"No!  We needed them alive!  Alright, quickly, look for something to restrain this one (sickle), and I'll wake her up."  (I guess I can't lay on hands a throat wound, huh?) 

Peace is more animated than you all have seen him in quite some time, but he is also devastated.  "Violence causes more violence.  This is insanity.  Zeenon, find something to restrain this individual (pitchfork thug) without harming them further.  We need them to not be able to run away."

Zeenon's head spins, taking in the whole space. Blood drips from one of its axes, both of which now hang at its sides. "Assessing!" it announces. "Threat level reduced. Initiating [string of Gnomish words]!" It continues to stand partially in the entryway, eyes still glowing red, either not hearing or ignoring Peace.

Korvash looks around at the scene. One thug knocked out, one lying in a pool of blood, one begging for mercy. Oh gods, what have we done? He panics. "Peace is right. Violence is not the answer," he affirms. Seeing Zeenon's glowing red eyes, he can tell that the warforged is blatantly ignoring their diplomat's words. So he looks around the room for anything to restrain the two thugs that are still alive. (Investigation: 16 or Perception: 13) Turning to the pitchfork thug, Korvash tries to calm him. "Look, I'm sorry it has to come to this. I have no idea how this happened. I'm sure we had good intentions, but they don't always lead to good actions." His tone suddenly changes as he tells the thug, "We just want you to answer some questions." If he finds anything to restrain the thugs, he begins to do so with the pitchfork thug. "What do you want with Beard?" he interrogates, pointing to the shifter in the jail cell.

Oh yeah, and Korvash sees the gash on Breyten's arm. "You okay there?" he asks Breyten before interrogating the pitchfork thug.

Beard seems to have calmed down from his early fear of Breyten and he views the scene with much less angst than Peace or Korvash. "Hells, my friend. They were the ones that started it. Without the decency to even show their faces." He sneers at the pitchfork thug. "They attacked you first, and threatened to gut ya. Keeping two of them alive is an accomplishment in my book." He slaps his belly for emphasis. Looking at the third thug slightly behind Zeenon, he adds, "I reckon I'm much safer now until the Greensward Wardens get here, anyways."

Korvash, this being a sheriff's office, you are able to find pretty easily find three sets of (only slightly rusty) manacles and you are able to secure the two other thugs fairly easily. Sickle thug is still unconscious, but her partner, the Pitchfork thug stands there, his burlap sack mask still on. Even so, you can tell the big warforged has him absolutely terrified, and thus probably more willing to cooperate. "I can't believe you killed him. You cut through poor Luke like he was butter."

Korvash's question snaps him out of it somewhat. Not looking at the dragonborn, but with his face (you assume) not wavering from watching Zeenon warily, he says "Look, we all know how this goes. The Wardens will come and take this shifter away and that giant oak that is supposed to speak fer the people will say some malarkey about maintaining balance, this shifter will have to plant a tree or some garbage and poor Dain's family will be deprived of justice. Those Wardens in their groves don't know how people live. They think they kin sit in judgement? They can't speak for us. We can handle this killer ourselves. Seems y'all think the same way, ta me."

Breyten calms down once all the thugs are subdued, well as calm as one can get having just witnessed the death of another. He places the three stones he held in his hand back in his trouser pocket, glad he didn't have to use them. As Beard made his comments Breyten closed the distance with the cell and wrapped his hands around the iron bars. His face was angry and his voice came out in a near growl, "Silence you, none of this would have had to happen had you simply alerted one of us when Dain was gone instead of going after him yourself. You getting yourself caught may have made you a martyr for your people but it's made you a murderer in the eyes of these townsfolk. What's worse is that once they hang you, or manage to kill you, the real killer will still be on the loose." He narrowed his eyes to punctuate his point before turning his back on Beard and rejoining the others. "Zeenon!" he snapped to get the Warforged's attention, "Defending us does not mean killing others, from now on you will use non lethal force unless we say otherwise do you understand?"

Korvash listens to the pitchfork thug, and after he finishes speaking, Korvash nods his head. "I understand what you mean. But are you sure that it was Beard who did it? There are not plenty of other threats in the woods, are there?" He shakes his head and turns to the warforged. "Zee," he scolds, "once Whiskers finds out about this, you are in sooooo much trouble, buddy."

Beard looks suitably chastened by Breyten's angry rebuke and his gaze falls. "You are correct, of course, human or...whatever you are, based on that little show. Its exactly what I told Cocksure about last night as well. But what is done is done, just as this has been done. These vigilantes wanted to kill me and all of you. You saved my life and your own. You should not blame yourself, or your friend there. The guilt you feel is not yours to bear. It is theirs alone for putting you in such a position."

