Arval looks at the dwarf. "What? I couldn't grasp a thing you said, well not with your mouth full of pancakes. But anyway nice to meet you" He offers his had to the dwarf.
Next he turns to Vladlena. "That's a lot of talk so early in the morning." Said Arval with a laugh. "Pleased to meet you." And stifles a tiny bow.
"On the topic on what to do, I'm fine with a little adventure or an investigation but reading won't do. I can't read a single word." Arval grabs another pancake off of Norna's plate. While halfway done with the pancake he asks. "You don't mind do you?"
"Ah, Kendra made most of these. Though I gave her instructions while she was baking the last few of thm. I can assure you those are the best."
Eldon waves his hand dismissively. "No, I'm rather content just talking. I've had enough pancakes for today. I feel like I've been eating pancakes for over a month, hah!"
"I suggest we do our research in the library, and go out to visit The Unfurling Scroll. In any order, I don't mind." Eldon pats Arval on his back, which costs the small halfling considerable effort to reach. "You can't read? That's horrible! 'Cause today seems to be filled with reading. You look more like the action type of person though, all muscled and strong. Geez, look at those muscles. I must say, you're nearly as muscled as I am! Shall I teach you how to read while we're in the library? I must say, I'm a most excelent teacher of... well, everything really."
"So what shall we do? I suggest we start in the library, and visit The Unfurling Scrolls in the afternoon?" Eldon takes a few steps toward the library, then waits to see if anyone will join him.
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yes ask him, he will tell you how good he is lena says, looking at Eldon. I want to spend this morning checking out the shops, finishing with the unfurling scroll. Then this afternoon, study.
Lena springs up ready to go. Then, thinking of something she says. Oh Norna. WHISPERING WAY! You don't have to whisper it. Desna bless you.
She then walks out the door, giggling.
Lena springs up and heads out the door with the rest of the group following in tow. They make their way up from Lorrimor Place towards the Town Square. As opposed to the rather drab, dusty affair of yesterday the Town Square is now a bustling farmer's market with the gazebo taken up by a small band playing somewhat creepy local music. Stalls surround you, largely selling fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as some charcuterie, cheeses, and breads.
The news of your heroism defeating the stirges seems to have helped. Although some people scatter as you approach, you see a few others call out thanks and only a handful are staring at you with open hostility.
Long rumored to be a necromancer, but considered by town council to be a citizen of highest esteem, Professor Petros Lorrimor was found dead this past week. He is survived by his daughter Kendra. A lovely funeral was held this past Toilday. Several strangers from out of town have arrived to look after Kendra and we are certain they will get a big Ravengro welcome!
Poor Jominda Fallenbridge's cat Fefe was found dead by the Harrowstone Memorial, its blood used to write a giant 'V'. It is important to be vigilant for naerdowells, troublemakers, and vandals. Please report any unusual activity to Sheriff Caedwell.
Further writing has been appended to the bottom.
SUM BASTERD ROTE ON THE MEMOREAL AGAIN! GO LOOK!
Delicious cookies and treats await you at the Temple of Pharasma this coming Oathday. Bring a big appetite and a bigger purse! Father Grimburrow is rumored to be preparing his famous dry oatcakes.
When they say they breed them big out here, they weren't making a joke! Giant mosquitos were sited in town and are now responsible for the death of a pig. The visitors at the Lorrimor Place were instrumental in fighting them back and the Town Council would like to congratulate them for their heroism.-Councilman Gharen Muricar
All of you now stand at the front of a bustling farmer's market. There are stores surrounding the town centre, some of which you have already visited. The Ravengro Forge, Jominda's Apothecary, The Silk Purse (who appear to be moneylenders), and the Ravengro General Store are all open for business. The Unfurling Scroll is further down the road to the north.
What do you do?
Arval starts talking to no one in particular."Beh, sounds like reading and a lot of it at that!"
He looks over the group and addresses all of the now. "I'm sorry, anything else that could be done in the meanwhile? The thought of learning to read isn't very pleasing."
He grabs his waterskin and takes a sip whilst waiting on the rest.
Burlee being the ever tactful socialite, hands the offered hand a soppy, soggy sausage that was repeatedly dipped in syrup. He closed the outstretched fingers around them, and nodded solemnly.
