You shame me - in my haste I did not think of this. Of course we should seek permission first.
"Not my intention, Mathus. Just wanted to make sure that was on the itinerary."
Meenak hisses at the mention of asking permission or speaking with the priests. "Meenak disagrees. Meenak likes Pharasma... but her priests are annoying. Never let you investigate things."
After a moment of silence, he grumps a little before piping up again. "...Meenak can't go tonight, though. Meenak wants to get home and finish Professor's snarl traps." Seems he is at least willing to wait a little bit.
"...Hatchling should return home to snarl. Meenak will go with her. Too dangerous out here. Meenak... feels darkness. Kibbi is unhappy too."
"Does that mean you find ME annoying too, Meenak?" says Lorant in a faux-wounded tone.
"And here I thought we were just becoming friends!"
Cassiel sighs. "Let's get a move on, then."
Very well
Meenak peers up with those yellow eyes at Lorant, expression neutral for a moment as if considering the question, before responding. "...yes, Meenak thinks Pale Scales is annoying. Pale Scales does not agree with Meenak's choice to go to the crypt. But Pale Scales also speaks to Meenak with proper respect and acknowledges Meenak's power, so Meenak still likes Pale Scales. Pale Scales is annoying, but good to keep around."
...well, at least he's honest.
Returning home, Meenak immediately sets about the house, hanging up charms, setting out tiny statuettes and laying out salt in strange runic patterns. Once pleased with his work, he returns to the reading room from earlier, crawling up under the sofa and apparently claiming it as his own. Looking underneath, once can usually see his yellow eyes softly glowing back out at the peeper, though he makes no move to chase the pryer off.
Mathis returns home and spends the rest of the evening before bed trying to get a sense of how Lorrimors books are organised then says his prayers before sleeping.
Meenak peers up with those yellow eyes at Lorant, expression neutral for a moment as if considering the question, before responding. "...yes, Meenak thinks Pale Scales is annoying. Pale Scales does not agree with Meenak's choice to go to the crypt. But Pale Scales also speaks to Meenak with proper respect and acknowledges Meenak's power, so Meenak still likes Pale Scales. Pale Scales is annoying, but good to keep around."
...well, at least he's honest.
Returning home, Meenak immediately sets about the house, hanging up charms, setting out tiny statuettes and laying out salt in strange runic patterns. Once pleased with his work, he returns to the reading room from earlier, crawling up under the sofa and apparently claiming it as his own. Looking underneath, once can usually see his yellow eyes softly glowing back out at the peeper, though he makes no move to chase the pryer off.
Lorant shrugs.
"Good to know where I stand, at least. If it's any consolation, I do think we should investigate, I just think people will be a bit more understanding if we ask nicely first. You've a lot to learn about softskins, Meenak."
When they return to the Lorrimor House, Lorant watches with detached interest while Meenak sets up the "traps" and then joins Mathus in examining the library. But where Mathus eventually retires for the evening, Lorant continues reading, coffee and insomnia allowing him to continue long into the night. He does finally manage to fall asleep, slumped in the library chair for a few hours until dawn.
Cassiel doesn't stick around for Meenak's warding of Kendra's home, opting to find the softest bed he can and fall asleep in it.
|
The Whispering Way is a sinister organization of necromancers that has been active in the Inner Sea region for thousands 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, making the exact goals and nature of the secretive philosophy difficult for outsiders to learn much about.
Exact details on the society are difficult to discern, but chief among the Whispering Way’s goals are discovering formulae for creating liches and engineering the release of the Whispering Tyrant. Agents often travel to remote sites or areas plagued by notorious haunts or undead menaces to perform field research or even to capture unique monsters. Their symbol is a gagged skull, and those who learn too many of the Way’s secrets are often murdered, and their mouths mutilated to prevent their bodies from divulging secrets via speak with dead.
Lorant stirs in the chair, dark circles beneath his eyes. He stretches and yawns, and proceeds to the manse's kitchen, to see if he can scrounge up some coffee.
