The Killer Clown Doll

The players are made aware that the Shadow Daggers have been stolen. It co-insides with a fire at the brewery and poison being introduced to a batch of beer with severe side effects. Also, there was an attempt on the life of Druidess Emma Duckthorne, and Father Tossil, who both have had damage to their knees and lower legs and someone trying to cut their throats. Neither saw their attacker.

This seems to happen after the Barracks are attacked by Shar-Kai and their storage facility is damaged enough by the Shadar-Kai, that something breaks in and steals the Shadow Daggers. The Burgeaters will demand that it is upgraded, and the daggers if found be placed in the Motte and Bailie or the Church. The Church is not too happy as the daggers could affect the dead, as it still doesn't have full protection after the previous break-in.

Also, spiders of different types have been introduced to Archi's basement room, along with Arne being attacked but not seeing anything with damage to his lower leg from the knee down. A bear trap had been used on him.

Will all this the players may get a batch that is poisoned 1d100 and forced to make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw and end up poisoned as well as taking 10 3d6 poison damage. Either way they get tragic news that someone dies. Most likely Bjorn due to his advanced age.

Also, small fires may be started here and there too, usually in occupied buildings at night. These appear to be accidental initially and there is still a high risk of being acts of arson.

Whilst investigating the players may have to resort to magic but find out that the target has some type of field permanently blocking out their actions.

One major pattern seems to be people related to the party or have regular contact with them. The wyrmling Slythra seems to be aware of some type of dark magic in the general vicinity especially when Emma and Tossil is targeted. Both the wyvern and the griffon seemed to feel it too, and all three are perturbed by it. They can't seem to place exactly where it emanates from but Slythra says it has only recently entered the town.

Eventually they will find a clue. The attempted attacks and damage points to something very small, fast and exceptionally agile. It seems to only appear at night and uses shadows, as when anyone notices movement in the region it is something upright and between 1 & 2 feet tall, bipedal and when the area is searched further, there is a slight taint of cold, with wisps of smoke given off.

This goes on for a while, and after a while a few other reports coming in, as well as injuries & kills bear the marks of necrotic damage, along with a child-like tittering. The injuries also seem to be caused by something the size of a Pixie or a Doll.

If Chuckie is ever examined at this point, she may, if at night, attack and give herself away. Whoever is closest to her runs the risk of her full attacks and any attack made against her mat result in accidentally hitting her opponent if close enough or if she grabs them.

At any time the players can check to see if any Shadar-Kai have been captured and if so on a 50% chance 1d100 , then they may explain a bit. They will say that the Bladed Pouch Master has found a way into the town and is now terrorising them. The Master had some idea that by using magic granted by the unnameable Dark Gods of the Shadowfell she found a way to cheat death once. By doing so she could skip into a body of some kind, even an artificial one, to be took into Eschbach, steal the Shadow Daggers and target any who has crossed her path. The Shadar-Kai was sent by the Raven Queen to quickly seize the Daggers back before the Master could. Unfortunately she used the attack to get them back and escape.