Wandering around town once more with the group made him feel like the giant mosquito demons were going to descend unto them from the black night sky as they returned. He wasn't afraid, mind you, but he was unnerved because they were bugs. The group stared at the odd, poignant runes that conveyed words, while he kinda stepped back with the tall armory thing he placed a sausage onto. He let the little ones make the decisions, obviously hinting that they were to go to a place with scrolls.
He decides to follow suit with the tall armory one and take out his flask, taking a long gulp. "Yep" He stated plainly, staring into the people.
"We should visit the Temple of Pharasma on Oathday. I'm curious to know how Father Grimburrow bakes his dry oatcakes. Perhaps I could advise him before the day comes." While the party walks to their destination Eldon continous to talk about several recipes. All of which are, according to him, the best you could use.
"You sure you don't want to learn how to read?" Eldon asks Arval after some time has passed, "It's easy once you get it, and it would enable you to take notes on my epic... I mean, our epic adventure here in Ravengro."
The group make their way past the farmer's market and further up a winding dirt road until they see a nice house with a carved wooden sign proudly stating that it is the Unfurling Scroll.
You step through to see a large room littered with desks. Against the walls are a variety of books, scrolls, and curios. A burly-looking woman with an enormous earthbreaker hammer over her shoulder stands near the entrance looking bored out of her mind. In front of her several children sit at tables, listening to an acerbic-looking old man drone on about spelling.
"All right you little troglodytes. Wrap your peasant minds around this. Obsequious! O-B-S-E-Q...." he looks up at the party step into the shop.
"Adventurers! Oh my, welcome to my magic shop! Bruna, can you make the children go... somewhere else while I deal with our... ah, guests?"
As his guard starts gathering up the relatively mute children, the old man pulls a few scrolls from the bookshelf and toddles over.
"My name is Alendru. I of course have heard of you, and I am certain you need to be well-armed with scrolls and magic if you are to do whatever horrid things you do. How can I help you?"
He looks down at Vladlena, his beak-like face twisting into a smirk. "Benefit of a monopoly. Consider the abuse a kind of local charm. Now, what do you want?"
"Burlee, it was Burlee right? You look like you can't read a word either. What if we let these guys handle the books and go off to investigate the cat's murder and the memorial desecration?"
He looks at the whole groups again.
"That is if the rest of you agree to us not bothering you whilst you're busy with letters"
He said with a smirk on his face.
Eldon waves at Arval. "I surely don't mind. It will enable us to gather more information today."
"Good morning, Alendru," Eldon says as he turns to the shopkeeper, "My name's Eldon Appleton. I'm a storyteller of epic adventures. My epic adventures, of course."
"We have come here to find information on several topics. These topics are The Whispering Way, Harrowstone, and the five prisoners that died in the big fire many years ago. Do you have information on these topics, and could you please share it with us?"
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"Psst!" Norna whispers to Lena, "Now is probably a bad time to mention that we were just 'window shopping'."
"Indeed, that is what we are looking for, but to prevent horrid things from happening to Ravengro, rather than to do them. Respecting, of course, that you are in business, if you could help us now, I am sure that we will be good, paying customers in the future."
He listens for a moment to Eldon and then Norna and is obviously impressed by their good manners. The news that Arval and Burlee may leave delights him further.
"You obviously know how to treat a man of intellect and the fact you're interested in researching with my books and not drooling on them makes this so much the better. Please, have a seat. By luck these desks should be of good fit."
He walks over to the bookshelf and passes his hand over several tomes. He pulls out three or four and thumps them down.
"I'm afraid I have little on cults or any persons of interest in Harrowstone. However, Harrowstone's own remarkable history is a point of pride for our town, and I've taken pains to collect some works on it. Take your time, I'll send the little rotters outside to play."
He then smiles endearingly at Lena and Heto. "And if you're interested at all in my collection of scrolls, then by all means - browse."
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Norna gives a gracious bow and says, "You'll find us attentive and appreciative students, as well, Sir, if you have anything to add or should come across some interesting information. And do let us know if we can return the favor somehow." She then fits herself comfortably in a child's seat, and brings her ink, inkpens, and journal out of her pack for notes, opening one of the books gingerly, in the manner taught for handling old religious works.