After a short morning prayer Mathus joins Lorant in the kitchen but leaves Lorant to scrounge the coffee and instead starts preparing everyone a simple breakfast of bread and cheese.
We should investigate rumours of the prison today, ask the townsfolk, check town records and so on - what say you?
As noises arise from the kitchen, one can see a little figure clambering out from underneath the couch and immediately making its way to the sounds and smells of breakfast. Peering out to make sure it's clear, Meenak darts into the room and takes refuge under the table. He seems to like it down there.
"Meenak likes Shiny Eyes' idea. Meenak wants to dig into stuff. Meenak even brought his pick!" he proclaims proudly, as a black-scaled claw gropes out from underneath the table. After some fumbling, it finds some bread and a chunk of cheese, pulling them down below.
The last one to rise, Cassiel wanders out of his room, disheveled, shirtless and bleary-eyed.
"Oh... morning already?" Knew I shouldn't have gotten used to sleeping in.
He walks up to the kitchen table and gets his share of breakfast as Mathus proposes an agenda for the day. "Sounds like as good a place to start as any, I guess."
"Kendra mentioned the church'd be a good place to start," Lorant drawls as he continues fumbling through cupboards.
"Be good to ask about the false crypt tooz...Iomedammit, where's the damn coffee? he mutters under his breath.
"Hey--watch your language."
"Not 'wakenough to'ach it yet...neeeeed caffeeeeeine."
lets go to the church first then - then hit the taverns for rumours - perhaps find the oldest members of the town for information too.
Meenak peers out from underneath the table at the fumbling Lorant, blinking a couple times before poking his head out more. "Meenak wants to see where Professor was killed, too." he piped up. "Should Meenak get his pickaxe?"
All in good time Meenak - we are running in circles otherwise. First Church, then town to investigate rumours on Harrowstone, inquire who the oldest members in town are and ask them. Once we have information?, then we can go to the ruins to explore where our friend died.
|
|
The Temple of Pharasma is Ravengro's only religious structure and is also the town's most elaborate building. Its eastern facade displays an intricate stained-glass mural depicting a stern-faced woman scolding a man in dark clothing. You are met at the temple by a fresh-faced young boy, perhaps 16 winters of age. He greets you quietly.
"Blessings of the Lady of Graves be upon you, strangers. How may we be of service to you this day?"
I thank you, says Mathus as he traces a spiral over his heart.May we speak to the Patriarch or Matriarch of the temple here? That would be Father Grimburrow, correct? We are friends of Petros Lorrimor who was buried yesterday.
|
|
"Father Grimburrow is quite busy, but I will tell him that you are here." The acolyte disappears into the depths of the edifice, returning after a few minutes. "The father says he will see you now. Please follow me."
He leads you into the sanctuary, to a private office beyond, where he knocks and awaits an answer. "Come in," the voice intones from beyond the portal.
"Welcome, friends. How may I be of assistance this day?" Father Grimburrow traces a spiral over his heart as he stands to greet you.
Lorant traces the spiral over his chest as well.
"Good morning, Father. I wish our reasons for coming were less troubling. You're aware that we were beneficiaries in the late Professor's will, yes?"
Mathus seems happy to allow Lorant to take the lead but traces a spiral over his chest in response to Father Grimburrows motion and bows his head in greeting.
Meenak hides behind Mathus's leg as Lorant addresses the spiraling father. Meenak looked up at the others, waiting to see what they planned on doing.
Once Cassiel has had a chance to get dressed and into his gear, he accompanies the team to the temple of Pharasma.
When Lorant speaks up, Cassiel stands next to him. "We have a request to make of you. It... might not be easy for you to hear." He says in a somewhat resigned tone.
...I hope he'll be alright with this...
"Among the effects we "inherited" from Petros was his journal, which he intended for us to find. It turns out his visit to Harrowstone that ended his life DID have something to do with necromancy, but he was trying to stop it rather than perform it. The Whispering Way has come to Ravengro, Father, and they were looking for something in the old prison. Petros tried to stop them, to protect the town from them, and they killed him. But before he made that last trip he left his journal and altered his will to call us here to finish his work. We plan on investigating Harrowstone to deal with the cult or, if they've already left, figure out what they were up to. To do that, we need to know as much about the prison as possible. We know the church keeps archives of those who have lived and died here. We would like access to those archives to conduct the necessary research to prepare for our actual delve into Harrowstone."
