the coachman bellows out, the first words he’s spoken in a while, as the carriage rattles to a stop. As you emerge from the coach you blink your eyes several times as they become accustomed to the late afternoon light although the low grey clouds scudding by portend the threat of rain.
As the driver lowers your belongings to you, you look around the town square. A quaint, simple gazebo with an old hound lounging on the steps stands in the center of the square. With a nod of his head the driver climbs back up into his seat and with a flick of the reins the coach continues on its journey leaving you standing there, alone. As your eyes sweep around the square you notice several of the local passersby’s eye you with a mix of curiosity and suspicion before they look away.
As you pick up your belongings you check your pocket for the letter. Although it only reached you about a week ago its contents still bring a shock to you this day. Written in a feminine hand, by one Kendra Lorrimor, it requests your presence for the funeral and reading of the will of Professor Petros Lorrimor. As the initial shock of the Professor’s death sunk in you remembered the profound impact the man made on your life. Dropping everything you hastened to hire a coach and travel to the town of Ravengro.
Due to conditions beyond your control you have arrived in the village with little over an hour to spare before the start of internment. Now all you need to do is find the Professor’s house and offer your condolences before the start of the funeral procession.
Cat looks around the town square, re-orienting herself. It's intentionally been a while since she's been back here. There are so many unpleasant memories from before Lorrimor had essentially rescued her. The buildings and sky perpetually on the verge of rain seem much less ominous now than it did back then, though. Her circumstances are more controlled now, but she can't help reliving some of the feelings of being small and alone here. After a slight adjustment of her backpack on her shoulders, she sets off down the street.
She knows the house she's looking for, having broken into it once in another life. The front door had been open for her since. This time is more like the first, though, with a distinct feeling of unease in the approach. She holds the letter in one hand while she knocks with the other. Hopefully she's made it in time to be a part of the proceedings.
Kirian stood passively as she slowly watched the carriage shrink in the distance. She looked around herself as passerby's gave the occasional queer look given to those outsiders. Paying them no mind, she began to slowly walk through the town as grey clouds painted a backdrop in the sky.
She liked the clouds, although as melancholy as they were, they gave Kirian a sense of calm. As a child, before Lorrimor, she used to be excited for such weather a it meant rain. Playing the rain was the finest thing her young mind could think of. It was in fact such memories that kept her sane these days.
She spots a women at the door of what she believes to be the home of the late Lorrimor, "Excuse me, but is this be the home of the late Professor Petros Lorrimor?" she said plainly.
Stepping out of the coach and collecting his belongings, Ulfric looks around takes in his surroundings, feeling lucky that all the towns folk gave him were a few hard looks.
Having not long ago brought Professor Lorrimor to his home after saving his life, it is unfortunate in the extreme to be visiting under such circumstances. Ulfric quickly makes his way to Lorrimor's house to offer his condolences before the procession begins.
Upon arriving at Lorrimor's home, Ulfric knocks on the door and waits for an answer.
"It is," Cat says, nodding. "I assume you're here for the funeral as well, then. Did you know him well?"
A third person walks up to the door. In another context she might have been nervous, but if this half-orc was also an associate of Lorrimor's, then he was probably an OK guy. The professor was never shy about hiring the best people, regardless of their origins, and so she'd had to work with a few of them before. She gives him a slight nod of acknowledgement.
Nodding back to the woman who nodded to him, for mere acknowledgement of himself was a good show of effort on the part of the populace around here, Ulfric replies to the question not addressed to him, trying to put the women at ease,
"I am here for the funeral. I would not say I knew him well, but I had the pleasure of saving his life and meeting a man that could accept others for their value and not their race"
Ulfric looks down at his feet a bit, grief clouding his face over the thought of a great man gone from the world. Recovering, he addresses both of the women,
"Since we were all known to Lorrimor we may as well be introduced. I am Ulfric Bjarnasson, caravan guard, and who might you two be?"
"Cat," she answers, pointing at herself. "I've had the good fortune to work with the professor on several expeditions, bypassing traps and locks. You saved his life, I'm certain he saved mine. People of the professor's caliber are too hard to come by around here."
She lapses into a sad silence, waiting for the other woman to introduce herself.
"Kirian Ophelia, and I'm sorry. I do not know much about him, just that I owed him a favor from a courtesy he gave when I was young. It is a pleasure to meet you both," she said looking at the two. She seemed somewhat out-there, as she kind of just stood there watching them both, unsure of wither to go up to them.
