Morbury thinks on that a moment, "I do not recall. But if that is the case, what would be her reason for revenge?"
Kayela nods grimly at the speculation "Ah for one am less interested in speculating oh dah motive behind wat foul creature or person is behind dis vandalism, Ah am more interested on find'an ah way tah stop it before whatevar evil task it's trying tah bring forth is completed."
Kayela rubs her head and shades the sun from her eyes slightly hung over from the following night, "Ah do believe Hasmir mentioned interest in keeping watch ovar tis town at night tah prevent such incidents from occurring a few days ago. Nah dat we know dat dah culprit is interested in defacing dis particular monument. Perhaps we should set up a watch at night tah trap whatever is doing dis deed if dis foul act repeats itself."
Smiling oddly "I'd prefer tah stop it all tagether and simply live in happy ignorance of dah.....meaning behind it, for daht blood has tah be coming from someplace and I'm not too keen to allow it tah continue drawing from such ah inkwell."
Arigoder nods gravely, rubbing his throat, "I quite agree with Kayela -- we can keep guessing as to the whys, but finding who's responsible and stopping them is probably the best way of actually learning what is going on.... and, what's more, if this is some sort of growing evil, I'd rather nip it in the bud than let it happen and deal with the aftermath."
"This seems to be a ritual of some sort. The unwashable stain is obviously supernatural. I would hazard to guess that whoever is spelling this out is spelling a name as that would be a way of destroying a ghost or similar apparition. The real question is why?" Dryden examines the statue closely.
"You see that the blood spatters clean off normally, it is only the two letters that defy our attempts to remove. Yes, I am quite certain this is a name. I fear to find what will happen if the ritual is completed. I too agree with Kayela. We should mount a watch, however, we moght wish to get rest tonight if we are planning on exploring the prison tomorrow."
"Ah fear dah ruins oh Harrowstone won't be sprout'n any legs an wander'n off any time soon. An assuming it dost not it's not as tho I'm against sleepin till dah sung hangs a the top of the sky."
She turns to depart from this blasphemous scene, "Ah tire of staring des vile questions in dah face, I'm eager tah returning to dah labors of middling through dusty tomes."
I suppose we'll be setting up an ambush for whatever attempts to further deface the monument if it occurs this night. Kayela's stealth check in armor is horrendous is there anywhere viably close that might provide her with full cover or any way for her to simply remain close by, but not near to gain a bonus on stealth?
(i.e. go ahead and set up 100ft away from the monument behind a tree or something so she needs to spend a full round running before she can engage anything for a moderate bonus to a hide check?)
Trying to figure out if she should forgo armor or do something of that sort in order to not give away her allies positions and thus ruin any trap they might spring.
I can always simply hope for the best and use misfortune on everyone instead, though...hmmm....let me know.
Arigoder looks around to ensure that he is not overheard.
He begins whispering, "As much as I hate to admit it, the battleaxe isn't always the best tool in strange sitautions, especially magical ones. Because we don't know who or what is doing this -- I would suggest that we all be available to deal with them -- and shift our sleep to the early morning, so that we're still rested and able to get new spells, while being able to interact with townies in the afternoon and evening."
He stops to rub his throat as his voice cracks, then continues, "However, I would also say that some of us should stay back and be ready to run in to face the threat, so we don't scare our prey away."
Hasmir studies the sign a bit, then mutters. "That morbid little rhyme is still in my head. There was something in it about spelling a name... I think it just may be that. The question is, what do we do about it? We've already had some signs the professor's death might be less clear than the townspeople believe, and there seems to be a bit pointing towards this ill-omened ruin."
He sighs in a somewhat discontent manner, then shrugs. "Ah well, this place is starting to get to me, so I feel it's only right we get to it, too. If everyone's got yesterday's drinks out of their system, I reckon we may as well?"
Akydi looks at each of his companions, as if seeing them for the first time. His eyes, one purple, one silver, seem to glow slightly, then fade. "Fate and the Cards have brought us together for a reason, yes?. I mean beyond just our shared relationship with the Professor. I think we definitely need to figure out what in the hells is being done this statue, and put a stop to it if possible."
That eyes flashing thing wasn't anything beyond just pure flavor. Hope you don't mind
"That is true, Hasmir. The song does speak of; 'Splatter spelling her name just right.' Which obviously indicates a woman. Which brings us back to Akydidyka's theory on being the warden's wife, who, according to rumors mind you, haunt the prison. So, as far as doing something about it, well, I believe all of our answers are likely to be found within said prison. Which, in turn, may also bring us a resolution regarding the monument," he ponders that a moment before ending with, "hopefully."
