"Didja see the man perform the act himself? 'Cause if you didn't, there's still room for him to not have done it, y'know," Carrie retorted, "And even then, I'm pretty sure there's magic that can make you see things that aren't actually there."
"Yes, let's do that," she shouts to the gnome, "better than just sittin' here arguing about whether or not Mord was actually guilty. Maybe we'll find more evidence pointin' one way or the other."
"I'm gonna go through the door here in the judge's chamber, if that's okay with everyone," she announces, making her way through the room. When she opens the door, she makes a conscious effort to avoid looking to her right.
I am right behind you! Trevor turns to the others. Please, let's everyone stay together.
Her loaded gun still in hand, Zinli rolls her eyes. "Sure! I'm covering you!"
Rekkart’s eyes harden on Carrie; “Are you saying that I would have put to death someone that didn’t deserve it? By the Light of the Sword, I saw the evidence and that man was guilty!”
Patrissa hugs closely beside him and she adds; “Let’s just find a way out of here before any one else dies.” leaving his side she joins Tolbold; “Magical? I have had some training, tell me what you have figured out?”
The group makes their way out into the great hall avoiding passing by the grandfather clock. Carrie might not look, but those that do notice that Malgrim’s body is no longer hanging by the rafters. It isn’t on the floor, the only thing that remains is the large pool of blood that collected. “Where could he have gone?” Killian ask? “There is no blood trail if someone move his corpse…”[b] pausing, remembering the dead that had recently come back to life;[b] “or if he walked away.”
In this moment of pause there is a crumbling sound and a snap. Looking to the rafters the crystal chandelier snaps free from its secure home and falls crashing to the floor.
Several of the jury cry out as they are not able to dodge the sharp glass.
Zinli is striding at the front of the group when she hears the snap coming from the ceiling, and, without wasting a second, rushes forward to dodge whatever is falling. What sounds like broken glass smashes behind her, and when she turns around, she sees the fallen chandelier. "S$&#! Everyone okay?"
"I'm sayin' that the evidence you saw might've been fake," Carrie explains, "That you might've been tricked into puttin' an innocent man to death. That letter the judge penned seems to point that he knew all along that Mord was innocent. But, until we find any more evidence, it's also possible that the letter is fake."
"Wait, what was—"
Carrie attempts to duck behind a pillar, but noticed the falling chandelier too late for it to matter. She yelps in pain as shards of crystal cut across her flesh.
Wiping a tear of pain from her eye, she hisses through gritted teeth, "I'm fine... Just a scratch or two."
Tolbold is busy talking about the potions and doesn't notice the chandelier until it draws blood. He shouts out "Damn! That was pretty! Wonder if any pieces are salvageable?"
"The matter is intensifying, and I think will soon come to a head," says Neronius, staying perfectly still as the shards of glass fly all around but somehow miss him.
Owowowowow! Trevor is struck directly by the glass.
[b]Oh, this is so bad! Perhaps we should stop and take care of our wounds. I can mix two healing extracts as well as tend to wounds
"I'm fine! I'll wait" Zinli heads towards the last doors on the left wall. She hums a cheerful tune to herself as she checks it for traps.
Ebin takes a look at all of the broken crystal; “Did you hear the one about the broken glass? It wasn’t all it cracked up to be.” he begins to chuckle to himself as he drops the glass and follows Zinli.
Before there was a nervous laughter behind his own jokes, but his laugh seems hollow now.
Tolbold looks over the crystal on the floor and with the right amount of time and effort the pieces could be salvaged and repurposed into something else.
Zinli continues forward waiting for the rest of the group to tend to their wounds. She passes the first door on the left, glancing over it she doesn’t see anything that would make her thing it was trapped. Moving onto the last door on the left she sees that it has a sign on it marking it as the privy.
The privy here is festering. Flies flutter out from the room and the smell is overwhelming.
As you open the door before it you see that this room contains one long oval-shaped wooden table and twelve rickety, worn chairs. Razor-thin shafts of moonlight peek through one large window covered with rotting boards.
Carrie limps slightly as she makes her way over to the room with the large table.
"Huh, Carrie murmurs looking into the room, "what was this room for?"
From just outside, she tries her best to look for anything out of the ordinary.
Icabod gazes around as well. I doubt we could leave through the window.
Peering in from the doorway Carrie doesn’t see anything out of the ordinary. “We weren’t in there long…” Carrie looks behind her and Halgrak is standing behind her. “That is the deliberation room. Everything was against him in this case.”
You have no proof of it, but you get the sense that it was more than just the evidence that was against him.
Counting twelve chairs one might wonder who sat where.
As the group continues to make their way to the northern end of this hall, you begin to hear a low Thunk – Thunk – Thunk coming from the door opposite the hall beside the east staircase.
