Endur's Return to TOEE part 2

When Craven visits his family, Marli is in awe of his wounds. Craven's mother, however, is horrified at the dangers Craven was subjected to. She promises to have words with Canoness Y'Dey.

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"Don't be afraid mother. I was protecting the others and fighting evil men. I took a few wounds in the cause of right and good, and I did it willingly. I was frightened and saddened by many of the things I saw there, but I am even more determined to help cleanse the Moathouse of evil we found there. I promise I will be careful, Mother, I promise," he says to her to calm her motherly concern. He gives her a hug and ruffles Marli's hair.

Craven gets called into Canoness Y'Dey's office.

"Craven, Law and Order are important. Very important. Law is how civilization survives. While doing things for Good is important, Law is in some ways even more important.

"You will not leave Hommlet again without notifying me first. No leaving messages with Terjon or Calmer that you are leaving town. You must ask permission from me.

"And when you are given permission to leave town, you will take Xaod with you. I understand that he has not been the most effective mentor. And that sometimes he sleeps late. But he is supposed to be your mentor, and you will take him with you if you leave Hommlet. It would also be good for him to be away from the Bars of Hommlet.

"Finally, I have a gift for you. When fighting the forces of evil and darkness, it will help to have a compass to make it easier to keep your feet on the straight and narrow path of justice. This necklace contains a holy relic, a fragment of bone of one of the greatest saints of our order. When the path is dark and the way is lost, this may help."


Canoness Y'Dey removes a necklace from her neck and hands it to you. You know that she has worn this necklace for as long as you can remember (at least ten years).

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Craven bows his head at the chastisement from the Canoness. He had been rash and a bit too eager and hadn't followed proceedure. "I apologize for not telling you Canoness. And I will take Xaod with me the next time we go. I believe it is important to continue to battle the evil underneath the Moathouse. The things I saw there, the evil I sensed, it was overwhelming."

When the Canoness removes the necklace, Craven is overcome with awe and severely humbled. He bows his head as she gives it to him, and murmurs a prayer to St. Cuthbert. "I thank you Canoness. This is a great blessing and honor. I will strive to be worthy." Craven takes a breath as he forges onward. "I also have tithes for the temple. This fine sword was wrested away from one of the gnolls. It has excellent balance and was in fine shape. I think it may make a good addition to the temple armory," Craven says, taking out the longsword he found in the Moathouse.

OOC - Tithing the MW Longsword.

Lenya

“I don't think I can. It's intuitive, not studied. You better ask a real wizard, who could explain to you how it works.”

A Miracle Happens

Spugnoir is returned to life by the grace of St. Cuthbert.

The ordeal is severe, however, and Spugnoir rests in his home and accepts no visitors.

After a fine meal at Elmo's party, Raner heads back to the stonemasonry to check in on Gister as well as get cleaned up and wear some clothing that isn't made of metal. "While I appreciate the protective value, it certainly isn't too comfortable" he thinks to himself.

After cleaning and changing he picks up a jug of ale from the Welcome Wench and brings it back to the stonemasonry to share with Gister while he relates the events of the past few days.

The next morning he's up and dressed early, planning to be available as a witness at the cultist's trial.

Toriah lounges around in bed and the common room of the Wench, wanting to be close to his companions as he recuperates. He doesn't go out with the others until the next day, knowing that if anything important happened he would be told but wishing to be present for the execution of the cultist.

Once Craven has finished his interview with the Canoness, he will go to Spugnoir's home, not wanting to see him, just wanting to return his amulet and wish him a full recovery.

Around 1pm, the trial of Chenashi the evil cultist begins at Town hall.

Elmo, in his capacity as head of the militia, is responsible for organizing the trial and the witnesses.

Guilt or Innocence is determined by the Council of Town Elders. The Council of Town Elders consists of: Lord Burne, Lord Rufus, Canoness Y'Dey, Master Jaroo, Elmo, Spugnoir, Ostler Gundigoot, Gister Noshim, and Joman Dart.

Ostler Gundigoot rarely attends town council meetings and this day is no exception. Goodwife Gundigoot is attending in his stead and will vote in his place. Spugnoir, still recovering, is not present; he gave his proxy to the veteran dwarven warrior Haunor who watches over his potion shop when Spugnoir is out of town or otherwise unavailable.

