Day 2
The Ice Man cometh
Noone from Moonrest has touched the body and noone has dared to.
Elder saelin tells us we do not let the tide take the dead but do not bury what we do not understnd.
Determine how the man died, take him to the fish house for an investigation.
She tells us to record everything for the moon rest arvices. "Do this carefully" she says.
Well dressed human male, frozen stiff and sea frost clings to the clothes. Clothes are very high quality, obvs not a fisherman. Bruising around the wrists, boots don't look worn so not used to much wear
Seb sees the body didn't drift here, he sees faint drag marks which the drifting snow have partly covered, the bag looks like its just dropped. There are no foot/boot prints.
Bryn suggest moving him to the fish house, we make an A frame strecher and carry him back.
We return to the fish house with the body, the villagers are outside looking. Not helping but having a nosey.
Approaching the fish house a man in his mid 40s stop =s us and says "your not bringing that into the village you don't know what he's carrying" A doesn't know the man but asks him if he knows who the body is - "he doesn't know" Calms slightly when A tell him elder saelin told us to do this. An old lady tells folk to let him pass - if the sea gave him back we take care of him"
Passing between 2 houses - we hear a group of children playing and singing... we recognise it a a sort of scary nursery rhyme. "l hear what you say. He walks where oaths are torn in two, And smiles like friends you think you knew. Lock your door when moon’s gone thin, Don’t let a traitor’s shadow in."
The villagers are asking if anyone knows him or what has happened. But we make it to the fish house and lay him out.
Exam - Head first. no paniced expression, so don't think he struggled. Check his chest, Guru notice water in his lungs, Salas thinks the water entered after death. Spine Salas notices a small puncture wound in his spine which looks itentional.
Wrists and hands - perception Slas and Guru sees the wrists are bruised which look like he was restrained - they see lavender marks under his finger nails which A and Seb believe is an alcheical residue, His hands seem to have reacted oddly to the cols
Spine puncture - Bryn says he's not seen anything like that from the sea
Outer clothing - high quality probably from one of the main continents. Jacket has reinforced seams, but in some areas they seem a lot thicker than you'd normally expect. Seb and Guru can see the stiching is deliberatly reinforced with different thread. Feels out of place with the rest of the jacket. Guru uses a knife from the fish house and unpicks the seams. Bryn comments the stitching was done to protect something, Seb thinks it was done to hide some thing quickly. Guru finds a wax sealed packet. (pockets of the jacket seem to be empty) Trouser pocket check - scrap of cloth and small piece of cord, but no coin. An inner pocket seems to ahve something inside it - seems to be a small metal ring, wrapped carefully in some cloth. Seems to be a signet ring, but seems to have been intentionally hidden. It's well crafted, not local. Doesn't seem to be cult based or magic. No insription in the ring. Bryn thinks he's seen the inscritopn before on crates from the mainland.
Guru open the letter from the jacket. Most has been worn away, but he can make out:
"Moonrest Isle classified low activity.”
“Threshold variance within tolerance.”
“reserves stable.”
“Knight oversight unnecessary at this stage.”
Guru thinks he's some sort of courier from the mainland.
We take a closer look at the needle mark in his spine. We know of plants that could be ground down and would casue paralysis and stop hearts and that could be the cause of death, then tossed into the water when dead. Seems to have had all ID removed apart from what was hidden.
Bryn asks us to write this down for Elder Sealin.
We record suspicious death, by persons unknow.
We reord the suspicious pncture marks, the bruising on his wrists, the hidden things
We try to leave nothing out of the report.
Bryn covers the body as we head out to see Saelin. Bryn suggests we have a chat with the locals to see if any of them saw/heard anything
A goes to talk to Edda. Edda saw nothing and doesn't recognise him. She believes "this one was not meant to come back" The sea does not often give back, Edda thinks he must be dangerous if the sea did not want to keep him. You should be careful not to invite the s=danger heere.
Seb asks Bryn what he thinks about the guy who has died.. Bryn hasn't seen him before and no official ships.small boats haven't landed. Bryn says it's been quiet for many weeks.
A asks Bryn about the drag marks, waanting to know if he knew of anything that could have dragged the body up but left no marks, neither of them do. A begins to remember the blue eyed fish had sharp teeth.
Aethsw talks to the Lorekeeper - his sister is a herbalist so will know the Aeth siblings. Tovin has heard rumours, but ignores them. He has no writing or recollection of the dead person. Any knowledge of strange vessels or boats? - Tovin checks his ledgers and there are no records of entries in the last few weeks.
Seb talks to Mara, the bar keep. She says the whole village is talking about the investigation. Seb asks what whispers? She mentions that we don't normally get visitors in winter, outsiders never stay long. She says quitely that the official people who come never travel alone, again they do what needs to be done and go quickly.
Tomas - not sure if knows anything at all. A sits down and tries to make it a cozy environment. Seb sits down as well. Seb notices he seems afraid, seems to be trying to avoid answering questions and his eyes keep darting to the shoreline. Seb reckons it is in the direction where the body was found. A asks Tomas where he was from originally, says from one of the main continents, but his family has been travelling the seas since before he was born. Born at sea, but grew up on the island once his parents died. He says he hates the ocean and would rather keep his feet on dry land. A asks if reckognises the clothes on the man, he says he does not. He is hiding something. Aethswold asks if he was afraid of the body? He's evasive, but he eventually cracks and says he'll tell. he couldn't sleep and the tide was arong. someone else was there, not using a lantern as though they knew where everything was. he saw a hoode cloaked figure leaning over the body semming to check for something. Tomas saw the figure walk away onto the sea then vanished into the fog. Tomas doesn't know anything about the cloak or the dead guys clothes.
A thinks that would explain the lack of footprints. Aeths has heard of ancient mythical creatures, but none that are humanoid figures.
We go to the Longhouse to see elder Saelin and give our report. Gure gives her the letter and ring, she recognises they are from the Port Authority - i.e. The Pale Compact, Elder Saelin is wondering why they are watching Moonrest. Aeths and Guru think he was undercover, Saelin says if he is Pale COmpact then someone will come looking for him. SHould we contact them or wait. Asks all of us what we think. All of us think there is more to uncover - Except Seb who thinks we should tell the authorities right away. Saelin, decides to wait for the time being. She says Compact Agents do not die and certainly don't die alone. If that is the case then something has gone wrong. She easks the other council members to leave. She asks if there is anything we didn't wish to say in front of the others A mentions the hooded figure. Guru mentions the odd sea creatures that seemed to be under control by something and the ritual at the smokehouse. The common thing is the archane violet residue. She summarises that the ring carries a lot of protection and it must be serious if he hid it. She wonders if the Compact have lost control so Saelin is wary. Guru wonders if there is something here that could help The Compact, Saelin thinks The COmapct act in there own interest. She asks us to keep quiet and would like us to see things through as Moonrest seems to be in danger. She gives us an Adventureers pack as a gift.
One of the SHorewatchers dashes through the door saying something is moving on the western shores - the ice is breaking where is shouldn't . She sends us to investigate.
At the SHoals we see a single set of prints heading out towards the ice, We see drag marks heading out to the cracks in the ice and see more of the lavender residue. The wind picks up and tide seems to have been pulled back further than it should be. Then we see hands puncture the ice and a body pulls itslef thethrough the ice - seemingly the drowned messenger
Plague Zombie