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Oh, for the love of--! Irritated to no end that no one is listening to her, the Professor takes a step to the north and casts Color Spray on two of the fighting fools . Her eyes flash with anger. How DARE they ignore her?! With a glare that could curdle milk, she venomously shouts: "Stop! It! Now!"
Salmok successfully dodges the shortsword swipe as he grapples the townsfolk tight!
Professor Molvil casts a spell that should have knocked them out, and for a moment as if it looks like it's going to work, but then they simply shake their head and keep fighting. WHY is no one listening to the Professor right now?
~**Initiative**~ (round 2)
Guards
Townsfolk
Molvil - (color spray)
Nilah - (daze)
Magdelina
Ejtehah - (casting sleep 1 round)
Salmok - (grapple)
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Magdelina is appalled at how the townsfolk are behaving. Seeing that Salmok has successfully placed one of the ruffians in a chokehold, she decides to assist him with that one, and pulls down the man's pants.
She then steps back, laughing.
"Oh my! no underwear, kind sir! why, the spirit of liberty is alive and well in this town! are you sure it is not part of Andoran?"
~**Initiative**~ (round 2)
Guards
Townsfolk
Molvil
Nilah
Magdelina
Ejtehah
Salmok
The critically injured guard (#2) withdraws to get reinforcements, the remaining Guard (#1) and Townsfolk (#1) miss each other, the townie in the middle (#3) stands dumbfounded from Nilah's spell, and the last townie (#4) fails to break out of the grapple as he squirms around with his pants around his ankles.
~**Initiative**~ (round 2)
Guards
Townsfolk
Molvil
Nilah
Magdelina
Ejtehah
Salmok
His eyes glaze over and his jaw slackens.
~**Initiative**~ (round 2)
Guards
Townsfolk
Molvil
Nilah - (daze)
Magdelina - (diplomacy)
Ejtehah
Salmok
All 3 of the men in front of Ejtehah fall under his spell, and collapse on the ground.
Only Townie #4 is still up and a threat!
For some reason the tiny gnome with purple hair seems much more intimidating than the tall practically-albino elf. The townsfolk looks very unsure of himself.
~**Initiative**~ (round 2)
Guards
Townsfolk
Molvil
Nilah - (daze)
Magdelina - (diplomacy)
Ejtehah - (demoralize/intimidate)
Salmok - (grapple -> pin)
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Now that the other members of her party have temporarily neutralized the threat of violence, Professor Masaendri has a moment to realize just how ineffective she has been. However, she cannot allow herself to dwell on it, as she knows very well that none of these spells is going to last forever. As soon as these people regain their senses, they'll be fighting each other once again. With considerable effort, she maintains her composure. "...Well done, everyone. Now... We should separate them so that they don't immediately start fighting the moment they awaken." She then takes the ankles of guard #1 and begins to drag him off to the side.
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Nilah smiles as three individuals drop into sleep.
Excellent Ejtehah! The last thing we want is muddying town sentiment with another incident on circus grounds, regardless of whose fault it is. If we're going to drag them apart, I suggest we get the townsfolks off of the circus grounds and in a place where they can wake up relaxed.
She begins to look around for a nice patch of grass outside of the circus.
~**Initiative**~ (round 3)
Guards
Townsfolk
Molvil
Nilah
Magdelina
Ejtehah
Salmok
The injured guard returns with 2 reinforcements!
One of which runs up and knocks the remaining townie solidly with their sap - causing his eyes to unfocus somewhat, while the other two guards whiff.
The townsfolk drops his sword, he drops to his knees, and begs for mercy.
A circus worker runs up to you "Excuse me! You're the official investigators, aren't you? Another dead body has been found!" She looks worried.
The guards volunteer to escort the restrained townsfolk off the circus property so you can investigate.
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That... seems unnecessary. Nilah comments as the last townie is sapped. I suppose that's satisfying for you. She glares at the guard momentarily before the circus worker runs up.
As soon as they exclaim their message, Nilah gets an exasperated look that says You've got to be kidding me, right?
Quickly, take us to it.
She yells back to the guards. Can you please go bring your sheriff here to examine the scene? and under her breath and make yourselves useful.
The guards grumble about her not being their Sheriff (they are circus guards), but promise to send a runner to inform her regardless.
The circus worker leads you inside the large Lair of the Sphinx tent. The female corpse is wearing robes that clearly identify her as a cleric. Her wounds look like claw marks from a large animal, similar to those found on the body of Archivin Walder . The ground is firm and the inside of the tent has seen a lot of foot traffic, so any recent tracks have been ruined . The cage door is unlocked but has been pushed closed.
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Nilah hovers over the body only briefly. She tries to think back to the claw marks they saw on Archivin's body.
Hmm, seems perhaps the skulks worked on this one too?
Folding her arms and then turning about she looks at the ground around them. And of course it's going to be hard to find tracks here... maybe if we're lucky the murderer's footprint has an unusual pattern or dropped of a unique substance.
