Raj regards the Attic Whisperer then, to Mila, he quickly makes a one-handed duck-quacking gesture and points at the creature... talk.
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Raj scribbles again. damage to bones will show The thief follows along through the graveyard.
Raj tries to speak and finds his voice is still gone. He locates a twig and scratches more thoughts in the dirt. Agree. But may need to dig up Ellsa - evidence of how died. Not punched or throttled - not the Beast.
Rajuna stands by to see where Mila's efforts lead.
Nodding along with Mila’s idea, Raj also searches the creature’s body… then he starts putting bits of the armor and the creature in his backpack. He scrawls two words in the dirt for Mila. evidence – keep
Status: HP: 29 / 33 | AC:24 / T:20 / FF:24* | CMD:25/19 (27 vs most maneuvers)
Stunning Fist (4): Ki Pool (4): x Shuriken (16): xxx MW Shuriken (12): Scabbard of Vigor (1): Mage Armor (2): x Wand of Mage Armor (50): xxx Pot of Invisibility (1): Pot of Mage Armor (2): Pot of CLW (1): Pot of CMW (1): Tanglefoot Bag (2): x Effects:
It’s probably better that Rajuna has been muted. Even a cursory knowledge of lip-reading informs the viewer that he is using words that ought not be said aloud – or at the apparent volume he is trying to deliver them at. After his irritation abates, he gives a two-hand shrug what can ya do? gesture. He points toward the center of the village and starts heading that way. Status: HP: 29 / 33 | AC:24 / T:20 / FF:24* | CMD:25/19 (27 vs most maneuvers)
Stunning Fist (4): Ki Pool (4): x Shuriken (16): xxx MW Shuriken (12): Scabbard of Vigor (1): Mage Armor (2): x Wand of Mage Armor (50): xxx Pot of Invisibility (1): Pot of Mage Armor (2): Pot of CLW (1): Pot of CMW (1): Tanglefoot Bag (2): x Effects:
Round 3
Rajuna keeps attacking the Attic Whisperer.
Status: HP: 29 / 33 | AC:24 / T:20 / FF:24* | CMD:25/19 (27 vs most maneuvers)
Stunning Fist (4): Ki Pool (4): x Shuriken (16): xxx MW Shuriken (12): Scabbard of Vigor (1): Mage Armor (2): x Wand of Mage Armor (50): xxx Pot of Invisibility (1): Pot of Mage Armor (2): Pot of CLW (1): Pot of CMW (1): Tanglefoot Bag (2): x Effects:
Round 2 You can protect your horse… how about yourself? Raj steps into the creature and throws a flurry of punches at the ride, not its mount.
Status: HP: 29 / 33 | AC:24 / T:20 / FF:24* | CMD:25/19 (27 vs most maneuvers)
Stunning Fist (4): Ki Pool (4): x Shuriken (16): xxx MW Shuriken (12): Scabbard of Vigor (1): Mage Armor (2): x Wand of Mage Armor (50): xxx Pot of Invisibility (1): Pot of Mage Armor (2): Pot of CLW (1): Pot of CMW (1): Tanglefoot Bag (2): x Effects:
Round 1 First, a faceful of bee stings… now this. Raj feels certain this is going to be a loooong day. While considering whether a lance or getting trampled delivers the worse injury, he dips a hand into his bandolier to pull out a tanglefoot bag, kept for emergencies like this. He adopts a weaving stance to make himself harder to hit and then waits. If the ‘knight’ charges, he’ll hurl the tanglefoot at the horse’s legs. With any luck, they’ll both go down in a pile of shattered bone. He tries to encourage the team, ”A good question for court is gonna be ‘How did a golem that can’t weave a spell create a bunch of undead in Hergstag?”
Tanglefoot Bag:
…the bag comes apart and goo bursts out, entangling the target and then becoming tough and resilient upon exposure to air. An entangled creature takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls and a –4 penalty to Dexterity and must make a DC 15 Reflex save or be glued to the floor, unable to move. Even on a successful save, it can move only at half speed. Huge or larger creatures are unaffected by a tanglefoot bag. A flying creature is not stuck to the floor, but it must make a DC 15 Reflex save or be unable to fly (assuming it uses its wings to fly) and fall to the ground. A tanglefoot bag does not function underwater.
