Session 2
Session 1 Recap
We open on our heroes descending into the cellar of the tavern, after having agreed to help with their "rat" problem. Not only was the cellar infested with crawling claws, but there was also a cat named Tiggles cowering in the corner. Our band of adventurers were up to the task, though, now that Hjalti and Chandani could hit their attacks. Chandani concerned herself with rescuing the cat while readily thinning the swarm. The rest of the party focused on cleaning up the crawling claws.
Once the deed was done, the party continued to theorise on the origin of these undead hands. Suspicion settled on the denizens of the tavern: Talita, Zara and Brutus. Chandani had taken time to ritually cast Detect Magic in the cellar to see if she could catch any more necromantic magic out in the tavern. She noticed nothing out of the ordinary, just some cheating during a card game and routine Prestidigitation... until a new person entered the tavern.
Seline, the wife of one of the victims, had a faint trace of necromancy on her. Suspect number whatever-it-is. Chandani worked out a clever way to gauge Seline's involvement in the undead problem. An illusory crawling claw would run across the floor, while Hjalti would gauge her reaction to said hand. Seline was surprised to see it but seemed to recognise it. Tethren excused himself to bed, Hjalti stayed at the bar and Uruk and Chandani spoke to Seline.
Their conversation ended with them agreeing to meet the next morning. The party agreed to present the hands to the Church in the morning, then see Seline out in her pasture. Uruk and Chandani went to sleep at the inn while Hjalti went to the Church to sleep. At the end of the night, the party slept and levelled up to Level 2.
The next morning, the party met at the Church to present the hands. When presenting the hands to one of the priests in his office, the party was surprised to see that he was unsurprised. It turns out the priest knew about reanimated undead within the mausoleum since before the first strangulation. Not just hands. The priest revealed that Seline has been around the mausoleum as well. He availed the Church's collection of magic items to the party so that they could enter the mausoleum to clear it.
What will the party do now that they have their culprit? Turn her in? Allow Hjalti to dispense his "justice"? Leave her in the hands of the people of Pilgrim's Rest? A question to answer after they clear the mausoleum.