The Company Advocate Holly tries the party. Trying to turn the party's board allies Anya, Mia, Zoe, and Yorvick against them, Holly presents them as crazy murderers, and tries to sour Anya and Zoe on Virgil by turning Virgil's women against each other. Colfax reveals that Lilly ordered Mia Whitman's murder, and that Lilly and Holly are fairy infiltrators. Lilly threatens to kill Mia, Zoe, and Yorvick's real human children, but Kiltak kills her.
At the end of the last game, the players said they would face their trial next, then head to the Hargraves mine on Hilde for Ishild's Greencake. We turned to the trial.
The players had discussed the trial before the game, between themselves by e-mail. Fayne had also made a nice trial cheat sheet by giving all the previous game writeups to Gemini, here.
I asked who the party would call as their defense witnesses. Before the game, Dan suggested Aurora could testify, and have a "bunch of fae in the wings to swarm the courtroom" if the trial went south. Now Dan also suggested Anya, who was in love with Virgil after he gave her love-in-idleness. He also suggested that Chambers the Apothecary could speak to Virgil's good character, since Virgil had given him 500 gold pieces to start an orphanage. He also suggested Gregor the Naturalist, since Gregor could speak to the existence of fairies.
Dan also mentioned Vincent the sommelier, but Christian suggested Vincent might not actually be an ally, and they decided not to ask him.
The party had been disguised for some of their questionable deeds - breaking into Hobnail Prison and killing Garth and Lavinia at the Mooncalf - and now they also wanted to create some alibi showing they were out of town during those events. They decided to forge a trip charter that showed them sailing those days, using Elgis's forgery kit.
They went to the Advocate's Court, next to the Great Council Square.
The Advocate's Court
The surviving board members were there, seated behind the judges' bench:
The players confirmed with me that Lilly and Holly were fairies and the others were not, as far as the party knew. The Great Council's parliamentarian Brooks was also there. Although the Board members would judge the trial, Brooks would manage the proceedings.
The spectator gallery was also pretty full, including:
And at the party's invitation, Aurora, Chambers, and Gregor were also there.
Holly would lead the prosecution. Haden had +9 Persuasion, and we decided he would lead the party's in-game defense. I asked if Christian would also lead the players' out-of-game discussion and he agreed.
I said Holly would call all of the prosecution witnesses first. For each, Holly would conduct a direct examination of the witness, Haden could cross-examine them, and Holly could conduct a redirect examination. Haden would then call all of the defense witnesses. Similarly, Haden would conduct the direct examination, then Holly could cross-examine, and then Haden could conduct a redirect examination.
They discussed whether Haden should cast Detect Fey and out all of the fairies present immediately - Lilly, Holly, Aurelian, and Aurora - but he held off. They also discussed whether they would have their weapons, and I said that since they'd come to the trial freely, they'd still have them. They discussed whether Elgis and Kiltak would bring their fairy-slaying meteoric iron weapons, and they said yes.
Holly called Anya as her first witness.
Would the witness please introduce herself?
I'm Anya, the Keeper of the Lion's Mouth.
Anya, do you see Elgis Lankshire in the courtroom today?
"Yes." Anya points to Elgis.
Did Elgis Lankshire aid the escape of a prisoner held under Council authority, Gwen Allenbrand?
Yes.
Was this a direct betrayal of the state, but also of Elgis's father Garth Lankshire?
Yes.
Where is Garth now?
I don't know.
Where do you think Garth is now?
I think Garth is dead.
Holly gives Elgis a damning look and says "Thank you Anya."
The players briefly discussed their response. Dan said that since Anya was in love with Virgil from the love-in-idleness, they didn't need to convince her, and questioning her would be a presentation for everyone else in the room.
Haden cross-examined her. He asked what her position was, and she reiterated that she was the Keeper of the Lion's Mouth. Haden asked, where did the evidence incriminating Elgis come from? Anya said that some leads came from the Lion's Mouth, and more information came from Garth's (Elgis's father's) trial.
Virgil gave Anya "lovely googley eyes" and said, "What you're saying is that there's more to this than may be presented in the trial?" Fanning herself, Anya said that the trial against Virgil was a false trial, that she didn't know or think that Elgis killed Garth, that she thought the entire party was innocent.