"Thank you, Alendru!" Eldon sits himself down and takes one of the books. He leans back in his seat and nods his head. "What a magnificent collection of books! Thanks for selecting these for us, kind man."
Eldon opens the book and starts reading. After he's done searching for any relevant information, he'll move on to searching for information in the other books.
Burlee looks up at Mr. Knight, and nods. "Bet who carres aboot a cat? Well, a'sides Normpah. Y'knoo, ef weh fend somefin', weh cen breg aboot i'an'we'll get mead an' food. Y'know, ya'be no' so bed, Armoree." He nods, slowly, sage-like, and proudly, thinking that he has loosed the fabric of a tightly knitted secret behind his words. "To tha' stet-tue!" He proclaims, marching through the door with his axe held high. He probably, at least, scratched the doorway of the Unfurling Scroll with it as he waddled triumphantly through.
As you ask some questions and start racking your considerable brain, you begin to recall a variety of little details about Harrowstone.
Dungeoneering: Harrowstone has been abandoned for decades, and is rumoured to have dungeons beneath. Considering the locals' absolute refusal to enter the prison grounds, it's possible something is there.
Geography: It's on a hill.
Nobility: Although the lands here are all owned by the Count of Canterwall, local government is completely autonomous except for some taxation. No nobility has any real connection to Harrowstone. Apparently a prisoner was captured attempting to murder a nobleman's daughter in Mosswater.
Planes: You've heard nothing about extraplanar creatures.
Arcana: Harrowstone was famous for its size and the violent nature of its prisoners. Not for any particular magical protections. Apparently a respected wizard from Caliphas was sent to Harrowstone.
Nature: Considering the abundance of stirges that have been in the area recently it would not be impossible to expect more. Aside from that, whatever animals like abandoned buildings. Rats and the like.
Religion: Harrowstone is widely rumoured to be haunted, and the locals never go near it. Prisoners were executed according to Pharasman rites but that's typical in Ustalav.
The three of you pile onto the books, with Norna's insatiable curiosity leading the charge. Stories of Harrowstone flood Eldon's mind as he begins to read, which speeds the process considerable. Alendru hovers constantly, pointing out this and that and occasionally reminding you to buy something. Still, you uncover a great deal within a copule of hours as opposed to the full day this work would have taken otherwise.
- Harrowstone is a ruined prison—partially destroyed by a fire in 4661, the building has stood vacant ever since. The locals suspect that it’s haunted, and don’t enjoy speaking of the place.
- Harrowstone was built in 4594. Ravengro was founded at the same time as a place where guards and their families could live and that would produce food and other supplies used by the prison. The fire that killed all of the prisoners and most of the guards destroyed a large portion of the prison’s underground eastern wing, but left most of the stone structure above relatively intact. The prison’s warden perished in the fire, along with his wife, although no one knows why she was in the prison when the fire occurred. A statue commemorating the warden and the guards who lost their lives was built in the months after the tragedy—that statue still stands on the riverbank just outside of town.
- Most of the hardened criminals sent to Harrowstone spent only a few months imprisoned, for it was here that most of Ustalav’s executions during that era were carried out. The fire that caused the tragedy was, in fact, a blessing in disguise, for the prisoners had rioted and gained control of the prison’s dungeons immediately prior to the conf lagration. It was only through the self sacrifice of Warden Hawkran and 23 of his guards that the prisoners were prevented from escaping—the guards gave their lives to save the town of Ravengro.
- At the time Harrowstone burned, five particularly notorious criminals had recently arrived at the prison. While the commonly held belief is that the tragic fire began accidentally after the riot began, in fact the prisoners had already seized control of the dungeon and had been in command of the lower level for several hours before the fire. Warden Hawkran triggered a deadfall to seal the rioting prisoners in the lower level, but in so doing trapped himself and nearly two dozen guards. The prisoners were in the process of escaping when the panicked guards accidentally started the fire in a desperate attempt to end the riot.
The two illiterate members of the party head off to see what someone wrote on a statue.
Burlee stomps his way out with Arval in two and the two of you begin the leisurely walk to the statue. As you walk, you pass through an area of chilling cold despite the summer heat. Your breath puffs in the air and frost builds on Burlee's beard. However, the sensation of cold is gone as quickly as you felt it.
