"It would seem we have time," Muchorak sighs, "The tracks I found lead to the river then ended. There is no sign of a boat shoring, nor foot steps on the other side for someone traversing it. They left and most likely arrived by the river as well."
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"I could search in the river waters themselves, but I would need some time by myself to prepare first."
Marak leans up from unsuccessfully sniffing the tracks. "I strongly advise against exploring alone. I suspect some sort of undead may have been responsible for this atrocity, from the stench of the long-dead remaining on the weapon, and such creatures could function quite well underwater, having no need for breath."
He looks to their small companion. "If Alisebett has the capability to become some aquatic creature, a dolphin, shark or seal, perhaps, she could accompany you in this search."
Seeing nothing from the sky Ali spirals down flowing to Gnome form just before reaching the ground so that she lands gentley on her feet. Already knowing there to be some kind of great disturbance from her emotional link with Lunas, and used to the natural savagery of the wild she nevertheless is still taken aback by the scene in the mill and a small gasp escapes her.
After catching up on all that has passed Ali sets about to help in whatever ways she can.
Marak leans up from unsuccessfully sniffing the tracks. "I strongly advise against exploring alone. I suspect some sort of undead may have been responsible for this atrocity, from the stench of the long-dead remaining on the weapon, and such creatures could function quite well underwater, having no need for breath."
"You are probably right, but what other option are there?"
"How could the killer come and go without being seen?"
"Ibor Thorn is Banny's Partner..though the mill itself is owned by the Scarnetti family" the sherrif informs you just as a man bursts into the Mill..a man Romon instantly recognises..
"Where is she..where is my Katrine" Ven Vinder bellows before he catches sight of the pathetic remains on the floor.."merciful god's..who..who could have done such a thing.." he rounds on Romon.."You..it was you you scum..you couldn't get her sister and then you tried her and when she rejected you..you kiled her" he lunges for the young Rogue hands outstretched.
Ali meanwhile has been working dilgently but can determine nothing more than Muchorak..the stench hits her sensitive nose even more than when in gnome form but she keeps her wits about her and is not ill.
Muchorak will move quickly to intercept the enraged young man before he can make contact with Romon, "Calm yourself boy!" Muchorak stands tall as if a father chastizing a child...
Romon's hand goes to his knife and he takes two quick steps backwards as Ven charges toward him. He slides left behind Muchorak as the big Shoanti interposes himself. Handy person, Muchorak. I'd buy him a drink, if he drank. The half-elf drops his hand from the dagger.
"By the gods, we are no murderers! Ask the sheriff, we were brought here by his request. These murders took place while we were away."
"We are all sorry for your loss but you blame innocent parties here."
Muchorak..no young man..this is Katrin's father..the same man who already had a grudge against Romon.
Ven goes to take a swing at the Shoanti only to be stopped as his arm is grabbed by the sherrif
"That..is enough" Hemlock snarls.."Do not insult your daughters memory by playing the fool..This man was not even in town when it happened."
He spins the shop keeper around to face him.."These people that you and your friends have scorned will find your daugheters killer and bring justice to whoever or whatever he or she is..do not anger me Ven..you would not enjoy my anger"
Ven seems to sag visibly under the Sherrifs glare "I..forgive me Sherrif I am understandably angry..Katrin is gone forever and last night Shayliss told me she had taken employment in that house down the road(The Pixies Kitten..Sandpoints rather classy House of Ill Repute)
Muchorak resists the urge to strike back at the man, looks at the Sherriff and in Shoanti, "Take him from this place so we may finish discussing our course of action."
After the man leaves, "What shall we do?" looking at the others, "Should we begin patrolling the town at night in an attempt to be on scene for the next assault or just wait for it to happen, or should we follow the river in both directions to see if we can find a place that this creature would use as a resting area?"
Romon brushes some dust off his arms. His head twists quickly and momentarily to the right.
"Thanks, Muchorak. A big guy like him against me, it could have gotten ugly and we don't need any more trouble with people like him."
After the man leaves, "What shall we do?" looking at the others, "Should we begin patrolling the town at night in an attempt to be on scene for the next assault or just wait for it to happen, or should we follow the river in both directions to see if we can find a place that this creature would use as a resting area?"
"Patroling is a fool's game, but it might be the only game we have unless -- Marak, you said it was undead? Is there any way you or Inikai could sense it or track it down? Some magic field or something?"
Wellard
Wellard remember the Smell Evil ability we gave Ali? It's described in full on her sheet, is that not appropriate here? Or do you feel it might be game breaking in a murder mystery like this?
Her little face screwed up in thought, Ali finally bursts out with "Maybe we ask and lookie see who last people see and talk talk with these poor dead dead ones here?"
"Talking to the last people that saw them does seem as good a place to start as any."
"I agree, we can't cover the whole of the town. Talking to those who knew the victims would be better."
"No, Romon, I know of no way to locate the killer by magic. Pity that."