Haden said, "Anyone in this room could have had something to do with Garth’s disappearance, but you insinuated Elgis did." Anya replied, "I didn't insinuate that, Holly insinuated that with her line of questioning."
Holly called Mia Whitman to the stand.
Would the witness please introduce herself?
I'm Mia Whitman, head of Whitman House.
Do you see Kiltak Bloodbane in the courtroom today?
"Yes, there." Mia points to Kiltak.
Mrs. Whitman, did Kiltak and his party rescue your child and return her to you?
Yes, my daughter Luna.
Were you grateful?
Yes, extremely grateful.
When Kiltak returned Luna, did he tell you that Luna wasn't human? Did he ask you to care for Luna while he went out and found your "real" child?
Mia hesitates, but the parliamentarian Brooks directs her to answer. "Yes."
Did that upset you?
Yes.
What did you think when he said that?
There's a long silence, but Mia says "I thought he was dangerously insane."
Your witness.
Mike immediately said, "She's not wrong, Kiltak is kind of unhinged."
They asked the court to bring Luna Whitman in, and the trial paused for half an hour while Luna was brought to the court.
Haden held off casting Detect Fey though, and instead asked Mia, "Is it true you think Kiltak is a bit insane?" Mia hesitantly said "the idea that fairies are around is...pretty crazy." Haden asked though if she could confirm that Kiltak brought her baby back, and she said "Absolutely." Haden asked, "Are there other members of the court that we’ve also rescued?" and Mia said yes, Flora Shaw and Violet Volstead.
Holly did her re-direct, asking Mia, "You said that the idea that fairies are around is 'pretty crazy'?" Mia said, "Yes."
The players discussed how Mia, Zoe, and Yorvick - all votes they needed - would react if they actually proved their children were fairies. They also discussed whether Aurora could "wrangle" Lilly and Holly, and Dan said Aurora would be their last wild card.
Holly called Christopher Cotton to the witness stand.
Would the witness please introduce himself?
I'm Christopher Cotton, head of Cotton House.
Do you see Elgis Lankshire and Kiltak Bloodbane in the courtroom today?
"Yes." Christopher points Elgis and Kiltak out.
Did Elgis and Kiltak Bloodbane rescue you from harpies two weeks ago?
Yes.
You must have been very grateful.
Absolutely, I am extremely grateful.
Who is Kazola?
Kazola is Cotton House's smith.
Did Kazola have business with Kiltak Bloodbane and Elgis Lankshire?
Two weeks ago Kazola accepted a job upgrading Kiltak and Elgis's weapons with cold-forged meteoric iron.
Where is Kazola now?
We don't know. No one in Cotton House has seen Kozola since she worked on Elgis and Kiltak's weapons.
Your witness.
The players were surprised to hear that Kazola was missing and (correctly) said among themselves that this was a new development, and that it was hearsay to suggest the party took Kazola. Haden objected, "Are we going to bring up every missing person?" and Kiltak objected, "We would rather rely on evidence than hearsay."
Haden cross-examined Christopher. He asked Christopher if he saw the meteoric iron weapons in the courtroom, and Christopher said yes. Did Christopher see those same weapons in the harpy eyrie when the party rescued him? Yes. "Can you see any reason why this person’s disappearance would have anything to do with us using these weapons." "No."
Elgis asked Christopher, a few different ways, was there any reason why the party would have a grudge against Kazola, particularly since she had delivered for them? Christopher said no - he wasn't himself asserting or implying that the party took Kazola.
Holly called Merrick to testify.
Would the witness please introduce himself?
I'm Merrick, the sexton who maintains the Penance Chapel in Dunham.
Do you see Kiltak Bloodbane in the courtroom today?
"Yes." He points to Kiltak.
Two weeks ago Kiltak, Elgis Lankshire, and Hamza Rashid visited the Penance Chapel. What happened that day?
Elgis, Kiltak, and Hamza came to the chapel to investigate the theft of the Penance Stone. While they were investigating, three women attacked them.
Who won the fight?
Elgis, Hamza, and Kiltak won.
What happened to the three women?
Merrick seems hesitant - Brooks directs him to answer the question. "One died and two survived."