She notes the cage door. So we're supposed to believe this was the sphinx? But we already know how real that is.
She glances around a bit more, but can't see anything obviously out-of-place in the tent.
Salmok isn't really getting the hang of this 'detective' thing, but boy does he look smashing in that bowler hat and pipe!
Almara Delisen arrives shortly after you with the circus’s chief enforcer Master Venlock , and makes sure a runner has been dispatched to collect Sheriff Feldane. Maintaining her certainty of the circus’s innocence, Almara refuses to be party to a cover-up. She suggests once you are done investigating the scene, perhaps interview townspeople and carnival employees concerning any events that seemed out of the ordinary, while you wait for the Sheriff.
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"Hmm... Well, everyone, let's take a look. And do watch where you step so we don't disturb the tracks any more than they already have been." The elderly professor begins working her way around the tent, examining each section as she comes to it.
Hmm... Inconclusive. "I wonder who she was..." Sighing, she turns to investigate the ground around the body.
"Well, none of these tracks are large and feline, so it would seem that the sphinx wasn't standing near this body when it was clawed." She looks up, trying to calculate if there's enough height for the sphinx to have been hovering in the air while doing the deed.
"Oh! Look! Here are three vials. That's unusual. I wonder what they contained?..." She casts Detect Magic and squints at each of them in turn, racking her brain for memories that would help her identify the remaining drops in each one.
@Molvil - they do not ping as magic, and are not the type of containers you would use for true potions, instead you determine they contained alchemical materials.
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"Hmm... Alchemical. Yes... These contained alchemical materials. While it is difficult to ascertain how long they've been lying here, one would think that the vials would have been crushed by the feet of the crowd if they'd been here long. It is plausible that these were consumed either during or just before this murder."
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Nilah perks up and does see something interesting on the body.
Ah, rope burns there on the neck. She points with a finger until she's sure two to three other companions are seeing it too.
She looks over and sees that Molvil is holding alchemical substances, asking the group Is anybody good with alchemy?
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Now that she's seen everything there is to see in the tent (or at least, she assumes so), the Professor steps outside to ask around for any eye witness accounts.
"Apparently everyone in town knew that Sister Esrelda intended to speak to the sphinx this afternoon. With it being such common knowledge and so far in advance, the murderer would've had plenty of time to make their plans. Hmm... You make a good point, Salmok. Where is the sphinx now? We should talk to her too, if possible." She glances around, looking for a circus employee to ask about the whereabouts of the sphinx and arrange for an interview.
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Begrudgingly, Nilah sets out to do her part and canvas the area for information or eyewitness accounts. Despite her looking like she belongs in the circus, she comes back with useful information.
Hey everyone, I found out some more! Three circus clowns were observed near the sphinx’s tent around the time of the mob scene on the parade grounds, which was unusual, as they had no business being there. Guards are always posted near there, and when Jherizhana is not there, they tend to sweep for loiterers.
Sheriff Feldane arrives soon after, and allows your group to present any facts you have discovered.
Your evidence makes it clear to the sheriff that not everything is as it seems, but she points out that doesn’t change her immediate problem of two prominent citizens murdered, and now a rash of pickpocketing at the circus. Feldane then demands to see the sphinx herself, and asks Almara and Venlock some pointed questions— starting with “Where is she right now?” and “Why isn’t she in that cage?” Mistress Delisen flushes at the sheriff’s directness, but sighs heavily and reluctantly offers the following explanation:
"The sphinx is a bard, who plays at being a circus star in order to travel Avistan and expand her already vast knowledge of history and lore. She enjoys performance art, and loves humanity, at least while she’s performing. Jherizhana does not truly reside in a cage, but rather a large, comfortable, and private wagon of her own. She willingly enters a cage — one that could never truly contain her — so the curious may regard her while feeling safe. She always appears accompanied by guards, not only to protect the public, but also to maintain her boundaries." Almara begs your group and the Sheriff to refrain from spoiling this secret.
This is the last straw for the sheriff, who says:
“You’ve brought a dangerous creature into this community — a creature you clearly cannot keep track of, let alone control. I can’t say I know for certain there’s wrongdoing here on the part of your people, but after a point it ceases to matter. For the safety of my town, I’m putting this circus under quarantine. I don’t want any of your people leaving these grounds unless it’s to leave town completely. I’m giving you two days to get packed up and go.”
Feldane grants your group permission to continue to investigate with a warning: She wants conclusive proof of WHO is responsible if the circus is to be exonerated. Reasonable doubt is not enough.
She however, needs to process this new corpse and fill out paperwork, so she excuses herself.
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Interesting. But doubt and suspicion is enough to cast derision on the circus. Nilah mutters under her breath so that only close-by companions can hear.
Then, out loud to her party. Okay then, so we've got our work cut out for us. I think we've seen enough of this body now.
She addresses the circus proprietor. Almara, we will of course keep your trade secret. We'd like to visit your bard next.
