EVENT: The Trial of Bremen - 19 June 2021

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Rusty Tincanne
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Re: EVENT: The Trial of Bremen - 19 June 2021

#61 Post by Rusty Tincanne »

As I guessed then. He speaks a bit louder and clearer for everyone to hear. Mr. Sandybanks has never studied the infernal. He has no real knowledge about them, merely bedtime stories, from his mother. Returning to his normal voice, he continues, Now, Mr. Sandybanks, you just told Mr. Pendleton that just prior to all this, you had almost died by falling through the floor. You had to be stabilized (by me) and then revived (by Brother Florian).

That hardly seems like the sort of person we should trust for a reliable testimony. This halfing could have been hallucinating, for all we know.
Before Bandy can respond, Bremen continues, I have no more questions for this halfling. But Perhaps Mr. Pendleton would like to hear more of his fanciful, trauma-induced stories. Shall.we get him puppets to make them more entertaining? Bremen sits down confidently, knowing that Bandy's interpretation is caused from a faulty memory.

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Re: EVENT: The Trial of Bremen - 19 June 2021

#62 Post by onlyme »

Rusty Tincanne wrote:
onlyme wrote:He listens to the weak rebuttal. Even Mr Bremen must now start to realize what he has done.
Not with a WIS 6, he won't. :)
Also, that is just Bandy's memory! it isn't like there is a transcript around or anything. :roll:

That is a great point. In a PC v PC battle of wits, how does a DM effectively measure WIS and INT when it comes to strategy and recollection, interpretations, etc?
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Re: EVENT: The Trial of Bremen - 19 June 2021

#63 Post by Alethan »

Bandy shakes his head, saddened by Bremen's words and actions in court and confident in the truthfulness of his own testimony.

He sits quietly, waiting to see if Pendleton has anything further to ask him.
Dragon foot. Bamboo pole. Little mouse. Tiny boy.

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Re: EVENT: The Trial of Bremen - 19 June 2021

#64 Post by Zhym »

Pendleton rises. His voice is calm, professional—a studied contrast to Bremen's rantings.

"Mr. Sandybanks, are you a sage specializing in the study of dragons?"

"Do you think you'd know one if you saw it? Be able to describe it?"

Assuming Scatha hasn't already visited the town. :)

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Re: EVENT: The Trial of Bremen - 19 June 2021

#65 Post by Rusty Tincanne »

Bremen regrets having ever stabilized the thieving little runt. Apparently stupidity - or whatever it is that Markd has - is contagious.

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Re: EVENT: The Trial of Bremen - 19 June 2021

#66 Post by onlyme »

Rusty Tincanne wrote:Bremen regrets having ever stabilized the thieving little runt. Apparently stupidity - or whatever it is that Markd has - is contagious.
I believe the word is "morals", you evil heathen.. :D
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Re: EVENT: The Trial of Bremen - 19 June 2021

#67 Post by Marullus »

onlyme wrote:That is a great point. In a PC v PC battle of wits, how does a DM effectively measure WIS and INT when it comes to strategy and recollection, interpretations, etc?
In a PC vs PC contest, I don't. It is up to the players to accurately roleplay their own attributes (which I think you're all doing FAMOUSLY at!). The dice are for PC vs NPC actions. In this case, we're using CHA as you sway the crowd.

CHA (15): Bremen [4d6+2] = 18+2 = 20 Pendleton [4d6] = 18

The hobbit's diminutive form looks small and helpless in the oversized gothic chair used for witnesses, the crowd finding it initially comical as he shifts in his seat. When his matter-of-fact tale begins, however, it is a bit too honest for the townsfolk, most of whom really did NOT know what kind of horrors adventurers face as part of their normal routine. Gruesome slayings, intelligent spell-casting scorpion-men, walls of fire, priests tortured and returned as unholy rotting flesh, and the fear of a demon loosed on the Northlands overwhelms them with pure, emotional horror. Their horror is stronger than Pendleton's attempt to apply calm rationality to the process, and their horror extends to Bremen who cuts himself as a rather unsympathetic figure during Bandy's testimony. The archbishop, however, is neither horrified nor amused. In this testimony, nobody has won.

