(I want to take this in a certain direction, so the bold play is going to fail... If Jack gives you a little advance warning before he acts, then normally you'd be able to help. This time, he was a little too spontaneous.)

Clew-Sea is not deceived by Jack. Before the spell finishes, Jack is interrupted. "That is no healing spell... Were you going to mind control my men? Bind them! And remove their weapons."

As the guards are grabbing your group, a black crow flies onto Clew-Sea's shoulder. He tries to brush it off, but it is persistent. He then notices a note tied to its leg. He pulls it off, reads it, stands there staring off into space for 10 seconds.

He stuffs the note into his jacket, and spends another 10 seconds looking over your group. "I'll let you off with a warning, for now. Don't cause anymore trouble around here."

The guards release your group. Clew-Sea directs the guards back to the shop, to look for clues about where to find the other criminals. They are taking Warton's body with them. (To Trimyrai: "You can get it back after we find the other two.")

(well crap, lol)

Trimyrai: (to Clew-Sea[In Infernal]) "You best hope we don't meet again 'officer', for if we do... It will most certainly be unpleasant for you." Trimyrai does not resist when they take the body, but he does give a glare.

Reverie glares at Clew-Sea until he vanishes into the shop with his guards. She could see a hint that he got a bribe from a church of the Bane, but there is nothing she could do to accuse him as an injustice officer. And she couldn't say anything, which makes her even more upset, but she had to resist and control her anger. Gripping her berserker scimitar's handle, she sighs deeply before walking towards the side of Trimyray and patting his shoulder twice. "I am sorry, Trimyrai, but... We have avoided the worst situation. What we can do is researching about this influence of Bane's church in this area. Maybe that would give us more clues about your villagers," she mutters, patting his shoulder twice again. "Though, I wonder what message has changed this officer's mind and where did it come from."

Reverie then turns around to face Jack. "Such a bold move you've done, Jack, and your performance was wonderful." A smile. "I think we could try that again whenever we see someone very suspicious."

"Perhaps it's best we head back, I think our presence is testing the limits of the authority's patience. We have some new information to chew on now."

(Considering that Jack was about to make an accusation in front of the guy’s own men, I thought the group might be brazen enough to try getting that note... But with the guy on alert, maybe a plan would be too difficult.)

(it's always easier to make an accusation in a Zone of Truth, than grab a note off of someones shoulder.)

"Thank you, thank you" Jack performs a little mock Bow, before hearing Isk. He turns to face him before speaking. "That's probably for the best. It appears Bane has the 'Captain' on Payroll. Such a waste of the term Captain." Jack clears his throat. "But I noticed something. That crow had a note tied to it, that Clew Sea obeyed. Who could be as important as to interfere with his Bribe for Bane? Or, why would Bane want us to stay un-arrested?" Jack says, thinking. "It might be best to talk about that somewhere else."

Trimyrai: (to Reverie) "Thank you. Do not worry, i'm not stupid enough to openly attack the city guards." Trimyrai turns to the rest of the party. "Isk is right we should go before anything gets worse."

Froskan nods his agreement, eager to be away from the guards.

Reverie nods at her friends, glaring towards the shop where the guards went in briefly. “Yes, I think it is the best for us ti head back,” she says as she looks at her friends, “Let’s go and rest.”

You head back to the hotel to recover and clean up. (At you convenience, take a Long Rest, and adjust your experience from 15K -> 18K.)

You send a message to Murphy, that you are ready for a debriefing about the events earlier. He shows up later in the afternoon, before dinner time. A small meeting room is reserved in your hotel, with a buffet on the side, along with different flagons of beverages (most are alcoholic, but some not).

(OOC: I am assuming that you mention everything you saw and did. If you hold anything back, or try to deceive him in some way, please mention it. Also, Murphy has a lot more to say, but that also depends on what you say and ask of him.)

"Sorry about the troubles you had with that dwarf inspector. I've checked, and other Iron Gate agents have mentioned his odd and biased behavior... It didn't help that the Wart Mort denied knowing any of you, and tried to make it sound like he was completely uninvolved with the destruction.

"It might have helped to know what was on that note to Clew-Sea, but I can understand your caution. You might have spent your time in a dungeon cell instead of this hotel, if he caught you... That other note on the fish humanoid ( post 3709 ) is odd. The church of Bane tends to be secretive, pulling the strings and accumulating power behind the shadows. It isn't in their nature to want to draw attention to themselves."

"That Clew-Sea guy was right that demons shouldn't be part of Bane's minions. They are too undisciplined and fickle to do reliable work for them."

Reverie frowns even profoundly as soon as she heard about the shopkeeper denying who they are. "Of course..." Then she curses under her breath. After a sigh, Reverie asks a question. "Do you think the Bane's church has sent the officer a message? If it were a crow from his place, he wouldn't try to brush it off."

Jack would nod as Murphy would speak about Banes tendencies. “I think Bane’s somehow teamed up with Umberlee. You could see the ...eh... magical, Umberlee juices leave him after he died, as if she were the one who made him like that.” It is worthy to note that every time he’s saying Umberlee, he’s saying it spitefully. “It could be possible they’re trying to stab eachother in the back. The presence of Demons deterring eyes away from Bane, but Umberlee strikes back with a mysterious note to draw attention to bane. I wouldn’t doubt it’d be possible.”