Almara looks uncomfortable, but says it will take a moment to locate her, and to please enjoy the midway games while you wait - a guard will fetch you when Jherizhana is located and ready to be questioned.
After a few minutes, a guard comes to fetch you and leads you back to the Sphinx tent. "Mistress Delisen said this would be a private audience, so we'll wait outside. But no funny business!" and pulls the curtain aside for you to enter.
As you enter, you see Jherizhana dressed the same as before, only this time she is outside of the cage, on the far side of the tent, next to Almara. She says "Yes? Almara said you wished to interrogate me about... oh HELLO AGAIN little one!" She smiles at Magdelina and her teeth shine in the light.
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Magdelina smiles at the beautiful sphinx, "Hello again, tall one... however, when things are too good to be true, it's often because they're not... Almara, you can drop the illusion now. We won't say anything about it, but perhaps it's time for you to be honest with us, and perhaps let the Sheriff in on this one, so that your circus doesn't shut down yes?"
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Ooh, she's good! Yes. I like working with her. She has just the right touch with people. Hmm... Perhaps I should try to emulate that quality. The Professor, still stung by her complete failure at preventing a brawl earlier, keeps her mouth firmly shut for now. This is a time for smooth talking and persuasion, after all.
A brief moment of panic followed by acceptance flits across Almara's face. She says "It's okay Ika, come on out." Then the camouflaged humanoid figure steps out of the shadows and lowers her hood to reveal a beautiful young Varisian woman, but the reason Almara and the carnival keep her out of sight is immediately evident: she and Jherizhana share the same face. It is hard to believe the personalities comes from the same person though - where the sphinx persona exudes poise and confidence, this woman who introduces herself as "Ika" is shy and quiet, and where Jherizhana wears her sexuality out very much in the open, Ika is reserved and fairly modest. Right now she is wearing the clothes from the Madame Masque midway game. Almara explains how the Umbra Carnival works as a community to keep Ika a secret.
"The whole and simple truth is Jherizhana doesn’t exist at all, but is rather an elaborate illusion. The entire circus knows, and works to sell this fiction. Inside the big top and this tent, Jherizhana is an illusion created by this bard, Ika. The sphinx’s guards serve only to prevent anyone from testing the illusion by interacting with it directly. With the cooperation of the entire circus, this technique makes it very difficult to pierce the illusion."
Almara admits it was her choice to withhold the truth from your group initially, as she feared that if your group knew this secret from the start, they would merely turn over this information to the authorities rather than try to find the real killers. As your group continued to demonstrate your loyalty to the circus, Almara became more inclined to confide the whole truth. "And then you saw through Ika's skills on your own anyway. It seemed the time to come clean." She smiles genuinely.
Ika offers the party an unreserved apology for not being forthcoming and truthful, and looks so gosh darn innocent and naive and cute about about it your teeth hurt from the sweetness. "I never intended anyone to be hurt, and I feel guilty for the deaths... even though I had nothing to do with them!" She makes eye contact with Magdelina on the last line, then blushes and looks away.
Ika seconds Magdelina's idea to just tell the people of Ilsurian that Jherizhana is an illusion. Almara is opposed to this idea on principle, above and beyond just the financial loss of a successful attraction.
“That doesn’t bring these killers to justice. It doesn’t change people’s opinion of us, or maintain Ilsurian as a venue we’re welcome to visit again. All it proves is these bastards were too stupid to figure out they were framing an illusion. No one here is going to come to our shows anymore. We’ll be forced to leave town and they’ll get away with it.”
So while clearing the carnival’s name is paramount, disclosing the secret is considered a last resort. She’s prepared to double your fee (from 600g to 1200g) if you can do so without divulging the truth about Jherizhana.
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Magdelina approaches Ika, twirling her locks, then takes her hand into hers... "Oh, Ika... don't you worry sweetie, your secret here is safe with me. I just knew there was a GREAT mind behind Jherizhana... And Amara: don't worry either. I propose we only tell the Sheriff, in confidence, and that we make her agree to classify sections of her report so that no one reads it until the circus has moved away to another town. Thing is... I think that maintaining the illusion of the sphinx would actually be a great idea to ferret out those responsible for these crimes, hehehe... imagine their fears as Jherizhana shows up with us whenever we find out where they hide! ha ha ha!"
Magdelina is still holding Ika's hand, pressing herself against her, unless her advances are rejected...
Amara begs you to not tell the Sheriff about the sphinx. "It wouldn't help the investigation, you've already uncovered evidence that the Sphinx was framed anyway. This is a major stop along our yearly travel route, the Sheriff would share the information with the villagers eventually and we'd be in the same situation. Not to mention the subsequent rumors spreading along trade routes - we'd be out of business if this got out! Just find who is actually responsible, and it won't matter whether the Sphinx is real or not."
Ika makes eye contact and smiles and squeezes your hand. She is shy but INTO it.