Valachi will enjoy the breakfast, then help by cleaning up the kitchen while we wait for Delia and Father to return.
Alistair will finish eating though after the talk of undead, he is clearly preoccupied. After finishing, he begins preparing himself. Assembling his crossbow in a slow methodical approach vice one of smooth practice and precision, he also opens, counts and seats his quarrels, also in a methodical precise manner than a practical functional one. The worry of possible combat to come for the day obviously weighing heavily upon his mind.
Delia admires the quality of the armor, and the craftmanship, of the dwarf's work. She thanks Jorfa for her work and then departs to head back to the Lorrimor residence. She gets back just as everyone seems ready to go. "I have run the one errand I had pending, and am ready to head back to the prison." As she speaks she twists and sways as if waiting for someone to notice the change in her outfit.
Oblivious, Valachi says. "I didn't know you had armor."
Soon after Delia returns to the Lorrimor home, the group settles down into their preparations for the day. The straps of armour are tightened, weapons buckled on, vials and potions stashed. Kendra busies herself in the study, reading from her spellbook, and mumbling to herself as she does her daily preparations and memorizes today's spells. Before sitting down, she invites Alistair to join her, take a chair and make himself comfortable while he does the same.
"So far we have encountered a fair number of haunts, as well as some undead creatures. 'Disrupt Undead' has therefore been a very useful cantrip for me, and I suggest you prepare it, if you know it. If not, you can feel free to copy it from my spellbook. For other spells, I can only recommend that you keep these foes in mind."
"If you would like the history of what has been happening, I can try to sum it up for you. Riel, you might like to hear as well, so you know what you have signed on for. My father, Petro's Lorrimor, was found dead at the foot of the ruins of Harrowstone Prison, around three weeks ago." her eye's glisten, but she doesn't cry, and her voice remains relatively even. "At the time it was ruled an accident, and that a statue had fallen on him while he explored the ruins. These friends were amongst those invited for the funeral. All had their own connection and history with my father. After we read his will, we discovered his journal, which indicated he was investigating some odd goings on, and indicated that he might have been going to confront someone the day he died. Soon after, strange occurrences began in town, zombies rising from their graves, and burning skeletons bursting forth from the ground when we went to investigate. Lettering, written in blood began to appear on the monument to Harrowstone; the one praising the sacrifice of the guards to died to prevent the prisoners from escaping during the riot and fire that destroyed the place. First a 'V' and then a few mornings later, an 'E.' Both were left overnight, in blood."
She pauses for a moment, collecting her thoughts, and taking a drink from her tea.
"We decided that Harrowstone must be involved. Eventually we got the good Sheriff, Benjen Caeller to see our point of view and he and the town council granted us permission to explore the ruins. Caeller's deputy, Riff, accompanied us to be able to report back to the council; a role that Riel has now taken over as Riff apparently does not want to return to the prison. Our official task is to find evidence that the haunting of the prison is in some way responsible for the events that have been happening here in town, or to refute that."
"We began exploring the ruins. On the East landing, we found our first sign of true haunting. The scythe used by the executioners of the prison to carry out their grim sentences... it came to life and attacked us. Agnar was gravely hurt, but we were at last able to break it. There appeared to be some foul spirit animating it. The balcony door was firmly fixed, so we went around and found egress through a collapsed wall in the back. We came into the furnace room, were the furnace burst into flame, came to life, and tried to burn us all with a tongue of flame. Holy energies, blessed water, and disruption of the undead energies all helped to silence it. The next room had skulls. They burst into flame and flew around the room, ramming into us and burning with each touch. They were destroyed through mostly mundane means. Finally, the last room we entered was a meeting hall. The air grew so chill as to steal the strength from our limbs, and freeze the extremities. Only the holy energies provided by Ember and Zhan were able to end that event. We were able to commune with the spirits there, and found a way to lay them to rest so they would not bother us again upon our return visit. A vessel of hot metal allowed the spirits to enter into it, which we carried from the site, and laid to rest on holy ground. Those spirits at least, are now at peace."
"That is obviously when we left the prison. We entered the next room briefly, but the haunting caused the doors to come alive and slam shut. Without the time to investigate, we decided to carry the vessel of the cold spirits from the place, and deal with this other room upon our return."
