Wallace takes the next step forward.
"He was a good man, and a good employer. He used his time and knowledge to help others. Not many times a man in my profession gets to feel good about what he does, but every time he and I went out together, whatever new paper he wrote, he included the information in it to help others survive out there. He paid fair, and he never shirked from the responsibilities of a trail. Any man would be lucky to have a travelling companion as honest and dedicated."
With a nod he steps back.
Samdi steps up
"I does remember one time, the first time I met the old coyo. He was walkin' down a path with a old pile a bones. They had been recently reanimated and destroyed i was thinkin'. A few bandits went and jumped him, expecting him to have coin or sometin shiny. Seeing what was going on i quickly used a simple little spell to make the bones move and seeing them boys jump and run like that mais j'amais it was funny. I walked over to him, made the bones stop and we spent the next day just talking old stories. Nothin' but a kind man with a bigger heart. He will be dearly missed."
Samdi steps back down, letting others share.
Shava, last of the party invited from afar now takes a turn to step up to the podium
Shava's wings took a dull tone as she remembered her past with this man who was once her mentor "The professor, he was the man that showed me how to be ok with myself. Since birth my oracles curse has sat on my shoulders like a weight pinning me to the ground. I spent much time in my youth truthfully running from it. I would settle in some place, things would go well then one day someone would scare me or stress me out and i would speak in tongues then i would simply run not knowing what i was even saying and not wanting to face people worrying they would hate me. till i met the professor that is. He heard me talking and he knew what i was saying, he told me it was the language of angels and that i should love it. he showed me that this force that has always pushed me is not evil, but divine! Through him that weight i carried was lifted, and with its uplifting i found my wings, a gift from my lady Pharasma when i finally started listening and heard her pushing me to help people and aid in the cycle of life. I pledge that i will hold the professor in my heart forever till i see him in the next life, no matter if that is tomorrow or at the end of a long elven life. Ill miss you, please professor, meet the pale lady with a smile on your face"
Finishing her speech Shava's wings shone a brilliant gold as she shone with literal pride at the memory of her mentor before quietly taking her seat amoung the gathered people once more.
With the speeches concluded the ceremony came to an end and the last resting place of Professor Petros Lorimor was this small plot of land mostly unremarkable amoung many others like it. After the casket was lowered into place and the congregation of mourners disseminated back towards the town and the gravedigger filled in the plot Kendra approached the party seeming to be in a decent mood despite the interuption to the service earlier.
She began with only a small waver in her voice "Well then let us be getting back to my fathers.... my house. There i can offer you all something to drink and we can await the Counsellor Hearthmount, he will be taking care of the reading of the will, while he was at the funeral the counsellor tells me he has a thing or two to do and will be about an hour before he arrives to do the reading. I'd be more than happy to provide hospice till then" With that she turns towards her home and beckons the party to follow
The walk isnt long and the party arrives at a modest home on the southern end of the town. Inside they find themselves surrounded by stacks upon stacks of books of all kinds, all likely to do with the professors current and past studies. Enteating the party to have a seat amoung the piles on the couches of the living room Kendra simply asks "Will tea do for everyone? or would any of you rather something else? my father kept a bottle or two of wine or rum around the house im sure."
"Rum, if ya'd be a dear. Always said I'd 'ave some of 'is someday. At's good stuff and no mistake."
Calista heads toward the kitchen to fetch glasses.
"A glass of rum for me as well if you would be so kind."
"If you's be fixin' up a glass of rum i'll take a spot."
Drinks were fetched and the group moved to the sitting room, if it could really be called that. There are piles of books all over the room. Some are ear marked, others with bookmarks hanging between the pages and all are piled as high as your average old man.
Kendra motions to the few open spots on couches and chairs and motions people to sit. "Sorry for the mess my friends, when my father gets his mind on something as I'm sure you know he doesn't let it go. I'll need to tidy the house but that can wait till another time. Please enjoy your drinks."
As the party sits Kendra turns to Samdi and asks "I know for example that my father was facinated with your people Samdi, the Samsaran you told him they were called. He told me your on a constant quest for enlightenment to reach the next life. I want to ask how goes your quest, are you any closer to that what you seek?"
Samdi takes a seat on a couch, and sips a glass of rum."I be wandering the land, looking for somethin' to send me to a better place. From what i rememba in a past life i wrote a journal, so my plan is to find that. Past that or the between who knows." Samdi swirls the rum around in the glass, enjoying the aroma. "I doesn't know if that will even help but it seems like the place to start, and my people got nothin' but time."
Kendra nods as Samdi answers the simple question she asked. She replied "Father had many friends in life from many different places of the world. I take pride in knowing a great many of them as well as they all remember my father fondly. even the hired hands!" she says as she turns to Wallace
"Wallace was one of them. Tell me Wallace, how was your last bounty? my father told me that you would do bounty hunting when not working as a guard or tracker or whatnot. My messenger says he was only able to find you as you turned up at a jail house looking to turn over a captive."
