age trials. Yes some books were ruined as they would be in any location after this long but many were intact. As were the walls, shelves, even much of the glass. Hidden away in the tapestry many people survived to pass on their knowledge and many building were preserved that would surely have been destroyed otherwise."
Ragnar will provide some examples of some of the buildings that were reported and what would have happened to them if not preserved in the rift.
"Of course that knowledge will soon be lost unless..."
All three judges confer again, and there seems to be a bit of quiet bickering going on, until you hear Tenth-by-Third's raised voice saying, "Their arguments are surprisingly logical and persuasive." Zahal cuts their discussions short, floating toward the witnesses with an intense glare in her eyes.
"Let us not forget what drew me to these proceedings in the first place: Hao Jin’s interference with the River of Souls. In recent years, her demiplane has captured souls bound for Pharasma’s judgment. And as I need not remind anyone, stealing souls is, ah…” Zahal leans down, taps her snout, and rumbles the last part of her sentence to convey its severity. “…deeply frowned upon.”
Then with a smirk, she adds, “Unless this is what defines cosmic law these days?”
Tchekua and Tenth-By-Third loudly protest the psychopomp’s taunt before she laughingly apologizes and returns to the point at hand. In a more serious tone, she elaborates that Hao Jin purposefully siphoned souls to fuel her project, an abomination of cosmic and natural law. She glares at Godfrey, Gwynnis & Polanco, practically daring them to contradict her.
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Polanco stands, obviously horribly ill-suited for this task but he tries anyway to address Jahal.
Yer Honorette. Stealing Souls is deeply frowned upon. But ah dinnae think ye have the fact quite right. Ye see, I dinnae think that Hao Jin herself was the one doing the interfering. I think it was the Aspis Consortium and such - ah mean after all Pharasma would need line o effect to do that wouldn't she? She was here? Point in case though, ye would 'ave to be tinkerin wiff the magicks and as I understand it the process we uncovered wasn't her magic - was super crude and such.
Tenth-by-Third takes one look at Polanco, and disdain radiates from the giant brass sphere with a palpable intensity. Tchekua turns up his beak and sniffs haughtily. Zahal, on the other hand, seems intrigued and mildly amused by the dwarf's arguments. "I would've thought you might argue about theology or the nature of the planes, but what you say does have some merit."
The judges start conferring, and you hear Tenth-by-Third exclaim, "The wizard was most thorough and reasoned in his discussion of magical theory, but you're swayed by --"
Tchekua interrupts, "The important part is that she is beginning to see reason."
"Fair enough," Tenth-by-Third replies. Then the brass sphere floats forward and addresses Godfrey and Gwynnis.
“Mortals are fallible, naturally erring from cosmic law and planar constants. The accused has a record of recklessness, and it is clear that she would revert to such reckless behavior again if permitted the freedom to experiment again. Can even centuries of self-reflection overcome a creature’s base instincts?”
Tchekua rises to his feet and insists that the rise of civilization is a natural outgrowth of mortals’ ability to surpass their instinct-driven ancestors and attain limitless levels of higher reasoning.
Zahal takes a middle ground, acknowledging that societies and people may evolve, but they do so only by overcoming the staggering inertia of their current philosophies.
Their argument grows a little heated until Tenth-by-Third says "Enough! Let us hear from a witness. What can either of you tell us of Hao Jin’s reckless tendencies and her capacity to grow and learn."
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"Tenth by Third," Gwynnis begins, "I cannot say how much Hao Jin has or has not learned, that is for you to judge. However, I do feel confident speaking to her intentions and desires. First, she has abided by the previous ruling of the Council of Axis for centuries--considerably longer than the duration of her mortal life. In numbers of years, the majority of her existence has been one that has abided by the laws of Axis. That would require either great growth or great deceit, and I sensed none of the latter in her.
"Second, she acknowledged to us her flaws and mistakes that she has learned through contemplation, and how those errors affected other mortals and their souls. Again, I sensed only genuine wisdom in Hao Jin. And again, this is something I feel qualified to judge, as one who spends an hour of her day--everyday--in meditative contemplation. I could not fail to recognize the signs in another.
"Third, Hao Jin was reluctant to help us in our endeavor, for fear that she might accidentally err again. Your judgment today will be the next step in her education, like feedback from a wise master, to let the student know where she is following the path and where she still needs to study."
