she sees the burns
"What the ?
Burns from a dream?
Is that even possible?"
Wood recounts info about prisoner number that will be shared with the group.
"In 48 hours we march on Harrowstone. Just some more research at the fancy, smancy bookstore first. I'm bringing my inheritance money--I have platinum to spend."
Wood displays his Necronimicon. The sight of the book with its obscure symbols alone is chilling. "This book has information about creature from other places of origins that have haunted mankind for centuries--I will check and see if the like of our troubles is mentioned at all."
Knowledge Planes
I think we should know who and what we are up against and make preparations with that knowledge.
Wood displays his Necronimicon. The sight of the book with its obscure symbols alone is chilling. "This book has information about creature from other places of origins that have haunted mankind for centuries--I will check and see if the like of our troubles is mentioned at all."
Not yet. Wait for module 4. :)
As you are breakfasting, you hear knocking at the door. shortly after, Pitor leads Sheriff Caeler and Riff into the room.
The sheriff speaks first. "Are you folks all right? We had several odd incidents happen last night."
Riff, looking very concerned, says "Uncle went crazy in the cell last night. Acording to Trestleblade, he started in on his usual stuff about females trying to dress and act like men. Midway through, she says his voice changed. He started ranting something about some woman dieing again, then started chanting, well, your name, Miss Aurora. He bit his hand hard enough to draw blood and started writing your name on the cell wall, laughing. When she opened the cell to try to secure him so he wouldn't hurt himself he knocked her out and ran."
The sheriff finishes "Did anything odd happen here last night?"
in a calm, serious and diplomatic voice
"Well sheriff, we all had nightmares last night.
All connected to the Old Harrowstone fire,"
"And given a few clues I put together, the dead prisoners want out.
But the good news is someone is keeping them locked up for now, but is getting weaker."
"As for why, Gibs was chanting my name. I can only think that the entity found it as I was dreaming and had Gibs chant it for a frame up."
"Nightmares? About Harrowstone? Hm. So you do thing that Gibs is possessed. I wonder...Here the sheriff pauses, seeming to be thinking deeply.
"There is something else you should know. When we found Professor Lorrimor's body, we also saw odd symbols inscribed on the walls of the prison. Gibs was with us and saw them."
He pauses again."As a friend of the late professor, I find it hard to believe he'd be responsible for releasing...whatever's up there. As the Sheriff, I'd like to ask you folks to look into this while you're here. Without council permission, I can't make it an official request, of course. I'll see if I can persuade them. Just, keep me informed of what you find. And if you see Gibs, try to take him alive, if he'll let you."
"Ho boy, dis iz not a goot sign."
Gkirkhan gets up and heads upstairs to get ready for a day that was probably going to be long and full of beasties.
"Looks like ve just ran out ov time to read books und scrolls."
"We'll keep an eye out for Gibs, but Gibs is only a symptom.
We'll look for the source of the problem, which is in Harrowstone somewhere.
It would be wise to know who or what we're up against,
so I be looking in the temple records to find answers."
OK, so everyone is heading in different directions. Wood and Vertielle are headed to the Unfurled Scroll and Evangline is headed to the temple. Que, Kurik, Gkirkhan, where do you want to go?
Also; Wood, perhaps inspired by his dream, has finally remembered something about one of the prisoner's names that Que learned.
The Piper of Illmarsh was noted for feeding victims to his stirges. He distracted his victims with his piping, dosed their meals with lich dust to paralyze them, then fed them to his stirges, all the while playing a mournful dirge. Even after he was capured and sentenced, no one ever learned his real name.
As those of you headed to the Scroll arrive, you see a group of young Varisian girls playing a jump rope game. They jump in and out of the rope, taking turns, following a chant in Varisian. Anyone who speaks Varisian can understand it and translate for anyone else in the group.
Take a knife and lop her head.
Watch the blood come out the pipe.
Feeds 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.”
for Vertielle:
KN: History & KN: Local
Father Charlatan:
The Lopper:
The Mosswater Maruader:
The Splatter Man:
Possession:
The song seems to be an amalgamation of various prisoner's misdeeds, perhaps passed through generations by the families of the guards or executioner.
Later that evening, Vertielle whispers in a hushed tone to the assembled group, sharing all that she has learned in her study. She speaks quickly, and easily explains the more complicated concepts of arcane theory to the less educated. She sums up her discourse with a plea to explore the vault of Pharasmic weapons the Professor mentioned.
"Soundz goot to me. Should be sum goot stuff for bustink op undead beasties."
Gkirkhan seems to have only understood the part about weapons in the vault and going to get them.