[spoiler=The Cartographer]"; “Did you hear the one about the broken glass? It wasn’t all it cracked up to be.”
"Yeah, can confirm, it's starting to be a bit annoying," Zinli glances in the mostly empty room, but since it's boring, she doesn't linger. She lays a comforting hand on the gnome's shoulder. "You can just say that you're scared, you know. But it's okay. We can get through this together."
She gasps when a noise comes out of the room on the opposite wall. "Ooooh - something's happening over there!!"
She checks the door for traps, and if she cannot see anything, she switfly opens it, her loaded gun stil in one hand.
Carrie tilts her head in contemplation at Halgrak's comment, "Hm."
When the banging from across the hall begins, she whips around, fixing her gaze on the door. As Zinli beelines to the noise, Carrie gasps and finds herself following the gnome as if on instinct. "Wait, wait, wait!" Carrie calls out to Zinli with an arm reaching out, "Do we really wanna be openin' doors makin' weird noises?!"
As Zinli opens the door, Carrie turns her attention from the gnome to the door, she grits her teeth and braces herself for whatever lies behind it.
Trevor moves away from the door.
Carrie is right! If we just open doors willy nilly, who knows what might attack us?
"My dear, I think this drama will not end until every actor has had their scene," he replies to Carolynn. He then flicks a finger at Zinli, "So please be so good as to open the door."
"Would anyone care for a refreshment? Alas, I have no beer, but this bottle of wine should do--if we can find some glasses . . ."
Tobold follows the others to the door ready to see what awaits them here. He keeps an eye one original jury to see how they react.
""Do we really wanna be openin' doors makin' weird noises?!"
"Well, yeah! That's the idea!" Zinli replies cheerfully. "Otherwise, how can we know whether there's interesting stuff in the room or not? We can attack THEM first!"
""Would anyone care for a refreshment? Alas, I have no beer, but this bottle of wine should do--if we can find some glasses .
"Gods, I could kill for a good beer," the gunslinger groans. She turns the handle.
As Zinli and Carrie cross the hall to the opposite side the Thunk – Thunk – Thunk continues. Being met by resistance, Zinli swings open the door to reveal another privy. This one is also festering as a swarm of flies rush out of the room As the flies clear Zinli is faced with a person.
Bound and gagged, a pretty young halfling is suspended in the air by ropes. She has one leg partly worked free and is just barely able to reach the wall to kick it. With a gun in her face, the halfling burst into tears. Her crystal blue eyes are swollen and red as if she has been crying for sometime.
Halgrak moves into the deliberation room. He walks up to a chair and pushes it in place under the table. Without speaking he stands there, taking in the room with his hands on the back of the chair.
Those in the north end of the hall hears a ball bouncing coming from the stairwell leading up.
"Ew!" is all that Zinli manages to say, before self-preservation instincts kick in, and she closes her mouth tight.
As the flies disperse, she sees the outline of a humanoid silhouette in the middle of the room and instinctively takes aim. How strange, she thinks distractedly, that the figure does not really appear to be moving. Is it another skeleton? She waits until she can get a better look at it.
It is only thanks to her keen eyes and her obvious training at handling firearms that she keeps her grip secure, and her index half an inch away from the trigger. The second she realizes that she is facing a defenseless person, she lowers the gun.
"Sorry," she explains, smiling reassuringly. "We've been attacked by a couple of things. Just had to make sure the room was clear."
She unloads the gun, puts it back in its holster, and removes the gag from the halfling's mouth.
"There! Much better. What's your name, sugar? You got a blade?" that last question is for Carolynn. "You can reach higher, and I don't have a knife to cut those off."
Carrie covers her mouth and nose with a hand as Zinli opens the door and the stench of the privy flows into the hall, using her other hand to bat away any flies that get near her.
"My gods!" she exclaims as she finally notices the dangling halfling woman.
"A blade? No, I don't," she answers as she removes her backpack and begins rummaging through it, "but I do have some flint and steel... Maybe the rock'll be sharp enough to cut the rope?"
"Aha!" she shouts in triumph as she pulls a shard of flint from a side pocket. Moving into the cramped room, Carrie positions herself in a way to catch the woman once the rope snaps and begins to saw away at the strands with the chunk of flint. She briefly turns her eyes when she hears the sound of the ball bouncing, but remains focused on cutting the halfling down.
Cough cough cough! Trevorgagd at the smell and his eyes widen at the sight of the captive. Oh no! Is she a prisoner like us?
As Carrie is attempting to cut the rope with flint a blade reaches around her; “Hold her steady.” Rekkart cuts the rope and slowly aids in lowering her to the ground. Once she is on the ground she lays on the ground in a ball and begins continues sobbing. “This is Madge Blossemheart, the twelfth juror.” You look around, and you realize that there were only 11 of you the whole time.
