Megan's Carrion Crown

Game Master Megan Robertson

"Looks like we go back then." Barret nods.

Dillan smiles, "Actually if floor plans can be attained we can learn a great deal of this place and be more aware of when constructed dangers have been created."

"Very well, let's go back to town and look for maps. As for safe places here, I recall feeling a strong feeling of security in the warden's office. Perhaps it was his wife that was warding it."

"Or maybe it was the lingering presence of the old warden," Merian nods, "the last of his protection. Regardless, we should be able to rest there... for a time, anyway."

You all feel that the safest place is indeed the Warden's Office (S4). Do you wish to return there, leave the gaol and go back to town, or continue exploring? Looks like you have about an hour of full daylight left, although it is overcast and beginning to rain outside.

"Perhaps we should spend the night on the grounds." The rogue pauses, "Perhaps these criminals will make our job easier and come to us in the night?"

Tre smiles, "Good, then let's get back to town and a warming meal to rid us of the drizzling rain that comes.."

"Ha, sounds like we're headed back to town." Sorin readies himself for the return. "So, what have you all learned in town so far? Have you only been to the Professor's funeral and home or have you found other things there?"

To remind you all, Town Map.

Feel welcome to ask about any letter...

[ooc]Are any of those buildings a 'Public Records' or perhaps 'Town Library'; mayhaps even a 'Office of Records'?[/oooc]

D is the Town Hall, but as far as you have seen the best library is in the Professor's house.

Then it seems best to go the Professor's house and rummage his tombs!

"Yes, it seems we are agreed to return to his house. It would be good to speak more with Kendra as well and tell her what we have learned about the Professor's death. I didn't have long to speak with her before she sent me after the rest of you."

Tre smiles as the group make their way out of the ruined buildings.

Merian keeps a watchful eye and a pensive silence on the way back to town.

Barret just nods his head and follows the party back to Kendra's home.

You make your way back to Kendra's house without further incident, although it's raining hard and you are all wet through. She's welcoming and the house is warm... and there is a steak raised up pie for dinner!

After entering the home, removing his cloak, the smell attacks Dillans' nose causing a reactionary smile. Turning to their host the smile continues, "Gods bless you woman that smell is heavenly in this weather!" He looks back to his companions, "Perhaps we shall enjoy this meal before are task of reading?"

"Oh my! That smells delicious Kendra." Sorin makes his way over toward the table. "Dillan, that is the best idea I've heard all day. I hadn't realized how hungry I was."

Barret enters the Lorrimor home and the food is the first thing he notices. While most stomaches rumble, his almost roars at the smell."You're smart, little man." He says as he rushes towards the food.

"Give me your wet things," says Kendra, "Then I'll get dinner on the table. Dillan, be a dear and nip down to the cellar for a couple of bottles of claret."

The pie tastes even better than it smells, accompanied with root vegetable mash and a savoury onion gravy.

When you are done, Kendra clears the dishes and looks round expectantly.

"What did you find?"

Merian sets to with a will, clearly enjoying the food and the company, but her face falls when Kendra's question is at last put before the group. It was the question she had been dreading, but she had already thought about her answer, and gave it without hesitation. "We learned a lot to scare us, but not much we can actually rely on," she says carefully. "The prison is a place of unquiet dead, with spirits and ghosts almost literally around every corner. Most were not welcoming, but we did find one who seemed more trsustowrthy than the rest. She... she told us of Petros' death, Kendra. She witnessed it, though not clearly. She said it was not an accident, and that the people behind it fled with a spirit from the prison itself, one that had kept the more vicious ghosts in the jail from escaping. I'm... sorry, my dear."

Sorin is famished and digs into the food with a vengeance. He listens as Merian summarizes events. "I am sorry too and sorry that I did not emerge from the swamps sooner. This prison is a disturbing place and we fear we may have to go deeper to learn more about the Professor's death."

"The spirits are violent and unrelenting there . But we will find out who slew your father. We will deal with them." Barret says between messy mouthfuls of food.

Tre his elegant hands moving holding a knife and fork as he politely eats Kendra's fare. Turns his head to face Kendra after Merian's words, "That is true, but we still learned more of what we might face there. We know more information out about the prison, especially about the fire and what happened, the role of the warden and his wife. We know the name of one of the powerful prisoners held there, the Splatter Man. We know that all that binds them in their undeath is weakening and may present a danger to Ravengro and its surrounds. Kendra is there somewhere we can find out more about him and his fellow prisoners? For he was mentioned as being able to harness the arcane in life, who knows if his spirit now haunts Harrowstone? So though we didn't get too far, we have gained much knowledge, its up to us to make good use of it!"

Satisfied with his words, he watches the effect they have on Kendra.

Kendra gulped.

"Thank you for that... I... I... was sure that my father's death was no accident, but nobody would listen. You already have the run of the materials here... there is some stuff about the more... unusual... convicts incarcerated at Harrowstone, the Spatter Man amongst them. If I recall aright, he was a serial killer with ritual tendencies, painted his next victim's name in blood, letter by letter, night by night, before actually committing the murder..."

To your relief, she seems quite composed; certainly more so than she was when the first of you arrived in town.

Sorin listens wondering about this Splatter Man. He seems to be particularly nasty. "Kendra, do you know of any maps of the prison, here or elsewhere in town?"

After the meal Dillan excuses himself and goes to the professors study/library and begins searching for anything on the prison itself; it's construction, floor plan, mysteries, etc.

