Alzano raises an eyebrow in confusion.
"Wait... we're going to the crypt? I thought we were digging up some information first. Least that's what I was planning on doing at the temple tomorrow."
"'Fore we attempt the crypt, we must needs seek permission from Father Grimburrow: thus, we shall all be at th' temple anyway. 'Twould also be a good time to ask if we may read his records, as well."
"Yes. Peredur is right. It is better to multitask to make most of time we are not sure we have."
"I figured it'd take most of the day to do some research... were you planning on splitting up to go to this crypt? I mean... discretion is good, but might be safer to stick together outside of the town."
"Perhaps. But wouldn't going to the Restlands to investigate be considered field research? On the other hand, we have learned about the Whispering Way, however we have not learned anything helpful on Harrowstone. I am just weighing options. I leave the final choice to the rest of you. Both seem profitable."
Taanyth then goes to look out the window to gather his thoughts.
"I doubt that retrieving the items from the crypt will take long," Aleksandr states, "I see no reason we cannot do both."
"So, we head to the church and speak with Father Grimburrow, then go to the Restlands and locate this crypt and the cache. After that we split up to do more research. Who wants to check on what?
Iesha reviews the Profesor's notes.
"If he found a complete list of those who died at the prison, it's not with his notes, so that is something else we can check on. Pharasma's clerics would be the most likely to keep such records. The town hall may also have records concerning the place. Perhaps the best idea would be to split up in the morning, with Aleksandr heading the group to speak to Father Grimburrow, and some of us going to the town hall to examine their records. We can meet back here for lunch, then head to the Restlands to locate the cache."
"I think that would be a good idea. I shall go to the town hall."
With your plan of action roughly established, and the night growing deeper, you one by one retreat to your respective assigned quarters until the morning.
Sleep finds you easily, but it is not a restful sleep. You wake tired and worn, but no recollection of what kept you from peaceful rest remains. The smell of cooking food though, rouses you to action.
You break your fast with bacon, tomatoes and fried bread, cooked by Kendra. She too looks tired, though she seems somewhat more relieved than when you first saw her, yesterday. She busies herself around the small kitchen while you eat.
The moment does not last long, however, as a sharp knock at the door summons your attentions to the front room. The Sheriff, Benjen Caeller enters when Kendra opens the door. He looks hassled and annoyed.
"Miss Kendra, can you confirm that your guests were here for the entire night? he asks pointedly.
She is taken aback at that and replies "Yes, yes they were. What happened?"
"There was a... desecration commited a the statue nearby... I'd like you all to come with me to have a look."
Now what?
"Certainly, Sheriff -Caeller, was it? If there's anything we can do to help, we'd be glad to.
Iesha goes to get her cloak.
Alzano peers at the sheriff with suspicion. Why does he want us to have a look? He might frame us. But he did ask if we were here all night. Still, the timing makes it convenient to pin the blame on newly-arrived outsiders...
Thoughts spinning in his head, Alzano also rises to retrieve his weapons and don his hooded cloak.
"Absolutely, Sheriff" Aleksandr says, rising from the breakfast table, "What manner of desecration? Perhaps my brethren in the Church of Pharasma can assist?"
Sense Motive:
Caeller seems trustworthy enough. There is nothing suspicious about his attitude, he just seems concerned and a little confused.
You follow the sheriff south, and east (area marked O on the Ravengro map) along the riverbank to the memorial for the Harrowstone guards. The statue is an impressive-looking figure, standing in a vigilant sort of pose, standing on a base with many names etched into it in neat, condensed font. This is severely undercut by the giant V smeared onto the statue's chest in dark, dried blood.
Two deputies stand around, half-heartedly searching the area.
As you approach, Caeller watches each of you in turn, clearly looking for some kind of reaction.
Iesha stares in shock at the scene.
"What in the name of the Gods...when did this happen? Is that actually...blood?"
Alzano takes in the grisly display without showing any expression. While this might be shocking to those in a small town like Ravengro, he's seen much worse.
He addresses the sheriff, "Mind if we look around? I've done some... investigating of this sort in the past." He turns to his companions, "Any of you good at this sort of thing? I can try to help out."
Alzano begins to carefully examine the scene, looking for any signs that might point to who or what caused this.
But he won't be of help to anyone else who examines the area.
Knowledge (arcana), to see if there is any magical evidence:
Knowledge (religion), for any ritual significance:
Perception, to search for mundane clues:
Aleksandr looks on grimly at the macabre spectacle, but says nothing. Instead he focuses on turning his mind to attempt to unravel this conundrum.
