On Tulani's advice, Wretch and Swix did not attend the defense part of the trial. "No point in having Swix listen to them try to put everything onto his mother," was her comment. So it's just her and Cerise at first, back in their usual seats. Things progressed much like the previous day, in terms of people arriving. The defendants were in their bleachers, but only Sesstha and Number Two are in the 'unrepresented' defendant seats.
And then Yodhrephath Koldesh arrives and sits down right next to Cerise. She doesn't have a cloak on over her armor - which today is her non-ceremonial sort, complete with dents and scratches and very old bloodstains. She's got a big bag of roasted crickets with her as well. She seems about to offer one to the Skreek, until the bag is snatched away by another armored figure that arrives. Granted, the armor is a bit of a mish-mash of bits, which somehow manages to look more menacing than that of the Yodhrephath.
Yodhblakat Rizalka sits down heavily next to Koldesh, stretches out her legs, and stuffs a handful of crickets into her mouth. "Mmmm, tasty. Didn't know you liked tasty things, Cold-Ass," the rougher looking Eeee woman says. "I miss the show yesterday, not gonna miss today."
Cerise is wide-eyed as she stares at the two Yodh sitting next to her all of a sudden. "Ack, What are they doing sitting here? Next to me?" the rat thinks. Sure, she knows them from other forms reasonably well enough ... but here she has to be a foreign sort next to some of the 'theoretically' most scary people of Babel. So, she does what seems appropriate, she winces and scoots herself just a bit further away from Koldesh, as quietly as possible.
"I heard you'd gotten pregnant, Rizalka," Koldesh comments. "Didn't know there were any men that blind, deaf and without a nose. But then, the High Priestess of Gorphat supposedly gets a lot of action, so it's not impossible someone threw you a bone."
Cerise ... looks away. Why? Because she is really trying to not laugh. "Hah, I forgot about that!" she thinks as she cleverly disguises a laugh as a polite cough.
"I'll be a wonderful mother!" Rizalka claims, going for her dagger and glaring at Koldesh. "Kids are easy! Just like.. little people.. that can go for the hamstrings. I want my own Blakatball team."
"Well, if you ask nicely, I met loan you one of my breeder groks to raise them for you," Koldesh says, still perfectly straight-faced. "They might even be house-trainable. Children should exceed the skills of their parents, after all."
"Bah, I got my own pet monster that they can ride around on," Rizalka claims, and then stuffs another handful of crickets into her mouth and crunches on them a few inches from the side of Koldesh's face.
"Well, at least they aren't commenting about Nicora any. Probably glad she isn't here," The rat thinks as she fidgets nervously.
The Bailiff then calls the court to order. When everyone stands for the judges, Koldesh helpfully yanks Rizalka to her feet, then kicks them out from under her again when it's time to sit back down.
Cerise, meanwhile rises and sits appropriately, though it does require the use of the cane to do so. Her hands go back into her lap. 'Uhm," the rat says quietly to Koldesh, "Thank you for testifying yesterday."
"Today we will here the defense.." Judge Cabra starts to say, only to stop as the main defense Naga tries to get her attention. "What is it, Nemis?" she asks instead. "Counsel would like to approach the bench, your honors," the Naga replies.
The judges motion for both parties to approach, so Zerastra joins the Naga for a hushed conversation. There may be Shadow Magic at work again, so that nobody else can eavesdrop.
"And here is where justice is subverted. Bribery, position, and power," Cerise mutters, her fingers curling tight around her cane.
"So, what's it gonna be?" Rizalka whispers to Koldesh. "Axe, poison, wild groks.. or the poodle trimmer?"
"They are nobles.. so yes, the guillotine will be brought out," Koldesh replies with an impatient sigh.
"If they are actually convicted," Cerise thinks.
At the bench, Zerastra can be seen shaking her head.. multiple times during the conversation. Finally the meeting ends, and the counsels return to their respective sides. Zerastra still has that slight smirk of satisfaction though.
"How come the Barsunala isn't here for this?" Cerise finds the courage to ask those sitting near her. "I thought he was helping bring justice to the city? At least that's what they told me in the camp during lunch, that he protected those below."
