"Oh, it's the Harrowstone Monument, Miss," the boy replies to Briar. "Er, Memorial. Same thing, right. I'm Pevrin, by the way," he adds blithely.

Following along beyond the messenger boy, you're led down one of Ravengro's country roads, across a small cobblestone bridge, and out through a dirt path running through one of the outlying farmer's fields. Pevrin chats blithely away as the memorial comes into sight.

It's positioned along the bank of Ravengro's river, a twelve foot stone statue of a man with a sword and shield held high, like a warrior of old. The craftsmanship is good, though nothing exceptional, and it's chipped and weathered in places with age. You're still too far from it to get a good view, though you think you can make out something red there, when a trio of men intercept you.

The middle one is sun-baked, with a light blond-brown beard that he scratches as he sizes you up. His functional brown coat is nondescript, save for a simple cloth badge sewn onto it bearing the sigil of Ustalav. The other men are similarly dressed, one gangly, one slightly overweight. "Sheriff Caeller," the middle man introduces himself, without extending a hand. "Not too often we get so many strangers 'round town at the same time. Not too often we get strange goings-on either. But now we got both," he says. "Let's take a walk."

He waves a hand, and he and his deputies start leading the way down toward the river and memorial. As you come closer, it becomes clear that the plinth of the statue has been smeared with bright red blood, which pools in the grass at the statue's base. The act wasn't random either: the blood has been splashed into a messy but recognizable "V" shape... "Now," Caeller says slowly, looking squarely at each of you. "I gotta be wondering where something like this comes from. And since there're so many strangers in town, I figured I'd start with you." His weathered hands drum the hilt of a worn longsword at his belt. "Any notions on that?"