Harrowstone Memorial itself has been sectioned off by some rope. The Sheriff is happily trying to tell people to go away. The corpse of a rat has been split in half and lies beside the memorial. The area is spattered in blood. Painted on the statue is another strange writing symbol people call a letter, beside the one painted yesterday.
The Sheriff spots the both of you. "Hey you! Nothing to see her -- oh, it's you. Well I suppose after the work you did on the stirges you can have a look. Same as yesterday. Sick bastard painted an 'E' this time. Thankfully nobody's cat was harmed."
Arval walks along and enters the roped off area of the memorial. "A cat and a rat, must have something to do with each other most likely. And I think the letters must form such a thing called a word eventually."
Arval turns around and asks the sheriff: "Do you have any information on what happened beside the corpse and the letter? I think we could use anything at all to help us here."
After his question he walks around in the confined area, taking care not to step on any corpses, to check for clues that might help the investigation.
"Mister dwarf do you see anything out of place here, or does anything strike you as unusual?" Arval grabs the sausage, the dwarf gave him earlier, out of his bag and begins to chew on it. Hoping the sausage has some special mystery unraveling gift in it.
"These dungeons underneath Harrowstone... I suspect something's there. Probably something dead, like the spirits or undead bodies of those who were trapped in the fire."
Eldon scratches the back of his head. "A respected wizard from Caliphas was sent to the prison. Could this be one of the five high-profile prisoners that started the riot? I'd like to find out more about these five prisoners..."
Arval begins to comb over the area carefully, looking for clues. The grass has been relatively trampled thanks to the Sheriff's need to tell people there's nothing to see here. After a little while Arval finds a good blood splatter where the rat was first 'split' and the shape of a boot print outlined in blood. However it would take a skilled tracker to find any more tracks than this one.
The rat's body has been split in two with something very thin and sharp.
You can follow a bloody bootprint a little ways north and then lose the trail.
The perpetrator has obviously spilled blood on his/her boot, which leaves a faint, but distinct trail which leads up along the river bank back towards town. The steps are uneven and lurching. You can continue to follow the trail.
A quick detect magic spell elicits a welcoming glow as you peruse the shop while Eldon and Norna excitedly go over their research. Alendru's collection is surprisingly large for such a small town. He has a large variety of arcane scrolls, and one or two divine scrolls.
Protection from Evil, Mount, Shield, Detect Undead, Charm Person, Magic Missile, Unseen Servant, Silent Image, Cause Fear
Comprehend Languages, Cure Light Wounds, Obscuring Mist
Alendru helpfully points out a few other items he has, "I also have some healing potions, a ring of protection, and two wands! One of cat's grace, the other of slow."
As your eyes scan the book shelves, you also see a magical tome radiating moderate necromancy. This is a far stronger aura than anything else in the shop. Alendru has not pointed it out, although he has not hidden it either.
Eldon decides to do some research on the five prisoners and cults, even if Alendru says he has no information on them.
As Eldon reads through the books, some memories of stories about the five prisoners and the Whispering Way come to mind.
Originally, Harrowstone housed only local criminals, but as the prison's fame spread, other counties and distant lands began paying to have more dangeorus criminals housed within the prison's walls. At the time of the great Harrowstone Fire, the number of particularly violent or dangerous criminals imprisoned within the dungeons below was at an all-time high.
Five prisoners are particularly notorious. It takes a while for them to come to mind as there was a song you once heard, but it all comes together quickly. Their names were Father Charlatan, the Lopper, the Mosswater Marauder, the Piper of Illmarsh, and the Splatter Man.
Eldon's knowledge of religion and magic come in handy when trying to remember anything about the Whispering Way, and a few pointed questions to Alendru help focus him. Many old rumours and stories come to mind about them. They're a hot topic of gossip in Lepidstadt and Caliphas.
The Whispering Way is a sinister organization of necromancers that has been active in the Inner Sea region for thosuands of years.
Agents of the Whispering Way often seek alliances with undead creatures, or are themselves undead. The Whispering Way's most notorious member was Tar-Baphon, the Whispering Tyrant, although the society itself has existed much longer than even that mighty necromancer.
The Whispering Way itself is a series of philosophies that can only be transferred via whispers-the philosophies are never written or spoken of loudly. The exact goals are secretive and difficult for outsiders to know much about.
