We headed off to crime scene. It was a small clearing that beside the road where they had apparently stopped. The distance from the woods was too far to have just surprised them, but not to far to have enspelled them. One character circling around discovered that there was a campsite on a hill past a gully. Tracks lead from the hill to the crime scene, from the NE to the crime scene, and from the NE to the hill. The campsite contained broken wine bottles and meat (jerky) indicating that whoever had camped there hadn't been too poor. Inspector Ahmet's (Joe's character) examination of the bodies indicated that they had been killed by medium sized swords and that the sword were curved (a sickle or scimitar). The tax collectors necklace which identified his office was missing. Det. Tavar (my character) talked to locals in the nearby farm and they indicated that nobody had come by impersonating him. As we were about to leave, a 2 or 3 characters noticed some threads from some faded red cloth.

We took the bodies back to Runegate to be resurrected and head on to swan to question locals there. Most of the people were simple peasants who didn't seem to have the resources for the crime and were too poor for meat and wine. The locals didn't appear to know who had done it and were crediting local bandits (who were gaining popularity based on the mistaken idea that this mean they didn't have to pay taxes). The idea was that rebels hadn't done it since that would gain too much Lunar attention. One possible suspect was a lunar Captain (Kosovo) and a local adventurer. Det. Yasna (Ray's Chacter) arranged for a local magician to cast a spell that would, if timed right, give a view of the crime scene. Tavar, Det. Kaleel (Kara's character), Det. Vanevar Zephry, and Det. Yasna stayed behind while Inspector Ahmet, Det. Rockfrug, Inspector Hezbod Doblian (Eduardo's character), and Det. Corp. Marc Tracius went off to Runegate.

On the way, the party headed to Runegate stopped at the crime scene and Inspector Ahmet talked to the locals. They were more inclined to talk at this point and told him that they had seen the crime. As they had been eating lunch, they saw a couple of men stop by and talk to the tax collector's party. Suddenly a battle broke out and the men killed the party. Back in Runegate, the tax collector had been resurrected and confirmed the local's story. He didn't know who might have done it or who might have know he would be carrying more money than was usual. On the way back, Ahmet met the magician who cast the spell. The timing wasn't good and he mostly got a view of them leaving and the placement of the bodies after the fight.

Back in Swan, Tavar and Vanevar (?) were tasked with following the Adventurer and Kosovo. Kosovo rode out of town and we didn't have any horses so we couldn't follow him. We noticed the adventurer's servant bringing their baggage out to the horse. While Vanevar (?) distracted him, Taver snuck in to look at the bags. He discovered that the adventurer was caring a silver necklace that had been beaten and melted and which could have been the one that had been on the tax collector. Not wishing to tip him off prematurely, Tavar put it back. He was (due to rolling 00) spotted by stable boy leaving and questioned. Fortunately he made a fast talk and wasn't detained.

It was decided to go arrest the adventurer. We followed him south, past the Greydog Inn, through Duck country, to Manvill. There we took their horses and had the stable boy lead them off. Kaleel was sent to distract him with her womanly charms while the party surrounded the inn. Ahmet, Yasna, and Rockfrug went in the front door while the others when in the two back doors. Ahmet announced in a loud voice that they were under arrest. The fight went out way and they were subdued (the adventurer's leg was cut off).

Questioning them afterward, they at first denied any knowledge of either the murder or the necklace (and the adventurer threaten dire consequences because of his noble status). Eventually the servant was pressured into confessing (with some help from the sight of the adventurer's tortured body). At first he said they had just bought the necklace from some men in Boldhome how had done the crime, but later he confessed that they had actually committed the murder (though he still tried to maintain that it was his master's idea and he didn't know what he was going to do). The adventurer made several attempts to buy his way out of the situation.

In the end, the adventurer was hung and the servant was let go because he had cooperated. Later, however, the servant was found cut up, apparently in revenge for the killing of the guards. The motive was simple greed prompted by the adventurers stipend being cut off.