The conscious thug glares at him. "Yer lucky we didn't get our hands on you, shifter. Even the Wardens know yer guilty. Gods know why Mayor Duskwalker is protecting you. I used ta think he was a decent man." He spits, but forgetting he's still wearing his mask it doesn't go far.  There is an embarrassed pause, then the thug looks to Breyten, perhaps sensing an ally. "You look like you know the land around here, mate. What sort of creature is undetectable by druid magic? It don't exist. His story is malarkey an' he's a murderer. Kin't control his instincts." 

At Korvash's final statement, the warforge's eyes flicker between blue and red as disjointed words begin issuing forth. "Trouble? Zee — Warning! Unauthorized — Why Zeenon in trouble? — Initiating — Zeenon not an old boy?" With another jerk of the construct's shoulders, its axes and hands rotate, taking each other's places once again. Its steadily light blue eyes look at Korvash, not actually showing emotion, but pleading all the same.

Breyten slow turned, anger still in his eyes as he approached the ex pitchfork wielding thug, "Yea, you're so sure? You think you're just like me? You came in here with the intent to kill a man who has not even had a fair trial." he reached over and ripped the man's mask off so he could see his face. "Rowan, why don't we get a picture of this man for the article, we can call him the Savior of Havenglen, that's what you are right?" Breyten chucked the mask against the wall angrily. He had realized he was too close to this, but he'd been attacked, and could have been killed, for revenge against someone who might not even be guilty. His arm throbbed from the wound, stinging, he needed to get it dressed or it would get infected. He pointed  at the man's face, "You and I are nothing alike, I killed to defend my friends and family during the war. This man is locked up and defenseless, you are a coward, and a would be murderer"

Korvash looks over at Breyten, a concerned look in his eyes. "If you're asking for the murderer, that would be old Zeenon over here!" he begins to argue with Breyten. "Maybe he's right. Maybe Beard is guilty, and they were just trying to do him and the town justice. After all, he will be the Savior of Havenglen if these attacks stop." He pauses to collect his thoughts. "Gods know whether we can trust Beard, or whether we can trust the man with the pitchfork. Regardless of trust, we need a headline, and we need it soon! We need to get to the bottom of this, one way or another. And violence is not the way to do that." He looks over at Beard, trying to find a glimpse of guilt or innocence in his eyes. (Insight: 12)

Seeing that Breyton's rage is starting to go unchecked, Peace calms his own nerves, breathing slowly, and he starts fiddling with the tip his horn absently.  He shackles Sickle up to a cell, fully restraining her, then pumps one point of lay on hands into her.  Once she restores consciousness, he calmly says "Remain silent unless spoken to." He then removes her mask.

  "I don't know who we can trust here.  Everyone here is acting rashly.  *looking at Beard* You should have woken us before going out after Dain.  *Looking at Pitchfork* Your friend died today because you tried to take justice into your own hands.  You and you (Sickle), as well as the man himself, are responsible for his death.  Korvash, Zeenon responds only to Whiskers's orders, I think.  He was acting on those orders.  I am... also not pleased with how this went."  

Peace then looks at Breyton.  He puts his hand on his injured arm, then pumps 3 points of lay on hands into him. "Everything you have said is true.  You are justified in all of your anger.  But we are about to have a crowd, and if you lose control any more, it could make things more difficult for us.  We are going to find the truth of this matter."

Breyten felt Peace's energy seep into his body and heal his wound nearly completely. He nodded at him, and then turned and leaned against the wall nearest Beard's cell. He wasn't happy how this had gone, he was use to being outside the story not a part of it. How would the town look on Zeenon having killed one of their own, even if it was in self defense? Would they expedite Beard's sentencing given how riled up folks were obviously getting? He had a hunch Beard wasn't involved, but wrong place wrong time, but how could he prove that. This was perhaps the best place for Beard. They needed to get a move on so they could report to Whiskers, it was time to talk to the Wardens, and they would probably get their chance fairly soon given the business that had just occurred.

(Insight reroll: 13)

The thug you unmask Breyten is an utterly unremarkable human. He's middle-aged and has receding brown hair. He's solidly built, clearly having make his living off the land, and his skin has the ruddy complexion of someone who has spent most of their life outdoors. The thug who wielded the sickle, is a halfling woman, who bears a remarkable resemblance to the woman who let you all into city hall. This one is older though -- she could be an older sister, or a mother. She snarls at you when you unmask her, but otherwise follows your instructions and remains silent.

