The Trial of Olaf StrongHawk

The inn's barroom is unusually crowded. Among the patrons eating, drinking, and altogether being too loud are clerks, tradesmen, and even a number of men paid to spread a certain rumor. These men spend extra coin they've earned this week, preparing legal documents, building new benches, and giving a new coat of the darkest black paint to the gallows. Spoken among them over and over is the name of the man responsible for the sudden flow of Zhentarim coin: Olaf.

The Zhentarim intend to host a trial and execution, and preparations are underway to make a grand show of it.

//exact day & time to be announced.. stay tuned.

Swordhands gather commoners in the street and herd them toward the gallows near the burned church. From the Zhentarim barracks, a beaten and bloodied prisoner in chains is pushed and prodded forward.

The trial begins and the charges are listed. The prisoner, Olaf, is given little chance to speak, and is represented by a lawyer who can only stutter, stumble, and drop the pile of books and papers he carries when told to advance and address the judge. Within minutes, the Zhent-appointed judge delivers his verdict: guilty on all charges.

Olaf is then forced up the gallows where a drunken hangman places the noose about his neck and throws the switch. Olaf plummets five feet, to where he chokes and eventually becomes very still. He's quickly cut down and pronounced dead by the hangman. The Zhentarim, however, are not satisfied, and decide to hang the lawyer as well for failing in his duties, much to the crowd's chagrin.

When he too is pronounced dead, the crowd that was forced to watch is now forced to disperse and return home, where they will no doubt tell others of what they've witnessed here today...

"Zhentarim Justice."

//apologies to anyone hoping to watch this but was unable to; the stars all seemed to align themselves last night and suddenly we had everyone we needed in place and so the trial was carried out without further notice