(The next morning…)
After waking and eating, the group (without Lincon once more) decides to head to the Sunbright estate on the south side of the city in the municipal district.
The Sunbright Estate
Traveling to the Sunbright estate the party notices many people putting up banners and decorations in preparation of the festival. Arriving at the mansion the PCs are greeted by the family's butler. Asking for the lord of the house the group waits while the man fetches him.
Entering the foyer, Elger Sunbright proves to be less than receptive to the PCs questions. All this happened three weeks ago and he just wants to forget the whole thing. "This is a family affaire and the family will care for it's own" he says. Even this is very hard to get out of him as he does not seem to appreciate Ethradan's arrogance and claims of nobility. He tells the PCs that if their business is concluded they should leave.
As the butler leads the PCs to the door Mericus attempts to questions him. Looking over his shoulder and lowering his voice the man tells them that it was Radnor Sunbright's body that was stolen and that he died eight years ago of illness. He mentions also that the tomb was damaged in the robbery.
Standing in the street once again the group contemplates were to head next. Having the whole day ahead of them they decide to take a trip to the countryside and visit the Gadock farm.
The Gadock Family Farm
Heading out of the city on foot the group travels for an hour or so before getting a ride on a passing cart. Traveling faster than they would afoot it's still another hour before they arrive at the farm.
Once at the farm they find the family friendlier than the city folk and possibly even happy to have company, despite the odd appearances of Vallan and Ethradan. Farmer Gadock introduces himself as Bern as well as his wife Betilda and son Hagger. Taking the role of spokesperson for the group, Mercius question farmer Gadock. Bern Gadock's father's grave was the site robbed. Apparently the family saw nothing out of place that night. It was raining though and Bern would not have noticed any tracks around the grave.
Finding no new information Mericus leaves his companions to talk with the Gadocks and goes to talk to the son, Hagger, who is playing in the yard. Talking to the boy and entertaining him with some small prestidigitation, Mericus asks the boy if he saw anything that night. Surprisingly the boy answers that he saw his grandfather walking away! Questioning the boy further he learns that the boy saw his grandfather and no one else.
After saying their goodbyes and leaving the farm Mericus relates his findings to the other two. Deciding that they need to find more of the living relatives they head back to the church to question Father Dumas. On the way through the east gate Ethradan argues for looking around the outer city trying to find the families of the bodies stolen from the nearby bone yard. The other two would rather see if they can narrow their search at the church and in the end win out.
Finally! A Lead!
Once at the church they find out that five people came to Father Dumas about the robberies in the past month. Lord Elger of the Sunbright estate, farmers Gadock and Fullet, Peles Burkett son of Senn Burkett and one more person for whom he does not have a name.
Peles Burkett lives outside the east gate and they decide to head back there to try and find him. Questioning a few of the locals in the streets doesn't seem to work so the group heads into a tavern. They ask the barkeep if he knows the man. He doesn't, but he asks his patrons if any of them know Peles. "The priest here is looking for him", he says, gesturing towards Mericus who's wearing a church cassok. A man at the bar indicates that he knows Peles and offers to show them the way.
The man leads them through the streets to a small home on a side street. Giving the man a coin Mericus thanks him and the group knocks on the door. Another man opens the door and it is quickly ascertained that he is indeed Peles Burkett. Not wasting anytime the party begins their questioning. Peles is a bitter man, he blames all his families woes on his father's ill luck. It seems the Burkett family ran in to hard times after his father acted as a juror in a trial years ago. "A witch's trial" whispers Burkett.
Very interested the party questions him further about this trial. Apparently there was a widely known trial and execution of a witch's coven ten years ago in which his father participated. "An evil and ungodly business it was" he mutters. He doesn't have any details to give them except that there was a trial, beyond that he knows nothing but vague rumors. He's certain that the witches must have cursed his father before their deaths. How else would you explain the ill luck he's suffered from?
Thanking the man for his help and giving him some coins for his trouble the group leaves the house. With the sun long set the party, feeling very pleased with themselves, heads back to the church once more.
(To be continued)