One died or two?
Again Merrick seems hesitant. "One died in the fight, but Kiltak killed another after the fight."
Kiltak killed a captive? In cold blood?
Merrick again seems hesitant, but Brooks tells him again to answer, and Merrick just says "Yes."
The Penance Chapel is a place of contemplation, silent confession, and repentance. Was it disturbing to see someone killed in cold blood in a place of repentance?
Yes.
Thank you.
Haden cross-examined Merrick. Who first attacked at the chapel? The three women. Why did they attack? To stop the party from recovering the Penance Stone. So the party brought violence to the chapel to protect themselves? Merrick said, in the initial fight that was true.
Kiltak said, "That bitch had it coming."
Elgis and Haden argued regarding Kiltak killing the captive, wouldn't you feel safer with your attacker gone? Merrick agreed he would feel safer.
Mike said, "I want to rage,"" and Kiltak reiterated, "That bitch had it coming! She had it coming!"
Haden asked, "Where is the stone today?" Merrick said, "At the Penance Chapel." Haden asked, "Is the stone safe because of Kiltak's actions?" Merrick said yes.
Holly called Vincent.
Would the witness please introduce himself?
I'm Vincent, the sommelier and head waiter at the Mooncalf.
Can you see Barnaby Vere in the courtroom today?
"Yes." He points to Barnaby.
Did Barnaby visit the Mooncalf a few days ago with four others, and attack and kill Garth Lankshire, Lavinia, Parja, and Helmholtz in the Mooncalf bar?
"Yes." Alarm goes through the courtroom.
Did Barnaby afterwards offer you 100 gold pieces to let him burn down the Mooncalf?
Yes.
Thank you.
The party aggressively questioned Vincent about his own behavior that day, and whether he was complicit. They asked why he didn't report the crime, and he said because Mooncalf patrons who'd fled at the beginning of the fight reported it, and that he never talked to the guard about it.
They asked if he was complicit in getting rid of the bodies, but Vincent said he simply took them to the morgue. They accused him of a coverup, and asked if he was coordinating this coverup with Holly, but Vincent said there was no coverup - dead bodies need to be taken to the morgue.
Elgis asked if it was not true that Barnaby didn't start the fight, that he was only defending himself. Vincent said that Barnaby didn't start the fight, but his group did, and then he joined in. They asked how Vincent knew that Barnaby's group started the fight, and Vincent said that two of them were shouting "Fight the fairies" as they attacked Garth with stools.
They questioned Vincent on if he knew Barnaby was connected to the attackers, and Vincent said Barnaby didn't run out like the other Mooncalf patrons, he joined in the fight. They asked if Barnaby tried to stop anyone from getting hurt, and Vincent said yes - he healed the attackers.
They asked Vincent what he did with the gold that Barnaby had given him that night, and he said he still had it.
Haden suggested that Vincent's testimony conflicted with Anya's testimony that she didn't know that Garth was dead. Vincent said though that his testimony superseded Anya's, since he actually saw Garth die.
The players suggested that Elgis fake a tear at the mention of Garth's death, but Elgis had only -1 Performance and didn't attempt it.
Holly called Zoe Shaw to testify.
Would the witness please introduce herself?
I'm Zoe Shaw, the head of Shaw House.
Miss Shaw, can you see Virgil in the courtroom today?
"Yes." Zoe points to Virgil.
Miss Shaw, did Virgil and his party rescue your child and return her to you?
Yes, my daughter Flora.
Were you grateful?
Yes, absolutely.
Did you give Virgil an extra long hug and invite him to dinner?
Yes.
Are you a single mother, Miss Shaw?
Zoe hesitates, but says "Yes."
Did you invite Virgil just because you were grateful?
Zoe again hesitates, then says coldly, "I suppose not."
And did Virgil come for dinner?
Zoe doesn't answer.
Virgil snubbed your amorous offer, didn't he?
Zoe doesn't answer, but she seems pretty pissed.
Your witness.
Virgil apologized for missing Zoe's dinner, but explained that they were on the way then to stop the Fey Extinction Event, and he would be happy to have dinner with her.
Haden asked Brooks if the party was on trial for Virgil's love life, but Brooks clinically replied that there was no one thing they were on trial for - the trial would simply determine if they could get two innocent votes from the Board.