Arval turns to the dwarf."Well there isn't a lot I can do with this information. Burlee do you want to try and track the bootprints? Might be we found the culprit, else we might need to go back to the group to get a tracker."
Alendru perks up at Lena and grumbles something. "You can't afford it. But nobody in town appreciates my collection, so you can have a look at it."
He gingerly takes the huge, yellowed tome down from the shelf and sets it in front of Lena. With spindly fingers, he delicately flicks past a few pages. You see "Property of Montagnie Cowl" scrawled on the first page, which Alendru hurriedly flicks past. Within are beautiful arcane illustrations, richly detailed with the steps to create a flesh golem.
Burlee puts his face to the bootmark, sniffing it, relishing it, making it feel like it's at a good place. He wants it to speak to him, to tell him where this odd creature who has a fetish for brutally mauling small mammals is running off to. He gets so close, he's almost in it.
After scrutinizing the footprint, he picks up the rat and smells its obversely cut innards, smearing a small amount of blood on his rather bulbous nose.
"Yep, i''s ded. Lewks taer be bah somethin' small an' sherp an' prahfessional"
"Well I know it's dead, looks pretty clear. Cut by something sharp and done professionally? That could still be anyone, a hunter, butcher, a housewife... literally anyone."
He walks another round around the site, thinking. "Maybe we could ask around in town who's good at handling a knife?"
The Sheriff wanders over, thumbs hooked into his belt. He carefully spits to the side. He looks at Burlee with a worried expression before directing his attention to Arval.
"Well if you want to find sharp tools you can always check the forge. The Temple of Pharasma also handle the living and the dead and may have some fancy tools."
Alendru closes the book and sighs. "Eight thousand gold. I can't part with it for much less, this book is incredibly valuable and rare. If you happen to have that on you, I would part with it. I would also appreciate if you not go blabbing to the Temple about this book. It's probably the most valuable thing in this town."
As you discuss your findings, you look out the window to see the children from the class playing with a skip rope and singing a strange song.
Put her body on the bed.
Take a knife and lop her head.
Watch the blood come out the pipe.
Feeds the stirge, so nice and ripe.
Drops of red so sparkly bright.
Splatters spell her name just right.
With a hammer killed his wife.
Now he wants to claim your life.
Tricksy father tells a lie.
Listen close or you will die.
They scatter, laughing as the song is finished. You feel strangely cold.
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Norna works to memorize the lines, plopping herself down where she is and pulling out notes. (She probably needn't have bothered, with a master bard around. Well, except for getting any of the details right.) As she writes she hypothesizes, "The stirges are part of some legend, then? Perhaps forgotten by the adults, or something malevolently inspired in the children? The chill in the air - or is that just me? - might mean..." Norna trails off for a moment with a shudder. "Hmm. 'Splatter's spell her name'? The letter that appeared on the memorial? 'Ticksy father' or 'Tricksy Father', as in Father Brimburrow, perhaps?"
"Or as in Father Charlatan?" Eldon adds, looking out of the window.
Eldon feels the chill and directly casts detect magic.
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Father Charlatan
You do not have as complete information as you'd like on Father Charlatan, but you have heard some things. He was a legendary con artist who pretended to be priests of different religions in order to carry out elaborate schemes to cheat people. By the time of his incarceration he was notorious and widely hated as a blasphemer. You do not recall anything relating to him and the Whispering Way, or relating to magic.
The Mosswater Marauder
You know this one's tale in full.
Only 5 years before his hometown of Mosswater was destined to be overrun and ruined by monsters from the nearby river, Ispin Onyxcudgel was a well-liked artisan and a doting husband. When he discovered his wife’s infidelity, he flew into a jealous rage and struck her dead with his hammer, shattering her skull and his sanity with one murderous blow. Wracked with shame and guilt, Ispin became convinced that if he could rebuild his wife’s skull she would come back to life—but unfortunately, he could not find the last blade-shaped fragment from the murder site. So instead, Ispin became the Mosswater Marauder.
Over the course of several weeks, the cunning dwarf stalked and murdered nearly 20 people while searching for just the right skull fragment. He was captured just before murdering the daughter of a visiting nobleman from Varno, and was carted off to Harrowstone that same night.
You are certain he was not the respected wizard from Caliphas, or particularly religious. The lines in the song about 'killed his wife' may very well apply to him.
