She estatically says, "Wow! That is amazing! I know trick knives but it's real. We could have you join us, I am sure that would have a pull!"
With a pleasant smile on her face. She replies, "We can easily ask for some privacy or run off with a strong defender such as yourself." Her blush grows even darker and happily goes with you.
The pharasman asks Doctor Crowl about the damage to his office.
Cristo turn to the others and asks, "Should we help the good Doctor retrieve her missing statue?"
The cleric and the 'Vudrani Princess' gasp at each other in a set of warm passionate kisses. Their many hands roaming each other. S'jeer quickly unbuttons Cristo's cassock, then rubbing the pharasman's growing bulge in his pants. The four-armed woman gets on her knees and pulls Cristo's hard cock from his pants. S'jeer uses two of her hands and mouth to stimulate the varisian's erect member, while another hand carefully cradles and massages Cristo's balls. The cleric's breath quickens as his holy staff gets such eager attention. It is not long before Cristo grabs the back of the S'jeers head and holds her, as his cock dumps streams of cum down her throat. The 'princess' gags slightly, but nonetheless swallows Cristo's load.
”My dear”, Cristo pants. ”Do you..think we have time for more?”
”You have more fire in your belly, Father?” S'jeer questions. ”You shot your cannon quite thoroughly.”
”Yes. And thank you”, Cristo pulls S'jeer up from the ground, then unbuttons her blouse, exposing her breasts. ”But as a sublime being, we have amazing recovery time!”
”And how often does a man get to partake of a sweet Vudrani flower like yours”, Cristo panted as he leaned in a began to suck on S'jeer's nippes.
”Now. On all hands and knees”, Cristo said passionately.
The four-armed lady did as she was bid, slightly more turned on by the command.
S'jeer took two of her hand and pulled up her dress and pulled down her underwear, exposing a thick brown bush, wet from anticipation. Those same two hands gently pulled back her hairy folds to show the cleric when his staff went.
”Oh, Great Pharasma. What an exotic treat.” Cristo breathed.
The cleric rubbed his stiffened cock up and down S'jeer's furry snatch unti he found the event horizon and gently pushed his way ion her hairy snatch.
Gently at first, Cristo pumped his cock back and forth, making the many-armed woman moan and yip. The pharasman quicken his pace, as S'jeer tried to keep quiet. Cristo could occasionally hear her Galt slip into her ecstacy, the cleric smiling to himself as he too, was reaching his climax.
S'jeer bucked and squirmed, holding her mouth, as her fluids erupted and slid down Cristo's shaft.
Distant cries from the caravan told them both lovers had to return.
”One moment!” Cristo barked. ”I'm close! Ahhh!”
The varisian's cock pumped his seed into S'jeer, grunting with pleasure.
As soon as the cleric was done, both quickly returned to their state of dress.
Before leaving, Cristo pushed S'jeer against the outcropping and kissed her passionately; the 'Vudrani' returning the favor.
S'jeer then pushed Cristo away gently. ”We must go. Come on!”
Cristo took one of S'jeer's arms and both discreet lovers hurried back to the caravan.
Once back, Anapa and Imrik gave Cristo a knowing look as the caravan restarted back toward Lepidstadt. Cristo just smiled back as the wagon lurched forward.
Morbury Dedlock. Probably one of the most "normal" ones of the Crooked Kin. Fairly tall and adorned in a plethora of everything black, which contrasts greatly against his shoulder-length white hair, pale skin, and deep red eyes. He sits in his wagon as they travel to Lepidstadt. His dark, wide-brimmed hat pulled somewhat down over his eyes, he stares straight ahead in silence with his arms crossed, as he leans back against the wagon, bouncing slightly as it rumbles along.
Typically introduced as, "The kindest Dead Man Walking you will ever meet!" for flair, Kaleb normally keeps Morbury under wraps until actual showtime.
You see, Morbury Dedlock is a dhampir. Which is an offspring of a vampire. They are typically, and understandably, shunned by others due to their very nature. They are not undead, but they take on the characteristics of their progenitors. But this dhampir, one born into a high station, is not your ordinary dhampir. Oh no, not in the least. This one... this one has died, yet...