Ali
"Sounds like a good idea" the Sherrif grunts.."there might be one problem..the last persons to have seen Katrine alive would probably have been her father and her sister..best leave it to me to talk to them"
Looking up for approval from her friends Ali asks "So we go now to talky talk to friends of other dead dead ones?"
"Yes, Ali, we will talk to friends of the dead ones."
Inikai looks around at the mill to see if anything looks wrong, apart from the gruesomely mutilated corpses.
"Sounds like a good idea" the Sherrif grunts.."there might be one problem..the last persons to have seen Katrine alive would probably have been her father and her sister..best leave it to me to talk to them"
"I don't mind talking to Shayliss, Sheriff. Only to her father."
Hemlock looks at Romon.."Nothing to do with her working in the cat house I suppose.." he grunts eventually.."I'll deal with Ven.maybe you should talk to Ibor..and the mill staff..they'll mostly be outside there"
Hemlock looks at Romon.."Nothing to do with her working in the cat house I suppose.." he grunts eventually.."I'll deal with Ven.maybe you should talk to Ibor..and the mill staff..they'll mostly be outside there"
Romon stares back at Hemlock. The half-elf's cheeks redden. Romon had just been mouthing off, trying to be funny in the way he and his friends in Magnimar always did. He hadn't expected the Sheriff to make any reply, especially not one as sharp as that. And he could hear the ring of scorn, or maybe dismissal, behind the Sheriff's words. It resonated with a small voice inside him that whispered, "You'll never be good for anything."
The resonance flows to anger. "Just keep old Vinders out of my way, Sheriff. If he comes at me again, he's like to wind up dead."
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Marak mishears Alisebett's comment as 'speaking to the dead ones' and ponders the use of necromancy to commune with the spirits of the victims.
He says quietly to Inikai, not wanting to be overheard by the sheriff, "Given time to rest and prepare myself, I can commune with the echoes of the departed, lingering within their bodies. Their souls are long departed, and beyond the reach of any magic save the gods, but some memories remain, locked away, like reflections in dark water. I can only ask a pair of questions of each, but that may be enough to learn of their killers. It would be useful to come up with a short list of the most effective questions we can, if we are to pursue this avenue, as it will diminish the shadowy remnants left within the bodies to interrogate them so, and it would be at least a week before I could attempt another session."
He examines once again the location, considering that there are only certain reasons for murder. Revenge. Greed. Ritual. Speaking to their friends and family will determine if they had foes who would wish harm upon them, but the state of their bodies may determine if items were taken, or if some dark sacrament was worked here.
Inikai is somewhat taken aback at Marak's proposal to use necromancy. If this is discovered by the townsfolk we might as well proclaim ourselves as devils he thinks to himself.
He replies to Marak as quietly as he can while the others are concentrating on the sheriff. Occasionally he switches into Varisian in order to make the conversation harder to follow. "I am sure our leader (Muchorak) would object to this but I cannot say how strongly. The same for the one of many (Ali) but I expect indignation of some sort. Is this practice accepted in your sect of Nethys?"
"In purely pragmatic terms it makes sense. However, I would like to explore more mudane avenues before we try your idea."
The Sihedron rune carved into Banny's body might indicate a connection to Nualia..but all her associates are dead or have fled..
Banny's jawbone has been sawn away and is not present..a speak with dead would be impossible with Him..Katrins spirit might be recalled .
It is quite obvious that this was premeditated murder..at least of Banny.
"As I see it " Hemlock says.."Banny was waiting here for the girl..whatever it was that killed him caught him unawares over powered him and strung him up on those hooks before torturing him..the girl arrived..attacked it with the axe..those fingermarks are too small to be a man's and it threw her into the log splitter..at least it would have been quick for her..Banny I think lasted a long time poor fellow"
"So then it would be someone who had a vendetta against Banny?" Muchorak looks at the Sheriff, "Do you know of anyone who may fit into that role?"
"Perhaps it was a grudge against the owners of the mill? Someone might have wanted to harm the Scarettis by destroying one of their businesses."
"It seems that we will have to once again interview anyone close to the victims."
Romon rouses himself out of an unusual bit of critical self-examination. "Let me start on the other mill workers."
He spins and trots to the door, "Who works here?"
Diplomacy
Sense Motive
Ibor gives you the following answers
"Who found the bodies?
"Ed Derin..poor guy he's still in shock..the priests are looking after him"
Was Banny often in the mill alone?
"Yes, we all knew he was meeting his squeeze there..poor lass..it was the only place they could avoid her pa see"
Did Banny have any enemies?
"Does a cow give milk..he wasn't the most popular man in town"
Does the 7 pointed star mean anything to them?
"Wasn't that down in those passages you found? It means nothing to us"
Do they know anyone who calls himself "His Lordship"?
"Can't say we do..not many nobles round here you know..and I doubt Lord Scarnetti would have his own man killed..then there's Lord Foxglove the one you guys rescued when the goblins attacked but he lives in Magnimar I think and the mansion is shut up..and well..you know what happened to Lord Kaijutsu""
"Foxglove did seem extremely odd now that I think about him. And he did seem overly taken with you, Muchorak. Honestly, I often found it hard to pay attention when he droned on so maybe he made some kind of offer to recruit you and you were not listening to him either. His fascination with the hunt and with the untamed world seems to go with the desire to have a Shoanti huntsman in his entourage."
