Martenin the 17th, 888 ID.
While examining the scene of the gruesome murders at the Crimson Harpy, Indrid and Finian take the opportunity to speak to Captain Fowler on the side, filling him in on how they've run afoul of the Hosspotch family with Clodio Oakbottom's lockbox, and how they've investigated the missing carpenter's home and discovered his family missing too. They show Fowler the list, and he does confirm that it seems to be a bunch of soldiers, some of whom he knows personally, who have proven trustworthy, and not bought out by criminals. The Captain then tells them he's heard rumors that the Hosspotches have some private goings on in the cellar beneath the Tavern, and that he's planning to question the staff and customers, including some of their private guards. He'd like the two of them to sneak into the cellars and do a quick search, using the dumb waiter in the kitchen, to make sure there is no murderer being covered up for. Apparently the Captain has some arrangement with the half-orc barkeep and cook Garlo. Indrid then takes Fowler aside and gives him the ledgers from the lockbox.
The two halflings examine the crime scene further, noting that there are no major blood trails leading there, and that the victims are maids or room staff for the Inn upstairs. They note nearby windows of anyone who might have seen the crime, but realize it might not have been committed where the bodies wound up. Once Fowler has gathered up the masses for questioning, he signals Finian, and the two sneak into the Harpy's kitchen and down the dumb waiter. They exit in a butcher's block, where some of the menu is slaughtered, and discover a jar of pickled halfling fingers, taking it along with then. Next they find a common area where the Hosspotch guards must hang out in the cellar, and a sleeping area with one such guard snoring away. They proceed further into the cellars to find some locked doors and then a halfling sentry and war dog which must have been ordered to remain below while the others went up to speak with the Eidolorn guards. The two are quickly dispatched, and then bandaged before they could bleed out, and Finian takes the guard's keys.
Indrid and Finian find a private gambling den with lots of fancy dice, cards, and such, and then the proper locked store-rooms for the Crimson Harpy: one with safes and fancy goods, another with a wine cellar, an ale store, and a large spice closet. Behind a sealed curtain, they find a small jail with five cells, two of which are occupied! Once contains the daughter and wife of Clodio Oakbottm, Marlene and Moki, to claim they were kidnapped just a few days ago in the night, but treated rather well with good meals and drink. A neighboring cell contains a strange half-elf named Masaka, whose window is boarded up. He claims he was also abducted, but from the road between Littlewolf and Livenoak, where he was helping a cousin deliver some baubles to market. Apparently the cousin was in on the heist, conducted by masked but dangerous halfling minstrels (known as Magpies), and they took a particular interest in an old family heirloom (a magic sling) that was in Masaka's possession. They were able to overcome the druid's abilities and lull him to sleep with a spell, and then he wound up where he is, also claiming to have been treated decently in the weeks since he arrived.
Our PCs spring the prisoners, and they all proceed to search the cellar some more, first heading back to some of the locked areas, which turn out to be the steam boiler room and Hildebold's private office. In the proprietors desk they find another set of finer keys, and also items belong to the prisoners, such as Masaka's weapons and armor. They then move quickly to search through the store rooms, where they end up finding a hidden cache of black powder poison in the spice room. After hearing that the interrogations upstairs are beginning to break up, Indrid takes the Oakbottoms and escapes...but not without being seen by Garlo the half-orc! Finian and Masaka decide to search the other empty cells in the mini-prison, but change their minds and also head out to the dumb waiter. En route, they find that the sleeping guard from earlier had woken up, and the Sheriff convinces the guard to check out one of his injured coworkers, then jumping him and taking him down from behind! They next rush out to the dumb waiter, but notice the other guards returning down the stairway. They escape in the nick of time, but Garlo also sees them...and tells them to inform Captain Fowler that they're 'square'.
Martenin the 18th, 888 ID.
