Megan's Carrion Crown

Game Master Megan Robertson

Do you want to do anything else tonight, or shall we move on to morning?

Terrick devours another wolf ball. "Should we go poking around tomorrow? I wouldn't mind seeing a haunted prison! Would be kind of interesting to look at!"

"Why not? We do have some time to burn."

I think it'll be safe to fast forward us to dawn and the escort. :D

"Hmmm, thank you. Just one further thing, did you know why the professor was going to that disused prison? You didn't notice anyone taking an unusual interest in the Professor in the days before his unfortunate death?"

Happy to fast forward to morning.

"I never heard why he wanted to go there. Nor of anyone taking, like, especial interest, although there was talk. There's always talk. I'll send the boy round in the morning, then. Enjoy yourselves. Arithon's going to sing, he tends to be quite funny."

And indeed the rest of the evening is quite merry, with a bard who has a comedic turn to his songs.

And we shall proceed to next morning.. in the morning!

Early next morning, before anyone is up (unless we have some horrendously early risers in the party), there's a knocking on the door of Kendra's house.

Outside, a tow-headed urchin that you recognise as the 13-year-old Pevrin Elkarid is waiting, gnawing on a hunk of fresh-baked bread.

Dillan eyes the youth curious as to why he is here, "Can we help you with something?"

Terrick spends his morning waking up, and resummoning Nesser. Once his Eidolon is back in the real world, Terrick will walk down stairs, and when he sees Dillan and the young boy, he will walk over. "Hello and good morning!" he says cheerfully. Nesser simply stands, hooded and cloaked as normal.

"Is it morning already?"

Silas attempts to rise and grabs at the side of the bed to steady himself.

"Should not have drunk that last round," he mutters.

After a restless night, thinking of the expedition to the now derelict prison, Tre keeps wondering that they should be more prepared, but for what? Bleary eyed he goes downstairs, nodding to his companions as he passes by them. I wonder what they were doing by the door like that. The elf's eyes had not seen the small boy standing there, instead he goes to pay his regards to Kendra as the day dawns.

"My good lady, how are you this morning? Did you manage to get any sleep after the day's activities? That innkeeper is sending a boy to escort us to Harrowstone, can we trust him? I do hope so, we shall start to investigate the untimely passing of your father. If it was an accident, then so be it, but if another explanation presents itself, know we will follow it to the truth's end."

He looks around, seeing that none of his friends have started to join him and Kendra for breakfast, so calls out "Come on, what's happening why aren't you coming to eat this fine breakfast?"

It appears that Kendra is another early riser. She's in the kitchen, stirring a pot of porridge.

"There's tea in the pot," she says without looking round. "Bread and cheese on the table, and the porridge will be ready in a moment."

Outside

The boy looks a bit startled at Dillan's question.

"Dad said you wanted to see where the Professor died, sir. Sent me to take you there, given as I was with the party that found him."

Dillan nods at the boy, "Have you eaten yet? Please come in, enjoy a meal with us, and tell us of how you discovered the late professor." Dillan will then escort the boy into the dining area to the others.

"Our guide has arrived." He then takes a seat, "That smells good Kendra."

Following Dillan, Terrick grabs a seat while Nesser stands and watches. Terrick offers Nesser some of the food, and the large creature wolfs it down quickly.

"So I guess we will go exploring after breakfast?"

The boy follows you in, pocketing his piece of bread and claiming that he's had no breakfast yet.

"Well, it was mid-afternoon. I'd just got home from my lessons, and Miss Kendra here came round the inn, in a bit of a state, if you'll excuse me miss. She was worried about her Dad, so my Dad said we'd go look - him, and me and Arithon the bard, and a couple of farm-hands. Went up to Harrowstone, along the path, and found where this gargoyle had fallen off and squished the Professor. So's we lifted the stone off, and carried him back."

Dillan will wait till everyone has finished their breakfast then, "Shall we go?"

Mulling over the boy's words, Tre thinking aloud asks, "Hmmmm, perhaps we should seek out the bard, he may have an insight or two too? Perhaps he would walk with us and the boy? My Lady Kendra, where does this fellow stay, perhaps we could wake him?"

Terrick nods in agreement with Tre. "That sounds like a good idea. Maybe he knows a bit more of Harrowstone itself too!"

"Oh, Arithon stays with his mother's cousin, that's Master Ghoroven that runs the school..." says Pevrin. "When he's in town, that is. He likes to wander... but always comes back."

