In a slightly excitable voice, Morythine relays his observations on the corpse to his comrades.
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"Maybe. Is there a slaughterhouse in Sandpoint?" Eugeni asks.
Zoli forces herself to look at Harker's mangled body and then quickly looking away.
She nods at Destrina's hypothesis. "Have you ever...fought the undead before? I've read bunches about them and seen a really interesting play...but I've never met anything like this before."
Starting to poke around she says, "I wonder where the attacker got off to?" and starts to methodically look for signs of where the attacker fled to.
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Zoli nods to Eugeni. "There's the Sandpoint Meat Market. Why? Do you have any idea where this attacker got off to? Is the trail still fresh enough for you to track it?"
"I can try. But there's always a lot of rotting meat in a Meat Market isn't there? Plus whoever is doing this is using a blade, and doesn't mind blood, like a butcher. It's just a hunch, but if these tracks don't lead anywhere, I'd like to have a look at the market."
The tracks lead straight to, and into, the river. It appears that who, or what, ever did this came up out of the river and returned there after the murder.
"Maybe this is an undead. Either that or someone going to great lengths to make it appear as if they were undead. Someone with the magical ability to breathe water, and climb walls," Eugeni comments. "Either way, I guess we should still look at the meat market."
Having been surprisingly quiet the last few minutes, Darius takes the time to examine the rune and the smelly axe. Leaning in the close to get a good whiff of its stench, he nearly chokes before pinching his nose and quickly moving away from the weapon.
Speaking with a nasal voice as he continues to pinch his nose shut, Darius shares his finds with the group. ”Smells like the stench from a ghast - a more dangerous form of ghoul. I’ve smelt this stench before back at the academy, although this time there is thankfully no chunky regurgitation of lunch involved on my part.”
”So, either the person is purposefully trying to make it look like its a ghast, or its a ghast. It would explain the water, too - there are types of ghasts - and ghouls - that can swim deftly in the water, known as lacedons. However, it is curious that the creature didn’t simply eat the entirety of the corpses rather than simply mutilate them. I haven’t heard of that happening before.”
Morythine nods in agreement with Darius.
"The Meat Market seems our best lead at the moment."
The building itself is a large wooden affair on the corner of Market Street and bordering the Sandpoint Market area. The front portion of the building has various meats on display on shelves covered in ice, showcased behind panes of glass windows. Inside is a simple shop front with another small glass showcase counter with more select cuts of meat that happen to be available at the time.
A man wearing a blood covered apron stands well behind the counter, a haunch of beef laid out atop a butcher's block. The man, a middle aged human, is actively cleaving away large portions of the meat in front of him with a cleaver, hacking through the leg bone of the creature as you enter. When the small bell on his front door rings, alerting him to customers, he looks over and smiles and puts down his cleaver. He walks towards the counter and wipes his hands off on his apron.
"Come in! Come in! Have a look around and let me know if you see something you like! Got some fine cuts in today, some of the finest we've had in a while!"
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"Afternoon, Mr. Bevuk. We're here on behalf of the town guard," Eugeni says, pointing to his badge. "Have you seen anything strange around your shop lately?"
Chod looks flustered for a moment before arching an eyebrow and asking, "What sort of strange you talkin' about, Eugeni?"
"See anything unusual? Hear anything unusual? Anything go missing?" Eugeni continues, raising an eyebrow. "You know, strange."
Chod rubs his chin thoughtfully, then begins his account, "Well, nothing's went missing 'round my shop, as it were. But I have been hearing an awfully strange racket coming from over by my place! Something nasty has been creeping around there, that's for sure! I had half a mind to deal with it myself, like my tussle with Chopper a few years back," his voice drops to a mumble and he reflexively paws at the missing pinky finger of his left hand as he adds, "...not that anyone believes me..."
He coughs and then continues, "Anyways, past few morning's at the same time, I hear a growling like a bear outside of my bedroom window, and what sounds like claws raking along the planks of my house! First couple times I thought it was coincidence, but after the third night I started taking my cleaver home with me, just in case I needed to give whatever it was a good ol' fashioned hackin' and a slashin'! Ya know what I mean?" he nudges Darius with his elbow as he finishes.