"Did the funeral pull you away from work?" Kendra asked, trying to learn what she could of a man that her father had called on once or twice when he the need arose
Wallace looks up from his glass, and replies:
"I was not far from town when news was brought to me, and on my way by chance anyways. Just like your father, always trying to not intrude too heavily on my work, even in his death."
It was amoung the small talk that a knock at the door was heard.
Kendra rose to her feet "One moment, that must be councilman Hearthmount here to read the will please remain seated I will invite him in."
Kendra moves through the cluttered room with ease and to the observer perhaps with a more cheerful step than when the party had first arrived at her home. The party hears Kendra open the door and issue a greeting to the guest though you cannot make out the specific words being said. the front door then closes and returning is now two pairs of footsteps instead of one.
It is clear to anyone by his mannerisms that he does not appreciate outsiders meddling in what he considers town affairs but he is a man of business so he keeps that opinion off his lips. The business at hand is the will of Professor Petros Lorrimor.
Kendra takes the councilman to a desk in one corner of the room and gives him a seat "Please my friends gather round and listen. even I am not certain what is in the will as my father wanted it read when all of you were present. Please councilman you may begin"
The councilman produces a scroll case from the bag he brought with him. All can see that the professors wax seal is unbroken just moments before the councilman himself breaks the seal. As he breaks the seal a key falls out and noisily clatters to the table. undaunted by the key the councilman continues clearly looking to conclude this and return home.
The date on the will is only a month or so ago, it seems Petros felt he had reason to make sure he had his lifes things in order for one reason or another.
The councilman reads the will aloud "I, Petros Lorrimor, being of sound mind, do hereby commit to this parchment my last will and testament. Let it be know that, with the exception of the specific details below, i leave my home and personal belongings entire to my daughter Kendra. Use them or sell them as you see fit my child.
Yet beyond the bequeathing of my personal effects, this document must serve other needs. I have arranged for the reading of this document to be delayed untill all principals can be in attendance, for i have more than mere inheritance to apportion. I have two final favors to ask.
To my old friends, I hate to impose upon you all, but there are few others who are capable of appreciating the true significance of what it is I have to ask. As some of you know, I have devoted many of my studies to all manner of evil, that I might know the enemy and inform those better positioned to stand against it. For knowledge of one’s enemy is the surest path to victory over its plans.
And so, over the course of my lifetime, I have seen fit to acquire a significant collection of valuable but dangerous tomes, any one of which in the wrong circumstances could have led to an awkward legal situation. While the majority of these tomes remain safe under lock and key at the Lepidstadt University, I fear that a few I have borrowed remain in a trunk in my Ravengro home. While invaluable for my work in life, in death, I would prefer not to burden my daughter with the darker side of my profession, or worse still, the danger of possessing these tomes herself. As such, I am entrusting my chest of tomes to you, posthumously. I ask that you please deliver the collection to my colleagues at the University of Lepidstadt, who will put them to good use for the betterment of the cause.
Yet before you leave for Lepidstadt, there is the matter of another favor—please delay your journey one month and spend that period of time here in Ravengro to ensure that my daughter is safe and sound. She has no one to count on now that I am gone, and if you would aid her in setting things in order for whatever she desires over the course of this month, you would have my eternal gratitude. From my savings, I have also willed to each of you a sum of one hundred platinum coins. For safekeeping, I have left these funds with Embreth Daramid, one of my most trusted friends in Lepidstadt—she has been instructed to issue this payment upon
the safe delivery of the borrowed tomes no sooner than one month after the date of the reading of this will.
“I, Petros Lorrimor, hereby sign this will in Ravengro on this first day of Calistril, in the year 4955.”
Upon finishing the reading the councilman looks to Kendra looking for any questions. she politly says "Thank you councilman, Looks like my friends will be staying a bit longer. I have no questions please get back to your affairs and enjoy the rest of your day."
With his job done the councilman takes his leave and you hear the door close on his way out.
Kendra lets out a deep breath and looks around the room but isnt looking at the books but more thinking about what to do. "My friends i know not weather i yet want to sell this house or remail but i do have plenty of room to keep you all comfortably, should you choose to remain as my father requested. I will not force you to stay but i would be glad for the company. Please stay here and i will fetch that chest of books my father spoke of in the will, i will return shortly"
And with that Kendra leaves the room.
" I will accompany you, as it appears that chest is now my responsibility"
And walks to follow her.
"I'm not a one to begrudge an old man 'is last request. Could be fun. Never been to Lepidstadt either."
Calista swallows her drink and proceeds to pour herself another.
"I aint one to leave a soft spoken girl shook up and alone after such a untimely passin'. I'll spend the month, and get those tomes."
Samdi sips from his rum, contemplating another glass