"They did not accept the plea bargain," Nemis informs his clients. "The prosecution ssstill wishes to pursue the blasphemy charges." This is met with some mixed results, from Cerise's view. She can see the defendants' auras after all, but only a few show signs of worry.
"Eh?" Koldesh says, looking down at Cerise. "Can't base justice on just what one man can do. This is about what the people can do. Their justice."
"He wasn't exactly described as a man," Cerise notes as she watches the defendants now, eyes narrowed.
"Pfah, I know why you're really interested, Cold-Ass," Zeralka claims, grinning wide enough that some cricket legs fall from her lips. "The whole payola scam the Sabaoth forced on you! You want to use this to as an excuse to go after everyone in your little ledger, admit it."
"We don't do vengeance anymore," Koldesh says.. coldly. "Not officially," she then adds much more quietly.
Cerise is sniffing in the direction of the defendants. The fact a few aren't worried is concerning. The sniffing is a mask for that she's really trying to pick apart their auras.
The defense calls the defendants as witnesses. This has.. mixed results. A few of the older ones insist that there was no crime committed, since "Skreeks aren't people" and "Our children are ours to do with as we see fit" being the primary arguments. The lawyers really try to lay everything at the feet of Hastur Velkarno, or the Sabaoth, but quite a bit of testimony is 'flagged' by Cyprian, requiring Nemis to rephrase questions. The prosecution doesn't even bother to cross examine or raise any objections. This all changes when Lady Vezzalia is called. She's the only one so far that actually looks remorseful, and her aura matches.
"Some of them may have plans," Cerise remarks quietly to Koldesh. "Some of them don't smell worried. They should smell worried, unless they have an escape plan."
"Those sort never worry," the Yodhrephath says, shaking her head. "They've always gotten their way, so can't conceive of not getting it now. To them, this is all just a big show."
Rizalka has been making throat-slicing, hanging and chopping gestures at the witnesses once they leave the stand. But even her attitude changes a bit with the new one brought up.
"Lady Vezzalia, did you recognize the Eeee that was swallowed at the last gathering?" Nemis asks.
"Yes," the middle-aged woman says. "He was my son, Passul."
This causes a stir in the audience, but unlike yesterday they keep themselves quiet enough to avoid being yelled at by the judges.
"We have established that Hastur Velkarno orchestrated the creation of this group.. for his own purposes.. but why did it continue after his death?" Nemis asks the woman.
The woman fidgets in the stand before replying, "The others wouldn't have allowed it to stop." She then glances towards the other defendants.
"Who was Hastur?" Cerise asks Koldesh quietly.
"Could you be more specific please?" Nemis asks, trying to sound compassionate, despite all the hissing.
"One of the old Sabaoth's hangers-on," the Yodhrephath says. "A power-broker, I suppose. The Sabaoth kept Thath because he was competent, but he kept Velkarno because he was depraved. Sabaoth got bored with normal vices after a few centuries."
"Ah," Cerise says.
"The ones who had already sacrificed children," Lady Vezzalia says, nearly blurting it out. "That was the trap! Everyone benefited from the sacrifices. We had the Sabaoth's favor, through Hastur. But it was a lottery. After the Sabaoth was gone, and then Hastur.. the ones who'd benefited without giving up a child had to keep drawing."
"And without Velkarno's.. officiating.. did the sacrifices mean anything?" Nemis asks.
"No! It was just.. just paying our dues at that point," the noblewoman claims.
"Rhugrat crap," Cerise hisses under her breath, "You were calling for favors from your Goddesses."
"So, it was only murder then, not a sacrifice?" Nemis asks. Zerastra perks her ears.. but doesn't object.
"What?" Lady Vezzalia asks, surprised. "I.. only murder?" she spits back, suddenly outraged. "It was MY SON! Of course it was a sacrifice for us!" Maybe she didn't understand the question.
"At least she cared, I guess. She didn't get to hear his broken bones grinding against each other," Cerise notes weakly to Koldesh.
