4:00 PM Moonday, 10th of Lamashtan, 4710

The University of Lepidstadt is a sprawling compound, built of the same grey stone as the courthouse.  But while the courthouse was built to be an impregnable bastion of justice, the university buildings were clearly designed to impress with their sophistication and accessibility.  Statuary and art adorned the walls and grounds of the campus, and the heavy, iron-shod doors of it's buildings often stood open during the day.  There were a few guards about the campus, usually positioned near the main entrances of the larger buildings, but they were less well-armed and less alert than those at the courthouse; clearly they were more concerned with petty theft and disorderly visitors than any real threat.

Neither Vrenna nor Felix are strangers to the University, though Felix is much more acquainted with their current destination:  The Department of Antiquities.

Despite the handful of craftsmen working to repair the damage, evidence of the break-in is obvious: the front doors to the department, made of inch-thick steel, are dented and bent.  The lock built into the doors is clearly broken, and a simple bar and padlock have been put in place as a temporary measure.  On the inside of the doorway, Vrenna spots a tiny bell hanging from a fine silver wire.

Just through the entranceway, Titus' path is easy to follow, as the groups notices a pair of craftsmen fitting a new wooden door into a now empty doorframe.  Beyond lies a large auditorium, appointed with fine oak panels and lined with books, tribal fetishes and other curiosities.  Any evidence of the Beast's passing here seems to have already been cleaned up, but it's path is easy to guess: The door leading into the workshop behind the auditorium is brand new and unpainted.

The high–ceilinged workshop/library within is lined with mostly empty shelves, and a trio of great leaded windows looks out over the university lawn. A staggering array of books, scrolls, maps, and curios, including shrunken heads, tribal masks, and bits of pottery, lie scattered all over the floor. The room is otherwise crowded with tables, desks, and cabinets, many of which are damaged or scuffed.

Looking over the chaos, a few things stand out the Vrenna's keen eyes:  First, that one corner of the room seems strangely untouched by all the chaos.  A pedestal crowded with small fetishes and delicate mother-of-pearl fish carvings stands undisturbed in the middle of the room, with a conspicuous vacancy in the middle.  The second thing she notices are the windows: they've clearly not been opened in many years, as evidenced by the steady build-up of grime around their edges.  However, the center window, while currently shut, has no such grime.

Sitting in once corner of the room is the man that the party has come to see: Professor Montagnie Crowl.  The squat, balding, middle aged human is focused on his work, inspecting and reorganizing the antiquities scattered throughout the room.  When he does finally notice Vrenna and Felix, he hops to his feet with a broad smile.

"Felix m'boy!"  He exclaimed, rushing forward to shake the tiefling's hand.  "I was wondering when you'd show up!  You never could resist a good mystery, could you?  How's Susurrat in Tenebris?  I hope that ornery old knife isn't giving you too much trouble.  And who's your friend?" Crowl extended a hand for Vrenna to shake, holding his arm almost straight up to make up for the height difference.  He seemed completely unfazed by Vrenna's unusual size and diabolic heritage.  She's honestly not sure if he even noticed.

Felix smiled as he saw Professor Crowl. "Susurrat in Tenebris is keeping quiet for the time being." he said before turning to Vrenna. "Professor Montagnie Crowl, may I present Lady Vrenna Charthagnion, esquire. Lady Vrenna Charthagnion, may I present Professor Montagnie Crowl, professor of antiquities." he said introducing the two.

  Likewise unfazed, and glad to see the shared sentiment, Vrenna gives the professor a broad smile and takes his hand.  "You certainly may," she replies to Felix, and a little bit of laughter gets stuck in her cheek when she turns back.

  "A pleasure to meet you, Professor.  I'm glad you and Felix are already familiar!  We've been retained to investigate the events surrounding the capture of the Beast, you see.  Quite strange behavior on its part, I'm told, and we wouldn't want any collaborators to escape justice."  She raises her eyes to the collection of fetishes and gives a little nod.  "Cataloguing what survived, I take it?  Do you mind if I have a look?"
This message was last edited by the player at 13:47, Wed 05 Jan 2022.

