Creative Practice Day 6

  "Good Evening Elthred!" Jacob called from the other side of the bar. Elthred moved smoothly through the hubub of the busy tavern and took a seat besides his freind. "Long day?"  "Tedious but productive Jacob. How goes the search for that miscreant that torched that market stall?"  "Ah! Too busy a day for reports I see. We cornerd the lad in BrightBurrow and contacted his folks. Just a teenage gnome egged on by his friends. He didn't do much damage, but I think he has to work for the shopkeep for a month or two. Should teach him his lesson. Need a drink?"  "By the nine hells yes. Something strong." Jacob waited while the investigator ordered himself something potent enough to sedate a gryffin and downed it. "You know what bothers me, about this whole investigation Jacob?" Elthred asked after taking a long sip of his drink.  "The brutality?"  "No. We see that sort of thing once a month. Someone goes crazy and goes to town with an ax on their spouse or something. Gruesome but somewhat common. This murder. These murders, they are precise. Identical. Designed to foil any kind of invesigation. Targeted too. I can't find the connection's between them though. I can't help but think it's someone's personal hit list." Jacob was curious, and knew with a little drink in him he could get more than his "need to know" status would otherwise let him.  "I've only heard rumors about the bodies. What happened to them?"  "Oh its terrible. It is always while they are sleeping. They are rolled onto their back and before they can scream, we wager, they get their throaght cut in one clean blow that usually is quite strong. Sends blood across the room. Then a great big X is carved in their chest, presumably with the same tool. Last their tounge gets cut out. prevents us from any sort of speakin' with the victim's soul and whatnot. Damn clerics can't do anything to help. And divination wizards can only look foreward not backward. Very unhelpful."  "And every one is like this?" "Every poor soul so far. No message, no threats for the next victim. Seemlingly no obvious motive. It's driving me mad." "And no signs of entry into the building?" "Nothing. You'd think with this skillset they'd be stealing gold instead... This is so much worse than that."