The Naga pulls back at the unexpected vehemence. "I didn't.." he starts to say, then stops. "No further questions, your honors," he says in a defeated tone.
"Most Eeee break easily," Koldesh comments to the Skreek.
"Does the prosecution wish to cross examine this time?" Judge Thestra asks, as if expecting another pass.
"Yes, your honors," Zerastra says, standing and approaching the witness stand, where Lady Vezzalia glares at her.
"They hated me because I wouldn't break, no matter what they did. They could hurt me physically, but I never gave into the despair and that's what many really wanted. I'll burn in Dagh's hell before I would have ever given them that satisfaction," Cerise mutter-growls to Koldesh.
"Lady Vezzalia," the prosecutor begins. "Did you and your husband join Velkarno's group before the first-heir sacrifices started?"
This declaration earns Cerise a pat on the head from the Yodhrephath. "Good," she says.
"Gee, thanks," Cerise thinks, non-plussed at that.
"Yes," the noblewoman says. "We'd never have joined if that had been one of the conditions!"
"And did you object when it began?" Zerastra asks.
"Well.. Velkarno started with is own heir and.." the woman seems to stammer a bit, and keeps glancing over at Cyprian. "It worked. We all received more favors, where given access to.. secret privileges. Hastur said it was proof of our worthiness. And then.. it was a lottery, after all. That felt fair.."
"But you could have left then, couldn't you?" Zerastra asks. "Before the first lottery drawing?"
The woman is quiet. "I've been advised that I don't have to answer questions that would incriminate me," she finally answers.
"Ah, of course you don't," Zerastra says. "But.. you said the others wouldn't let you back out. Was there some sort of official pact, or contract?"
"No, nothing was every that.. explicit," the noblewoman answers.
"I do not understand how anyone could give away their children to die," Cerise remarks quietly. "For anything."
"Rich people have a lot to lose," Koldesh explains. "Fear of it being taken away, or lost.. it makes them panic. Children are easy to get, power and wealth are not."
"Did they threaten the ones who hadn't offered up their children yet?" Zerastra asks, a bit harshly.
"Yes!" Lady Vezzalia cries out. "They said they'd kill us!"
Zerastra smiles pleasantly after that. "No further questions, your honors," she says, and returns to her side of the courtroom.
"Easy? Not for everyone. I'm sterile," Cerise points out, sounding agitated. Of course she's also thinking about Rosalind and what Alptraum sacrificed for her. "Children are your legacy, your future. Money cannot buy a future, only pointless baubles in the present."
"Nobles used to buy heirs all the time from one another," Koldesh notes. "Easier than trying to form alliances by marriage. It's not like the father ever really knew the son was theirs in the first place - so may as well buy one from another House and get some extra inheritance out of them."
"That's horrible," Cerise says.
After Lady Vezzalia is returned to her seat, Nemis rises up and says, "I.. have no further witnesses to call, your honors."
"Let's hear closing arguments then," Thestra calls. "Defense, you may plead your clients' case first."
Nemis slithers over to the jury.. and actually addresses them directly, instead of ignoring them for the audience. "Ladiesss and gentlemen, I urge you to judge the defendants for what they truly are: victims. Victims of the corrupting influences of Hastur Velkarno and the late Sabaoth, forced into actions meant to benefit those two at their own expense. Manipulated by social expectations which few of us can scarcely imagine, where power and wealth form a cage of their own. They are not devil-worshipping blasphemers, just misguided. The Coalition, and this very court, represents a second chance for Babel. A chance to put the darkness behind us and move forward as a society. A society which needs its pillars, the noble Houses. In your deliberations, please weigh the consequences of tearing down some of those pillars, while our foundation is still so precarious."
"If they are your foundation, your city should have collapsed a long time ago," Cerise remarks to Koldesh. "I mean no offense, but ... if they represent your best, then your people are horrible."
"For a guy with no balls, he sure has big ones," Rizalka laughs.
"That Babel is dead," Koldesh claims. "We just haven't finished burying the corpse yet."
"Are you glad? What finally killed it?" Cerise asks quietly.