Elgis and Kiltak rolled Insight on Zoe to see if she was satisfied with Virgil's apology. She was, and they dismissed her from the stand.
Holly called Miss Miller to the stand.
Would the witness please introduce herself?
I'm Maggie Miller. I own the Mooncalf hostel.
Miss Miller, can you see Virgil in the courtroom today?
"Yes, there." Miss Miller points to Virgil.
Did Virgil visit your Thursday night salon ten days ago, and there promise to buy you a drink at the Black Cabaret?
Uhh, yes.
Kiltak objected that the questions were irrelevant - everyone knew that Virgil was a man whore. Is it a crime to be well-loved, or a slut? However, Brooks said he was interested in where this was going, he would allow the questions.
I believe he actually promised you a cosmopolitan.
Uhh, that's right.
Has Virgil in fact bought you a drink?
Well no, but the Black Cabaret hasn't performed since then.
Since then though, Virgil has bought a drink for Anya, the Keeper of the Lion's Mouth. Does that surprise you?
Miss Miller doesn't answer, but involuntarily shoots Anya a dark look.
Holly follows Miss Miller's look over to Anya. Holly says a little quieter, "Miss Miller, would it surprise you to know that the drink was a cosmopolitan?"
Miss Miller stiffens her spine and sits up straight, composing herself, but again, says nothing.
Miss Miller, I guess you won't be surprised that sometimes...a cosmopolitan isn't just a cosmopolitan.
Miss Miller loses it. She bolts up in the witness dock and points at Anya and screams, "Virgil is mine, you mother fucking whore! I'll kill you, I will fucking kill you!" The parliamentarian Brooks bangs his gavel and shouts over her, ordering her to sit down. She does sit down, and starts to weep openly.
Holly puts her hand on Miss Miller's shoulder reassuringly, and says quietly, "Miss Miller...Maggie if I may. What is your favorite drink?"
Miss Miller says through her sobs, just barely audible, "A cosmopolitan."
Holly gives Virgil a hard damning stare and says quietly, "Thank you Miss Miller, that's all."
The players observed that Miss Miller didn't have a vote in the trial. Virgil said (my notes):
Miss Miller, is it a crime to be friends and follow your heart? If my heart leads me to someone else, should I be imprisoned? It’s not that I don’t care for you, but I also need the integrity to share something so intimate. If I don’t do it freely, it’s meaningless.
Through her tears, Miss Miller said it wasn't a crime. Virgil apologized again and they dismissed her from the stand.
Holly called "Aurelian Smith" to the witness stand.
Will the witness please identify himself?
I'm Aurelien Smith. I live in the forest.
Do you see Haden Greymark and Virgil in the courtroom today?
"Yes." He points to Haden and Virgil.
Did Haden Greymark give Virgil love-in-idleness to roofy your wife Aurora?
Yes.
And did Virgil have relations with your wife?
Aurelian looks at the ground, humiliated, but quietly says "Yes…twice."
And in exchange, did Haden promise you Aurora's friend Petunia?
Yes.
Did you then have relations with Petunia?
Indignant, Aurelian says, "Of course I didn't."
You say "of course you didn't." Why?
Aurelian continues to look at the ground, and then says angrily, "Petunia is 104 years old. It's indecent."
Your witness.
Haden questioned Aurelian, asking him to elaborate on what love-in-idleness was. Aurelian said that it was a powerful aphrodisiac. Where did Virgil get love-in-idleness? Aurelien said, from you, Haden. Where did I get it? From Chambers.
Holly had called all of her prosecution witnesses. Haden called Chambers the Apothecary as his first defense witness.
Haden asked Chambers what his profession was, and Chambers said that he was an apothecary in Braddock. Haden asked if love-in-idleness was a real thing, and who would know about it. Chambers said that love-in-idleness was real, that he was himself probably the foremost expert on it, and that it was well-known in Hollin that he would pay for the love-in-idleness plant.
Haden asked Chambers if he'd ever sold any love-in-idleness potion and Chambers said yes. Haden asked if Chambers had sold the potion to the party, and Chambers said no, he'd sold it to Aurelien.