"Likes to wander?" A confused look decorates Dillans' face, "Can you explain that a little more? When does he wander?"

Pevrin looks a bit puzzled, and takes a bite of the hunk of cheese that he's holding.

"Um... round the Inner Sea, mostly. Collecting stories and songs, then he comes back to sing them here. He says he has itchy feet, not that I have ever seen him scratching them."

"Interesting," Dillan looks back at the others, "Are we ready?"

"Me and Nesser are ready whenever you folk are!" Nesser nods, but keeps his mouth shut to not scare the small child.

"I am ready now, though we should bring a bite or two for the road."

"Ready yes, but prepared? I'm not so sure. Anyway let's get this done, lets' see where we lost our friend."

Without further ado, Pevrin leads the way...

Map, reposted for ease of reference. The Lorrimar house is at location N, and the remains of Harrowstone are at R, so it's pretty clear the path that you will take :)

As you pass B, Pevrin points out a huge post jutting out of the ground with an assortment of notices stuck on it.

"That's one of the Posting Poles. You'll find all manner of announcements there, and the Wealday Parchement, our weekly news sheet. Nice little earner, for 1cp I copy out and post whatever someone wants announcing on all five of the Poles."

Harrowstone is located on a barren hill south of the city of Ravengro, the stark, sagging roof of its central structure visible through a large gap in the surrounding wall. A partially overgrown track leads from the southern edge of town, winding around the base of the hill and then back up along its southern slope to the prison itself. The grounds of the prison are surrounded by a crumbling wall, and - says Pevrin - it was a gargoyle carved atop this wall that fell on the Professor.

Are they any other gargoyles still in place?

As they approach closer to the prison, "Take us to where you found the professor's body."

This section of wall is quite decorative, with a row of gargoyles carved as if leaning over the top of it watching passers-by. There are 11 of them, with a gap where one is missing. It's still lying on the ground. Pevrin says that it was the one found atop the Professor's body, the labourers rolled it off of him before carrying him back to town.

Dillan will take the time to look around the area for people watching them from within/on the prison, or from town.

Perception 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16

"Did you find anything with the Professor when you found him? Books, scrolls, perhaps?" Silas asks of the guide.

All you can see, Dillan, are a few large crows...

Pevrin tells Silas that the Professor just had the clothes he stood up in. Which was a bit odd, he was never seen without a notebook.

Too busy staring at the neat gargoyles, Terrick completely misses half of the discussion. He then looks around the base. "So, is there any way for us to go in and look at where the Gargoyle fell from?"

Nesser simply keeps watch over the group, making sure no one is trying to sneak up on them.

"Let us not be hasty, this may still be dangerous." As Tre looks at the structure with his knowing eye, before moving towards the place where the professor was found. As he walks, he searches out any way up to the top of the wall, where they could study the missing gargoyle's place.

Knowledge(engineering) 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9 looking to see how stable the wall/gargoyles are and maybe if its likely the missing gargoyle fell or was pushed.

Perception 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8 to find a way to the top of the wall with the gargoyles or to see if any gargoyles move.

Pevrin says, "If you go around a ways you can get inside the walls through the front gate. I think there's a walkway around the inside of the walls that you ought to be able to get up on. But you understand... this place is really a bit scary to be rooting around in, even in daylight!"

"I too feel the dangers in this place, Pevrin. We shall keep in the open until we know more about what we must face here. We should perhaps follow the lead of the notebook and any unusual tracks which may have come from outside this gloomy place. When you found the poor professor, did you notice any tracks as to which way he was going, or where he might have come from? Unless someone can discover any unusual tracks around here which might be connected to the tragedy. Finding the notebook may be key in bringing to justice any wrongdoers, does anyone know what his notebook looks like?." Tre' his eyes watchful, follow the walls, his back shivers as his minds eye takes in the professor's last moments.

I'm assuming the journal we read as part of the professor's legacy is NOT the same as the notebook, maybe Dillan or Taelin can confirm that?

I think you are correct in that it's not the same notebook.

"Over the years I've seen him with an array of notebooks. All pocket-sized and with a pencil attached with a bit of string. Last one I saw him with had a red cloth cover..." says Pevrin.

"I don't recall any obvious tracks when we found the body, and we trampled the area pretty good getting the gargoyle off of him and moving him. Sorry."

He's beginning to look a bit nervous, like he doesn't really want to stay here much longer.

