And Gkirkhan is easily able to carry poor Lazelo into the house. ;)
Gkirkhan leaves the farmer and the booze in the house. He double-checks his gear to make sure he has the essentials, his sword, his armor, his shiny warhammer, and most importantly, his hat.
He walks back to join the rest of the group.
"Hokay, vhere are ve goink?"
Neither, I think, a fright as you, my tusked friend, in such a civilized and taut populace; nor a lady, either, I suppose
Vertielle seems relieved they are heading back, and seeing the dimming light, says diplomatically to Wood, Perhaps we will have time in the morning to see this edifice and, moreover, then I will have the time and rest enough to procure admission to the various libraries of this place.
As long as everyone is returning to Kendra's house for the night, we'll move this along.
Next moring, the delicious smell of breakfast awakens you. By mid-morning you all have breakfasted and are gathered in the Professor's study. You can hear some sounds downstairs and then Pitor, Anya's husband comes up the stairs.
"Miss Kendra, the sheriff is here. He wants to talk to your guests. He wouldn't say why, but he looks upset. He's in the parlor."
Kendra rises, looking first worried, then amused. "It's probably because Lazelo didn't make it home last night. Escort my friends to the parlor while I see if Lazelo is awake yet."
Que steps out of the shadows, towards the group.
"I think Vertielle is right, we should stop our researches for today." She yawns demonstratively. "I'm tired as hell and can't wait to lay in a soft warm bed"
Gkirkhan looks surprisingly well rested after drinking most of the day yesterday.
"Pff, und dot guy thought he could out-drink me. Vell, shall ve greet de sheriff guy."
Gkirkhan stands up and heads to the parlor.
Vertielle finishes the last of her breakfast hastily, but with grace. Her mouth still full, she sips some tea, then follows Gkirkhan to the parlor, adjusting her dress as she goes.
Wood enters and is bringing the books of interest from the professor's library. I can research and listen to the sheriff. It is when I speak the troubles occur.
I like this rascal with the hat. He has character. He has shown me books aren't the only way to find information, but with books the next morning is always much better.
She does her calisthenic exercises in the morning before breakfast.
Kurik checks his armor and sharpens his axe after he gets up.
Never know when you might need a sharp axe...
As you enter the parlor, you see hat the sheriff is pacing around the room, rather than sitting.
His brief smile and nod as you enter is perfunctory. He's obviously upset, you might even say angry. He looks you all over in a way that has you remembering every infraction you've ever had, even the smallest.
"I'm here for two reasons. let's get the simplest out of the way first."
He looks over at Gkirkhan.
"Pitor states that you and Lazelo spent the night here after that bet. Did you ever make it to Harrowstone?"
Then he looks back at the rest of you.
"Secondly, did any of you go to or go past the Harrowstone Memorial last night?
Just then Kendra enters with Lazelo, who looks a little pale and a lot embarrased.
"I guess Maria sent you after me, Sheriff? Sorry to have worried her, or anyone else. I'm fine." says Lazelo.
The Sheriff smiles. "And cured of making stupid bets, I hope. Unfortunately, that's just part of the problem." he sighs.
"What's wrong, Sheriff?" from both Lazelo and Kendra together.
For everyone's safety, it may be best to keep our interest in Harrowstone a secret
Where is the memorial, again?
Vertielle's eyes betray a flash of a dangerous, cunning insight before returning to their usual, all-consuming green. She answers with a schoolgirl attentiveness, and a slight shift of her frame. Her movement tugs at the tongues of all present, her innocent question quickly cooling the serious air.
"Vell, if not, he vill be soon!"
Gkirkhan takes off his boots and holds them out towards Lazelo. Gkirkhan just stands there grinning like he almost always does.
"If hyu tink Hy deed enyting, den say so. Dis guy barely made it out of de tavern. Hyu meh have smelled his supper on de vay here."
Sheriff Caellar chooses to ignore the interplay between Gkirkhan and Lazelo and speaks to Kendra (and, indirectly, the rest of you).
"Someone -desecrated- the Harrowstone Monument last night. It's been splashed with blood and had the letter 'V' painted on it in blood as well. I don't see any reason for your guests to have done such a thing, but I can't think why any of the townsfolk would either."
He snorts."Of course, the town is in an uproar. If Father Grimburrow and I hadn't been helping that travelling show set up north of thown, the usual crowd would have attacked them as the cause."
He curses bitterly and continues."The council's on my back already to solve it, Gibs says no one went near the place all night...but he was also at the Demon last night, so...
He looks at all of you again, angry and frustrated.
"This is a town issue! It needs to be resolved by us or no one will accept the answers. Anything you know, anything at all, tell me right away!"
"Mehbe dose ghosties ain't as fake as everyvun thought. Ov course, Hy vanna know vhere dey got de blood from. Has enyone gone missing in de past few days."
Gkirkhan's hat once again hides his face in shadow. His boot fall to the floor with a clatter and his expression, what can be seen anyway, is grim.