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"I see. Well, you mind if we take a look around?" Eugeni asks. "We won't be long."
Zoli's eyes go wide as saucers at the tale of the growling monster, but the look on Eugeni's face reminds her that Chod is known for his tall tales.
She glances about, looking for any indication of something amiss.
"Sure, I suppose so. If you see any cuts of meat you fancy, I'll cut ya a good deal!"
Eugeni will take quite some time examining the whole place, despite his promise to be quick.
Zoli starts to investigate as well, but eventually gets a bit bored by the thorough pace with which Eugeni is looking things over and distracted by the delicious cut of meat.
After a bit more halfhearted poking around she returns to Chod and asks "Hey, that's a pretty nice cut of ribeye there. If I pay for it now can you keep it cool for me until I'm done, later today?"
When Eugeni is done -- if he doesn't turn up anything suspicious -- Zoli waits until they are out of Chod's earshot and then suggests, "Shall we head over to Habe's sanitorium now? I'd be curious to see if we can learn anything from Grayst Sevilla. Unless anyone else has something to look into in town first?"
Sheriff Hemlok provides you with directions to the Sanatarium, which consists of following the road south until you reach Cougar Creek. From there, he says to follow it's eastern bank south and you will eventually reach it tucked away at the base of Ashen Rise, a small stretch of mountains to the west of Brinestump swamp.
After about 2-3 hours of travel, which had you passing by a large ranch and another large farm, you finally spot your destination. A squat, stone building consisting of three floors beneath a stout, stone-flagged roof is built in the lee of the limestone escarpment of Ashen Rise. There are a pair of wooden doors on the outside atop a small veranda with a wooden railing. Narrow windows, no more than four inches wide, allow for air circulation but are too small to allow access into the building. The somewhat sour smell of burning incense abounds.
The old floorboards of the wooden veranda creak as you step up onto them. The main door to the building is unlocked, and opens up into a reception area. It contains a desk and three chairs, 2 on the side of the desk near the door and one on the opposite side. A cord hangs from a hole in the southern wall above a sign that reads, "Ring For Service."
Eugeni walks in and rings the bell.
After about a minute pulls the cord and sets of a series of bells throughout the building, the door to the south can be heard being unlocked, followed by a frustrated looking man walking in and appraising his visitors, a scowl painted on his face.
"I'm sorry but we are not accepting visitors at the moment. I am in the middle of some frightfully important work at the moment and cannot afford to be disturbed. I'm afraid you have wasted your time in coming in today. I bid you farewell and a safe return home, where ever that may be," he says curtly before turning his back and preparing to go back through the door.
"Woah! Hold up a second, sir. We're here on fairly urgent business," Eugeni says. "My paladin friend here has a letter from the Sheriff in Sandpoint explaining. I'm afraid we won't be turned away." The aasimar's tone is respectful, but his body language his hard. He crosses his arms over his chest and keeps his expression neutral and firm. I will tie you up if I have to, little man...
The man turns a baleful gaze towards Eugeni, "Won't be turned away? I'm afraid you misunderstand. The Sheriff of Sandpoint holds no authority here, as this is my private property. My condolences to whatever else may be troubling the people of your town, but the Sheriff has already distracted me from my patients once before, and it seemed to be for nothing then. I have little patience for repeat distractions," he rants, concluding with a turn of his head into the other room and a motion with his head. He steps aside to let a large man with pale pink skin and a large pair of horns atop his head enter. The man is dressed in white leathers.
Habe continues, "Now, if the lot of you are finished being extremely rude and continue to insist on depriving my patients of my attention, my orderly Gortus here will show you out and perhaps we can tend to your 'urgent business' when I have the actual time." He crosses his arms across his chest as Gortus points towards the door and motions his head that direction, trying to usher the group out.
Zoli brushes her lucky Thassilonian button, clears her throat, ahem, and says, "Mr Habe, I'm very sorry about the timing but I ask you to please hear me out for one minute as lives are at stake here -- possibly including those of your patients and staff.
