Thanks be to Iowe, we were all able to gather at the usual time and place. Kriv provided pieces of bread, meats, cheeses, and a toaster contraption for custom sandwich manufacturing. Delicious.
Present:
Gedney: Gnome Wizard
D’Kar: Elven Monk
Kumnash Gor: Halfling Warlock
Kriv: Dragonkin Cleric
Briar: Half-Elf Paladin
Sigra Ironshoulders: Female dwarven warrior and geological engineer
We returned to matters at hand.
Our heroes tidied up matters at Vorkstag & Grine’s. Kriv fetched a detachment of City Guard led by Captain Radclyffe to look after the warehouse while the rest of the team loaded evidence, including the body of Vorkstag, the skin cabinet, ledgers, and other items (along with a few highly liquid valuables) into a large cart. They then took the cart back to the inn and called it a night for a few hours. Kriv and Briar kept watch on the cart of gathered evidence stored in the stables.
In the morning, our heroes noticed that stocks had been raised outside the courthouse and three of the key offenders from the previous evening were restrained, including the red-bearded man, Hayerd. A large sign had been hastily scrawled and erected behind the three men, “Lepidstadt will tolerate no vigilante justice!”
The three bedraggled men hanging in the stocks and the sign above their heads seemed to subdue the crowd of angry onlookers somewhat, but the mob still appeared determined to see the Beast burn.
Inside the courthouse, Gustav was overjoyed at our heroes’ discoveries from the previous night’s work in Vorkstag & Grine’s. He worked with the party and the court clerks to carefully enter each item into evidence before the trial began.
In his opening remarks, Chief Justice Khard reminded the crowd of the penalties of violence and told them that he would clear the entire court if they did not behave. He also warned that mobs do not rule Lepidstadt, and that should anyone threaten violence to any of the defense, or derail the trial, he would have the person whipped out of town or hanged. He then requested the prosecution to describe the alleged events at Sanctuary.
10:30 a.m.: The prosecution detailed the arson attack on the hospital of Sanctuary on Karb Isle 4 months ago. Otto alleged that the Beast set fire to the building, murdered Doctor Brada and his patients in the process, and stated that only Brada’s loyal assistant Karl survived. Otto called Karl to the stand to recount his evidence.
12:30 p.m.: Gustav called our heroes to present the evidence they found at Sanctuary and cross-examine Karl.
Our heroes:
- Got Karl to admit that Vorkstag and Grine were occasional visitors to Sanctuary.
- Established that Brada knew Vorkstag and Grine through the papers in the trunk and the bleach vial from Sanctuary.
- Called Callixtus, Priest of Pharasma, to recount the successful casting of Speak with Dead on the head of Doctor Brada and his account of what happened at Sanctuary – disagreement over payment and assassination by Vorkstag.
- Showed the corpse of Vorkstag, The Skinstealer, featuring the Blood Cayman scars on its shoulder.
- Showed the Cabinet of Skins, including the Shambling Man skin resembling the Beast.
- Showed the ledgers from Vorkstag and Grine’s detailing business with Brada and others.
- Shared the testimony of Captain Radclyffe who witnessed the operations at Vorkstag & Grine’s.
2:30 p.m.: Closing Statements. The prosecution asserted that the Beast was guilty of the murders in Morast, Hergstag, and Sanctuary. Otto claimed that the Beast is a danger to society, and is a monster that should be destroyed. He recommended punishment in accordance with traditional law—execution by burning in the Punishing Man.
Gustav asserted that the prosecution’s evidence is not enough to prove the Beast guilty of any of the crimes in Morast, Hergstag, or Sanctuary. He cited overwhelming evidence that the creature known as The Skinstealer, in the form of Vorkstag, may have been responsible for some of the crimes and others have explanations that exonerate the Beast. He recommended the Beast be freed immediately.
3:30 p.m.: After both closing statements, Chief Justice Khard announced that the trial was over, and he and the other justices departed to deliberate.
4:30 p.m.: The justices returned to the courtroom and The Herald of the Court called the room to order. Chief Justice Khard read the verdict.
“We have heard the evidence presented before us, and thank Pharasma that we did so, for without this trial there would have been a most terrible miscarriage of justice. There are many cruelties in the world, but to lie and blame another for one’s crimes is the most terrible of sins. We have asked ourselves a question—who is the monster here? Is it this creature before us, with its broken body and terrible form, or is it we, the people of Lepidstadt, with our bigotry and lies? The Beast is innocent!”
Pandemonium broke out! The crowd erupted in angry shouts of “burn the Beast!” The courthouse guards drew their weapons and tried to keep angry townspeople at bay. The Beast began bawling and thanked our heroes for their help, calling them its “best friends in all the world.” The Beast then said it wanted nothing more than to go see its “father,” who lives at Schloss Caromarc, though “father doesn’t usually like visitors.” The Beast yelled an invitation for our heroes to visit it there in a few days.
The crowd uttered a loud gasp of surprise when the Beast said its father lives at Schloss Caromarc! Could the creator of this monstrosity be Count Alpon Caromarc, deposed Duke of Vieland?
With the crowd baying for blood and fire, Kumnash cast invisibility on the Beast and it ran from the courthouse. Guards tried to protect it, but it outran them. Our heroes instructed the guards to pretend to protect an invisible beast. This distracted the angry townspeople and the Beast was able to escape into Dipplemere Swamp.
