It works, Baris would have helped with dinner. Baris likely left to take care of the cleaning of the blankets. Baris is now hiding.
Tev felt that same tiny spark of lightning when Alyssa touched his hand too, and it wasn't static electricity.
Then Baris showed up. While Tev could not say he was eager to see the touch-happy halfling, he did want to reconnect with the rest of the group and that did include Baris. So he, too, was miffed when Baris didn't give him that chance. "Maybe we'll even find where he left his brain," he quipped once Baris was through the door.
Tev was dismayed to hear the news of Tuoni leaving. The paladin was near the top of the group in his own estimation, and the skill set Tuoni would have brought would be sorely missed. Now he was ending this day on a sour note, and dinner would not taste so good. While he still needed to convene with the group, he wanted to get to sleep soon. He asked Kendra if there was anything she could fix him for dinner, then sought out Janasen and Radim. "We have almost completed the research on the haunts of Harrowstone," he sought to inform them. "Now we need to get the council's approval to go there." He had a question for Kendra. "Could you perhaps arrange for them all to meet with us so we can present our case to all of them at the same time? Then we could be off as early as the day after."
Kendra thought for a second. "I could try talking to them but as far as I've heard they are chalking these things up to isolated incidents. Apparently they're even trying to pin it on Gibs, or at least his possible possession since you found him last night. He's denying everything, and I'll be honest, as much as I don't like him I don't think he could be capable of something on this magnitude. They really don't want people going to Harrowstone. I would suggest you try and complete whatever research that you've been working on so you can present a full case to them. I'll see if I can arrange a meeting, but no promises." After that she's goes about fixing Tev and anyone else who's interested a late meal.
After entering the house Alyssa suddenly didn't feel like facing the rest of the group just yet. After Baris' 'warm welcome' she didn't think she could handle similar treatment from the others. She set her notes carefully where the others would see them and then went to the kitchen to find herself something to eat. She would be back up to speak to the others if they were still around in say one hour's time.
Even though he was not possessed of the most voracious of appetites, Radim usually at least picked at a small plate of food when he arrived for dinner. Tonight, however, was different. He seemed far more shaken than normal, and his constant fidgeting was almost frantic. Any and all questions were ignored, and similar to Baris he scuttled off to barricade himself in one of the rooms.
Janasen returns Kendra's smile "a drink would most definitely be appreciated. enjoying any small chat for the rest of the evening.
After finishing her meal, Alyssa trudged her way back to where the remaining three were. She frowned when she noticed that Radim and Baris weren't present. She'd been present when Tuoni had to go, and she wasn't sure if the last parting look the Aasimar had left her hadn't held glimmer of relief to be showing her his back.
Feeling dead inside, Alyssa sat with the others and shared with Janasen what she and Tev had uncovered today in regards to the Harrowstone inmates, the strange but undeniable proof that these things were related, and also the last clue that the song gave to Marauder.
Idly nursing a glass of red wine, Alyssa said, "So Tev and I felt that we should present this all to the councilman as soon as possible, before the incidents escalate further and someone comes to real harm." she paused, "Please, tell me of your day, where you and the others able to uncover anything new, or speak to anyone from the council?"
Likely nothing is going to happen this night, but when in doubt Baris is waiting.
Turning to Alyssa "not much to tell had a bit of business at the general store, would have gone smoothly if not for the rather rude non living customers. As far as making plans for tomorrow I would like everyone to be present." leaving the room Jansen heads to Baris' perch "everyone is gathering to make plans,but we have a problem.
Are you saying that last bit to Baris in the study with his perch?
Curious as to where the others went, Tev followed Janasen as he went to collect them. Arriving at the study and hearing Janasen address a space higher than floor level, Tev deduced (quietly), "So that's where the little guy goes to hide."
"Yes, this is my perch. What is the problem?" Baris asks poking out from under his blankets over the lip of his perch. He seems to be in a dour mood.
Alyssa had of course followed with Tev behind Janasen and she watched quietly as they located and addressed Baris at his perch. She'd known halflings to be a little unusual but Baris was the first she'd seen who preferred to be so high off the ground.
"Well we can't have everyone without Baris, can we? Janasen responds with his trademark smile.
Turning to the two that followed him Janasen continues. "It seems our good friends Tev and Alyssa have decided to bring the party to you so problem solved.
"What about Radim?" Baris jumps down and most likley lands perfectly. Acrobatics Check.
After a quick glance to the others and seeing the look of agreement on Tev's face, Alyssa spoke. "We shouldn't leave him out of this. But do you think he would be very upset if we tried to wake him?"
Turning to Alyssa "leaving him out would be wrong, but I don't think a group retrieval would be the best idea. Gesturing for everyone to sit and wait Janasen continues. " I will go fetch him I am willing to bet that he is still awake.
"All right, we'll wait for him here," Tev agreed as he sat back down at the table. He took the time to collect his notes so he could present them when they all came together.
Meanwhile, now was a chance to ask Baris, "So, what happened to you last night? You still look a little shaken by it, or something."
"Well, I really don't know, some strange voices. The voices started once the Professor died. He should have taken me with him, but I was at my Master's. For a while the voices were just whispers. But for the last few days they have fully formed into words. I know what they are saying though I don't recognize the language, but I understand them, does that make sense? It was a bit much last night and I just didn't know what to do, nothing to fight so I ran." Baris is unsure about saying his words and looks even smaller than he normally does, likely because of his clenched body and dropping shoulders. He seems very uneasy.