As the three of you gather outside the door slowly opens to reveal a tall, spare woman in her early twenties, dressed in a black dress of mourning. Her brown hair is pulled back into a bun and held in place by a black veil, currently raised to show her face. As you look closer you can see that her eyes are puffy and bloodshot, as if from crying. Despite their current state you can't help but notice that her eyes are the same color blue as the Professor's.
"Hello?" she says in a hesitant voice until a flash of understanding crosses her face "Oh, you must be the friends of father I wrote to? I was beginning to think that my letters never found you." She steps back from the doorway and ushers you in "Forgive me, I'm Kendra Lorrimor, the Professor's daughter. Please come in. It wouldn't do to have you standing around my doorstep so that people could talk. They will talk all the same, but let's not give them any more reason that they should."
Taking your cloaks Kendra escorts you into a small sitting room, she waves her hand toward a sideboard where some refreshments have been laid out "Please help yourselves. You must be hungry from your journey. I will go put a kettle on, after all we have some time before we have to meet the others at the Restlands. Besides we are waiting for two more arrivals, I pray to the Lady that they may arrive soon."
"Thank you for your hospitality," Cat says quietly and almost automatically. "Sorry for your loss. Your father always spoke about you with pride during expeditions. I'm just glad I made it in time."
With that said, she takes to opportunity to snack lightly on the stuff that's been set out. Given her past, she's never one to turn down offered food in any context, though she understands the need to show a bit of restraint under the current circumstances.
"Yes thank you for your hospitality, and my condolences for your loss" Ulfric says to Kendra.
Ulfric, finds a spot out of every ones way to stand and, on his way over to the spot, takes enough food from what has been set out to be polite.
For as much travel as Martin had done in his life, you would think that he'd be better at finding his way around a small town like Ravengro. That thought, however, would be entirely wrong. Martin was horrible at finding his way around on his own. Even worse, judging from the way people kept on looking at him, most of them would rather hurt him than help him. So instead of doing the reasonable thing of asking for directions, he would simply wander around the small town for a while, adjusting his grip on Gamera's transport as he did so.
It was during this wandering that he heard someone mention the name Lorrimor while standing outside. Martin looked over, seeing a half-orc, a half-elf, and a human woman heading into the. They didn't seem like they were from around these parts either. So chances were high that unless there was some other event going on in town, they were here for his father's funeral. That probably meant that this was where his father and Kendra had been living.
Still, even with that perfectly rational assumption, it took a bit of doing to work himself up enough to actually go up to the door and knock. After all, it had been quite some time since he had last seen Kendra, and he hadn't left on what could be called the best of terms. Add in what had recently happened to him, and it was a lot of stress to process at once. Still, it would be worse if he didn't show up at all, so up to the door he went, knocking in a manner that could only be described as timid.
"Why thank you, if only the visit was under more happier circumstances," she says taking a seat.
Cassandra blinks her eyes to adjust to the sudden light, despite the clouds, as she emerges from the coach. Taking a silver from her pouch she pays the driver before he flicks the reins and gets the horses moving again.
Picking up her bag she looks around the village square. As she spots the old coonhound lounging on the gazebo's steps she smiles a wistful smile.
Pulling a pair of smoked glasses from her pocket she settles them on her nose, the better to hide her mismatched eyes from strangers.
After asking one the villagers for directions to the Lorrimor's house she makes her way as quickly as possible but not before catching the man making a gesture to ward off evil spirits.
As she approaches the house she spies a young man standing, nervously, on the porch. Smiling warmly she asks "Are you here for the Professor's funeral as well?"
Before the young man can answer the door to the house opens to reveal Kendra standing before you. Looking at Martin she gives him a sad smile "Martin, it has a long time." Turning to Cassandra she extends her hand "You must be Cassandra. Please do come in. We have a few minutes before we need to leave for the Restlands and the others are waiting in the parlor." With that she leads you into a sitting room where three other people, a human, an elf, and a half-orc, are standing nibbling on sandwiches and drinking tea, or stronger spirits.
Seeing two more people enter the room, Ulfric wonders if this is everyone that Kendra had invited.
"Hello to you two. It appears we have all been asked here for having known Professor Lorrimor, though we don't know each other."
Taking a step towards the two new comers, Ulfric continues,
"I am Ulfric, and who might you two be?"
"Is there anyone else joining us or is this it Ms. Lorrimor?" said Kirian as she sipped from a cup of tea.
"What an eclectic group of friends the Professor has... had." Cassandra thinks to herself before extending her hand to Ulfric "I'm Cassandra, Cassandra Blackmoore. I too was a friend of the Professors. I just wish we could have met under happier circumstances."
