[Village of Hamletsdale]

Poor Sam.

All he's getting to do is watch his partner harass brains. He could stand around and wait for the result. Or he could start poking around himself. The town IS pretty big and there are likely clues scattered about. Whatever did this isn't trying to be secret about it. It's like a game of Clue! Except with more actual murder.

As for Cassandra, she'll find the magic to be pernicious and deep. Whatever did this took its time, several hours at least, to carefully weave this spell. Likely while the blacksmith was asleep. That might explain why he and his wife remembered the problem yesterday enough to send the contract and have no recollection of it what so ever today. The magic itself has a distinct air of unreality to it, gossamer threads of dreams woven into a rough analog of reality. That is, perhaps, why such an unconvincing lie is believed by the blacksmith. One often doesn't question logical inconsistencies while dreaming.

Though, perhaps most odd, is the fact that the spell appears to be tied to the existence of whatever awful dark faerie cast it.

If the creature were destroyed (or compelled to remove the hex) it would harmlessly unravel itself. There's nothing in the spell that would require this to be the case. Whoever cast it added this feature intentionally.

Someone is playing games, here.