Chapter 2: Searching for Clues

June 1

The group heads toward the place where those three men had been murdered. Nothing new is found at the barn, so they continue their journey to Habe’s Asylum.

There they manage to get an audience with the doctor. Neiia explains that they should be able to talk with him for some time, the doctor explains that it’s fine if you act quickly. Ra opens her mouth at this point and explains that yeah, bring him tied up under that tree. The doctor looks at him somewhat as if he were a bit crazy, so the doctor lets the others inside, but leaves Ra outside.

The rest of the group talks with the doctor for a moment and after that goes to see the madman. When they peek through the hatch they see that the man is mumbling something to himself in the corner. The group opens the door and steps inside. The man’s gaze immediately fixes on Neiia’s eyes and after that he says:

“He said that you would visit me, his lordship, he who broke me, said so, he has a place for you, a beloved place, I am so jealous, he has a message for you, he forced me to remember it, I hope I haven’t forgotten, my master would not approve if I forget, he said if you come to his suspicions, if you join his pack, he will stop the hunt in your honor.”

After this the man becomes enraged and tears off his straitjacket and attacks the group.
Kieron strikes the man in the face with a club, and the man tries to hit Kieron, but she dodges. The blow hits the door and the door breaks into pieces. Kieron strikes again and this time the man already staggers. Neiia strikes the man first with a non-lethal club, but even that doesn’t work, so Neiia and Jaysek start hitting with full force, one at the eyes and the other at the heart. Kieron continues striking the face with the club.

When Neiia strikes out both of the man’s eyes, the man falls dead to the ground. Apparently the man had been somehow possessed, because he clearly had inhuman strength and he had to give that message when he saw Neiia. The doctor throws the group out, he also babbles something about the group members needing some therapy.

The group rides forward and sees how a farmer named Hambley comes toward them looking somewhat distressed.

“Mumble Mumble Scarecrow,
Alone in the maize.
Sleeping in the daytime,
A stitched man he stays.
But when the moon she rises,
Up Mumble gets.
He shakes his hands at first
And moves his feet the next.
And when the dog is snoring,
And when you’re fast asleep,
Mumble Mumble Scarecrow
Will find you good to eat.”

Hambley tells them that people have been disappearing from their place at night, just as if the children’s rhyme had come true.

They arrive at Rogors Craesby’s home village and hear that he has not yet returned from Foxglove Manor even though he was supposed to arrive yesterday. The group heads toward Hambley’s farm. They travel the route they would expect Rogors Craesby to walk. They come to a big road and there a large warrior-looking guy walks toward them.

Jaysek says that could be Big Fred. Big Fred starts selling them plate armor. He has really good armor, but no one buys anything anyway. When Big Fred is leaving, he mentions that further south on the other side of the bridge there is one gnome who has sometimes sold lighter armor too. The group goes there.

They talk with the gnomes and also buy one armor for Ra. After a few hours they continue their journey. They cross the bridge again, but have to pay double - one copper per person bridge toll because the troll had been at lunch on the way there. So they have to pay 5 coppers, which the troll counts “1, 2, 3, many, really many.”