He lives.
How, you ask? Now THAT is a good question.
Imrik approaches the Ringmaster as they reach Lepidstadt. "It has been a pleasure to travel with you. These lands seem quite dangerous. I am impressed that your group has traveled safely for so long before we crossed paths."
He replies to Imrik, "Yes, we are thankful for your groups overwatch. Thankfully no more dangerous events occurred. We have our ways."
On the first night as the 2nd watch begins he finds himself resting next to Morbury.
"I agree, before we ran into you I was almost eaten by a vine. It is nice to not have that happen often." Imrik says before asking, "Do the people of the towns welcome you in? I find that some places do not welcome me."
Strangely, the hound Aasimar had kept to himself most of the way, barely coming out to socialise. Something was on his mind and he felt he had sort it out in private. Leaving most of the group To go on with their activities as the time passes. Only coming out during his watch then quietly goes back to his own little spot, retreating into himself
With a raised eyebrow, Morbury cuts his focus over to Drake, wondering what he's doing. He always works to keep himself at a distance from the others, mainly for their safety and especially in his weakened state. It's not long before he hears the all too familiar sound, *lub-dub*. He squints and places a hand to his head, as if he has a headache. He shakes his head vigorously, trying to remove the tempting sound, *lub-dub* but to no avail. *lub-dub*, *lub-dub*, *lub-dub*, *lub-dub*, *lub-dub* The sound then gets stronger and louder... , , He glares at Drake as his anger rises. He opens his mouth slightly and is about to say something until Drake pulls the colorful gem out, and he pauses, closing his mouth.
Transfixing his eyes upon the gem, he finds it mesmerizing and somewhat peaceful. Which in turn, causes the , to recede. *lub-dub*. *lub-dub*. *lub-*.
"Drake. I would urge you to find a spot that is not so near me," he advises in a mindless tone, as his focus remains upon the gem. His voice is smooth and comforting, yet strong.
Who knows how much this gem will aid the dhampir, but as far as he's concerned, right now is all that matters.
Kaleb replies with a wry grin, "Well most think of us as freaks and we embrace it. Though putting on our show makes most tense introductions handled."
After leaving the Crooked Kin he reminded the group of the weapons and such, the loot they had. He spoke with a few vendors and found a decent deal with them in offloading the loot.
Hagglining:
---
"Indeed, Cristo, we should help the good Doctor retrieve her missing statue."
Crowl relates the tale of the Beast’s breakin and the curious fact that only one item was taken—a strange statuette called the Seasage Effigy. Crowl is frankly baff led by events—he admits that the statuette was very singular, but it was hardly valuable. Although the stolen statue has not been recovered, he is pleased that the Beast was caught, though he understands the poor creature cannot explain its actions and is clearly mad.
Crowl is quite willing to allow you to investigate the scene of the crime, although he warns them that a good deal of cleaning up has already taken place. The trail of the thief is easy to follow—the thief broke in through the back door, then passed through the auditorium on his way to the workshop where the Seasage Effigy was kept. The back door to the Antiquities Department was originally locked with a superior lock, but it is clear that the door was recently damaged. The 1-inch-thick iron door
(hardness 10, hp 30, Break DC 26) is currently locked with a makeshift
padlock (treat as a simple lock, Disable Device DC 20) and only crude repairs have been made. The simple wooden door leading from the back door foyer into the auditorium has been broken off its hinges, as has
the far door leading to the workshop. Paneled in oak, the auditorium contains a sunken, 5-foot-deep central area lined with books, tribal fetishes, and curiosities.
A small stage and lectern stand in the center of this area, which is edged with a low oak rail, worn smooth from the touch of years of students gazing into the Master’s lecture room below.
The high–ceilinged workshop/library is lined with mostly empty shelves, and a trio of great leaded windows looks out over the university lawn. A staggering array of books, scrolls, maps, and curios, including shrunken heads, tribal masks, and bits of pottery, lie scattered all over the floor, apparently pulled from the shelves. The room is otherwise
crowded with overturned tables, desks, and cabinets.
