"Oh, shouldn't we... ask... oh okay." Melody quickly follows cause the sheriff still makes her nervous and doesn't want to be alone with him.
Amethyst had spent the last week doing charitable works about town, performing at night at various taverns and dance halls, and quietly researching more about the ruins of the Old Light. She also spent time with Sabriyya when she could, though their relationship was progressing at a slower pace than that of Morgana and Vasia.
When the sheriff calls the group together, the Swan arrives in his masculine form. "Yes, let us inspect the scene of the crime and interview any witnesses. Whoever is behind these heinous acts must be brought to justice."
Vasia glances down at the piece of parchment still clutched in her hand. "Something ... " Her eyes close and she tries to calm the tumultuous storm of emotions inside her head. Jenica's raging to be released doesn't help.
She tries to reach out with her feelings to the note - to the aura surrounding it. But clarity is an illusive thing at the best of times and she's unable to reach it at the moment. Opening her eyes and shaking her head in frustration, she grasps at Morgana's hand. "Perhaps there will be something more revealing at the sawmill."
Group gatherings were perfect opportunities for fattening allies.
When she received notice to meet at the Sheriff's office, the first thing she did is gather a half-dozen jelly and a half-dozen cream power covered pastries and gently stick them in her bag.
Moving along down the street towards the office, she catches Swan ahead of her and moves to catch up with him. "Good morning, Swan. How are you this fine day?"
Pushing inside for the briefing, she doesn't let the Sheriff speak until she's handed out goodies to everyone. She then nods to him to proceed, taking a seat next to Swan and rest her hand in his lap while he talks.
The note causes her some concern and she looks among her group as if she were able to determine to whom it was from. She asks "Vasia. Do you have any idea who this is from?"
Pushing inside for the briefing, she doesn't let the Sheriff speak until she's handed out goodies to everyone. She then nods to him to proceed, taking a seat next to Swan and rest her hand in his lap while he talks.
Vasia takes one of the jelly-filled pastries with quiet nod of thanks.
The note causes her some concern and she looks among her group as if she were able to determine to whom it was from. She asks "Vasia. Do you have any idea who this is from?"
The dark-haired girl shakes her head. "But there's ... there's something ... I just can't focus enough to make out what it is."
Amethyst grins as Sabriyya comes up to him. "I am much better now that you have arrived, sweet thing." He slides his arm around her waist as they walk to meet with the sheriff.
At the meeting, he helps himself to a jelly pastry as well. The slight roundness that has begun to develop around his waist is a testament to the amount of baked goods he has been indulging in during the downtime!
"Wait! The Sheriff calls as Morgana goes to march off. "I've got more for you to help. You need to go in well informed. Little Melody here was right. To investigate this you're going to need to ask questions."
He sighs, and looks concerned at the group that stand in front of him.
"That note you have there was found pinned to the sleeve of our latest victim by a splinter of wood. I feel that this must be some way of trying to link you to the crime Vasia. Don't worry, I certainly don't believe that you have anything to do with it, but if this note gets out people might think you're involved somehow. I'm trying to avoid panic here, as you can see I've managed to keep these murders quiet for now and I'd like them to stay that way."
"Now, what specifics do my new detectives need exactly?" He asks, looking around at everybody.
"I need to see ... to feel ..." Vasia begins, but then shakes her head with a huff. "Was there anyone around the sawmill that saw anything? What do we know about the people that ... the two victims? Who was the previous person that died?"
Morgana fixes Hemlock with a very unimpressed look and lets Vasia speak.
He looks at Vasia shrewdly before his expression softens again under Morgana's gaze, remembering what the young lady has just been confronted with.
"Noone that I know of, we've not had the man-power to investigate so the bodies are still there. It'd be best if you start there actually so we can get it cleaned up and back in business so the town doesn't start questioning the lack of output."
"It wasn't just one person who died previously I'm afraid. A few days ago there were three con-men from found murdered in an abandoned barn south of town a few days ago—their bodyguard survived the assault but has gone insane and was sent to Habe’s Sanatorium—a privately run respite for the insane. He must've seen something horrific and I don't personally want to speculate about that. We did find some odd runes carved on their chests so some horrific ritual might be involved."
"I know nothing of these current victims, thats your job to find out young lady. I already interrogated Ibor Thorn, the man who found them at the mill, but he doesn't know anything and I didn't suspect he was hiding something, but he might be a lead. Please, I hope you make haste with this and stop any further from happening."
Vasia turns to give Morgana a look that clearly says, 'Isn't that what we were just doing?' She turns back to Hemlock. "Did someone write down or draw the runes that were on the others' chests?" she asks.