"What we have discovered is that the place is truly haunted. Obviously. So far, we have not found a definitive connection of that haunting to the events in the town. At present, that is still our immediate goal. Any questions?"
Valachi nods, indicating ready.
The confidence among us is growing.
Alistair gladly alights himself upon a chair in the study, and joins Kendra in preparing his arcane studies for the day.
He also nods at acknowledgement taking in the words of advice from mistress Lorrimor. At the conclusion of their preparations he adds, "Perhaps we could exchange arcane knowledge sometime, I would love to discuss spell theory and dynamics of planar manipulations and aether currents." Alistair looks as if he's about to launch into another diatribe of arcane topics, but he seems to check himself almost mid thought, instead he just smiles and gives a friendly and polite nod. He then turns his attentions back to confirming his knife and crossbow are at hand and prepared for the day.
Agnar readies himself to go back to Harrowstone, praying to his ancestors for strength so he does not fail once again.
Ried appears in appropriate exploring attire, crossbow at his hip and reagant-mixing goodness affixed around a bandolier across his shoulders with multiple pouches and flasks.
"Ho ho! Let's do this!" He exclaims with genuine excitement and a spring in his step.
As the last of the party is strapping on their boots, a sudden rapping can be heard at the door. It sounds hurried at first, but at the rate it increases before anyone can even get there it soon sounds frantic. Kendra opens the door to a sodden and wide eyed figure in a close bound robe. "Sagaar?" she asks tentatively, "Where have y..." she begins, but she is cut off by the voice of the man in the door. Though his robe covers most of his body, fierce scars can be seen across his face and hands.
"Zhan! Where is Zhan, I must see him." He catches sight of Zhan standing further in and pushes him way through the crowd until he is able to grab Zhan by the shoulders. While seemingly a bit chaotic, he does not seem to bear any hostility, and so those around let him pass. "Zhan, he knew, HE KNEW! What binds us together! He knew it all and meant it to happen. She's alive Zhan, she's alive!"
Zhan looks as startled and confused as the rest of the group, not quite sure what to make of their former companion's harried appearance. "What are you talking about Sagaar, who knew what? Who's alive?"
Sagaar looks about, seeing a few unfamiliar faces among the group gathered looking at him. A paranoid glint enters his eye. "Not here. Let's talk in back; alone!"
Zhan asks Kendra's leave, and she gives a confused gesture of acquiescence, after which the two men walk into one of the rear rooms of the home. The occasional syllable of a raised word amongst the whispering drifts out to where the group is gathered, though not enough to be able to glean any of the content.
After ten minutes that seem an eternity, the two men come back into the foyer. Zhan's eyes look distant and his face is a bit ashen. Sagaar looks just as intense as before.
Zhan begins to speak, stops and reconsiders his words, and then starts again. "Sagaar may have learned some strange things; things perhaps not directly related to what happens here in Ravengro, but then may be all to familiar as well. I am afraid..." he casts a sad look at Kendra, "that I must go with him. There are things he says he has learned that raise many more questions that must be answered. Things about me, my past, and things about the professor as well. I am sorry, friends, to leave you at a time like this. I would not do it unless I felt the outcome of these investigations as critical and sensitive to time as our mission in Harrowstone. Ember and Delia have shown a great deal of leadership and wisdom; I advise you to listen to them closely. I will rejoin you when I can, for I believe that what we go in search of will bring us together again. Sagaar said that he met with Carol Silverkin a few days ago, and that happenstance led them off on a trail of discovery, but one that took them away from Harrowstone. Now we will be heading out to see where it leads. They came back for me as some of the things they have learned reflect directly on me; as well perhaps as on others..."
Kendra looks a bit sad, and her eyes glisten, "Do what you need to do, Zhan. I know you would not leave if it were not important. Is there anything you can share with us about what Sagaar has told you?"
Zhan replies, "Not as of yet. None of it is confirmed, nor does it pose immediate danger. When I have the answers, I will seek out all of you, if circumstance has not brought us together again as I suspect it will." He looks down at himself and says, "I am already packed, so I'm afraid there will be no long goodbyes. Here, Ember, I'll leave this to you to find if any of your companions can use it." He hands Ember the Wand of Cure Light Wounds given to the party by Father Grimburrow.
