Maria nods, fully in favor of erasing them. She scratches at them with her boot.
Which entrance now?
"Yeah, what Gadren said. They are inert, so why bother, I guess. Wonder who this guy was, though..."
"Lets go for the western one on the back here if that's not a problem. There's a vermin problem and several necromancers possibly in there so we shouldn't over extend ourselves. If we have to make a tactical withdrawl then we should accept that."
Maria waits a moment to see if anyone else wants to take point. If not, she looks around and listens at the door before attempting to open it.
You know from the research you have performed that Lyvar Hawkran was Warden of Harrowstone at the time of the fire.
Maria hears nothing when she listens at the door, it is so old and decayed it falls apart in her hand as she tries opening it.
S12. Laundry
Several rusty iron tubs sit in this room, along with washboards,
metal buckets, and heaps of moldy clothing.
Gadren, Lazar, Phaedra & Cedric all notice the secret door to the southwest.
What are you doing now?
While they are moving in. "Wait Lyvar Hawkran was the name of the warden... I guess I'm getting forgetful in my old age."
----------------
Gadren cast's light on his crossbow, expecting the lighting to get worse as they progress inside. "Hmm now that is odd. So long and there's still plenty of clothing left. I'd say this place is definitely haunted. There's a secret door here." He points it out on the wall. "Let's investigate here first."
Gadren checks the secret door for traps and if he finds none moves to promptly open it.
"That's kind of odd, I would sooner suspect some necromancers to try summoning up some of the worst of the prisoners killed in the fire. Why would anyone try to summon up the former Warden?"
--------------------------------------------------------------
"Yet another odd thing. A secret door in a prison?"
Phaedra stands back as Garden tries to open the door. "Is it locked?"
Maria stands next to Gadren.
Stranger and stranger... she mutters. Perhaps we should use that strange questioning device soon. She points at Cedric.
Lazar notices the secret door just as Gadren is telling about it. He also checks for anything dangerous, after having asked for a bit of extra divine help.
"I could open the door with this", Mishtes says, indicating the bardiche he's holding at the ready...
The door is untrapped and is opened with some effort due to the effects of time.
S11. Workshop
Tangled mounds of moth-eaten fabric sit on several wooden tables, each surrounded by workbenches. Various sewing tools—shears, needles, rolls of thread, boxes of chalk, and other objects lie scattered over the floor, while the arm of what appears to be a skeleton protrudes from a stained heap of fabric to the west.
When you enter this room, a ghostly woman manifests immediately before you, rising from the mound of moldering fabric that serves as her tomb. She appears as a beautiful young woman dressed in a tattered but lovely blue dress. In fact, much about the ghost is blue, including her hair, the tears that run from her pale blue eyes, and the clouds of smoke that drift from her lips when she speaks.
"At last!" She says with some happiness. "At last new guards have come to end this unrest!"
What are you doing now?
Gadren gets a sad look on his face "Are you the wife of Warden Hawkran? Can you tell us of any changes in the unrest?"
Maria glares at the ghost uneasily but doesn't say anything. If these strangers can sort this out, good. Otherwise, that thing needs to be dealt with.
Cedric merely blanches for a moment. This is the first actual ghost he has seen, and is more than a little worried. He has dealt with haunts, but never a full ghost.
Ah, my lady, what is it that... bothers you so?
"We will surely end the unrest in this prison my lady, but first, we would appreciate if you could provide us with any information that would aide us in doing so. We would also like to ask if you know anything of an older man investigating the ills of this place and falling afoul of the evil in here."
"Interesting." is all Mishtes can think to say upon seeing the ghost. He seems oddly non-pulsed by the sight of a ghost.
"Does she even know she's dead?" he asks himself.
Lazar decides to stay quite and let the others do the talking, since he believes too many people talking at the same time could bog down the flow of the dialogue. He stands ready, though, in case something goes wrong.
The Ghostly woman blinks in some surprise at the barrage of questions. "Indeed, I am Vesorianna Hawkran. Since you seem to be here to finally deal with the terrible undead, that even now seek to free themselves from their bindings I must place my hopes in you."
Holding herself with dignity she recounts what she knows.
Already the home of dozens of notorious criminals, the mid-year prisoner convoy of 4661 brought a particularly horrendous batch of criminals all at once.
Among them were five particularly notorious convicts: the Lopper, the Piper of Illmarsh, Father Charlatan, the Mosswater Marauder, and even the infamous Splatter Man.