The Piper of Illmarsh
He is known as a serial killer and musician, but you cannot recall anything else about him.
Splatter Man:
Your knowledge on the Splatter Man is scant. However you recall hearing that he was a wizard who became a crazed murderer.
The Whispering Tyrant
Now that you think of it, the Whispering Way likely has ties to the Whispering Tyrant. Professor Lorrimor was researching the Whispering Way and their activities in the area. You may be able to unearth more if you continue following his lines of research.
The Song
You have never heard this song before and your detect magic spell gives a faint trace of necromancy. With what you know about religion and undeath, it is likely that there's a haunt going on somewhere that associates with the song. Hence the cold spot you felt. However the haunt is not local and so it's hard to tell more than that. Your detect magic spell shows no magical influence on the children so they are not spellbound or influenced in any way to sing the song that you can detect.
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Lena thanks the vendor for his time, saying she will be back when she secures funding.
To norna she says quietly I'm going to the monument. That rhyme sounds too close to what's happening, and burlee and that new guy might need some intelligent direction. Did you feel that cold spot.
Lena's words bely the concern she suddenly feels.
She looks over at eldon with his nose in a book. do you want to come with me, or stay studying? Eldon does look as if he has that covered. He should be safe enough.
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Norna also goes to the monument, pondering the song as she hears the stories related by Eldon. "Hmm. It is possible, thinking about what you said, Eldon, that the song is actually five couplets, one for each of the infamous five." Norna recounts the song, but doesn't sing it.
Put her body on the bed.
Take a knife and lop her head.
"The Lopper,
Watch the blood come out the pipe.
Feeds the stirge, so nice and ripe.
"The Piper of Illmarsh,
Drops of red so sparkly bright.
Splatters spell her name just right.
"The Splatter Man,
With a hammer killed his wife.
Now he wants to claim your life.
"The Mosswater Marauder.
Tricksy father tells a lie.
Listen close or you will die.
"And Father Charlatan."
Eldon closes the book he's reading in, and thanks Alendru for his time. "I'll be sure to return some time. Your collection is astounding, I could spend years here."
"I believe you're correct, dear Norna," Eldon says as he follows her and Lena to the statue, "And the necromancy I sensed seems to be tied to a haunt. I have a feeling the five prisoners we've gatehred information haunt Harrowstone."
While they continue on their way to the statue, Eldon will repeat everything he's learned. He wants to make sure his companions have all the information he has.
Norna is well aware of Father Charlatan once she begins concentrating. He is widely hated among all the religious of Ustalav for his wanton blasphemy and disrepect to religious rites.
Of the five notorious prisoners, only Father Charlatan was not technically a murderer, yet his crimes were so blasphemous that several churches demanded he be punished to the full extent of Ustalavic law. Although he claimed to be an ordained priest of any number of faiths, Father Corvin was in fact a traveling con artist who used faith as a mask and a means to bilk the faithful out of money in payment for false miracles or cures. He became known as Father Charlatan after his scheme was exposed and his Sczarni accomplices murdered a half-dozen city guards in an attempt to make good the group’s escape.
Piper of Ilmarsh
Little is known of the Piper of Ilmarsh, a demented murderer whose peculiar method of killing was the only source of his name. His real name is unknown. Before he snatched his victims, the Piper taunted his targets with a mournful dirge on his flute. He preferred to paralyze lone victims by dosing their meals with lich dust and then allowed his pet stirges to drink the victims dry of blood.
The Splatter Man
You dimly recall the drunken story of the Splatter Man, and after checking a few notes on Harrowstone the gruesome story floods back to your mind.
Professor Feramin was a celebrated scholar of Anthroponomastics (the study of personal names and their origins) at the Quartrefaux Archives in Caliphas. Yet an accidental association with a succubus twisted and warped his study, turning it into an obsession. Feramin became obsessed with the power of a name and how he could use it to terrify and control. Soon enough, his reputation was ruined, he’d lost his tenure, and he’d developed an uncontrollable obsession with an imaginary link between a person’s name and what happens to that name when the person dies. Every few days, he would secretly arrange for his victim to find a letter from her name written in blood, perhaps smeared on a wall or spelled out with carefully arranged entrails. Once he had spelled his victim’s name, he would at last come for her, killing her in a gory mess using a complex trap or series of rigged events meant to look like an accident.
