Mitnal picks up the note and studies it carefully before saying, "Oh, wow! I can read! When did that happen?"
"Chopper?"
"Chopper?"
"A local hermit, he went mad and killed some people. It was the sheriff here who caught him."
I look Sheriff Hemlock straight in the eye: "We'll do our best, and we'll respect your wishes. Where did the crimes occur?"
"Chopper?""A local hermit, he went mad and killed some people. It was the sheriff here who caught him."
I look Sheriff Hemlock straight in the eye: "We'll do our best, and we'll respect your wishes. Where did the crimes occur?"
Mitnal sniffs the note.
"Erm...""Chopper?""A local hermit, he went mad and killed some people. It was the sheriff here who caught him."
I look Sheriff Hemlock straight in the eye: "We'll do our best, and we'll respect your wishes. Where did the crimes occur?"
Mitnal sniffs the note.
1d20+7
"Smells like ...," Mitnal says hesitantly.
it smells like,... Blood, and maybe just a faint smell of old meat.
"I can deputize you and if you want to make some ivestigations of your own, thats fine on me. In fact, if you want, I can arrange for your room and board to be paid by the town for as long as you are working this case. Course I expect you to be working the case. We don't need another Chopper, that's for sure. But there are some similarities. I'll show you when we get down to the lumbermill. "
"Smells like blood ... and the faintest smell of old meat," says Mitnal triumphantly. "That might be a clue."
"Smells like blood ... and the faintest smell of old meat," says Mitnal triumphantly. "That might be a clue."
"Old meat? Like a butcher shop, or as in rotten flesh?"
"The lumbermill? Who's involved in this?"
I talk as we walk but go quiet if there's anyone else near.
"Smells like blood ... and the faintest smell of old meat," says Mitnal triumphantly. "That might be a clue.""Old meat? Like a butcher shop, or as in rotten flesh?"
Mitnal shrugs.
As they walk, the sheriff answers Gyorgy's question, "Near as we can tell it was Benny Harker and Katrine Vinder. Harker's not a problem identifying but I'm making an educated guess about Katrine. What bothers me though is the fact that this is not the first of these murders we've had. There've been three others killed and the one witness is clearly insane."
As they walk, the sheriff answers Gyorgy's question, "Near as we can tell it was Benny Harker and Katrine Vinder. Harker's not a problem identifying but I'm making an educated guess about Katrine. What bothers me though is the fact that this is not the first of these murders we've had. There've been three others killed and the one witness is clearly insane."
"Is the insane man a victim, or a suspect?"
Mitnal looks up from the note, "Can we speak to this 'insane' man?"
"I think he's just insane, and he clearly did not do these last two murders. He's locked up quite securely and, yes you can see him. Later. I want you to look at these two first."
The group has arrived outside the lumber mill. The water flows below, turning water wheels that propel the saws on the second and third floors. Wooden planks are stacked on the south side of the mill, protected from the rain by a shingled roof.
I head straight for the door: "Best get on with this then, how bad could it be?"
I shrug and head into the mill.
There are several townsmen watching the mill near to the entrance. As you head in, the sheriff Hemlock fills in a few more details, "The bodies were discovered by one of the mill workers, Ibor Thorn, early this morning. By the time I got here this morning, there was already a small crowd. We've kept them out though and my men are guarding the bodies. Should've known something was wrong last night when it was so quiet here."
The late night work done at the mill has been a sore point with many people for several weeks. As you think about it, you didn't hear the mill as much last night as is normal.
As you enter the mill's second floor, situated above the river, you smell something rotten. Literally. It smells like a dead animal, left to rot. Stairs lead up to a third floor and down to the first floor, which attaches to the timber pier which extends out into the Turandarok river.
Blood soaked sawdust lies on the floor. A log splitter near to a open chute leading down to the first floor is also coated with blood. There is an axe embedded in the floor near the log splitter. Most disturbing however is the mutilated bode of Harker affixed to the wall with hook on the far side of the room.
There are several townsmen watching the mill near to the entrance. As you head in, the sheriff Hemlock fills in a few more details, "The bodies were discovered by one of the mill workers, Ibor Thorn, early this morning. By the time I got here this morning, there was already a small crowd. We've kept them out though and my men are guarding the bodies. Should've known something was wrong last night when it was so quiet here."
The late night work done at the mill has been a sore point with many people for several weeks. As you think about it, you didn't hear the mill as much last night as is normal.
As you enter the mill's second floor, situated above the river, you smell something rotten. Literally. It smells like a dead animal, left to rot. Stairs lead up to a third floor and down to the first floor, which attaches to the timber pier which extends out into the Turandarok river.
Blood soaked sawdust lies on the floor. A log splitter near to a open chute leading down to the first floor is also coated with blood. There is an axe embedded in the floor near the log splitter. Most disturbing however is the mutilated bode of Harker affixed to the wall with hook on the far side of the room.
I move over to the window, lean out, and vomit.
Then I gasp in lungfuls of fresh air before returning to the scene.
Gerhardt stares impassively. "I've seen a lot of death, but this is beyond it."
Harker is/was a hefty man, not overweight, but heavily muscled and stocky.
There are bloody bare-feet footprints on the floor amid the sawdust. There was obviously a struggle, but strangely, Mitnal gets the feeling the struggle did not come from Harker. Most of Harker's blood seems to have been spilled after he was hooked tothe wall.