Zerastra approaches the jury next. She takes a deep breath, then turns to look at the defendants before letting out a sigh. "I think that we've shown what the defendants really are: spoiled bullies. They've abused wealth and privilege to buy their way out of the consequences of their actions. Those that testified.. well, they clearly think that's still the case. That all of this will just 'go away' because you're afraid to cross them. But you represent the people of Babel. The ones that work and toil and risk what they have to rebuild this city into one that everyone can be proud of.."
"Thath killed it," Koldesh says flatly.
"You don't sound like you approve," Cerise notes quietly.
"And I'm going to tell you that it doesn't matter what their intent was for despicable crimes they've committed," Zerastra continues. "To them, it was just greed. A way to gain more power, and a way to flaunt it by defying even the laws of the Kindly Ones. Zakaro does not take involuntary sacrifices. None of the Sisters do. Only Diphath demands what these people have provided. It is Diphath who corrupted our leaders, Diphath who turned our defenders against us, and Diphath that even now has her forces gathering to attack us. And these so-called 'victims' have been feeding her! Some of you are from the Streets Below. You know what her cultists do. If not for the Barsunala, they'd still be down there stealing your children. They've received their judgment. As did Hastur Velkarno, and the Sabaoth. But we can't just sit back and let demigods and assassins save us. We have to take the fate of our city into our hands. To enforce laws for everyone.."
Cerise blinks. They actually mentioned the Barsunala.
"And show those that hide behind political power, or wealth, or murder and threats that they don't get their way anymore," the prosecutor says. "That world is gone. Lady Vezzalia even admitted that they threaten each other with murder. These are not pillars of society. They wouldn't help one another, much less anyone else. So I urge you, beyond just finding them guilty of murder, kidnapping, torture, infanticide and cannibalism.. to find them guilty of blasphemy and working against the well-being of Babel itself: treason. I assure you we will all sleep better with that verdict."
"Is the Barsunala really all they said here? Stopped people from stealing children?" Cerise asks Koldesh quietly. "Have you met him? What was he like?"
"I don't know Thath's endgame," Koldesh admits to Cerise. "He is the only mortal man in this city that I respect and fear. And some part of me thinks this whole thing is to win the Yodh back over after trying to wipe us out. As for the Barsunala.. he doesn't try to hide anything, really. He's a fatalistic idealist. We can't allow him to try and do everything by himself though, no matter how much power he has."
"Are you afraid of him?" Cerise asks.
"Bailiff, escort the Jury to their chamber for deliberation," Judge Xellian hisses, and the fifteen jurors are quietly led out through the backstage.
"I don't have to fear him," Koldesh claims. "I don't have fear to waste on those that don't deserve it. I just don't like it when he acts arrogant. The Barsunala doesn't need to be arrogant. Shouldn't be. It's what sets him apart from the rest of the Yodh."
"Does he act that way often?" Cerise asks next.
When the Bailiff returns a few minutes later, he has a note that he passes to the judges. The trio look it over and not do the Fnerf, who goes to the evidence table and collects the ledgers and some of the restraints, which he carries backstage.
"When he's insecure," Koldesh claims. "Which is around the Yodh, mostly. I don't think he's like that when he addresses civilians."
On the other side of Koldesh, the Yodhblakat is snoring.
"Ever ask him why?" Cerise asks. "I mean, maybe, he thinks you all won't listen to him if he doesn't make a show of it? Like politicians addressing a legislature."
"I don't know how long this part is going to take," Tulani whispers to Cerise from the next seat. "I don't think any of the nobles' agents were able to get to the jury or their families.."
"I hope not," Cerise notes to Tulani, "But my gut tells me it's 50/50 on how it could go."
"You don't do things like that in front of others," Koldesh says. "That would undermine confidence. I've not had a private audience with the Barsunala, so it hasn't come up."
"They'll probably call a recess soon," Tulani says, then the Bailiff returns.. with the Jury.
Cerise rubs her forehead. "IS this good or bad?" she asks of Tulani.
"I have no idea," Tulani says.
