He was likely strangled, perhaps by a garrote or a similar tool. There is a thin line around his neck, and it appears he did not struggle. He was missing a lock of hair. Like the others, including Iggy, he was beheaded and the wound was cauterized.
And Natalie, investigated by her teammates and shared with the Hearts:
The decapitation didn't look like it was done with a weapon at all. “It was bad,” which I take to mean haphazard and bloody.
“it looked like someone ripped her head off and then cauterized the wound somehow. and there was a bruise too, like someone strangled her first before doing the rest.
and the other stuff. the other... parts, i mean. whatever cut them off was super sharp but whoever did it wasn't too good with a knife. sloppy work.”
[ Corner pieces slotting into place, a few other connecting in from the edges, clusters of near-clarity here and there. Nobody gave them the box, they can't see what they're putting together, but it's starting to feel like something. ]
Clark went the same way. Strangulation with something thin and strong as cause of death, reflected in the pattern of the bruising around his neck. The posthumous decapitation was a clear struggle for whoever killed him or staged the body, and the neck was cauterized after.
[ In case anyone missed it earlier, details slipped into another conversation thread. ]
I haven't heard any mention of a confirmed cause of death for Iggy yet, but I'll try to take some time with his body.
[ And then - the inevitable. ]
Does anyone know about Koby?
Edited (as IF I forgot the handle) 2025-10-13 00:15 (UTC)
”magic involved. put out the altar on the fire - table has carvings in runes on them. fire damaged it too badly to be able to make sense of it. trail of dog-sized paw prints behind the altar (they burn to touch and were bright red - magic)
edges of his neck wound were jagged instead of clean, suggests superstrength or a really strong guy. wound was cauterised as well. someone took his hair as well.
Myself and Roza will be checking the magic in play for signs of August’s handiwork. He has encouraged this himself.
Jacaerys was hung upside down from a tree branch, in the woods, and bled out on the ground, much like Paul. His hands were removed. He wasn't part of the tableau. A lock of his hair was taken.
Sarah, from Harry Goodsir and company's investigation:
The right side of her head was caved in. Miss Jinx had found a bloody rock the day previous; this seems to indicate that Sarah was unfortunately who Saber attacked before he was incarcerated.
A group of us looked into Ash's death. Results below.
looks like danny got castiel last week and ash this week before he went to jail. embry clocked that the wounds are older, before the wolves come out. plus our notes:
Ash has some pretty significant defensive wounds on him, suggesting he fought off his attacker for a good long while — bruised knuckles and bruised knees and the like, although he's missing the same struggle wounds that Castiel had at his hands and feet, implying he was long dead by the time he was nailed to the door. Aside from the stab wound under his ribs which may or may not have been the final blow, there's a cut from the root of his phallus up to his belly button. Stephen, while examining the body, finds that a portion of his intestines have been removed. It seems Ash died standing up, and was quickly nailed to the door, no movement required.
Based on upon this and the reduction in “true” victims (taken by the wolves during the hunt and not before), do you believe we caught two of our seven wolves?
The Shepherd claims the Alpha struck down two and a wolf. I imagine Saber was the wolf, slaughtered for the crime of piss-poor gameplay. But the two… could be one of the five beheaded and the Prince Jacaerys or two of the five, if we believe any pairing killed similarly enough (as we might with Clark and Set).
That seems to match things as they stand, yes. Though I'd initially taken the Shepherd's words to mean that the Alpha killed only two, including the wolf - presumably Saber.
If my original interpretation was right, Danny isn't a wolf, and he staged his murder of Ash to match the Castiel killing to throw us off his scent when the body was found. He doesn't strike me as a stupid man, or one who strikes without a personal touch, and there are enough discrepancies between the killings to make them distinct. As far as I know he has no personal connection with Castiel, no trophy was taken from Castiel, and Castiel died while already hammered into place.
