Talis will compare the handprints on the handaxe (size) with the victims and will suggest to Cat that she see what Garious thinks about the scent.

He will also ask Hosk to check the river banks for tracks.  He will "upgrade" the care his horse gets at the stables (ie; pay Hosk for his time).

The bloody marks are most likely from Katrine.

Hosk will glance in the direction of Katrine's body before agreeing to do a sweep of the banks.

Cat finds that Garious does not like the rotten meat smell.  This is highly unusual because dogs love dead things.  This probably indicates it is of supernatural origin (Outsider, Undead, Abberation, Dragon, etc...).

You have enough information to deduce a probable scenario.  A human(?) comes out of the river, climbs in the upper floor, kills Banny Harker.  The body is out of sight of the door, so when Katrine arrives, she does not see anything and enters the mill.  She manages to grab the axe and defend herself but ends up in the log splitter (falls, pushed?).  But why and how does the first set of murders fit in?

So where does everybody want to go from here?

Zer-wedula will go talk to Brodert Quink about the rune and a general description of the scenario at the mill.

Glum will consult with other priests about any possible cult of assassins known to have operated locally and to have taken such precautions to prevent corpses speaking.

Talis will go visit Sabyl, the monk/scholar of the House of Blue Stones.  She is supposed to be learned and has a fair library.

Posting for Cat;


Glum helps Father Zantus and Naffer Vosk (the graveyard caretaker) deal with the bodies and transport them to the Cathedral.  They are both somber during this job.  Father Zantus points out the 5 fingered marks left by claws and that the rotten smell is stronger there.  Naffer Vosk sniffs the smell and says, "My guess would be an undead.  I once say a zombie that smelled like that."

   About assassins, neither has any knowledge of anything specifically.  But anybody with even a decent formal education and definitely an assassin would know about such things.  Though this case may be just a coincidence.  Katrine was torn apart by the log-splitter and Banny was just generally mutilated.  Did the thing that did this intentionally prevent a speak with dead?  That they cannot answer.

The party knows Nualia had contact with a group of killers in Magnimar known as the Skinsaw Men.  In general, any halfway experienced assassin is going to know about things like speak with dead or raise dead and have ways of dealing with them (cutting off heads is popular).

Zer-wedula visits Brodert Quink, an expert on Varisian history who moved to Sandpoint recently to study the town’s own Thassilonian ruin—the Old Light. Brodert is tremendously excited to be involved in a murder investigation, and does everything he can to aid Zer-wedula. Unfortunately, much of the lore about ancient Thassilon has been lost; what does remain has been gathered from barely legible carvings on the surviving monuments or extracted from the myths and oral traditions of Varisian seers and storytellers.
   What he knows about Thassilon is that it was a vast empire ruled by powerful wizards.  The sheer size of the monuments they left behind testifies to their power, and the unnatural way many of these monuments have resisted erosion and the march of time testifies to their skill at magic. Most sages place the height of the Thassilonian empire at 7,000 to 8,000 years ago, but Brodert thinks the empire was even older.  He suspects it collapsed no sooner than 10,000 years in the past.
   Much of what Brodert has to say is vague theory based on conjecture, his belief that the Old Light was once a war machine capable of spewing fire from its peak is relatively unpopular among his peers, for example. Yet he can tell Zer a few things of interest about the star—namely, that it seems to be one of the most important runes of Thassilon.  The star itself is known as the “Sihedron Rune,” and signifies not only the seven virtues of rule (generally agreed among scholars to have been wealth, fertility, honest pride, abundance, eager striving, righteous anger, and rest), but the seven schools of magic recognized by Thassilon (divination magic, Brodert points out, was not held in high regard by the ancients). Brodert notes with a smirk that much of what is understood about Thassilon indicates that its leaders were far from virtuous, and he believes the classic mortal sins (greed, lust, pride, gluttony, envy, wrath, and sloth) rose from corruptions of the Thassilonian virtues of rule. In any event, the Sihedron Rune was certainly a symbol of power, one that may well have stood for and symbolized the empire itself. The fact that the killer carved it into the flesh of his victim might point to the fact that the murderer is some sort of scholar, although as soon as Brodert comes to this conclusion, he just as quickly proclaims himself to be innocent.

Talis has a chat with Sabyl and Cat will visit Madame Mvashti.  Neither have much to add directly but both will offer the following;
-both Ameiko and Ilsoari Gandethus are experienced adventurers
-investigate the victims
-talk with Ibor (the partner who found the bodies)
-talk with Ven (The father of the victim, a man with a temper who didn't like his daughters boyfriend), he is currently in jail because he attacked the Sheriff when he was told his daughter was dead.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:39, Tue 22 June 2010.

He will ask Sabyl to compile a list of possible undead, then he will go investigate the survivor of the 1st attack.

With a sudden realization sparked by Quink, Zer-wedula seeks his comrades.

"What if," he conjectures, "The seven pointed star corresponds to the seven sins and the two victims were lust?  Who or what is next?"

"Perhaps,mayhaps, we could set a trap?  Is there a well knwn glutton or layabout?"

Glum sighed... "I consider myself to be quite lazy", he said.  "But I have no idea whether others see me that way.  I somehow doubt it because I pride myself on overcoming my weaknesses."

"Friend Zer I commend you on that leap of logic.  Until we can find someone fat and gluttonous, why don't we go interview the one survivor, or do you wish to do something around town."
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:54, Fri 12 Feb 2010.

Glum and Zer-wedula catch up with Tallis outside the stables saddling his horse for a ride to the Saintly Haven of Respite, better known locally as Habe’s Sanatorium, where the insane survivor is located.  It is a 2-3 mile ride south.