Cat isn't a very trusting or open person, but she makes more of an effort when it comes to others the Professor associated with. He was, after all, an excellent judge of character, especially when that good character wasn't necessarily obvious to the rest of the world.
"While that sentiment's very true, I'm happy to meet other friends of the Professor at any time. I'm Cat, I worked with him sometimes in the field."
Ulfric takes Cassandra's outstretched hand and shakes it.
"Aye, happier circumstances would be preferable, but we must make do with what we have."
It seems odd to have gathered us here together, but the Professor must have had a reason
"I barely know the man," Kirian shrugs, "just that I owed him some sort of debt some time ago."
"H-h-hello Kendra," Martin hesitantly said when his sister opened the door, shifting somewhat where he stood. Aside from that, he wouldn't really say much as he entered the house. Even when the others spoke to him, he seemed somewhat reluctant to speak up. However, after a moment or two, he would swallow down some of his apprehension to finally speak up.
"I-i-i'm M-m-martin," he would say, his stutter obvious as he stood stock-still in the corner of the room. "I-i-i... Errr... I a-a-am... W-w-was the p-p-professor's son."
Kendra puts her arm around Martin in a sympathetic hug "He was adopted at a young age." Kendra explains. "No, Miss Ophelia, there is no one else. Everyone I was expecting has arrived. Now if you don't mind I think we should join the rest mourners at the Restlands. If you'll follow me, please." With that Kendra grabs a black lace shawl and wraps it around her shoulders "It wouldn't do to keep Father Grimburrow and the others waiting." so saying she lowers her veil over her face and leads you to the door.
As you follow her back through town, your procession draws stares of wonderment from the people you pass on the street. Kendra leads you through the streets to the north road leading out of town. A short distance later you come to the local cemetery, known as the Restlands. As you approach one of the gates Kendra traces a small spiral over her heart and looks for the rest of you to follow suit. Waiting at the gate are a handful of people, three men, one woman, and a teenage boy arranged around a fine walnut and bronze casket.
Kendra introduces you to the other mourners, Councilmen Vashian Hearthmount and Gharen Muricar, Zokar Elkarid, the local tavernkeeper, and his son Pevrin, and Jominda Fallenbridge, the town’s apothecary. With a look at Councilman Hearthmount Kendra announces "These are the friends of father that we’ve been waiting for.” With a curt nod of his head in acknowledgement the councilman and the other local men position themselves around the casket while Kendra takes up position in front of the procession while Jominda and Pevrin fall in behind the casket. All eyes turn to you as Kendra explains "Traditionally the friends of the deceased carry the body to the gravesite where the priest waits to conduct the funeral rites.”
Family members traditionally lead the funeral procession to the gravesite followed by the casket and pallbearers and finally the other mourners bring up the rear.
While it is not unheard of for a woman to act as a pallbearer it is generally left to the male family members or friends of the deceased to act in that capacity.
Ulfric surveys the seen before him, hesitant about volunteering but feeling the need to honor Professor Lorrimor. Ulfric begins to step forward,
"It would be an honor" Ulfric say to Kendra, in reference to her statement.
Ulfric then steps forward and takes a position at one of the handholds of the casket.
Cat also traces a small spiral as she approaches the graveyard. While she's not very religious herself, she also doesn't want to risk offending a higher power. She's had a hard enough life as it is.
"I'd consider it an honor, and a privilege, as well," she says, taking up a handhold. Risking offending a person? That's totally fine with her.
Kirian gives a look impassiveness as she surveys the rest lands. She makes a small gesture common to those whom worship Pharasma and follows the procession.
Tracing the spiral on her chest, Cassandra takes her place at the rear of the procession, next to to Jominda the apothecary.
"Martin, walk with me, if you please?" Kendra asks as she extends her arm for Martin to take.
When Ulfric and Cat offer to bear the Professor's casket the other pallbearers look to the remaining group. As Kirian and Cassandra join the others in the procession and Martin takes Kendra's arm Councillor Hearthmount turns to Cat and says "Thank you kindly, lass, but I think the four of us will be enough." With that the Councillor nods and the pallbearers begin to lift the casket.
As the procession begins with Kendra and Martin stoically in the lead the only sound you hear is that of your feet crunching along the gravel path known as The Dreamwake. As the funeral march reaches a turn where the Dreamwake merges with another path the silence is shattered by Kendra's shrill shriek
Having been lost in your own thoughts you look up to notice an elderly man standing in the middle of the path in front of you, his arms folded across his chest. A network of white scars across his forearms indicate that he was no stranger to fighting in his youth. Behind him a group of locals, about a dozen in all, stand across the pathway, barring further entrance into the graveyard.
