Scent of a Killer

The newly built police headquarters is located in the northern part of the Town Between the Bridges, overlooking the Stream of Stockholm. The sturdy stone building has four floors and, in addition to offices for the police force, houses a detention center complete with a hundred cells and a morgue where Ester Volk works. The third floor is where Commissioner Utterson has his office. All visitors must report to the doorman before they are escorted through the narrow corridors and the throng of victims, thieves, constables, vagrants, detectives, and judges.

Challenges

• Commissioner Utterson is in his office during the day. He greets the player characters courteously and tells them what he knows, although he is not sure what the Society can contribute to his investigation. A MANIPULATION roll makes him reveal more about his suspicions.
• Coroner Ester Volk is usually at the morgue during the day. She willingly answers questions about her work, but under no circumstances does she reveal her suspicions that she herself may be the killer (see Background).

Initial Clues

• The Murders: Utterson confirms that the city has been struck by a series of grisly murders, of which opera singer Sverker von Essen appears to be the latest victim. He was found in the street behind the Opera on September 18th after a performance of the opera A Masked Ball. All victims have been torn apart, as if by some wild beast. Everyone before von Essen was a criminal, and Utterson assumed at the time that they were killed in some underworld dispute.
• The Feud: Utterson has no suspects. There was rumored to be bad blood between von Essen and another singer at the Opera, Rufus Holberg, but the latter had an alibi – he was at Bern’s Salons with several colleagues – and Utterson found no evidence against him.
• The Widow: If the characters ask about von Essen’s widow, the police commissioner says she has already been interviewed and offered no useful information. They can have her address on Knight Street if they wish to speak to her.
• Previous Attacks: Utterson has a list of times and locations of the murders – see handout 1D on page 107, also available for download on the Free League website. No names are listed – the police didn’t bother as all of the victims were criminals. Perceptive players may notice that a month passed between each murder. At the National Archives (page 31) – or by consulting a calendar – the characters can learn that all murders occurred around the time of a full moon.
• Insider? If pressed (MANIPULATION), Utterson admits that he suspects someone in the justice system may be guilty, as the victims were all criminals. In fact, Sverker von Essen was a suspect in the death of conductor Mortimer Cronstedt a few weeks before his own demise. Cronstedt, who also worked at the Opera, died after eating turtle soup at the Golden Peace (page 22). There were rumors of a feud between von Essen and Cronstedt, but no evidence could be found.
• Unrest: As if the murders were not enough for Utterson to deal with, the streets are rife with insurgents seeking to overthrow the royal family, inspired by the revolutions on the continent. The new police force must prove that it can maintain law and order – people must not be allowed to take the law into their own hands.
• The Sickness: If the characters ask about the disease spreading through the slums, Utterson or Ester Volk can inform them that several people in the While Hills slums in Southside have died of severe infections in recent weeks. They had all had an arm or leg amputated and some of them had had the lost limb replaced by a body part from a corpse. The police’s interrogations have led nowhere, as mistrust is high in the slums.
• The Woman: On the characters’ first visit, Coroner Volk has the corpse of a young woman on her slab, covered by a cloth. The woman was found in the Stream the day before, seemingly strangled. Volk sighs that the murder of von Essen gets lots of attention while no one cares about the poor who are losing their lives every day in Stockholm. Several girls from the White Hills slums have recently gone missing, and Volk believes that this may be one of them. No one has asked about her.
• The Wounds: As for Sverker von Essen, Volk says his throat was slashed with great force and that he died from extensive blood loss. She has nothing more to say. Perhaps it was a wild dog?
• The Conductor: If asked about Mortimer Cronstedt, the conductor at the Opera, Volk says he was found dead six weeks ago at the Golden Peace, face down in a bowl of turtle soup. Volk examined the body and concluded that he had been poisoned, but found no evidence of who or what might be responsible.
• The Society: If Volk learns that the Society has an interest in the supernatural, she becomes very curious, asking all kinds of questions about ways to appease or deal with vaesen. She also tells them about the National Archives on Knights’ Isle (page 31), which has a special Esoteric section on vaesen and other supernatural matters, and recommends that they go there for information.
• Smells: If the characters pass a VIGILANCE roll, they notice that Volk’s keen sense of smell seems to bother her in her work. Perfumes and fragrant herbs can be seen on shelves in the morgue.

