[The sheriff is visiting the temple, hoping to find someone who can remove the blood from the monument. Seems nothing short of magic will do so.]
Gavin thanks the citizen that points this out to him.
Very well two birds with one stone then.
Gavin will make his way to the temple to meet the sheriff and the priest of pharasma
...I'm telling you. We've tried everything. The mark will not come off. There is nothing we can do.
Excuse me sheriff, and Father. I am Sir Gavin Marshal. I have some information for the both of you and a favor to ask of you father. First here is the blood and what was used to wright the letter. I found these with the old man Gibs. He had no memory of the event and got upset with me for questioning him. I detected some faint evil. I thought maybe he was or is possessed. I can't be certain. I assume more than just the V is coming so you may want to have him or the monument watched.
For you father I was hoping to get a list of all the people killed by the fire at the prision all those years ago. It seems Professor Lorrimor had uncovered some information. THere may be a cult here and something about the whispering way. I need to research more on the whispering way. I think he got to close and was killed for it. I intend to investigate his finding while here and would appriciate any help from the two of you.
We're busy enough as it is. If you want to watch the monument all night, waiting, you go right ahead.
List of people in the fire? Hmmmm... there was The Splatterman, the Lopper, Father Charlatan, The Mosswater Marauder, and The Piper of Illmarsh. Those were the only notable inmates at least. Then of course, there were all of the brave men who died trying to help. Warden Hawkran, and I believe his wife, Vesorriana were victims in the fire as well.
Thank you father. I hope that helps in my research. Sheriff, what if I catch old man Gibs messing with the monument as I suspect he will again. Then what? I will do what I can to figure out these matters. It seems the Way is after a spirit of someone that died that night. I will have to go the the prison to investigate as well. Can any of you tell me anything you may know of it?
No. You should be on your way.
Very well. Is there a reason you are being so dismissive of me? I asked for information of the prison. You both obviously are hiding things not willing to talk to me. This is why the professor worded in secret. He couldn't rely on those he shared a home with.
Gavin leaves after showing his disgust at the matter.
I must get back and see what I can find on the whispering way in the professors library. After that I will go to the false tomb and hope to ready myself. I will watch the monument tonight as well, maybe my hunch was right though if I catch Gibs I'm not sure if I can help him.
You should watch how you speak around here. You're an outsider, and no one will ask questions. You are digging around in business that does not concern you. I'm not going to arrest you yet, but I will if you make me.
I mean no disrespect sir. I am only trying to help. I am a Paladin and servent to my god and to people. Please understand I don't act out of selfish need for myself. I see wrong being done and a town that may be in trouble. You can choose to aid me or not. I will help either way. If you determine I am a bother then you can ask me to leave. I will leave you two to your business now.
Gavin will be returning to research in the library.
(Select a research option)
Will be going through books looking for any information on the whispering way.
(Knowledge:Arcana or Knowledge:Religion)
If I can I will try both, lets start with religion.
Let me know if I can do Arcana as well.
You do not find any particularly useful or interesting information. Among your research, you find a text that states The Whispering Way is a sinister
organization of necromancers that has been active in the
Inner Sea region for thousands of years.
(gain 50 xp)
Necromancers? Hmmm... I already had learned that much. Not much here more to learn. I should go check the false tomb and gather anything of aid. I can then get some sleep before night so I can go watch the monument. I can't help to wonder why these people are so uneasy and quick to dismiss my aid. There is something about that prison they aren't telling me. I will have to go check that place out soon. Alright off to the tomb.
Gavin makes his way to the tomb the professor talked about.
The crypt itself is a freestanding granite
mausoleum, the roof of which is decorated with a pair of
leering gargoyle statues. A single stone door with a rustylooking
lock sits in the mausoleum’s south facade.
Odd, who locks a tomb, how would one visit. Seems like a sign there could be more within. Oh well, no time to worry about that. Now lets see if he mentioned how to get in.
Gavin reads back over seeing if the professor left notes on how to get in. If there are none he will get close and acid splash the lock a few times to weaken it further. He then takes out his crowbar to pop it off.
(roll Perception)
You notice the lock has already been disabled, melted by acid, and refitted
Curious, I wonder if the professor entered the same way? Or perhaps someone else has entered. I should be cautious.
With that thought Gavin speaks some words of arcane power to protect himself with a suit of force energy.
Now let us go and see what awaits.
He heads into the tomb.
A flight of stone steps leads down into the
cold earth to a large crypt lined with empty niches—no
dead are interred here. (roll Perception and Survival)
You notice the faint tracks of someone who has passed through recently. Undoubtedly the tracks of the late Professor Lorrimor, you are able to follow them to the deepest part of the crypt. The tracks stop right in front of a large Sarcophagus. (Take 3 damage and roll a Fortitude save, and Initiative) A pair of Giant Centipedes attack you from behind. One manages to bite into your leg, attempting to inject you with its poison, while the other one lashes wildly, missing you.