Alyssa surreptitiously raised an eyebrow "Voices?" she whispered, as she sat back at the table with the rest of them. She stared at Baris like a scientist would stare at a specimen, while she discreetly tried to detect magic on him. If he was being somehow influenced by the spectre of the Splatterman as Gibs had been, they could not risk their comrade turning on them.
You see only a magical aura around his wrists.
"Yes voices, shall I demonstrate?" He says with some sass, then drops the attitude and is just playful with his words. "They are very quiet now, my training allows me to block them out for the most part."
At first Tev was put off by Baris being so sassy about it, but then he told himself it was probably the halfling's coping mechanism. Still, they needed to know more. It was still possible that he was being affected by the local haunts in more subtle ways than could be detected by a Detect Magic spell. "If you can understand the voices, what are they saying?" he asked, trying to keep his voice neutral.
[b]"Awful things. They curse me and this area, and all around me. They also demean me and work on my points of weakness. I don't know where I hail from, but they say they know. That I am a murderer and one who has broken his oath, and commited many other crimes. I don't know if they are true or not, though I hope not. Nonetheless I am not that person anymore!"[b] Baris starts off wayward, though ends with strength in his voice and puts a fist into the air. He smiles at the two of you, looking for a response of some sort.
As usual, Tev found the halfling's words to be convoluted. As Baris described the voices in his head, Tev's face scrunched up a bit as his eyes narrowed their focus on Baris's face, trying to figure out what it was supposed to mean. The resulting expression on his face was probably on the rude side. It reverted to the normal, thoughtful mask as Tev suggested a possible explanation. "Maybe the haunts of Harrowstone are trying to get you to identify with one of their own. They could do a lot of damage through you if they got a hold of you the way they did Gibs."
Alyssa's face remained completely blank as she listened to Baris recount what he had been "hearing". But behind those eyes her mind was working to try and piece what he was saying with anything else she had ever heard about hauntings, the influence of magical auras, possessions, and the like. She even ran through what little knowledge she had about halflings and their sensitivity to magic and came up empty. If he'd been a gnome this might have made more sense, but the only thread of possibility she could find would be because of the extensive time Baris had spent with Lorrimor during his life. Perhaps Baris had been inadvertently exposed to something during the professor's studies that even the halfling wasn't aware of.
She was tempted to pry into his past, to ask if he was indeed a murderer and oath breaker, but felt that that would be rude and irrelevant.
"Whether the voices are speaking the truth or not isn't what's important." she stated calmly, "I concur with Tev, that if these ghosts are doing all they can to target the minds of those here in Ravengro, even those among our party, then the situation could grow very dire."
It occurred to Tev that speculating about Baris like he was a third party probably wasn't helping. He quickly added, "We didn't want to ask before, in front of the sheriff. Thanks for sharing with us. We don't want to see anything bad happen to you, and that's one reason why we wanted to get the group together to plan our next move, because it's imperative that we get the council to approve our expedition to Harrowstone as soon as possible. Tomorrow, if we can."
Yes I see the logic in what you say Tev, though I have lived here for several years and nothing has happened until now.
Baris nods in agreement with Tev's second statement.
"Right, because the Whispering Way only just started stirring up these haunts recently. You weren't around at the time, but if you'd been here for some years before and they knew of you, whoever 'they' are, they may still have wanted to target you." Tev shrugged as if dismissive of his own hypothesis. "It's all speculation, but that's why we need to find out sooner rather than later. We should be willing to do whatever it takes to win over the Council."
Baris agrees with you and nods his head, "Yup, we do need to get to the bottom of things, and they should want someone to do it, since obviously they don't want to deal with it. Oh... it will just go away. HA!"
"Well I will go see what is taking them so long." Baris says then bounds out of the room. Searching for the room with Radim in it.
Janasen enters the Library with a knock."Are you in here Radim?"
At first Janasen was answered by nothing more than silence. Then, just when one would think that there would be no response, the door cracked open an inch, with Radim peering through the crack with wide eyes. "What?"
"Hate to pry you away from your books, but we are just about to go over the info we have just gained and our next step." holding up the scroll "Also a little something you might find useful." after a moments pause Janasen turns to leave.
"....Oh." Slowly, the door opened further, and Radim peered out into the hall, glancing both ways suspiciously before stepping out himself. "Right. Yes," he mumbled distractedly. "Should be... Right. Things. Info." he peered suspiciously at Janasen. "Nothing else unusual? Aside from what's been seen."
"not that I know of. We should get back to the others maybe they may know more."
At that, Radim heaved a huge sigh, his stance relaxing somewhat. He scowled at the mention of going beck to the others, but nodded in assent after a moment.
About halfway Janasen hands Radim the scroll he was carrying.
Then Baris shows up, well he gets to the end of the hallway spots them and hides! He waits for them to pass him by then walks in Radim's shadow, literally. :)
Stealth check.
It was a relief to see the others arriving back in the room. Tev also noted Radim seemed to have a scroll that Tev didn't remember seeing before. "Thanks for coming," he said to Radim. "I know it's been a long day, and we all want to get some rest before the next one, so I'd as soon keep it brief."
If permitted to, Tev would explain as concisely as possible that they had completed their research on all but one of the inmates, how the events in town were related to each one, how that song tied into it, and how the executors needed to hurry up with getting the Council to approve their expedition to Harrowstone, in addition to finishing their research on the last inmate. "The Whispering Way has to know we're on the case now," he added. "I believe we can expect them to target us directly if we don't act first. Ravengro won't be safe much longer."