Clues After Step 1 of the Countdown

• The Organist: Volk is now examining the maimed body of the murdered Friedrich Baum. The victim’s abdomen has been savagely slashed, exposing his intestines. His chest has been torn open and the heart removed. The modus operandi is similar to the murder of Sverker von Essen, although the singer’s heart was not missing.
• A Loner: Volk can also reveal that she is familiar with Friedrich Baum, as she regularly visits Saint Gertrude’s Church. The organist was a recluse who lived in a room in the church’s parish house.
• Arm Wound: Volk has a fresh wound on her forearm, sustained when she jumped out of the window of Saint Gertrude’s Church in werewolf form (page 32). The wound is bandaged and hidden under her clothes, and Volk does not show it to the characters unless they pressure her (MANIPULATION).
• The Notebook: If presented with Baum’s notebook, both Utterson and Volk recognize a young woman in the pictures – she was recently found dead in the Stream and was autopsied during the characters’ first visit to Volk. They do not know who she is but suspect that she is a poor girl from the White Hills slums, since no one has reported her missing.

Clues After Step 2 of the Countdown

• The Surgeon: Utterson explains that the victim of the attack, field surgeon Jens Svärdh, was himself the subject of a criminal investigation a few years ago. He was suspected of having engaged in experimental surgery during the war, attempting to replace amputated and torn-off body parts with limbs from fresh corpses. The ability to replace lost limbs would not only be a major scientific advance, but would also make it easier for the military and the city’s factory owners to get injured soldiers and employees back to work. Only those involved in the investigation knew of these suspicions, which never led to prosecution. If Utterson has not already expressed his suspicions about the attacker working within the justice system, he does now. In response to a direct question, he admits that Doctor Volk was involved in the Svärdh investigation. If asked directly, Volk admits that she participated in the Svärdh investigation but has nothing further to add.

Clues After Step 3 of the Countdown

• Volk Missing: Utterson says that Ester Volk has not turned up for work. He can give the player characters her home address on Charity Street if they ask for it. If the characters still do not suspect Volk, Utterson can voice such suspicions.

The tavern and hotel of the Golden Peace is located in a centuries-old stone building on East Longstreet, a stone’s throw from the main water pump in Iron Square. The Tavern: The ground floor and basement of the building houses the old tavern, commonly known as the Peace Cellar. Its clientele includes aristocrats and customs officials from Shipside Street as well as poets and composers. The dining room with windows facing East Longstreet is hung with beautiful lamps. Ceramic stoves and tealights provide a lovely warmth in the autumn chill. Guests are sitting in armchairs and at tables set with white tablecloths. The Hotel: A crooked wooden staircase leads to the second floor which holds a number of simple guest rooms. Here August Lysander has booked accommodation for the player characters in separate little rooms, drafty but clean. The ceiling is painted with medieval patterns that are visible between the thick rafters.

Challenges

• Stagnelius: The famous poet Erik Johan Stagnelius is usually seated at his regular table in the dining room. Characters who pass a LEARNING roll recognize him immediately, otherwise the tavern keeper or other guests can tell them who he is.
• The Bottle: With a successful VIGILANCE roll, the characters can see Stagnelius occasionally taking a small, brown glass bottle out of his pocket and pouring a few drops into his coffee. Stagnelius is in a bad mood, but characters who pass a MANIPULATION roll (+2 if they praise his poetry) can chat with him and gain more clues about the murder victim Sverker von Essen, whom he knew well.
• The Tavern Keeper: In the dining room is tavern keeper Henrik Öhman, who is devastated by composer Mortimer Cronstedt’s death from poisoning at the dining table six weeks ago. Now no one dares to eat his signature dish, turtle soup, as rumors circulate that the preserved meat is poisonous and causes deadly botulism. If the characters get on his good side (MANIPULATION roll with +2 if they praise his cooking), they can gain several useful clues.

