"Stay calm, everybody. Don't do anything hasty. Act in haste, repent at leisure," Brindle mutters just loudly enough for everyone to hear. He sounds distracted.

"I don't mean to oversimplify things," Leisha says, "Because truly, this is one of my favorite puzzles, at least as a matter of theory.  But it seems to me we have two relatively expedient solutions here.  First, we're not far from Sir Holomir, who shares Tesseryn's talent for reading people.  At least one of our Tesseryn's was going there anyway, and if the other would resist being looked over by a fellow Paladin, well, that's our false one, no?  Alternately... well," she actually blushes lightly, "It is cheating a bit, but Wrukaog's suggestion has a certain elegance, particularly in light of the fact that if we do just attack them both..."  She shrugs.

"Well.  Won't the Gods stop us from hurting the real one?  I do believe that was a key factor to this whole arrangement.  As solutions go, it's a bit... Gordian for my taste, but all the same.  They can't protect them both; that would simply be unfair, even for the Gods, to extend invulnerability to our enemies simply as a matter of resemblance.  But if a situation like this negates their protection, that's far too simple a loophole for several of us.  Much as I'm sure they'd rather we struggled with the real conundrum, I think they might have to give us this one.  And I've no doubt the real Tesseryn would be happy to put his life in Dauros's hands, as he does every day."

Tesseryn does not react to Wrukoag's empty threat.  He listens patiently to Brindle's admonition and Leisha's deliberation and decides that his intended course fits well with both. Sternly he addresses his double "I am not intimidated by your bigger sword and pompous words.  I am Tesseryn Brightsoul of the Warrior's Guild of Ardania, a sisterhood sworn to uphold justice in the name of Dauros.  Berkam Shem is a wicked servant of Set, and he is is my prisoner."  He gives the old rascal another shake to quell his mischievous rantings.  "He will be judged before Sir Holomir The Lion of Mitra, my ally.  Now stand aside and let justice take its course."  He shoulders past his double, pushing the bound old man ahead of him and holding his shortsword ready.

"We have no proof of Berkam Shem's guilt in anything, other than one Tesseryn's say so. 'Associating with Orcs' is not a crime in my book." He raises an eyebrow at Wrukaog. "So I'd be interested to hear what Holomir knows of him. And we still have not fully heard his side of the story." Aurion follows along with his wand of Colour Spray held ready to spray the three of them up ahead if it comes to blows.

"Sisterhood?!" Aurion exclaims, the words finally sinking in.

Brindle frowns as he continues to concentrate on his spell.

"Cogwitz ... you met Tesseryn first... Does that ... mean anything ... to you?" he asks.

Tesseryn grits his teeth, but manages to resist striking his other as he steps forwards, choosing instead to point out the certainty of the imposter's deception.

"That this deceiver declared the old man to be evil is undoubtedly naught but a ploy.. yet it does not mean that.. Berkam-Shem is it?  ..it does not mean that he is innocent. Once he admits his lies then I shall ask Dauros to reveal to me if any taint rests upon his hapless prisoner."

Like Aurion, the Paladin did not notice the imposter's slip, but now that the elf points it out he smiles, raising his eyes to his god above, pleased that the truth is out at last.

"Condemned by his own words!"

It seems that the matter of the imposter will shortly be resolved ...
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:28, Thu 30 Aug 2018.

The Halfling is still reeling in astonishment at Leisha's ability to rationalise tricky moral issues.

"I'll certainly be calling upon you to represent me next time I'm up before the ecclesiastical council!" he tells her, admiringly.

"Sisterhood," Cogwitz drags his mind back to the issue at hand.  "Aye, the Tesseryn I met did tell me that he was once a woman but reborn as a man.  There was the small matter of his ... her death, of course, but I think I took the news rather well, with a stiff drink to help it down.  I assumed it was told to me in confidence ... but given the circumstances ..."

The badly-done-to wizard's eyes narrow as his gaze wanders back and forth between the two Tesseryns.

"Oh come on !" The second Tesseryn raises his hands plaintively as the wizard stares at him.  "You can't blame me for this !  How was I suppposed to get out of that one ?"

With a sigh he looks the the one and only original Tesseryn, and then the air shimmers as he turns back into a goat.

"I surr-ehehender too !" the goat announces sadly.

Brindle happily points at the Tesseryn with the shortsword.

"That's the real Tesseryn," he confirms. "The other one was only kidding!"

The he moves up to Berkam-Shem.

"Since you are now our prisoner I am sorry but we are going to have to take those magical bracers off you until we have seen Sir Holomir. I'm not sure what they do but we can't take the chance that they may pose a threat somehow."

If necessary Brindle will ask Wrukaog and Leisha to help remove them from the old man.

OOC: seeking clarification ... did Brindle make it past the goat to join Tesseryn in the next cave?