The blood has thoroughly dried. You notice on closer inspection that there is blood all over the statue, none of it looks to have been smeared by hand, or a brush or similar. It looks more like it was sprayed in the V pattern and then splattered over the rest of the statue.
There are many tracks in the area, both around the statue and on the approaching path.
As far as a source of the blood, there is no sign.
Iesha, too, examines the area, looking for any clues.
She also offers a silent prayer for those whose monument has been so defaced, and for the poor soul so damaged as to do something like this.
Taanyth is well not amused. He places his hands in his pocket in a recluse-like fashion and looks around for clues. He does not seem amused by the sheriff either. The deputies leave suspicion as well as they laze about in a crime scene well worth passion.
"Hmm... whose statue is this again?"
"The statue is commemorating the guards killed in the fire that consumed Harrowstone," the sheriff offers. "Don't think it's any one of them in particular though."
A young boy comes up the path, carrying a large, sloshing bucket of soap and water, the sheriff nods at him once he reaches the statue.
"Seeing as you folk are friends of Lorrimor, and seeing as how you didn't slaughter Gibs and his crew of drunks yesterday, I figure maybe your input here is worth having. Once you are done, Bron here will wash down the statue."
"Any idea what this means or who might have done this? Maybe someone who has a grudge against the guards who were at Harrowstone... say a relative of one of the prisoners?" Alzano scratches at his stubble as he ponders the situation.
"Other than it looking as through the blood was sprayed onto the statue in some fashion, there doesn't seem to be any outstanding clues," Aleksandr says.
"I take it nothing like this has happened before?"
While the rest of the party is talking with the sheriff, Peredur walks around the monument. "Pardon, Sheriff Caellar, but I'd like to take a look at th' shoes of th' people you know walked near here 'fore I try to riddle out th' tracks." After he does that, he'll carefully approach the monument, trying to avoid stepping on anything important. "Iesha, have you enough healing skill to tell human blood from animal?"
IF at one point there had been a trail here--and you cannot fathom if there was--you cannot distinguish it amongst the comings and goings of the sheriff and his deputies.
Caeller shakes his head at Aleksandr's question.
"No sir. We don't much traffic in blood-based vandalism in this town. Mostly drunken fights and making sure everyone pays their share to the tax-man."
"Iesha, have you enough healing skill to tell human blood from animal?"
"Let me give it a try. Sheriff, may I examine a sample of this blood?"
She will walk up to the monumnet and begin her examination.
It is blood, but that is all it is. The source remains unknown.
In the end, the search of the scene provides little but frustrations and more questions. Sheriff Caeller dismisses you, and Bron begins the arduous task of cleaning the statue, grumbling as he does so.
"Should we happen to see anything else of a peculiar nature, Sheriff, we'll surely tell you of it.
"As for us, we'll be at th' temple for a time, to pay our respects."
Aleksandr mirrors the sentiments of the others and then heads for the Temple of Pharasma. When they arrive, he asks an acolyte to fetch Father Grimburrow.
"Greetings, Father," Aleksandr says, "I'll cut to the chase. My compatriots and I are looking into odd goings on in the area and we may need to make use of the inquisitorial cache that your temple maintains. I need to requisition those goods for the furthering of Pharasma's cause."
Diplomacy:
Iesha, too, promises to keep the sheriff notified of anything important the group discovers and heads to the temple with Aleksandr's group.
She curtsies politely to Father Grimburrow and to Pharasma's altar.
"There is something else we would like to request as well, Father. I'm not sure if you've heard about the desecration of the monument to those guards lost at Harrowstone? The sheriff asked us to help look into it. We were wondering if it might be in some way related to a family member or a descendent of one of the prisoners. Do you know if the church has a record of all of those lost, including the prisoners? If so, may we have access to that list?"
The church in Ravengro is modest, but still the largest building for many miles around. Above the entrance, in exquisite plate glass, are illustrated the three aspects of the Lady of Graves. To the right, Pharasma as the reaper, shrouded in tattered robes. To the left, the midwife, dressed simply, with her sleeves rolled back. Above, is Pharasma as the judge of the dead, seated on her throne with all-seeing, all-knowing eyes. Between these is the church's holy symbol, the blue spiral.
