"Lets go back ya, we have more information now and we could put it to use." Quiary says as he moves to the door.
Cael nods and moves to follow. If it's dark outside Cael will cast light on his buckler.
Norm nods and follows the others.
As you leave the cell, Sheriff Hemlock is waiting for you.
"So, how did it go?", he asks. "Just...Can we release him?"
"Yes, you can release him." Ansgar says to the Sheriff. "I think our next step if to head to the Sanitorium or the barn where the first murder happened. Did you find anything else after we left?"
Quiary follows Ansgar as well
Cael pulls out his journal and flips through the few pages he's written notes in while whistling a tune.
Norm walks over to Cael with his own notes to compare
Zelinda follows the boys, stumbling a little in exhaustion. "Let's make this quick, guys. I'm late for bed."
Cael eager for a chance to lighten the mood and seeing an opportunity for a good natured jibe causally comments, "can't skimp on beauty sleep now can we?"
The Sheriff nods.
"If you're thinking about investigating the first murders you might want to talk with Tudor, he was one of the patrolling guards who found the bodies and is watching the Northgate. I also asked Father Zantus to keep the bodies for a while longer so you could look at them. Between that and the Sanatorium hopefully you can figure something out."
"Well, to Tuder then Stoneface?" Cael asks.
"Yes lets talk to him, maybe he knows more and we can get this done quickly and back to sleep." Quiary says
Ansgar nods at the others comments. "Yes, I think so."
Cael nods and steps out lighting their path with a glowing buckler.
You head out from the Garrison into the Northgate, where you quickly find Tudor in watch duty. He greets you.
"The heroes of Sandpoint, right? I hope you're as good at untangling mysteries as you're at killing goblins.", he says.
As you talk to him, he says.
"I and a couple of other guards were patrolling the Lost Coast Road when a deranged man came out of an abandoned barn south of town along the banks of Cougar Creek and assaulted us. The man was obviously sick and insane, his flesh fevered, eyes wild, mouth-frothing, and clothes caked with blood. We subdued him, but then we checked inside the barn and discovered the mutilated bodies of three men. The bodies were far too disfigured for us to identify, but one of them carried a piece of parchment with a couple of names. It seems they were Tarch Mortwell, Lener Hask, and Gedwin Tabe, three notorious con men and swindlers well known to us as local troublemakers.
The Sheriff personally forbade the three men from operating their con games and barely legal operations in Sandpoint, so we weren't particularly surprised at the time to find them murdered, it felt like it was only a matter of time before they tried to swindle someone worse than them, after all. Now that the mill murders happened, however, we're not so sure.
I think the bodies are still with Father Zantus if you feel like taking a look, just make sure you've digested your food before..."
Off to see Zantus again... Best wait and see if the others have any questions...
Ansgar waits patiently for the others to ask any questions they may have.
Norm listen carefully
"What of the man you found, what can you tell us about him? and do you know what happend to him?"
"I know he is at the Sanatorium, but let's hear what he says"
Cael looks at Ansgar as he stands waiting. Then Norm speaks up. Confused Cael pipes up, "But Norm, didn't the serif say that the man is in the sanitorium?"
"We can visit him later, sounds like his mind was broken, drugs or something else maybe." Quiary says. "How were these men murdered do you know? Torn apart or by a weapon."
Norm looks at Cael with a "What the F..., man!"-look
"I um, oh..." Cael flounders a bit realizing that he's messed up what Norm was trying to do.
Tudor looks confused at the interaction before saying. "Yeah, he's at the sanatorium, we know him to be a local thug for hire named Grayst Sevilla. Seemed like he was way off his rocker so we sent him to Erin Habe in the sanatorium south of town."
"That is where we go next" Quiary says as he looks around. "Can you give us some directions? I am not sure where that is."
"It's not that close.", he laughs. "You have to follow the Lost Coast Road south, around cougar creek, then take the small foot trails east, rather than the main road. If you're really thinking about going there you probably should get a letter of introduction from someone important around here or something like that. You might be big heroes in Sandpoint but old Habe likely has no idea who you are."
Ansgar nods in thanks to the guard. "We should rest for the night, and talk to Father Zantus, the Sheriff, and the Mayor about getting a letter of introduction. We can use the time tomorrow while one is put together to go look over the bodies the are in Father Zantus' care."
"Sounds good to me. This way I'll have time for a couple of mugs before the night is through."
Norm nods along at Ansgar's suggestions
"That sounds like a good plan, it is getting late. Let's go sleep and start by talking to Father Zantus tomorrow"
You wake up the next morning at the Rusty Dragon Inn, you can smell the breakfast made for you by Ameiko downstairs.
As the scent of the breakfast starts to spread, Cliff starts nudging Norm to wake him up.
Norm sits up in his bed and as the scent hits his nose, he suddenly feels how hungry he is. Well, to be honest, he's always a little hungry.
He gets dressed quickly and is soon to be found in the main room of the inn with a big plate in front of him. Cliff is laying on the floor, his food already gone, playing with a leftover bone.