A creature that is glued to the floor (or unable to fly) can break free by making a DC 17 Strength check or by dealing 15 points of damage to the goo with a slashing weapon. A creature trying to scrape goo off itself, or another creature assisting, does not need to make an attack roll; hitting the goo is automatic, after which the creature that hit makes a damage roll to see how much of the goo was scraped off. Once free, the creature can move (including flying) at half speed. If the entangled creature attempts to cast a spell, it must make a concentration check with a DC of 15 + the spell’s level or be unable to cast the spell. The goo becomes brittle and fragile after 2d4 rounds, cracking apart and losing its effectiveness. An application of universal solvent to a stuck creature dissolves the alchemical goo immediately. Status: HP: 29 / 33 | AC:24 / T:20 / FF:24* | CMD:25/19 (27 vs most maneuvers) < Mage Armor (AC for the first hit this round is 33!)
Stunning Fist (4): Ki Pool (4): Shuriken (16): xxx MW Shuriken (12): Scabbard of Vigor (1): Mage Armor (2): Wand of Mage Armor (50): xxx Pot of Invisibility (1): Pot of Mage Armor (2): Pot of CLW (1): Pot of CMW (1): Tanglefoot Bag (2): x Effects:
Raj uses the back of his blade to carefully flick the dozen or so stingers from his skin... hopefully without squeezing more poison from the sacs.
Round 2 Rajuna has got nothing to combat a swarm. All he can do is buy time for those who do. He races past the swarm and onto the bridge. He slaps the wood and bounces on the bridge trying to draw the bee’s attention and trigger their hive instincts. ”Oy! Look at me! I might just be smashing your nest. Maybe, it’ll drop in the water! Won’t that be fun!”
Status: HP: 19 / 33 | AC:24 / T:20 / FF:24* | CMD:25/19 (27 vs most maneuvers) < Mage Armor
Stunning Fist (4): Ki Pool (4): Shuriken (16): xxx MW Shuriken (12): Scabbard of Vigor (1): Mage Armor (2): Wand of Mage Armor (50): xxx Pot of Invisibility (1): Pot of Mage Armor (2): Pot of CLW (1): Pot of CMW (1): Tanglefoot Bag (2): Effects:
Round 1 Rajuna can only take the pain then retreat, trying to get distance from the stinging swarm.
Status: HP: 19 / 33 | AC:24 / T:20 / FF:24* | CMD:25/19 (27 vs most maneuvers) < Mage Armor
Stunning Fist (4): Ki Pool (4): Shuriken (16): xxx MW Shuriken (12): Scabbard of Vigor (1): Mage Armor (2): Wand of Mage Armor (50): xxx Pot of Invisibility (1): Pot of Mage Armor (2): Pot of CLW (1): Pot of CMW (1): Tanglefoot Bag (2): Effects:
Raj makes a silent ‘halt’ gesture. He gets down on the ground and crawls forward near the bridge, trying to get a peek beneath the structure to see what is buzzing.
”Ah, another beautiful Ustalavian village,” Rajuna comments drily. He slides easily out of the saddle and begins walking along the path into town – no weapons in hand – senses alert for anything out of the ordinary. ”We’re bait. Let’s stroll through town towards Karin’s house. If something happens before then, fine. If not, we start our snoop there. If you wanna treat your weapons, let’s get about it.”
Rajuna takes the sisters up on the offer to provide directions to Karin’s house. He follows that up with a few questions of his own. ”Where was Karin’s father when he heard her screaming? I don’t have kids but I’m guessing he raced in, right?” ”Thinkin’ back to that time… were there any other strange events that happened in town before or during the murders? Anything that just seemed odd? You talked about the children’s ghosts haunting the town. Were they seen anywhere in particular? Did they say or do anything?” ”About the Beast… so it walked into town bold as brass, is that right? How was it carrying the girl: over its shoulder, in its arms? You said you saw it laughing but you didn’t see the fight? So did you see it laughing with your own eyes or did you hear about it laughing from the others?” ”Thinkin’ back to that time… were there any other strange events that happened in town before or during the murders? Anything that just seemed odd? You talked about the children’s ghosts haunting the town. Were they seen anywhere in particular? Did they say or do anything?” ”About the Beast… so it walked into town bold as brass, is that right? How was it carrying Ellsa: over its shoulder, in its arms? Could you show me where Ellsa’s house was on the map? Where is the lake? Was Ellsa close to anyone in town, anyone she confided in, that might still be around?”
