The barrister nods and thanks each of you in turn, and then replies.
“Very well. The prosecution will now present evidence in the case of the murder of Damarch Hood. Each of you was reported of suspicious activity on the night of the murder: Baern Stoneheart, you arrived at the Oak's Bough pub, your hammer drenched in blood. Miss Thorn, the man at the bar you mentioned - that man was Lieutenant Farks of the City Guard. Your rather direct methods of questioning motivated him to notify the local patrolmen. In his own words, he viewed your curiosity as "unusual." This was when you and Mister Stoneheart were taken in for questioning. The rest of you were taken in on similar pretenses: either you've arrived recently in town, or you were sighted in the castle square on the night of the murder."
Barrister Trite looks down at his documents, scans each of your faces, then reads from the paper in his hand.
“This evidence, taken as a whole, suggests numerous possibilities in the death of Lord Hood. Taken separately, however, they provide a rather inconclusive picture. I now present Captain Scultone of the Dragonborn Corps of Royal Guards with his recounting of the events of that night.”
The barrister steps back, and a lumbering, rust-colored Dragonborn, garbed in heavy, ornate armor and carrying the traditional battleaxe of the Dragonborn Corps, emerges from an adjacent room. He is a massive, old, and powerfully built being with a genial presence. He stands in the center of the room and addresses the crowd matter-of-factly.
“Good day. I am Captain Talon Scultone of The Royal Guards, Leader of the Dragonborn Corps, and personal bodyguard to Lord Hood for over 60 years. Three nights ago, Lord Hood had retired to his bedchamber in the castle after dismissing my men and I for the evening. I noticed nothing unusual about that night, but one of the midnight patrolmen awoke me to alert me that there had been an intruder in the king’s wing of the castle. I took a squad of comrades to Lord Hood’s chamber, where we found his door ajar. Inside, there was obvious evidence of a struggle. Tables and chairs were overturned, and there were pools of blood splashed all over the floor. Lord Hood’s body was found stuffed underneath his bed. I analyzed the corpse with the aid of the Mrs. Libra Kell.”
The dragonborn appears to have finished his story. The judge motions that Scultone is dismissed. The barrister, then approaches the center of the room and calls his final witness. Libra Kell is a young, wry-looking gnomish female. She enters from the front entrance of the courthouse and stands in the center.
The barrister asks, “Doctor Kell, can you briefly present the court with your findings?”
Kell smiles gently, bows, and begins. “Certainly. Lord Hood was stabbed in the left side, first. It was the deepest and most grievous of the twelve injuries he sustained in the altercation. He was stabbed a total of 10 times in the left side of his body and chest with a dagger of about six inches in length. The other two injuries were more cosmetic: a broken nose, probably incurred from a punch or headbutt during the scuffle, and finally, a large burn across his back, as if splashed by acid.”
Without further gory details, Kell takes her leave, and is again replaced by the barrister. Trite turns to look at the judge, who simply shakes his horned head. The barrister turns to address you.
“At this time, there is not enough evidence to convict or acquit any of you. However, there have been a number of confirmed sightings of another suspect, who has continued to elude capture. Tomorrow, we will discuss the possibility of further investigation. Until then, you will be escorted back to your cell. The court will reconvene at midday.”
A cadre of guards lead you back to your cell in the dungeon of Castle Hood itself, where you’re unchained and given food. The guards leave you unsupervised for the night, although the cell door seems secure and strong. It seems like this might be the best time to get to know each other.