Clues: You notice that the back door was clearly forced open from the outside.
[spoiler=K Arcana DC 20 Knowledge ] which can be identified as the material components of an alarm spell.
While several people have walked through the area since the break-in...
creature in iron-nailed boots.
Despite the mess in the workshop, you notice that one area in the room appears to be untouched, in stark contrast to the damage seen elsewhere
in the department. Indeed, the pedestal that once held the Seasage Effigy is crowded with small fetishes and delicate mother-of-pearl fish carvings that are undamaged.
The workshop’s windows have clearly not been opened for many years, as evidenced by the build-up of grime around them. However, the center window, though now shut, has no such grime.
alarm spell alerted the guards in a nearby guardroom, who
arrived 6 rounds later to overpower the Beast. These guards,
if interviewed, remember finding the Beast rampaging
through the workshop, but they did not see any accomplices.
The tracks in the foyer match the boots worn by the Beast.
Questioning the department staff reveals that the smell
in the auditorium is from the polish used by the cleaners
on all the wood in the university. The scratches on the rail
and impressions in the f loor could easily have been made
by the Beast’s iron-shod boots.
The workshop’s center window, though stiff, opens easily,
but opening the other windows requires a DC 25 Strength
check. If questioned about the windows, the staff states that
the window was shut when they arrived after the crime.
Though all of the clues found in the Antiquities
Department point to the Beast of Lepidstadt as the culprit,
there are still some unanswered questions. What was the
Beast’s motive for stealing the Seasage Effigy? Why did it
rampage through the workshop but remove the statuette
with such care? And what did it do with the stolen statue
before it was captured?
In fact, the Beast was not here of its own accord. After
invading Schloss Caromarc, the Whispering Way used the
Bondslave Thrall to control the Beast and directed the golem
to break into the university. Having previously scried the
area, they made immediately for the Seasage Effigy, which
the Beast then passed through a window to a waiting
homunculus, who carried the statuette to the cultists. Their
work done, the Whispering Way fled with
As Drake snatches the gem and takes his leave, Morbury breathes a sigh of relief. I do not understand what he was thinking. That was far too close. He now sits in silence within his wagon. He's only been a part of the Crooked Kin for a short time, and while it's not where he intended his journey to take him, he's managed to make the best of it. I must return to my true purpose again. This is not my calling, but for now, it is the safest.
He points out to the group, "I discovered the remains of fine silver wire and a tiny bell attached to the door. Also do you smell that beeswax?"
The Beast came in through here with its iron nailed boots.
"There are a few deep scratches on the wooden rail. While searching the tiled floor of the sunken central area immediately under the scratched rail above determines that something heavy landed or fell here. Also that center window is clean, I feel someone came in through it, perhaps the Beast but that doesn't make sense with its tracks."
He turns to Drake "Huh? oh, no, nothing that i could hear or see, and thats saying something" as he points to his ears with a chuckles "Rabbit stew is always a winner, if we have some extra flavouring to go with it we may even go all out!" he answers with a canine smile
"Very well done, something to work on, and i wouldnt blame people from guarding their places of stay, we do it all the time, though not with devices"
Turning his focus toward the elf, "I don't know what that means either. A strange crystal you possess there. I am Morbury Dedlock," he nods, cutting his attention back to the crystal. "So your crystal speaks to you?" he asks, truly curious.
"There are a few deep scratches on the wooden rail. While searching the tiled floor of the sunken central area immediately under the scratched rail above determines that something heavy landed or fell here. Also that center window is clean, I feel someone came in through it, perhaps the Beast but that doesn't make sense with its tracks."
"It is a lot of effort for just a statuette. There must be a greater meaning", Cristo ponders.
"This does seem a lot unless the statuette either held something or had some power that we were unaware of." Imrik shakes his head and looks back at Drake, "Do you think you can follow the beast's trail from the shop?"