Clues

• The Feud: The emotional Stagnelius says he was a close friend of the late Sverker von Essen, “who was a true artist and always smelled pleasantly of lavender.” He claims the singer had a feud with Mortimer Cronstedt, conductor of the Opera, and that von Essen’s eyes sometimes went dark when he talked about Cronstedt’s plans for the spring repertoire. In response to a direct question, Stagnelius admits that von Essen was at the tavern the night Cronstedt dropped dead in his turtle soup.
• Laudanum: If the characters ask Stagnelius about his bottle of drops, he explains that he takes laudanum for his nerves. Anyone who passes a MEDICINE roll knows that laudanum is deadly in high doses (which Volk can confirm). If the characters ask Stagnelius if von Essen may have taken some of his laudanum, it takes a successful MANIPULATION roll for him to admit that this is the case. On failure, Stagnelius angrily accuses them of “smearing his dead friend.”

August Lysander’s company has a mansion on Shipside Street with a magnificent view of the Stream and the ships that are anchored there. The building dates from the 17th century and has a large, ornate door decorated with mermaids holding gas lamps. A beautiful marble staircase and gilded sconces can be seen inside the door. Lysander has had the palace renovated with the latest technology and built an iron-grate elevator from the ground floor all the way up to his office at the top.

Challenges

• Guards: The office is well guarded. There is always a man posted inside the door, armed with knuckledusters and a pistol, and another three are constantly on duty in the building. But if the characters come knocking during the day, they are let in and shown to the top floor office where Lysander receives them.

Clues

• Guidance: August Lysander is curious about the player characters’ investigation and has lots of questions. He has no concrete clues to offer them during this mystery, but can provide hints if they get stuck, as he is very knowledgeable about vaesen.
• The Snuff Box: During the visit, the player characters may notice that Lysander has a gilded snuff box in his waistcoat pocket. A sharp-eyed player character (roll for VIGILANCE) may see that it is decorated with the monogram “CL.” Under no circumstances does Lysander let the player characters know what is in the snuff box. It plays no role in this mystery, but becomes important later in the campaign.

The opera star Sverker von Essen had a grand apartment on Knight Street in the norteast part of the city, and his grieving widow Bernhardina still lives there.

Challenges

• The Valet: If the player characters knock on the door, a dignified valet opens it. He firmly states that Mrs. von Essen is in mourning and must not be disturbed, but he can be persuaded with MANIPULATION or a handsome bribe (cost level 2).
• The Widow: Bernhardina von Essen greets them in the parlor, which is decorated with statues, chandeliers, and tapestries. She is a beautiful middle-aged woman dressed in all black and a mourning veil. The room smells strongly of lavender. The widow sobs and says that she has already told the police everything she knows, but the characters can make her talk with a successful INSPIRATION or MANIPULATION roll.

Clues

• The Feud: The widow was not present at the time of her husband’s murder and has no idea what happened. She can confirm that Sverker von Essen had a feud with his rival at the Opera, Rufus Holberg (page 30), whom she calls “that silly little upstart.” That conductor Cronstedt before his death had intended to replace von Essen with Holberg for the leading role is news to Bernhardina, who finds it highly unlikely. “No one could match my Sverker’s God-given voice.” She dismisses any suggestions or allegations that her husband was involved in Cronstedt’s death as “gossip and malicious slander.”
• Lavender: If asked about the lavender scent, Bernhardina explains that “it was my Sverker’s favorite perfume. The smell of it makes me feel his presence.”

“The stench was still there, of course, and as the sun and the heat rose it would grow stronger, becoming unbearable for those who weren’t used to it. The stench of poverty, of dirt and garbage, of latrines and decay. The city’s stench, the stench of a city.” – P. A. Fogelström, The Children of the Weavers The area known as White Hills in Southside, on the outskirts of the city, is the largest slum in Stockholm. The city’s population has more than tripled in recent decades, and the shanty towns of White Hills are home to all those who have come to the capital in search of work. People live in cramped conditions, often lodging with other families. Rumors, diseases, and fires spread quickly in these parts.

