Session XIX - The Seidensneider Trial (2001-10-15)
Jobric had found one more trusted friend during the day of preparation,
a woodsman called Roland.
The party had placed their members strategically around the stage
where the trial was to be held. Jobric in fact acted as the defense
counselor, and Cassandra as one of the guards. Just before the trial started,
Jobric cast a Consecrate spell to make sure that no undead surpises would happen.
The bishop was the last to arrive to the stage, quite obviously wearing armor
under his robes. He started the trial, and cast Zone of Truth. The accusations
against Thomas were heard first, nothing different from what the party had heard earlier,
except in more legalese of course.
Then it was Thomas' turn. he denied the charges against him. He said he was not
the killer, but the killer was present. He went on to say:
"Adrian, let El Elyon see if I or Adrian speak the truth." At that, something strange
happened. Someone, or something, cast a Dispel Magic which cleared Jobric's
concentration, but also revealed Adrian's true form: a small flying
bat-like creature with long tail. He was an imp!
Bardia run to the imp as fast as he could, as well as Thalonius, doing some
acrobatic jumps from stage to stage. Radagast prepared to cast spells, while Ziggy was
there ready to protect him. Roland pushed his way through the panicking onlookers to
the executioners stand where he had a good view of the main stage. Adrian the Imp
flew straight up, getting a slash from Bardia, and then disappeared. The bishop
pulled a magical axe from under his robes, and cast Divine Favor. Alayn backed out,
protected by his guards. Jobric cast Santuary on Thomas, and then flew to Roland
(Jobric had cast the fly spell on himself before the trial - Radagast had also
cast a couple of strength spells on the fighters beforehand).
Smell of brimstone and sulphur wafted around the stage, and a wall of ice
blocked the main stage from the view of Radadagast, Zig Zag, Jobric and Roland.
A bony devil appeared on the stage, its scorpion tail shooting this way and that as
it tried to attack the people there. A frenzy of both divine and arcane spells
were cast, trying to attack the elusive devil (whose aura blocked Radagast's
magical bolts) and Adrian, trying to fight the
flying creatures and walls of ice appearing here and there. Adrian was the first
to go down, and the devil went next in the utter darkess it had created, killed by
the lucky hit of holy water from Jobric.
The darkness was dispelled by... a rat! It was Eomric's famiar, and it meant
Eomric was alive, it seemed! But the imp that was thought to be dead was far from
it. Due to its unholy regenerative powers it was able to recover behind the
protective icy walls, and escape to its master. A master who lived below the
Blue Moon tavern, as Radagast and Bardia heard the wind whisper in their ears.
It was time to move on to the final kill, even though they were wounded and
almost out of spells. The evil was on the run.