He nods slowly, "In a way.... unlike how blood speaks to you. It guides me and draws me to hidden secrets. Morbury Dedlock an interesting name. What do you want my young.. friend?"
Responding to Imrik, "Yes most likely."
Speaking with the doctor he notes you could speak with the staff and the guards.
"I'll will speak with the staff", Cristo states.
The pharasman cleric questions the staff about the break in.
Morbury bursts into laughter at the question, his fangs clearly seen, which are extremely pointy and appear to be quite sharp. "'What do I want?' That truly is a good question, Sir Drake. 'What do I want?' Hm. Well, I will tell you what I desire above all. I want to kill the one who did this to me. Who made me what I am."
"Interestingly enough, I found him once. And I was so confident about how I was going to end him, it was my naivete that cost me. I was no match. Not in the least. So, he killed me. I was dead for twelve seconds, and then I awoke."
"And now you're probably wondering how I know that, hm? How I know the length of time I was dead? Well, it's quite simple, really. He told me. When I awoke, he told me what had happened..."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Waking up as if from a nightmare, Morbury's heart races as he works to catch his breath. He reaches up and places a hand on his neck where the pain resides.
"How do you feel, Dedlock? After being dead for 12 seconds. Alive? More dead?" The tall, pale, well-dressed man laughs wickedly, knowing he has won.
"What have you done to me?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!
"I've simply made you what you were born to be, Dedlock. I've converted you to your full potential. You should thank me."
"Thank you?! My goal is to kill you!"
"Yeah, well, good luck with that, Dedlock. You can see that worked out so well for you this time," he says with a cocky grin.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"So I got up and ran out, hearing his echoing laughter behind me, and realizing there was nothing I could do now but wait for the full transition. And that's what I did. I waited. But it never came."
"You see, Amdis Freyr was the vampire that bit me. His name translated means, "Eternal lord". I am a dhampir that was bitten by a vampire. But I never did fully turn, you see. I've only acquired some abilities of the vampire, yet, none of the weaknesses except..." he hesitates a moment, his focus cuts toward one side of the wagon before, "the hunger. If someone gets to near, and I suffer from the hunger, then I can hear their heartbeat, their pulse, whichever. It's so very loud. I can hear it as clear as day. Which means I need to feed. I have to fight off the desire to feed on humanoids. It's so very difficult. So very difficult." He seems to trail off in thought for a moment, as if lost in another time.
Then taking a deep breath, and seemingly returning back to reality, "Anyway, that is what I truly wish. Until that time, I am stuck doing this until I can find a greater purpose in life. Which, you would think, would not be that difficult. It is not like this is some form of lucrative lifestyle, but for me, it truly is difficult. My mere appearance makes me unacceptable to others, so, I am with those that have no issues with it. I am not judged by those I travel with and it gives me a purpose in life, currently. A small purpose but it's better than nothing." He shrugs.
While Cristo speaks to the staff, Imrik will talk to the guards. "What can you tell me of what happened here?"
Hopeful he asks, "Interesting Morbury. Would you be interested in joining our rag bag team, our goals likely match yours. To end the Whispering Way, destroy undead, and joining us should get you stronger to fight your tormentor. I believe all of us would be willing to join you against him too."
He offers with genuine intrigue, "I have an abundance of blood and fortitude. You could feed upon me... The gems speak to me and tell me of a ritual that will help me too but it requires you and several specific conditions if you are interested?"
"As you can tell our team fits in with the Freaks as well. We would be happy to have another brother in arms against the undead. The gems tell me that you will do wonderfully! Come let me introduce you to the others, unless you need to feed first? Yes I offer my blood free of charge see it as a gift. If you would return the favor I will begin figuring out the specifics of the ritual."
Fearful at the thought, he shakes his head. "I do not believe that is wise for me to use you to feed. If I do, I could become accustomed to it and may no longer be able to control who I feed upon. That is my greatest fear. An enemy is one thing; one who is not, could very well become a habit I may never break. That is too dangerous of a path I fear to take."