The player characters may come here to find out more about the disease in the slums or the mutilated individuals they have encountered or heard about, or to seek information about the dead young woman depicted in the notebook of the murdered organist Friedrich Baum (see step 1 of the Countdown and page 32). The smell of food, outhouses, and people hit them as they arrive.

Challenges

• Urchins: A crowd of dirty, giggling children surround the player characters. One of the children may try to steal something from them (it takes a VIGILANCE roll to notice the attempt, which otherwise costs the characters one point of Capital). If the characters show the children the drawing of the young woman and pass a MANIPULATION roll (or give them money equivalent to cost level 1), they point to an old, dilapidated mansion at Demolition Alley, saying “ask Mrs. Grankvist.”
• The Laundry Lady: Lillemor Grankvist runs a small laundry in one of the run-down annexes of the mansion. She is a feisty 45-year-old woman with three snotty children clinging to her legs. Filling a large wooden tub with hot water, Mrs. Grankvist complains that her maid has not been home for a week and that she owes her rent. If the characters pass a MANIPULATION roll or pay the maid’s rent (cost level 2), Lillemor tells them what she knows (see Clues).
• The Dying Man: If the characters ask around about the disease in the slums, the children (or Lillemor) can point them towards one of the shacks in the shantytown. The dark room is buzzing with flies and stinks of rotten flesh. The characters must pass a FORCE roll not to vomit and suffer a physical condition. The victim is Johan Petterson who is dying of gangrene. His right leg has been amputated at the knee and another, formerly belonging to someone else, has been sewn in its place. The operation was clearly unsuccessful. His lower leg has gone black, and an infection has spread around the knee and up his thigh. His breathing is erratic and his eyes feverish. The poor man tells them everything he knows (see Clues). He dies shortly afterwards unless the characters treat him with MEDICINE (–3 to the roll) and then take him to the Seraphim Hospital.
• Body Snatchers: The player characters see some shady-looking types (equal in number to themselves) in an alley. The men are carrying something heavy, which they then throw into a covered cart. With a successful VIGILANCE roll the characters realize it is a human body. If the characters approach, the men pull knives, first threatening them and then attacking if the characters do not back down. If defeated and questioned (OBSERVATION roll), the men can reveal some interesting information (see Clues). If the characters lose, they are left in the gutter.
• The Surgeon: If step 2 of the Countdown has not yet occurred, the characters can encounter barber surgeon Jens Svärdh in the White Hills. He stands out from the dirty surroundings with his white shirt and black doctor’s bag as he hurries across the street and into a coach. If the characters stop him, he introduces himself as a doctor and explains that he has come to the slums to help the sick. He is currently studying the new disease, as it would be fatal for the city if it were to spread from the slums. A successful OBSERVATION roll reveals that Svärdh is lying. If the characters have encountered the mutilated beggar (page 24) and are now beginning to suspect Svärdh, he snaps at them before leaving in his coach. If they try to stop him, Svärdh defends himself, helped by the coachman and some goons (body snatchers) hiding inside the coach (as many as the player characters, in addition to Svärdh himself). If the characters are defeated, Svärdh leaves them in the gutter. If Svärdh’s henchmen are defeated, he surrenders, and the characters can arrest him – see the sidebar Svärdh Arrested? Make sure that Svärdh is not killed at this point.
• Note: The encounters with the body snatchers and Svärdh should not take place during the same visit to the White Hills. Choose the encounter that seems most appropriate. The second encounter can occur if the characters stay for a long time or return to the White Hills later on.

Clues

• The Missing Woman: If the player characters show her the picture of the dead woman, Lillemor Grankvist can confirm that it is her missing maid and that her name is Bodil Larsdotter. She is a 19-year-old orphan who recently moved here from Smolandia. Bodil lived in one of the sheds in her backyard. Lillemor has no idea what happened to her, but knows that she sometimes went to the Town Between the Bridges to sell bread to the dockworkers of Shipside Street.
• The Church: Lillemor also mentions that Bodil was a “God-fearing girl” who often went to church, usually Saint Gertrude’s. If Lillemor learns that Bodil is dead, she shrugs. “I’m sorry to hear that. But there are more poor girls coming in from the country every day, so I guess I’ll hire a new maid.”
• The Offer: The dying Johan Petterson can tell the characters that a man offered him a lot of money to take part in his important research. Johan was scared but the money was equivalent to several years’ salary and with it he could support his family in Smolandia. He knows he does not have much time left but regrets nothing. He asks the characters to send the money (5 points of Capital) to his family farm outside Vimmerby.

