The word around town is that Mayor Deveris himself is going to preside over the “Trial of the Beast” as people have started calling it. Speculation as to the identity of the Sugar Sack Bandits is running wild. I went to visit Crookjaw early and was startled when he saw right through my cousin Emmalina guise – well not saw, smelled. Sounds like most “little people” look the same to Crookjaw and he mostly tells us apart by scent. This is not good, I can’t have him blurting out anything about me while on the stand. I was considering alternatives – such as convincing Crookjaw to kill himself – when Vendriana breezed in with a ream of paper.
I’m not sure I like where this trial is heading. Vendriana didn’t mince words – she said that the only thing that could save Crookjaw was him naming his accomplices. I told her we were just talking about that – you see as it turns out the mayor was deep in debt to a local loan shark and as a result he had his aide Beauharnais set up this little scam robbing coaches – the actual perpetrators were members of the Graltontown guard of all things!
Despite this bombshell she seemed unimpressed. She said she needed to hear it from Crookjaw. I explained that he was a simple creature and I would speak on his behalf. She said that wasn’t going to fly. After several hours of our wrangling Crookjaw was so confused I don’t think he knew what the truth was anymore – if in fact he ever did. Maybe a quick hanging would be the best thing.
Frustrated, I left Vendriana to her lawyering, switched my disguise and hit the streets. I wasn’t able to find out anything about the woman with the greasy deadlocks, but the coachmen were easy to find – Lodestone Security they were called and they apparently had quite the reputation. After that I made some subtle inquiries about an alchemist since my connection with Eedraxis was no longer viable and was directed to an illicit apothecary shop located above a scribe’s collective in the respectable neighborhood. It cost me a few silver just to get in.
This woman is serious about security, a windowless reception room with 4 guards as well as another woman pointing a loaded crossbow at you while you conducted business. But I got my oil of taggit easily enough for all that. After that I paid a visit to the Diamond Lil, a local madam, to negotiate a room for a few hours.
Next I paid a visit to the Gridley household, it was easy enough to talk my way in the door and watchman Gridley’s lovely wife – Alethéia – is a real daisy, and so proud of her husband. She was clearly a little bored though, the Gridley house is rather small so there’s only so much cleaning you can do, which made it easy to talk her into a little walk. Diamond Lil’s establishment is fancy enough that a very naive housewife could believe it was a tea room from the outside. Alethéia was confused once we got inside but I was able to get her to the room I had rented and convinced her that a drink would do some good.
After the oil had knocked her out I gave her another dose to make sure she’d be out for a good long while and then returned to the Gridley household. It was a few hours before Mr. Gridley returned home, whistling a jaunty tune, and was quite surprised to see me sitting I his favorite chair enjoying one of his cigars.
I laid it out for him plain – Ramos Daval and Gremag had his wife and she would be killed at sundown unless he went to his sergeant – or whomever – and admitted that he was the ringleader of the Sugar Sack Bandits, acting on the orders of Beauharnais. He would name another watchman of his choice as his accomplice. I told him that Ramos and Gremag were not be trifled with and were responsible for the murder of Recurtio among many others. I was acting like I was barely keeping it together myself – trying to make it seem like I was also being coerced into delivering this message. I’m not sure it landed though.
This concern for his wife was quite touching and after his initial shock he agreed. I tried to impress upon him the importance of keeping his story very simple and not going into too much detail but he was barely listening. Once he was on his way I returned to my Emmalina guise and then to Vendriana at the jailhouse where she was still struggling to get a coherent statement from Crookjaw. I apologized for quarreling with her and resolved to help her in any way I could. Not an hour later we got the news that Teire Gridley had come forward and turn himself in, implicating a fellow guardsman and exposing a conspiracy that went all the way to the mayor’s office.
After this shocking news was revealed Vendriana gave me a cool look but said nothing. I don’t know what this woman’s problem is. I smiled sweetly and asked if this revelation would help our case.
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Funds: 629 gold , 5 silver
XP: 10,209
Inventory: Signet ring, Ring of Many Garments, noble’s traveling outfit, thieves’ tools, disguise kit (1 use), land deed, Bag of Tricks (rust), gold ring, Cap of Disguise, Secure Pocket, candlerod (9), oil of taggit
Revenge List: Duke Eaglevane, Piltis Swine, Rince Electrum,
watchman Gridley, White-Muzzle the worg, Percy Ringle the butler , Alice
Kinsey , “Patch”, Heroes of the Lost Sword, Claire Conrad, Erist priest
of Strider, Riselda owner of the Sage Mirror, Eedraxis, Skin-Taker tribe, Kartak, Królewna
& Bonifacja Trading Company, Hurmont Family, Androni Titus, Greasy
dreadlocks woman, Lodestone Security
Anti-Revenge List: Dorehe the maid
Rumors : Exiled noblewoman (Reoccurring), vigilante “Litheria”(Reoccurring), murderous Halfling (70%)
Graltontown Unrest – 8
The Errant Endeavors of Ela the Expert 