"I think his mansion might be the place to start looking. Maybe some of his retainers still reside there." Inikai almost says out loud that he never thought of Foxglove wielding magic but then thinks better of bringing it up.
"Perhaps," Muchorak responds to Inikai, "what did he mean by his mansion being all shut up?"
Ibor gives you the following answers
Was Banny often in the mill alone?
"Yes, we all knew he was meeting his squeeze there..poor lass..it was the only place they could avoid her pa see"
Did Banny have any enemies?
"Does a cow give milk..he wasn't the most popular man in town"
"
Romon follows up.
"Just to be clear. His squeeze was Katrina, the dead girl here?"
"Banny's enemies. Any bad enough to kill him?"
Thinking how in the wild animals were often killed if their were sick, and the cause of their sickness often came from where they slept Ali pipes up again while pointing at the mess that was once Benny
"Maybe we go look look at...um, two-leg den of him dead dead one?" Falters the small druid a bit, embarrassed somewhat to have forgotten the proper word for the two leg dwelling places.
"Just to be clear. His squeeze was Katrina, the dead girl here?"
"Aye...they had been meeting here for two..no three months now.I know her father didn't like it.
"Banny's enemies. Any bad enough to kill him?"
"nah..Banny was disliked but no-one really hated him..he had a reputation for being tight with coin and that wasn't unfounded..but well we had a business to run and you don't make a profit if you spread gold like butter."
"Aye...they had been meeting here for two..no three months now.I know her father didn't like it.
"Her father doesn't like much." Romon agreed.
"nah..Banny was disliked but no-one really hated him..he had a reputation for being tight with coin and that wasn't unfounded..but well we had a business to run and you don't make a profit if you spread gold like butter."
"What about close friends or family?"
Ibon.shrugs.."I don't think he had any family..not round here anyway..Banny came up from Riddleport about 5 no 6 years ago..the Scarnetti's brought him in because he knew how to make money..and he did..he just didnt like spending it..until Katrin came along..I think for once in his life he was genuinely attached to someone."
he turns to Muchorak.
"As for Lord Foxglove..the mansion was shut up for years..I know he wanted to reopen it and he was talking to us at one point about supplying wood for repairs..but I reckon he must have gone back to Magnimar him and that pretty wife of his..we havent seen him since you went on that hunt"
"Is this mill the only place to garner wood from?" Muchorak pauses, "Was he asking for the wood for free? Did any arguements come up during the discussion of it, or price of the wood?"
"I take it nothing like this has ever happened around here before?"
"There were several murders five years ago but the killer was found and killed by the prior sheriff."
"I have no doubt Banny was his usual businesslike self..but he might have asked a bit over the odds..nobles can afford it"
When Ibor turns to Muchorak Romon's attention drifts. Is that desk teak? That might be worth a pretty penny. How good is the lock on the door?
..."blah, blah, blah ...pretty wife of his..."
Romon's attention snaps back to the business at hand.
After the interview with Ibor is over, Romon will suggest splitting up. Muchorak and Ali and whoever can tramp up the river looking for clues. Marak and Inikai can do some magic stuff. Naria, well he still has no idea what Naria can do. He'll go interview Shayliss.
"Hmm, since your tryst, Shayliss will now only do it for money. It must have been an off night for you, Romon." By the grin on his face, it is clear that Inikai is only kidding in a friendly way.
"I'd like to see you do better with her father watching. Talk about a turnoff. More like the appetizer was so tasty she's left home to find the supper."
"Perhaps we should be asking if Foxglove had any enemies here? Or anyone would benefit of setting him up as a villian?" Muchorak pauses, "Perhaps if this is the situation they would be using his abandoned home as a base, a safe location since it is believed to be abandoned. Perhaps we should start there?"
When Ibor turns to Muchorak Romon's attention drifts. Is that desk teak? That might be worth a pretty penny. How good is the lock on the door?
..."blah, blah, blah ...pretty wife of his..."Romon's attention snaps back to the business at hand.
After the interview with Ibor is over, Romon will suggest splitting up. Muchorak and Ali and whoever can tramp up the river looking for clues. Marak and Inikai can do some magic stuff. Naria, well he still has no idea what Naria can do. He'll go interview Shayliss.
Naria will volunteer to go with Ali and Muchorak.
While the others have been talking Ali and Lunas have been dilligently searching the rest of the mill to make sure there are no unexplored areas or missed clues
You have learned everything you can at the Mill.
Romon heads off for the Pixies Kitten a relatively discreet building in a back courtyard just doen the road from Ven's store.
Looking at Wolf Spirit and their new small friend, "Shall we begin our search?" Assuming their response to be positive the Shoanti doesn't wait, he departs heading to the river to begin his search...