The Royal Opera was founded by King Gustav III in the late 18th century, inspired by French architecture. Its facade on Gustav Adolf’s Square has four columns, and the auditorium and foyer are decorated in white and gold.

Gustav III was murdered in this building during a masked ball, and at the time of this mystery the Opera is putting on Giuseppe Verdi’s A Masked Ball which depicts this very assassination. Superstar Jenny Lind plays Amelia, while the role of Gustav III was played by master tenor Sverker von Essen. Since his death, up-and-comer Rufus Holberg has quite literally taken up the mantle.

Challenges

• Getting In: Following the murder of von Essen, security around the Opera has been tightened and the player characters are not allowed in during the day. However, A Masked Ball is performed several nights a week. A ticket has cost level 3. The characters can also try to bluff their way in (MANIPULATION) or sneak inside (STEALTH), but if they fail, they are brusquely ejected by security guards (stats as dockworkers on page 166 of the rulebook).
• Holberg: The characters can mingle with the guests during the intermission. In the foyer they see Rufus Holberg with a glass of champagne, surrounded by admirers. He is wearing his 18th-century stage costume, with intense green eyes under an extravagant hat, but has temporarily removed his mask. If the characters approach Holberg with good manners and just the right amount of flattery (MANIPULATION roll with a bonus for the character’s Resources), Holberg has time to exchange a few words (see Clues).

Clues

• The Feud: Rufus Holberg is happy to talk about Sverker von Essen, who “always smelled so nicely of lavender.” He claims to be deeply saddened by the death of his rival, but adds that conductor Mortimer Cronstedt was tired of von Essen’s prima donna antics and wanted Holberg to take over the role of Gustav III. “He felt that my lyric tenor and acting talent would do the role more justice than von Essen’s heroic tenor.”
• The Argument: Holberg says von Essen was furious when he learned that he was to be replaced, and that everyone at the Opera could hear the argument that broke out between him and Cronstedt. When the conductor was found drowned in his turtle soup at the Golden Peace, the performances continued with von Essen in the lead role. A few weeks later von Essen was found dead as well. “A sad story, but at least it had a happy ending. I’m here, aren’t I?”
• Alibi: If the characters ask where Holberg was on the night of von Essen’s death, he says that he too participated in the performance, as part of the chorus, and then went over to Bern’s Salons with a group of colleagues and enjoyed himself until the early hours of the morning.

The National Archives has been collecting records, documents, books, and other items of particular importance to the kingdom for hundreds of years. It is one of the nation’s oldest government authorities, dating back to the 13th century. The impressive stone building on Knights’ Isle is newly constructed and built on a cast iron frame to reduce the risk of fire.

The floors rest on iron beams and are supported by slender cast iron columns. A spiral book chute runs through the entire stairwell. Light shines in through beautiful leaded windows. The bookcases are also made of iron and the doors of sheet metal. The National Archives is not open to the public.

Challenges

• The Archivist: Sitting behind the reception desk is archivist Sigrid Holgersdotter, an ancient woman with round glasses and a stern face. Her gray hair is pulled back in a tight bun. To be admitted, the player characters must explain that they are working for the police commissioner and either pass a MANIPULATION roll or make a “donation to the organization” (cost level 2). If the characters ask for writings on vaesen and the like, Sigrid refers them to the Esoteric Section two floors up.
• The Esoteric Section: Here, there are reading areas with leather armchairs, large potted plants on pedestals, and statues between the bookcases. Here the characters can seek useful information about werewolves, if they have begun to suspect that such a creature is behind the murders. Each character looking for information makes a LEARNING roll and gains a clue (below) for each six rolled. The players may also consult the Vaesen art book if they have access to it. If the characters fail to find any clues here, they can learn the most important information from Volk herself during the Confrontation (page 35).
• The Silver Knife: The Esoteric Section contains not only writings, but also historical artifacts. In a glass case the characters can find a long, curved silver knife from Transylvania. An inscription reads “Silver knife from Transylvania, for use against supernatural beings, gifted by Count Konstantin Konstantinovich of Jamburg.” Sigrid will not let the characters borrow the knife, but they can rent it (cost level 3) or try to steal it with STEALTH. If they get caught, Sigrid kicks them out.