Once outside the Crimson Harpy, they wait to signal the Captain, and tell him what they find, and that unfortunately they had to rough up a few of the Hosspotch guards, who are hopefully still alive. He realizes what a shitstorm has just been created (by his own actions), and he leads the PCs and the escaped prisoners back to the barracks, trying to avoid the Hosspotches. When they arrive, he gets ready to have the girls sent out with some soldiers to some safehouse. Finian and Indrid decide that they'd best confront Grandfather Hosspotch directly and air out the laundry, so as to avoid having knives at their backs. After an hour or so, with Masaka and the Captain, they head over to Grandfather's Manor, where they are met by a large host of Hosspotch mercenaries and war dogs. Harley comes out and then leads them inside. They are guided into the floor level banquet area where they meet with Grandfather and several other Hosspotch higher-ups. Harley is quite aggravated with Finian.
Though they present evidence of the severed fingers, and kidnappings, the robust Grandfather seems to have excuses for everything. The women were being sheltered since Clodio was missing, and they didn't want anything foul to befall them. The jar of fingers was from the previous Grandmother's tenure, and he doesn't know who they belonged to. Masaka was simply taken into custody since he was in possession of a valued Hosspotch item (Finighan's Sling), which they believe the half-elf must have stolen from them. They are quite upset about their wounded guards, but mention that all still breathe, and make a deal that they'll forget about the transgression beneath the Crimson Harpy if Indrid and Finian turn over the REAL contents of Clodio's lockbox. It appears that Indrid's ruse was discovered after Borys and Harley Hosspotch conferred about what they felt was the contents of the box, and the coins the swashbuckler added weren't noticed when the Hosspotch Holdings' proprietor was shaking it around.
Indrid remains silent, not revealing that the VERY PAPERS they seek are within the same room, tucked into Captain Fowler's tunic! Indrid has become completely reviled by the behaviors of his family, not that he didn't always suspect them, but being confronted with their ignoble behavior he wants little more to do with them. After not turning over the implicating documents, they receive some threats, although Grandfather insists that violence and murder are not the Hosspotch way, and never have been, once again trying to justify the family 'business'. Finian hands over his Sheriff badge as he is obviously going to be stripped of the position, and the four safely leave the manor compound, although they are mocked on the way out by several of the house guards while Grandfather's laugh bellows out behind them. They return to the barracks to get some sleep and decide what to do...with the Last Eidolorn doubling down on guarding them for the night.
After awakening, Indrid, Finian and Masaka confer with one another on what to do next. Indrid wants to leave outright. Finian is conflicted, and Fowler asks if he wants to be deputized into the Last Eidolorn, because he has grown fond of the halfling and would like his continued help in the murder investigation and other matters. Masaka decides to go along with these new companions for awhile, since he's not ready to return to Littlewolf and face his treacherous cousin Balo. Ultimately they decide to leave Hobfast, at least for awhile. Finian bids a fond farewell to the local Eidolorn soldiers, while Indrid goes to receive the magical cutlass he was having repaired at the Swampers' Swap. Masaka transforms into a bird to watch from the air, still nervous that the Hosspotch will try something violent to exact revenge on the PCs. Finian bids his family farewell and gives them gifts of gold coin and his boat, and before leaving speaks once more with Harley Hosspotch, trying to bribe the halfling not to harm or frame his family. Harley claims he would do no such thing, sinisterly inferring that they've become like 'his own family'. The ex-Sheriff promises that if any harm should befall them, he will return and seek out Harley first.
The two halflings and their strange new half-elf companion decide to make for Floivin Keep along the Great Westermarch Road, guided by Indrid's long-held desire to sign on with the Gravers' Guild. The Captain asks if Indrid would like to deliver the incriminating ledgers on the Hosspotch dealings himself to authorities at the Keep, but the swashbuckler thinks they'll be safer with an official envoy.
The road awaits.
PCs: Finian Redfoot, Indrid Hosspotch, Mazaka Reddenbalm
Moki Oakbottom (halfling female): A young halfling girl of no more than ten summers. She wears a pair of oversized blue breeches beneath a gray shawl, all held up with pins. Her hair is stuffed into two messy ponytails, and has several teeth missing.