Joman Dart pulls Belaver out of the crowd and says, "Master Jaroo said you are to take his place on the Council of Elders while he is out of town." And Joman escorts Belaver to the chairs where the other Elders are sitting.

The witnesses give testimony.

Belaver pleads that he cannot be impartial in this matter; having been present during the events in question, he's necessarily biased. Consequently, he'll abstain from a vote of guilt or innocence in this matter.

Endur said:

4) Yesterday in the wagons before the fight: Master Jaroo, wearing plain brown robes of the Old Faith, laughs and his face melts and becomes Elmo.

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If his Detect Thoughs spell is still working after he sees the thing abowe, Lylamwyn says something to the cultist, trying to push her thoughts to the direction he wants. His calmness is a ruse however, as his thoughts are racing and pondering about what he saw. "I know you're trying to frame both Elmo and Vesta for being your spies, but I'm afraid it isn't working well at all.

What is the creature that imitated both Jaroo and Elmo, and where can I find him and the demon that was disguised as Vesta?

Who is Naquent, and who is Dunrat?

Where can I find your superiors?

Who was Chat and why was he sent here?

Oh, and do you know anything about Zerosh Nubric?" Lylamwyn mutters the last question just as a part of his trail of though.



Before the trial or at it, Lylamwyn tries damn hard to meet up with Elmo. He makes it clear that his business is most urgent. "Elmo, when the cultist is deemed guilty, I want you to make sure she isn't hanged yet. Or better yet, move the trial. She knows things that you might not believe even if I told you, so I need Lord Burne either to read her mind and second what I saw, or somebody to wrest a confession from her.

Short version: We have a spy for the cultists in here, and she knows who it is. And more.

Long version: She was trying to frame both you and Vesta as spies for the cultists, but the real spy - or at least accomplice - is Maridosen. The thing that disguised as Vesta is some kind of demon, and the thing that disguised as y... I'll let Lord Burne decide, but just make sure she isn't killed yet."



Lylamwyn then goes to find the rest of the group to tell them what he saw.

The cultist Chenashi replies to Lylamwyn's questions, "I don't know anything and I can't answer any more questions. I was a prisoner of the evil cultists and forced to participate and they never told me anything."

In her thoughts, Lylamwyn sees that Chenashi really thinks it was Master Jaroo, but she was a junior member of the cult and they told her very little. She has no idea where Master Jaroo or the demoness went. The demoness had been hiding in the celler of the Mill for the last few weeks with the other cultists, using her wand to disguise herself as a human being when she was in front of the other Mill workers. Master Dunrat was the man with the goatee, who recruited her two months ago in Verbobonc. She has no idea who Naquent is or where Dunrat's superiors may be located. Chat was another cultist, although he stayed at the Inn instead of hiding in the Mill, but again she has no idea what he was up to. She doesn't know anything about Zerosh Nubric.

Elmo replies to Lylamwyn, "I'll mention your request to Lord Burne. Evidence from a cultist of an evil god is not treated the same as evidence from an upstanding citizen of Hommlet. The cultists lie so often that it does not matter what an evil cultist says, we judge them by their actions."

Lord Burne does, indeed, interview the evil cultist, but he does not comment on the results of the interview.

Joman Dart responds to his nephew Belaver, "Every member of the council of Elders is threatened by these evil cultists. There are no unbiased parties here. Yet it is your right to abstain if you think that's best."

The trial goes on as scheduled.

After testimony from Raner describing how he was almost murdered by Chenashi and another cultist, other party members corroborate Raner's testimony.

Chenashi defends herself by saying, "I was young and poor. My family needed the money, so they sold me to Master Dunrat as his apprentice. Master Dunrat kept me locked up and forced me to participate in horrible evil acts. I never had a choice. I was his victim, not his assistant." She even shows the marks on her wrists and ankles where she wore chains.

The Council Elders confer amonsgst themselves for a couple of minutes.

Elmo announces that the council has decided, "Chenashi, you will have the next few hours to confer with a spiritual advisor from Old Faith, or the Churches of St. Cuthbert, Pelor, or Ehlonna. At Dusk, you will be hanged."