There is a moment of silence and then Kirill speaks up, "I think I'll be heading out with you, if you don't mind. Not that Harrowstone hasn't been interesting, but I have a feeling that things may be a bit more exciting where you're going."
Zhan raises an eyebrow and looks at Sagaar, who after a moment nods. "Alright then, lets go." Zhan stops long enough to give Kendra a hug and a whispered word of encouragement in her ear, and then shake hands with all the other party members present. "Best of luck to you all. Lets hope it is with all of us." With that, the three men trudge into the rain, disappearing from view before they get much further than the street.
The group waits in silence for a few moments before Kendra says, "Well, lets get this sorted." She steps out into the rain, and heads in the direction of the ruins of Harrowstone.
When the group makes it to the gate again she asks, "How do we wish to enter? Should we go around back again, or should we enter by a different means? We could go to the same spot we had reached before, or enter through the front doors as that last room we saw seemed clearly to be the entry hall."
"If we must cleanse the entry hall of its haunt to proceed, then by all means let us start at the entry hall, rather than go around."
"As you are all returning to this area, the expertise most assuredly rests with you. However, the front door does indeed seem a good area to enter from, as that is its traditional function."
"Let's do it, then," Val agrees, gruffly. "Either of you skillful at locks and traps?" he asks Ried and Alistair.
"Let's do it, then," Val agrees, gruffly. "Either of you skillful at locks and traps?" he asks Ried and Alistair.
Ried winks, "I may have been known to slip into a couple areas that were built to be anti-access. I believe I'm your elf. Now, that said, the fact that you even ask the question leads me to believe you know of some locks and/or traps. Perhaps the front door, being the obvious entrance, may not be the best? I've found the absolutely best way to disable a trap is to avoid it altogether when possible. Technique only ... of course."
The archaeologist looks around and ponders, "What entrances have you determined exist aside from the obvious doors and windows? Is there a cellar? Did you check the well?"
"Traps? Did you say traps?"
Kendra puts in, "To be fair, we have not encountered anything so far you could honestly call a 'trap.' Every room has been haunted in one fashion or another, but we have seen no traps. I can't imagine why there would be any either. This was a prison, not a tomb."
Delia rushes out of the room as Zhan readies to leave, and comes back with a small bundle. "Now, I wrapped some of the leftovers from breakfast, a little bread and chesses, and few tarts I made the other day. You guys take care, and hopefully our paths will cross again." She gives a quick embrace to each of the men.
----
"Well, we had encircled the prison, and ended up entering through the crumbled hole in the wall where it meets the lake. There was, if I remember correctly, a side door up on the balcony where we fought the haunted scythe. I would hazard, though, that the second floor of a building that was ruined with fire may not be sturdy. I agree that the front door seems more prudent, and as we move about on the ground floor, we can see how solid the floor above may be." With that she fishes out one of the haunt siphons she's been carrying and holds the vial and stopper in each hand. She is ready next time one of those haunts comes at them.
Ember appears deep in though as she reguards the front entry.
'A door slamming haunt, how would one deal with such a thing?' she ponders.
The group approaches the entrance to the ancient prison with caution. The front doors sag heavily on their hinges, warped by the years of weather, summers, winters, rain, and sun. Austere granite stairs lead up to the entrance, and although covered in moss from the wet climate, they are solid and implacable.
Just inside the doors is a wide open space; not the same room the party had seen from the other side where the spirits had become roused, but rather a preamble to it.
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. These appear much akin to the double doors you tried to open from the auditorium, and your mental picture of the site has these doors opening into the same room, just from a different angle.
"I think that holy water should prevent this haunt from closing the doors upon us," Ember says, after a brief contemplation. "If someone can open the door, I will attempt to use some to stay the haunt."
She pulls forth a vial of holy water, and stands at the ready.
Besides the few items being carried by your companions, you see no other magical auras.[/ooc]
One of Ember's companions moves forward and forces open the door. It is old and has swelled within it's frame, but gives after a moment of hard pushing. As with the other door to this chamber the group attempted to open, a rush of energy seems to gather. Ember moves forward and sprinkles holy water over the threshold to the room. The door starts to swing towards closing, but then the energy lets out suddenly, almost like a "crack" through the air, even though no actual sound is heard. The door hangs still and the room beyond is accessible.
