"I think tthat's probably the thing to do. Say, did anyone else see that human guard?"

Falaine will recognize that the servants quarters they've been staying in has grown rather quiet. It seems like most of the guards have left the area as they continue bringing the bodies up from the cellar below. Without Candise here to provide direction on what's happening next, the group is left in an odd state of limbo. Being stored away inside this stone castle is starting to feel like its own sort of prison. The air in the chamber has grown rather stagnant given the events that unfolded earlier. 

"I thought all the guards were tabaxi, right?"

Perception check: 4

"We can discuss our options later, I will not miss this trial. Let's go, we can ask for directions on the way."

"Maybe not a guard then. Could be someone from the monastery or something like that that the Duke brought in to investigate things. Or maybe someone more dangerous. Best to keep a lookout for them. Human with a shaved head." 

((Can Paren recall any more details that he might tell the others to help identify the stranger?))

[Fungi...

 [Answered Tanni's perception check in PM.]

Paren, that was all were you able to recall when the thought came to you. It might be something you could inquire about with the guard master or the Duke himself. 

Tanni seems only now catch on something Paren asked. "Human guard? Yes, though he didn't have the right uniform. And all the guards are tabaxi. Maybe he's here to help with the circle... but you're right, we might want to have a word with him after the trial." She then mutters under her breath, seemingly to herself but loud enough for her companions to hear, "hopefully 'sealing the circle' doesn't mean 'permanently closing it' "

Paren leans in closer as they walk. "If it does I think we should leave before that happens. I can't say this place has fond memories for me and I don't think the walk from here back home will be all that nice." 

The group gathers their belongings and begins to make their way out from the room. The silence in the staircase is deafening as the guards seem to have forgotten about you as they dealt with all of the other issues that have come up. You can see that some sawdust has been placed down on the ground to attempt to soak up any of the blood  and you assume the circle below has experienced the same treatment. 

Does the group head back down to the circle or do they head up the staircase to find the trial?

Paren turns back to the others for confirmation before beginning to climb the stairs in hopes of finding where the trial is going on. 

Tanni is clearly agitated, torn between making sure the half-orc is properly punished and chasing the one responsible for slaughtering the guards. Finally she turns to Falaine. "What do you think? Should we leave or stay?"

When questioned whether the group should leave or stay, Falaine recalls...

Falaine perks up. "The library, the Duke has a vast collection. We should visit before we go."

"So we stay then? At least until the trial is over."

Deciding to stay in Thousand Steps just a little longer, the group ascends the stairs until they reach the landing several stories above where the servant chambers resided. There is no guard stationed here but that would seem normal as these passageways were mostly used by the trusted servants that tended to the needs of the castle. Opening the door, the group is presented with a long hallway that is decorated in the same fashion the rest of the castle has been. There are plenty of paintings and statues reflecting the bountiful fishing trips. Again, the absence of any sort of gratefulness toward Shamara is apparent. 

At the far end of the hallway, you can hear several servants talking as their voice carries down the hallway. "He won't drop her. She means to much to him."

The other huffs. "Well there ain't a cell in this castle so where yous think she's gonna be kept?" A frustrated shrug is all that's returned. "Nah. She's getting dropped just like that rat he found. Dukey's all riled up. Has to show he's strong enough to handle it or the rats will take the whole damn castle." 

Feeling like she's losing the argument, one servant says, "I heard she's his daughter. No dad's gonna drop his own daughter."

A sharp laugh comes form the other servant. "She's an orc!" 

"A half-orc!"

They both relent as neither seems to be making any progress convincing the other. They return to sweeping sharing little more than sassy looks at each other.

Falaine somehow doesn't doubt that many of the servants are somehow related to the Duke.

Paren hobbles down the hall toward the servants. "Excuse me. Could you tell us which way we need to go to reach the trial?"

 "Library? In this situation?" Tanni scratches the back of her neck. "If you think it's important, sure. But in that case, I don't want to miss the trial." She then marches after Paren and explains to the servants, "We were told we could attend it but no one bothered to tell us where to go."

When the servants see the group heading their direction, they quickly drop their squabble and regain a level of etiquette fitting their station. 

"Yes. Of course, follow me," one of the two says to the group as they pass their broom off to the other. 

The servant leads you through the main halls of the castle that further the portrayal of wealth and power. She leads you up what feels like an overabundance of stairs until you reach a small room with nearly ten guards stationed outside. "They said they are to witness the trial," she says before abandoning the group and returning from where she came. 

Looking over the guards here, they all seem as tired as the next and in need of a few hours of sleep. Still, they maintain their guard with a sense of duty and determination. You can tell that several of the guards wear the fine armor of the Duke's personal guards alerting you to the fact the Duke is most likely presiding over the trial as expected.

You spot one of the guards you recognize and they realize it is your group. They quickly gesture for you to follow as they say, "It's just gotten underway. There's seating there toward the back." He opens the door and gestures you inside. The guards seem to be offering the group some level of trust given the current situations. 

Entering the room, you can hear guard master Tyler declaring titles of the deceased and the accused followed by loud sobs.

The sobbing coming from the half-orc is rather painful to hear as it is nearly drowning out the shouting guard master. "How do you plead?," the guard master demands.

On the opposite end of the room is a long elevated table where you find the Duke presiding over the case along with a small group of what seem to be his council. At the end of the table is guard master Tyler along with another man that only Paren and Tanni had seen before. He's a young human with a clean shaven head. His attire is striking when compared to that of the guard and nobles that surround him. He's wearing plain cotton robes that are clearly not made in the same quality as those from Thornwood.  The strangest thing of the man's appearance is that his hands are bony white, looking wrinkled and aged beyond the years one would expect of him. The tips of his fingers look slightly blackened as if recently burnt.

"Guilty," the half-orc shouts between cries. "I killed Mr. Jonathan. I didn't want to. I didn't have control."

The Duke looks over the group that has come to witness this trial. He stands and makes his way around the long table toward Candise. "Why have you bound her?," he asks with sadness in his tone. When a response isn't immediately provided, you see rage take over the man. "Why have you bound her! Release her from these chains this instant!" It's not clear who he's yelling at but a guard quickly arrives to remove the chains and metal bindings that held the woman's hands together. "I'm sorry," he seems to mouth to her. He turns back and walks back to his position at the head of the table.

"Though Candise has professed her guilt, I would like to better understand what happened here. If anyone with information would like to provide it, please step forward and give it." His temper seems to have calmed for the moment. 

[All may roll a perception check.]

Perception: 20

Paren moves slowly up the stairs so he's at the back of the group by the time they enter the room. "So many damn stairs," he weezes as they get to the top. When the Duke asks he pushes past the others and holds up a hand. "Duke. I know I am an outsider here but it was our friend she killed and I would like to share what I know."