"Of course!"  Crowl exclaimed, before raising a finger.  "But look with your eyes, not with your hands.  The collection is in enough disarray without a new pair of hands moving things around." 

Vrenna was no antiquarian, but the scattered artifacts seemed like a fairly varied lot, mostly from Ustalav's own history:  Ancient Kellid and Varisian relics, some related the Whispering Tyrant and the Shining Crusade that brought the Tyrant down.  A few were magical, but nothing particularly powerful or dangerous.  The fish carvings on the untouched pedestal, Vrenna didn't recognize.  They seemed religious, in an unsavory sort of way.

"Ah yes, the Beast!  "Strange behavior" certainly sums up that whole encounter.  I fear that poor creature may be quite mad." He shook his head sadly.  "Truly a shame.  A sapient golem like that could hold the key to incredible advances in the field of magical artifice, if it wasn't criminally insane.  Then again, perhaps not: magical breakthroughs of that manner can be very difficult to reproduce!  The Beast's intelligence might simply be random happenstance, with no greater meaning or application to the art beyond it's own existence.  That is the main difference between magic and technology, of course: reproducibility!  Building a machine, even a complicated one like a clock or a windmill is simply a matter of placing the right pieces in the right order.  You don't even need to know how the whole thing works.  But every spell cast, every magic item created must be personalized to the caster, to the situation, to the position of the stars.  You can memorize the words and hand gestures down to the smallest detail, but if you don't understand the nature of a spell inside and out, you're just wasting your time.  Perhaps even if a skilled golem-crafter knew how the Beast was made and copied it exactly, he or she would simply wind up with your everyday flesh automaton.  Perhaps even the creator doesn't know!  That would certainly help explain why he or she only made the one intelligent golem.  Assuming he did only make the one, that is.  I suppose it's possible for there to be another Beast roaming around, which would certainly explain it's inconsistent reputation."

The professor paused, briefly confused by his own tangent.  "Where were we?  Oh yes, collaborators!  Does that mean you think the Beast wasn't acting alone?"
This message was last updated by the GM at 20:00, Thu 06 Jan 2022.

  "As you say, Professor, the Beast's reputation takes some strange turns.  And even if it is one-of-a-kind, that reputation would prove very convenient to the right kind of charlatan."  The woman shrugs.  That plus the deep breath moves a lot of mass at once.  Then she peels away to take a stroll around the room, looking over the ruined areas somewhat idly before stopping to look out the windows.  Her tail follows her path carefully, around so many delicate installations, and she keeps her hands clasped behind her back.

  "Can you describe your encounter with the Beast?  How did you first become aware of its presence?  And what did it do when it noticed you?"  Pitching her voice to carry doesn't seem to be a problem for Vrenna, and it doesn't mask the sound of motivated questions.  She's assembling something, but for now she just looks out the window, apparently collecting her thoughts.

"Did it move like a lost lamb or was it moving like it had a purpose? Was it focused on anything in particular?" Felix added.

"Lost, perhaps, but certainly not a lamb!"  The professor laughed.

"To start at the beginning: I was asleep in bed."  Crowl stood up, taking on a speaking pose.  He was a very energetic storyteller, punctuating his sentences with wide expansive gestures.  This was clearly a story he had told more than a few times since the incident.  "I have a cottage on campus, you see, which is close enough to keep a few alarm spells active on the antiquities building.  One of these alarms woke me up in the middle of the night, it sends a very distinct mental *ping*.  I threw on a robe, sent up some dancing lights over the building to call campus security, and headed over."

"Like I said, the alarm spell only tells you if someone or something walked through the area without the proper password.  Mice are too small to set it off, but it wouldn't be the first time a cat had gotten inside the building and set off the alarm, so I wasn't worried.  Plus, I came in through the back door, which was closer to my house.  If I'd seen what happened to the front door, well I'd certainly have waited for some help!"

