"Perhaps he just wants someone to be caught," Nuri suggests. "Maybe he was hoping the town guard would take the path of least resistance and assume it's Scarnetti bumping off flunkies. It could be one of Scarnetti's rivals setting him up."
"I think we need to talk to this crazed possible witness sooner rather than later. Let's head over to the White Deer to pick up Wren." She doesn't mention Victor.
"I agree," Kern says with a nod. "He's our best hope for solid information."
Victor and DM.
Wren knows the scuttlebutt will be out in earnest in no time, so she was honest with Titus and told him who the victims were. She left out the details about possible attacks from undead in her story.
So scratch this :) ?
Victor scratches the back of his head, glancing over at Wren with a worried look, not realizing Titus had no idea of who the victims were or where they were found. "Um, sir, that is going to be a problem. You see, I do not think that your meeting will be taking place. Because, um, sir, the lumber mill is kind of where the murders took place. And Banny, sir, you see... he is, um... well, he was one of the victims," he cringes before eventually adding, "sir." He peers through one eye, expecting outrage from the man.
"It's true. The murder happened at the mill," she adds quietly, waiting for a response.
There is a crash as Titus drops his fork onto his plate, "What! My Mill?" He pushes his hefty girth away from the table and quickly stands. With a finger in Victor's face, "You find out who did this, you bring in the scum that would hurt my business...leaving dead bodies in my Mill, killing my workers. You find who did this and bring them to me!" Without another word he heads swiftly towards the door.
Victor raises a finger, "Actually that is why...," he starts but quits as he finds himself talking to no one. Sighing, he looks to Wren. "Well, Ms. Wren, I am going to take that as he did not know about the murders. Ah well, I say we find the others and see if they have fared any better than ourselves."
"_Yep, Victor, there was no good way to break the news, but that didn't go wonderfully."
Victor and Wren exit the White Deer just as everyone else comes to collect them. In a short time you are headed south out of town towards the Saintly Haven of Respite, or as it is better known locally Habe's Sanatorium. It is in a remote dale and with in an hour you arrive at the squat, stone building that serves as the sanatorium. It has three floors under a stout, stone-flagged roof, and is built in the lee ofthe limestone escarpment known as Ashen Rise. All doors are stout wooden ones, and a brisk sense of cleanliness fills the place-floors are scrubbed and walls are freshly painted white. Narrow windows, no more than 4 inches wide, allow for air circulation but are too small to allow access into the building.
The somewhat sour smell of burning incense abounds as you enter the reception chamber just of a creaky wooden veranda. The room contains a desk and three chairs, two to the west, one to the east. A cord hangs from a hole in the southern wall above a sign that reads, "Ring for service." A few minutes after you pull the rope Erin Habe arrives.
He gives you a glaring look and says "I am sorry, the Saintly Haven of Respite is closed to visitors today. Especialy ones arriving unannounced." He definitely has an unfriendly attitude.
Forgive the intrusion sir Roakkad said, emphasising the word so that it carried great weight, but i'm afraid that your assistance is sorely needed by the lawful authorities of Sandpoint. I am sure I man of your respected station in this town understands the need for full co-operation between us?
Habe seems indifferent to the Shoanti's request, "Sheriff Hemlock understands the importance of my work and makes appointments on the rare occasions he needs my co-operation. I can make time to see you at the hour after noon on the morrow, can I expect you then? I am in the middle of some very important work and can not be disturbed at this time." Your presence, perhaps because there are six of you squeezed in his tiny reception chamber, seems to make him nervous.
Roakkad's reply took on an oratory note as he began to proclaim-
Surely, good sir, you can see the dilemma before us. Sandpoint's citizens are at great risk and could surely cost the life of another citizen!
Even as Roakkad orated, unbeknownst to even his allies, his hands subtly weaved a spell into the words he spoke as he gestured at the man passionately, undetectable to all but the most perceptive of observers.
Roakkad casts Charm Person, DC17, using Spellsong feat.
Habe's posture shifts ever so slightly, but each of you notice that his nervous twitching fades and the grimace on his face softens. He looks at Roakkad, "My apologies, I had no idea my assistance could prevent the loss of life. No we should not delay, how can I help you?"