"But, I am intrigued with your and your team's mission of destruction of the undead. And the Whispering Way you say? That truly sounds like a worthy endeavor. Eliminating undead is something I dedicated my life to, but found it quite difficult going it alone. With others of a like mind, this constitutes as promising. I would be glad to meet the others."
Then a curious look forms about him. "A question, if you will. While I truly have no desire to feed upon you, and as I mentioned, am afraid of it becoming potentially detrimental to others, what is this 'ritual' you speak of? These 'conditions'? I am curious."
Anapa follows Imrik, as it seemed that his idea held some merit, at least it was spotted. And just because noone was seen, doesn't mean there could have been handlers close by
"We should try and follow the tracks. Perhaps we can find more down the line, handlers or the like"
"The intruder(s) may have a connection to the University. The staff said it smelled like the wood polish used by the University." Cristo sighed.
"At least we have a place to start investigating."
With understanding he nods, "I get that."
He replies with a bit of uncertainty, "I need to some research. The gems just whisper a bit. On a Lunar eclipse... incense... myrhh... powdered silver. It should enhance of of your inherented defensive ability. So like your resistance to an element or make your skin denser. Like I said I need to do research."
A handsome young man with brown wavy hair and deep blue eyes stands up. He is wearing Pharasman clerical clothes, with a one gold holy symbol of The Lady of Grave worn prominently.
"Greetings, Mr. Dedlok. I am Reverend Cristo Galadan. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
Nodding in greeting to the Pharasman, "And yours, Reverend. Please, Morbury will suffice. No need to trouble yourself with honorifics for me, good sir," he offers, nodding. "A follower of the Lady of Graves, I see. Fascinating. Perfect for one who seeks to eliminate the undead."
"Speaking of which, what objective do you all currently share at this time? Are there undead within the vicinity that need to be dealt with? I would be honored to join you in such an endeavor. It would be a pleasant change of pace to finally not have to go it alone."
Around the Campfire
"I am Imrik, a follower of Omrataji. We are currently traveling to take some books to where they might be safely kept." Imrik says, "Did you have a task of your own currently?"
On the Hunt
"We should try the tracks first. That might help determine who this beast is along with the knowledge they spend time at the university." Imrik says.
Around the Campfire
"I am Imrik, a follower of Omrataji. We are currently traveling to take some books to where they might be safely kept." Imrik says, "Did you have a task of your own currently?"
With a curious look, "Interesting. I am unfamiliar with Omrataji. I follow the Dawnflower. And as far as tasks go for myself, I do not possess any. I joined up with this lot because they did not look upon me as an outcast, and I had nowhere else to turn at the time. So I figured, why not? This is the first opportunity to accomplish something proper with my life that has crossed my path."
The Anubian inclines his head towards the new member
"I am Anapa, follower and soldier of Anubis. Hoping to one day be one of his archons. My purpose here in this realm is to eradicate undead where it is needed, no soul should be denied entry to the gates, and all souls need to be judged"
"Anubis? Another deity I am unfamiliar with. I do not believe I've witnessed such an interesting assortment of individuals, such as yourselves, working collectively against a common cause. Brilliant." He grins, remaining wary about revealing his fangs.
He inclines his head "Few have, as he is one of ancient Osiron"
$$$$
Curious he asks, "Imrik are you speaking of the tracks of the Beast? It came in from that door, around to this pristine display which should be in shambles if he was raging, then went over to that window. If I am correct."
"That does seem correct. I wondered if there were tracks outside the window that might be followed." Imrik says.
The cleric patiently waits for the more martial among them to lead the hunt.
Anapa is an executioner, not a hunter, so his tracking capabilities were not the best, so until they were facing the beast, he would not be useful in tracking it down
He hops up and tries the window... opening it with ease. Then he tries the next window with all the grime and can't force it open.
He helps up anyone that wants a hand to the open window then leads the way following some tiny foot prints in the dirt that is there. But soon he looses the trail.
"Shall we go speak with The Beast? Did we ask about what was taken?" He asks thinking of possible next steps.