"I heard some crashing coming from here in the workshop, and when I peeked my head around the corner, I saw the Beast, trashing the place in some kind of rage.  Flipping tables, knocking down shelves, just lashing out at everything around it.  I must have made a noise or something, because it spotted me almost immediately and started to come at me.  And went for my old standby when I think I'm in danger: A suggestion spell."

The professor threw his arms out in an expansive shrug.  "A pretty foolish move, I'll admit!  After all, even the rare intelligent constructs are immune to mind-affecting spells, and obviously golems are immune to all magic.  I was surprised and I panicked.  But somehow, it worked!  I told the Beast to give up and surrender, and it did!  I kept it there until the campus guards arrived, and after a bit of discussion, we wrapped a big chain around it and marched it over to the city jail."

"The Beast itself didn't have much to say.  It just said...Basically it said it had woken up in the building, and panicked because it didn't know where it was.  We couldn't get much else out of it."

  "A ping, you say?" asked the attorney, of a detail she had no use for.  But she settled on an approach before Crowl needed to give her any more time to think.  Vrenna turned swiftly and waved her own question away with a look of focus-elsewhere.

  "Ah, no.  Your expertise should be applied to the most important questions.  For instance, did you happen to see who made off with this totem?"  She glances at the empty stand but gestures at the rest of the room.  "It doesn't appear to be among the debris at all.  And was its significance different in any way from the rest?"
This message was last edited by the player at 21:22, Wed 12 Jan 2022.

Felix arched a eye towards the empty stand and then towards the rest of the room. "Hum, good catch." he said to Verenna, trying to remember what was missing.

19:05, Today: Felix Axcici rolled 15 using 1d20.  perception.

19:05, Today: Felix Axcici rolled 11 using 1d20+3.  What is missing??

"Hm?"  Crowl turned his attention to the intact display with the conspicuous absence.  "Yes, the artifact that used to sit there is the only specimen that I can say is definitely missing.  It's the strangest thing: While it was certainly the prize piece of that particular collection, I can't imagine why the Beast or anyone else would try to steal it."

"It was an ancient stone figurine known as the Seasage Effigy, tied to a prehistoric tradition of Ustlavian demon worship.  The item itself wasn't inherently magical in any way, but the figure it depicted was...strangely difficult to look at.  On a casual viewing, most people came away with nothing more than an impression of scales, tentacles, and looming danger.  My theory was that it was an extremely precise carving of some demon lord or great old one, made so accurately as to carry a small degree of it's subject's unspeakable presence."

Crowl let out a small chuckle.  "Needless to say, it would be an extremely difficult item to sell."  Slightly more somber, he added, "And an impossible one to replace."

OOC: Felix vaguely remembers the statue and it's strange effect.

  "You think we're seeing a different sort of motivation, then?" Vrenna immediately pressed.  Pay no mind to which crime is actually the topic.  "It sounds as though anyone motivated to take it would likely want it for that exact property.  Do you have good information on modern demon worship practices in the area?  Or maybe know someone who does?  And oh, while I'm thinking of it, does the University retain a forensic diviner?"

"Let me guess, it was not recovered when Titus was captured?"  Felix said. "Oh, and you might want to refer to the Beast as "Titus". He seems to be far more sentient than any golem that I have heard or read about."

Crowl nodded in response to Felix's question.  "No sign of it.  Perhaps it's hidden somewhere in the building, or perhaps that Titus crushed it to dust.  Or perhaps your mystery accomplice made off with it."

"As for the rest..." He added, addressing Vrenna.  "I certainly don't know anything about demon cults anywhere near Lepidstadt.  Vieland gets it's share of maniacs and cultists, just like everywhere else in Ustalav, but they're usually more of a necromantic bent.  Urgothua worshipers and the Whispering Way, that sort of thing."

"And as for your last question...I must admit, I myself don't know what a forensic diviner is.  So I would say the odds are good that we don't have one.  I'm no stranger to divination magic myself, if there's something I could do to help the investigation?"

