Briggette shares this encounter first with Ulric.  He says he cannot come with her now, as his father is sending him to check on an outpost near the border where the orcs seem to be entering the area.  She then fills in the rest of the team, and we prepare to go immediately.
Between Brasov and Humpalec, we see few people on the road—the large amount of troop movements has limited travel for the common man.  The journey takes two days.

Humpalec is a town of roughly 550-600 people.  After the recent orc attacks, many people from smaller villages and outlying farms have simply not returned.  We arrive on a warm day in Harvestmonth at about 3:00 in the afternoon.  We head to the church to make sure it is properly secured.  The building is locked, with a sign reading, “Temple closed.”

I unlock the door, and we enter to begin to investigate the building.  Briggette sends Korvinean to speak with the baron and let him know that we are here as a courtesy.  A knight answers the door, and Korvinean lets him know who we are.  “My Lord is not in,” says the knight.  “When he arrives home, I will inform him.”

“Thank you.”

“I expect that, should you need to breach the peace, you will inform the city guard?”

Korvinean grins knowingly to himself, and says, “Of course.”  He asks the knight if he has any knowledge of the circumstances of the Billet’s murder, and he directs Korvinean to the captain of the watch.

Nothing appears amiss inside the church, so we lock up carefully and head to the Billet’s home.  Korvinean returns and leads us to the watch captain.  After the proper introductions are made, a watchmen takes us up to see Captain Bragovich.  We walk in to see an old, grey-haired man sitting at a desk, whittling a piece of wood.

“Can I assume you’re the captain of the watch?” Briggette says.

“Can I assume you’re the Cuthbertine here to kill somebody?” comes his reply.

“Well, not necessarily kill, per se…”

“Right.” He sighs and continues whittling.  “So, what can I do for you?”

“Just tell me what you know.”

“Well, Johanne—the Billet—was a good man, made good leather goods, too.  Somebody killed him, killed his wife.  His daughter hasn’t been seen since, don’t know what they did with her.”

Briggette is surprised at this new information.  “How old was his daughter?”

“Oh, about fifteen…”  Captain Bragovich continues.  “There was blood all over the place… His armor was still there; he obviously wasn’t ready for a fight.”
Brianna interrupts and asks, “Where are the bodies?”

“Well, they died fifteen days ago, I buried ‘em!”

Korvinean asks the captain, “How were they killed?”

“They had cuts and slashes all over them.  He put up quite a fight—he was a tough old man.  He had his cudgel.  There were no witnesses.  As to his daughter, she was his youngest, and I’m not entirely sure why she was still living at home.  She was of marrying age and real pretty.  There were at least three people he’d had problems with recently. One is Ivan Ivanovich, a tavern owner, suspected of running prostitutes out of his tavern.  Another was Vladimir Tetrislav, a cleric of Frey—they got into a lot of fistfights, and Johanne beat the shit out of him.  The other one was Walder Mulovich.  He owns a cloth dyeing house here, and he was accused of not paying his people fairly and mistreating his workers.  I talked to all three of them, but didn’t really see anything to merit arresting any of them.”

Briggette asks him if he knows of anyone else who may have a beef against the Cuthbertines, in general.  He does not, so we thank him for his time, and go on about our way.

We head toward the Billet’s house, led by a guard named Alexis.  The house is about 200 paces away.  “I didn’t know Protectors came as girls,” he looks questioningly at Briggette.

“Well, all sorts of people need protecting in all sorts of ways.”  She gives him a look to ensure he doesn’t question her ability due to her sex.  “Any rumors about all of this?”

“Well, lots of young men really didn’t like the Billet; he was really strict about having a chaperone when his daughters went out.  There’s a rumor that comes up any time something bad happens—they think it’s because of vampires in the sewers.  But if it was vampires, you’d think they would’ve eaten more of the blood, not just spread it around.  Lots of people think Vladimir did it.”

Korvinean interjects, “But not you?”

“Nah, Johanne woulda kicked Vladimir’s ass.”  Alexis also tells us about the “Unseemlies,” a group of people who others just don’t feel right around, but they fought to save the town against the orcs.  When we get to the house, he takes us in through the leather shop in the front.  He tells us that nothing has been touched, and chooses to stay outside.

When we go inside, we move through the area where he did his leather working, then into the kitchen.  We see general disarray, and some blood, but not enough that someone should have died from it.  I find a small piece of russet cloth in the dumbwaiter.  Russet is the color of the traditional ceremonial robes of Cuthbert’s priests.  Pottery is broken, appearing to have been thrown in the fray.  We carefully search the lower level and don’t find anything significant.
At the top of the stairs, there are two doors, and a wall covered in blood spray.  On the landing, there is a small table with a bowl of now fetid water on it.  There is a violin on the mantle, indicating that robbery is not the motive.  One of the chairs is knocked over, and there are small bits of blood, but no indication of the murder site.  Going into the Billet’s bedroom, between the dumbwaiter and the chamber pot, we notice a six-fingered handprint.  It appears that the middle finger is there twice.  I find a small gold symbol of St. Cuthbert and a pair of nice silver earrings in the dresser.  The bed has been pushed away from its normal place against the wall.  In the footlocker by the end of the bed, there are several scrolls and two ledgers—one for the church, one for his leather shop.  There is a void under the bed where something has been removed.