Cael is late to rise and seems a bit groggy as he descends the stairs to the common room. "I hate mornings." He grumbles to himself. Finding the others he grabs a piece of toast and a glass of water. "So guys, what's the plan? Are we headed to the sanitorium, or to Father Zantus' first?"
Quiary quick straps on his armor, grabbing his weapons he heads downstairs for the meal he could smell the whole time he was getting ready. "We should talk to father Zantus first, he will be able to get us what we need and then we should be off today I think." Quiary says as he sits and waits for food.
After breakfast, you head to the church, Father Zantus is talking to a bearded man when you arrive, the bearded man sees you entering the church and walks off.
"Good morning.", Zantus says. "How can I help you?"
After a good night's rest, Zelinda feels much more refreshed and joins the others in continuing with their investigation.
"Good morning, Father." the young half-elf says cheerily. "We were asked by the Sheriff to stop in and have a look at the bodies from recently." Her cheery demeanor is reduced a bit as the memories of the night before comes back to her.
Ansgar wakes, stretches, and prepares for the day.
I should don my armour... Official business needs a proper look...
After donning his armour, Ansgar eats breakfast, then goes with Zelinda and the others to meet Father Zantus.
Cael nods, "Yeah, was there anything... odd about them?"
"You better see for yourself, I guess.", he says, guiding you to a smaller room on the temple where three corpses lie over tables. The room has a faint smell of rotten meat disguised by a stronger smell of incense.
"I've been preserving the corpses since they got to me but they were already somewhat decomposed.", he explains.
The corpses are mutilated and disfigured beyond recognition, but all three bear the seven-pointed star marking that Harker had in the mill. In a side table, you can see what probably were the deceased's clothes and possessions.
"Same mark. That can't be a coincidence." Cael comments while holding his hand over his mouth and nose.
Norm walks over to the corpses.
"It looks like it. Let me have a look"
He'll tale a closer look at the bodies, especially the marks, to see if there is anything interesting. Is it possible to see what the wounds were made with? (Blade, claws, beaten, riped apart etc?)
While looking, he asks
"Father, you've had some time to look at them, have you found out anything we should take a closer look at?"
After looking at the bodies, he'll also tage a look at the clothe and possessions.
One for each of the bodies and one for the possessions?
One for each of the bodies?
"More of these marks again?" Quiary says "Father we came here for a letter letting us in the Sanatorium so that we can talk with Grayst Sevilla who they think did all this." Quiary says choking back some vomit from the smell.
"Father, you've had some time to look at them, have you found out anything we should take a closer look at?"
"I...Haven't really looked too much at them.", he looks away, a bit embarrassed. "It happened outside of town, we thought it was just criminals going at each other, so I didn't spend any more time near these corpses than what I needed to keep them from rotting, I see dead people all the time, but not in this state...I was really hoping we could bury them soon."
Inspecting the corpses, Normornigan quickly notices they all have claw marks similar to those from Harker's body, they all have a strong rotten scent that seems much stronger than their state would suggest.
Their possessions include clothing, daggers, sets of dice, decks of cards, and some jewelry. There is also a small piece of parchment with handwriting very similar to the one addressed to Ansgar.
Norm points out the claw marks to the others.
Norm looks at the note
"The note does indicate that it should be them, but I would really love to be sure. Any way to make sure, father? is it possible to contact their spirit?"
And looking at the items he asks
"Anyone able to tell if any of this is magical?"
Cael steps out as the smell becomes too much.
"Father we came here for a letter letting us in the Sanatorium so that we can talk with Grayst Sevilla who they think did all this."
"Right, I can write you one, me and Habe don't necessarily see eye to eye but I guess he'll respect my position in the town."
"The note does indicate that it should be them, but I would really love to be sure. Any way to make sure, father? is it possible to contact their spirit?"
"I guess we'll never be completely sure, but this parchment and their possessions seem to leave little doubt.", he says. "They used to carry loaded dice and fake jewelry with them when alive...I'm afraid contacting their spirit is above what my connection with Desna would allow."
"Thank you for your help, Father. The letter will help us and we will hopefully have one from the Sheriff as well. If Habe will not let us in out of liking our sponsors, maybe the weight of them will help him cooperate."
Ansgar looks over all the gear, detecting magic on it as he examines it. Grabbing a set of dice, Ansgar pours some water in a bowl and spins them to see if they are loaded.
"It is probably best not to ask them, doesn't bringing them back for that make them relive their deaths again? I have heard that but it could be wrong." Quiary says, "Thanks for the note Father"
The dice indeed seem loaded, each favoring different numbers.
Father Zantus takes some time to write and sign a letter of introduction for you.
"Here, getting one from the sheriff too is probably a good idea."
"Thank you father.
Norm looks at the others
"I'm don't have anything else to see here. Do you want to go to the Sherif now?"
"Good Idea, Norm we can run over there and talk with him in case someone else has questions for the good father." Quiary says breathing through his mouth to avoid the smell.