All three judges seem swayed by Grynnis' argument. They quietly confer and you see a lot of nodding and bobbing of agreement. Finally, Tchekua raises his voice, "Yes, I agree. We could simply rule now, but I do have one final issue I would like to address before we make our ruling."
The giant extraplanar bird walks up to Godfrey and says, “Even in the event that Hao Jin performed the necessary steps to create her demiplane and fill it for the sake of historic preservation, there remains the fact that she left her charges untended. Thousands of creatures across more than a dozen generations suffered in her absence as she explored the Outer Planes. Were she truly responsible, would she not have guarded
and guided these people until such a time as they could chart their own destinies? Isn't it Hao Jin's fault for the impending collapse of the tapestry, since she was capable of intervening, rather than the fault of the inhabitants--or even you...Pathfinder...who lack the proper historical perspective."
Tenth-By-Third interrupts, saying he cares little for societies determining their own fates, but the talk of defaulting on responsibility riles the herald anew. Tchekua turns to Godfrey:
"Well? What does Hao Jin's final advocate have to say to this?" Tchekua practically hurls that question as an insult.
While Godfrey has spent much of the trial smiling and nodding to various lawful creatures in the audience, he's a bit surprised to be directly addressed. Gwynnis leans in close and whispers to Godfrey "Don't worry. I'm virtually certain we've already won over the judges. Just answer his question and we can get this trial over with."
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Godfrey stands there for a moment in consideration, hands set on his hips and slightly glazed eyes coming back into focus upon Tchekua as he realizes he's being addressed. In no small part due to Gwynnis nudging him hard in the side to help him realize he needs to pay attention.
"Correct me if I am wrong, friends. But she was not exploring the outer planes, she was here serving long and arduous penance for the creation of her tapestry! Denied access to any information of its well-being." He throws both arms high into the air and poses before the bird-fellow. "Truly and verily, it was that very same penance which pulled the information she would need to salvage the tapestry from her mind, so even if she knew she could not act!" He shifted again, slumping low and curling down almost in defeat.
"And the moment she knew of the trouble she leaped, I say!" And so did the paladin despite his heavy armor, jumping high and energetically. "To risk her own status among all of you to help us ensure the safety of these people and their homes. There was no hesitation to fulfilling her responsibility!"
And Sir Godfrey would break into an interpretive dance demonstrating in great detail the agony of the decision she had to work through and how she prioritized meeting her obligations to those people even over her own well-being. He would narrate himself, of course, since no one else would manage it as they likely had no idea what he was going to do next.
He'd end posed, bent at the waist, arms wide, and standing on one leg before bowing before Tchekua. "The Defense Rests!" And he did, he needed some water.
At first, Tchekua is a bit flummoxed by Godfrey's response, before he gets into the spirit and passion that Godfrey's performance evokes.
Tenth-by-Third is nearly apoplectic at the performance, bellowing
"This is "
Zahal begins to excitedly clap at the end of Godfrey's performance before Tenth-by-Third turns in her direction and hums in menacing disapproval.
"That is quite " the Herald of Otolmens says. And with that the courtroom settles down.
Tenth-by-Third collects himself, and his sphere stops humming in agitation. "Despite the unnecessary theatrics of certain...advocates, it is the unanimous opinion of this court that all charges should be dropped against the one known as Hao Jin. Case dismissed."
As the courtroom erupts in a smattering of applause, Eleven-Sun-Truth comes imperturbably floating up. "Congratulations. You efforts as advocates were...interesting."
Hao Jin walks over and stares at you stoically. "You have my thanks." She bows deeply, and when she straightens up, she is smiling warmly. "Indeed, well done. I would be happy to help the Society directly by performing the transposition ritual myself. However, even with my magical mastery, performing the ritual will cause the demiplane to unravel dangerously within hours—-there’s only one chance to get things right. And indeed, after the demiplane finishes tearing itself apart, its built-in processes should slowly begin stitching it back together, so there’s the possibility that the tapestry demiplane could restore itself within even your lifetimes...And when it does, I bequeath it to the Pathfinder Society. When you are ready to leave, it would be my honor to send you back to Golarion myself...if you'll forgive me, I'm not quite ready to make a reappearance on Golarion just yet. Give my notes to the Society and begin preparations. I will return soon to help with the ritual."