Not even Harrowstone was adequately equipped to handle these criminals, and as their execution dates drew near, the Lopper and the Splatter Man, working together, picked their moment and staged a desperate attempt to seize control of the prison and, perhaps, escape.
Yet while they managed to turn the tables on Harrowstone’s guards and, for a few minutes, held control of the prison, they did not anticipate an act of self-sacrifice by Harrowstone’s head warden, Lyvar Hawkran.
Only a few minutes after the prisoners seized control of Harrowstone’s lower level, Warden Hawkran triggered an emergency deadfall that sealed the dungeon and trapped everyone (including himself and most of the
prison guards) within the prison’s dungeon, leaving the only way out a supply lift that couldn’t be activated from the dungeon level.
It was via this lift that the Warden and other trapped guards initially thought to escape, but before they could make it to safety, they were overpowered by the rioting prisoners and taken hostage.
The prisoners attempted to use their hostages to force the few guards who remained on the floor above to lower the lift, but the guards were
too well trained.
Even with their warden and most of their friends trapped below, they continually refused to lower the lift—further, they set guards around the lift’s shaft above so that any prisoner who attempted the nearly
impossible climb would have to contend with crossbow bolts raining down from above.
Eager to avoid sparking a panic in Ravengro, the guards holed up and did a masterful job keeping the truth of the riot contained while they desperately tried to work out a plan.
Yet several hours later, after Lyvar failed to return home for his customary dinner, the warden’s wife Vesorianna crossed the prison grounds from her home to the central prison.
In their panic, the guards had left the main entrance to the prison unlocked, so Vesorianna was able to enter the prison with ease, only to find it strangely empty.
Following the sound of shouting, she came to the training room where the remaining guards were gathered near the lift shaft to the dungeon.
When Vesorianna learned from the increasingly frantic guards that her husband was trapped with the madmen below, she pleaded with the guards on the ground level to remove the deadfall and stage a rescue.
When they repeatedly refused, she went into hysterics.
She managed to dodge the guards, run to the lift’s winch, and throw the release, causing the heavy wooden platform to plummet into the dungeon
below in the hope that her husband could leap onto it and be pulled to safety.
In actuality, the lift crushed several guards and a few prisoners who had been standing directly below it—the horrified Vesorianna was convinced her husband was among them.
Taking advantage of her shock, several guards managed to finally apprehend her and swiftly bustled her off to the prison workshop at the other end of Harrowstone, locking her inside for her own safety.
The remaining guards worked frantically to keep the prisoners from escaping—with the lift below swiftly filling with eager prisoners, they couldn’t simply pull it back up.
And as other prisoners began climbing the chains that connected the fallen lift to the upper level, the guards grew desperate.
Knowing that they were about to be outnumbered by lunatics, they made a fateful decision—they began rolling barrels of lamp oil from the nearby
storeroom into the hole, hoping to dislodge prisoners from the lift and dissuade them from climbing.
But when one of Harrowstone’s most notorious prisoners, the spellcasting
murderer known as the Splatter Man, stepped into view and began using his magic against the guards, desperation gave way to blind panic and one of the guards threw a lit torch into the oil-soaked depths, figuring that if the lift were burned, order would be restored.
Unfortunately, the resulting conflagration was much bigger than anyone could have expected.
The huge oil slick below caught fire and spread throughout the lower
cellblock.
The ensuing flames incinerated both the screaming prisoners and surviving guards below, while thick plumes of smoke swiftly worked to suffocate those above.
The remaining guards on the ground level fled, only realizing much later to their horror that no one had bothered to release Vesorianna Hawkran from the workshop.
The town of Ravengro mobilized to extinguish the fire before it spread, but the damage had been done.
One of Ustalav’s most notorious prisons was no more.
Vesorianna looks somewhat embarrassed by her recounting of her actions during that dreadful time.
:
She explains that until recently, the spirit of her husband, trapped so near yet so far in the dungeons below, had contained the ghosts.
Yet unsettling visitors—“men and women in dark robes who spoke only in whispers” came to Harrowstone not long ago and began to work strange magic around the building’s foundations.
Unable to leave this room, she was nonetheless able to observe through the walls to the northwest as these strange people inscribed runes along the ground.
She also witnessed the sad end of Professor Lorrimor, slain by foul magic wielded by the leader of the black-robed villains.
A thin, gray-skinned human who wore a bone breastplate and carried a black staff capped with a skull gagged by a black cloth—but knows nothing more about him.
She tells you of how the cultists bashed in the dead man’s head and face with a fragment of gargoyle from a roof above in an attempt, she surmises, to make the man’s death seem more like an accident.
