Chapter 2: The Skinsaw Murders

Shadow, after a short time searching, finally spots some tracks in a muddy patch of ground and it looks like a human footprint. Following it, you find that there are tracks leading into and out of the river. It appears that whoever did this knew well how to hide their path.

Aside from the footprints, there's not much else in the marsh that you are able to find.

Heading back to the jail together, you see Lyrie lounging on the bed of her cell in pristine white garments. She stares silently at the ceiling, but a smile flits across her face when glances through the bars of the cell to see Archie and the rest of you.

"What can I help you with," she asks in a friendly manner, "Or did you all come here just to visit?"

Lyrie sits up, eyes wide, "By Desna's light..." she whispers, shaking her head, "You don't think it could be Nualia, do you? I had so badly hoped that she had just fled to get away from imprisonment."

"I can't think of any ritual purpose that rune could serve," Lyrie says, still visibly upset, "It is just the symbol of the seven virtues of Thassilon, which were later corrupted into the seven vices. Our knowledge of Thassilon is sparse, but none of my research has shown anything in regards to rituals involving the rune..."

"I really am sorry that I don't know more," Lyrie laments, "So much of the lore of Thassilon has been lost. I hope to be able to piece as much of it together as I can someday, but as of right now..."

Satisfied with what little information Lyrie was able to provider, you head to the sanatorium, where the only living victim of the horrible first murders is being taken care of. On your way out of the jail, you are presented with a letter of introduction written by the sheriff. "The sheriff said that this letter should get you in to see the 'patient'," the guard says as he hands over the letter.

The squat, stone building that serves as the sanatorium has three floors under a stout, stone-flagged roof, and is built in the lee of the limestone escarpment known as Ashen Rise. The whole building is pristine and well-maintained. The walls are all scrubbed, even those on the outside, and dotted with small windows all around, each no more than four inches wide. The windows are wide enough to allow good air flow, but not so wide as to allow the mentally deranged within to get out.

As you climb the steps to the veranda, the boards creak loudly underfoot, but seem sturdy enough. There are two apparent entrances into the building. One appears to be an employee entrance, while the larger one seems to be for visitors.

The door opens easily on its well-oiled hinges. This room contains a desk and three chairs - two to the west, one to the east. A cord hangs from a hole in the southern wall above a sign that reads, "Ring for service."

A few minutes after ringing the bell, a small, mousy man moves into the room from the door to the south. He looks very irritable and immediately snaps, "What do you need? Can't you see that I'm quite busy?"

As he reads the letter, the man sighs, "Well, nothing to be done about it, I suppose..." he says, shrugging and opening the door to the south. This L-shaped room is clean, just like everywhere else, and contains three long tables with bench seats on either side. He motions for you to take a seat, "My name is Erin Habe," he says, introducing himself with a slight bow, before continuing with a slight tremble in his voice, "Forgive my rudeness earlier. I don't often get visitors and I was in the thrall of an absolutely thrilling novel."

There are three doors on the wall to your right as well as two at the opposite end of the room. The room is quite long and turns to the right at the opposite end. Habe heads to the other side of the room and opens to the right-most door on the southern wall, closing it behind him and heading up the stairs within.