Isk takes a sip from his flagon of spirits and leans back in the chair, "It seems to me that we have three odd things occuring.  First, and probably least odd, is Mort downplaying what happened at the shop.  I would have expected him to be, at least a little, happy that we stopped the Bane-ites from shaking him down."

"Second, the inspector letting us go after enthusiastically trying to arrest us."

He leans back toward the table, "Lastly, the Church of Bane making moves out in the open.  This seems to me that they are close to their goal.  Usually secretive groups consolidate power in the shadows and then strike once completed.  It could be that their end move is coming, and soon."

Quote from Guiltysparc >>

Isk takes a sip from his flagon of spirits and leans back in the chair, "It seems to me that we have three odd things occuring.  First, and probably least odd, is Mort downplaying what happened at the shop.  I would have expected him to be, at least a little, happy that we stopped the Bane-ites from shaking him down."

"Second, the inspector letting us go after enthusiastically trying to arrest us."

He leans back toward the table, "Lastly, the Church of Bane making moves out in the open.  This seems to me that they are close to their goal.  Usually secretive groups consolidate power in the shadows and then strike once completed.  It could be that their end move is coming, and soon."

 "It's possible Mort is simply worried the Bane-ites will be back later," Froskan says, "And probably in a bad mood..."

Murphy: "The inspector was asking Mort what role he had in what happened. Mort threw you guys under the wagon wheels, so to speak, in order to deflect attention away from himself... I'll pay him a visit this evening, to make him know of your... displeasure.

"It is one thing to act in the open. It is another thing altogether to draw attention when it is not necessary... Jack's idea that there may be fighting between Bane and Umberlee feels closer to the truth. But oddly enough, this kind of brazen act seems too subtle for the Umberlee church. They prefer a frontal attack instead of sending mysterious notes."

“What if she’s forced into being subtle?” Jack asks. “I don’t know much about the deities, but if Bane would happen to be more powerful than Umberlee, or have something to hold up as an advantage, Umberlee could be being forced to result to subtle tactics. Cruel Deity of the Ocean sure wouldn’t have as much reach as Bane, and we’re on land.” 

Jack thinks for a moment if this is likely, shaking his head. “I doubt Umberlee would join up with someone who she knows could easily Overpower and betray her. Or maybe she would. Deities.”

Murphy repeats Jack's word: "Deities". After pondering a bit, he muses, "You have a point. Maybe it is some other deity getting involved, someone opposed to Bane or Umberlee, or both. Too bad it does not seem to have any regard for mortal life, in its plans."

Continuing on: "I don't know what has happened to the one you called Darvin Emberwater, with his arm mutating like that. The woman who acted like frozen death, on the other hand, sounds like a Bheur Hag. Slaughtering that family, and consuming them in front of you, is "normal" behavior for that type of hag... A creature like that should not have made it into the city. If you encounter it again, and cannot kill it quickly, remember that much of its power resides in its grey staff. If that is broken, she cannot fly, or use spells like the Ice Wall or Cold Cone."

He turns to Trimyrai. "You mentioned that your village chief, Warton Tallstag, had been converted to a Deep Scion, and that you didn't like the idea that he had joined Umberlee's cause... I can't discount that possibility. But if he was the leader you say he was... Umberlee has a very loose definition of the word "willingly". Your chief could have been tortured over weeks, until his will was broken. If others of your village are still alive, their lives could have been threatened unless he converted to that creature, which would retain his memories but none of his personality."

Murphy puts a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We may never know what happened. But he could have been forced to do something, that he would not have done if he was free."

Reverie nods when Froskan speaks as an agreement to his statement. Then she looks at Murphy, worried a little. "All by yourself? To be quite honest, I am worried about going there alone in his shop after that unfortunate event. What if he gives all the blames onto you?"

She shifts her gaze down at the table, thinking deeply about the deities. "The possible battle of deities..." Reverie then tilts her head to the sides, crossing her arms in front of her chest and leaning back in the chair. "... I am serving Eldath, the goddess of peace. Could that be a reason also?"

Somehow, she couldn't stop frowning as she listens to all these events, and possibly what might have happened to the ex-village chief. A sigh escapes as her hand wipes her left eyes once vigorously. "Could Darvin the one who forced Warton maybe? He seems to be confident while he mentioned the name of Bane." Then she mutters to Trimyrai, "I don't want to judge on a person quickly, Trim, but... I still remember the way of Darvin speaking to you before he vanished. He seemed to obsess with being better than you or stronger than you. As soon as he saw you, he just ran away." A pause after she shakes her head once. "I'm sorry."

Trimyrai: (to the party) "Darvin being behind it all makes sense, he was jealous of my archery skill... I am not going to jump to conclusions until there is definitive proof. maybe they are all guilty, maybe none of them are. I will likely be less than friendly to my fellow villagers until i get some answers. Either way i'm looking forward to fighting with Bane's or Umberlee's minions."