"De Professor said sumting about dis 'Vhispering Vay' ting. Mehbe dey deed dot to de statue."
Gkirkhan puts his boots back on. And turns to Lazelo.
"Mehbe et's a goot ting hyu passed out. Hyu saved me quite a bit uv trouble, so de vager iz off."
Gkirkhan turns back to the sheriff.
"Hyu may vant to fix dis, bot metinks dis is past hyur skill. Vhy not leave et to us und hyu ken take de credit, jah."
Wood whispers in Vertiele's ear, "Maybe we offer to help the sheriff and see if you can get us a trip to the memorial to investigate in his company. Some legitimate authority in town will really help."
Que nods as Gkirkhan offers to help the sheriff.
"It's true, we can offer our help in this matter. I don't think anyone of us is happy with being suspected to have done something like that."
She pauses for a moment.
[b]"Why a V? Could this be somehow related to the fire in Harrowstone? Was there someone, perhaps a guard or such who died in the fire whose name started with a V?"
Diplomacy checks, please, everyone.
@Que: You don't know off-hand. Perhaps if you could check the names on the monument or find that list full list of names the Profesor wanted, you might find one with a V.
"Hy ken smash op eny ghosties or necromencers ve find, if hyu vant us to."
Perhaps my field may be of use to you, sheriff- I've spent forty years as a symbologist, and I have some learning concerning graphology...
I hadn't wanted to attract undue attention to our research, but it appears unavoidable.
@all: I'd forgotten the +2. That gives Lazelo a 11 which does allow for +1 to everyone's rolls. Doesn't help Gkirkhan much, though.
The sheriff turns to Vertiele. "I believe you said something before about being able to identify handwriting. I'd appreciate it if YOU were to check out the writing. You may not recognize it now, but if we get a sample from a suspect, you might be able to say one way or the other. As for the rest of you, I can't stop you from checking things out. Just don't get in the way."
I admit, I have worked for the law before, Mr...
Vertielle waits for his name, as if she had forgotten it, then continues.
I admit it was a harrowing experience. I must therefore insist that Gkirkhan accompany me, lest any should seek injury against me.
She seems to sense the sheriff's distaste of Gkirkhan- perhaps even foretelling it- and gives the hulking man an easy excuse to accompany her.
My associate should also come along, as he is my expert on local history, religion, and culture, she finishes, gesturing to Wood. It was good advice he gave, and she would rather he not have to speak directly to the sheriff to act upon it.
"So Vertielle and Gkirkhan will check the memorial... What can we do to help, sheriff?"
Vertielle gathers some of her gear into a travel bag before slinging it over her shoulder, then looks around the room, as if to confirm everyone else is ready to be on their way.
"I am sorry about what happened, but most of us were here last night.
I believe most of us will be glad to assist you in solving this horrible crime."
"I will come along as a scholar to aid the investigation."
Wood packs up his books and journals and joins Vertielle.
Just keep to what you do best, the book work. Ignore the fun Gkirkhan is having, you don't have the hair he has to let down."
"Sure ting. Hy just need to grab a few tings."
Gkirkhan gets his warhammer, his sword, his daggers, and his armor. once everything is on, or sheathed, he straightens his hat to a suitably jaunty angle. this take all of five minutes.
"Ready vhen hyu are sveetheart."
Sheriff Caeler guides you to the Memorial. It consists of the life-sized statue of a man standing on a low pedestal mounted on a tall block with names carved on all four sides. There is dried blood smeared on the base and splattered over the face of the statue. On the pedestal, also in blood, is the letter V.
Que walks around the statue, studying the names on the pedestal
Vertielle takes several measurements, including angle, and sketches the scene, including the background, in her journal.
It could be a five, or even a downwards point. We don't know for sure if it IS a "v"... Nonetheless, I believe that it's alphabetical implications are the most obvious, so there will I begin my research.
"Votever et iz, Hy have a bad feeling about et. Blood tends to be de ting dot iz used in dose rituals dot bring forth demons und tings dot need to stay dead, jah?"
Gkirkhan stays close to Que and Vertielle. He looks anxious, like he's wanting something to happen.
@Que: There are 25 names on the base; they include the warden, his wife, and twenty-three guards.
@group: The (correction) 25' tall statue is a human male wearing a uniforn and wielding a truncheon. The Memorial itself is a bit mossy in spots. The blood splattered on the face of the statue almost makes it look like tears. While the blood splatters on the base appear random, after a few minutes of study, they seem to form a flame pattern. If you look away and back the splatters seem random again. There are two deputies by the monument, one keeping a small, muttering crowd away and one observing the marks and making notes.
@group: KN: nature might give an idea of how long the blood has been there.
@Vertielle: it does appear to be the letter 'V'. While it's difficult to tell from just one letter, the style is familiar, resembling the more formal printing used in magical writing.