When Grimburrow appears to consult with you, he is genuinely surprised as the mention of the cache. He nods approvingly, however, when he notices the holy symbol 'round Aleksandr's neck.
"It does make sense that some past members of our clergy may have hidden such things nearby. If you wish to investigate, I will hope you will keep to the tenents of our church and not disturb any of those slumbering in the Restlands whilst looking."
He looks closely at Iesha, his wrinkled expression unchanging.
"True. We do have many such records. However access to them is usually restricted to the acolytes of this church..."
"There be more, Father. You know th' late Professor were found dead at Harrowstone. He were concerned that something strange might be happening there. To have th' monument defaced now, of all times? 'Tis disturbing, it is. Please--'twould help a great deal, and y' have our word that we'll take none of th' records, nor deface them. We want only to take notes."
Grimburrow almost smiles at Peredur. It's a rather unpleasent sight, because it ammounts to little more than wrinkles shifting around on his face.
"So many of the faithful-- How can I say no? You may access the records. Be careful and Pharasma keep you safe in your investigations."
He traces a spiral on his chest--the genuflexion of Pharasmans throught Ustalav, and then shuffles off abruptly.
the acolyte remains. He is young, and wholyl intimidated by the motley group.
"This way, please; the records are below."
He leads you, by torchlight, below the church, to a long and unlit room, filled with shelves of records. There is little dust, thankfully.
"Father Grimburrow charged me with the care of these books. Please do not harm them." He waits by the stairs, clearly uneasy about leaving you alone with his prize tomes.
"Thank you, Father. We are in your debt." Peredur traces the spiral on his chest in response.
As the acolyte waits on the stairs, the half-elf motions him to a seat. "If 'twould make you feel more at ease (and you have no other duties), you may remain. Th' librarian at th' temple in Almas was th' same way, when Petros would take me to th' archives.
"Iesha or Taanyth, can either of you call light? It's thinking I am that torches or candles here be unwise."
"Of course."
Iesha casts light on the ceiling, to allow it to illuminate the whole area.
Alzano remains towards the back of the group, staying silent as the others converse with Grimburrow. He follows them below the church, eyeing the shelves of records. Never was a huge book person... still, might find something useful here. He begins to shuffle through records seemingly at random, trying to find some piece of information that might shed some light on Harrowstone or the events that occurred last night.
"Surely there would have been ceremonies, even for the prisoners."
"Ah. Could this be part of what we want?"
You find a note in a margin of a record book from roughly fifty years ago.
"Those five prisoners coming in next week might be some of the worst we'll have had here in centuries!"
A folded note found in a record from around the prison's closing discloses the following information:
When the prison burned down, the prisoners had taken control of the basement in a riot and had been in command for several hours. Warden Hawkran had triggered a deafall, hopefing to trap the prisoners below. He himself, and a dozen guards had been trapped as well.
The remaining guards panicked when the prisoners found another way out, and started the fire in a desperate and successful attempt to stop the escape.
Taanyth takes hold of a few tomes and sits down to silently aid his companions.
Peredur gets distracted chasing down rumors of someone with a similar name to the last Harrowstone Warden.
"Hm. This is interesting." Alzano points out a note written in a margin of one of the record books: "Those five prisoners coming in next week might be some of the worst we'll have had here in centuries!"
"The dates say this happened about fifty years ago... that's when Harrowstone caught fire. These events could be connected. Wonder who the prisoners were... keep an eye out for anything mentioning them."
The daylight has come and passed, and after many hours spent among the stacks, you are ushered out by the acolyte.
It is roughly 6 p.m.
Aleksandr looks up at the rapidly darkening sky. "Perhaps we can find out rumours in the local tavern. Often events in the past have a way of becoming rumours in the present."
Diplomacy:
"Though 'tis darkening, perhaps we might yet have time to examine th' false crypt. Since we have th' good Father's leave to do so, after all. And I know naught of your habits, but after spending th' day buried in books I could use a short walk before dinner."
"From the note I found"she shows it to the rest"it looks like there was a riot and escape attempt. The warden triggered a trap...a deadfall, it says, trapping himself and some of the guards in the basement of the prison with the rioters. The fire was atarted by the rest of the guards when the prisoners found another way out. It looks like no prisoners survived."
Aleksandr ponders for a moment, then nods his head. "Yes, perhaps you are right. Let's retrieve the cache and then make our enquiries."
Peredur scans the note in Iesha's hand. "'Tis heroes they were, if th' prisoners were on th' brink of escape."