"All we ask is a few minutes to speak with Grayst Sevilla. Perhaps Gortus here could escort us to him for a few minutes, leaving you free to conduct your other business? It would be a great aid to the town of Sandpoint, and possibly to the safety of your own institution as well."
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"I beg you reconsider, sir. We are here for the good and order of the region, your sanitarium included." Destrina says. Her tone stiffens as she continues, "I would also council you against threats of force, we are here under lawful order of the Sheriff, and an assault against us would be an assault against the law of Sandpoint."
As the group makes their plea to the doctor, his expression softens and after Destrina finishes speaking, he holds up his hand and says exasperatedly, "Fine...fine. Gortus, get your brother and go retrieve Mr. Sevilla from his chambers and bring him down into the workroom for our...guests..."
The orderly casts another sneer towards the group before turning and heading out through the southern door. Erin Habe extends his arm towards the same door, and says, "By all means, come in."
The southern door leads to a disused area that appears to serve dual purposes as a kitchen and tailor. However, most of the tailoring supplies appear to have seen little use lately judging by the obsessive order they appear to remain in, as if they have not been disturbed since they were set about. Their is a brisk sense of cleanliness filling the place: floors are scrubbed and walls are freshly painted white. All the doors in the building appear to be well made, stout and made of strong wood.
Gortus knocks on the second door on the western wall of the room and opens it up and says in a gruff voice, "Come on Gurnak. Get up. We gotta go get the new guy and bring him down for some visitors."
After a couple moments, another man that looks identical to the first orderly walks sleepily out of the room and gives the group an appraising look before dismissively turning and following Gortus through the room and, what sounds to be, up some stairs behind another door.
While they wait, Mr. Habe stands about nervously, keeping a close eye on the group as they wait. Whenever anyone looks about at things his head jerks their direction to watch whatever it is they are doing.
After a couple minutes, footsteps can be heard once again walking on the southern stairwell, and moments later, the two horned orderlies lead out a sickly looking man. His skin is pale and looks gangrenous, his hair wild and eyes milky white. His entire body is wrapped in a straight jacket, and he appears to be staring off into space, his mouth silently mumbling something incoherently continuously.
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“What’s wrong with him?” Eugeni asks no one in particular.
"Well, I think I can honestly say I've seen healthier looking corpses in my day." Darius makes sure to put his cousin between him and the sick man, in fear of catching something. Even his weasel seems disturbed, and ducks down into his robe. "My knowledge of medical practices is lacking, certainly, but even I can tell that he ain't looking too hot."
The man's eyes continue to wearily wander the room seemingly at random as he continues to mutter about under his breath incoherently. Destrina could swear that he was actually saying words, but just not loud enough to make out, or in an order that made any sense.
Eventually, his eyes fall on Eugeni and his mouth snaps shut and eyes lock onto him, bulging out seemingly disproportionate to his head as he speaks, "HE SAID! HEhehehe! He said you would visit me. He did! HE DID! 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. He made me...he unmade me...I hope I haven't forgotten! The master wouldn't approve if I forgot. Let me see..."
"Let..."
"me..."
"see..."
"He said! He said you should come to the Misgivings soon, to meet the Pack, for they have something WONDERFUL to show you!"
The moment his speech reaches it's climax, Grayst collapses and issues a low moan. The orderly steps gingerly away from the man. Soon after, his moan rises to a shriek, and as he lurches to his feet his arms tear free of the old straitjacket. He stumbles about awkwardly but quickly towards Eugeni, arms flailing about with the remains of the straitjacket wildly as he screams, "I WILL GIVE YOUR FLESH TO THE SKINSAW MAN! HE WILL SEE THAT I AM THE ONE WORTHY OF HIS PRAISE!"
He throws a wild punch at the Aasimar, but Eugeni is able to deftly dodge the wild attack.
Habe, a panicked look painted across his face, looks to his orderlies and flees the maddened man, flees the fight up the stairs.
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