Wednesday, November 8th, 2017
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The party departs from Thistletop, leaving behind the cremated remains of Niko and Silas. Moving slightly slower than usual, thanks to the weight of the golden-bronze helm being pulled by Fobias, they make their way back to Sandpoint to report their mission as a success.
Even though it’s the middle of the night, Mayor Deverin rushes out to meet them in the garrison. Since Krask is the only remaining member of the original group that ventured out to Thistletop, most of the conversation flows through him. Krask explains that the goblin menace is eradicated and somberly breaks the news of Silas and Niko’s deaths. He also mentions that Nualia escaped, which Mayor Deverin finds curious; Nualia was the name of a former resident that reportedly died in the same fire that killed Ezekien Tobyn. She graciously thanks the group for their service, even Theo albiet with reluctance, and the party spends a few days to rest.
In his downtime, Barnaby pays a visit to his friend Aldern Foxglove. Unfortunately, the house appears to be largely vacant and in various states of disrepair. Aldern Foxglove isn’t home, and Barnaby heads back to Sandpoint. Once he returns, he is handed scroll from a courier who recognized his feathered cap.
As Theo packs up his quarters, he is visited by Ilsoari Gandethus. The two exchange the normal quota of sleights and jabs before Ilsoari hands Theo a rolled note; it appears that Theo’s exile is put on a temporary hold, thanks to the contents of this note.
Krask and Fobias also receive similar scrolls from couriers and the message of all four notes is identical: Sheriff Hemlock requests the party’s presence as soon as possible. At the garrison, Hemlock explains that a new string of murders has begun, reminiscent of the Chopper’s killing spree that unsettled the town several years prior. The reason he hopes the party will assist in the investigation is that, were it not for their heroic status in Sandpoint, they would be listed among the prime suspects for the case; a note addressed to Barnaby was found pinned to one of the bodies. Imploring their discretion, Hemlock leads them to the Lumber Mill.
On the way, Hemlock outlines the current leads: the crime scene at the Lumber Mill, Habe’s Sanatorium where the witness of the initial murders resides, Ibor Thorn who is one of the mill’s owners, Ven Vinder whose daughter was one of the victims, and the seven-pointed star carved into one of the bodies.
At the Lumber Mill, a sizable crowd was gathered outside, hawking and trying to catch a hint as to what all of the guards are doing there. The party overhears a person in the crowd talking about how noisy the mill was at night; it was operational last night when he murders took place. With a deep breath, Hemlock invites the party inside and the investigation begins.
The mangled body of Katrina Vinder lies on the first floor next to the wood chopper. Her death was quick and brutal. A bloody hand axe lies next to her, covered in her fingerprints. Pieces of rotting flesh and fragments of bone encase the edge of the blade. The entire room reeks of rotting meat, but the smell is stronger on the axe and the body than the rest of the room. It smells like death…or undeath.
Upstairs, Banny Harker’s desecrated body is stretched out on massive iron hooks, the Sihedron Rune crudely carved into his chest. Once again, the rotting smell permeates the room. Krask notices a set of muddy, bare footprints leading down a set a chains to the pier on the back of the mill. Further inspection reveals that the tracks follow the length of the pier before disappearing, presumably into the water. Across the Turandorak River, the party notices a marshy outcropping and decides to check if the tracks continue.
Searching intently, Fobias picks up the trail. However, the plot only thickens; the tracks extend from the water to the marshy clearing and then turn back to the water. They never lead further inland. With their brains churning, the party stands in the secluded mass of brambles with a perfect view of the Sandpoint Lumber Mill.
Why does the Sihedron Rune keep showing up? Is Barnaby hiding secrets from the party? Can somebody please clean out the refrigerator?