Meanwhile, Judge Daramid requested our heroes meet her at her home as quickly as possible. Once there, Daramid gave each their promised reward, telling all that they earned it as the Beast was able to receive a fair trial. But she asked them to complete one more task for her. Judge Daramid asked our heroes to go to Schloss Caromarc in search of the Beast and its creator. She was interested in the Beast’s history, and thought the Beast might still be dangerous. “If you can find its creator, perhaps you can learn how to control the Beast, or convince its creator to keep a tighter rein on the creature.”
While at Daramid’s home, rumors arrived that the townsfolk were planning to track down the Beast and overturn the court’s verdict on their own. Daramid urged haste.
Early the next morning, ahead of the vigilante mob, our heroes set off through Dipplemere Swamp for Schloss Caromarc. By late afternoon, the fens gave way to a deep, rocky gorge at the northern edge of the swamp, where a peculiar building, or rather group of buildings, clung to steep cliff edges above half a dozen plummeting waterfalls. Beyond a fortified gatehouse, a stone bridge arched gracefully over the raging torrents below. Perched precariously beyond this was a fine, fortified manse and a ruined building that appeared to have partially collapsed into the river below. A slender rope bridge, replacing the fallen remnants of a stone bridge, linked back across the river to a strange tower pierced with beautiful stained glass windows depicting bizarre beasts. A further building teetered to the north of this, but how it was reached was impossible to see. Far beyond, across yet another narrow bridge, a great tower arose from an isle of stone to the sky, ending in a great steeple topped with a huge lightning conductor.
Kumnash sent Gra’Golar to scout. At the gatehouse, the imp spotted a large low figure, like a crocodile or a great fighting dog. Atop one of the gatehouse battlements, it spotted a giant single creature, like a troll or a small giant. The creature’s attention was riveted on the bridge beyond while it spied through a beautiful gold spyglass.
Charge! Sigra led the way, but her short legs meant that she arrived on the scene after Briar used Misty Step to attack the creature in the tower. Meanwhile, D’Kar attacked the dog-beast at the gate. The fight was furious. The enemies were some sort of large trolls and their troll-dog minions. More trolls and another troll-hound came from within the gatehouse. Gedney cast fireball, liquidating some fleeing goblins and searing some troll and troll-dog corpses unto death.
In the end, our heroes triumphed, but the battle was costly. Everyone agreed to take a short rest to recuperate losses. While resting, they found a little shiny amulet on one of the goblin corpses. The amulet depicted a gagged skull – which is known to be a sign of the Whispering Way.
The troll-champion, Grork, wore a necklace made from the mummified hands of 20 of his victims and had thrust several giant needles through the flesh of his neck. Three of which were actually fancy hatpins ending in tiny rubies. He also carried a magnificent spyglass bound in gold.
Rested, our heroes resumed their search. They moved across the next bridge, destroyed another construct/hound beast by knocking it from the bridge, and then hacked open the metal doors of the main house with Sigra’s pick. They were then attacked by a furious air elemental – but luckily none were thrown from the span into the falls far below.
Our heroes were moving quickly now and with purpose. They moved through the house without pause, looking for doorways and paths more than treasure and foes. Soon, they found a secret door leading to the next bridge and across, they found a destroyed alchemical laboratory. Within the ruined laboratory they were attacked by three rust monsters – which were quickly dispatched.
Who would leave three rust monsters to run about?
Our heroes then tied themselves together to cross a temporary rope bridge leading to a shattered stone abutment before a large stone building. Before them, a statue of a beautiful nymph stood next to a pair of double doors. Above the doors was a stained glass window depicting a unicorn. Opening the doors, they were greeted by a stuffed Bulette head on display. Cabinets along the walls contained a partially dissected bugbear, a partially transformed doppelganger, and a complete goblin dog, all preserved in alchemical fluids. Every inch of wall space and most of the floor space was given over to boxes, cabinets, display cases, and stuffed or skeletal creatures. The museum smelled musty but was resplendently decorated, with stained glass windows depicting various beasts and monsters. The paneled oak walls shined as each room was lit by torches in sconces.
Exploring a bit more, in the next room, they found displays featuring the tentacle of a froghemoth, a pickled intellect devourer, and a desiccated darkmantle, as well as a pile of chains in the center of the floor. Two elaborately carved and painted sarcophagi stand against the east and west walls. Within seconds of entering the room, they were set upon by a giant blind construct or flesh-golem being led by six homunculi. A fierce battle ensued. Finally, the homunculi were butchered and then the construct beast was hacked down.
After cleaning their blades and binding their wounds, the party pushed ahead and out onto the steep narrow causeway leading up to the distant tower. From behind, however, Gedney was ambusged by a sarcophagus! It bit down hard on the gnome! The other sarcophagus yawned open and a desiccated corpse lurched out to attack. Kriv, brandishing his holy symbol, turned the monstrosity and drove it out onto the rope bridge where it fell into the watery abyss.
And that is where we ceased our actions for the evening. Friday we will return for the finale.
Where is Count Alpon Caromarc? Where is the Beast? What of the Beast’s forgotten moments? How did it end up in the Lepidstadt University Library? What did it do with the Seasage Effigy? What does the Whispering Way have to do with all this? What perils lay ahead in your path toward the top of iron and copper spire? Will you survive the conclusion of The Beast of Lepidstadt?