Then looking around at them all in turn and concluding what their next move should be, "I believe Harrowstone awaits us."
"Yes, that is probably it. Also, remember the professor was worried about the Whispering Way. They are very much into undeath."
Dryden adds.
"I think we should definitely check out the prison this afternoon."
Morbury nods. "Agreed. I suggest we gather our supplies and head forthwith."
Arigoder nods gravely, "Aye, let's be about it."
Kayela sits at the table in the lorrimor estate with a brew of coffee already made as she eats oat-meal liberally mixed with cloves, cinnamon, and sugar. She eats it ravenously as each of you awake and greet her while occasionally sharpening one of her daggers with a whetstone.
On the table is the gear that was discovered before her arrival parsed out into bundles. Her signature face-paint is redrawn, but her hands and legs seem to be covered in a coarse mixture of bone meal, mud, and white paint. A few odd looking symbols are drawn unto her clothing in with the same strange mixture.
She sighs after finishing her late breakfast, "We know now more dhan I had evar hoped about Harrowstone, Ah divided up the gear you all found at dah Pharasman chache. Let us go and take ah more hands on approch tah these matters and attempt to discover wat dah Ways interest are wit dis foul prison."
After some time she will get up to leave and journey with the rest of her companions to the prison. She remains tight lipped and closed off during the way there in contrast to her more usual odd, but vibrant vibrant behavior a spark of determination in her eyes and a rigidness befit for a solider.
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The next day, after sleeping in late, you head back up to the prison. Arriving just after noon, you face the front of the two-story, ivy covered building.
The entrance to Harrowstone is in bad repair. The balcony overhanging the entrance looks ready to collapse. The large double doors leading into the prison hang askew revealing the dim interior. This was once a wide hall flanked by a pair of waiting rooms, but the foyer to Harrowstone now lies in ruins. With little left to hold up the ceiling, the wooden beams above sag dramatically. The wall to the north contains a large pair of oaken doors. Streaks of mold stain the walls of this foyer, and the floor below is a thick, gray carpet of fungal growth. Sturdy wooden doors beckon from every wall.
As Kayela approaches the prison grounds she readies her shield and morningstar as she continuously chants in shoanti various prayers and incantations.
Before entering the prison, "We should be weary dah way may have left some traps"
She continues on into the foyer before briefly stopping for a moment to look around.
She'll move to the double doors north and kick them open...revealing...
As he notices Kayela walking towards the entrance, "Careful, Miss Kayela, the prison looks structurally unsound. I would deem it wise we find a suitable entrance that doesn't appear it is going to collapse upon us." He says as he looks around the old prison, wondering how it continues to stand as bad a shape as its in.
Before the group heads out, Akydi draws a card from his Harrow deck "Let us see what Mistress Fate has in store for me today"
Upon arriving at the prison, the Varisian enhances his senses to better discern magical energies and peers about the ruins once more.
Kayela nods understanding Morbury making a mental note to be careful if reaching a second floor. "I'm interested in facing whatever transpires head on mistar Morbury, if there's a better entrance point it out, but I don't feel like swimming nor climbing this evening"
Barring a collapse after Kayela kicks down the doors, Morbury will follow after her as he readies his shield and draws his weapon.
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Everyone enters the mold covered room. The first thing Kayela notices as she goes to open the door is that, except for the entrance doors, all the other doors in this room look to be in excellent condition. When she kicks open the door there is a loud scream and all the doors open at once. Flooding your room and then running outside is a horde of ghostly figures, all horribly burned. The air is filled with their anguished screams. After a few seconds the last of the apparitions disappear out the front door and all of the other doors slam shut.
Kayela jumps back startled morningstar in hand and shouts out "Qualis diri fraudis est?"
What manner of ghastly trickery is this!
She'll take a moment to cast detect magic around the room....
Morbury freezes and observes as the spirits zip past them all. Turning to the others when they all seem to be gone, "Why do I have an extremely bad feeling about a hoard of spirits floating around town?"
After she clumsily comes out from her hiding place behind Morbury, Darcy looks around pretending to not be scared. "I might have opened the door more gently". "Oh well"! "You've done it now". "Do you think this might affect the town's good will towards us". Darcy, then enters the room and looks around.
Perception
Arigoder grips his bow a little tighter at the sudden screams, gritting his teeth against them. He starts to reach back for one of the special arrows, but everything stops, and he slowly lowers his hand and looks around to try to figure out what's happening....
