Trial of Fire

General Summary

After a deadly arena battle with the competitor known as “El Fuego,” King Bombo Stonebone personally ensured the mage was punished. A makeshift court was formed, headed by the High Priestess, and Palmu was appointed by the king to prosecute. The defense was led by the Faerunian dwarf Alexis Elennis, Attorney-at-Law. Nobles from Adarbrent, Evanweaver, Silverthorne, Dragelarthd, and Wyldken all attended as well. The first witness was the gnome Bumble, the drunken arena manager, presenting a stack of waivers from those injured. The defense argued that the waivers indemnified the arena of all injuries. Palmu argued that the waivers were not legally binding as there are no such laws in the Kingdom of Fjordhaven and that the contract with El Fuego did not make him a part of the arena, but simply a contractor, so the waivers didn’t cover his actions. The judge tentatively sided with the offense. The next witness was the Pandoran dwarf Througut Oakgranite, foreman of the arena’s construction. He admitted there were no magical protections in the arena, and that the City of Fjordhaven was the only major city in Pandora that did not have an academy of magic. The defense used this to point the blame back at the king, for not adequately protecting his citizens. After a chiding look at her son-in-law, the judge, High Priestess Goraldina Sternhammer sided with the defense.

The third witness was Lady Issalea, a dwarf noble whose son was killed and returned to life. However, under pressure, she revealed that her husband was killed as well by the defendant’s flames, and that his soul had refused to return. The defense argued that in a dwarven court, emotional distress was not a crime, and that since the king had graciously raised all the victims from the dead, no crime had been committed, and that the husband’s desire to remain with his first life in Moradin’s bosom should be respected, despite his second wife’s sorrow. Palmu and Bombo argued that since the Kingdom of Fjordhaven had been deprived of a warrior and a father, there was in fact harm. Agreeing with this logic, the judge, a priestess of the god of dwarven family, sided with the offense. El Fuego was the final witness, much to the objection of him and his lawyer. However, as a traditional dwarven society, Fjordhaven law (Fjordhaven Constitution did not protect the accused from being called to witness, unlike Faerun. El Fuego was eventually drug out of court after he refused to stop talking about fire and upsetting people. As the offense was unable to get him to admit he wasn’t a Pandoran, the judge found little to sway her decision either way from his testimony. Thanks to the strategies of the prosecutor and her advisor, El Fuego was found guilty! But before he could be sentenced, he escaped into the dwarven mines near his cell. The fugitive of fire shall return! During the trial, Lord-apparent Ellis Adarbrent recalled a Waterdhavian arsonist who disappeared a year ago, and suggested that getting El Fuego to admit where he was from could extradite him to Waterdeep where he would be tried with more evidence. While he was happy to see justice done anyway, House Adarbrent was unimpressed with the proceedings. Matron Camille Silverthorne wanted honor for the dead and justice for the living, and was satisfied with the proceedings. Lord Thomas Evanweaver was unimpressed with Bombo and Palmu’s strict adherence to law instead of using the king’s power to get results. The twin elven sisters Aelua Dragelarthd and Lyndis Dragelarthd were bored through the proceedings, eventually being kicked out by Bombo after complaining too much. They (allegedly) found their entertainment elsewhere, in the city’s dungeons. Finally, the bestial Lord Hrashni Wyldken was honorably allowed to watch the proceedings with the other lords, and was pleased with the king and company’s merciful dealings with the widowed Lady Issalea.

Rewards Granted

Loot:
8,050 gp each

Experience:
Bombo, Palmu [10]: 4,000 XP each = 0 (did not get confession from El Fuego) + 0 (did not seize control of the courtroom) + 1500 (impressed Camille with respect for justice) + 1500 (impressed Hrashni with display of mercy) + 0 (kicked Aelua and Lyndis out) + 1000 (found El Fuego guilty)