Looking up at the fallen Gargoyles old resting place, "Did any of you go up there?"

How high is the Wall? And is it climbable?

The wall is about 15 feet high. When first built an effort was obviously made to smooth-face it and render it hard to climb, but it's weathered a fair bit since then.

If you wish to make the attempt, I would like a Climb check please.

Pevrin says, "NO! I'd not dare...". He looks really scared at the mere thought.

With the lighting outside is Stealth possible?

Looking up the wall and feeling it's surface, "Perhaps we should allow Pevrin to leave?" Dillan then turns to the others, "I would like to investigate the inside and really get to that position above."

Nesser and Terrick both look up at that spot where the gargoyle fell.

"I too would like to see inside. Its going to be a tad bit dangerous though I bet!"

"I'm not coming in," says Pevrin, obviously screwing up his courage, "But the gate isn't far around... I'll take you there before I go. Easier than climbing the wall, it's been left standing open for... for as long as I can remember, anyway."

Kneeling down in front of Pevrin, Terrick smiles. "You know, you don't have to show us. You could just tell us! You have done enough for us already I think"

"We can't just let the boy go back on his own, what if anything happened to him" Tre with an angry look in his eye at Terrick. "One of us should stay with him, whilst you go up and look around." sighs Tre, as he raises an eyebrow and shakes his head. "We can always come back in an hour and search around on our own. I still think we should search for the professor's notebook first...but...oh well." Tre puts his arm on the boy's shoulders and warmly says, "Would you rather we take you some way back to the village or home, before we go looking around in here?"

Dillan looks about the immediate area, "I see no book and if he was found without the book the boy," Dillan gestures to Pevrin, "says he was frequently seen with. Then I think it best that we begin our search here."

He sighs, "I understand your concern for Pevrin and his safety, however I would think none would wish to harm him in the brightness of day and in a town that knows him all to well."

"I'm all right going back on my own," says Pevrin, clearly putting on a show of bravery that he doesn't really feel. He points. "Just follow the wall that way and you'll come to the gate."

You're all startled by the flapping of wings. A large black crow lands on the wall, just about where the missing gargoyle used to be. It puts its head on one side and regards you all with a beady eye.

Then says, "Ca-Caw" and flies away again.

Hearing the familiar sound of a crow, startles Tre, looking up seeing the black ominous bird he cries "Spies, we are discovered, someone is watching us." pointing upwards at the bird. "It may be friend, it may be foe, that we will discover. I doubt it will be the former though."

Tre takes the boy's arm and says "Come let's go, get you back to town. Don't be scared by what will happen next, be strong and keep it our little secret. We all have our skills, maybe one day you too will find a calling, and when you do the gods will give you the powers you need. So have faith in us young Pevrin, don't be frightened by what you see. Let's get you back home safely." Tre' starts to say arcane elven words and gesticulates, before taking out his instrument, blowing a soft note which calls a small horse in front of the mage. Tre' mounts up into the saddle and pulls the boy up behind him, saying to the others, "Let me take him back to town, It won't take long, don't get into trouble before I return. Hold on Pevrin, enjoy the ride back home" he smiles as he says the last bit, before starting the horse on its journey into town. As he rides, he looks to the sky, hoping to see the path the crow takes to return to its master.

Hope this isn't too much for this, but it will save several posts to get the same effect. So quickly get the boy back home and return,

Tre casts mount from his bonded item.
Perception 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15 to see the path of the crow.
Ride 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12 to ride at a pace, gallop?

Dillan eyes the bird and Tre, watching as he departs, "Seems he spooks easy no?" He then mumbles something about just a bird then moves along the wall according to Pevrins last directions.

He begins the walk, perhaps he is right to be paranoid, then moves into the shadows to continue his movement...

Stealth 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12

OK, Tre'duinne and Pevrin head off on this horse that suddenly appeared... Pevrin a bit wide-eyed, he's never seen anyone create a horse out of nothing like that before!

Dillan's sneaking along the wall.

What's everyone else doing?

Tre is gone now til Monday/Tuesday for the IoW Festival...bot as required.

Tre is gone now til Monday/Tuesday for the IoW Festival...bot as required.

Given how slow we move I dont think thats an issue haha. Not Megan's fault or anything (And Jlighter is gone for good it seems)

Terrick stays with Dillan, keeping an eye on him right up until he vanishes into the shadows. He then stands right where he is, waiting for the others to return.