"I shall inquire with the staff", Cristo answers. The cleric goes back inside to ask about the whereabouts of 'The Beast'.
Information on the Trial
If the PCs are interested in finding out more about the Beast’s trial thus far, they can make Diplomacy checks to gather information or Knowledge (local) checks to hear the following widespread rumors about the trial.
swampers in Morast, and burning down good Doctor Brada’s hospice. Hurrah for Prosecutor Otto Heiger!
You quickly learn that the beast is being held at the Lepidstadt Courthouse. A large, squat building dominated by an enormous clock overlooks the town square. A huge figure of wood, roughly man-shaped, stands in the square in front of the building. Designed primarily as a fortification, the Lepidstadt Courthouse is built of dark stone, with walls of reinforced masonry (Climb DC 20). The building is three stories high, with narrow, open windows only a foot wide. All exterior doors are strong wooden doors (hardness 5, hp 20, Break DC 25), while interior doors are good wooden doors (hardness 5, hp 15, Break DC 18). The exterior doors have good locks (Disable Device DC 30), and the acting sergeant has the keys.
In the square immediately outside the courthouse stands the Punishing Man, Lepidstadt’s traditional method of executing murderers and other criminals guilty of capital crimes. The Punishing Man is a gigantic, man-shaped conglomeration of cut timber standing over 30 feet tall. Convicted criminals are placed within the figure’s hollow chest cavity and the entire structure is then set on fire in a public ceremony. As the trial progresses, eager workers pile more timber against the figure’s legs and oil its wooden limbs, while children play games at its side and throw grass, flowers, and rubbish onto it.
keep watch over the prisoners held inside, operating in
12-hour shifts of six guards each. Their former sergeant
drank himself to death 3 weeks ago, and has yet to be
replaced, leaving one of the guards, Acting Sergeant Dun,
in charge. Dun has the same statistics as the other guards.
He holds the keys to all of the doors in the courthouse,
and is reluctant to give them up without orders from
higher up. The guards are enjoying their newfound fame
as the jailers of the infamous Beast of Lepidstadt, and
delight in tormenting the Beast.
Judge Embreth Daramid
Judge Daramid lives in a fine townhouse surrounded by
art in the center of Lepidstadt. A DC 10 Diplomacy check
made to gather information about her relates that she is
well respected for her even temper and fairness. Embreth
Daramid (NG female old human aristocrat 3/expert 4) is one
of the justices of Vieland and a magistrate of Lepidstadt,
but she is also a member of the Esoteric Order of the
Palatine Eye, a secret society of elite thinkers and scholars
with a tradition of mysticism (more details on the Order of
the Palatine Eye can be found on pages 70–75).
Judge Daramid invites the PCs into her home when they
arrive. She is in her sixties, with gray hair pulled back
tightly into a bun and icy blue eyes. She is a stern, nononsense woman who appears to be all business, but a DC
15 Sense Motive check reveals that Lorrimor’s death has
affected her more than she lets show, hinting that perhaps
their relationship was, at one time at least, more than
professional. She asks the PCs if they have completed the
tasks in Lorrimor’s will, and graciously accepts the book
left to her. If the PCs question her about the purple book
bequeathed to her, she does not reveal anything other than
confirming its title, if the PCs have translated that. If the
PCs have already delivered the other tomes to Dr. Crowl at
the university, she hands over the agreed upon sum of 100
platinum pieces to each PC.
Once the business of Professor Lorrimor’s will is
concluded, Judge Daramid asks the PCs to stay for
moment, adding that she is in need of some assistance,
and if Petros trusted them, then she might be inclined to
trust them as well.
Judge Daramid explains that she believes there is a cancer
in Lepidstadt, a darkness lurking behind the shadow of a
scapegoat. For many years the people of Lepidstadt have
laid all their ills at the door of a creature known as the
Beast of Lepidstadt—murders, thefts, and terror have
all been attributed to the Beast, but Judge Daramid
knows that many stories are exaggerations or simply
12
Trial of the Beast
Judge Daramid
untrue. She also knows that some people have different
stories to tell about the creature—about its kindness and
humanity, of how it has rescued loved ones or helped those
in distress. Now that the time has arrived for such kindness
to be repaid, however, no one dares to step forward and
challenge the Beast’s reputation.