"No, they were all pretty much the same pattern. Some sort of star but with seven points. Never seen it before."
"Seven points. Six, eight, five... but seven? Odd..." Melody wonders.
"Quink might know about it, sounds like something he might be interested in as he is often off on one about the symbolism of runes or images." The Sheriff suggests.
"If there's nothing else then Sheriff?" Morgana asks, clearly impatient to be out of the sheriff's office and doing something. She leads the way out and heads immediately for the sawmill, talking as she goes.
"So, we have a number of leads. The symbol, the bodyguard from the first attack and the scene itself. What do people think? Scene first and then some of us can go talk to Quink, maybe Melody and I since we get on well with him? Vasia doesn't go anywhere alone, and I don't just mean Jenica sweetheart. She's strong I know but the time I takes you to manifest her makes you vulnerable."
She continues on, remembering to moderate her stride just enough that Melody can keep up. "Why is seven points odd?" She asks Melody abruptly. "Is there some sort of significance to it?"
The Sandpoint Lumber Mill stands on the shore of the Turandarok River, the other side of the river is a boggy marsh. As you arrive, a sizeable crowd has gathered outside and groups of nervous-looking town-guards stand at the mill's entrance, guarding the site.
As you approach, the guards nod silently and let you past, as if they knew you are working the case already. The mill is a well-built wooden structure with very thick walls, there is a pier that leads out over the river. The roof is of wooden shingles, and doors are simple timber and unlocked. The mill machinery has been disengaged and it is quiet for now.
The mill interior is coated with sawdust strewn with footprints and splashes of blood. There is a lingering scent of decay in the air as you enter the main structure —it smells almost as if an animal had died somewhere in the room and its remains were allowed to ripen.
DC 20 - one set of prints, in particular, is not only barefoot but reeks of rotten meat.
"They will have been working last night." Morgana says as they step past the cordon. "It's a matter of infamy how noisy the mill is. You can even hear it from the manors if the wind is blowing the right way."
The first footprint she sees she throws out an arm to halt everyone else. "There's footprints." She says. "Tread carefully and try not to disturb them if we can. There's definitely been some sort of fight over there." She adds, pointing to a clearly disturbed area of the floor. "And there's something strange about those footprints, but I can't put my finger on it..."
"Seven types of fish bears like best?" Melody shrugs at the seven question "Just seems like it should be up, down, then equal on both sides, so 8. Seven..." she draws in the air with a frown.
"it doesn't smell right" Melody worries. BUt does her best to look around.
"So, we have a number of leads. The symbol, the bodyguard from the first attack and the scene itself. What do people think? Scene first and then some of us can go talk to Quink, maybe Melody and I since we get on well with him? Vasia doesn't go anywhere alone, and I don't just mean Jenica sweetheart. She's strong I know but the time I takes you to manifest her makes you vulnerable."The spiritualist turns towards Morgana and raises an eyebrow. "I think going a little far," she says, an edge creeping into her voice. "I'm not a child and you're not my mother. You don't get to decide those things for me."
~~~~~
"That's ... that's the smell of something that's been dead and rotting for some time. Not someone that was just murdered last night," Vasia says, covering her nose with her hand.
"Where are the bodies? I need to see them." She moves carefully around the area in an attempt to disturb as little as possible, her eyes searching the space for the expected victims.
Melody follows Morgana while she looks at the footprints but just ends up seeing nothing but Morgana behind.
"I noticed that the mill was working last night. Thorn and two other millers usually work late at night there. Sometimes they come by tbe bakery before we close just as their shift begins. They work through the night which causes a lot of heartache for those nearby because the infernally creaking log-splitter keeps them awake all night."
Sabriyya nods to Vasia "Correct. I concur."
Examining the footprints, Sweets says "It's a barefoot print, which is odd. It stinks badly as well. I do not think we are dealing with the ordinary here."
Leaning to Melody, Sweets whispers "I do not think you will find answers in Ms. Deverin's rear end." With a teasing smile, she winks and adds "Though you can certainly try."
Melody turns a bright crimson, and concentrates on the floor, trying to focus on the problems "I see it now, person with stinky feet, we could ask people to let us smell their... no that is dumb."
"I don't think we'll be able to discern anything else here at the scene," Amethyst says. "Should we speak to Mister Thorn to see if we can get anything else out of him?"
There are no bodies in this room, but looking over the railing that guards careless workers against the log-splitter reveals a horrid sight. On the floor below lies a body in two parts. The head is split in two and a chunk of shoulder and the upper torso has gone with the smaller section of the head. Viscera has been splashed across the floor and the larger part of the body lies on the far side of the log-splitter. A pale faced town guardsman, who Melody recognises as an older orphan named Timothy looks up.
