The Skinsaw Murders

The party discusses their next move. Malvick does a quick search of the area but can’t find any salvageable arrows. He composes a quick message the Hemlock requesting aid, healing, and a cart, and then casts animal messenger on a nearby crow. So charmed, the bird dutifully waits while Malvick secures the parchment to its leg, then flies off, an image of the Sandpoint garrison filling its mind. Sasha takes out her three light healing potions. She passes two to Yola and downs one herself. The two women immediately feel stronger.



Horran and Grump aren’t much help in planning out the next move. Horran is in bad shape, and keeps slipping in and out of consciousness. Grump has visited the Hambley’s many times, but says, “Crade was a copper pinching bastard. Saw the inside of his barn a few times, but the paranoid old bugger never invited me into his house for a drink in all the years I knew him.” Grump does mention that the Hambley barn was built around a huge stone head, known locally as “The Stone Warrior.”

With little else to go on, and not liking their exposed position in the middle of the field, the party decides to scout out the Hambley homestead. On their way they find another scarecrow pole, the slumped form of Lettie Guffman, bound and hooded, dangling from it. They cut the woman down and find that she is alive, but in even worse shape than her husband.

While the party tends to Lettie, Xer and Sasha creep as close to the homestead as they dare. After about ten minutes they slink back to the others and report: The barn is a large L-shaped building. The main doors are swinging open in the wind. It looks deserted. A little south of the barn is the family home. It is a small one-story log cabin with a covered porch running the length of the front. There is a second entrance in the back. While it too looks deserted, Xer thinks she saw some movement through the poor quality smoky glass window.

Malvick is torn as to what to do. They are now responsible for too very sick people who cannot even move on their own let alone defend themselves. Also, Malvick can tell that Grump is still on the verge of panic, and fears that he may bolt again at the first sign of trouble. It has been about half an hour since he sent his message. It takes about two and a half hours to march from Sandpoint to where they are now, so assuming the crow flew straight to Sandpoint without stopping, it would be at least that long, plus whatever time it took Hemlock to organize an expedition, before they could expect help.