If Wood is allowed access he will be extremely polite to Que as he knows the research part must be boring for her. He thinks she would like to hear some 'cute stories' from the Necronomicon. Telling her about a race of coastal dwellers that turned out to develop webbed hand and feet from rumored interaction with nasty sea monsters. He will then show Que his pet frog familiar supposedly found in their care.
"He doesn't have any human traits I have noticed besides telepathic ability and spell casting."
His research focuses on (1) Harrowstone, (2) Whispering Way, (3) prisoners
Research History
"Well, if so many of us are dreamin' about that harrerstone place I think its aboot time we took some action, dreamin don't give ya burns like those and tha place was also were tha professor met his untimely end."
kurik isn't the one for waiting around.
@Vertielle: for info on each individual prisoner you need a 25 on that specific person. You can try again the next day, though. Research isn't a once only thing.
@Group: Now that you have the names, you can also try just a KN roll for each to see if you can dredge up any memories of these people from past experiences, but that roll *is* once only.
Also, does anyone want to talk to the girls and ask them about the chant?
Those of you who went to the Scroll also see a group nine of gaudily painted Varisian covered wagons camped in the field behind the Scroll. A sign reads "The Crooked Kin - Ustalav's Greatest Traveling Cabinet of Curiosities!". It also displays pictures of what must be the performers as well.
Research for three more prisoners in order
Wood definitely browses the curiosities and tries to buy Que a present more charming than a scary grimoire.
Perhaps the cover of darkness would be the best veil to deter unwanted questions as to our intent, digging up a false crypt. We should procure the supplies tonight, and leave for harrowstone at first light. Vertielle shivers, and eyes the palms of her new friends.
I'd rather not spend the night at the prison for obvious reasons- near dark, we should return, and continue our research.
@Wood: The little girl's chant triggers another memory; that of the man called Father Charlatan.
While not a murderer, Sefick Corvin, known as Father Charlatan after his schemes fell apart, was convicted of crimes which were regarded as so blasphemous that several churched *demanded* he be punished to the fullest extent of Ustalavian law. He had travelled from place to place, town to town, posing as an ordained cleric of whichever deity was preferred locally, using faith as a mask to bilk the faithful out of money in payment for false miracles or cures. When he was finally uncovered as a fraud, his Sczarni accomplices murdered a half-dozen city guards in a failed attempt to escape. While he was not sentenced to be executed, he was to be imprisoned for life. Apparently, Harrowstone was the place he was sent to.
"Alright, sounds goot." Gkirkhan will spend teh rest of teh day getting ready for tonight.
Coming upon the girls playing, Que steps closer, lowering her self to be on the same height than the girls and asks them:
"That is an interesting song you are siniging there, care to tell me more about it please?
Upon arriving at the unfurling scroll, Que helps Wood with his research on all those topics.
The girls seem fascinated by Que and are happy to chat with her until they're called into class. They don't know the origin of their chant, they simply say they've 'always' used it in Ravengro. Of course, none of them seem older than 12, so even a few generations over 50 years would seem to be 'always'.
OK, remaining prisoners (you already have the maximum info on the Illmarsh Piper and Father Charlatan:
The Lopper: total roll=24; Wood's rolled 23 +1 from Que's roll of 18
The Mosswater Maurader: total roll=15; Wood rolled 14, +1 from Que's roll of 11
The Splatter Man: total roll 25; Que rolled 24, +1 from Wood's roll of 17
The Splatter Man was once a celebrated scholar of Anthroponomastics at the Quatrefaux Archives in Caliphas, Professor Hean Feramin. After being seduced by a succubus posing as a student, his studies were transformed into a twisted and warped obsession. His attempts to use the power of a name to terrify and contol the person so named cost him his reputation and his job. Driven mad by this, he developed an uncontrollable obsession with an imaginary link between a person's name...and what happens when that person dies. He began to test this by stalking victims (always women), secretly arranging for each victim to find a letter from her name written in blood every few days, perhaps smeared on a wall or spelled out in carefully arranged entrails. If possible, he would use blood from something associated wiith his victim (usually a pet). Once he'd spelled out the victim's name, he would come for her, killing her in as gory a manner as possible, using a complex trap or a series of rigged events meant to look like an accident.
Wood turns to Que "Thanks for your her help. You definitely know your research. That Splatter Man makes me feel like a normal, well adjusted member of society. I think the others are ansy to have a crack at Harrowstone."
Wood will also see if there are any books for sale here and at the caravan.
