Victoria Scordato – Case notes: Devil’s Nursery Murders

4 Rova 4715, Fireday

Overview: (Provided by Niccolo Aita)

Multiple murders in the Devil’s Nursery district. 3 confirmed, additional 2 suspected. Bodies were mangled preventing typical identification means. Personal effects used to identify the known victims. No official investigation opened due to martial law implementation. Manpower unavailable. (Note: Nearly all crimes revolving around the Night of Ashes have failed to be investigated.)

Confirmed Victims:

  • Unidentified male tiefling.
      1. Date found: 25 Arodus 4715(day after the Night of Ashes)
      2. Location: Next to abandoned butchery
      3. Witnesses: None
      4. Outcome: Unsolved – body cremated (25 Arodus). No autopsy performed
  • Mazer, male tiefling, day laborer
      1. Date found: 27 Arodus 4715
      2. Location: alley 3 blocks from his home
      3. Witnesses: Seen working at the Tooth and Nail the day before
      4. Outcome: Unsolved – body cremated (27 Arodus). No autopsy performed
  • Sariah Cooper, female tiefling, washerwoman and Cloven Hoof Society Volunteer
    1. Date found: 30 Arodus 4715
    2. Location: communal yard behind her home
    3. Witnesses: None
    4. Outcome: Unsolved – body cremated (1 Rova). No autopsy performed

Unconfirmed Victims:

  • Vell, young male tiefling, homeless
      1. Date missing: 25 Arodus 4715
      2. Witnesses: Regular at the Cloven Hoof Society soup lines
  • Rol Chisholm, elder male tiefling, fishmonger
    1. Date missing: 25 Arodus 4715
    2. Witnesses: Usually opened shop, but failed to open after the Night of Ashes

 

Victoria Scordato – Case notes: Devil’s Nursery Murders

5 Rova 4715, Starday

Decedent Information

Name: Para

Gender: Female

Ancestry: Human/Tiefling

Address: The Devil’s Threads – temporarily living above the shop

Place of Employ: The Devil’s Threads

Occupation: Seamstress

Age: Early 20s

Preliminary Information about the Incident

Date of Incident: 4 Rova 4715 

Time: After nightfall

Found by: Zea – young tiefling female – early morning

Location: Alleyway near Forktongue and Dagger Street

Incident Description: (Provided by employer Hetamon Haace)

Para went out to buy something near curfew, and is unlikely to have made it back before it began. 

Witnesses: None

Scene Examination:

Roughly 15’ wide. Cobblestone streets. Two depressions funnel water from the main thoroughfare. Rain barrels and crates sit nearby. 3 story buildings flank the alley. Several doors lead into the alley. One has a sign indicating a shop – an apothecary. None of the other doors have been opened recently and none are unlocked.

Buzzing flies, discoloration, and disturbed earth indicate where the body was before being moved. Footprints show the victim began exiting but ran back into the alley when the attack began. After follow up investigation, no tracks correspond to an attacker. In fact, no tracks were left by the attacker(s) at all.

Discoloration next to where the body had been. Strange light colored powder. Does not match the powder bought at the apothecary. Possesses a foul odor. Humanoid tooth found as well roughly 15’ away.

Wooden handled tool found. Metal end is bent. On the base are the initials “BB” burned into the wood. Design is reminiscent of curved horns. Most likely an ice pick that has been bent with a maker’s mark.

Grates and depressions – no evidence found.

Amount of blood proves the murder did indeed occur in the alleyway.

Locale interviews: 

Apothecary – owned by elderly tiefling male. He recognizes the victim and confirms she came to the apothecary the night she was murdered. She bought a powdered substance to soothe migraines. It was later than usual for her to pick it up as she typically needed relief nightly. 

Note – Not a suspect

Local inhabitants – Everyone reports being asleep at the time of the murder. This does not seem to be a natural occurrence. People state they were in the middle of working, cleaning etc when sleep overtook them. 

Note – None suspected

Autopsy examination:

Victim’s body bears numerous small lacerations. They seem to be gouges, not cuts and are concentrated around the back of the knees – probably to incapacitate the victim. Fingers have all been broken – perhaps by the tool found in the alleyway. 

Face bears the majority of the damage. It has been mutilated beyond recognition. Jaw is dislocated and teeth have been removed at the root. Tongue has also nearly been removed. 

Foul odor covers the victim’s hands. One hand is holding a corkscrew also bearing the same maker’s mark as the ice pick.

Cause of death: Exsanguination due to excessive external bleeding

Evidence Collected:

Strange smelling powder

Humanoid tooth

Damaged ice pick

Corkscrew

Extended Evidentiary Examination:

Ice pick and corkscrew – both bear the maker’s mark of the defunct tavern Belial’s Brewhouse

Together the two pieces seem to form a rudimentary set of pliers

Suspect(s):

Tooth fairies?

 

 

5 Rova 4715 – Starday

I have to write it this way, as much as it pains me to reduce a person’s death to statistics and facts. I am still developing how to properly catalog the information. But it must be done if I am to approach this objectively and actually be any help to Niccolo and the citizens of Devil’s Nursery haunted by this mysterious killer.

Mr. Hetamon Haace seems genuinely interested in finding out who killed Para. I’m glad to see it. Perhaps it’s just my secretive nature, but I was surprised to hear Niccolo bring up our newly formed organization to the philanthropist when he asked about our interest in solving the murders. I find myself curious about the relationship between Niccolo and Straya. She seems concerned for him, but maybe a hint of suspicion as well? I think this thought stems from Hetamon’s comment about Niccolo’s reputation. There are still many layers to uncover in my new companions.

The majority of the “cases” I’ve worked on have not been homicides. When I first found myself on my own I didn’t know where I belonged. My years at school had been so regimented, so controlled, that it was both frightening and exhilarating to make my own decisions and help who I wished. That is how I ended up working for Pietro and Elena. Through them I began helping where I could, especially when I saw that the Dottari would not. A select few have the desire to help, but their hands are often tied in ways that mine are not.

I am hesitant to admit to my fellow ravens that I have only consulted on one murder case, and it was pure happenstance that I even found myself involved. Morgar had been investigating when I came by and offered my own observations. Other than that I’ve only been part of the autopsy portion. We’re not supposed to proffer our opinions.

I know how to gather information, but I’m not used to doing so with an entourage. While I would have preferred to investigate the scene alone, I do admit that it went by much faster with help. Hopefully they were as thorough as I would have been. 

I felt more in my element when dealing with the body, but it was different with how much I knew of Para. It’s much easier to perform an autopsy when the victim is a stranger. I understand what we do is not widely accepted. I do hope that I was sensitive enough with Straya. I can see the pain on Niccolo’s face. I considered asking him to step out, but I knew he wouldn’t. He seems desperate to solve these murders.

With that said, how do I tell him that I honestly think the culprits are…tooth fairies?

V.