Rajuna had clearly missed the subtext that Zhandar spotted. He gives her a tiny nod to acknowledge what she said. From then on, he watches the women closely as they are peppered with questions. For the moment, he holds his questions.
She shakes her head. "I jus' hope you din't put a big target on yourself. That crowd there is hateful." A tiny snort emerges from Raj. ”Someone was going to draw the lightning. I figur’d I was the right choice… so I gave’em a name, a face, and a lofty title. Who’s gonna bother with piddly investigators when the lead investigator is the puppet-master? I’m not so worried about the crowd, but we got enemies in this town an’ I more-or-less cast shadows on the motives of the prosecutor’s investigators. Worry less about the crowd and more about the sheriffs.”
Rajuna is glad the day in court is over. It was, in some ways, as harrowing as fighting that phasing spider in the swamp. As he's used up his word allotment for the day, his comment in the Defense Chamber is short, "We should get to Hergstag first. That's about saving the Beast. The tools can wait."
Raj feels the old lady is being honest… which means she’s been hoodwinked or is self-hoodwinking somehow. Wishful thinking, false face, illusion, some sort of memory spell… or was the Beast ordered to make itself a patsy and it doesn’t remember? Without an opportunity to investigate, he’d never find an answer. With no choice but to play it through, he slides a note across the defense table (more to his allies than Kapel) and he resumes his questioning. The note reads: Detect magic on her when she’s out of court? Testimony of Old Beldame:
Testimony of Elder Lazne:
Rajuna heads over to the Beast and says, ”The court needs to see what sort of wounds, if any, you have on your left shoulder.” He carefully pulls the Beast’s shirt off his shoulder, exposing the monster’s muscled flesh and steps away to allow the Judges, Lazne, and anyone in the closer part of the gallery a chance to see his shoulder. ”I see some stitches from his creator but I don’t see anything that resembles a caiman’s bite. Not even scars from a healed bite.” Once the court has had a chance to see the area, Raj concludes. ”The defense has no more questions for Master Lazne. We excuse this witness with our thanks.”
Raj straightens his clothes. ”If it please the court, we will now present the results of our investigation and call three expert witnesses. Defense counsel calls Dr. Montagnie Crowl.” Testimony of Dr. Crowl:
”According to Dr. Crowl’s testimony, a flesh golem, like the defendant, only heals when hit with electricity. If the caiman at Morast had bitten him, the wound would still be present. It could only be healed – and might still reasonably leave a scar – IF he was struck by lightning or someone (like his creator) had cast an electrical spell on him. Recall that Dr. Crowl also testified that a flesh golem wizard is almost unheard of, so he couldn’t heal himself. As you saw, your Honors, the defendant showed no evidence of having ever been bit by the caiman that multiple witnesses saw attack the killer in Morast.” ”As our next witnesses testify, please bear these additional facts in mind: Golem don’t eat or drink. They aren’t particularly dexterous or likely able to follow intellectual pursuits. These facts will become relevant shortly.” Raj pulls out four neatly-penned and identical documents. He leaves one on the defense table, presents one to the Judges, places one on the prosecution table, and keeps the final in hand. ”If it please the court, we will be referring to the defense exhibits found in this document and the associated items that will be presented to this court.”