Virgil asked Chambers if he oversaw an orphanage, and Chambers clarified that he didn't oversee an orphanage, but was in connection with Helga, who ran the orphanage near Foundling Gate. Virgil asked if he'd received a recent donation to start an orphanage, and Chambers said yes, he'd received an anonymous donation of 500 gold pieces that was actually from Virgil. Virgil asserted that this showed the trial was about a grudge, that his heart was "open to anything," that he was morally pure, and that his donation was for the "greater social good." Chambers agreed that the donation supported those assertions.
Holly didn't cross-examine Chambers.
Haden called Manfred Unger to the stand.
While Manfred was captive in the Phyla House Moonwell, his hair had grown long and unkempt, and he had grown a long beard, Everyone now saw that he'd replaced his rags with dapper new clothing, but still hadn't cut his hair or shaved his beard. The party also noticed that several other people in the courtroom looked a little scraggly, and Fayne said that something was going on with barbers in Hollin.
Haden asked what Manfred's profession was, and Manfred said he was a mathematician, specializing in astronomical clocks and new foundations for mathematics. Haden asked how Manfred knew the party, and Manfred said the party had released him from seventeen years of imprisonment in the Moonwell, a vampire colony under the Phyla House manor. Murmurs and some incredulous laughter went through the room.
Holly cross-examined Manfred. She asked if he had written the book Astronomical Clocks and the End Time, and Manfred said yes. Holly asked if designing state-of-the-art astronomical clocks required assuming the universe would end, and Manfred said yes. She asked what assumed end time produced the best astronomical clock, and Manfred said the year 3939. Holly clarified, "3939? The universe will end 14 years from today?" Manfred clarified, "13 and 1/2 years from today."
Kiltak objected that the questions were irrelevant, and Holly said her questions showed that Manfred was not a reliable witness, but actually an apocalyptic crackpot.
Haden asked Manfred if he remembered telling the party that the next solar eclipse was three years away, and Manfred said yes. Haden asked whether he'd calculated that with an astronomical clock or in his head. Manfred said in his head - astronomical clocks were needed to predict eclipses with precision, he could approximate the times himself.
Haden asked if Manfred had heard of harpy nests, but Manfred said no.
Barnaby had taken Lolani Phyla's Moonshadow Cloak from the Moonwell, and Haden had taken Lolani's Ring of Fear. Haden showed Manfred the Ring of Fear and asked if he recognized it; Manfred said it looked like Lolani's ring, or similar.
The players discussed questioning Holly. Dan suggested challenging her lifestyle as she had challenged Virgil's, and asserting that Holly called the trial because Virgil had jilted her. Without judging the strategy, I clarified that nothing in the campaign actually suggested that Holly wanted Virgil. Dan said that didn't matter, much of the trial was hearsay and the suggestion itself would be valuable. Fayne supported Dan's idea, Christian was hesitant, and Mike didn't vote either way.
They did call Holly to the stand. They asked her to identify herself, and she said, "I'm Holly. I'm the Board Advocate."
Virgil asking why she had initiated the trial. Holly said she'd called the trial for the reasons the prosecution witnesses had given. She briefly revisited those reasons and made a point of calling Virgil "Virgil the Venerial."
Virgil said (my notes):
This trial seems to be an attack on my morality. I’m as human as anybody else here, I would like to suggest that in fact, a week ago, you tried to initiate a tryst with me. And I, with my heart, given to another, it is just a woman scorned. This trial is more about morality. A jilted woman.
Holly said she never suggested a tryst with Virgil. Virgil said that of course she wouldn't admit it, and it was his word against hers. Holly agreed, but said "my testimony however, is that no such thing happened." Virgil replied:
Clearly this trial seems to have become focused on my morality, and my romantic interludes. None of that is illegal, none of that should be taken into consideration. The only rational explanation, in spite of denial, is that you are a rejected lover.
Holly said bringing Virgil's trists into the courtroom would show Anya and Zoe - who would both vote - that Virgil wasn't the man they were in love with.
Kiltak reiterated that Virgil hadn't broken any law. Holly candidly replied that this wasn't that kind of trial - convicting the party didn't actually require that any law had been broken. It only required that the party not get two innocent votes.