As a judge, Daramid has a keen sense of justice, and she
fears the Beast will not receive a fair trial. The people of
Lepidstadt have blamed the Beast for too much and for too
long, and they want it to pay for its crimes, whether those
crimes are real or imagined. In addition, the judge has
some concerns about the crime for which the Beast was
finally apprehended—the break-in and theft at Lepidstadt
University. She is also convinced that the Beast’s capture at
the university was not all it appeared to be, for why would a
creature that is intelligent knowingly enter the university,
where it was certain to be trapped? However, to publicly
announce her suspicions could put her at great risk, both
professionally and politically. As one of the three justices
presiding over the Beast’s trial, she is unable to openly
intervene, other than insisting that the Beast be properly
defended in court.
What Judge Daramid really needs is a group of people
without local bias to uncover the real truth about the
Beast and its alleged crimes. The Beast’s legally appointed
advocate, a barrister named Gustav Kaple, is hopelessly
over his head and needs help—ideally someone to gather
evidence about the Beast’s alleged crimes and stand up in
court to be questioned by the prosecution. Such speakers
must have bravery in spades and silver tongues to match, to
ensure that if there is more to the Beast’s story, justice will
be done. If the Beast is indeed guilty, then Daramid can rest
easier at night knowing that she gave it a fair trial.
Daramid bluntly offers to double the PCs’ bequest from
Lorrimor’s will (100 platinum pieces each) if they investigate
the Beast of Lepidstadt on her behalf while expressly keeping
her out of the equation, as any hint of collaboration in their
investigations would put her legal objectivity into question.
She tells the PCs that she will deny any involvement in the
matter if pressed, but that if they do get to the bottom of the
matter, she will be very grateful indeed.
If the PCs accept, Judge Daramid directs the PCs to the
Lepidstadt Courthouse (area A), instructing them to register
with the court clerks as volunteer defenders for the Beast
and then meet with Barrister Gustav Kaple, to offer their
assistance in gathering clues to help the Beast’s defense.
----
The only other person permanently in residence at the
moment is Barrister Gustav Kaple, who has been charged
with defending the Beast during the upcoming trial.
The Barrister
Barrister Gustav Kaple (NG male human aristocrat 3/
expert 2) meets the PCs in the Defense Chamber (area
A21). When wearing his huge court wig, Gustav cuts an
impressive figure. Unfortunately, looks can be deceiving—
Gustav has had several recent failures in the justice system
and seen his last six clients hanged. In truth, the downat-the-heels barrister was chosen to represent the Beast
precisely because of his inability to defend anyone and
for his stutter, which manifests itself when he is stressed.
Although Gustav has no doubt that the Beast is guilty,
he plans to defend the creature to the best of his ability,
but he is struggling to find any kind of evidence in
support of the Beast’s innocence. Gustav is happy to tell
the PCs the circumstances leading to the Beast’s capture
at the University (see page 17), and outline the legal process
involved in the trial (see page 37). He informs the PCs that
the prosecution is using three recent crimes attributed to
the Beast to convict the creature of murder: the murder of
10 citizens of the village of Morast a year ago; the slaying
of six children in the farming community of Hergstag
7 months ago; and the arson attack 4 months ago at the
Sanctuary on Karb Isle, which resulted in the deaths of
Doctor Brada and his patients and the blinding of the
doctor’s assistant, Karl.
Gustav has interviewed the main witnesses from each
of the three cases to be discussed at the trial and has
found that their stories are very plausible. He wishes to
see justice done, however, and he is certain that without
evidence in its favor, the Beast will be convicted.
To that end, he is willing to assist the PCs with
their investigations (unless he is at court). His
role in court is to present evidence, crossexamine witnesses, and clear the Beast of any
wrongdoing. Because of his stutter, however,
he suggests that if the PCs find any evidence
that can help the Beast, it might be better for
one of the PCs to present it.