As you finish your researches for the day and head back to Kendra's you pass through the town square. There you see a small crowd gathered, apparently watching and listening to something. As you get closer you hear music and singiing. A male voice is saying "Come one, come all! This is just a sample of the curiosities and delights that await you through the entertainment services of the Crooked Kin! Come and enjoy the talents of the Two-Headed Nightingale and the One-Man Band!"
The speaker is an albino human male wearing a tall red top hat, a long red coat with gold buckles, and striped trousers. His red eyes are shadowed by the brim of the hat and his long white hair hangs below his knees. The performers are even stranger. While you heard two voices, the singer actually appears to be a woman with four legs and four arms, one body and two heads,the heads facing in opposite directions. The musician is similarly two people in one, joined together at the chest. The left body is playing a lute while the right is playing a pipe. Both sides of the man are also working an odd combo istrument that includes drums, cymbals, a hammered dulcimer, and a harmonica. Both sides of the girl...or girls...are also playing tambourines.
@group: perception checks, please. Oh, and slot your spells.
Final note on the Whispering Way...they are noted for destroying the faces of their victims and traitors, as well as their own people if captured, to prevent anyone from learning their secrets.
Eva goes to the temple and tries to gain access to their records
"Ah, yes. You are a friend of the late Professor Lorrimor. Such a dedicated soul. Truly a sad loss for us all. If anything in the temple records will aid you, go right ahead and check. One of my acolytes will guide you to the record room."
Father Grimburrow pauses "Oh and by the way, Professor Lorrimor was certain there was some sort of anti-undead stash in a false crypt in the Restlands. I didn't believe him, but Rima here" he gestures to the halfling acolyte"says she thinks she found an old reference to such a stash. I would appreciate it if you and your friends wold check it out. If there is anything there that will help in the current situation, you have my permission to take whatever you need."
What a wonderful tune.
Vertielle is fully decked for travel, with her gear, her good boots, her traveler's cloak, and even a longsword and whip fastened around her belt. She waits for the others before heading to the false crypt.
"Thank you, father for the information,
I head there with the rest of our group a bit later."
@Wood: You find the following for sale at the Unfurling Scroll; 12 arcane scrolls of various levels (Floating Disk, Hypnotism, Identify, Magic Aura, Summon Monster I, Darkness, Knock, Resist Energy, Scare, Tiny Hut, Tongues), 1 wand of cat's grace (13 charges), 1 wand of slow (6 charges), and a flesh golem manual.
Upon examining the manual, you find a stamp on the inner back cover; property of and a signature: Montagnie Crowl
The Lopper was Vance Saetressle, a mad human male who stalked his prey, hiding in the most unlikely places, sometimes for days on end with just enough supplies to keep him going, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Once he trapped his target alone, he would spring out, suprise them, and behead them with a handaxe.
After your conclude your research for the day, you head to the Restlands, to take advantage of the remaining light. Rima, the halfling acolyte, had informed Evangline of the standard practice here of making Pharasma's sign on your breast when passing or entering the Restlands. It strikes all of you as appropriate.
The Professor's notes placed the 'false crypt' at the intersection of the Eversleep and the Black Path. Rima provided Evangline with a chart of the Restlands, with the crypt she thought it might be marked. It appears to be just past the Professor's grave.
As you approach the spot, you see a freestanding granite mausoleum, its roof decorated with a pair of leering gargoyle statues. You see only one entrance, a stone door on the south facade, secured with a rusty lock.
"Enyvun bring eny picks? Hy could get de door open, bot dey might not like me bustink op de lock."
Looks rusted enough to be replaced anyhow. Go ahead and knock it off.
Que steps forward, kneeling down and checking the locks.
"Let's see what we have here. "
She takes a leather wrapper with exotic seeming ornaments on it out of her bag and starts to work on the lock.
As Que touches the lock, she stops, looking surprised. The lock is already open. It only looks secure. It looks, to her practiced eye, like the lock had been opened by someone using a vial of acid, then just set back in place.
You push the 10' wide double doors open to see a flight of stairs descending 5' into a darkended chamber.
"Seems, as if someone was here before us. That lock was allready opened with a vial of acid or such. Perhaps we should be carefull."
Que removes the lock and holds it up, showing the others the acid damage. She then opens the door slowly, trying to discern, what is in there, before entering.
The waning light illuminates a few feet of floor, seeming to indicate a large chamber. You sense nothing within at this time. A draft from the door stirs some of the dust on the steps.
@group: Anyone with a passive perception of 15 or better can see a faint set of tracks leading down the stairs and into the chamber.
"I hope it was the professor here before us."