You recognize Madge. She is an acrobat performer that performs in the markets of Absalom. Remembering that, you think of the way she was tied up and she was suspended in a tumbling formation.
It has been many years, but she was part of a father-daughter show with her father Daben.
As the halfling is crumpled on the floor she reaches out to just touch another person and holds onto their leg.
"Really?! How come she was split from us then?"
Zinli squints at the woman's face. "Oh, wait - I've seen you before! You were an acrobat, right? I used to see you all the time at the market. Here, let's just take her out of all that filth."
Hopefully with some help, the gnome gently lifts Marge onto her feet, and has her lean on her to exit the room. With some encouragement, one step at a time, she brings her to a pillar, away from broken glass, and sits her down.
"Here, sugar," Zinli retrieves a bottle of what appears to be cider from her backpack. When she opens it to pour it in her tankard, the smell of apples replaces, for a time, the one of the privy. "Have a sip of this. You'll feel better," she hands the tankard to Marge - and helps her to drink if needs be.
Tolbold covers his mouth and nose as the flies come out. "Not again!" he cries out.
When he notices Halgrak in the room he keeps an eye on him. Being slightly distracted by Halgrak it takes a moment for the ball to register. He looks towards the sound and says "That can't be good. Halgrak somethings up you, may want to come out here so you don't get trapped in there alone."
Neronius walks slowly into the room where the acrobat had been suspended. "Ah yes, Miss Blossomhearth. I believe my man Goodwyn had a certain fondness for you. Now, dry your tears girl. We're all in something of a pickle but may yet win out."
Madge doesn’t resist Zinli’s help off the floor and into the great room. As Zinli is used as support, she can feel the halflings athletic build through her clothing. Leaning against the pillar she drinks the juice that is offered to her. Her red swollen eyes dart around at those in the hall and they widen with worry. “What is happening… how did we get here… I… I was heading home.” her hand goes to her side pulling up her shirt to see a swollen mark; “A bug bit me, I think… the alley started to spin and I couldn’t control my arms and legs… Thigs went blurry… then someone’s arms were around me and I woke up in that room tied up…” tears begin to streak down her cheeks and she leans her eat back against the pilar.
Rekkart takes a knee besides Madge looking at her side. Feeling the red swollen skin around the bug bite. “It may be a bug bite, but not one I have seen before.”
Patrissa, who has been glued to Rekkart’s side has a flair of jealousy wash over her face as he begins touching the halfling’s side but she quickly composes herself.
Halgrak’s hand goes to a pouch that he wears around his neck as he stares at nothing. Snapping out of the trance eh looks at Tolbold; “None of this is good. I might be better off if I were trapped in here, in this tomb.” He walks out of the deliberation chamber.
The rest of the jurors are either talking among themselves or saying comforting things to Madge. Ebin does not share a joke…
"A bug? Really? How weird. I don't think anyone had the same experience."
"Listen, love, I know you're still a bit shaken, but you're going to have to concentrate a little for me. We have solid reasons to believe that we were all brought here because of the trial of Jarbin Mord. The exit doors are trapped, and we can't leave."
"You were there on the trial, right, sugar? Can you remember what happened? And why our kidnapper would have wanted to keep you apart from the other jurors?"
Trevor jolts as Halgrak walks out. Nooo! Stay with us please! He scurries after Halgrak to try to pull him back.
Leaving the comforting of the victim to others, Neronius looks around the chamber for any revealing clues. Usually, this tiresome legwork is done by his associate, but one must improvise sometimes . . .
Shaking her head “Set apart?” she takes another sip of the juice “This seems like a game that some sicko is playing.” looking around; “How long have you been here? It seems like I was suspended in there for hours if not a day.”
Neronius looks around. The stairwell is clear where the sound of the ball bouncing was coming from. There is one wooden door heading east that lies opposite the judges chamber, and there is one final unexplored door leading east. It is an iron double door.
"I think we've been here about an hour or so?" Carrie shrugs, uncertain of exactly how much time has passed. She then points toward the grandfather clock looming at the end of the hall, "That big clock over there's already rang twice, so that's how long I think we've been awake in here. We all woke up in one of the courtrooms, and I dunno how long we were sleepin' for."
Well, I guess we could go upstairs.
Neronius looks at the stairs and shakes his head slowly. "I believe I shall remain here! But yes, be a good fellow and see what lies above."
Rekkart; “One hour for certain.” still looking over Madge; “This could be a syringe jab, not a bug bite.
Killian speaks up;[b] “Not that I am wanting us to divide a conquer, but with our friend Madge as she is it might be best. Time might be of the essence. I would be willing to stay here with you Neronius.”
“I’m staying here too.” Halgrak inserts.
“We should go and explore.” Patrissa says placing a hand on Rekkart’s shoulder.