The Lopper
Real name Vance Straetressle, when the Lopper stalked prey, he would hide in the most unlikely of places, sometimes for days upon end with only a few supplies to keep him going while he waited for the exact right moment to strike. Once his target was alone, the Lopper would
emerge to savagely behead his victim with a handaxe.
Brimming with new knowledge, the three of you thank Alendru who immediately begins to protest that you didn't buy anything. You leave and make your way to the statue.
There, you find the VE written in blood on the statue and the rat corpse. Burlee and Arval are currently examining the ground, trying to find tracks while the Sheriff stands near them, trying to look important.
Vladlena starts going over the names of those who died in the fire. They have been chiselled into the base of the statue of Warden Hawkran.
In memory of those who gave their lives to protect Ravengro at the great fire of Harrowstone, 4661.
Raeming Emrad, Meuogh Queelmar, Irol Elmiton, Burl Umar, Tonaban Kelech, Ontai Endor, Sodoha Doir, Noirt Oosu, Eric Ther'ves, Vela Tatoring, Dar'angi Vathas, Tiadynu Nekel, Arbel Urnild, Racha Rinn, Janer Delfine, Rakarech Skitzog, Danik Clydewell, Umbar Mastersmith, Reva Meirani, Cervin Kelinson, Shorro Naesce, Fitzen Dorma, Agdamakha Graka, Torth Sikstrom
May they Rest in Peace and go in Pharasma's Grace.
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"She probably went by Anna. People with funny names often do that, right Lena?" Norna winks at the halfling.
"We should also ask, though, whether there are people alive now in the town with VE at the start of their names, who should need to be warned and protected. Either way, something may happen when this name is finished, and we may not have much time, though we may learn much from the next letter."
"Sheriff, do you know any such people?"
Arval sees the others coming and joins them.
" A moment ago we were thinking of asking you guys to come here. We can't seem to track the footprint placed by the rat, are any of you able trackers? And if the sheriff doesn't know someone by that name we could always investigate the forge or the temple. He said that at both places they might have a weapon used to kill the rat. The temple sounds best out of the two, since the forge has little to do with memorials."
He rubs his chin and looks like he's thinking.
"I think it's better to go after the killer to root out the problem instead of warning all the people whose names start with those letters. On top of that there might be some action in it for me."
The last part he said with a grin.
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Lena gives norna a fiery glance. My name is not funny!
Lena listens to arval and says Nah it's the prison I bet. We found out one of the dead prisoners stalked victims by writing their names in blood, one letter a day. Then once the name was spelled he killed them. But this means a spook is trying to kill a spook...is that even possible?
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Norna looks to Arval and Lena with a serious face. "I hope you are right about the townsfolk. Still, I pray to Desna that we are fortunate and that there are no villagers in danger named 'Vea'. Or Veb. Or Vec or Ved or ..." Seeing the looks, Norna continues her exhaustive prayer silently to herself, the words betrayed by her moving lips, before finishing a minute or two later with a barely audible, "... or Vey or Vez. Praise be to Desna."
While walking with Lena and Norna, Eldon tries to remember what he knows about a person named Montagnie Cowl.
Eldon greets Arval and Burlee. "Hi guys! And, did you discover anything?" After listening to their discoveries, Eldon fills Arval and Burlee in on the information found at The Unfurling Scrolls.
"Sheriff," Eldon says as he turns to the man, "while we try to locate the potential murder, could you please make sure everyone in Ravengro who has a name started with V E is taken care of? I suggest warning them, and possibly posting guards."
Now that you think of it, Dr. Montagnie Cowl is a professor at the University of Lepidstadt. In fact, he's one of Professor Lorrimor's friends you're supposed to deliver books to once your month here is up.
The Sheriff looks incredulously at the group. "You want me to find people whose names start with Ve? I don't know that! We have a registry but that's only for townsfolk. There are farmers nearby who use the town, and kids we may not know about - we're simple folk here. But fine. I'll round up my deputies to protect folk if you want to keep chasing this guy down. But if we're doing that, I can't spare the people to guard the memorial from whoever is vandalizing it. So you figure out something. I don't know any trackers in town, we're not hunters out here."
With that, Caeller takes off, muttering to himself and adjusting his hat.