After grabbing the ladder to bring it back, The group heads back to town with a spring in their step.
At Kendra's house they knock on the door then go in.
We did it! The Prison is clear of ghosts!
Grergof announces as they walk in.
"Yay! Let's party!" Jominda exclaims.
"That's good to hear. How did you check that nothing is left?" Kendra asks sceptically - for you know, better safe than sorry.
Spugnoir settles into a chair for some tea. The spirit of the wife of the late warden was in Harrowstone and pointed the way to clearing it, we defeated the major spirits of old murderers such as The Splatterman and thus the lesser haunts faded. You might want to look into sealing it as best as possible so bandits or other creatures use it as a lair. As for now, well this is a question.
"You should tell that to the council. It's their job to take care of the town. Or hire someone to do so. I guess you're going to talk to them anyway." Kendra suggests.
"I would suggest to make some tea and fight this ghost threat in this cookie bowl." Jominda says as she puts a kettle full of water on the stove while ogling the cookies.
Stam will go out back and check in on Ned, "Well my friend, I helped these people out. I think it is about time we moved on to our next goal and adventure?"
Stam will then head in the house, and sit down with the rest of the group, taking some tea and sipping it quietly. After listening to the others talk he will join in.
"I think tomorrow I will head out, Ned and I have another place to visit and I would like to get that underway."
"Oh, where are you going to?" Jominda asks out of curiosity.
Indeed. Spugnoir replies to Kendra. After a quick rest we will head out to Grimsburrow to inform him.
Darius with a mouth full of cookies looks up at Stam and says "Whabrlgh ahrrha roo goin?"
He swallows quickly and has a sip of tea to help clear his throat.
"Where are you going Stam? Why not stay a few days unless something urgent draws you away? As I mentioned earlier I still suspect there's a mystery to be solved and your help is welcome."
"I am heading to Lepidstadt, to study at the university"
Stam then turns to Darius, "I can stay, I am really in not major rush just didn't want to impose myself."
"Lepidstadt University?" Jominda repeats with wide eyes. "Only the smartest people can study there. And it is expensive!" she adds really impressed that Stam would be able to do so.
Kendra rolls her eyes.
Stam catches the eye roll, smirks a bit.
"I know that it is quite the place, I have heard rumors about it. I plan to see what they offer and go from there. Have either of you ladies been there?"
"My father taught at the University. And I have been with him a few times. Which sums up to almost a year of study." Miss Kendra reveals.
"Mostly you have to be able to afford to not work. And you pay a fee. But Miss Fallenbridge here would have both, the Intelligence and the money to study there for some time." she tells with a scolding gaze at Jominda.
Do they teach Alchemy at the university? Honestly I know next to nothing about it. I assume they have a great library, can anyone go into it?
"I could. Because my father arranged for it. But I don't know what it takes for you to use it. Sorry." Kendra replies. "But of course they have lectures about alchemy. But I don't remember the Professor's name as it has never been one of my interests."
"I guess I could do some things on the side to earn the cash, I can always write home to have my mother send some as well. Who was your father?"
"Professor Petros Lorrimor. But I don't think you know him when you're not from Ustalav. He did a lot field research about undead and those who want to spread it." Kendra answers.
"Would you please pour me a cup of tea too please?" she asks Jominda.
Spugnoir finishes his tea and then goes clean up when they go give Grimburrow and the sheriff the good news.
"Of course." Jominda replies and takes a cup out of the cupboard. She pours a tea and brings the cup to Kendra. "Here you are."
"Thank you." Kendra replies and drowns one of the dangerous ghost cookies in tea.
It knocks at the door. As Kendra answers she finds Father Grimburrow. "A good day to you Kendra. I'm searching for my dearest patient. Is Jominda by chance here at your place?"
"A good day to you too. Indeed she is here. Please join us for a cup of tea." Kendra invites him in.
"Hello Father Grimburrow." Jominda greets him as he comes in. "I'm fine. I'm helping fighting ghosts here." she jokes biting the head off a ghost cookie.
"Good day to you all. This seems to be a merry gathering. What's the occasion? Did I forget someone's birthday?" Father Grimburrow asks.
Stam will await the father to stop talking, "Your friends here have stopped the haunting at the Harrow Stone. The place has been cleared out and the splattermans ghost defeated."-
"You mean everything cleared. That would indeed be good news." Father Grimburrow replies sceptically after all that happened the last days.