Finn goes back downstairs and talks to Alexis.  He asks about anyone in town having six fingers.  Alexis seems disturbed and says he knows of no one with the extra digit.

The next room contains two beds and a kneeler with a large symbol of St. Cuthbert painted on the wall.  One bed is made, but the other is torn up.  The wardrobe contains half a dozen dresses and several underdresses.  Under her bed, there is a small box of keepsakes with very little value other than sentimental.  At the bottom of the box, there is a sapphire necklace.  It appears to be more valuable than anything else in the house.  The window in this room is closed, but it had been opened.  When looking out the window, there is a roof of an adjoining building about six feet below.  I climb out the window onto the roof below.

Korvinean pulls Briggette aside, lays his hand on his symbol of St. Cuthbert, and asks, “Cuthbert forgive me for being insensitive, but is it possible she was otherwise employed?”

“Perhaps,” Briggette says, “but perhaps she was simply being courted by a rich suitor.”

Briggette makes the connection that Johanne’s holy symbol and ceremonial cudgel are missing.  They ponder this and begin to clean up the scene.
On the neighboring roof, I notice that some of the tiles are cracked.  I go to the back of the roof, where I see an alley between these buildings and those on the next street.  This building appears to be a cloth dealer.  I drop down to the street, noticing that the distance to the edge of the roof is well within reason for an adult human to reach up and pull themselves up.

The rest of the crew joins Finn downstairs with Alexis.  The guard looks visibly disturbed, and Briggette asks what’s wrong.  She detects an evil aura in the area, and focuses to realize it is him.  Finn seems to sense the issues, and draws his sword.

“There’s no need for that, Finn,” Briggette says.  She turns to Alexis, “Walk with me.”  As they walk away, she tries to calm him, and questions him further about Johanne’s daughter.  It seems many of the young men in town wanted to win the girl’s favor.  Briggette asks for the key to the Billet’s house, and where we might stay in town.  He directs us to the Emerald Trout, where the “Unseemlies” are staying.

A boy comes up to us, “May I take your horses?”

Briggette grins, “Will you bring them back?”

Brianna chimes in with a sing-song, “Ba-dum-bum.”  The boy stammers and sputters, but doesn’t know how to reply.

As we enter the bar, a man in all black with a bright scarlet sash comes over to Brianna.  He is wearing a kama on his hip, and appears to be a black order monk.  “I mean you no harm, I have no ill will towards the people here.  My companions and I will not be hostile.”

She admonishes him, “As long as you do not impede our investigation, I have no quarrel with you.”

They continue talking for a bit, and I notice that one of his companions is either an orc or a half-orc.  The beast has a thick red beard, but appears to be civilized as he calmly sips his beer.  The Black Order monk tells us that he heard of another girl disappearing just before the orc attacks.  We discuss a bit further, and discover that this is the same establishment that had accusations of prostitution.

We take the two rooms for the evening, and begin to get settled for the night.  I find a dark corner to hide in, and I watch and listen to the general chatter in the common room.  From one of the adjacent tables, a drunken buffoon says, “See, Cuthbert is so desperate, he’s got girls for paladins.”

Korvinean pulls a chair up to the man’s table, and gives him a cold stare.  “You’re not as colorful as I’m used to!”  He takes a swig of his ale.  “I got an elf with no color and a paladin with no penis.”  He lets loose with a hearty laugh.  Korvinean continues to stare him down, and he offers his hand, “I’m Vladimir.”

The rest of the room has gone quiet, and seems to be waiting in anticipation for the bar fight they sense is coming.  Korvinean refuses the hand, and Vladimir shrugs and takes another drink.  “So, I guess you’re here about Johanne getting killed, huh?  Crying shame, that.”

“I’m surprised.  I didn’t thnk you thought much of him,” Briggette says.

“He was a self righteous ass, but he didn’t deserve to get killed like that.”

“I agree.”

“What they did to his wife wasn’t right, either.  You know, he and I didn’t get along, but no one deserves that.  If I’d’a stumbled onto that, I’d’a killed ‘em myself.  I don’t know what kinda person does that to someone.”  Vladimir seems genuinely disturbed by what he remembers of the events.

“The kind with six fingers?”

“Huh?”  He looks confused.  “Only thing I know’s got six fingers is that demon lord, and if he’s comin’, we’re all fucked.”

Briggette realizes he is talking about Grazzt, a major demon lord who is associated with sexual deviance, including violence and lust.  Vladimir uses one hand to indicate that the other hand has an additional middle finger—the exact symbol we saw in the blood at the Billet’s house.  “I don’t know how you could do that.  Maybe one of his followers used it as a holy symbol?”  He ponders for a moment, then says, “Damn it.  Now, we’re all serious in here.”

“Let’s have a drink, a drink to Johanne.”

“I kinda feel dirty drinking to him, but I’m not one to turn down a free drink.”