If that's the case, we have 6 remaining wolves in play and 7 bodies: 5 at the table, 1 in the cage, and 1 not part of the tableau.
Update: he knows as much as we do so confirmed bad at being a Shepherd. I could do a better job. Doesn't know how many wolves are running amok in his flock, doesn't have a single sheep dog. Bullshit.
If Jacaerys is ultimately proven to have died before the werewolf murders, given the hands taken it suggests Danny's involvement, but if he's responsible for both that makes two copied murders - Paul's and Castiel's, echoed in Jacaerys and Ash.
It seems unlikely he was responsible for both in the first round, if one wolf killing two was noteworthy this time.
Or, if Jacaerys died by wolf, then somebody is either taking trophies on Danny's behalf or playing copycat.
[ The plot's too thick, somebody please add water 😔 ]
Last round I'd thought the Danny stuff was all based in old grudges, but that would make one wolf a poor team player, killimg Jace out of pattern. Are they even capable? Knowing that they're being compelled?
[ A delayed follow up to his first batch of thoughts on the matter, considering the diamonds of it all, the first batch of accusations, and the small amount he knows about Danny Johnson: ]
I've shared this publicly here, but for the sake of keeping all of our investigations in one place:
We've examined the five bodies from the tableau. All were garrotted and died of strangulation before having their heads removed.
Each head shows evidence of having been removed by someone different, with different levels of strength, technique, and tool use or lack thereof implicated in the work. All were then evenly and thoroughly cauterized at the neck. I couldn't tell you the exact methods of decapitation as a result, but the variation itself is clear.
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@gawain
He was likely strangled, perhaps by a garrote or a similar tool. There is a thin line around his neck, and it appears he did not struggle. He was missing a lock of hair. Like the others, including Iggy, he was beheaded and the wound was cauterized.
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@arthur
Clark went the same way. Strangulation with something thin and strong as cause of death, reflected in the pattern of the bruising around his neck. The posthumous decapitation was a clear struggle for whoever killed him or staged the body, and the neck was cauterized after.
[ In case anyone missed it earlier, details slipped into another conversation thread. ]
I haven't heard any mention of a confirmed cause of death for Iggy yet, but I'll try to take some time with his body.
[ And then - the inevitable. ]
Does anyone know about Koby?
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There was no sign of anything other than his head being torn off, like by hand.
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Myself and Roza will be checking the magic in play for signs of August’s handiwork. He has encouraged this himself.
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@arthur
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The Shepherd claims the Alpha struck down two and a wolf. I imagine Saber was the wolf, slaughtered for the crime of piss-poor gameplay. But the two… could be one of the five beheaded and the Prince Jacaerys or two of the five, if we believe any pairing killed similarly enough (as we might with Clark and Set).
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If my original interpretation was right, Danny isn't a wolf, and he staged his murder of Ash to match the Castiel killing to throw us off his scent when the body was found. He doesn't strike me as a stupid man, or one who strikes without a personal touch, and there are enough discrepancies between the killings to make them distinct. As far as I know he has no personal connection with Castiel, no trophy was taken from Castiel, and Castiel died while already hammered into place.
If that's the case, we have 6 remaining wolves in play and 7 bodies: 5 at the table, 1 in the cage, and 1 not part of the tableau.
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Crazy question but has anyone asked the Shepherd if both of them are wolves?
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Regarding the Shepherd, I see no harm in asking. He spoke true, if solipsistically and obliquely, to Astarion.
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Update: he knows as much as we do so confirmed bad at being a Shepherd. I could do a better job. Doesn't know how many wolves are running amok in his flock, doesn't have a single sheep dog. Bullshit.
[ why are men in power??? ]
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It seems unlikely he was responsible for both in the first round, if one wolf killing two was noteworthy this time.
Or, if Jacaerys died by wolf, then somebody is either taking trophies on Danny's behalf or playing copycat.
[ The plot's too thick, somebody please add water 😔 ]
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I'll see what I can get out of Johnson.
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