Later that night, after they murdered the man, the black-robed cultists finished their ritual.
Whatever they did, they did so out of sight of Vesorianna’s view through the walls, but she felt the repercussions immediately.
It felt like a horrific storm, yet one with no wind that chilled the flesh.
This windstorm chilled the soul—it felt to her as if her very being was being pulled apart. Yet the horrific sensation passed in an instant...
and when it had, the presence of her husband’s spirit was gone.
She can only assume that the black-robed cultists somehow managed to abduct her husband’s spirit, for since that hateful day she’s felt no sign of either her husband or the black-robed cultists.
What she does know is that every day since that event, the spirits of the murderers and sadists trapped within the walls of Harrowstone
have grown more and more powerful.
She knows now that her husband’s presence kept the other haunts in line, and that with his ghost gone, they would have escaped to wreak
unimaginable havoc, had she not stepped in to do the job her husband, until recently, had done so well.
While she doesn’t know much about the exact nature of the prisoners, their ghosts, or the dangers to be found elsewhere in Harrowstone, she can feel among the hateful dead five distinct and powerful personalities.
She suspects that these correspond to the five most dangerous
criminals who were imprisoned in Harrowstone at the time of the fire.
She also knows that if you can confront and defeat the unquiet spirits of the five key prisoners (be they haunt or undead), she’ll be able to contain them and keep them from manifesting again.
If you can defeat all five of the prisoners, and if they can bring to
her a symbol of her husband’s office over the prison (his badge of office would work best—Vesorianna suspects it’s hidden somewhere in the dungeons below, along with his mortal remains), she will be able to banish the haunts from Harrowstone entirely.
Doing so will release her from this world as well, and will effectively end the haunting of Harrowstone for good.
If you ask for further aid, she apologizes and explains she cannot leave this room.
She can, on the other hand, tell you that if they find objects of value
that once belonged to the five spirits, they can use those objects against the five souls.
She suggests checking the prison’s property room to the southeast, but warns you before they go that while these objects will aid in defeating the deathless inmates, they are likely also cursed by the unholy link to the long-dead criminals, and that care should be taken when using the objects.
Finally, Vesorianna explains to you that the Splatter Man, is slowly eating away at her resolve. If you explain how her name is slowly being spelled out in blood, she nods grimly, knowing instinctively
that once her name is spelled out completely, the Splatter Man will
destroy her.
What are you doing now?
Lazar is deeply touched by the spirit's narration.
"No one deserves such a fate as yours - death should be an eternal rest, not an eternal suffering. I will do my best to put them to oblivion and help you pass through."
He waits for the others' responses and, meanwhile, starts having a careful look at the place southeast pointed out by Vesorianna.
"Obviously we must head straight to the prison’s property room to the southeast and find what we can. We likely need the aid of those objects in defeating the ghosts. We cannot allow them the chance to be freed of their prison and have the freedom to haunt and torment the folks of the town. Once they are dealt with, we can discuss what to do about the whispering ones who killed Professor Lorrimar."
"That sounds good to me."
Maria nods at the idea of dealing with undead. She can't wait to do exactly that.
Let us go now.
"One last question Ma'am. Do you know if any of the whispering people are in the prison right now or know the frequency of their visits here?"
"Thank you Lady, we wont dally here. As Lazar said we'll follow your advice. I hope soon to help you find your final rest." He bows his head.
Once they are on their way "Now we know that the five figures are beginning to manifest more we should be mindful an alert... the Lopper ended up here not without some skill."
From her instructions you now know that S16 is the room you must search. How are you getting there?
"Let me check first."
Moving cautiously and checking for danger Lazar leads the party through the moldy, filthy halls, while all the woodwork you can see is rotting the stonework remains sound.
You are at the door to S12. What now?
Gadren draws upon his magical abilities to cast a defensive spell. He then checks the door for signs of traps or haunts and if he finds none moves to open the door.
You are at the door to S12. What now?
Mishtes will go in front of Gadren, going by his instructions.
Bardiche at the ready...
He'll then prod or pry the door to S2 open with the business end of his bardiche and enter cautiously.
Cedric follows behind the others, thinking over what the implications of all this could be. He stops a little ways behind the others to check a door as he walks by. His natural curiosity getting the better of him.
He tries to crack the door open slightly, just enough to peek his head in and look around.
You can't help feeling the unease of this place effecting you as you move through the silent, musty halls. It's too quiet, and too cold, even for a stone building. It almost feels as if the building were holding its breath and waiting on you.
