The group to which jaylen asks is afraid of a stranger and runs to their parents.
Marzio has better success,and the villagers he asks to say him "Wouldn't know sir,it is a old song, it is known here for many,many years,we don't even know whose story it is.It says something like this:"
Put her body on the bed
Take a knife and lop her head
Watch the blood come out the pipe
Feed 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
Metti il corpo di lei sul letto
Poi segale la testa con un coltello
Guarda il sangue scorrer fuori dal flauto
Nutri lo strige fino alla maturità
Con goccie di rosso brillante
Crea macchie che scrivano il nome di lei
Ha ucciso sua moglie con un martello
Ora pretende la tua vita
Il frate imbroglione sta mentendo
Ascolta attentamente o morirai
mmm! Miss Aemrelara, in your knowledge, is there something that relates this song to the events you heard about the prison?
Similar stories usually have some truth. As the macabre in this case!
Tricksy father!?, Perhaps the case would also ask the temple
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Aemrelara watches the girls performance with great interest, trying to learn the tune and maybe the lyrics if possible. She waits until they come to a natural pause or they end then approaches them.
"My what beautiful singing that was, your game looks like so much fun, would you mind if I join you? If you do I'll teach you one the games of my homeland." If they agree I will I will play with them a little while and attempt to learn there song and in turn teach them a singing game from my childhood in Kyonin.
Perform Dance for jump rope thingy
Perform Singing for game
Knowledge local/geography to see if Varisian people are common around here
After the theoretical games I will ask them what the words mean.
The girls let Aemrelara talk and play with them,they are pleased to let the elf.
At the woman request, the children say "Our parents taught us this song,we don't really know what it means,it says more or less the following:"
Put her body on the bed
Take a knife and lop her head
Watch the blood come out the pipe
Feed 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
Aemrelara:the girl take you to the parents of one of them,but all you get to know in the end is that the song came in popularity around here few years after the burning of the prison.
Performance check for that evening in the bar.
Perform Sing
Perform String (Mandolin)
Aemrelara is by far the best of the performers on show at the tavern,and even though the audience is scarce she is acclaimed (but not paid).
During one of the songs,some odd noise from outside troubles a few of the customers;like large objects thrown against the windows,making wooden walls and window frames trembling.
When the owner goes to check,she only says she heard some weird flappings,like birds flying away.
Apart from looking,neither of the "tourists" found anything interesting in the local market.Jaylen had a day of relax , apart from some local children's singing that she couldn't understand.
It turned out that the song is a rather "gothic-horror" lullaby which left Aemrelara and Marzio with further more questions.
Everyone returned Kendra's place at evening and prepared for the night.
Current date:Oathday,4 of Pharast,4711 AR 4th day in Ravengro
You are running along a seemingly endless road,your hooves scattering small stones and dirt all around your pawns.You look at the ground you are running on,and it is more painted in red each time your eyes meet the path,with each increasing in shade of reds the noise caused by your running changes from a pounding on ground to a splashing on a liquid,a red liquid.
In the end you are drowning in a path of blood....
All those who were sleeping in Kendra's house had this nightmare during this night,and all wake up panting, their heads aching.
A smell of cooking breakfast pervades the house. The young girl is already up, cracking some eggs into a pan of hot oil; a trout frying nicely.
Yesterday's trip to the lake has not only provided breakfast but has seemingly lightened her mood and she greets all with a small smile.
Despite being early morning,Kendra looks tired,with large dark circles under her eyes.
"Sorry but this isn't one of my best mornings,had a weird dream tonight,couldn't sleep at all and now i have a bad migraine"
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Not getting any rest the night before Aemrelara doesn't want to get out of bed. As much as she wants to she can't go back to sleep, and the breakfast downstairs does smell good....
As Aemrelara walks into the kitchen she doesn't give her normal chipper good morning, she just shuffles in, staring at the food piled on plates on the counter. She loads herself a decent plateful, turns and moves towards the table and starts chowing down. After 30 seconds she just stops and stares at the table in front of her for a couple seconds, a bit of egg still hanging out of her mouth, looks to Jaylen and with a muffled voice says,"Fanks or da wreckfass." Then immediately turns here attention back to her eggs.
After breakfast is over she says." Sorry for my rude behavior this morning, I'm just so tired. I couldn't get any rest last night, I had an awful dream last night that kept me from relaxing at all."
The Raven Knight comes downstairs, says hello while sitting at the desk for breakfast,than notices Kendra's and Aemrelara's mood.
After hearing what happened to the girls,he claims he had a weird nightmare too,but managed to rest after it.
The atmosphere in the parlour is muted. Barely a word is said.
Once breakfast is finished, Jaylen heads into the kitchen to wash and dry the pots, to put them away and to tidy up any mess she may have left. This, she's done each morning she's been here.
She returns and sits, a glass of milk in her hand, as usual.
"What was everyone's dream? I think I dreamt but I can't recall it too well. It certainly didn't stop me from sleeping."
She takes a sip from her glass, peering around the table as she awaits answers.
After everyone has relayed their experience, the room goes quiet, each lost with their own thoughts.
After a while, the teen breaks the silence.
"Think the professor knew something was up?" The comment leaves everyone perplexed. The girl continues. "I don't think everything that's happened since we got here is a coincidence. Nor do I think it coincidence that Petros ask us to remain here for a month to *look after* Kendra. It doesn't take five people - complete strangers - to do such a job."
