What Lurks in the Dark (storyline)/Monsters Roaming the Streets (vignette)

All seemed quiet in the Landing, a lone guard on patrol enters the Town's Square to chat with traveling adventurers. After some time a cool breeze picked up, causing a thick ominous fog cloud to roll in, obscuring everyone's vision. A shadow darts by but all remains quiet until a bell begins to toll from South Ring Road, signaling the guards. All the guards, including the one patrolling the town square, rushed to the area. They put up a barrier to keep townsfolk out, although one guard was persuaded by some adventurers to let them through, saying they'd seen an event like this before and with their word they wouldn't mess any evidence up, the guard let them through. The scene was a bloody one. A human male body, brutally mutilated, skin flayed and peeled away to expose muscles and bone. The other, half-elf male body, was in mostly pristine condition except for its heavily thrashed throat. Through investigative means, the adventurers were able to glean some information. The bodies had their tongues cut out and put into the other's mouth, the half-elf's throat was gnawed down to the spinal column and esophagus, and a very neat silk scarf tied around both, featuring a very skillfully neat bow.

Two sets of bloodied footprints lead away from the scene, down the road until they finally disappear near Shanty Town. They were humanoid in nature, but it was too difficult to make out if they were made by a male or female. Soon after, the bodies were carried away just as the rain began to pour down, erasing everything else away. The town became abuzz with gossip about monsters roaming the streets and wild beasts killing off people, even learning that these aren't the first murders like this in Elanthia. Shortly after the adventurers moved to gain warmth and cover at Thrak's Inn, an elderly couple barged in frantically looking for their niece. No one answered and they didn't find her and they ran back into the night looking for her. Something truly is afoot, stay tuned in for next time!