[ooc]wow these dice are on fire[/dice]
Ouch, what is... Giant centipede, gross. I hate bugs so much.
It had your AC at 15. In any case, the first centipede still hit. No, I did not apply DR. I guess I just have to open your page. You feel the poison as it enters your body, but it does nothing to slow you down. It is your turn.
Gavin turns his attention to the first bug he opens up with a flurry of natural attacks.
The first claw tears through the writhing creature, splitting from end to end. As the centipede writhes and wails, Gavin's other claw and bite serve only to determine the centipede's death. The other centipede, obviously stunned from some recent encounter, misses again. I'm not seeing how your AC is 19
Having dealt with one of the beast Gavin turns his attention to the other and unleashes his assault.
Ah yes, Mage Armor. Forgot about that. As you claw the other creature, your hand seems to glide across it, splitting open. It wriggles away from your bite, and collapses, dead. Your other claw slices through what organs it has inside. There are no more creatures to attack you. (400 xp)
After taking a moment to gather his composure Gavin continues down into the crypt.
I just got home from work anyway. You find a chest in the center of the wall, at the end of the crypt, where you encountered the centipedes.
Not wanting to be seen carying a chest from a tomb, Gavin opens it up down here to see whats inside.
While it is clear that much has been taken from the chest, many useful items remain. Inside the chest, you find
a dozen silver arrows,
four sun rods,
six flasks of holy water,
10 +1 arrows,
five +1 ghost touch arrows,
two +1 undead bane arrows,
five potions of cure light wounds,
two potions of lesser restoration,
a scroll of detect undead,
two scrolls of hide from undead,
and a scroll of protection from evil.
Also among the contents of the chest, you find a thin darkwood case that has the image of scarab with a single, gleaming eye on its back. This is the same image that appeared on one of the books Professor Lorrimor left.
Inside this case, you find a spirit board, containing a Brass Spirit Planchette, and four iron and glass vials. These vials are valuable magical items known as Haunt Siphons. There are six more indentations, making it clear that the Professor made off with most of them.
Seems I will need to get myself a bow. It makes sense the prision is probably full of undead and spirits. I will take these things. Time to go get some rest.
After packing up everything Gavin goes back to the manor to rest so he may spend the night watching the monument, waiting to see if Old man Gibb comes out to paint on it again.
On your way back the the manor, you see a group of five little Varisian girls dressed in shawls
and dresses. They are playing a skipping rope game at the side
of the road. Each of the girls takes turns jumping in the
rope while singing two lines of a rather disturbing song,
then skips out of the rope to let the next girl take up the
next two lines. The way in which the girls switch from
skipping to passing the ends of the rope to each other to
keep the whole thing going is strikingly well timed and
well choreographed—and the verse itself, which the girls
sing in Varisian, is rather disturbing.
Put her body on the bed.
Take a knife and lop her head.
Watch the blood come out the pipe.
Feeds the stirge, so nice and ripe.
Drops of red so sparkly bright.
Splatters spell her name just right.
With a hammer killed his wife.
Now he wants to claim your life.
Tricksy father tells a lie.
Listen close or you will die.
Gavin approaches the girls.
Excuse me girls. I hate to interrupt you jump roping, but can you tell me about that song? Do you know what it means? Also what stories do you know of the prision?
Unfortunately, the girls don't have much to say about the song. It's just something that's been done "forever". You gain 1 trust point. I'm keeping Trust total on a separate document. Current Trust is 22
Thank you young ladies, enjoy your playing.
Maybe I will have a look in the library again. The professor had to have heard the children sing this. I'm sure he wouldn't just let it go. Alright then. Sleep then watch the monument. Then research and go to the prision.
As you are preparing to sleep for the night, in preparation of the watch, a glance at the window reveals a that it is now barred. Your bed has become a pile of hay, and there are bowls of wormy gruel sitting on the stone floor. Glancing out the window, you are greeted with the sight of a mist shrouded hill, in the distance are flickering lights from a town. Knowledge (geography or local)
You do not understand what's going on. When you look back at the wall, blood starts to appear, forming letters. G-A-V-I- and just as the final letter is forming, you wake up with a start. Just a dream you, think, until you look at the wall, and notice the blood is still there.
What the??? Not cool spirits... I must be on to something. Can't say I'm crazy about being haunted though. I better go watch the monument now. See if my suspicions are right about the old man.
Gavin heads out to scout the monument.
As you wait, and you watch, you start idle by, simply watching as the world continues to work, until finally, the sun begins to rise. The night is uneventful.
Interesting. Well first order of business today is breakfast, after that I need to buy a bow for all these arrows I found. Then I guess we can go investigate the prision.
OK. So are you going to the prison, or are you looking for a bow?
Bow first
As you approach the prison, you hear a dull *thunk*. Looking around, you notice an arrow has just been embedded in a nearby tree. Standing 50 feet away from you is what appears to be a skeleton, firing a bow.