"There's nothing down here." He calls, his voice cracking badly. "She's dead. Just..." He breaks off and staggers out of sight. The sound of retching reaches your ears moments later.
That, unfortunately, is nothing compared to the body that remains on the upper level. Harker’s body has been horribly desecrated. The poor man has been affixed to the wall by several hooks normally used to hang machinery. The body is mutilated, the face carved away and lower jaw missing entirely. His bare chest is defaced as well, bearing a strange rune in the shape of a seven-pointed star. This must be Harker, although only the faded raven tattoo on his lower abdomen provides any means of positive identification.
Nearby is a handaxe, embedded in the floor near the log splitter, as if it had been dropped there.
25 - This scent can be identified as having come from a ghast’s flesh
Amethyst tries not to gag at the gruesome sight. He doesn’t get too close, merely covering his mouth with his scarf and waiting for the nightmare to be over.
Vasia looks over the railing and pales, stepping back a bit. "Fine," she says to herself in a small voice before closing her eyes in an attempt to calm her swirling emotions.
A minute later and Jenica appears, arrayed for battle. Her eyes move about as if seeking whatever threatens her granddaughter.
"Now let me concentrate ..."
Vasia climbs carefully over the railing and approaches the dismembered body. Her hands move over the woman's form, but not touching. She keeps her trembling to a minimum as she concentrates on any remaining auras.
Once she's finished with the woman, she heads upstairs to examine the man's remains.
"Someone didn't want us talking to his corpse," she says, eying the removed jaw.
"I feel I should recognize this. It seems so familiar," she says, her brow furrowed as she looks over the carved symbol.
"Someone clawed at him. Were they torturing him?"
"Harker fought back and injured his attacker. The attacker ..."
Her face frowns in disgust as the scent finally sinks in. "The attacker was a ghast - a more powerful ghoul with an incapacitating stench. That's the smell we've been picking up." She looks around the work area again. "Why would a ghast be doing something like this?"
She looks back towards where the remains of the woman rest in the sawdust. "The attacker left her her jaw so she probably doesn't know anything, but we should be sure."
She returns to where the woman's head lies face down in the dust and reverently turns it over. "I'm so sorry. You should be left in peace, but we need all the help we can get to prevent this from happening to ... to someone else."
She reaches inside herself to tap into the sense of violation this woman must have felt. Her fear. Her anger. She gently touches the cold cheek with her fingers.
Melody's eyes keep looking down away from the gore splattered everywhere. She knows she's supposed to be look for clues, but this... instead she finds herself patting Timothy's back as he throws up. "it's okay, just breathe, they'll figure it out."
"You know a lot about Thassalon," Morgana says. "Could it be something to do with that?"
The paladin is holding it together in the face of the horror very well, although her lips are pinched and the signs of ruthlessly suppressed disgust are there if you know what to look for.
Once Vasia is finished with her interrogation Morgana ushers everyone out once again. "You'll want to send for Father Zanthus." She recommends to the watchman in charge.
Once they're a distance away and assured some privacy she calls a halt. "So we have a powerful undead breaking into a sawmill of all places and going on a rampage. The first question is where on earth did it come from." She muses. "From the marsh? Then the sawmill would be the first building it found - but there's nothing there..."
"You know a lot about Thassalon," Morgana says. "Could it be something to do with that?"
"Thassilon?" Vasia questions, turning to Morgana. Her eyes widen and she turns back to the mutilated body. "Thassilon! This is the Sihedron Rune. It's the glyph they used to represent various types of magic and originally it also stood for the seven virtues; charity, generosity, etc ... " She frowns. "Did someone think that they were violating one of the virtues?" She shakes her head again.
Once they're a distance away and assured some privacy she calls a halt. "So we have a powerful undead breaking into a sawmill of all places and going on a rampage. The first question is where on earth did it come from." She muses. "From the marsh? Then the sawmill would be the first building it found - but there's nothing there..."
Vasia is only partially listening for as soon as they're away from watching eyes she decorates the nearest bush with the breakfast she'd eaten this morning. She draws deep breaths after the heaving has stopped in an attempt to settle her rebelling insides. She finally nods at Morgana as she wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. "I'm ... I'm listening."
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Sabriyya nods her head along with Vasia, agreeing with everything the spiritualist says. "I've studied Thassilon quite a bit myself. Too much time around Brodert Quink, I think. The man is always asking me for cherry tarts!"
She shakes her head, trying to clear the thought from it.
"From the marsh? Then the sawmill would be the first building it found - but there's nothing there..."
There is a lot of farmlands out in the Hinterlands, it could have come from anywhere.