"Perhaps one of us should find Cat and the other accompany you," Zer-wedula proposes.   He turns to Glum, "I think I shall go with Talis."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:24, Wed 17 Feb 2010.

Please use the private lines until the group is back together.

[Private to Zer-wedula; Talis Revain: Talis and Zer-wedula ride out to the Saintly Haven of Respite Sanatorium.  A squat, stone building that serves as the sanatorium has three floors under a stout stone-flagged roof, built in the lee of the limestone escarpment known as Ashen Rise.  Only the ground floor has windows.  Downhill from this there is a small, 2 story cottage.

Riding up to the Sanatorium the pair dismount and head to the door.  The door is locked so you pull the bell cord.  Shortly, a smaller peephole in the door open and a man says, "Hello, state your business."]

[Private to Catessa Fallowfield; Glum: Glum can track down Cat.  He finds her just coming out of the Rusty Dragon.  Waving the smelly axe she says, "I'm heading over to talk with Headmaster Gandethus, perhaps he can tell what kind of undead this is.  Do you want to come or do something else?"]

Glum goes looking for Cat

[Private to Catessa Fallowfield; DM: And when he finds her nods, agreeing that he will accompany her, since an extra pair of fists can often be useful in such istuations.]

Talis Says;

[Private to Zer-wedula: Tallis says politely, "We are investigating some murders for the Sheriff and want to interview the survivor he brought her a couple of days ago."]

PMs

[Private to Catessa Fallowfield; Glum: Cat and Glum find Headmaster Gandethus teaching the kids, but he will turn the class over to an assistant (1 of the older children) and takes them to his study.  He will take a look/sniff at the axe and gets sick.  He pushes it away and wipes his eyes, "Wow, yeah I haven't forgotten that smell.   We once opened a tomb and fought a ghoul.  So it is probably a ghoul or ghoul-like undead.  Wow, I don't remember it being this strong, but i didn't get close to it the last time.  Be careful, the ghoul paralyzed my friend with a touch.    It only lasts as long as it takes to cast a few spells, but that's long enough for them to gut you and start eating."  That's all he can tell you and you leave him lighting some incense to try to clear the smell away.
   As you leave cat and Glum begin to smell smoke.  Responses?]


[Private to Talis Revain; Zer-wedula: The man at the door says (in a local accent) "I'll see if the Doctor is busy" and he closes the peep hole.  A few minutes later another man opens the peep hole and Talis repeats his request.  This man has a cultured/educated Magnimar accent, "I'm sorry, but I'm in the middle of some frightfully important work and cannot be disturbed."  Responses?]

PM
[Private to Zer-wedula: In his polite voice, "We don't wish to disturb you, we merely wish to interview the patient.  This is Zer-wedula, an esteemed man of learning, and we are here on official business."]

PM
[Private to Catessa Fallowfield; DM: [we expect to smell smoke don't we?  Or are we talking about something other than incense?]]

[Private to Catessa Fallowfield; Glum: As you leave you smell wood burning, and you aren't near a fireplace.]
Good catch, it is unusual.

[Private to Talis Revain; Zer-wedula: The man behind the door looks at Zer-wedula, "I've heard of you.  What do you except to get out of an interview?  You're a wizard, aren't you.  Hmmm."  He seems to be thinking but doesn't open the door as he scrutinizes the wizard.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:36, Thu 18 Feb 2010.

PM

[Private to Catessa Fallowfield; DM: "Damn", says Glum, "Smells like something on fire".  He follows his nose as he looks for the source of the smoke.]

 nicely done Zer, good repy
[Private to Talis Revain; Zer-wedula: A private war rages in Zer-wedula's head.  He finally murmurs, "We hope to discover clues that will allow us to give closure and comfort to the families of the departed.  Is your heart so  cold as to say no?"

Doctor Habe looks thoughtful, "No, of course not."  He unlocks the door and lets you in, "I suppose a supervised interview might prove interesting.  A short interview.  So what spells do you propose to use on the patient."  Tallis tweaks to the fact that while his lips say "No", he really is letting you in because he is curious about Zer-wedula.

Inside a brisk sense of cleanliness fills the place.  Floors are scrubbed and walls are freshly painted white.  The somewhat sour smell of burning incense abounds.  You find yourself in a waiting room with a warm fireplace and some benches.  You divest yourself of your outside gear.

ooc: It would be strange to carry bows and large weapons(like polearms) around indoors.  What do you leave here? ]

[Private to Catessa Fallowfield; Glum: The smell seems to lead you to the ladder to the attic and the sealed off door.  The smell seems to come from the attic.

ooc: You guys do remember what happened here, don't you? ]
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:47, Fri 19 Feb 2010.

In reply to DM (msg #32):
PMa
[Private to DM; Glum: Cat follows Glum towards the smoke. She halts at the attic stairs, "Do we really want to go back to there?"]
[Private to GM: Mind is still foggy. Trying to get the gist of the thread.]

PM

[Private to Catessa Fallowfield; DM: "Not really", said Glum.  "Not after the last time.  Do we have a choice?"]

pm
[Private to Talis Revain; Zer-wedula: Zer-wedula leaves his crossbow and bastard sword here.  He still has the wand of shocking grasp, which Talis has seen.

Is the doctor human, and hence may be limited linguistically?  Z-W wishes to speak freely with Talis.

"I suppose I might charm the unfortunate, but that all depends on the cooperation I receive," Zer-wedula ends with a meaningful glance at the doctor and orderlies.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:17, Sun 21 Feb 2010.

[Private to Talis Revain; Zer-wedula:
ooc:The doctor is an older human with a big city accent, the 2 orderlies are also human with local accents.  If you want to talk with Tallis alone you could just take him aside and talk low.

Talis leaves his polearm and bow behind, his dog is outside with the horses.]

Cat and Glum, I hear talk but what do you do?