The Great Library of Palanthas
An Aesthetic shows you to a small reading room.
Stories of Ansalon from the view of Wangler.
A little gully dwarf runs by and says 'Wordwrap Off 65 80.'
The gully continues 'Want color back? Turn Color Back ON!!
Astinus says 'Enter the main library here to view only the author list.'
Astinus gently places an elegant book bound in elf-skin on the table in front of you.
You note the spine bears the word 'Wangler' scribed in vibrant purple ink.
Author: Wangler Date: Sat Sep 25 07:57:49 2010 Subject Wang 'n Baals in: The Curious Case of the Kender Capper In the world of Krynn, there is good, and there is evil (also neutral but that's not really relevant to the story). On the continent of Ansalon, in the nation of Solamnia, Palanthian County, the Knights of the Crown provide justice to all those who cannot defend themselves. But we live in dark times, and the might of the brave Solamnic Knights can only be in so many places at once. Sometimes the Knighthood can't protect your neighborhood. So when crimes go unsolved, local townsfolk and villagers know that they have another source of hope. If you need a mystery solved, call upon the duo of ...Wang 'n Baals, Private Investigators! *ByyyyyyyyyyoOOOOOOOOOOw!* And so we come to the quaint little village of Yarus. A stop-and-go step on the road to pious Palanthas. A friendly little place, prosperous due to the commerce of travelers, a nice respite before entering the big city. An unlikely place for murder. At least until last Day of Gileadai. That's when a creepy character by the name of Rattlebones Gravehopper decided his head would look better mounted on the wall of the Yarus Inn than on his own shoulders. Or rather, somebody decided for him. Which somebody? The local Solamnic town watch credited none other than the owner of the inn himself, a one Mr. Dayne Ottai. Mr. Ottai is currently residing in a dusty cell inside the town watch's HQ. He proclaims his innocence. He suspects the real killer to be none other than Bran Parket, the homely human companion of the recently deceased Rattlebones Gravehopper Mr. Ottai hired the trustworthy team of Baalberith and Wangler, Private Investigators to help clear his good name. Let's take a look at the facts. THE SCENE OF THE CRIME From the files of local Solamnic watch brigade ||||||||||: The victim's body was located in the southern end of the room before the fireplace. The victim's head was found above the fireplace, stuck to the horn of the mounted head of an Abishi. The suspect, Mr. Ottai, was unconscious at the scene, apparently heavily intoxicated, slumped behind the bar holding what appeared to be the murder weapon: a short sword of sharpness. THE VICTIM The victim of the crime was an eccentric kender who went by the alias Rattlebones Gravehopper, true identity unknown. Although none can attempt to venture into the warped and twisted mind that is the kender, there are some accepted facts associated with the race. They are curious and love to aquire objects of interest. This particular kender had a very specific interest. He only collected body parts of deceased persons. He wore a necklace made of various fingerbones from different subjects, he has a wide collection of teeth and fangs of various creatures, as well as wearing the skulls of a small statured race, possibly dwarven, kender, or gnomish, as knee pads. Even his hoopak was made from the wishbone of a Kyrie chieftain. Despite his morbid appearance and fascination with the dead, otherwise this kender behaved in typical form. He was outspoken, annoying, had a short attention span and was always looking for things to add to his collection. Upon entering the inn with his companion, THE SUSPECT We believe that the victim, Rattlebones Gravehopper, was attempting to remove the Abishi skull during the night of the incident. The suspect, Mr. Ottai, had been worried of such an event, and to take his mind off of his concerns had proceeded to drink heavily from his stock of dwarven spirits that evening. At around midnight, hearing a commotion, Mr. Ottai presumably went to check the common room for the source of the noise. Upon finding the victim in the process of stealing his beloved Abishi skull, the suspect grabbed the suspected murder weapon, a short sword of sharpness, that was kept behind the bar for protection and decapitated the victim in a drunken rage. He proceeded to stick the head at the end of one of the horns of the Abishi skull, Author: Wangler Date: Sat Sep 25 08:11:38 2010 Subject Wang 'n Baals in: The Curious Case of the Kender Capper (Part II)water. and passed out in a stupor until he was found the next morning by the witness, Mr. Bran Parket, who was returning to the inn at the time. THE WITNESS The witness, Mr. Parket, arrived travelling with the victim to the inn on the night the incident took place. Although apparently companions, the two were seen arguing throughout the evening. Mr. Parket seemed convinced that the victim, Rattlebones Gravehopper, was intending to steal an artifact that