Avoiding the body, I examine the axe.
The dead-thing smell is stronger near the axe. There are bits of hair and maybe skin along the axe blade, though strangely no blood. The blood is all on the handle - bloody handprints.
The dead-thing smell is stronger near the axe. There are bits of hair and maybe skin along the axe blade, though strangely no blood. The blood is all on the handle - bloody handprints.
"This axe is really disgusting."
I give my allies a wave: "Bloody handprints all over the handle, but not the blade. Smells disgusting."
The dead-thing smell is stronger near the axe. There are bits of hair and maybe skin along the axe blade, though strangely no blood. The blood is all on the handle - bloody handprints."This axe is really disgusting."
I give my allies a wave: "Bloody handprints all over the handle, but not the blade. Smells disgusting."
"So, what? The victim tried to block the knife thrusts? The knife was wielded by the blade?"
Mitnal inspects the skin on the axe blade, reminding himself not to taste it this time as that seems to upset his companions.
The skin and bones sticking to the axe blade seem to be from a corpse, dead for some time. They smell like a dead thing as well. Clearly the evidence points to someone with bloody hands hitting a very dead person.
The sheriff watches you for a bit before saying, "You might take a gander at the markings someone made in Harker's chest as well."
The skin and bones sticking to the axe blade seem to be from a corpse, dead for some time. They smell like a dead thing as well. Clearly the evidence points to someone with bloody hands hitting a very dead person.
The sheriff watches you for a bit before saying, "You might take a gander at the markings someone made in Harker's chest as well."
Gerhardt approaches the body with distaste, and examines it closely.
The skin and bones sticking to the axe blade seem to be from a corpse, dead for some time. They smell like a dead thing as well. Clearly the evidence points to someone with bloody hands hitting a very dead person.
The sheriff watches you for a bit before saying, "You might take a gander at the markings someone made in Harker's chest as well."
"I didn't see a chest," say Mitnal really getting into this detective thing. "Was it locked when you arrived? If not, what was in it?"
Somehow getting used to the stench and the gore I wander over and look at the marks in Harker's chest.
Someone carved a rune into the miller's bare chest. Gerhardt does not recognize it right off, but Gyorgy does. It is the same Sihedron rune as was on a pendant worn by Nualia. Eugen had the pendant last and took it with him north.
Mitnal ignores the rune and continue looking around for a chest.
Someone carved a rune into the miller's bare chest. Gerhardt does not recognize it right off, but Gyorgy does. It is the same Sihedron rune as was on a pendant worn by Nualia. Eugen had the pendant last and took it with him north.
"Nualia's sign!"
I poke Mitnal in the ribs: "That sign, we saw it in Thistletop. Do you remember? Nualia had it on a pendant."
"Uhh ... oh ... oh! ... THAT chest," says Mitnal. "So, Nualia's behind this?"
If Nualia committed this crime, it would explain the axe blade. Nualia was hanged three days after being brought back from Thistletop. Her body was left hanging for two days and then she was buried in an unmarked grave outside of town.
Mitnal ignores the rune and continue looking around for a chest.
1d20+7
Mitnal did spy a tool chest of some sort against a far wall. It is suspiciously closed.
Any other inquiries?
Mitnal did spy a tool chest of some sort against a far wall. It is suspiciously closed.Mitnal ignores the rune and continue looking around for a chest.
1d20+7
Mitnal, feeling vindicated, investigates the chest, opening it with the blade of his klar.
I'm going to look for signs of entry. Checking out the doorways and any other ways in.
Gerhardt doesn't seem very interested, but wishing to keep up appearances, he examines the footprints to see if they lead anywhere interesting.
Mitnals examination of the chest reveals a box full of iron wedges, files, a bundle of oily twine and an assortment of bent nails.
Gyorgy and Gerhardt's examination is slightly more fruitful. There are bloody footprints that lead to the body of Harker, away from the saw. Tracing them back, there is some evidence they may have originally come from the lower floor. Which has not yet been examined, though there is another body down there.
Mitnals examination of the chest reveals a box full of iron wedges, files, a bundle of oily twine and an assortment of bent nails.
Gyorgy and Gerhardt's examination is slightly more fruitful. There are bloody footprints that lead to the body of Harker, away from the saw. Tracing them back, there is some evidence they may have originally come from the lower floor. Which has not yet been examined, though there is another body down there.
"Hmm. They clearly lead downstairs," Gerhardt says.
Mitnal stuffs some oily twine in his pocket for later investigation and examines the tracks.
There are definite tracks on the first floor, and one extremely grisly corpse (being watched over by a slightly sick-looking deputy), but Mitnal can't tell a whole lot from them, except that perhaps one or two of the footprints was made by a wet foot.
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There are definite tracks on the first floor, and one extremely grisly corpse (being watched over by a slightly sick-looking deputy), but Mitnal can't tell a whole lot from them, except that perhaps one or two of the footprints was made by a wet foot.
"Wet feet?"
I furrow my brow in thought: "Maybe the killer crossed the river?"
"Hopped through a river," says Mitnal, now getting into this detective stuff. He follows the tracks downstairs.
"Hopped through a river," says Mitnal, now getting into this detective stuff. He follows the tracks downstairs.
Gerhardt follows. He seems a bit annoyed for some reason.