”Defense counsel calls Alchemist Gretna Baelwick.” Testimony of Gretna Baelwick:
”Your Honors, much of the prosecution’s case linking the defendant to the crimes in Morast hinges on a single thread that the killer there was – as one of the first witnesses said – “the same size and shape” as the defendant. The defendant is man-shaped. By that standard, many of the strong sheriffs in Lepidstadt and even a number of men in this court could be suspects. And as for his size being so unique that no one else could possibly be the murderer… that has just been disproved as well. Any alchemist can grow to huge proportions. The defendant lacks a caiman’s bite, he doesn’t need an extract to see in the dark, and as Dr. Crowl pointed out, golems lack the capacity to be alchemists. We believe that is evidence enough to cast serious doubt on whether the defendant committed the crimes in Morast. However, we will provide even more evidence for this court to consider. The defense calls Dr. Leis Richleau.” Testimony of Dr. Leis Richleau:
Rajuna is tired but he keeps going. Now was the time to weave all the evidence into a story that made far more sense than what the prosecution was selling. He straightens his jacket and collects the defense’s copy of the evidence list. He offers the two copies in his hands to the judges so they each have one now. Rajuna’s Summation:
”Yesterday, we visited Morast and the small island where their boneyard used to be – the site of the villagers last encounter with the criminal that stalked their community. Our findings on that island are discussed in Exhibits 1 through 3, 5, and 10. You can read them, but let me sum it up. The one thing every witness has agreed to is that the killer headed to the Boneyard – whether he was being chased or not. We found strong evidence that the island was his ‘lair’, his base of operations. On the southern end of the island, away from the graveyard itself, we found an abandoned firepit. Near it, we discovered a half-filled skin of wine, half-eaten trail rations, and the extract vial in evidence. On the southwest side of the island, a short walk from the campsite, we found the killer’s hidden boat. Blood was in the bottom of it along with an oar, a moldy travel bag with some clothes, the horrible face mask, and a cloth apron – which he presumably wore during his butchery. All those clothes fit a normal sized person, NOT the defendant. There was also a rope going into the water. When we pulled it ashore, we found tools of the killer’s trade: a blood-soaked cloth sack big enough to hold a human, some rope, a gag, a rusted lantern, three heavy knives, and a rusty shovel. Finally, a short distance from the hidden boat, we found the set of expensive surgical tools (also in evidence), seemingly lost, among the bushes. I don’t think there is any doubt, this was the killer’s lair.” ”And this is where the prosecution’s case falls apart. The defendant doesn’t eat or drink and sees fine in the dark. Why would he have a skin of half-drunk wine, half-eaten food, a lantern, and the extract of darkvision? Why would he have normal sized clothing, particularly an apron for butchery that won’t fit him? Dr. Richleau testified that the killer had to have specific medical training and skill to remove an entire face. Dr Crowl assured us golems aren’t capable of becoming doctors or alchemists. Master Lazne testified that the real killer in Morast probed the town, stalked people – including experienced hunters – and took individuals or families without a trace. That shows skills and thoughtful premeditation. In comparison, Dr. Crowl told us that golems are not ambushers and that they lead with their fists, not their heads. The evidence found in the lair and the killer’s behavior indicate the defendant is NOT a reasonable suspect in these murders and disappearances.” ”Here, we believe, is the true story of the crimes in Morast - a story that fits the evidence. Our killer was an alchemist and a trained surgeon lairing in the Boneyard. He was a clever and cautious predator. He used the extract to give him darkvision when stalking his victims at night. He used an extract to increase his size so that he could more easily overpower and carry off his victims. He based himself in the boneyard because few people came out there, it granted him privacy, and his hidden boat would let him escape quickly, if needed. Enlarged, he captured and transported his victims to the island. When he shrunk down to normal size, he’d put on his apron and ‘get to work’. I don’t think we need to specify more about that. Everything was going along fine until Master Lazne and the villagers outfoxed him. He fled to the island, hoping to grab his gear and escape. The blood caiman was the one factor he couldn’t predict as he waded through the swamp. As Master Lazne and the other villagers initially believed – the caiman finished the murderous bastard off. Had the killer lived and managed to escape, he likely would have slunk back to the island to retrieve his expensive tools and his other ‘prize’.”
Closing Statement ”Your Honors, witnesses, and esteemed visitors to this court… The victims of Morast deserve justice. The killer of Morast needs to be punished, and those who brought him to justice need to be thanked. As the evidence strongly shows, the defendant did NOT commit the crimes in Morast, and the prosecution and sheriff’s office deserve no credit. The citizens of Morast, however, deserve our thanks. They hunted down the killer and set him on a course to receive his well-earned desserts… ‘justice’ passing through the guts of a blood caiman. Your Honors, we ask that you affirm this opinion and dismiss the charges related to Morast from the defendant’s record. Thank you.”
Raj stands up and recalls the first witnesses. His plan is two-fold - cast doubt on the prosecution's story and then build a more fact-based alternative.
Rajuna pauses and regards the witness for a moment. Then he returns to the desk to consult his sheaf of notes. It’s a delay tactic as he tries to piece together the witness’ story which doesn’t fit any of the other facts. It’s a set-up – one way or another – it’s gotta be. If the witness is lying, that would be the simplest problem to unravel. If it’s a set-up by the real killer… then the Beast is being tightly framed by some very skilled people.
IF Raj believes the woman is lying, he puts his notes down and says, ”Your Honors, we request the interview of this witness continue with a Holy Sister of Justice present to ensure, through magical means, that the truth is being spoken.” IF Raj believes she is telling the truth… He’s going to have to revise his next questions quickly.