Leisha sighs a little.  "I was honestly looking forward to testing my hypothesis," she admits.  "But I suppose this works too.  For the record, since you ask," she adds, producing a silken rope and looping it around the goat's neck in acceptance of its surrender, "Mister... I'm sorry, I don't think we have your actual name yet?  But given that you were impersonating a Paladin, it's unlikely he'd have lied, especially about his own order, even in hopes of tripping you up.  As improbable as the Sisterhood might have sounded, if I'd been in your position, I'd have run with it."

"Something on the order of," she furrows her eyebrows to a serious expression and deepens her voice in a pale imitation of Tesseryn, "`Yes, sisterhood, though how this miscreant knew of it I can only attribute to the same nefarious magics that allowed it to steal my form'," she proposes.  Relaxing her face and voice, she smiles.  "So I think you may be somewhat culpable for your failure, though in fairness, you did have to decide rather quickly."

"On the whole, though, it really was an admirable imitation," she adds, politely.

I assume so. That was my intention.

Hidden from view around the corner, none can hear Tesseryn's brief but fervent averment of thanks to Dauros and Cogwitz, nor see whether or not he actually rolled his eyes at Brindle's quip.

Then Brindle arrives to disarm the prisoner and Leisha to captivate the goat.  Tesseryn waits impatiently, in no mood for further delays, yet seeing the wisdom of their caution.  He restrains Berkam Shem while Brindle searches him, and offers Leisha a warning "Beware the goat, it is a creature of unbridled evil."

In due course, The Real Tesseryn presses on through the dark passages towards Sir Holomir's room, man-handling the bound old man ahead of him.

"Hey, he's the bra-a-a-ins of the opera-a-ation," the goat inclines his head towards Berkam-Shem who's shoulders slump in resignation as Brindle arrives to relieve him of his leather wrist bracers. 

"Don't know that much about pa-a-a-la-a-a-dins," the goat admits as Leisha places the rope about its neck, "or huma-a-ans.  Or your kind."

"I do know there's power in na-a-a-ames, though," he stonewalls, smugly.

With the truth revealed and Berkam-Shem relieved of his wristbands by a thoughtful Brindle, Tesseryn thanks Dauros and drags the old man onwards, the rest of you trailing behind him, Leisha deep in conversation with the surprisingly talkative and allegedly evil goat.

The cave gives out to the chamber where Sir Holmir still stands at his post, the Lion of Mitra fullfilling his sacred duty.

Neither he nor Berkam-Shem seem pleased to see each other.  The former glares with suspicion at the old man who in turn seems most uncomfortable, the plain stone chamber obviously a place he's never trod before, though he meets the Paladin's gaze if reluctantly, not so much with bravado as being too frightened to look away.

"Who is this you bring before me ?" Sir Holmir asks in his loud and judgmental way, his gaze taking in the old man's bonds and naturally assuming the worst of him, as he assumes the best of Tesseryn. 

OOC: Map of the proceedings updated ...

"Sir Holomir, this is Berkam Shem."  Tesseryn waits a moment to see whether The Lion of Mitra recognises the name before taking a deep breath and continuing.  "We apprehended him leaving the chamber of Samalgidaceon, a mad giant with questionable dress-sense, in the company of eight orcs.  The orcs said they were in the service of Haffrung Helleyes but they were assigned to this 'wizard'.  All of them have denied being followers of Set, however I have my doubts and have come straight here to seek your councel."

"... and his goat here magically transformed into a duplicate of Tesseryn and tried to convince us it was the real paladin and our Tesseryn was an imposter. If the goat is his familiar then that's hardly the sort of tactic that would convince you this wizard is an upstanding and law-abiding citizen, is it?" Brindle adds enthusiastically.

"Do pronounce your judgement quickly please, dear Lion." Aurion glances around the austere chamber. "As soon as you're done, I'll be off to spend the night in Oomphy's comfy parlour."

The goat's words cause Tesseryn to glance sharply towards Leisha.  His enemies continue to cast aspersions on this good lady's nature.  Dismissing the thought, he frowns darkly at the goat.  "Keep a civil tongue, treacherous beast, or we'll muzzle you."

The Lion of Mitra is indeed pleased to see Tesseryn once more, and maybe even the rest of you and while he trusts the Paladin's judgment, is only too happy to pronounce the guilt of Berkam-Shem himself.

"I have heard of this wizard and can indeed tell you that whether his allegiance lies with Set or some equally dark power, he is a ruthless, evil ..."

"Oh blessed heavens, I'm out of here !" the evil goat declares.

The noose about his neck drops to the ground as he vanishes.

"Come back and face justice !" Sir Holomir demands as the goat vanishes.

Berkam-Shem doesn't seem particularly happy that he's been left to face the music alone.

"Soldiers of the Light !" the Lion of Mitra calls out.

From the corridor behind him a troop of armoured gnomes emerge, perhaps two dozen or so.

"Take this evil wizard into custody," Sir Holomir instructs them.  "And search for ... his goat.  The creature has disappeared !  It must be found !"