He bangs his gavel. "I expect more decorum in my courtroom," Archbishop Keelan intones solemnly, the rabble hushing itself accordingly.

Bandy is dismissed from the witness chair, now allowed to return to the pews which serve as the general gallery. The guardsman who is overseeing the witnesses blushes as he hadn't noticed the diminutive man was sitting there previously instead of sequestered with the other witnesses. He glances furtively at the Archbishop, hoping nobody notices the impact it had on the testimony. He then goes to the side chamber, returning with Irving. Irving smiles grandly, his clothing and hair impeccably prepared for the day. His disarming smile causes tittering in a few of the maidens as they catch his eye. He is sworn in and takes the stand. The crowd falls silent as they wait to see what he has to say.

Pendleton - opening questions?

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Re: EVENT: The Trial of Bremen - 19 June 2021

#68 Post by Zhym »

Pendleton is disappointed at the crowd's reaction—but it's the Archbishop's opinion that matters. Surely he must now realize what has happened?

"Would you please state your name and your connection to the Church of Baudh?" he begins.

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Re: EVENT: The Trial of Bremen - 19 June 2021

#69 Post by Marullus »

"Irving Malmstein Rosemont the Third," he pronounces grandiosely. "House Malmstein Rosemont the Third has been loyal to the Church of Baudh and served as Knights to the realms for several generations," he adds proudly. "I am here,
serving on holy quests, in honor and tradition."


Please feel free to group up questions, as I want to NPC Keehnelf's character as little as I need to. :)

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Re: EVENT: The Trial of Bremen - 19 June 2021

#70 Post by Zhym »

"A true member of the faithful," says Pendleton, nodding.

"Would you please describe what you saw and heard happen in the Chapel of Baudh, starting from when you entered it?"

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Re: EVENT: The Trial of Bremen - 19 June 2021

#71 Post by Marullus »

"the... Chapel of Baudh? asks Irving, sounding confused, as if your question is unexpected. "Alright..." he concedes, taking a breath and a moment to compose his thoughts, as if he were prepared for something else.

When he begins, he has the cadence of a storyteller, telling a tale more than a testimony. "At long last, we came to the chapel. We had faced many trials in the name of Baudh, and at last the journey was at its end. There was a secret door, long dusty and unused, then a proper antechamber filled with all manner of symbols of Baudh. A consecrated place where we knew the holy relic we were sent for was destined to reside. Beyond was a chapel, tall vaulted columns holding up a domed ceiling. A large seven-pointed Baudhic sun of solid gold -- the same one now hung here -- then hung on the far wall in the central, honored position. A great stone altar filled the far end of the hall, while a few pews stand in the center, blocking the direct path to it. Great iron braziers stoodd in the room corners and near the altar, the flames dancing within them and providing the flickering, ruddy glow to the entire chamber, fires that never went out."

He pauses, gauging response. "It was all over, then. Markd shared my relief, and he visibly sighed at coming to the sanctified chamber. He said 'That most certainly fits the description of what I have been asked to safely deliver to the church. Let's be most careful around it, as it is obviously of great importance,' which I solemnly did. Of course, Markd held his sacred knife, and a good thing, too, since it seemed to help him know things the rest of us didn't and it gave him such confidence, where normally he lacked such on account of, well, you know, his being cursed by the gods." He pauses, glancing over to see if he spoke too plainly, then continues.

"Markd crossed the trapped floor without incident, probably that new confidence, but it then collapsed under the weight of Bandy and Bremen, dumping them into a pit trap. Florian and I were left to the rear. It was unfortunate, Bandy knocked unconscious by the fall. Markd rushed to save him, while I aided Florian as he climbed down to call upon the divine glory of Baudh to again rescue Bandy's life. Once all were safe, we all made our way past the pit and into the chapel, where Markd already was."

"By the time we all got out of the pit, we found Markd on his knees, already supplicant and speaking to the voice of Baudh. He pauses, adding reverence appropriately, that the impact could sink in. "It was no wonder that we were sent to this place, so blessed as to not only hold this relic but to allow such communion. Markd swore on his knees to bring the relic back here, and to restore the congregation of Baudh's faithful to this chapel as well. He gripped his dagger tight, keeping his confidence. The voice complimented Markd's wisdom and he swore to it, that he'd be faithful to Baudh and it spoke of lifting his curse, which seemed a good thing, too."