As we share a drink, we discuss the possibility of previous disappearances.  The other missing girl was called Helga.  She was infatuated with Wilhelm the Younger, but her parents didn’t approve.  “When she disappeared, we all just assumed she ran off and was waiting on him somewhere, especially since Wilhelm went missing just after that.”

Vladimir seems to suddenly remember something.  “You know, you should go to the tannery outside of town.  His daughter went missing too, about three weeks ago.”  We talk a bit more, then leave him to his drink as we go to our table for dinner.

As we’re eating, a red-headed woman walks in wearing an inappropriately low-cut dress.  She walks straight to Finn and sits down on his lap.  Korvinean grins at him and nods his head, while Finn checks to see if she has six fingers.

“Are you new here?”

“I’m here about the Billet’s murder.”  Finn seems unaffected by her charms.

“Oh!  Are you the new Billet?”

“No.”

“Oh, good.  Why does his death bring you here?”

“I’m going to find the man who did it and kill him.”

“Oh! You look awfully young.  Have you killed before?”

“Yes.”

“Mmmm.  A dangerous man.  I like that.”  She strokes his chest and puts her bosom in his face.  “Well, if you want to have any fun when you’re here, let me know.”  She gets up to leave.

Vladimir, significantly more drunk now, stumbles over to the table and berates Finn for not taking advantage of the situation.  He tells us that the redhead is the mayor’s daughter, and that she is a naughty girl.  Johanne kept trying to straighten her out, but she didn’t listen.  “I like naughty girls.”

Korvinean asks, “What about Johanne’s daughter?”

“Oh, she was pretty.  She had lotsa suitors.”  His speech is slurred, and he is nearly incoherent.  He rambles on about Johanne’s fighting style, and throws himself to the ground as he punches the air.  “Johanne’s ghost!”  He yells at the air, “Johanne!  It’s okay!  Don’t hurt me!”  He turns back to us at the table. 

“You know, I remember.  Johanne’s daughter was friends with that tanner girl.  Not now, but when they were younger, little girls.”  He goes on and on, and Korvinean notices that a man in the corner is watching us a little too intently.

Vladimir points at me, Briggette and Brianna in turn.  “If you find these guys, you should kill yourself before you let them take you.”  Whatever was done to Johanne’s wife must have been horrific, but I won’t make him relive that right now.  “Well, I should probably get going.”  He stumbles to the bar, slams down a silver piece, and tells the bartender to make sure his friends, who have passed out at his table, get a blanket for the evening.  Briggette and Korvinean decide to walk him home to ensure he gets there safely.

I make my way outside, and watch for our watcher.  About a minute after they leave, he finishes the beer he’s been nursing for over an hour, and leaves.  I follow him.  He seems to be going the same way they went, but stays roughly 50 yards behind them.  When they turn, he sidesteps into an alley.
Vladimir unlocks his door, and Briggette and Korvinean go in to check out the house.  Briggette notices that every house in this town has a lock on their door, which is somewhat unusual.  Vladimir explains that about twenty years earlier, a locksmith came through and gave everyone in town a good deal on locks right after there was a string of burglaries.

I slowly move into the alley, and don’t see any trace of the man.  There is some rubbish and several rats in the area.  I pick one up and begin to talk with him.
“Did a man just come through here?”

“What’s a man?  You have food?”

“A man is a two-legged thing like me, but bigger.”

“No, have food?”

“Yes,” I say and give him a cracker.  “Did you see anything come through?”

“Not see.”      

“Hear?”

“Go in grate.”

“Where, show me?”  I offer him another cracker.  He shows me a grate.  I completely missed it earlier.

“Safe place down there.”  Safe for a rat, I think to myself.  I let him go, and enter the sewer.  I find another rat and ask it which way the man went.  The conversation goes much the same, until he suddenly squeals and tells me to hide.  I melt into a shadow just as a giant blackish green snake swims up to me.  It crawls up onto the walkway and right over my foot.  I fight my revulsion and remain still and calm.

Meanwhile, Korvinean is tracking me down to see where I went.  He follows my track to the edge of the alley, then goes back for the rest of the party.

I move further down the sewer, and suddenly four darts hit me.  It hurts, but I keep moving, now looking for signs of traps along the way.  I hear a metallic scraping behind me and turn to see two vaguely humanoid shapes behind me.  One is much larger than the other.  I stick to the shadows and draw my crossbow.  I cast Ghost Sounds to mimic the sound of someone dropping into the sewer at the grate and running in the opposite direction.  The big guy takes off after the sound, but the other keeps coming in my direction.  He mumbles something, then grows to about seven and half feet tall, then slips into the water and rushes toward me.  I fire, but miss, then dissolve back into the shadows.  The beast swims by at high speed.  After a moment, I continue in the direction of the beast.  From the far end of the sewer, a loud voice calls out, “Olsa!  I don’t see anyone.  I’m coming back.  Please don’t attack me!” 

He starts running back, then stops short of the grate.  “Olsa!  We have problems!”  I hear a slap, and a portcullis drops about six feet in front of me.  As there are only about five feet between the top of the sewer and the street, I can’t figure out where the portcullis came from.  I stick to the shadows and slowly and carefully move toward it.