Tre almost shivers as he hears the description of the splatter man, a cold seems to come over him, as he pulls himself closer to the fire burning steadily in the grate. His hands extend forwards towards the flickering yellow flames, letting the warmth touch his fingers. "Yes, on the morrow, maybe a visit to the teacher again, he had somethings which might prove useful in our forthcoming explorations. Perhaps there will be something I can do for him to help in payment. Who knows?"

He leans back into the comfortable high backed chair, bringing his warmed hands to clasp and warm his cheeks. His eyes glaze over as his mind starts to meditate and try to unravel the days events.

Perhaps Dillan will have luck in the library. Sorin listens to Tre while waiting for Kendra's thoughts. "Teacher? Have you met someone in town that knows more about the prison?"

Perhaps Dillan will have luck in the library. Sorin listens to Tre while waiting for Kendra's thoughts. "Teacher? Have you met someone in town that knows more about the prison?"

"He may or may not, but he has arcane interests and items for sale, some of which could be useful if we venture once more into the prison. He teaches some of the children of the town. He may well have a library that would be of interest. However, we may need to borrow or earn some gold to enable us to buy such things as he has for sale, certainly I didn't bring that much with me on the journey."

"It might be as well to seek out some temporary employment or other things to add gold to our pockets." Tre contemplates once more ...

Dillan starts to rummage, and soon comes up with some material on The Splatter Man, whose real name was Hean Feramin. He was a Professor, a celebrated scholar of Anthroponomastics (the study of personal names and their origins) at the Quartrefaux Archives in Caliphas. Yet an accidental association with a succubus twisted and warped his study, turning it into an obsession. Feramin became obsessed with the power of a name and how he could use it to terrify and control. Soon enough, his reputation was ruined, he’d lost his tenure, and he’d developed an uncontrollable obsession with an imaginary link between a person’s name and what happens to that name when the person dies. Every few days, he would secretly arrange for his victim to find a letter from her name written in blood, perhaps smeared on a wall or spelled out with carefully arranged entrails. Once he had spelled his victim’s name, he would at last come for her, killing her in a gory mess using a complex trap or series of rigged events meant to look like an accident.

I'm honestly curious if the 'her' is intentional?

Dillan will return to the others holding a book, "Well i've found something Hean." He pauses testing to see if any of them know the name before continuing, "Sorry, I mean the Splatter Man."

Dillan sets the book down, "I'll let you read it for yourselves."

Sorin listens to Tre, "Don't you think we'd better see about helping Vesorianna quickly? She sounded pretty concerned that the spirits were weakening her and about to escape. I'm all for finding as much out about the prison as we can, but I really think we ought to go back tomorrow. Are you all sure you haven't found anything else around town before I arrived?"

HINT, HINT, HINT

"Well there is the monument in town with the letter V written in blood. "

Merian nods, looking concerned. "I dreamt that it was the Spaltter Man behind that horror," she says slowly. "The night before last. Who do you... wait. Vesorianna?"

Dillan looks at Sorin, "Vesorianna?"

Sorin feels his heart starting to race, "Vesorianna's the ghost we just met Dillan. The warden's wife. She mentioned that she was trying to hold back the other ghosts as her husband once did, but that she was struggling with the task."

"Ah, sorry about that." The rogue smiles, "I was too caught up in the fact that we were talking to a ghost."

"Though at the mention of the monument and the letter," Dillan pauses, "It does bring about the curious thought of; is it a sign to indicate a plan to fully kill her and her immortal soul?"

"I'm sure it is. But how did he get out of the prison to make the letter, yet can't leave because of Vesorianna? There's a puzzle for you Tre."

"Indeed it is, though if the blood is painted on, surely we should find some tracks or something close by. Does anyone have any skill in finding such clues, for I'm not really that way inclined? So where does the blood come from, surely there's not enough of an undeathly force to magic it out of thin air? And if you are right about the Splatterman, surely another letter will appear soon at some point. Maybe the best way is to set a watch on the monument to see what happens? " he sits in a comfy chair, deep in thought, with one ear open for any replies.

"I'm fair at tracking. Barret may be better. As for blood, didn't one of you mention something about a large rat. In any event, I think setting a watch is a good idea. At least for tonight."

He looks thoughtful for a moment, "Kendra, have there been any disturbances at the monument since we left for the prison?"

"Yes." Dillan nods, "I searched that entire area, though i'm no tracker, I can recognize them if they are there. I found nothing. If you think you may have a better chance than by all means."

"I too have tried to find tracks, and also have found no success. All I found was a rat whose blood was used for the letter. "

"A ghost wouldn't leave tracks," Merian points out. "And some ghosts have the ability to move things despite not being solid."

"True Merian, then we must set a watch, hidden away to see what ghost appears." says Tre, coming back from his distant mind's destination. "So can any see in the dark?, I can watch in the half light as day turns to night, or by the light of a full moon."

"Alas, I cannot see in the dark. Is there any light near this monument? I am definitely willing to take a shift in our watch."

"I am also blind in the darkness, but I will watch for spirits."

"From what I recall, the Spatter Man's graffiti always appeared at night," says Kendra, who has brewed some hot chocolate and brought mugs in for everyone. She passes them around as she continues "Perhaps his evil spirit is capable of possessing a living being, and forcing him to do his bidding..."

It's getting quite late. Do you intend to set a watch rota? Or do anything else this evening before retiring for the night?

What is the evening forcast? Cloudy? Stary? Moonlight?

"If there is some sort of light I can see well enough in the night, though in complete blackness I am at a loss." The rogue says as he enjoys the offered hot chocolate, "This possession theory? It's interesting...is something the spirit can do easily? That is if we are to presume that is the case. Would it have to be a willing person? Perhaps a member of this cult?"