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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sic_Pixie" data-source="post: 5827950" data-attributes="member: 52403">Investigation begins.The next day dawns faintly overcast but still warm and sunlight breaking through the clouds on a regular basis.  They head out early with a take out breakfast of a bacon roll and some juice, promising to return the glasses later on; they are next to the University so it is only a short walk there.  They arrive and after several questions find their way to the Antiquities department which seems to be in uproar due to a recent burglary.  Dr. Montagnie Crowl is Professor of Antiquities at the university. An eccentric but likeable man, he is prone to waving his arms about enthusiastically.  He meets the party in the department’s combination library and workshop. The workshop is slowly being cleaned up, but it is still a mess. Dr. Crowl is saddened to learn of his old friend and colleague Lorrimor’s death and accepts the bequeathed objects with sad gratitude. If asked about the damage to his department, Crowl relates the tale of the Beast’s break-in and the curious fact that only one item was taken—a strange statuette called the Seasage Effigy. Crowl is frankly baffled 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.  Dr. Crowl is happy to discuss the theft and allows the group to explore 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, and 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 is currently locked with a makeshift padlock 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.  Panelled 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 centre 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–ceiling of the 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.  Sayuri investigates the entrance and fines that the back door was clearly forced open from the outside, discovering the remains of fine silver wire and a tiny bell attached to the door, which she identified as the material components of an alarm spell.  While several people have walked through the area since the break-in she finds the tracks of a large, heavy creature in iron-nailed boots.Grembor Checks out the location the statue was stolen from; despite the mess in the workshop he notices 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, his sharp eyes reveal that the centre window, though now shut, has no such grime and opens easily with a gentle push. This prompts Grembor to take a walk outside and finds several places which an accomplished climber could easily scale the walls and gain the roof as this is an old building.  However there is no evidence this was done due to the absence of any scuffs or marks on the walls which might have been left by such a climb; though not conclusive as the proper soft shoes would reduce this to practically nothing.Upon returning to the Auditorium Grembor notices the smells of beeswax which he queries with Dr Crowl who informs them that this is from the beeswax polish the cleaners use on all the woodwork.  Some scratches on the woodwork and damage to the floor is evidence of someone heavy vaulting over the banister and landing on the floor  All in all pretty damming evidence that the Beast did the crime.The guards, when interviewed, remember finding the Beast rampaging through the workshop, but they did not see any accomplices.  The university’s guards managed to overpower the Beast with the help of the city watch, who threw the Beast into jail.Leaving the University they walk to the courtroom where the Beast is being held; Designed primarily as a fortification, the Lepidstadt Courthouse is built of dark stone, with walls of reinforced masonry. The building is three stories high, with narrow, open windows only a foot wide.  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 days 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, f lowers, and rubbish onto it.  The atmosphere is carnival like in it’s intensity with people laughing and playing around; there is a very positive mood around the whole city.Approaching the courthouse they are stopped by the guards who suspiciously as what their business is at the courthouse as many have tried to gain entrance to see the Beast.  They state they are here as volunteers for the defense and amid laughter they are admitted and shown to one Gustav Kaple who is the Barrister for the Defence for the Beast.  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 down at- 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 party the circumstances leading to the Beast’s capture at the University, and outline the legal process involved in the.  He informs the PCs that the prosecution is using three recent crimes attributed to the Beast to convict the creature of murder; these crimes are: 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 favour, the Beast will be convicted. To that end, he is willing to assist the party with their investigations (unless he is at court). His role in court is to present evidence, cross-examine witnesses, and clear the Beast of any wrongdoing. Because of his stutter, however, he suggests that if the party find any evidence that can help the Beast, it might be better for one of them to present it.Gustav then produces some documents and sets them before the party instructing them to read through them and sign them; these are official documents registering them as agents of the court working for the defence; he hands them a pouch of gold for expenses and advises them to keep any receipts if possible as the state will pay for reasonable expenses incurred in their roles as agents of the court.When this is all done he leads the group down to the basement where the dungeons are located to see the “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.  Sayuri takes one look and identifies the poor creature as a Flesh Golem; a creature stitched together from various dead parts and re-animated; they tend to be pretty mindless though this one seems to have a glimmer of intelligence in those mismatched eyes.  It is dirty and miserable, covered in flies, and more prone to roar and strain at its bonds than to speak.  Sayuri tries speaking to the Beast but the Beast doesn’t seem to 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.  They finally give up and head back to the upper floors to talk some more about the proposed solution to their current predicament.They had a discussion about the three cases they will be investigating and possible leads; they decided that they should head to Morast and investigate the case that would be brought before the Judges consideration tomorrow.  As it’s less than an hours ride away and it was no later than lunchtime they head out after collecting their horses.</blockquote>

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