he possessed. The item in question is, according to the witness, a family heirloom, and appears to be the arm of a statue. Despite the victim's known modus operandi for physical remains, the witness was convinced the victim intended to steal his precious heirloom. After seen arguing with the victim on the evening of the incident, Mr. Parket left the inn when the common room closed rather than staying in his rooms, saying he had to "cool off" and was going to spend his night at a local brothel. After a night of debauchery (we WILL get that loophole fixed one day), the witness proceeded back to the inn, where he had paid for lodging and to collect his personal items. Upon arrival, he entered what is now the crime scene, and immediately went to the local Solamnic authorities to file a report. END OF FILE So there's our story. A mischievous macabre kender, who unlike his kin would rather chum with Chemosh than pal around with Paladine. A collector of remains, who couldn't resist the siren song of a tantalizing Abishi skull. The owner of the establishment then went on to murder him in a drunken rage, claiming to remember nothing on awakening the next morning. Sounds pretty cut and dry. Or is it... --=Outside the Yarus Inn=-- Pacing back and forth, the young human man wearing sky blue robes embroidered with white kingfishers on the sleeves had a victorious grin on his face. The mayor of Yarus watched with a worried expression. 'So Mr. Parket...you say that after the common room was closed for the evening you distinctly recall exiting the inn immediately?' The sly looking Mr. Parkett leaned back against the barrel he was resting against and nodded. 'That's right.' 'Isn't it odd that you wouldn't check on your family heirloom, the item you were apparently worried about Mr. Gravehopper stealing from you? After all, you wouldn't carry around a statue's arm at a brothel now, would you?' Wangler asked, his eyebrow raised inquisitively. Parket shifted his eyes, and cleared his throat. 'Ok...ok...I did go back to me room to make sure it was securely in a chest guarded by magical wards. But that's it. I was out the whole night!' 'Out the whole night, indeed...allow me to submit to you, sir, that you never checked on that heirloom at all. After the common room closed, you found Mr. Ottai and knocked him over the head, causing him to fall unconscious. You dragged him to the bar and doused him with liquor so it would appear that he was drunk. You then proceeded to take the short sword of sharpness and went back to your own room, where you found one Rattlebones Gravehopper about to steal your prized heirloom. And then you decided to rid yourself of your little problem by separating our young kender's head from his shoulders!' Mr. Parket barked a laugh. 'That's an interesting story you have there. But you have no proof. Besides, everyone knows I was at the brothel' Parket's head lunged forward as an empty bottle of dwarven spirits collided with it. 'He's right about that,' Baalberith yelped as he stomped his way onto the scene. 'He was at the brothel last night, I know because I was in between the sheets with Miss Lacy of said establishment!' Parket snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. 'You see? Even your own partner admits that I couldn't have been at the scene of the crime.' He always wore the necklace of bones, you see. And upon removing his head, you would think that you'd find the necklace there...' Wangler nodded. 'Indeed, why was the necklace not there?' Author: Wangler Date: Sat Sep 25 08:17:02 2010 Subject Wang 'n Baals in: The Curious Case of the Kender Capper (Part III) Baalberith cleared his throat. 'The necklace wasn't there because the murder did not take place in the common room! You see, the prized heirloom that Mr. Parket possesses is not the arm of a statue at all. It is a war trophy...it is the arm of a Baaz draconian that had been killed and turned to stone, so it indeed fit in with what Rattlebones would like to collect!' Wangler picked up where his partner left off. 'So, what really happened was Rattlebones was trying to collect the Baaz draconian arm, and you couldn't let that happen. So after you framed Mr. Ottai, you took your short sword of sharpness and cut his tiny head off as he was attempting to pilfer your precious heirloom! You did a good job, and you took the body to the common room and mounted the head on the Abisi horn. But the necklace fell off along with the head, and you never noticed it on the floor in your room.' The mayor glowered at Mr. Parket, and two squired seized him by the arms. 'I would have gotten away with it, if it wasn't for that crime fighting cleric and that dastardly dwarf!' Parket shouted as the squires dragged him away. And so another mystery solved, when things just don't seem right, you must go to the team of... Wang 'n Baals!
The Storytellers of Ansalon, The DragonLance MUD
Astinus points to the massive wall of books behind him and bids you to make a selection.
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