Raj hadn’t planned out a statement. This was a moment to see the other fella’s cards and how he laid them down while keeping your own cards close to your chest. He takes a moment to digest the prosecutor’s words before rising. He draws upon his best grammar (in his up-mountain twang) and what he’s heard the few times he’d been in a court. ”If it pleases the court, your Honors, I’m Rajuna Yadrov - lead investigator for the defense. And we agree with the learned prosecutor.” Ostensibly, he pauses to allow the court reporter catch up in the transcription. In reality, he hopes the dramatic pause lets the furor of his last statement die down and get people really listening to what he says next. “Well, we agree in part. The prosecutor said Justice demands action. Justice demands truth.” Raj shakes his head at that, ”I’d change that around to say ‘Justice demands truth before action, otherwise injustices will surely be done.” Raj steps around from behind the desk and moves toward the Beast while continuing to address the court. ”Yur Honors, as I see it, our goal aligns with this court’s duty – to determine the actual truth so that appropriate justice may be delivered upon the guilty ones. When all the facts are dragged into the light, and your Honors apply logic and reason, we believe this court will conclude that some of the many crimes attributed to this defendant,” Raj places his hand on the Beast’s arm (silently praying that the Beast doesn’t react and hoping he’d telegraphed the move enough to ensure that result), “could NOT have been committed by him.” ”Thank you, your Honors.” Raj steps back behind the table and sits.
Rajuna is silent and watchful as they head to the courthouse, looking for anything and anyone unusual. DH might have eyes on us. The thrown vegetables and noose that greet them at the courthouse seem premature… a mob at its most intelligent. None of that bothers the thief too much but Raj’s chest suddenly feels tight at the pedigrees of the other two judges, especially as they enter the court itself. Avoiding courts and the eyes of the law, in any capacity, was his lifelong goal. And he can only imagine that if he were a defendant in the dock, drawing these two judges, he’d expect no mercy and even less fairness.
Sexy-time with Kendra: It takes a little convincing to get Rajuna to intrude (from his perspective) on the private dinner. He generally keeps the talk light, unsure how freely he can speak in front of the history professor… no matter how much Kendra trusts him. Obliquely, and with no mention of specifics such as names, Raj does share that the team’s investigation into ‘that legal matter’ is progressing despite some twists and turns that remind him of their days in Ravengro (i.e. the case isn’t straight-forward and a shadowy group is involved). He stresses the team is making progress. He lightly touches on a curious discovery, that shoddy research is being done by the opposing counsel (i.e. the police investigation is sketchy). He tries to convey, more through looks and gestures than words, that Kendra needs to be careful – not even the constables should be trusted. He quickly follows that with, ”So, we’ll be investigating for several more days at least, possibly with a brief trip or two outside Lepidstadt, following where the facts lead us.”
Raj shares with the team what he’s learned about the surgeon’s tools and the next lead in that parallel investigation.
The rogue is feeling a bit more confident as he observes Gustav move from despondency to drive. He clearly has some sharpness, which will be needed at court. To be fair, Rajuna was not looking forward to being in court or – Gods forbid – called to present evidence. But at this point, the die was cast. In Surgeon's Flats… Teasing information from reluctant people was not Rajuna’s strength. He was more of a squeeze-them-until-they-break sort. That said, he did know more than a few fences and had some inkling of the value of certain items and materials. Even some maker's marks carried some intrinsic value.
In Lepidstadt Raj gives the barrister a polite nod and waits until the team has his attention. ”We’ve got some information, evidence, and some recommendations. The upshot is we don’t believe the Beast did the murders in Morast. But to make the argument stick hard in the prosecution’s throat, you’ll need an expert on golems to testify to what they are, what they can do, and how they behave. If you can paint a picture of their ‘norms’, the evidence in Morast points to a whole different villain. Also, do you got an alchemist we can talk to? One who might be willing to appear in court or sign an affidavit?”
Sketch:
Raj will talk about the physical evidence we found and how it conflicts with the story. The real killer based himself on the island (campsite & boat), had a creative vocabulary (according to Lazne), skinned Nan Keblem‘s face with remarkable skill and expensive tools, and left normal-sized clothing (leather apron, etc.). He also left an extract of darkvision that suggests he was an alchemist with normal human vision. According to the accounts, he was heavily wounded on the shoulder and dragged down by a caiman. The fact that he never returned to the island for his expensive gear, campsite stuff, boat, or ‘treasures’ (aka face) suggest he didn’t survive the caiman attack.