"These are not the first murders it appears. Belril's patrol reported being assaulted by a deranged man near an abandoned barn south of town along the banks of Cougar Creek. The man was obviously sick and insane, his flesh fevered, eyes wild, mouth frothing, and clothes caked with blood. The guards subdued him, but when they checked inside the barn they discovered the mutilated bodies of three men. Although all three bodies were far too disfigured to identify, one of them carried a piece of parchment.” Belor hands it to one of you.Parchment Note:
Messrs. Mortwell, Hask, and Tabe— A deal has come about that I need capital in. It involves property and gold, and though I am not at liberty to tell you the exact details, it will make us all rich. Come to Bradley’s Barn on Cougar Creek tonight. We can meet there to discuss our futures. Your Lordship
“I know these three, Tarch Mortwell, Lener Hask, and Gedwin Tabe, notorious con men and swindlers and I personally forbade the three men from operating their con games and barely legal operations here in Sandpoint just a few weeks ago. They certainly are trouble makers, and I was not surprised to learn of their death. The bodies are in the chill room down below the cells. The deranged man was a Varisian thug know to hang with less than reputable people by the name of Grayst Sevilla and has been taken to the Saintly Haven of Respite a sanatourim outside of town. Belril had a lead, but he was not inclined to share it with me and he took his patrol further south to investiage. It seems the murder moved north.”
"On behalf of the Sheriff's office, thank you for your cooperation," Kern says, stepping in with a smile. "We need to speak to one of your patients, Grayst Sevilla. He might have been a witness to a crime and could have valuable information to help us catch the criminal. We'd appreciate it very much if you'd show us to him."
Wren follows Victor and heads out in town, looking for the others to reconnect with.
Wren follows Victor and heads out in town, looking for the others to reconnect with.
"Well that seems reasonable, please come this way." Habe ushers all of you though a door into a larger room. It appears to be a combination kitchen - sewing room, and it also appears the kitchen side is the only part of the room currently getting any use. Two orderlies are sitting at one of three large tables, the remnants of a stew lunch in front of them. They look similar enough to be brother and sister, and show the obvious signs of a tiefling heritage. Habe sends them to retrieve Grayst and bring him down for questioning.
He takes a seat to wait, and his nervousness seems to increase as he fidgets in his seat. While you wait you notice several other doors lead from the chamber. Aside from the one in the north that you came through there are three on the west wall and one in the south...all are closed. The orderlies left through a hall way going west out of the room. MAP OF HABE'S
A few minutes latter the orderlies return with Grayst in a straight jacket. His skin is pale and looks gangrenous, his hair wild and eyes milky white. They put him at the first of the long tables, for the moment he doesn't seem to recognize anyone else is there and he is mumbling something incoherent.
Nuri looks alarmed but tries to keep her voice calm. "Mr. Habe, you need to make sure the other patients' doors are locked and then evacuate your staff immediately. This man is very ill ... and very dangerous." She looks to Roakkad for any convincing the man might need to give the order. "Time is short; be ready," she warns the others. "Try to keep the tables between him and you. " she raises her voice, hoping to startle him out of his delirium. ""
Erin Habe and his orderlies back up, but don't leave the room. Grayst keeps mumbling until Nuri calls his name, then he looks right at her. His milky white eyes stare wildly at her and he starts changing, "Razors...razors...razors." He gets louder and louder then screams, " He smacks his head down against the table, hunched over he glares at Nuri again hissing through his peaked lips, "The Skinsaw Man is coming....."
"Does anyone have any idea what he is going on about? Habe,, has he mentioned this "skinsaw man" before?"
Does Eponine know anything about the Skinsaw Man? Knowledge (whatever, as long as it isn't geography),
At the sound of Wren's voice Grayst sits up and starts bouncing in his seat on the bench. "Before? BEFORE! Before the teeeeeeth....Oh so many teeth!" He bounces up and down faster and faster, "razors...RAZORS...razors...RAZORS...' Then he sudden slams himself down stiff as a statue staring off into the distance.
The orderlies look nervously at each other while Habe shakes his head in confusion.
Eponine has never heard anything about a Skinsaw Man before today. As she looks upon the crazed patient his gaze turns towards her. With a sudden recognition and insane clarity he utters as his eyes bulge, "He said. He said you would visit me. His Lordship. The one that unmade me said so. He has a place for you. A precious place. I'm so jealous. He has a message for you. He made me remember it. I hope I haven't forgotten. The master wouldn't approve if I forgot. Let me see... let... me... see...He said that if you came to his Misgivings, that if you joined his Pack, he would end his harvest in your honor." Then he collapse with a low moan, falling backwards off the bench to the floor.
"The Pack," Nuri repeats, glancing at Eponine. "He is recruiting. Just not with Harker and the other three for some reason. Why? What makes them unsuitable? Mr. Habe," she goes on crisply, "I insist that you get your staff out of here. They're in danger of contagion, and so are you."
Kern glances in alarm at Eponine. Then he turns back to Grayst. For a moment, he looks ready to pick the crazed man up off the floor, but he holds himself back. "Mister Sevilla, what is this pack you speak of?" he asks. "And who is your master?"