As they talk, Sabriyya pulls out a cherry tart which breaks in her hand, the red cherry oozing slightly into her palm. "Tart anyone?"
Vasia pales and turns away back to the bush. There's a sound of retching, but with her stomach already emptied nothing follows.
The blood, gore and death don't seem to affect the shaman like the spiritualist, so she doesn't quite understand her squeemishness. Shrugging, Sabriyya says "Suit yourself."
She shoves the tart into her mouth and begins to eat it, licking her fingers when she's done. She thinks back to their discovery, confused "It is quite curious that they used that particular symbol. I do not understand it."1
Morgana raises an eyebrow at Sabriyya's complete lack of empathy, but doesn't say anything. Instead she goes over to Vasia and rubs small circles on the back in an attempt to be soothing.
"We should go to the sanatorium." She says, "We don't have enough information for any conclusions and the only person who might be able to help us is there."
"No, don't look" Melody tells Timothy, as Melody watches in horror as her love for cherry tarts is smashed.
"Um... who is the other person?" Melody asks out loud.
"The bodyguard, at the sanitorium." Morgana explains, "The only person who survived the first attack that the sheriff told us about."
She pauses. "Unless anyone thinks we need to investigate something else first?"
"We ... We could ask to see if anyone else heard or saw anything," Vasia says, finally getting her stomach back under control. "Otherwise, yes, we should visit the sanitorium."
"No, the other... body..." she points to the blood sawdust "The woman, we need to be able to tell someone, right?, who she is.
She can't just stay Nobody."
"I'm sure Sheriff Hemlock is dealing with that." Morgana says soothingly. "He's not going to just leave someone like that."
She looks around the group for consensus. "So, ask for witnesses - the Sheriff mentioned someone... Igor something I think. We could split up and some of us go to see Quink and ask about the rune. Then we reconvene and head for the sanitorium."
"Melody, Vasia, Sabriyya, the three of you can go to see Brodert and ask about the Sihedron Rune? It seems to be important so we need to know about it. Amethyst and I can track down the witness and ask about what he's seen."
Melody between Vasia and Morgana with slightly confused eyes, but doesn't say anything other than nod after a mintue.
Jenica kneels down to look Melody in the eyes. "Are you ok, My Lovely?" she asks, concern on her spectral face. "Horrendous things such as this can bear more heavily on a sensitive soul such as yours."
Vasia nods at Morgana's recommendation. "Very well. We'll visit Quink and see what he knows about it," she says.
Amethyst offers his arm to Morgana. "Shall we, Miss Deverin?"
"We shall." Morgana replies, squeezing Vasia's hand before she takes Amethyst's arm and heads off.
An elderly man, blinking quickly as if not seeing bright daylight for some time, opens the door to a small home with a wildly out of control front garden back in Sandpoint. "Sabriyya my dear! How lovely to see you, have you bought me some of those Cherry Tarts?" Brodert inquires "Whatever can an old man like me help you three ladies with on such a glorious day?"
Amethyst and Morgana do not need to go far in order to find Ibor Thorn. Harker’s partner Ibor is a young man, handsome if a bit narrow-faced. He still seems to be shaking somewhat as he sits on the edge of the pier at the scene for now and doesn't notice you approach as he stares down into the water.
"Sabriyya my dear! How lovely to see you, have you bought me some of those Cherry Tarts?" Brodert inquires "Whatever can an old man like me help you three ladies with on such a glorious day?"
Vasia's lips tighten into a thin line when the subject of cherry tarts is brought up again.
"Brodert, my name is Vasia Miklosovici," she says, re-introducing herself. "Do you remember me? We've talked in the past about Thassilonion history. We were wondering what you could tell us specifically about the Sihedron Rune? I remember that it was used in a lot of their magic and that it represented the virtues, but that's all I remember."
Amethyst lets Morgana do the talking to Ibor, but the magus does offer a few sympathetic words and looks to help.
"Ibor?" Morgana says softly, advancing down the pier to sit next to the young man. "Can you tell me what happened? I'm looking into it for Sheriff Hemlock and anything you can tell me would be very helpful." She takes his hand gently and offers a comforting squeeze.
Jenica kneels down to look Melody in the eyes. "Are you ok, My Lovely?" she asks, concern on her spectral face. "Horrendous things such as this can bear more heavily on a sensitive soul such as yours."
Melody gives a weak smile of thanks for Jenica being concerned "I'll be okay." whether she will or not will be decided in the evening's inevitable nightmares.
With the older man, she watches him giving Sweet's Cherry Tarts a good ogling. She considers kicking at a shin, accidentally of course, but doesn't.