Phaloxil v. Doga, Iron Wolves v. Fame

Civil action

World Stage: The trial of Ira Doga commences   Campaign Stage: The Iron Wolves deal with the ramifications of their choices.

When the time of the trial came, the companions regathered and attended the hearings as a group. The entire city was rampant with gossip and rumors, expectations and curiosities of what might happen. Runners would be bringing news to town criers of all districts to report out the happenings with signaling spells above Gusede to direct when the criers should begin. The court room was packed with admittance only upon invitation. Luckily, as the heroes that brought in Doga, the Iron Wolves had their seats.
  The first day of the trial was one of opening arguments, establishing footing, and setting the stakes for both the prosecution and the Defendant wishing to turn the entire hearing around. Ira Dog was brought before the court in a off-putting state. While he was clean and fed, those that knew what they were looking at could see the metaphysical strain on the man. The pinch at the eyes, the thinness at the temples, a general weariness despite being well rested. With the court room being one of celebrity, elder The Dominus Porta was present as well as Diviner Vulpenop. Next to the archmage known to the Iron Wolves was another individual they did not know. A gnomish man wearing a set of elgant half-robes meant for travel and a capsuled bracelet who maintained a keen, unblinking eye on Doga the entire time he was present in court.
  After the first day of trial, the Iron Wolves returned to their inn and tavern for drinks. Zeran attempted to provide incites to the common folk not present in the room. However, this only lead to social pressures to overshare and soon the news spread. The Paparazzi found the Iron Wolves. Gregor handed the the Public Relations to dampen anything excessive from happening.
  The Second Day of the Trial was a much longer day with far more meat to it. Ira Doga was only present for a short stint in the middle. When Doga left, so did Vulpenop's gnomish companion. Some of the more notable testimonies given today was the complete sharing of Gregor's deposition including his push for redemption as well as the in person questioning of Saul Caccese, Doga's commanding officer at the time of his crimes. Caccese was one of the few individuals willing to stand up for Doga of their own volition. At the end of the second day, the overall public opinon was heavily leaning towards the Prosecution. As the companions left the courthouse, Gregor took the lead in immediately making a statement. The paparazzi already knew the party and today had Gregor's evidence. The party returned to their hotel and held up all together in a single room again.
  That night, a knock at the door was opened to a woman in the head-to-toe habit of a clergical lady. Only her teal, slightly scaled face could be seen from out of her headcovering and shawl. She spoke in broken common, beseaching the iron wolves for help. Despite suspicions, they brought her in. To facilitate communication, Daniel cast his newly research Tongues spell on Gregor to get information faster and more accurately. The woman had heard of all the good the Iron Wolves had been doing in the city and seen them about the court publicity. She was wanted for murder, claiming to be framed. She playing into being judged for her looks before finally giving into the explanation of people thinging that she had murdered.... YOU!
  Her eyes flared as she tore down the head wrap. Thick tentacles billowed from her head. The flashing green eyes looked towards Kain. Despite a stiffness, he maintained his mobility. Gregor charged, knocking her through a window plummetting her to the ground. The next few seconds were flurry of shooting down from a window, summoning a squadron of rats, and conjuring an opaque wall over the window to ward off visual dangers. The ground level assailant conjured fog into the room above to double over the visual impairments. Some of the Ironwolves Floundered out of the room into the hall while other lept from the broken window down to the ground. Zeran battered the assailent down the spine, stunning her. Rats swarmed and maimed her. Gregor lept from the window to drive her to the ground for Kain to mow through her faltering defenses. As the final blows fellow, a white line starting at the sternum and spreading outward. With that, she was suddenly gone.
  Daniel assessed the situation to be an extremely powerful combination of spells allowed for a teleportation to be readied as a contingency plan. As the combat ended and the Iron Wolves attempted to investigated if anyone had seen the woman, a charcuterie board was attempted to be delivered. No one had ordered it. The order was placed in the waiter's handwriting but he had witnesses backing him up that he hadn't left the ground floor to take the order. Guards were summoned to the hotel investigate the attack. The lead wasn't surprised when he saw that the Iron Wolves were the target. So deep in the politics of the day, he was surprised that they hadn't been attacked sooner. As the guards base investigation continued, Daniel conjured an illusion of their attacker. One of the other guards grew nervous at the sight of it.
  Some gruffness back and forth between the Iron Wolves and the captain eventually got the soldier to approach and speak what he knew. The guard had heard of that person. Labeled “The Gorgon”, she was an assassin of deadly capability. She could kill with a glance. She didn't attack at close quarters. If that is who attacked the party, it was a message. They needed to leave town immediately. With another day of trial before the companions, walking through crowds between town centers and the whole city abuzz, the Gorgon could strike whenever she pleased. The Iron Wolves had made an enemy of one of the most dangerous people in the city.
  After the attack upon the Iron Wolves by the Gorgon, the party crawled through the rest of the night, attempting to sift through information and plans for the future. Sleep came in waves and pieces as they attempted to get to morning. Attempting to ward off further trouble, Daniel would use their cloud manipulations to billboard “We Get the Message” into the night sky.
  The Iron Wolves would attend the final day of trial though getting there would be tenuous. The group spread formed a dotted line, staying in relatively close proximity but not standing bunched up. Kain took the Lead, mixing with the crowds and slipping onward. Lyle took the form of a streetdog and acted as a lead for Zeran who took on the habit of a old, rattycloaked beggar. Daniel and Gregor came last, the illusionist magically disguising themselves as their father and cloaked Gregor in an image of a sphereical rolling automaton bodyguard.
