The Skinsaw Murders

Xer runs forward and vaults onto the kitchen table.  She avoids slipping in the mess that was the ghoul's last meal, but the gore that she lands in upsets her footing enough that the kick she levels at the ghoul's head misses her mark.  She avoist the things counter attack by jumping off the table to the thing's right.  Its gaze follows her and it doesn't see Yola charging up on its other side until it is too late.  She cleaves mightily into the things side and it staggers away from a blow that would have killed a living opponent outright.  It shkeiks in pain and stumbles forward stubbornly, raking Yola across the arm.

Simutaneously, Sasha and Malvick leap into action.  Sasha jumps into the living room, rapier out, and stabs at the first ghoul she sees. It shies away, taking only a small wound to its upraised arm.  From behind a couch an second ghoul rises up, but before it can leap at the rogue, Malvick plants two arrows through its skull and it drops back to the floor with a crash.  The Ghoul that Sasha pricked snarls at the death of its companion, their ambush foiled, and leaps at her with rage.  It is all Sasha can do to back out of the room taking several bad scratches and bites as she does.  Two more ghouls jump at Malvick fro the hall leading to the bedrooms, and before they know it, Sasha and Malvick are fighting back to back agains three maddenened ghouls.

* * *

As the "leader" ghoul focuses its clumsy swings on Yola, Xer reaches out and grabs it around the neck.  She sweeps its legs out from under it and starts to twist and wrench.  "Go!" she yells to Yola, indicating their struggling companions behind them with a jerk of her head.  Yola nodds and charges back down the hall.  The ghoul flails its arms about, spraying Xer in rotten gore and blood, ber she cracks its neck and it slumps forward.

The three remaining ghouls fall one after the other, spitting and clawing all the way.  Sasha takes a deep bite to her leg before skewering the last on her rapier.

The four stand in the house, catching their breath in silence. Gore stained and shaken, it takes a momment before they can act again.  Poking around the house reveals some things of note.  What Xer thought was the remains of a ghoul's feats on the kitchen table turns out to be anouther staked and flayed ritual murder.  The body of Crade Hambley  is about a week old now, but the seven pointed star os clearly visible carved onto his chest.  As is the bloody note pinned there:

Sasha, take the Fever into you my love - It will be the first of my gifts to you...

Around the neck of the lead ghoul is a heavy iron key on a leather strap.  They key bears the symbol of a flower surrounded by a ring or thorns.  In the master bedroom, under some loose floorboards is a stout wooden coffer containing 34 neatly stacked pouches of 100 silver coins each- the life savings of the miserly Crade Hambley who lies now staked out on his own table.

"Halloooo!"  A voice calls from outside.  "Halloooooo in there!"  Xer runs to a window and laughs.  Trundling up the laneway in a bright red mule-drawn garbage cart comes Li Kao.  The Guffmins and Farmer Grump ride in the back as Ariva lopes along beside.

* * *

Congratulations!  For defeating the Ghouls at Cradely Farm and discovering the identity of the Skinsaw Man, the party goes up to level 5!  ( yes, even Li Kao  :> ).  Visit your individual character sheets for leveling up info and options, and post here to continue the story.