After sharing her findings with the sheriff, Vertielle recommends some of the blood be collected, for magical analysis.
@Vertielle: the blood has probably been there since midnight, give or take an hour. You have no idea what type of blood, though. As for the letter, it's less for a specific ritual, than for clarity. Many wizards and other arcanists tend to use the same, rather formal, script to prevent transcription errors. The letters themselves are not magical.
Que Xuang studies the name, searching for one beginning with a "V" perhaps there is the key to this puzzle. She also checks if she finds the names of the five most notorious prisoners; Father Charlatan, the Lopper, the Mosswater Marauder, the Piper of Illmarsh, and the Splatter Man.
The single letter is far too esoteric to be the full intent of any vandal, and if no one is missing, likely not the work of a murderer or Cultist...
Perhaps the vandalism was interrupted by passerby.
@Que: the names on this moument are only those of the Warden, his wife, and the guards who died. no prisoner's names are listed. Of the 25 names on the monument there are 5 names starting with 'V'; Duris Valeru, Ioseph Veramar, Valisav Barlheit, Vanne Khorlan, and Vesorianna Hawkran.
she adds to Vertielle comment on who
"Or could be the work of one possessed by Darkness."
"Vesorianna Hawkran is the same name as the warden--maybe the name of the warden's wife. I need to research the wardens family more. Maybe my arcane lore will help me."
Know Arcana
Know History
Know Religon
@Wood: Your reading of the Professor's notes confirms Vesorianna was, indeed Warden Hawkran's wife. Why she was in a position to have died in the fire is unclear. The Warden's family did have a house on the prison grounds, but there was no reason for her to have been in the prison itself.
There doesn't seem to have been anything specifically arcane about the fire or the blood smears here. You do recall that Pharasma's clerics are *required* to hold services for *anyone* who dies in their dominion. The church here in Ravengro should have a listing of all the dead, guards and prisoners. Since some guards survived, perhaps they left records of the events as well.
@group: it occurs to you that you are going to have to find those records. The fire was 50 years ago. any survivors would be in their late 60s & early 70s. Also, people trained as guards might have left to find similar work elsewhere.
"The temple is the next step. They often keep records and may know an older, living source we can ask. Fires, by the way, sometimes are used to cover up something nefarious."
As you head back toward the main road, you pass by Gibs Hephenus’s rather ramshackle home. The old man is out in the yard leaning on the fence. As he sees you coming he straightens up and says "I suppose that old wizard's brat gave you an alibi? Pah! They shoulda let us burn his corpse to remove the curse. If'n you keep pokin' around you'll only stir things up more. Go home and leave us be!"
Gkirkhan grabs the old farmer by front of his shirt and draws his face up to where it's barely two inches from Gkirkhan's.
"So Mizter Gibz, jah? Hy tink ve need to have a leedle talk. Mizz Kendra iz not a brat, she iz a nice young lady und hyu vill treat her as such. De Professor vas keeled trying to keep all ov hyu from turning into undead tings dot Hy vould have to come smash op. Hyu vill honor dot, und keep a civil tongue in hyur head vhen talkng about him."
Gkirkhan brings the man's face so close that their nose are almost touching. The toothy smile on his face is not friendly. It's actually terrifying. His voice drops to a manic whisper.
"Ve vill not bother hyu, but if hyu continue to throw mud ot de Professor und hiz daughter den hyu vill find out just how scary ov a monster Hy ken be."
Gkirkhan finally puts the man down and claps him on the back.
"So have a goot day und say hello to de odder boiz ot de tavern for me."
The stubborn old man doesn't seem impressed. He draws himself up and stands his ground.
"I know what I know. Things were quiet here til that old necr-- wizard started poking around Harrowstone. He stirred something up and this town's going to pay for it. Good thing it got him first. But what's it matter to you strangers. You'll just head back to where you came from and leave us to our fate."
He snorts.
"Smash undead? You can't smash ghosts. But as for that wizard? Your own words convict him! You came here to smash undead? Then you had to know they were there! I knew he brought them!"
@group: sense motive please
"Mehbe dere iz horse shit in hyur ears, cuz Hy said dot hyu vould not be insultink de Professor's name."
Gkirkhan gets ready draw his sword.
"Or mehbe f@*%ink hyur pigs has made hyur brains go all to mush."
He gets right up in Gib's face.
He roars. His expression is that of barely constrained fury.
The old man snaps back with equally righteous fury.
"So you're gonna prove your point by attacking an unarmed man? Tell you what, just let me get my war razor and I'll take you on!"
He turns around and stalks toward his house with as much dignity as he can manage.
If no one stops him he will march into his shack. You will hear him tossing things around, then a roar of indignantion.
"My war razor! Where's that usless sheriff! I've been robbed!"
He will come charging out and try to brush past all of you as if he's not even seeing you.
"Caeller! Caeller! What kind of sheriff are you? Desecrations and robbery? Threats from these..these...outsiders? What else are you gonna let slide?"