  "The task seems more of spiritualist's sort, but perhaps," muses Vrenna.  She rubs the edge of one sleeve across the sill of the middle window, her skin being mostly the color of dust already, and holds it up relatively clean.  "Someone passed this way, and it's simply not large enough an opening for the Beast.  Possibly, it's just a student prank and unfortunate coincidence.  But I don't like uncertainty around a scene like this, and I would like to talk to someone who can either identify the last people to touch an object, or who can follow their tracks from here."

Felix thought a bit to see if there was someone that had the skills that Vrenna was looking for to figure out who accessed the window.

21:13, Today: Felix Axcici rolled 17 using 1d20.  K: Arcana.
I do not have K:Local but was thinking of the staff at the University that might fit the bill. +9 to the check for Arcana, +5 for Religion if that will work,

"Oh." Crowl responded with a combination of amusement and disdain.  "A spiritualist.  Well, we certainly don't have any of those on staff.  Only respectable scholars here, I'm afraid!  If you do track one down, I suppose you can bring him by to have a look."

Practitioners of occult magic were rare and frowned upon in Ustalav, but not unheard of.  Being likewise rare and frowned upon, Vrenna thought she knew where she could find one such individual: A mesmerist known as Rotte the Rat.  As the name might suggest, Rotte's reputation was less than spotless, but his talents seemed legitimate.

As for the idea of following tracks the old fashioned way, that might be a trickier matter.  The University saw a lot of visitors, and the lawns and paths of the campus saw many feet.  Tracking an unknown suspect from several days ago would likely be impossible.

  Vrenna responds with good humor about the disconnect, raising a hand to acknowledge the judgment coming her way and another to cover her tickled smile.  "Thank you, Professor.  If it were a less particular matter, I'd be asking proper scholars, I assure you.  Right now, however, I need leads for my team to follow up more than brilliant analysis that takes weeks of data collection to resolve.  I'll usher them through quickly!"

  With a short little hum of contentment, the bigger of the tieflings takes another quick look around from where she stands.  She nods toward the door they entered by, when she catches Felix's eyes along the way, then turns back to Crowl.  "And thank you again for meeting with us unexpectedly.  I think this has been a very productive interview, and I look forward to talking with you some time when I am not on-contract.  If you have any questions of your own, I'd be happy to answer them.  Otherwise, unless mister Axcici has something else he'd like to pursue here...?"

"Other than maybe a location for Rotte the Rat?" Felix asked. "I am not sure how far back he can see in the past, but I would gather that there is a limit. If we can figure out what happened to the figurine, we might be able to find the true culprit."

8:00 PM Moonday, 10th of Lamashtan, 4710

Finding Rotte the Rat proves trickier than anticipated.  For hour after hour, Vrenna and Felix ask around, following various seemingly reliable rumours and leads about where to find the infamous mesmerist.  After hours of searching, with the sun dipping below the horizon, their latest set of directions actually proves itself true: the pair find Rotte in an underground gambling den, tucked away in the basement of a seemingly nondescript eatery.

Inside, it's not hard to identify Rotte: halflings are a rarity in Lepidstadt, and this particular halfling's pointed face and bushy mustache makes the source of his nickname pretty clear.  He's deep into a game of cards with a handful of other shady characters, and judging by the distinct lack of chips on his side of the table, it doesn't seem to be going well for him.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:02, Fri 28 Jan 2022.

Felix looked over the few chips that were in front of Rotte. "Looking like Lady Luck is frowning on you there Rotte. Why not finish this hand and call it a day. There a chance to make some coin this evening so you can come back in a few hours for another go at it." he said.

Pulling out a gold coin, he tried to do a trick having the coin weave between the fingers, only to have it drop out of his hand. The misdirection helped as the coin plopped into Rotte's pocket.

21:28, Today: Felix Axcici rolled 9 using 1d20+7.  Slight of hand.
21:28, Today: Felix Axcici rolled 24 using 1d20+7.  Slight of hand.