Clues

• Transformation: Werewolves are affected by the phases of the moon. Most werewolves transform on the night of a full moon or the nights immediately preceding or following it. Some werewolves can also transform during the day if they experience strong emotions.
• Killing a Werewolf: A werewolf can only be killed with a silver weapon or by another werewolf.
• The True Name: A werewolf in wolf form turns back into a human if someone close to it calls it by its true name. However, this method only lifts the curse temporarily – the person transforms again at the next full moon.
• Curing the Curse: It is said that a werewolf who tears out and devours the unborn child of a pregnant woman is permanently cured of the curse.
• Calendars: The National Archives has astronomical charts and calendars that let the characters know that the brutal murders all occurred near the full moon (page 18). No roll is required to realize this.

This church, also known as the German Church, is one of the tallest buildings in Stockholm. It got its current look in the 17th century but dates back to the 1300s. The church is dedicated to Saint Gertrude, the patron saint of sailors. Next to the church is a small parish house.

The player characters have no reason to come here until after step 1 of the Countdown (page 16), when church organist Friedrich Baum is murdered. They are assumed to arrive here shortly thereafter. Should they visit this location before the murder, there are no clues to be found.

Challenges

• The Choir: Frightened members of the church choir have gathered outside the church. It takes a MANIPULATION roll to get any information out of them (see Clues). Characters who pass a VIGILANCE roll notice that one of the church windows has been smashed and shards of stained glass litter the streets outside.
• Police: A police constable is guarding the door. If the characters are accompanied by another constable or announce that they are working for Commissioner Utterson, they are immediately allowed to enter. Otherwise, it takes a MANIPULATION roll to be granted entry or a STEALTH roll to sneak inside.
• The Victim: In the staircase leading up to the gilded king’s gallery lies a mutilated body, face down. The stairs are covered in blood that has run down onto the floor. The characters can examine the body with MEDICINE and the crime scene with INVESTIGATION (see Clues).
• The Priest: Inside the church is the priest Rudolf Schiller. He is in shock but can talk to the characters if they first calm him down with a successful INSPIRATION roll. If the characters were called here by the police, there is also a constable present, but he has not been able to get a word out of the priest.

Clues

• The Injuries: Anyone who examines the body with MEDICINE will find that the chest and abdomen have been slashed open and the intestines torn out. Several internal organs appear to be missing, including the heart.
• The Notebook: With a successful INVESTIGATION roll, the characters find a small notebook on the stairs. It seems to have fallen out of the organist’s pocket. The book contains detailed facial portraits of young women drawn in charcoal. Some of the women look lifeless. This is a central clue – if the characters do not find the notebook, an NPC should.
• The Woman: If the player characters have visited the police morgue (page 18), they note that one of the drawings in the notebook bears a striking resemblance to the woman examined by the coroner (handout 1E, on page 107, also available for download on the Free League website). If the characters have not been to the morgue, Utterson makes the connection when he sees the notebook.
• The Window: A church window has been shattered with great force. All the broken glass is on the outside, none on the inside. Characters who pass another INVESTIGATION roll notice a small tuft of gray fur, sticky with blood, on one of the sharp edges of jagged glass.
• The Organist: The priest Rudolf Schiller can tell them that the dead body is that of the church organist Friedrich Baum. He was found by members of the church choir who came here for a rehearsal of Mozart’s Requiem. No one saw or heard the actual killing or the escape of the murderer.
• Baum’s Room: The priest says that Baum came to the parish a few years ago and studied organ at the Royal Academy of Music. He was quiet and kept to himself. If asked, the priest adds that Baum lived in a room in the parish house and offers to take the characters there.
• Trophies: Baum’s room is simply furnished. Under the bed there is a loose floorboard (can be found if the players look in that exact spot or pass an INVESTIGATION roll). In a small space under the floorboard is a box containing five locks of hair, tied together with silk ribbons. Baum has taken them from his victims.

