The lumber mill

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Episode no.	Episode 24
Date	2009
Game Master	Abbe
Characters	Dorothea Honeypot Nathaniel Nell Velicia
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Nathaniel came looking for us and found us eating breakfast at the Rusty Dragon. He said that Sheriff Hemlock wanted to see us, so I brought the food and we went to the garrison. Sheriff Belor Hemlock told us that during the night there had been an awful murder. Two people had been killed at the lumber mill and he wanted us to take a look at it. Partly because of us having handled the goblin threat so well and partly because a letter had been found at the bodies that was addressed to Honeypot.

He held up a piece of paper and started reading from it.

"You will learn to love me in time as she did.
Give yourself to the pack and it will all end.
Your lordship."

I had a few thoughs about the text in the note. The wording "pack" is used about dogs, wolves and rats. Honeypot said that it was used about mules too, but she probably doesn't know that pack mules is something completely different. Maybe it involves werewolves or maybe the murderer had seen Honeypot using her magic to transform into a wolf as she did when returning from Thistletop.

Hemlock told us that the two bodies were Banny Harker and Katrine Vinder. They had been found early in the morning by Ibor Thorn. It was he and his partner Banny Harker that took care of the daily operation of the mill for the owner, the Scarnetti family. We went there to see the lumber mill for ourselves.

When we got there, there were lots of people gathered outside, but they let us through while a low murmur spread through the crowd.

We entered the lumber mill and the first thing I noticed was lots of blood that had been splashed around. Even though there was sawdust all over the floor it still hadn't soaked up all blood. There was a body cut to pieces by the saw and another one hung on the wall. That body had had its face removed. It was a terrible sight and I felt sick. I volunteered to question the people outside and left immediately. Honeypot followed close behind.

When we got out it turned out that the people gathered there were scared of Honeypot. They had heard about the letter, left by the murderer for her. I still asked around and heard a lot of rumors. Banny Harker had had a not so secret relationship with Katrine Vinder and her father hadn't liked that any better than Nathaniel's with his other daughter. It seemed as if no one really believed that Ven Vinder had killed them, but it was an easy answer so many told it. Several seemed to think that Banny Harker might have been involved in illegal activities. Some said that he might be dealing with gangsters. Others thought that he might be skimming the books or take bribes. Some said he had shady deals with rhenne, but I thought that the most reasonable rumor was that Titus Scarnetti had found out that Harker was stealing from him and killed them both. I was also told that the lumber mill had been running all night but they couldn't tell if it had been in use all night.

As the others came out we returned to the garrison. When we got there the others told us what they had found out. There had been a seven-pointed star carved in the body of Harker. They had found footprints of bare feet that had stepped in blood. They had also found the same footprints in mud on the pier??? leading up from the water. I asked why there would be mud if the murderer swam there. They also told us that they had found an ax that Harker might have used to defend himself with, and that they found some really gory stuff on its edge. They thought it was bits of an old corpse. At least it smelled like it. There had been a terrible smell of old rotten corpse on several places but not all over the place.

Honeypot used the old bits from the ax to get information about the murderer by using a magical ritual. It took quite some time but she found out that whatever it was, it's vulnerable to radiant energy but not to silver and therefore probably not a werewolf but might be an undead monster.

Then the sheriff told us it wasn't the first murder. Two days ago the guards patrolling the long coast road, while passing Bradley's Barn at Cougars Creek, had seen a mad man running about. They arrested him and checked the barn. There they found three dead bodies of known conmen and swindlers. The mad man turned out to be Grayst Sevilla. The swindlers was identified from a letter and had all been banned from Sandpoint by the sheriff and he wasn't surprised that they would meet a violent end. The letter was about property and gold and about "make rich". It was signed by "Your lordship".

I thought about who could be called lordship as it would be a male noble. There aren't that many families that can live up to that title. The Kaijitsu family is headed by a woman, Ameiko, and the Deverin's too. Mvashti isn't really any nobles even though they were among the first to live where Sandpoint was built and besides they are lead by a woman too, Madame Niska Mvashti. The Scarnettis are my main suspects as they own the lumber mill and is led by a man, but on the other hand old Ethram Valdemar had some sickness and has been cured over and over again. Maybe he is some undead creature... Nathaniel added that the Foxgloves also are nobles in the area.

Hemlock told us that he had arrested Ibor and Ven, the last one mostly because he had lost his temper when told his daughter was dead. We talked to Ibor. He agreed that Harker might have been stealing from the mill.

I talked to Ven Vinder

The reading

Dorothea said that she had gotten an invitation for us all to Madame Mvashti.

We all, but Dorothea, met and went over to Madame Mvashti's house. It was big but it seemed cramped on the inside and as if she didn't use most of the rooms. When we entered some young rhenne women showed us in. I noticed a stuffed owl that seemed very lifelike perched on a branch on top of a closet. I jumped when it turned it's head.

The room we were led into was dark but we could see a very old rhenne woman sitting at a table talking to Dorothea who was already there. Madame Mvashti greeted us and asked us to sit down. She told us that she had heard of our adventures and that we now faced new dangers. There was a great evil behind our obstacles. She offered to read the cards for us.

First she drew one card for each of us.

Honeypot - chaotic evil - The Lost - emptiness and loss of identity. the bodak shown is forever mad, lost in a world of lunatics, insane asylums, and mass killers. For those under its influence the world makes no sence. All is babble as someone speaks in other tongue.
Nell - true neutral - The Owl- eternal wisdom of natural order. Harsh realism that causes a pack of wolves to cull the weak in the herd. Tragic for the culled deer, but herd grows stronger. The needle binds life together, but can pick life apart.
Nathaniel - neutral evil - The Mute Hag - Might be silent, but eye lets ger see inot the hearts of men. invokes blood pacts and poisonous secrets that turn brother against brother. Performers stumble over words and songs.
Dorothea - neutral good - The Midwife - conduit to creation, but do not create, can see good in worst situation, see import of any new arrival.
Velicia - chaotic good - The Publican - Fellowship and camaraderie, place of refuge in need, has insight relevant to quest.

Then she placed nine cards on the table in front of us.

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In our past as positive was the The Rabbit Prince, unclear was The Vision and negative was The Forge. She said that it was a very confusing past.

Our present had as positive influence the Lost, but it was reversed in that position. As this was the same card Honeypot had draw earlier, she was very intimately connected to our present. As unclear present we had The Joke and as negative present was The Hidden Truth but inverted. This meant that knowledge and insight is very important for us now.

In our future as positive was The Liar, inverted, as unclear The Foreign Trader and as negative was the The Sickness. Mvashti said that Sickness was very strong as it was an evil card in an evil position.

I found it to be very confusing as a whole. We thanked her and left. I felt a little uneasy and suggested that we should go eat something good to calm down some. I find it very comforting to eat. Honeypot thought it to be a good idea. I also made sure to get a good packed lunch.