S16. Property Room
The metal door to this room remains quite sound (hardness 10, hp 60, Break DC 28)—in addition, it is locked.
The lock can be picked with a DC 30 Disable Device check.
Have at it folks.
Cedric doesn't have to crack the door open at S8. It's so old and rotten it's fallen from it's hinges, he can't see anything in the room, it seems to have been a chapel at one stage, but the many webs covering the room cloak it's contents.
Maria grumbles at the solid locked door.
Not gonna be easy to get through that. Would take a long time and a lot of noise for me. Anyone want a shot at that lock?
Gadren shakes his head. "Not within my skill set but hopefully someone can."
"Let me check..." Lazar produces some tools and carefully applies them to the lock, using his touch and hearing to find the proper 'click'. "Help me, Lady, for the ones in need of eternal rest" he whispers, trying to attract Pharasma's blessing upon him.
Maria nods appreciatively at Lazar's skill but that's as much acknowledgment as she provides. She stands ready to look through the door when he opens it.
S16. Property Room
A bizarre collection of antique goods rests upon wooden shelves that line the room.
Several of the items contain tiny tags with labels written in a careful script.
Lazar & Cedric immediately spot the secret door on the east wall.
What are you doing now?
Gadren casts detect magic to see if any of the objects in the area register under it. If not he looks about the labelled items trying to find something relevant to the star prisoners or at the least useful.
Although much of the remaining property is junk, a few items remain that may be of interest, including:
A set of masterwork thieves’ tools,
A bronze war medallion from the Shining Crusade (worth 40 gp),
An unframed Taldan painting of Stavian I (worth 100 gp),
A set of a noblewoman’s silver hair clips (worth 35 gp),
A masterwork punching dagger,
A pouch containing a dozen masterwork shurikens,
A masterwork silver war razor,
A wand of lesser restoration (12 charges).
"Hey, look! There's something here!"
Lazar inspects the place where the door is carefully, using his hands as well as his eyes and searching for a way to open it as well as any potential danger.
Maria grunts at the supplies found. These seem useful. Any ideas what belonged to which prisoner? She sees Lazar's work on the secret door. She stands near him, greatsword out, in case anything should happen. She mutters under her breath Damn secrets and tricks...
Phaedra will assist in reading through all the labels on the items, looking carefully for the names of the 5 aforementioned prisoners.
Looking through the items found, Misthes says "This is all well made gear.
"None of it really takes my fancy, though..."
Later, when Lazar and Phaedra are working on the secret door, Mishtes stands behind them.
His bardiche is at the ready should anything go amiss.
S17. Hidden Vault
This small vault was used to store the more valuable or notorious belongings of the various prisoners.
Currently,the vault contains only five objects, each one of which
once belonged to one of the five prisoners whose spirits are now the primary denizens of Harrowstone.
All five of the items stored here are tagged with information as to their former owners.
Bloodstained Handaxe: This +1 handaxe was the Lopper’s favorite murder weapon.
Collection of Holy Symbols: There are a dozen holy symbols on fine silver chains. The silver chains that attach the holy symbols cannot be untangled. Used by Father Charlatan.
Moldy Spellbook: The covers and pages of this thick, leather-bound spellbook have become caked with mold over the years, but some of the contents remain legible.
This book once belonged to Professor Hean Feramin, the man who would eventually achieve fame not through academia but through murder.
Known in his final days as the Splatter Man.
Smith’s Hammer: This masterwork smith’s hammer belonged to the Mosswater Marauder.
Tarnished Silver Flute: This 300gp masterwork flute was once owned by the man known only as the Piper of Illmarsh.
"These things look so ... ordinary. How do we use them against their ghost owners?"
Cedric looks through the assorted items, picking up the wand of lesser restoration before stowing it away on his belt loop.
I can easily use this wand, I hope I don't need to do so, however, having it ready could prove invaluable. This place only seems to darken the more we look into it. I wonder if the local Father of the church would aid us? Though he seems frail, despite the hard face he puts on..
As cedric ponders he turns to the others with a smile.
Though, Don't worry friends, Even the darkest of places can be lit by even the smallest of candle lights.
When the items are are found, Cedric warns the others.
Care friends, they may seem plain old items, but they had strong connections to the wicked in life, and so too may they be connected to them still in death. That said, items that hold connections to the spirits of the dead may provide power against them.
"We could try the Spirit Planchette... but it's not without risk. No doubt the spirits in this area are going to be hostile, at least in the majority of cases."