The chamber is 20 ft by 20 ft and appears to be a common foyer, with doors exiting on each cardinal direction point. 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. While some refuse and rotting debris remains, the room is essentially unadorned. A search of the room reveals nothing fruitful.
The doors to the West presumably open up into the audience chamber where the spirits of cold were vested. A set of double doors lead straight into the prison to the south, while a single door leads to the East.
Valachi takes a few moments to listen at each door.
Dead silence at either door.
Val shrugs and looks to the others. "Always go left?"
Agnar says "Might as well."
"It has been my experience that left, is always right. Or is it right is always wrong? Either way, left."
Ried will examine the locked door before we depart just to confirm his suspicions that it's beyond his ability
I'll wait until we are there.
3 ranks
3 dex
3 class skill
2 masterwork
1 trapfinding
The door opens into a long dark hall. Along the south side are a series of offices. None of the doors are locked, and you can easily peer in. The fire never reached this part of the prison, and each office looks eerily undisturbed, in that other than the layers of dust, they look as though everything was left as it was in the middle of a work day. Piles of papers lie in stacks, some neat, others random. At the end of the hall, two more doors sit unopened.
Ried will cursorily look across the stacks of paper to see if anything catches his eye.
Delia casts a spell, looking at each office as they pass for signs of lingering magical energies.
Continue on to check the eastern (left) doors.
The offices appear to have been dedicated to the logistics of running the prison. Duties seem to have been divided up amongst the clerks, and each room has paperwork on various topics. A brief scan of the papers in each office reveal one on income and budgetary concerns, the second is on scheduling and repair orders, the third on supply and requisitions, and the last on prisoner files and prisoner management issues. There appears to be a host of information here, but it is all a bit jumbled, chaotic, and a bit disorganized. While it might take a good deal of time, it is possible useful information might come from a detailed reading of these pages.
Delia scans each room with her arcane eye, looking for any auras that might signify magic. There appear to be none. Nor do any of the damned appear to make themselves known in this area.
Valachi examines the last two doors that exit the hall to the East. Both are thick and secure, but appear dry and brittle with age. Like most of the interior doors you have seen so far, they look as though they could be forced with a moderate show of strength. No sound is evident from behind either door.
Ried grabs the papers on prisoners/prisoner management and stuffs them in his sack.
Ried spends a good amount of time trying to stuff all the papers into his pack, but there is just too much here to fit it all in. He gets probably about half of it in, and his backpack is stuffed to bursting. Once finished he moves down to the doors at the end of the hall. He spends considerable time examining the doors, but he finds no sign of traps, or anything supernatural surrounding them.
"Huh, lot more than I initially thought. Bag of holding might come in handy here ... nevermind, we'll just have to remember where these were." Ried sighs as he dumps the paper back out.
Left door first.
You are able to force the door without too much trouble, much like the previous ones. A few firm hits with your shoulder, and it bangs open with a screech.
This spacious (10x10) 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. Windows line the North wall, but they are closely guarded by thick iron bars just beyond the glass.
While a few of the group are exploring what appears to be the Warden's office, others take a moment to open the second door. Inside is what appears to be a washroom, with an old wooden wash tub and a few buckets, with the room beyond clearly being a privy. There appears to be nothing of interest in this room.
"Not much here," Valachi mutters, sniffing at the air.
Kendra asks, "Before we move on, should we see if someone can open that safe? There might be important documents within, or other things like keys that would be useful within the prison."
Missed the safe, even on the reread .... Sry.
Ried will attempt to crack it.
Ried does a careful examination of the safe, but is unable to find any traps or anything else suspicious about it. He tries his had at the lock and finds it to be well made, and a bit frustrating.
After minutes of struggling with his fine tools, a pop and click are heard and the door swings open. Within the safe are kept numerous (now out-of-date) legal documents, along with 500 gp (the prison’s payroll and petty cash fund) and a wooden rack on which sit emergency supplies (four potions of cure moderate wounds, three potions of lesser restoration, and two potions of remove disease).