"The voice explained it was a servant of Baudh, 'bound to serve here for eternity, to provide the immediate aid required by supplicants to this church as time and fate may attest.'" he recalls. "But... then Markd got sad. Markd said, 'Yes, it would be good to restore this and many other bastions of faith. I still think we can bring many followers out here, assuming we take back the evidence they will require to justify their own faith,' which somehow meant that he wasn't going to do it. We all caught up in the room, then, the others done in the pit below, so it started talking to Bremen. It complimented him as a great leader of men, like it said Markd wanted to be, and that he could be Lord Commander of the Knights there if he rebuilt them." He sounds a little envious, pausing to re-gather his thoughts. "Markd said to Bremen, Oh no. You'd be more than qualified for this role, I've no doubt. I have all the confidence in your abilities. And, I imagine the rest of 'em do, too.' Which, of course, we did. So, Bremen swore to restore Baudh's worship at the sacred temple, it allowed us to remove the sacred relic, and we returned here. He'll be quite the Lord Commander, I expect, and we all are glad to have done such a service to the church... the sigil looks quite nice up there on this wall." He smiles, pleased.

He pauses, uncertain. "Ummm... weren't you going to ask me something else?"

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Re: EVENT: The Trial of Bremen - 19 June 2021

#72 Post by Zhym »

With great effort, Pendleton avoids rolling his eyes. He's been accused of loquaciousness on more than one occasion himself, but he recalls few occasions on which someone used so many words while saying so little—little that is at issue in the trial, at least.

"You say that Stancell was speaking to the 'Voice of Baudh.' Did the voice identify itself as Baudh, or claim to speak on behalf of Baudh?"

"When else have you personally heard the voice of Baudh?"

"'Lord Commander of the knights he he rebuilt them," hm? Tell me, did Bremen wait to rebuild the knights before calling himself 'Lord Commander?'"

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Re: EVENT: The Trial of Bremen - 19 June 2021

#73 Post by Marullus »

Zhym wrote:"You say that Stancell was speaking to the 'Voice of Baudh.' Did the voice identify itself as Baudh, or claim to speak on behalf of Baudh?"
"Of course! We all knew it was Baudh. In a holy,
consecrated Temple of Baudh, who else would it be?"
He then repairs slightly. "The voice did identify itself - I said that, yes? - Yes, it said it was a servant of Baudh, bound to serve the faithful, specifically."
Zhym wrote:"When else have you personally heard the voice of Baudh?"
"Why, two days prior. It was quite exhilarating."
Zhym wrote:"'Lord Commander of the knights he he rebuilt them," hm? Tell me, did Bremen wait to rebuild the knights before calling himself 'Lord Commander?'"
"He tried on the title amongst our company,
indeed. A title promised, and spoken among friends. ...Did he speak it here also?"

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Re: EVENT: The Trial of Bremen - 19 June 2021

#74 Post by Zhym »

Pendleton presses Irving. "I'm confused," he says, feigning confusion. "I thought you said the voice came from Baudh himself. But you just said the voice said it was bound to the service of Baudh. Which was it? Are servants of Baudh usually bound in servitude?"

"Did the voice give a name? What did it tell you to call it?"

"You and Baudh seem quite the chatty pair. I wonder if the Archbishop himself hears from Baudh quite so frequently. How often does Baudh speak to you?"

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Re: EVENT: The Trial of Bremen - 19 June 2021

#75 Post by Marullus »

He fumbles with some inarticulation, then you can see in his face the dawning of revelation that he is being mocked. Pendleton's role as the smarmy villian archetype in this tale is revealed. His jaw sets and his words become crisply clipped.
"I believe I answered your question. It is a matter of faith. I will not question the Archbishop's faith. I wonder,
though, at your own that you would speak so in Baudh's house."

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Re: EVENT: The Trial of Bremen - 19 June 2021

#76 Post by Zhym »

"Would you answer the questions, please?" presses Pendleton. "Was the voice Baudh, or a servant? How often do you hear Baudh's voice? And what did the voice in the chapel tell you to call it?"