"Has the jury reached a verdict already?" Judge Cabra asks.
One of the blue-collar looking Nagas rises up, and replies, "We have your honorSss." He holds up a piece of paper, clears his throat, and reads, "We the Jury find the primary defendants guilty on all counts, including blasphemy, by unanimousss consSensSusS."
This makes Cerise blink. She had thought there would be more deliberation. She thought some charges would get tossed. But a unanimous decision? The rat leans forward and rests his forehead on her cane. "Thank you," the rat says, softly.
The bleacher behind the defense desk erupts in all sorts of shouts and threats, and some of the shackled men even make grabs for their own lawyers, who quickly slither away before the court guards move in to quell things.
The audience is surprisingly silent.. but rising above even the protests of the defendants is the shrill, nearly breathless cackling of Guard Number Two.
Someone in the seats behind Cerise and others says, "They actually did it!" That seems to rouse the audience. When the applause starts, the Judges all start banging with their mallets and call for order!
"What? What happened?" Rizalka snorts as she's woken up by the ruckus.
Cerise lets out a slow breath and sits back up. "They were all found guilty," she tells the Yodhblakat.
"Yeah? No surprise there," the rough woman says, then stretches her arms. "Does that mean I can go beat on them? Why should the guards have all the fun?"
"I don't think that's how this court is supposed to work," Cerise suggests.
"Behave yourself, Rizalka, or you will be banned from the executions," Koldesh threatens. And the threat.. actually seems to work. The Yodhblakat even passes back the mostly-empty bag of crickets.
It takes time, but the crowd finally settles down when Thestra threatens to have the court cleared. "Right!" the clearly-former-Yodhrephath judge says. "For the crimes of kidnapping, murder, torture, cannibalism and infanticide, the sentence is death by beheading, to be carried out by the Yodhrephath in the manner they find most suitable. For the crime of blasphemy.. the offenders eternal fate will be decided and enacted by the Yodhsunala. This court is dismissed." To the other two judges, Thestra says loud enough, "Let's get drunk."
If the Yodhsunala are going to be involved, that means Alptraum probably will too. More work for him, it seems. Cerise rubs her forehead again. "Well, looks like I'll be back on the street soon enough," Cerise remarks to Koldesh. "I'm not needed anymore."
For a moment, all of the guards are busy wrangling the Eeee nobles off of the stage, leaving Sesstha and Number Two just sitting around, until Zerastra notices them has her own assistants let them out of their little section and leads them off to the opposite end of the stage.
"The still have to do a trial for the underlings," Koldesh points out. "You'll probably be called for that."
"In their case, they actually are victims in this too," Cerise notes and sighs. "I cannot hate them quite as much as I did."
"And for the other bit," Rizalka says. "Those Houses are going to be dissolved, for sure. I bet Thath already knows how much they were worth and where he wants the money to go - but some of that is gonna go to the Skreeks."
"But not most?" Cerise asks the Yodhblakat.
"Enough," Koldesh replies. "There will be pensions for servants and such, but the personal wealth is probably going to pay for Graytown projects."
"I don't want a dime," Cerse says.
Change that to a shekel.
"Yeah, that's the thing when you kill off your heirs!" Rizalka laughs. "Well, most of 'em. Probably a few left, and the crushed up kid."
"If he survives. He was in horrible shape," Cerise notes sadly.
"He'll survive, just may not be pretty," the Yodhblakat insists. "I'm not stupid.. they need him, see? When the Skreeks are set up all cozy and getting on with their lives, Passul will be the one staying in everyone's face. All crippled up and walking with canes or something. He won't let people forget about the horrible things that happened. I'll bet you Koldesh's left foot that he ends up on the Coalition Council eventually too."
"Or maybe some miracle would fix him," Cerise says and shrugs a bit, "They've got mages working on him."
"That's a bit insightful for you, Rizalka," Koldesh says, giving the other Yodh a narrowed glance.
"We Yodhblakat used to stand guard next to the nobs," Rizalka counters with a big grin. "We know how things get done. Back then it was all behind the scenes sort of plays.. nowadays, gotta be out in the open where everyone can see."
