The Trials of Amon
After returning to Porion, the Party finds themselves facing a new challenge -- the accusation of Amon.
Plot points/Scenes
Part 1 - The Return to Porion
Portwatch has returned to it's usual busyness, traders walk the streets and boats sail the river. You return to Porion and Smodi meets you outside the gates having returned from some needed respite in the wild. Smodi reads the message Rori left behind and it gives cryptic answers relating to a Lady Eredith and Josiah Goodwin. He also thanks you for defeating him. You return to Vendys who is distant and cold, or at least, more so than usual. He thanks you for your service and promises his favour to Torbin. You learn from Snapper that he is serving penance to Vendys for attempting to steal from him and he still has a year of servitude left. You return to Torbin and, after a back and forth with his Goliath guards, tell him this good news and relay what happened to him. He considers that Rori's letter may relate to the burning of the Porisian Forest and tells you that Josiah Goodwin is the head of the Emerald Vale Logging Company and Lady Eredith is a powerful noble who is a public supporter of the logging company and the cutting down of the Elven Forest. Torbin is grateful for what you have done and says you are far more capable than he initially believed. He encourages you to venture out on your own, gathering allies that will help to preserve the Elven Forest and stop a potential war. He gives you a few leads with the head of the Blacksmithing Guild and the Amethyst Bank and leaves the Sapphire Shores tavern to go to the Golden Griffin tavern in the Trade Quarter where he says he will call on you when he needs you next. Amon and Arodeyr duel with Horncarver and Fearless and lose to them, though this seems to make the Goliaths only like you more. After some rest and healing, Smodi and Amon go into the Trade Quarter to meet a druid contact Smodi made in his downtime. They meet Innesa, a wood elf who runs a tea shop in the city. She tells them of the plight of the Treants in what remains of the Porisian Forest and how poachers hunt them for their gems. Meanwhile, the rest of the party go to the branch of the Amethyst Bank in the Guild House section of the city. They speak with the bank manager and a guard who detail how the theft took place and tell you that gems, along with documents belonging to Lady Eredith were stolen. Smodi and Amon return and Smodi determines that some sort of conjuration magic was used in the bank. The manager also says that one of the guards has potentially been killed - a lad named Josh, though there is no body. As Amon checks outside for clues, the investigator sent by the Emerald Vale Logging Company arrives, a rude man named Vel who looks down his nose at the party. They leave the bank and join up with Amon, as soon as Vel sees Amon he draws his rapier and accuses him of being the bank thief.Part 2 - A Problem at the Bank
After a tense standoff with Vel, who seems to know Amon from his past, the city guard arrive. Vel has Amon searched but no items are found, he then blackmails the bank manager into having Amon arrested, using the threat of Lady Eredith finding out that her items were stolen as leverage. The manager caves under the threat and apologetically has Amon arrested and to give Vel time to gather his evidence and ensure that Amon does not disappear. Amon goes quietly, despite some resistance from the group. He is taken to the Prison House next to the Court and is put in a cell with a drunk dwarf and a do-good elf. He quickly befriends a guard who has a love for gambling and they play cards, Amon manages to win a bacon sandwich and finds that the guard will deliver a message for him, for a price of course. Meanwhile, Smodi and Raas follow Vel into the Nobility Quarter, they see him go into a tailor's shop and arrange for a Tracker to be employed. Smodi and Raas return to the group who are currently at Josh's apartment. He lives above an elderly halfling lady named Theresa who is more than happy to help. You search the room, finding bloody sheets, a bootprint belonging to someone around 6'2" tall and a piece of torn cloth that matches Amon's mask. Smodi wants to look for Vel but with no idea where he is you cannot find him. Arodeyr and Henrietta return to Theresa's house a short while later and she tells them that Vel returned with someone else a short while ago. She gladly gives out soup and bread and offers her two free apartments for rent. The group then returns to Sapphire Shores tavern to search Amon's room. He's left nothing in there except an unmade bed, although the prison guard does find them and tells them that Amon's trial has been set for the morning and that only a Representative can see him in the meantime. You return to Torbin and inform him of what's happened. He promises to do all he can overnight and encourages you to get some rest before the trial.Part 3 - Amon On Trial
You all nervously make your way to the Courthouse where Amon's trial is to be held. Vel is already there talking to two of his witnesses, and he also gives Henrietta an order that she too much testify against Amon. Amon is brought out under the guard of two Goliaths and his trial begins. Vel questions a Captain of the Guard of Peasant's Gate who tells of how Amon was caught stealing in the town and how Brenn was killed under mysterious circumstances. Then Henrietta is brought out, she is questioned about Amon's character and about the outcome of their investigation. She stands up to Vel's questioning well and gives him little he can use against Amon, despite the possible conflict with her beliefs. Finally Vel presents the Tracker's evidence to the Court. Highmage Ferodin, a respected mage and qualified Tracker tells of how he tracked Amon to the bank vault, the house of the murdered guard, the sewer in which the guard was found and Brenn's house where an impression of him was left on the gems and documents stored under the floorboards. As bad as this seems, due to the limitations of Trackers, they cannot tell when a person was in a place, only that they have been. The Magistrates consider the evidence and find Amon not guilty on all charges, but to find him guilty of the lesser charge of handling stolen goods. Just as they are about to deliver their punishment, the Court is interrupted by Lady Eredith who clearly has the respect and obedience of the Magistrates. She speaks privately with them and upon their return they sentence Amon to close two fingers. Amon accepts his punishment without a fight and loses both his ring fingers to the Goliath's knife. He is immediately Healed by the Court Cleric, closing the skin but leaving two stubs in place of his fingers. The Magistrates inform him that his sentence is now served and in the eyes of the court this matter is settled. Vel is clearly unhappy with this outcome and leaves the Court grumbling to himself. After a catch up over a few drinks and some food in the Sapphire Shores tavern, Henrietta excuses herself to pray in her room and Smodi goes to Arcane Alley to speak with Snapper, who wants to help but can offer little assistance. Meanwhile, Arodeyr, Amon, Raas and Dacso go south of the city for a duel to see if Amon's fighting abilities have been diminished. Despite intoxication and the recent loss of his fingers, Amon fights well but is ultimately bested by Dacso. Smodi and Henrietta arrive after the duel and clean up the wounds and together the party heads back into the city to seek out their next adventure.
Completion Date
13 6th Moon, 2000 AEA
13 6th Moon, 2000 AEA
Parent Plot
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