As the old man spits on the ground and begins to speak, you notice that about half of the mob is armed, although with a mix of farm implements (rakes, hoes, sickles, pitchforks, hammers, and the like) “That’s far enough. We been talking, and we don’t want Lorrimor buried in the Restlands. You can take him upriver and bury him there if you want, but he ain’t goin’ in the ground here!” the old man snarls.
Addressing his fellow pallbearers Ulfric speaks,
"Men, I would suggest we put him down for now. I would rather not have anything undignified happen to such a good man"
If the others will place the casket down, I will walk to the front of the procession and support Kendra in here coming arguement
"Alright then," Cat says, stepping away from the casket. She doesn't really mind not having to help, given that with nobody to take the sixth spot it would have probably made things harder rather than easier. She absorbs herself in thoughts of what reason the professor might have had for inviting her to his funeral and not so many of the others they'd worked with over the years.
She's pretty deep into it when the musings are suddenly interrupted. Startled, she instinctively reaches a hand toward one of her knives, stopping short of actually drawing the weapon. Still, that anyone would pull a stunt like this has raised her ire. Making a scene in a graveyard seems like a really poor way to honor professor's memory, so, even though she'd very much like to punch the old man right in the jaw, she just seethes quietly and waits for those with more tact to try handling the mob. She's pretty sure she'd only make things much worse, though a small part of her hopes they try something stupid and give her a reason to come to the professor's posthumous defense in a physically satisfying way.
Cassandra, lost in thought, looks up at Kendra's shout. Excusing herself from the procession she makes her way to Kendra and Martin's side, ready to provide aid if needed.
Kirian clutched her staff in her hand tightly, the staff acted as a walking stick. She stayed with the small procession of people.
Despite Ulfric's statement the other pallbearers hesitate, unsure of what is actually happening.
Kendra's initial bewilderment turns to outrage as the intent of the mob sinks in "What are you talking about?” she lashes out. “I arranged it with Father Grimburrow. He’s waiting for us! The grave’s already been...”
Gibs looks at Cassandra as she approaches the front of the procession. He glares at the woman before spitting on the ground "“You don’t get it, woman. We won’t have a necromancer buried in the same place as our kin. I suggest you move out while you still can. Folks are pretty upset about this right now.”
"Necromancy?, impossible!". Cassandra thinks to herself, shocked by the accusation. Stepping in front of Kendra, Cassandra approaches the mob "What is the meaning of this? You men ought to be ashamed." She removes her glasses and stares at the men daring them to meet her gaze, then in a softer tone she continues "Gentlemen, please! Can you not see the pain you are causing Mistress Lorrimor. The young lady only wishes to inter her father in holy ground as the Lady Pharasma would have it. This is neither the time nor the place to air your grievances. Please let us pass."
"Yeah," adds Cat, really trying to muster something to come to her late employer's defense. "And think about how would you like it a bunch of people tried to stop you from burying your kin, just because of some ill-conceived accusations."
"The arrangment has been set for the dead to be buried. What is the proof of the late Lorrimor's practice of necromancy?
Impatient with the other pallbearers, Ulfric waits to release the casket until they do. Addressing the other pallbearers,
"What do you know of these accusations of necromany? Are they unfounded?
Councillor Hearthmount looks at Ulfric before giving enough of a shrug without upsetting the casket "I don't know? First I've heard about it although since the body was found outside Harrowstone and the prison is considered haunted by those who perished there, I can see how that rumor got started."
Given Cassandra's impassioned plea followed by Kirian's logical question many of the townsfolk look to Gibs for an answer before they begin to wander off in small groups. Bereft of his support Gibs glares at Cassandra and Kirian before he to leaves.
Placing a hand on Cassandra and Kirian's shoulders Kendra says "Thank you very much for your support. That could've gotten ugly, quickly. I can see why father spoke so highly of you all."
Getting her anger under control she continues "Shall we continue? Father Grimburrow is still waiting for us at the grave site."
Settiling the casket into a more comfortable grip, Ulfric replies to Kendra,
"Aye lets get moving so as to not keep Father Grimburrow waiting"
Cat sighs in relief and visibly relaxes.
"Yeah," she agrees as she returns to a position toward the rear of the procession. "Hopefully there are no more interruptions."
Thank goodness the others could keep this relatively civil.
Continuing on you turn the corner on to the northern path and soon arrive at the plot site. Mounds of fresh turned earth flank either side of a large hole. Standing at the head of the grave is an elderly man whom Kendra introduces to you as Father Vauran Grimburrow, the village priest. A pair of workers stand a respectful distance back, leaning on their shovels, watching the ceremony.