Gustav is very concerned about time. He
informs the PCs that the trial has already
commenced, and preliminary evidence has been
presented to the three justices. The trial begins
in earnest tomorrow, however, as the
majority of the evidence for the three
crimes will be presented over the
next 3 days. The PCs must act fast
if they hope to find evidence in
support of the Beast’s innocence. Gustav
suggests that the PCs investigate the
events in Morast first, as that evidence will be presented
tomorrow. They can then investigate the other two crimes
over the following two nights.
If the PCs have no further questions for him, Gustav
recommends that they go meet the Beast for themselves.
Meeting the Beast
Gustav Kaple escorts the PCs into the courthouse’s cellar
jail to meet the Beast of Lepidstadt, currently held in area
A14. Read the following when the PCs get their first look
at the legendary Beast.
A towering abomination sits in an iron chair, bound with no
less than a dozen sets of manacles. Stitching holds together
this grotesque patchwork of flesh and bone, beast and man,
though the wires are so taut they look as though they may fly
apart at any moment. Its mouth is twisted in a permanent
sneer, and a shock of lank, dark hair clings to its scalp. The
creature slumps in its chair, a despondent expression upon its
monstrous face.
The Beast of Lepidstadt is ugly, kind, angry, and gentle.
It is also noble, terrible, incredible, and frightful. But the
Beast has been given its name erroneously. While the
creature looks like a monster, it is an intelligent creature,
and beneath the surface it is a pitiable thing with a soul.
Although it has killed before, the Beast possesses a
childlike innocence, and in each case the killings were
brought on by the victims themselves, who taunted or
attacked the Beast, causing it to f ly into a berserk rage.
Over the years, the Beast has learned to control its rage
somewhat, though the stress of battle inevitably causes it
to lose control and go berserk. After it kills, the Beast is
filled with sorrow and tries to understand why people hate
it. The Beast realizes it’s not human, and seeks to
better understand humans, even memorizing
the verses in an old book of Taldan poetry
it came across in an attempt to find some
meaning. Although it no longer makes the
mistake of trying to join human society,
the Beast desperately wants to be accepted,
and has returned children lost in the forest
unharmed to their homes in the hope of
gaining some measure of tolerance.
Even the Beast’s creator—the deposed count
Alpon Caromarc—now views his creation as a
mistake; the Beast could never be the son he
and his dead wife had sought. The Beast
is aware that it has disappointed its
creator, but does not know why. It
has forgiven the count, although at
times it forgets what it has forgiven.
When the PCs first meet the creature—
chained and beaten by the cruel guards—
it truly is a beast. It is dirty and miserable, covered in f lies,
and more likely to roar and strain at its bonds than to speak
at first. If the PCs can somehow calm the Beast down and
befriend it, they find communication with the creature
difficult at best. The Beast doesn’t fully comprehend its
predicament, and struggles to understand why the humans
have imprisoned and tortured it. If questioned about its
alleged crimes, the Beast only repeats, “I didn’t do it,” over
and over again. The only incident it has any knowledge
of are the events which transpired in Hergstag, the only
location where it was actually present. More details of the
Beast’s memories of that place are detailed in The Children
of Hergstag on page 22. Under no circumstances does the
Beast reveal the name of its creator until after the trial. If
pressed, it remains silent on the issue.
Play the Beast as a child in a monster’s body—it can be
amazingly gentle, insatiably curious, and a true friend,
but it can also be incredibly dangerous, uncontrollably
wild, and impossible. If treated with any degree of
kindness, the Beast soon develops a childlike, innocent
love for its “friends,” but if treated cruelly, it becomes a
raging beast worthy of its name. Do your best to portray
the Beast in a way that leads the PCs to feel sympathy
for the creature, eventually understanding that while it
looks like a monster, it most certainly is not.
The Beast of Lepidstadt CR 13
XP 25,600
hp 118 (see page 62)