  Passage through the streets was rough as the crowds were large and on edge. Kain noticed a man bribe one of the heralds that was standing in a small square under a statue to begin reporting on gossip. Guards had been increased for the final day of trials, more than they had been the last two. With the general public wanting Ira Doga Prosecuted, this could only mean that the judge would be decreeing the opposite. As Zeran and Lyle made it through the square, a glint from Zerans temporarily exposed chin gave him away from the hundreds of eyes being passed ever minute. A rabble rose into a riot as the angered people saw one of the Iron Wolves, new celebrities in favor of Doga's cause. Civilians not involved in the heat of it fled the scene. Zeran retreated towards the illusory Elder Clementine as Gregor stepped forward out of hit sphere to speak, attempting to talk down the riot.
  Daniel, Zeran, and a barking Lyle retreated partially to make space but did not flee. Two Guards came forward to try to break up the riot as Gregor spoke of peace but then his left arm, extended out, quickly began to solidify into stone. He had brought out into the open. And somewhere, somehow, the gorgon had seen him.
  Daniel's quick thinking led to them earthbending the petrifing arm, rocketing it off of Gregor's Body. Tearing free, it left a massive hole where his shoulder should have been, just pumping blood outward. The present rabble broke but from around a corner, another riot was breaking out and coming this way. Kain pulled out a torch, striking it attempting to aid Gregor but in the moment, Gregor shock prevented him from realizing just how bad the situation was. One of the guards drove the broken riot south as the other attempted to meet the new one at the road's entrance into the square.
  Lyle's canine nose pointed up, following the scent of the gorgon to spy a tower up above the square. Returning to Human form, He called on the birds of the city to scout it out but they found no one up there. Seeing the need for time to escape, Daniel wove and illusory wall to emerge viserally from the ground between their companions and the riot held back by the guard. The companions began to flee until Gregor heard the guard get dragged into the mob. Struggling to get the bloodflow to stop, healing magic mixed with searing pressure from the torch to drain Gregor's strength. No sooner had he gotten the flow of blood to stop than he turn to the illusory wall and walked through it to get the guard on the other side... When he got there, he only saw the horde which took him in as well. Kain and Zeran ran back to Gregor's aid, fighting through the rabble.
  Hands grabbed and twisted. Bodies pressed. Kain and Zeran made it through to the other side to find the guard trampled to death under the feat of the mob. Pulling him out, they needed to break up this mob without killing anyone. Lyle's Birds began doing dive bomb raids, white cargo dropping across the group. Kain launched a fruit cart into the air, telekinetically causing a hail for fruit. Daniel broke away the lower bindings of roof tiles overhead, avalanching the slats upon the group to break the crew without causalties of fatal wounds to anyone involved.
  The Iron Wolves delivered the guards body to the remain soldier before making a break for Gusede and the courts. Blustering their way in, they announced their attacks, contacted Admiral Hall, and accepted her contract. The First half of the day in the courts ended with summaries and closing statements with Ira Doga present before a two hour recess was called for final deliberation. In the downtime, admittance to and from the courts was highly controlled. The Iron Wolves looked for Marquis Bifulco and Aldarina but could not find them within the courts. They hadn't attended this morning. In the process though, Gregor to pass the entrance to hear Aldarina fighting with the guards to get in.
  Gregor facilitated the situation to see the elvish man in distress. His luscious lockes were greasy, face thin, flakes of some substance or serum flecking off of one temple. Aldarina had heard of the first attack but not the second. Despite being run ragged already, he had come to inquiry on the party. With the information that the party would be leaving tomorrow at down due to the danger for them in the city, Aldarina set up a meeting to meet them again in Gusede in the evening for a favor.
  Back in the courts after recess, Sentencing was had. Ira Doga was found Innocent of the list of War Crimes directed at him. However, he was found guilty of a string of minor military offenses, resisting arrest, and the like. The majority of his punishment would be waved due to the time spent in exile but would still serve in temporary confinement under the direction of Atrigor, The Dominus Porta. The combination of Gregor and Cacesse's testimonials and the released confidential documents from during Doga's service made a strong case. Despite that, letting Doga walk free immediately would make whatever riots were about to happen worse and almost guarantee an assassination. By sentencing him into the archmage's custody, the small amount of time still to be served would be safe and secret. Doga's release could then be anywhere the Dominus Porta decided.
  The inhabitants of the courts stayed in lockdown for two hours after the announcements were made throughout Phaloxil. After the lockdown ended, the Iron Wolves made their way to their appointment with Ladore. The elven herbalist requested that the party spend their time in search of rare ingredients native to Zhalvazho. The party learned that these were for experimental treatements for an illness but little more was openly stated on the matter. Aldarina also reported in to Zeran on finding no government documentation of an Ovatai. This meant that there was little chance that Zeran's lost home was connected to Phaloxil controlled areas. Zeran then gave Aldarina a few more leads to follow on having had smithing training from dwarves. That would be the next path of inquiry.
  Aldarina had Peter Fulcman perform a evening shopping run for any last minute items the party may have needed before the two groups split ways.
  Gregor spent the night in prayer, coming to terms with his condition and it's relationship with his gods. Tyr too had lost a hand. Illmater was the Maimed One. Torm gave up a lot in following his beliefs. While an obstacle, this occurrence could brein him closer to his trinity of gods with new understanding. Gregor Brighthammer took the new name Gregor the One Armed.
  With the rising of the sun, the party boarded their military ship to begin their journey over the Ocean of Aber and to Zhalvazho.