Saint George and the Dragon is a famous landmark in the Town Between the Bridges. This statue of bronze and stone on Merchants Square is a replica of a medieval wooden statue in the nearby Cathedral, which some believe symbolizes the wars between Sweden and Denmark. Below the statue on East Longstreet, there is a large fountain.

The player characters have no reason to come here until after step 2 of the Countdown (page 16), when Doctor Jens Svärdh is attacked by the werewolf. They are assumed to arrive here shortly thereafter. Should they visit this location before the attack, there are no clues to be found.

Challenges

• The Victim: A crowd of frightened onlookers has gathered around the fountain. A man is lying face down in the water, which is red with blood. The player characters can examine the body with a MEDICINE roll (see Clues).
• The Wife: A woman is sitting on the ground nearby, her face pale with shock. It takes an INSPIRATION roll to get anything useful out of her. This is Jens Svärdh’s wife, Märta (see Clues).
• The Satchel: If the characters successfully INVESTIGATE the scene of the attack, they find a leather satchel near the body, just outside the fountain.

Clues

• Injuries: The man in the fountain is pale and seemingly lifeless. He has long, deep wounds on his back. Characters who have encountered Jens Svärdh in White Hills (page 26) recognize him as soon as they turn the body over.
• Awakened: When the body is turned over, it suddenly starts shaking and moving. His eyes open wide and a silent scream issues from his mouth (Fear test against Fear value 1). His condition can be stabilized with another MEDICINE roll, but he is too injured and shocked to speak. Shortly afterwards an ambulance carriage rushes him to the Seraphim Hospital (page 34) along with his wife.
• The Notebook: The black leather satchel contains surgical instruments and a black notebook. The book is marked “Dr. Jens Svärdh” and the cover page reads: “Transplantation of Extremities From Cadavers – Experimental Series 3A”. The pages are filled with notes in neat handwriting describing how the patients responded to the procedure and how well the “graft” was accepted by the host. Present the players with handout 1F on page 108, also available for download on the Free League website. This is a central clue – if the characters do not find the bag, a policeman will. He then shows it to the characters or hands it over to Utterson later.
• Testimony: The shocked Märta Svärdh can be questioned right away or later at the Seraphim Hospital. She tearfully describes how she and her husband were on their way home to their apartment on Merchants Street after an evening at the Golden Peace. Suddenly a dark figure appeared by the fountain and knocked her to the ground. As she regained her senses, she saw her husband’s blood-soaked body in the fountain. She saw nothing of the attacker but remembers a growl, like that of a big dog, and a pair of “terrible green eyes.” She knows nothing about her husband’s surgical experiments.

The Seraphim Hospital is located near the Karlberg Canal on King’s Isle and surrounded by a lush park. Built in the 18th century, it is the nation’s first modern hospital. Between the buildings there are several patios where patients and nurses in white caps can be seen during the day.

The player characters can visit the hospital to ask about the disease in the slums, follow the trail of the body snatchers who are dropping off bodies here (page 28), or after step 2 of the Countdown (page 16) when Doctor Jens Svärdh is attacked by the werewolf and brought here in an ambulance carriage.

Challenges

• Doctor Gregorius: If the player characters tell the nurse at the front desk that they are working for Commissioner Utterson, they are allowed to see the mustachioed Doctor Tyko Gregorius, who can tell them about the “pauper’s disease” and give them access to the injured Jens Svärdh (after step 2 of the Countdown). See Clues.
• Doctor Svärdh: If the characters wish to see Doctor Svärdh before step 2 of the Countdown, they are told that he is unavailable. With a successful MANIPULATION roll, they find out that he has a private operating room in the hospital’s basement, but only Svärdh has access to it.
• Getting In: Characters who want to get into the operating room must sneak their way through the hospital (STEALTH) and pick the lock (STEALTH) or break down the door (FORCE).
• Cellar Door: If the characters follow the trail of the body snatchers in White Hills (page 28) and investigate the alley behind the hospital, an INVESTIGATION roll reveals wheel tracks leading to a basement door. The door is locked but can be picked with STEALTH or forced open with FORCE. Inside is Doctor Svärdh’s operating room.
• Operating Room: A gruesome sight awaits in the operating room – amputated arms and legs on half-melted blocks of ice, and large glass jars of formalin containing strange surgical experiments where various body parts from humans and animals have been joined together.

