Cairn: The Gavel Falls

Today was Cairn. Let's doOOOOOoooo it! /flashheart

Our heroes have learned the truth about the murder of Ladd Ringtail - that Knuckles, at the behest of Moriarty Sprit, killed him. They've captured Knuckles, but Moriarty escaped after knocking Russelet Leatherwind out. 

The Knights head back into town and split up. Knowing that time is of the essence, they decide to try and find Moriarty as quickly as they can. But he's probably go to the Underground, and navigating that area is difficult without a guide.

Snootabur Shadowbough goes to visit Ladd's parents, and asks if they know anyone in the rat community that might help the Knights. Ladd's father, Alum, takes her to his cousin Merton Ringtail. Merton is shady, he says, but he was fond of Ladd. Snootabur asks Merton to help them go into the Underground and look for Moriarty, and he's initially unenthused ("oh, why don't you just twist off my tail, salt it, and serve it like jerky?!"), but does agree in the name of getting justice for Ladd. He does say that the instant his chances of getting stabbed go up he's out of there.

Ratatosk Longberry goes to the Root to talk to Ripark ("oh, you again") and asks for help with the Underground. Ripark considers, and says that he can't guide the characters through the Underground ("It would violate something I can't even explain to you"), but does agree to them get into the Underground through the entrance in the basement of the Root. It's one of the few fixed points in the Underground, he says.

Meanwhile, Russelet and Rumdiggle Sunsong talk to Knuckles, or at least try. Knuckles admits that he "brained" Ladd, and that the "boss" told him to do it, but he's not saying much else. As they leave, Russ hears Juffin Longbottom and Severin Prideheart (the Constable and the Captain of the Guard, respectively) talking about execution. 

The Knights meet up with Merton and head to the Root. He leads them through some twists and turns, and then stops them. "He's up ahead," whispers Merton. Russelet drinks an invisibility potion (courtesy of Ratatosk) and sneaks up. And indeed, Moriarty Sprit is in a big storeroom - weapons, clothes, spices, food, all kinds of stuff. He's packing a bag, quickly but deliberately, but then Russ loses his footing and slip into the room. Moriarty perks up, and then blows out his candle and vanishes.

Russ moves to the corner and grabs for a bow hanging on the wall (he didn't bring his because the potion wouldn't have concealed it). He loses track of Moriarty, however, and the wily weasel sneaks up and clunks him on the head, knocking him out. But the Knights hear this and rush in!

Ratatosk spots Moriarty and leaps on him, holding fast. Moriarty slashes at him with a sword, and then drops it and draws a dagger. Snootabur nocks an arrow, but Moriarty flings a knife and snaps the string on the bow. Ratatosk casts a spell and the roots in the ground curl up and hold Moriarty fast!

Rummy turns into a snake and strikes, trying to paralyze Moriarty with poison. It just seems to make him mad, however. He bites at Ratatosk, and Snoot bonks him with her staff, but then figures waking up Russ might be a better idea. She shakes him awake and he grabs one of her sleep arrows and shoots it into Moriarty's shoulder, but he still doesn't drop.

Rummy curls her snake-tail around his snoot to keep him from biting, Ratatosk cancels the spell, and Snootabur runs in to tie him up. They finally get him immobilized and tied to Snoot's staff, and haul him back to Cairn.

Later that night, the Lord Mayor Keeble Brownberry sends for the Knights, and they find themselves meeting with Keeble, Juffin, Severin, Whisper Greendawn (the priest of the local Lodge), and Asta Ringrunner (the town's alchemist). Keeble explains that while the law of Cairn means that punishment is at his discretion, he wants input from everyone here.

Juffin and Severin advise execution, but the Knights (and Whisper) are firmly opposed to capital punishment. As Rummy points out, it's something you can't come back from. Keeble notes that there's precedent - a Dire otter once sank a boat in the bay and killed a bunch of citizens and was then put to death - but that was a long time ago and he was, after all, Dire. Juffin notes that Moriarty not being Dire isn't exactly a point for mercy - if he's not Dire and he still did all this, why let him live?

Russelet recommends exile, and sending word to other communities not to give aid or comfort to these miscreants. Exile sounds better than execution, but, as Asta notes, doesn't that just drive them to associate only with those who flaunt the law? And doesn't that put other citizens at risk? 

The Knights consider, and then investigate a little more. They bring in Jiddie Littlebrook, the rat who acted as Moriarty's face in all this. Jiddie tells them what she knows: Moriarty had her solicit support for Moriarty's pick for Lord Mayor in the upcoming election (but doesn't know who exactly that pick is), in exchange for preferential treatment in housing. She knew nothing about Ladd until after he was already dead, and expresses sorrow and remorse at how things turned out. Russ asks her why she should be allowed to stay in Cairn; she explains she has nowhere else to go. She and her brother and sisters came to Cairn from the hamlet outside Crystal Rock after the Knights destroyed the strange magical crystal there, but only she survived the journey (and lost her tail in the process). 

Next, the Knights talk to Knuckles. In so doing, they realize that Knuckles is slow, and while he's big, strong, and violent, he's not necessarily dangerous by nature. He says, in fact, that he doesn't really like hurting people, it's just what he's good at. The Knights ask if he'd be willing to put his strength to use for the town, and he says he would.

They bring in Alum Ringtail and his wife, Bernit (Ladd's parents) and explain the situation to them, and ask what they think should happen to his killers. Alum says that if he'd been asked that yesterday, he'd probably have said "drown them both," but knowing their names, he's not quite so willing to say that. On the other hand, he doesn't think he can face his son's killer every day, but on the gripping hand, he isn't comfortable with anyone dying on his say-so. 

The Knights also send word to Ripark, feeling that the Underground should have a voice in this. Ripark sends a note back, in his customarily terse way, and says that there will be no complaint from the Underground no matter what happens to Moriarty. 

And, finally, they talk to Moriarty. He advises them to kill him - he refuses to take responsibility for anything, refuses to show remorse, and outright states that the first time the cell door is open he's going to disappear. 

The council reconvenes, and discusses all of the options. Jiddie is the easiest; she is sentenced to go to the Lodge and apprentice with Whisper Greendawn as a priest. Knuckles is going to remain incarcerated, but slowly be reintroduced to Cairn and given work, with an eye toward bringing him out of Discord and, eventually, sending him to Goblin Glen or the maybe the circus, somewhere he can be of use. 

Moriarty is to be incarcerated at the lighthouse, guarded at all times, and checked on by the Knights on a regular basis. If he ever shows true remorse and a desire to rehabilitate, that option is open, but as Whisper points out, she can't force anyone to accept the Bright Ones. Juffin disagrees - he feels that Moriarty is too dangerous to be allowed to live - but he accepts the decision of the majority.

Keeble thanks them all for their help, and tells them to go and get some rest. He has some very serious proclamations to write.