The pitchfork thug shrinks back from all of you, suddenly, without his mask, not sure brave or sure of himself. "We jes' wanted justice. The Wardens don't lissen to the people they're s'posed to be taking care of anymore. We kin't expect justice from them. We gots to take it fer ourselfs." He says, his voice suddenly less sure, a little bit shaky.

Beard meets Korvash's look evenly. As if reading your thoughts, he speaks, in a serious, far more firm voice than you have ever heard from him thus far. "It was stupid of me to have left the camp without telling anyone. But I am paying for that stupidity. I can promise you, though, I had nothing to do with this, my friend. I swear on the lives of my tribe."

(Re-rolling Korvash's insight since it didn't show up: 22)

He's either an incredible actor, or being entirely truthful in his claims of innocence.

The heavyset shifter sighs now, looking over the carnage -- "Perhaps one of you should go get the mayor, yes? He's treated me fairly this far. He deserves to know what happened here, especially before the Wardens arrive."

Peace looks at Breyton, "I'll go see the Mayor.  Beard is right.  He deserves to know what happened.  Are you okay?  Save that anger for later.  You'll need it.  Are you okay?"

 Seeing Peace off to talk over things with the mayor, Korvash steadily watches the two thugs. He hesitantly releases them from the manacles he restrained them with, giving them a strict warning, "Don't you touch the shifter." After a few minutes of watching them, he grows tired, and trusting Rowan or Breyten to watch them further, begins to meditate.

An awkward, uncomfortable silence falls over the disused sherriff's office as Peace leaves and Korvash seems to be meditating. Beard tries to pace within the cell, but his bulk makes that difficult -- instead he sort of just turns 90 degrees at a time. The human thug, alternatively looks at Breyten and Zeenon, seemingly terrified by both. Only the sickle thug, the older halfling woman, seems not to be cowed in the circumstances.

"What are ya planning on doing with us?" She asks Zeenon, Rowan and Breyten. "Turn us o'er to the Wardens?" She laughs in contempt. "All you'll accomplish is making this town hate the lot of ya. Let us go, we'll clean up poor Luke, and we can pretend none of this e'er happened. What d'ya say metal man? Girlie? Y'all seem more reasonable than yer hot-headed friend here. I seen yer type of magic before, lad. I know what ya are." She spits on the ground. "Fey-touched."

Peace as you approach The Farmer's Hearth, you hear sounds of an argument within. Suddenly, Bilick Glassanvil bursts past you, stalking angrily away. He sees you and his eyes widen in surprise. "You're the guy from the press, right? The Varna Penny Advertiser or summat? I got a story fer you."

You hear Samuel's smooth voice from the main barroom. "Now, now, Bilick. Let's not go spreading our militia business to this fine gentleman. We'll finish this. Later." 

Bilick hesitates and looks at you for a split second, then shakes his head and storms out. As you enter the main barroom, you see Samuel, Mayor Duskwalker, the half-elf who was part of Samuel's posse from yesterday, and a wizened old human sitting at a large table in the center of the barroom. A pretty young dwarf woman sits behind the bar, sketching and not paying much attention to any of them. Samuel approaches you and takes your hand.

"Hello again, my friend. I saw your colleagues earlier in our common, enjoying the day. Can I get you something to drink? Oh that's right...you're not allowed, yeah?" He snaps his fingers at the dwarf woman, who looks exceedingly annoyed. "Annys, put on some more of that cardamom tea we feed the mayor, yeah?" Annys rolls her eyes hard, but goes over to the kettle and puts it on a small fire she has going behind the bar.

"My apologies for my friend Bilick. It has been...a trying few days for him." He looks at the others. "I think we're done, gentlemen. We'll talk again soon." Turning back to you, he smiles widely. "What can I do for you?"

Zeenon begins walking around the room looking for a mop.

Investigation: 11

Peace walks slowly to the Hearth, taking the time to breathe and calm himself down.  What do I say to these people that won't start a revolt?  He knows the power of a mob, and the fearsome chaos it can cause.  His musings are cut short by Bilick rushing past him.  After Bilick accosts him he says "Yes, we're the Varna Free Post.  What do you-" before Samuel cuts him off.  

"Thank you, Samuel.  I appreciate the hospitality, but I am afraid that may have to wait."  Peace weighs the benefits of including Samuel into what has happened.  Samuel is a strong influence in the area, and he'll find out soon enough anyway.  Might as well bring him in early.  "Some... intrepid folk have seen fit to try to take things into their own hands, and we got caught in the middle of it.  Is there somewhere the two of us can speak with the Mayor in private?  It won't take long, I'm afraid, but it is sensitive."