Clues

• The Disease: If the player characters ask Doctor Gregorius about the disease spreading through the slums, he has little information to offer. The hospital has been receiving feverish patients with amputated arms and legs. Most of them have been dead or too ill to speak, but even those in better condition have refused to explain what happened. Most have died and been taken to the police morgue. Luckily, one of the hospital’s top doctors is working on the case. “Doctor Svärdh is an example to us all – he goes to the White Hills every day to care for the sick.”
• Journals: If the characters examine the basement operating room, they find several journals and notebooks, all labeled “Dr. Jens Svärdh”. No one else in the hospital knows what Doctor Svärdh has been doing down here.
• Transformation: If the characters come here after the werewolf’s attack on Svärdh (step 2 of the Countdown) and want to see him, they are shown to the room on the second floor where he is being treated. His wife Märta is waiting outside. In the room they are met with a shocking sight – a nurse is lying on the floor in a large pool of blood, badly lacerated (Fear test against Fear value 1). The window has been smashed from the inside and the cold autumn wind flows into the room. The nurse’s life cannot be saved. Note that the above happens even if the characters arrive shortly after the attack on Svärdh – his transformation is very rapid. From this point on, Doctor Svärdh roams the streets as a werewolf (see step 3 of the Countdown).
• Trail of Blood: Doctor Gregorius cannot explain Svärdh’s disappearance as his injuries were very severe. Characters looking for clues can make an INVESTIGATION roll to find a trail of blood in the park outside the hospital. It leads towards the Town Between the Bridges.

Coroner Ester Volk lives alone in an apartment on Charity Street. At the entrance to the building grows a small chestnut tree. Louise Stefansson, the housekeeper who cleans and cooks for Doctor Volk, lives on the ground floor as well. The player characters will probably have no reason to come here until the end of the adventure (see Confrontation below), but can visit the place earlier if they like.

Challenges

• The Housekeeper: If the characters arrive before step 3 of the Countdown, Mrs. Stefansson is suspicious and will not let them in. It takes a successful MANIPULATION roll to get her to talk (see Clues).
• Sneaking: Characters trying to enter unnoticed must pass a STEALTH roll to pick the lock and another one to sneak into Volk’s apartment. The latter is an opposed roll against Stefansson’s VIGILANCE (8 dice in total as she has excellent hearing). If discovered, they are brusquely kicked out by Mrs. Stefansson.
• Hidden Door: Volk’s simply furnished apartment consists of two rooms and a kitchen. There is nothing suspicious in here, but an observant character searching the room (INVESTIGATION roll) notices scrape marks in the shape of a quarter-circle at a bookcase in the living room. The bookcase can be pulled out to reveal a narrow staircase down to a basement vault.
• Laboratory: In the basement vault there is a small laboratory with Bunsen burners and glass flasks. Heavy chains with iron shackles are attached to the stone wall. On a worktable lies a revolver loaded with silver bullets. A basement window near the ceiling lets in a bit of sunshine or moonlight. The air is stale and smells of chemicals and fur.
• Volk: During the day, Ester Volk is at the police station. In the evening, she may be at home, in which case she lets characters in if it is not too late. However, she wants to keep the conversation short as she claims to be very tired. A successful OBSERVATION roll reveals that Volk is hiding something.

Clues

• Strange Sounds: If the characters get Mrs. Stefansson talking and ask her about Volk, she tells them that she has been hearing strange noises from Volk’s apartment, and that the coroner often works all night.
• Talking to Volk: If Volk herself welcomes the characters in her apartment, she can provide the same information as at the police station (page 18). She tries to end the conversation as quickly as possible.