An expert on golems can describe how they are created (from scavenged corpses) and that they are under the complete control of their creators. We want that on the record. The expert can further attest to the fact that golems have darkvision (no need for the extract and they don’t make extracts), aren’t particularly articulate, aren’t physically adept enough to skin a face with precision, and generally pummel enemies to death. They are not stealthy stalkers like the killer on the island either. We also want the expert to discuss how golems heal. IIRC, they don’t heal naturally since they are constructs… so IF the prosecution argues the Beast healed from the croc bite, then who healed it? The logical guess would be its controlling creator. An expert on alchemy can attest to the fact that we found an extract of darkvision and can further attest to the fact that a competent alchemist can create an Enlarge extract… which would explain the large size of the attacker in Morast. What we want to keep OUT of the record (and maybe not tell Gustav) is the killer could still be alive, or linked to a conspiracy. After reporting in to Gustav and potentially talking with any alchemists he knows, Raj will begin trying to track down the tools and the maker’
In Morast
Raj sets about his grisly task with care. "I've put hard questions to people before... but I've never held up a face and said 'Is this your auntie? You mind if I keep her for awhile?' I don't ever wanna do that."
”Also, uh......... uh, I hate to even bring it up, but maybe we ought to see if anyone in town knows... um... who that skinned face belonged to? If it's someone's kin, or something, at least they could get a burial.” Raj is rarely surprised, but Mila has managed to make it happen. He warily shakes his head, ”There ain’t enough sugar in Golarion to make that medicine any less bitter. And the mask is evidence, we can't turn it over. But, there might be another way…” He carefully pulls out the mask and examines it closely… He looks at the skin… Is it from one person or several? If it’s several people, how is the stitching? Is there anything unique about any of the features: freckles, moles, pre-mortem scars, or bits of hair in any unusual colors? If it's from one person - male, female, rough age? ”We don’t mention the mask but we can ask Lazne and others to describe their dead and if they had any unusual features.”
Rajuna bags all the evidence. As Lazne pilots them away from the island, the rogue frowns heavily in thought. ”Mister Lazne, your folks best stay away from that island… An’ if your village has problems with some winged beast, come find us in Lepidstadt. We’ll kill it for ya.”
Recalling Zhandar’s request before the winged beastie appeared, Raj offers up the kit of tools he found for examination. ”These are worth maybe 300 gold – expensive tools to just leave laying around on an empty island out in the sticks. See the raven on the handles? Might be a maker’s mark we can trace. I can’t say these belonged to the real killer who is digesting in a caiman’s gut… but it seems possible.” Leaving the kit for team analysis, Rajuna heads back to the southwest corner of the island to take a look at the site Zhandar mentioned. He finds it without a problem. The artisan clothing fit with the tools he found, and the human face in the bag certainly lends credence to his ‘real killer’ notion. Not sure he really wants to find out what’s at the end of the rope... the rogue nevertheless wraps the line around his waist and uses his body weight to haul the load ashore.
"Sorra. I meant 'beast' instead of like 'monster', because I'm not exactly sure what the creature is yet. If you could fetch that pig, I'd be indebted. I'll go see what's what and be back here in a quarter hour." Once Lazne is safely away, Raj heads back to the graveyard.
”What happened to the rest of ya? Find something worth staying for?” ”Not sure yet, we’re still lookin’. But there is a beast on the island. A couple o' them are trying to negotiate with it… not sure if that’s gonna work out, or it’s a ploy and we’re gonna get bloody. Do you have deer or boar ‘round here? Or maybe you got a pig in your village? I can pay.”
Raj keeps his own counsel but he has reservations about everything that is happening here. There are too many strange events. He indicates that Zhandar should stay with Mila and Park as the winged beast was clearly a threat. Rajuna heads back to the boat and (presumably) Lazne who rowed them over.
Rajuna races through the woods, leaping over ankle-breaking hazards.
Erring on the side of believing that big flapping things over his allies could be bad… Raj assumes the worst and hustles back toward the graveyard.
As they travel to Morast, Raj considers the information gleaned during the interview. If their killer wasn’t a strong swimmer, there are caiman in the water, and his pursuers had boats… why head into the water? You can't outswim a boat or a caiman, and a large strong man fights better on land. Going for a swim seems desperate. Looks like he was trying HARD to get to the island-boneyard. Why? Raj is no-nonsense when they arrive in Morast. ”Scour the isle quick, so we can git back for court. I’m gonna root around the southwest area.”