Eponine is in stunned silent, her wide eyes and gaping mouth a portrait of one horrified, before she realizes this is the opportunity they've looked for. Suddenly excited, she demands of the fallen man "Yes, where is Misgivings? Where? Who's the lordship?" The gleam in her eye at being close to an actual answer to the bizarre slayings could almost make one think she was considering the offer.
With a howl and a ripping tear Grayst rises from the floor, the tattered straightjacket falling in pieces around him. He shouts at Eponine, "WHY DOES HE LOVE YOU MORE THAN ME!'
With a lunge the mad man attacks Eponine with a dirty hand, but she is alert enough to avoid the blow.
The man's very appearance and mad ravings had made it clear to the Shoanti that he was an abomination, no matter who he once was. He had tensed up and had already started channeling the wrath of the sky spirits. A tremendous cacophony rang out behind the man, striking him just after he swung for Eponine.
Subdue or kill? the Shoanti asked his allies as he strapped on his traditional klar; expertly crafted from the skull of a mighty lizard slain by his Quah.
The mad man ignores the thunderous sound, but shudders as the vibrations wrack his body.
Wren casts Invisibility on Eponine, trying to give the others a chance to restrain the madman as Epi would be safe. "Hold your hands, Grayst! She's gone..."
Victor quickly pulls out his bow and nocks an arrow, aiming for the insane man. "This man is crazy and he needs to go down!" he proclaims and fires.
Prescience roll
Catching on to Wren's ruse, Eponine remains still, making sure even her breathing is beyond detection.
Stealth
"This man is crazy and he needs to go down!" he proclaims and fires.
"No!" Nuri cries, a split second too late. "He's in the advanced stages of ghoul fever," she explains, frowning reproachfully at Victor. "If he dies, this is only going to get worse." She touches Kern with her holy text, intoning, "Aurkitu aterpe zure fedean. Try to restrain him," she urges, readying her own shield.
Eponine winks out of visual existence as Victor plants an arrow into the raving lunatic. Eponine takes a deep breath and remains as still as she possibly can. Kern feels the power of protection as Nuri invokes her divine connection upon him, as she pulls her own tangible shield into a ready position. Habe is escorted out the north door by his orderlies, as the southern door bursts open. A robed man steps through, "Who disturbs my work?" Seeing so many visitors with weapons and shields drawn in battle with the madman, he points and zombies shuffle into the chamber. The lead one taking a swing at Kern and landing a lucky blow on his shoulder blades.
Kern nods to Nuri as she casts the spell on him. He is about to try to grab the madman when the zombies burst through the door, one of them pounding at him before he can react. "What the hell?" he gasps. He decides a change of tactics is needed and pulls out his flail to attack the zombie that hit him.
Kern spins and smashes the head of the attacking zombie easily crumpling its rotted skull and dropping it to the floor.
Grayst screems, "NOOOOOOO! Take me with you, take me to Your Lordship" He lunges grasping wildly to where Eponine was once visible trying to find where she went. "COME BAAAACK!"
Round 2 Action-
With the man already badly wounded, Roakkad surged into the fight and bashed his shield against the side of Grayst's head, seeking to knock him out as per Nuri's words. The skull of the lizard upon the traditional shield connected solidly with Grayst's own skull.
"All I can do is slay him! If we want him alive, one of you knock him out," Wren advises as she holds her action, still not sure if the group plans to killing Grayst or not.
"No!" Nuri cries, a split second too late. "He's in the advanced stages of ghoul fever," she explains, frowning reproachfully at Victor. "If he dies, this is only going to get worse." She touches Kern with her holy text, intoning, "Aurkitu aterpe zure fedean. Try to restrain him," she urges, readying her own shield.
Victor looks to her, frustrated. "So he becomes a ghoul if we kill him, or he becomes a ghoul if we DON'T! Either way he dies and we have to kill him again anyway! We waste time keeping him alive, confounded woman!"
As Victor gripes, his attention is immediately drawn towards the newcomer who arrives on the scene and speaks; and then it's drawn to the multiple zombies that appear behind him. "What?! ... What?! ... Who?!" Shocked by the sudden turn of events, "What?!" is all Victor can manage as he's completely taken aback by it all.
Raising his bow to fire, he raises and eyebrow at Wren's actions, wondering why she is so intent on Grayst when they obviously have more glaring issues at present. "Ms. Wren?! Do you NOT see the army of zombies that just walked in here?! Blast them with your magic bolt or whatever it is called!" he advises impatiently as he fires away at the zombie controller.
Seeing the numerical odds turning against her friends, Wren attempts to boost her allies and prepare them for the upcoming combat.