"Upstairs already?! But we haven't opened that one," Zinli points at the remaining closed door. "What if there's something inside?"
She re-loads her gun, and strides towards the door, checking for traps.
She turns around to look at the others expectantly. "If people are staying behind, we gotta make sure it's safe!"
Very well, let us check the remaining door. Trevor follows Zinli.
Carrie sighs loudly, pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and finger, "I thought we agreed that splittin' up would be..." she trails off, shaking her head, "Whatever..."
"Well, I'm fine with checkin' out, uh, this would be the other judge's chamber, right?" she taps the ground with the tip of her boot.
"But if we're really dealin' with that Mord guy's ghost, what's stoppin' him from just floatin' through the floor or a wall?" Carrie twirls a finger pointed at the ceiling.
Whem Carrie says that Mord guy’s ghost nervousness comes over Halgrak, but quickly leaves him as his eyes dart around.
A smile splits Ebin’s face; “What is a ghost’s favorite desert?” Looking to each of you for an answer. Maybe when its taking too long because he obviously cannot read the room he blurts out “I – scream!!!” and he becomes overwhelmed with laughter. Tears begin to form in the corner of his eyes and as they roll down his cheeks, they form little ruts in his caked on jester makeup.
There is fear… almost terror in his eyes.
Zinli approaches the wooden door across the hall from the previous Judges Chamber. Looking for traps. You don’t see anything, but you accidently bump the door and it slowly creeks open. The handle doesn’t appear to be broken, but the latch is jammed inside of the door. The light from those who carry torches or are casting spells cast Zinli’s long shadow into this windowless room.
These simple quarters haven’t been used in years. A plain oak desk stands near the back. Several voluminous text on Absalom law, all gilt-edged and bound in leather, lay scattered about in the room.
""But if we're really dealin' with that Mord guy's ghost, what's stoppin' him from just floatin' through the floor or a wall?"
"Nothing, I guess," Zinli shrugs. "We'll just have to deal with Mord's angry ghost." She deliberately keeps her eyes on Halgrak as she says that.
"Ah, s@#%," the gnome blurts out as she inadvertendly pushes the door open. She quickly gestures at her companions to shine some light into the darkness.
"Meh, it's boring in there, you can come in," she gives a quick look around the room to check for hidden enemies before she comes in.
If she doesn't detect anything, she goes straight to flicking the pages of the thick volumes. "Do you think there's anything on Mord inside?"
Tolbold has his lights go into the room and then follows the others in and takes a look around. Searching for any evidence of the trial. I need to take a look in that jury room when Halgrek isn't looking. He's hiding something in there.
Trevor notices Ebi's distress and moves over to him. Hey there. What's up? Maybe talking can help you out. We're here to help each other.
"While you're rummaging around in there, look for any interesting curios!" calls out Neronius. "It would behoove us to gain something from this dreadful and tiresome excursion."
Setting her lantern on the ground, allowing its light to shine into the room, Carrie steps in and looks over the tomes sitting upon the desk. Picking one of the books up, she quickly glances over its covers.
"Do you think there's anything on Mord inside?"
"Only one really fast way to find out," Carrie says with a smirk, shifting her grip on the book to its spine and letting it dangle opening-first toward the floor. She shakes it, its pages flapping, in the hopes of dislodging anything that might have been kept inside. If nothing falls out, she carelessly tosses the book back onto the desk and tries again with another.
Tobold walks over to the desk and starts opening drawers to see if there is anything inside. He looks to Carolynn and says "It might be nice to put them back neatly like they were."
"We don't have time, and anyway, no one uses this building anymore!" Zinli retorts in a sing-songy voice.
Trevor approaches Ebin and his laughter slows. Nervously the halfling fidgets with his shirt and holds his stomach to stop his hands. “What? Oh… nothing, everything is fine.” and quickly follows Tolbold into the chamber.
As you begin looking around this chamber it comes alive. The books of Absalom law begin to fall off the shelves as the walls appear to shake. The book Carrie is looking at flies out of her hands. Suddenly, the books stop falling and begin spinning around the room hitting those that entered this chamber.
The books fall on the floor, except one. It falls on the desk. It is titled Punish the Guilty, there is a section that is underlined “We, entrusted with justice, must be above reproach. Those who fail to serve justice blindly shall reap what they sow.”
“Ow!” Ebin says as a book flies and hits him in the face; “I’m not picking all of these up, no matter how nice it is.” looking towards Tolbold.
Looking around the room, you also find an old papyrus scroll containing a few spells: Light, Mage Armor, Magic Missile, and Shield. Nothing else is of use in the chamber.
"Excellent!" says Neronius upon seeing the old papyrus scroll. "Yes, indeed. Did you know sometimes the ancient paper is more valuable than what's written on it? I'll make sure it fetches the best price in the Arcanamirium."