Raj has a proper think about what’s being said. ”I got some experience with monsters as you mighta guessed, Mister Lazne, and hunting ‘em.” The scars across his face speak for themselves. ”I’m apologizin’ if my next questions are hard. I’m tryin’ to get a handle on the beast you’all fought. It stalked your village and took lone folks to start. Did you ever find any of them or any of the folks attacked at home? What did it do? Did it claw or bite’em like an animal? Or beat’em? Or somethin’ else? When you chased it to ground in your boats… was it hard to catch up to, like it was a good swimmer?” ”We didn't ask the fancy sheriff or nothin' for help, you and I both know out there you take care of your own.” Raj nods grimly. ”That is for truth! Unless the problem is in their backyard, the city-folk do nothing... But when there’s taxes to collect, oh they’re standing in yur kitchen when you get home for dinner. Do you rec’llect anyone tellin’ the city-sheriff about what happened in Morast?”
Raj looks at Park like he’s taken leave of his senses. He doesn’t need any acting skill to sell it. At the bard’s motion to leave, Raj shakes his head emphatically. Summoning every ounce of his upland, mountain accent, he replies. ”I’m gonna set a bit. But you aughta take a walk, right now. Clear yur head.” After Park (and anyone else) leaves, Rajuna mutters and shakes his head again before looking at Lazne. ”If I said sorry ever-time the ‘college man’ got a bug up his arse, I’d be doin’ it all day, every day. Only thing worse would be unnerstandin’ why that bug crept up there at’tall… But sorry to you and yours for havin’ to hear whatever that was.” ”I got some questions I think are useful. Least-wise they may put a thorn in some Leipdstadt mucky-mucks' side… As I hear it, Morast ain’t much more than a stretch from here and that monster kilt ten of your’n. An’ it sounds like you dealt with the creature all yourselfs. How long did the beast threaten your village and did Lepidstadt send you any help to kill it?”
Beast gets upset… Raj is quick to try to make eye-contact with the Beast, ”Hey! Look at me! I believe you. A ghost took them. We’ll look into that, too. OK? Try to be calm.” Raj makes a mental note to exclude Kaple from their next interview. He didn’t need anyone running interference while he was trying to dig up the truth. He tables that matter as they allow themselves to be shepherded out to go meet Lazne. The rogue says nothing but watches and listens to Lazne closely, trying to determine the truth of anything he has to say to Park.
Raj considers the new pieces of the puzzle. ”You were never in Morast… What about a farming town called Hergstag. That would have been a little more than half a year ago. Were you ever there? There might have been some kids.” "Creator not give me name, so I go by Beast." ”Kinda cold, not givin’ you a name. What do you know about Creator?” "You go to Morast, see what you can find from the people there. There's also that witness from the village upstairs, should you wish to talk to him first." ”We’re definitely gonna talk to him. But first I got a few more questions for our client.”
Raj looks at the Beast and around the cell in general, tuning his senses for this interview. ”Hey. I’m Rajuna. These are my associates; they’ll introduce themselves when they have questions. We’re here to look into your case to figure out what really happened… because some of the ‘evidence’ has a stink on it. With your help, maybe we can get you out of the worst of this mess. Are you willing to talk with us? If so, were you in Morast a year ago? What do you remember of that time?”
”The POINT is…” Raj interjects trying to stop Park from oversharing more than he already has, ”we’re investigators – good ones. There’s conflicting accounts around the Beast’s case and the police work looks sloppy so far. Folks are already building a pyre and the trial hasn’t even started yet. That’s not justice or the rule of law… that’s mob thinking. SO, Barrister Kaple, the question is – do you want our help to give your client the best defense possible and you a shot at winning this case OR are you just going through the motions?”
Raj isn't surprised when the tracks go cold. He just had to check. Sometimes even the smart criminal slips up or runs into something unexpected. With the university leads at an apparent end, it's time to switch targets. "Seeing evidence of a right-side limp and maybe a staff. It could be a false trail, but keep it in mind. Let's go see a barrister and a Beast."
Rajuna looks at the prints for awhile before deciding to see if he can follow them – trying to trace where they came from and where they were heading. ”After this, I think it’s time to chat with the Beast and his barrister.”
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