Trying to turn the spotlight on Holly herself, Virgil suggested that Holly wasn't married because she was attracted to women. Would that be considered immoral in Hollin? Holly said no, she saw women being physical together all the time, on Friday nights at the Mooncalf. Virgil quickly replied, "Can I ask what time that is?"
The players discussed what else they might have against Holly, and brought up the secret police communiques they'd found in Hobnail Prison. They asked Holly what her relationship to Lilly was, and Holly said, "Lilly is the Board chair, I report up to Lilly." They asked Holly if, outside of this trial, she was aware of any conspiracies against the Company board. Holly said yes, the secret police chief Durer had conspired with the secret police assassin chief Lavina to "Purge the entire Board except Mia, Luther, Zoe, Yorvick, Leona, Anya."
Fayne remembered that Lavinia had a kill order that conflicted with that one, and they asked Holly if she was aware of any other conspiracies against the Board. However, Holly said no.
Brooks offered to let Lilly cross-examine Holly, but she declined.
We discussed how the party had left all the secret police communiques in Hobnail Prison where they found them, so the new secret police chief Colfax would have found them. They called Colfax to the stand.
They asked Colfax if he knew the kill order Holly had described, and he said yes. They asked if there were any other kill orders, and he said yes: Lilly had ordered Lavinia to kill Mia Whitman, her husband Luther, Garth, and the entire party. Alarm went through the courtroom.
Elgis asked, "Is it reasonable to say that Lilly ordered Holly to pursue us in a trial because her order to Lavinia to kill us failed?" Colfax said, "That's exactly how I see it." And then Colfax actually volunteered: "And further, Lilly ordered the killings and Holly called this trial because they are fairies who have infiltrated the Board. By telling Mia that Luna was a fairy, Kiltak pulled a thread that threatened to unravel their entire conspiracy."
Alarmed cries from the gallery drowned out the proceedings. Haden now cast Detect Fey, and Lilly, Holly, Aurora, and Aurelian all showed blue. Luna Whitman also showed blue, and Kiltak told Mia, "I told you."
Brooks gavelled down the spectators, quieting them.
Holly didn't cross-examine Colfax, but called Lilly to the stand. Lilly identified herself, saying "I'm Lilly, the Company's Director and Board Chair."
The tension in the room was at 11, but Holly calmly asked: "Lilly, are you a fairy?"
Lilly was quiet for a few seconds, and the silence in the courtroom was deafening. Then Lilly said, clinically: "I am a fairy. Further, I have Mia, Zoe, and Yorvick's real human children, and I will kill them unless those three vote guilty today."
Panic spread throughout the room. Virgil immediately asked Aurora to Persuade Lilly and Holly to stand down, and she agreed. I said that since Lilly and Holly would be hellbent on maintaining their infiltration of the Company, and they weren't raised in the mushroom ring, Aurora would need a 20. With Help from Haden (and I think Guidance), she rolled an 18. We let Virgil give Aurora his Inspiration point and she rolled again, this time rolling a 20 on the die, and Lilly and Holly stood down.
However, Kiltak still killed Lilly, decapitating her. We said that Mia, Zoe, and Yorvick would take Holly, and get their children from her.
We had a little time left and I asked the players if they wanted to start the Greencake thread. They said yes, but they wanted to know a little more about Greencake first, and they asked who would know about it.
I said that Zoe Shaw had already told them everything she knew. I said that the city state of Blackwells historically controlled most of the world's Greencake, so someone in Blackwells could be a good source. Zoe had specifically recommended Captain Burns for their Greencake heist, saying "he loves this kind of stuff," but I forgot to suggest him. I also forgot to mention that Kasskar was generally a good go-to for weird stuff in Hollin.
I did suggest Ishild though, saying he was the one who actually needed the Greencake. They didn't want to physically meet Ishild yet, but they went to the outside of Gramercy Books and Elgis Message'd him. Elgis asked, "We’re going to seek the Greencake you asked Haden for, it needs to be double refined. How do you refine Greencake?"
Ishild didn't know, so Elgis just asked, "What is Greencake?" Ishild said:
Mike had repeatedly said that he wanted to fight a dragon in Dungeons & Dragons, and the players joked that Ishild might want the Greencake to summon a dragon.