Father Grimburrow nods to each of you in turn as Kendra introduces you to him as the pallbearers lower the casket onto a scaffold across the grave. After a short ceremony where Father Grimburrow consecrates the ground with holy water and a blessing of Pharasma he asks Kendra to step forward and say some words about her father.
Kendra, fighting back tears, recalls some of the events of her childhood and the happier times she spent with growing up with her father. Finished, she calls upon her father's friends to come forward and say something about their memories of Petros Lorrimor. Each of the townsfolk step forward to share a story or anecdote of their experiences with the Professor. After the last one finishes all eyes turn to you.
Cat takes a turn stepping forward. She's not much of a talker, and she's not normally a very emotional person, but this is important to her.
"Professor Lorriomor was an exceedingly rare kind of person. He had a clarity of vision that most others lack. He was able to see past what you are or where you came from and see what you could be.
"For all the other accomplishments he had, that talent will always stick out to me as the most important. He helped me out when nobody else would, and I will miss him greatly."
She opens her mouth one more time, then closes it soundlessly, then steps off to the side looking at the sky tracing another spiral on her chest.
After Cat steps back, Ulfric goes forward, intending to give a few simple words,
"I only met him once, but Professor Lorrimor was a great man. He treated me with the utmost respect, not because I saved his life, but because I was another living being. The world wold benefit greatly from more people like him"
Ulfric bows his head and moves off to the side.
Kirian moves to stand with Ulfric and Cat, "I never knew the late Lorrimor when he was alive," she spoke, "I was too young then. I had been sick terribly and could barely leave my bed. No one could cure me of my affliction. The professor had only recently come to town after hearing of my plight. He saved my life back then and I owed him a debt of gratitude, unfortunate that I could never repay him."
Cassandra approaches the graveside and sighs. Clearing her throat she begins to speak "I met the Professor several years ago. He came to my village after I had suffered a brutal attack by a creature of darkness and spite. I not only survived the attack but managed to drive the creature away. This piqued the Professor's interest and he came to my village to talk with me about my experiences. He found me a confused and frightened young girl who was scared of the powers awoken in me that night. He told me to not be afraid but to embrace what had changed in me and to use those powers for the Light. Before he left he gave me a couple of books." Cassandra pauses to issue a little chuckle "he always seemed to have books with him, to read. It was those books which guided me. Though I never saw the Professor again, we corresponded over the intervening years as he followed my life and I his. It is a great sorrow that I will never get the opportunity to speak with him again."
As Cassandra finishes her speech she bends down and picks up a handful of the disturbed earth near the gravesite and saying a quick prayer to Pharasma tosses the dirt over the casket. "Farewell, Professor. May the Lady protect you now."
As the service concludes Councillor Hearthmount talks quietly with Father Grimburrow and after a vehement exchange the village priest approaches Kendra and the rest of the party. Taking the young woman's hands in his he stares into her eyes and in a voice pitched loud enough for all to hear he says "My poor young girl. Vashian told me about the ...altercation that took place. Disgusting! Rest assured the Sheriff and I will talk to those involved and see that nothing like that ever happens again." With a brief nod to indicate all of you Father Grimburrow takes his leave.
As the attendants prepare to lower the casket into the waiting grave, Kendra kisses her fingertips and lays her hand gently on the casket before turning, and with a wan smile, to invite everyone back to the house for refreshments. The townspeople all beg off citing the need to take care of their own business in town but Councillor Hearthmount promises to visit this evening for the reading of the will.
Clearly disappointed Kendra turns to you and her face brightens "Oh well, it's just as well. Father never did like big parties." Without saying another word Kendra leads everyone back to her house.
"Miss Lorrimor," Krian says, Why would that man believe your father had practiced necromancy. What is at Harrrowstone that such would be believed?"
There had to be a reason of some kind. Either it had been based upon a logical happening or was more of a personal vendetta. One thingcaused Gib to raise a group of armed men to prevent the proffessors burial.
"I think you give them too much credit when you assume that there's any sort of reason at all," Cat mutters bitterly in response, though the question wasn't directed at her. "Most people in this part of the world... they take everything different, whether by choice or by accident, and they treat it as a monster and shun it. I've experienced it, personally." She runs her fingers down the claw scars on the side of her face.
"Everything has a reason for it, even if you don't believe there is," Kirian says in response.
As you are making your way back to the Lorrimor residence you notice that you are being followed by a young boy, roughly about the age of twelve or so. You noticed him earlier at the gravesite watching the funeral with interest but too afraid to approach any closer than a few rows of graves away.