[Starscream]

Session closed.

Travelled to the village of Collodi, in search of the man Giuseppe, who had the tree containing the souls of Jab and Trudy cut down, only to find that he was condemned to hang the next day.

He told you his tale, which is that he was once a beloved entertainer, until the two halflings tried to rob him. He sicced some animated puppets on them, and the sight of his puppets chasing what seemed to be two children ruined his reputation and got him banished. Ten years later, after scraping by knowing that he would be lynched if he employed magic, he was allowed back, as the execution of the thieves verified his story.

After returning to town, two of the three magistrates who banished him ended up dead, along with his friend Brother Dwyer who looked after his gear for him while he was gone. He was arrested, but then the guard watching him was killed, and he seemed to be escaping his cell. Puppets were spotted on the scenes of these crimes.

Giuseppe claimed that he merely made the puppets to dishonor the memory of the thieves, but that they came alive under their own power and are committing the crimes. The remaining magistrate, Phillipson, thinks that they are under their creator's control however, and that by executing him they will become harmless.

To buy time, the party teleports him from his cell to one in Dagger Rock, and investigate his guilt. Records in the jail show that one item, a magic flute, was confiscated by Dwyer but not returned. Checking his wagon revealed the flute, hidden by an illusion cast by a Magic Lantern, which could only have been put there recently. Testing it out reveals that playing it can plant a suggestion in any nearby children to rob their parents and give the money to the player.

Leaving the wagon you meet up with an angry Phillipson who is quite certain that you are responsible for Giuseppe's escape, and threatens you with trouble if he is not returned by dawn.

Next you check out Dwyer's temple, which he was interred in. You questioned him magically, but determine little except that he was attacked by something small. Finding his journal reveals more. He and Giuseppe were good friends, and the puppeteer was planning all sorts of new magical technologies, such as puppets with spirits to animate them, or puppets real enough to imitate real people. He was strapped for cash, though. Dwyer stood up for Giuseppe at his trial and offered to take care of his magic tools while he was gone. While he was banished he examined the items and discovered the flute's properties, deciding to keep that one in the hope that Giuseppe would take the hint.

It's dawn now, and Rilath decides to try to scry the puppets, now having a sufficient description of them. To his surprise he sees them right outside, climbing a rooftop and about to attack Phillipson. You quickly teleport out to their location and beat the everloving hell out of them, which is shockingly easy.

Turns out these were mere animated objects, and woefully weak compared to you, not high level rogues inhabiting wooden bodies at all. Phillipson is now a hostage of the executioner, who is actually Giuseppe in disguise. When the guard was killed and he seemed to be escaping, he actually did escape and leave a psychically controlled golem in his place. Which is now in Dagger Rock.

Giuseppe fully intends to kill Phillipson, and knows you could stop him, but reveals that the golem version of him has broken out and taken a hostage in Dagger Rock, and could easily kill her in the time it would take to teleport back there. Thus he claims you have no choice but to let him kill Phillipson and escape. He reveals the golem's POV in a crystal ball.

Deego however spots something in the ball; Gamon has snuck up and thrown a Skiurid at the golem, disorienting it momentarily and giving you a round to act. Deego casts an entangling spell at Giuseppe, and the party teleports off to face the golem. It is destroyed, and both hostages saved.

You receive thanks from Phillipson, who admits that you inadvertently did the right thing by "freeing" the golem, and rewards you with Giuseppe's magical items. You return home to interrogate the puppets.

Post any questions you want to ask them here.

XP:
Advanced Stone Golem: 1920 xp each
Both hostages saved: 1000 xp each

Treasure:
Crystal Ball with Detect Thoughts: 51000 gp
Glove of Storing (x2): 10000 gp each
Hat containing Bag of Holding Type 4: 10000 gp
Outfit that can change to any type of clothing: 1800 gp
Magic Lantern (can cast Silent Image that lasts as long as candle within does): 4000 gp
Magic Flute: No set value, as it cannot be legally sold. Possible black market value, if you searched for an unsavory buyer.