The following pamphlet is distributed about the usual adventurer's haunts. —

INVESTIGATORS NEEDED!

Resourceful, Discreet and Honest individuals required to assist with legal work.

Must be prepared to depart along the Margush road by Midday tomorrow to assist with the lawful liberation of an Acryn citizen from false charges.

Generous payment and results based bonuses available.

Interested parties should contact the offices of Clint Worthy at Bartholomew's Inn.

• Aaron - JamesW
• Bartholomew - Matthew
• Batts Marbeq - Seb
• Senta Fernbach - Sally
• Maximilian [RIP] - Tom111

The Taker of the Guilty declares that the evidence presented by the party is sufficient to cast some question over the case against Egil but not sufficient to prove him innocent. This being the case the spirit judges that it will take but a third of the young nobleman's life, and unleashes tendrils of water which snake around and into Egil, drawing forth something from within him that leaves him drained and shaky. The judgement made the lake spirit dismisses the assembled from its vessel and the group returns to Clint.

The party report on the result and the wounded lawyers is disappointed that they were unable to fully exonerate his client but clearly much relieved that his own absence didn't lead to an execution. He awards each of his investigators 50R and promises that Tina will be set to tracking down Max's family to ensure that they recieve his part of the payment.

Before leaving Margush Batts consults with the locals about his condition. Most don't have most to suggest beyond 'you done mucked up' but several do recommend that his best bet is to secure the blessing of another spirit to ward against the curse.

Bartholomew suggests that he should call upon the aid of the Tender church and Batts agrees that he will…as a last resort. Once again calling upon the Weaver of Bone, Batts asks the skeletal spirit whether it can provide any assistance with his condition. After some thought the spirit agrees that it may be able to protect him if he is able to provide it with a suitable amount of bone. Quite happy with this response Batts agrees to return with offerings.

On their return to Acryn the party split up having settled accounts. Barthomolew asks to purchase the group's cart from Aaron, and now having some cash in hand the others now pitch in to cover most of the earlier boat rental. After parting both Senta and Bartholomew go to the watch to report the Batts is showing the signs of becoming a dangerously foolish mage; though they have little to act on currently the watchmen note down their concerns and agree to keep an eye on the situation.

Batts goes to the colleges along with Prissa, the necromancer's apprentice, seeking a sponsor to provide him with the bones needed for his offering. The People's college reject his request with the note that this sounds like a rather risky business but an interview with Dammerung the Undying is more profitable as the lich quickly agrees to provide the bones in exchange for unlimited testing opportunities afterwards.
Travelling back out towards the Weaver's lands, he buries the bones and invokes the spirit. Moments later he is dragged down into the earth as a pair of skeletal hands latch onto his ankles. Some time later he is brought around by Prissa and finds that his entire body has been coated in a second skin of weirdly flexible bone. He returns to Acryn and with Bartholomew there to look after his health turns himself over to Dammerung for experimentation.

Several agonising days later Bartholomew leads a flayed Batts to a Tender temple. The priest there is horrified by the mage's injuries and after some persuasion from Bartholomew agrees to perform an immediate rite to try and combat his curse. As first the miracle seems to be working fine, the lakelife inside Batt's being drawn out in a stream of watery blood, however as the rite reaches its pinnacle a figure emerges from the blood and screams out “He killed my daughter!”. The blood explodes outwards, plastering the holy site of the Tender, but Barthomolew feels that his Goddess has worked her will and looking upon Batts his flesh does seem to be cleansed of the curse. However when Batts wakes it is to a terrible realisation- he had a child, and he murdered it. Overcome with grief and self-loathing he returns to Dammerung to willingly subject himself to more of the Wounding Archmage's torments.

• 49R

• 47R
• Believes that he murdered his own child. He has also been rendered more sensitive to pain and will take RENDs and WOUNDs for 1s longer than usual.
• Has a protective second skin of bone that covers his entire body. This grants him a permanent hit of natural armour but looks extremely and distinctively weird and is pretty much impossible to hide with mundane disguise.

• 27R + A sturdy cart

• Is sadly deceased.
• 50R eventually finds its way to his family along with news of his death.

• 47R