"The professor kept a journal detailing his final days before his... untimely death." Cassiel hesitantly offers the journal for Father Grimburrow's perusal. "His entries speak of his struggle against the Whispering Way, starting from ten years ago..." He points out the relevant entry. "...to seventeen days before his death."
"Father, I understand this sounds quite far-fetched--" F&#~ing ridiculous is more like it. "--but given the contents of the journal and what else Lorant has been able to uncover so far, I need to help him in this investigation however I can."
"That it looked like an accident was only an added plus for the Way. The REAL reason his head was crushed was specifically to prevent powerful priests of Pharasma, priests capable of speaking with the dead, from finding out the circumstances of his death. Petros planned to have us here before his final trip out there. He was clearly expecting that he might die, and he didn't want to leave the town unprotected. Why else would he name four complete strangers in his will? Why would that will have a stipulation that these four strangers stay in Ravengro for a whole month before collecting their shares of the inheritance? He thought the town was in danger from these people, and from what I know of these people, that danger is very real."
"Not an accident!" Meenak piped up, having slunk his way from behind Mathus to the Father's desk and pulling himself up to see over it. "Someone took Professor from Meenak! Meenak will find them! Meenak will make them pay!"
Father Grimburrow, I am accounted to be sober intelligent man by all who know me and not given to flights of fancy. I too firmly convinced by his references to the Whispering Way - and we need your help and help of the Faith.
Aid Another Diplomacy
"Thank you, Father."
Lorant traces the spiral and bows.
"As much as it pains me to say it, there is one more thing. The journal mentions a false crypt here in the Restlands that the church used as a cache for undead-slaying gear. Petros had planned to ask you about using whatever might be within before his discovery of what the Way were up to forced him to accelerate his plans and make that fatal trip. In order to be more prepared than he was, would you be willing to grant us access? With the understanding that all the items within are church property to be returned or recompensed when our investigation is finished, of course."
Meenak looks up at Lorant as he makes his request. 'That won't do, no no, not at all.' The kobold peered up to see Kibbi hovering above his head, circling it with a troubled clatter (however that sounds). 'People of Pharasma, yessss? Yes, yes, they cannot deny they have it. They know they do, even if they do not know they do.'
Even Meenak found these mutterings to be a little weird, but Kibbi fluttered down to his ear fringes, clattering into them. 'Master. Master. The Dark Lady speaks. She speaks to meeeee. Please please, relay these words.' Quirking a brow at the spirit, Meenak shrugged before listening carefully. After a moment, he leaned back, staring with a quizzical look, before looking up over the desk again.
Clambering up, Meenak climbed up onto the desk, standing up above the rest as he looked down at Father Grimburrow. "Meenak has message." he stated, before inhaling a preparatory breath and speaking. But it wasn't his usual scratchy voice... more like he was in some semblance of a trance. "...from birth to grave have I watched you... and from birth to grave shall I do so again... this cycle must you abide by. Some have chosen to flee my embrace... return them to me. I have sent you tools to bring forth my judgement... retrieve them from my cold hands. I have spoken... return my children to me..."
Meenak blinked a couple times, before growing a little dizzy and staggering a bit. Talking again, his voice had returned to it's usual pitch and tone. "...Meenak wants to see the crypt now. Meenak wants revenge!"
Cassiel is mortified when Lorant brings up the matter of the stash Professor Lorrimor left behind, but when Meenak starts speaking up and going into a trance, he listens.
"I think it'd be a good idea to let him, Father. He's got a direct line to Pharasma..."
...I can't believe I'm actually saying this.
I can't believe they are actually saying that!?, thinks Mathus, scandalised by the possible blasphemy. Then again, Pharasma is the Goddess of Prophecy...