Case 02: Harvester of Sorrow

Session 1 (12/21/14): After several weeks of training, the Skeleton Farm is tipped off to a possible location where they might track down the elusive hunchback Udmer Thull. Arnhelm, Brando and Malfin journey several days east, through the World's Edge Mountains, to the town of Stavian's Hold, where they are seeking a former miller named Ancin Toke. They meet the man rather quickly, as he is down on his luck and out of work, and he tells them he's seen Thull talking to his former employer, a trust fundee libertine named Szaldor who took over the business from his parents. Ancin and his creepy daughter reveal that the noble was into all sorts of 'blood orgies' and other debaucheries, and may be the 'evil seed' that blights some of the local crops. Searching the abandoned mill, our heroes are assaulted by a violent murder of crows. Malfin is blinded in the attack...

They also find that, upon returning to the Yellow Husk inn, that Malfin's prized pony has been bludgeoned to death right in the heart of town. Later that night, they too are stalked by a being with heavy footsteps, which turns out to be Thull, who knows he has been followed to the Hold. In a grueling combat, he is subdued by Brando's superior fighting and the assistance of the others, magical and otherwise. Thull is taken into custody by Sir Hany the Half-Orc, a local knight of the Taldan Phalanx who is the 'official' law of the town.

They become suspicious of Ancin's 12-year old daughter Stelle, who is rather creepy and seems to know too much. She also sews straw dolls which have an unusual divination property. They return once again to Szaldor's Mill to further investigate, and discover that the guy was barely running his business, signing off receipts and orders that he was 'bored' and so forth, totally unprofessional. In the end, when trying to exorcise Stelle, they instead discover that it was an old spinster living with the Tokes in the local hostel/shrine to Sarenrae, who was the object of possession by one of Szaldor's experiments before his flight from the region. The haggard old woman calls forth an animated scarecrow, which the heroes just barely defeat...

Characters: Arnhelm, Brando, Malfin
XP Awarded: 1066 each (combat), 1000 each (session bonus), 400 each (case bonus)

NPCs: 

Ancin Toke (human male): Down on his luck local miller in Stavian's Hold, he's the one who tips off the Skeleton Farm to the possible presence of Udmer Thull in town. His daughter is Stelle. Ancin is a hard spoken man who wields a sword in case of trouble, but then doesn't seem able to muster it for use when that trouble actually presents itself...

Bedsalt (human male): A gaunt farmer wielding a ho, he manages to bribe the PCs after he catches them breaking in to Szaldor's Mill soon after their arrival in the Hold.

Bedsalt's Brother (human male): A balding, thick-jowled man with little family resemblance to Bedsalt, but nonetheless tries to bribe the characters when they return to search Szaldor's Mill for a second time.

Cece  (human female): A well-to-do woman with a fox companion, she is the 'mayor' of Stavian's Hold, appointed by the Emperor's court, though she seems forced to share leadership with the knight Hany and his wife Lene.

Joycie (human female): A former slave who travels with her dog Jane, Joycie maintains a wild and haggard appearance and seems to be seeking a new master, a path that Arnhelm dissuades her from.

Kater (human female): A beautiful Eastern woman with an unusual accent, she's an herbalist, a nomad of the Whistling Plains who often spends time at Stavian's Hold. As an adept who follows Erastil, the PCs turn to her to cure Malfin's condition, which she is unable to do.

Lene (half-orc female): The wife of Sir Hany, and herself an officer serving the Taldan army.

Pinard the Prestidigitator (halfling male): A rather plain-clothed vendor of exotic goods, operating out of a stall called 'The Naga's Arcana' in the town center of Stavian's Hold.

Sir Hany (half-orc male): White-haired knight who commands a Taldan Phalanx out of Stavian's Hold. He's brutally honest but also somewhat of a 'dick', exclaims Malfin. Has since taken Udmer Thull into custody.

Stelle (human female): A young girl with black pony tails, she is the daughter of Ancin Toke and seems to have a rather morbid disposition for her age. Also capable of sewing together strange magical scrying dolls out of straw, though she claims the old woman possessed by part of Szaldor's spirit was responsible for teaching her the technique.