"Indeed Father. It was no easy task mind you. In the end it did take several attempts before we finally ended the spirits existence in your town."
Darius dips another ghost cookie into his tea and takes a bite. When he can talk again he adds "But still we have yet to find out who actually summoned and trapped the ghosts within Harrowstone. That is still a mystery. I'm in the process of trying to convince our new friend Stam to stay and help us solve it actuall. Unfortunately we don't even have a suspect."
Indeed, the spirit of the Warden's wife assisted us with knowledge to defeat the old killers who were imprisoned there and passed on when we finished. IT would probably be best to seal the building as best as possible with new doors and locks.
Except there is an entire wall missing that fell into the lake. So new doors are not going to help. It might be better if the building was collapsed.
As for who caused this. Assuming it does not leave this room, we could discuss the clues we have. You all helped in some fashion to clear out the prision, so it is only fair that we all know.
Grergof counts off on his fingers as he says the following.
One: we know from the warden's wife that all the major haunting in the Harrowstone and here started when the warden's spirit was taken from the prison. We can guess that was the goal of the magical writings we found as they called out the warden's name over and over.
Two: From the warden's wife we also know that the ones who conducted this ritual spoke only in whispers and were lead by one who wears bone armor.
Three: we know that before the professors death he was concerned that the Whispering Way was interested in the Harrowstone.
Four: I was told earlier that the Whispering way can be identified by the fact that they speak only in whispers. That sounds a lot like what the spirit told us about.
Grergof gets up and starts pacing next to the table and unconsciously adopts a tone of a teacher lecturing to his students:
Five: we know the Professor headed out to the Harrowstone himself and died there from a statue falling on him. This happened just a couple of days before the town started seeing signs of the Splatterman being lose in the Prision, so most likely it was near the time of the ritual.
Six: From examination of the statue we can tell that the statue was pushed and did not fall naturally.
By logical deduction that means: This man in bone armor from the Whispering Way caused all these problem at the Harrowstone...
He stops pacing and looks at the group with wide eyes:
Could it be that the Professor stumbled on these men while at the Harrowstone and that they killed him for it?
Stam head follows Grergof as he paces around the room, listening intently at his hypothesis and his facts.
"Not knowing the Professor like you do Grergof and just listening to your statements I would tend to agree that whatever happened to the Professor was done on purpose and not an accident."
Stam closes his eyes as he is thinking about what he knows about the Whispering Way, he then opens his eyes and looks around the room.
"If what you say is true about the Whispering Way being so involved then count me in on following up on the search for them. They have great knowledge but it should not be used as they want to use it."
Indeed, we just need to know where to look next.
Well did anyone see a starting group of travelers come through town in the last two weeks? Present company excluded of course. If so I wonder if we know which direction they went.
Stam looks confused at Grergof, "I don't think the Whispering Way would announce themselves in such a way, it could have even just been one agent. I get the feeling the town actively avoids the Harrowstone? Is that right Father?"
"Yes of course. Why would someone go out of their way just to get to a cursed prison?" Father Grimburrow replies. "Only you and the Professor went there. And we all know what good it did him." he tells making a spiral over his heart.
"Indeed. Finding out the WHY is just as important as the WHO. I think that's the question we've been missing trying to answer."
Didn't his letter remark about them? From his will that is.
"It mentioned the Whispering Way. But as to the WHY it contained only questions I think. But I could get the letter for you to read it again, shall I?" Kendra replies.
Please.
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Kendra gets up and retrieves the letter from the neighbouring room. "Here you are." She hands it to Spugnoir.
“I, Petros Lorrimor, being of sound mind, do hereby commit to this
parchment my last will and testament. Let it be known 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 until 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 4711AR.”
Stam looks around after the reading of the will, stunned at the generosity of this man and the task he has laid out before those gathered here.
"I wish I had been as lucky as the rest of you to have meet Professor Lorimoor. Being that I didn't, how long have you 3 been here in town? I can Delay my journey to Lepidstadt to assist you with taking these tomes back there if you wish."
Stam then takes another sip of his tea, "Can I see the tomes that are collected here? I know that you do not know me as well as the other Mrs. Lorrimor and I would not be upset if you said no."
"That last will I kept as a memory of my father. As it is the last piece he wrote. But the books are not my burden and so it's not my decision to make." Kendra replies.
"Thank you Stam. I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say that your assistance in delivering these tomes would be most appreciated."