Koldesh stands up. "Well, 'everyone' can come to Mt. Rephath if they want to witness the executions," she claims. "I'm not going to have them done in the middle of Cenesta Plaza."
"Oh, uhm, I know her opinion on this Barsunala guy who came up a few times," Cerise says to Rizalka, "What's yours? Is he arrogant?"
Cerise then looks up at Koldesh. "It's hard for me to stand right now," she apologizes, "But I do thank you for testifying against them. It meant something to me."
"Huh? Who cares?" Rizalka tells the Skreek. "Barsunala kicks Diphath's ass, that all that matters. He can dye his fur pink and dance ballet, doesn't change anything. But I will get to fight him sometime!" The Yodhblakat beats her fist against her breastplate. "Epic fight!"
"It meant a lot more to the Yodhrephath," Koldesh claims. Then she glances at her Yodhblakat counterpart, and says, "And yes, we are going to prosecute anyone in our ledger that's still alive."
"Gods, now who's arrogant?" Cerise thinks. And then there is Rizalka's claim. Great. Just what he needs.
"Hah, knew you'd find a way to get yer pound of flesh, Cold-Ass," Rizalka says, and winks. "Don't forget us if any of them try to run away, though."
"I feel like I should say that maybe you should let things go instead of continuing an eye for an eye," Cerise notes, quietly. "But if they were as bad as these people, perhaps not."
"People don't call to us for Vengeance on a whim," Koldesh tells Cerise. "A false call means the accuser's life if forfeit, after all. We have the names from the ledger, so just need to dig up the original grievances. I'm sure Zerastra wouldn't mind getting them."
"I'm just glad they didn't come back not-guilty," Tulani says.
Cerise raises a finger. "You just said old Babel was dead. Vengeance was old Babel, wasn't it? Shouldn't it be about justice?" she asks of Koldesh.
"That's why the information goes to the chief prosecutor to deal with," Koldesh says. She notices Tulani, and claims, "If it was not-guilty.. wouldn't change the outcome. Barada's Curse is already called. So, Yodhbarada say they were guilty already. And if they went back to their nice towers with their nice personal guards and fancy locks.. pretty sure the servants just finds puddles of goo in the morning with a few bones sticking out."
"Who would do that?" Cerise has to ask. "How could they?"
"So yes, girl from Chronotopia," Koldesh says to Cerise, "Old Babel is dead. Justice now instead of vengeance. But in New Babel, you can't escape justice. The Barsunala is the Son of Death. The Psychopomp. The Reaper. No locking out death."
This gives Cerise pause. "Do you think the Reaper mourns?" she asks honestly. "Or if he dreams? I'm not sure I would wish that job on anyone."
"Everyone mourns," Koldesh claims. "Sometimes you have do things so that other people don't have to do them. Soldiers, mages, gravediggers, doctors.. and Yodh. That's what we're for."
"You said earlier you didn't want him to do everything even if he has the power to. With what you just said ... maybe that's why he has been trying? To spare you so that you do not have to anymore?" Cerise asks honestly. She then shrugs a little. "Or not? I don't even know how I survived in that pit. Maybe someone was looking out for me. Well, if they were I hope I can thank them someday."
"You're thanking them by living," Koldesh claims. "And it doesn't matter if the Barsunala would have enacted justice on his own, because the jury already did it. And that means the next one will too, because two dozen very rich and powerful people fell to fifteen ordinary ones. Going to be very hard to bribe or threaten your way out of a crime now. Good times."
Cerise turns to Tulani. "I think I need a nap. My leg is starting to hurt pretty badly," the rat claims. "Mind if I go back to my room for a bit and get some sleep?"
Tulani smiles, and says, "Sure, I'll get you there. And.. did you want to be at the executions? It's on a holy mountain, so.. everyone has to walk to get to it. If you really want to though I can help you."
"I don't know. I don't know if I need to see a bunch of people die. I don't rejoice in it; it makes me sad," Cerise claims as she struggles to rise and has to use her cane to do so. "I just want to get this behind me and go home."