"Indeed Ms.Jaylen we had the same nightmare.This cannot be a coincidence.We should really manage to take a look at some of the town archives."
Sajan joins the rest of the group at the table and comments very little until Jaylen mentions about the coincidences.
"Really? You think?" The sarcasm palpable.
"Sorry, like most of us I didn't get much sleep. On top of that I learn that the professor had something to do with a secret arcane organization. I need to get access to some better resources and find out more. This might have to do with what has happened to him as well. I am sure there is a great link between the books that he has left for us. I just need to delve more into this when I have a chance, I know there is something that I'm missing!"
As he progresses, the emotions keep rising in his voice, almost yelling at the end.
"RK you are right. We need to have access to the archives, the burning of the prison is more than just that."
Just as the words about the burning of the prison leave the lips of Sajan, an elf walks into the room. He looks around and sees you all, his eyes focusing on Aemrelara.
The girl's gaze shifts to the newly-arrived elf; she remains passive, offering nothing in the way of welcome or acknowledgment.
Returning her attention to the mage, and seemingly ignoring his errant behaviour, her only reaction being a slight narrowing of her eyes. she continues.
"My question is, Sajan, did the professor know something here was amiss, and did he expect us to deal with it? If this is the case, I'm really not happy about the situation.
Once again, the girls gaze shifts, this time to the professor's daughter.
"You are not happy that we are doing a dead man's final wish, or that something that is threatening an entire town is amiss?"
"Tomorrow is the Pharasmin Festival of the dead and i promised to father G. i'll have helped with the arrangements for the procession,hoping we wouldn't have new corpses to bury."
Turning her attention back to Sajan, Jaylen voices her thoughts.
"I'm not happy that I wasn't warned about any of this at any point. We've just established that Petros knew something is happening here but all he's left us with are some books that *you* - the person here best equipped for such things - are, by your own admission, having trouble understanding. Oh, and the locals really aren't helping, either." The girls voice is firm, and, likely due to Kendra's presence, she's having to temper the anger that is evident.
Closing her eyes, the teen takes a large, slow intake of breath, releasing it just as slowly.
The first person she looks at, upon opening her eyes, is the elf.
"Sit down, Catees. You've caught us at a bad time.", she states, bluntly, whilst indicating an empty seat. "I'll take you up to the plot later.", she adds, a little more affably.
Jaylen looks around at the people in the room through narrowed eyes.
More calmly, and almost resignedly, she continues. "Right, as we're all here...what do we know? Or, rather, what do you know, because I really don't have anything to share."
In the meantime her guests are talking about what to do,or what they know,Kendra goes in her bedroom and dresses to go to the Pharasma temple.
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" We know that the professor was investigating the Whispering Way here in Ravengro, and in that research he was led to the prison, which in turn led to his demise. He knew the work he was doing was dangerous, but necessary. So in his wisdom he made sure that his work would be continued and the people he loved protected by sending for us upon his death. We also know that something wrong is happening in this town. The zombies at the memorial and now this nightmare. I don't know if someone or something is targeting us or if everyone in town was affected..... or maybe Ms. Kendra was the target......."
Aemrelara stops for a few seconds and looks in the direction of Kendra's room. Then continues.
" Now the question is, what do we do now? We've all agreed to stay here for the month, If only to watch over Kendra, but I at least would like to pick up where Petros left off. Starting with the prison. We know the professor was investigating it, namely the fire that happened there some years ago and the people that died in it. Also there are the "strange symbols" along the foundation that he mentioned in his journal. There is also a song we heard yesterday, from what I've gathered it originates from around the time of the fire."
Aemrelara then takes a large gulp of her morning tea and says,
"So have I missed anything?"
Kendra takes her leave from the house while her guests are pondering,but after a few minutes she comes back,an uneasy expression on her face.
"Sorry to trouble everyone,but looking from the entry path here i think there is a commotion in the nearby houses.I hope nothing else happened but they aren't normal morning activities."
Midway through replying to the elf, Kendra interrupts.
"What now?!" the young girl exclaims, with a sigh, having been told the latest news. Heading into her chamber, she returns with her greatsword and strides over to the door. Turning to the group, the look on her face indicates that she isn't happy with all that's going on.
"Coming?" she asks. Without waiting for a response, she turns and leaves, following the sounds of the commotion.
Even with the tiredness, Sajan jumps up from his seat grabs his quarterstaff and crossbow and follows the rest of the group.
After following some of the nervous neighbors,which were in turn following others running toward the Town Square,Kendra and Jaylen hear rumors about another animal having been butchered:a mule belonging to farmer which lives on the eastern border of the town has been found dead an hour ago,the throat opened.
Assuming, that Sajan is not to far behind the rest of the group:
"Quick lets go and investigate this!"
He leans close to Aemrelara:
"Maybe you should stay back and see how the crowd reacts to all of this and if there is anything suspicious going on? "
Wordlessly, Jaylen heads north, following the villagers to the town square, and then east, to find the farm in question.
The anger in her eyes has been replaced by something else. Acceptance, maybe? Bemusement?
Sajan just shakes his head and follows behind Jaylen
At the farm the scene is what one would expect;screaming farmers,including obviously the owner of the animal,Father Grimb. and three acolytes helping in taking away the body and not much more.