Initial Core Players –

Karoshi, male kitsune Witch

Sergoth, male human Sorcerer (flameborn bloodline)

Ender Jorlifsson, male human Fighter

Valdek, male dwarf Cleric of Torag

Puck, male human Rogue

Lianthe, female human Cleric of Iomedae (Crusader archetype)

======

Session 9 — Murder Most Foul

The party returns to Sandpoint and reports their findings to Mayor Deverin and the town council. They are informed that while they’ve been gone there have been reports of cattle rustling and news from Shaeleira, the elven bounty hunter, indicates that the culprits may in fact be giants.  More seriously, there have been a string of ghastly murders in town recently and the townsfolk are fearful that a mysterious killer is at large, roaming the streets of Sandpoint by night. After settling back in to their rooms at the Rusty Dragon and spending a few days attending to weapon and armor repair and restocking supplies, the party begins to investigate the murders and reports of rustling.

Within a few days of their return, the party is approached by Sheriff Hemlock and asked to lend their assistance in the murder investigation.  The party agrees to help out, especially once they are told that the mysterious killer has left a bloody note for Sergoth, taunting them personally to stop him if they can. He shows them the most recent murder scene, the town sawmill and they learn that the victims are one of the owners, Banny Harker and Sergoth’s one-time lover, Shayliss Vinder.

**the bodies were gruesomely butchered — Shayliss was apparently fed into the working logsplitter while still alive and Harker was ritually displayed with strange symbols carved into his flesh and his face and jaw removed from the body.

**Shayliss’s father, Ven Vinder, was arrested upon arriving at the scene of the murder when he accused Sergoth of the murder in a burst of a violent blind-rage. The party interviews him in the cells of the garrison and becomes convinced that he is innocent of any wrong-doing in the matter.

**Harker’s partner, co-owner Ibor Thorn, is arrested as well due to his blood-stained appearance and the motive of sole control of the sawmill.   Hemlock is convinced of Thorn’s innocence due to his apparent fear and shock upon discovering the mutilated bodies.

**Sergoth is questioned closely by the constable but is not arrested when his alibi is confirmed by several townsfolk who can vouch for his whereabouts the previous night.

**Hearing rumors that many townsfolk fear the return of a serial killer named Chopper who was responsible for similar murders 15 years ago, the party checks his old haunts, including an isolated island just off the coast, reachable only by a rocky promontory at low tide. It is evident that no one has been there in many years.

**Seeking more information on the previous string of serial murders from over a decade ago, the party seeks wisdom from Sandpoint’s oldest living resident, the gypsy woman Madame Mvashti. She receives them in her home and tells them the tale of the Late Unpleasantness and Chopper’s killing spree. Afterward the party visits the gravesite of Chopper to check if it has been disturbed, fearing that Chopper may have risen as undead, but these fears are unfounded.

Besides the murder investigation, the group also investigates the reports of giants preying on cattle in the area. They discover giant bootprints at one of the local farms and track them to a trio of armed and armored ogres. The party is disturbed that the ogres are so well armed and armored and report this information to the town council.

Session 10 — the Thing In the Attic

At Hemlock’s suggestion, the party decides to investigate the site of the first of the recent murders – an abandoned barn along the banks of Cougar Creek.  The barn contained three other bodies – all mutilated and inscribed with the Sihedron Rune carved into their flesh, just like Harker at the sawmill.  A lone survivor was taken from there by the patrol that discovered the scene but was sick and insane from whatever he’d witnessed. Hemlock advises the group that survivor has been taken to the local sanatorium for treatment, the Saintly Haven of Respite.

The group wants to learn more about the symbols carved into the bodies of the victims and so seeks audience with Sandpoint’s resident sage, Broderick Quint. For a modest fee, Quint teaches the heroes of the history and background of the empire of Thassilon and the Sihedron Rune (the seven-pointed star symbol).

The party then goes to the Saintly Haven of Respite to attempt to interview the survivor of the triple-murder, a hired caravan guard named Grayst Sevilla. Sevilla is discovered to have been infectedwith ghoul fever and has been driven mad by his experience with the killer. The group manages to get information from him which leads them to believe that the culprit calls himself “the Skinsaw

**The sanatorium is run by Erin Habe, an expert on disease and mental derangement. During their tour of the sanatorium, the party discovers that Habe has been harboring a secret partner, a Sczarni necromancer named Caizarlu Zerren.

**during his interrogation, Grayst becomes enraged and bursts his bonds with insane strength and attacks Sergoth who seems to be the object of the Skinsaw Man’s obsessions. Despite his attack, the party uncharacteristically subdues him using non-lethal force and he is returned to his shackles.

**fearing that the party may report unethical patient treatment and corpse mutilation to Hemlock, Caizarlu and a pair of tiefling orderlies attack the party before they leave. After a hard-pitched battle in the workroom, the necromancer and his zombie henchmen are defeated. Erin Habe apparently fled the hospital during the confusion and is not found.

**treasures looted from the sanatorium include several potions of healing, a wand of false life, a wand of identify, Caizarlu’s spellbook, and masterwork manacles, as well as a locked coffer containing a modest sum of gold and platinum coins.

Session 11 — Walking Scarecrows