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Re: EVENT: The Trial of Bremen - 19 June 2021

#77 Post by Marullus »

"Sir," Irving says pointedly, his voice growing strident as he takes his stand, "Clerics commune with Baudh and receive his revelation daily.
Baudh speaks to he faithful as he wishes; it is not my place to speculate the worth of a man by such a scale. I am not a cleric and I will not engage your evil sniping against such matters of faith. The existence of this Sigil, hanging above you, was by divine revelation in this very church. We went on a holy quest, a quest of great peril, to achieve this end. We had the ministrations of Florin through our journey and found exactly what the priests of this church forsaw in that sacred chapel! I consider myself blessed and humbled to have heard the voice of Baudh on both occasions, and I do not denig... Denog... I do not seek to lessen the import of His BLESSING in speaking to our group while on this Holy Quest."


He inhales and shifts in his chair, trying to ensure his composure. "The Sigil was found in that holy chapel at the end of our harrowing journey through trials of strength, of contrition, of humility, and revelation. We faced horrors of the living and the dead, because Baudh HIMSELF sent us forth, and in that chapel we found the just reward that he fortold, returning it to this very place...
THAT very wall. You cannot impune that, SIR."


He straightens his dublet, "I thought this hearing was for Markd's promise to bring Bremen to trial, not to try and smirch... Besmirch... The holy deeds done on this quest."

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Re: EVENT: The Trial of Bremen - 19 June 2021

#78 Post by Zhym »

The moron does drone on so, thinks Pendleton. But Pendleton knows that he has to dig past the bloviating and get to statements of fact. Irving was in the room. Somewhere past all the righteous idiocy, the none-too-bright fighter must be able to corroborate Bandy's story.

Pendleton turns to the Archbishop. "Your Grace, would you please ask the witness to answer the questions that I am asking and refrain from these diverging, irrelevant soliloquies?"

Back to Irving. "You did not answer my questions, sir. We need to know what happened in the chapel. You have told us much about what you think about what happened, but very little about what actually happened. Bremen is accused of dealing with the infernal. We have heard testimony that he may have released a demon into the world. Does that not concern you?"

"You say that you believe the voice you heard was the voice of Baudh. But the voice of Baudh speaks to you all the time, in many forms, does it not? Your faith is impressive and commendable, but this is not a trial of faith. I apologize for my bluntness, but the court needs to know whether you can tell the difference between your god's voice and a demon's."


"So I ask you again: how often does Baudh speak to you? Does he speak in different voices? How would you know if a voice was actually a demon claiming to be Baudh?"

"And I ask you a third time: did the voice tell you what you should call it?"
Last edited by Zhym on Sat Oct 07, 2017 2:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: EVENT: The Trial of Bremen - 19 June 2021

#79 Post by Marullus »

He looks surprised. "Infernal? Well that is serious.
I don't know, however, what it would have to do with that holy chapel. There was no demon there. No one suspected or said as much about any such thing. If there was a demon, we certainly would have fought it valiantly until it was vanquished! Markd was just sad. He praised Bremen's attributes and Bremen spoke on our behalf to acquire this holy relic, which we returned here, triumphant by Baudh's will, as the Archbishop himself sent us to do."


He looks irritated as he answers Pendleton once more. S"Sir. I am no cleric and will not respond to your attacks on our faith." He slows his words, making it sound simple. "We were in a consecrated chapel of Baudh. We were guided by our faithful cleric. We were sent by this very Archbishop with a vision from Baudh of that very chapel." He nods firmly, considering it indisputable.

He points to the sigil, and then to an honorary plaque engraved on solid gold next to it. The plaque reads: This artifact of Baudh recovered and restored from ancient ruin for the blessing and protection of Gaul. This act honors Stancell Green, known as the Marked One, who served Baudh.

"There. There is your fact."

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Re: EVENT: The Trial of Bremen - 19 June 2021

#80 Post by Zhym »

"You still have not answered my questions, sir. Do I need to repeat them yet again?"

At this point, Pendleton will interrupt Irving if he starts going off on another of his rants.

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