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Dryden and Kayela are fairly certain that this is nothing more than a simple haunt. When you try the interior doors, you are unable to open them. Now that you look at them you all realize that the doors are in extrodinarily good condition, as if they are almost new. Also, any attempts to break them or chop them with a weapon seem to have no effect. After a minute, while still trying the doors, they become unstuck and when one is opened the entire scene repeats. Again the screaming goes and when the doors slam again, they are stuck again. Both Dryden and Kayela finally recognize this as a simple 'slamming portal' haunt which is easily destroyed by sprinkling holy water on the doors.
Kayela smirks at Morbury as she laughs off his comment "Could mere kick from mh legs free dah spirits from dah torments dat bind dem to dese unhallowed I'd be quite impressed wit myself tah say dah least"
"It seems a toll is tah be paid fah venturing inta dah maw o' dis beast" she remarks as she pulls out a vial of holy water and sprinkles a few drops on her finger before flicking them at the doors in front of her.
She grins, "Shall we try again?" as she kicks open the northern doors once more before readying her shield and morningstar and muttering a few prayers to herself.
"Shall we continue forward?"
Morbury forms a surprised look. "Well that seemed rather... simple," he says, breathing a sigh of relief. "At least we will not be dealing with an armada of spirits back in town. But it does appear this prison is going to be playing mind games upon us. Be wary." As they enter into the long hallway, Morbury notices they seem to have several options in doors to choose from. "Hold a moment, Miss Kayela," he says as he then addresses them all. "We have several doors down this hallway. We also have several within the entrance. What say you all to examining the doors within the entrance first; then those within the hallway?"
Akydi laughs in a way he hopes doesn't come as too nervous "HA!, my grandmother could perform parlor tricks than those spirits" He tightens the grip he has on his staff just a bit more though.
Quite probable, Hasmir says, himself on edge. "But it's good that we got a warning of sorts. There may be worse to come. I would, naturally, love to be wrong on this," he says with a smile as he holds his bow in one hand and checks the doors with the other.
Arigoder smiles grimly and says, "Let's hope that everything can be so easily dealt with by a simple splash." His face turns grave and he adds, "I agree with Morbury, we should find out what is in these chambers, to make sure we're not leaving anything behind to block our exit, if need be."
Kayela sighs at Morbury's suggestion, "Perhaps, bot ah pray we do not merely find more hallways an doors beyond those fah with so many paths I shuddah tah think how we'll choose between dem." a hint of sarcasm in her tone.
Morbury a bit confused with Kayela's dilemma, "We will just choose one and go through it. I do not think that should prove difficult," he shrugs, not catching the sarcasm in her voice. "This one will suffice." He agrees with Kayela as he approaches the first door on the left and opens it, albeit with extreme care.
Morbury moves up to examine the papers at the first door on the right.
Hasmir joins Morbury in checking the papers, but permits himself a slight jest. "If you care not where you go, it matters little whence you stroll. And if you want to see the right nook - well, then you need to think and look."
Kayela pauses for the briefest of moments and gives Hasmir a look her eyebrow arches a puzzled look on her face. "Good tah know yah in such ah lighthearted mood Hasmir deep in dis den o unknown horrors an you're making jokes."
Kayela turns to the first door on the right and opens it quickly.
Hasmir shrugs. "The horrors won't stop if you're terrified, lady. Might as well keep your wits about."
Morbury turns to the discussion going on, "Hasmir speaks wisely. If you choose to let your fear control you, what hope do you have of conquering it? I think we can all learn a lesson from Hasmir." Morbury nods in gratitude, feeling a bit more relaxed.
Arigoder chuckles slighty, his gravelly voice saying, "Perhaps we just enjoy gallows humour, lady". Despite the light and jovial tone, he keeps his eyes scanning the area.
"Mostly information we are no longer in need of. Let us move on." Morbury then heads toward the southern most door at the end of the hall, opening it with caution and peering in.
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This spacious room smells of mildew and rot. A long desk and chair sit to the south, while to the northwest a narrow alcove contains a closed safe. Thick layers of dust cover everything in sight. When you enter, you feel a lifting of the , until now, unnoticed feeling of gloom and eerieness that prevades the rest of Harrowstone.
Akydi enters the new room, and instantly feels better. He scans the room, looking around for anything out of place or odd. "Do guys feel that? or I should say, don't feel that? Seems like all the bad energy left. Wonder what this room was? Maybe an office for a priest or something similar?"
Arigoder nods, "I wasn't sure if it was just me or not, but aye... I wonder if it's the room doing that, or something in it?"