Everyone make a DC 15 diplomacy or perform check for your speeches.
Your words said, the priest directs you to use the provided ropes to lower the casket into the grave. As you do so, Grimburrow begins to recite the Pharasmatic chant of the dead. The words spoken are in Old Azlanti, harsh and guttural. You feel little comfort outside of the fact that you know these words have been spoken hundreds of thousands of times before at gravesites all over the world. A tradition that is timeless, but one you wish you could forget.
Father Grimburrow finishes his words right as the casket comes to rest on the ground below. He turns again to Kendra, My child, is there anything you would like to say at this time?
Kendra-Dad...I miss you. I thought losing Mom would be the hardest thing I would ever have to go through. I was wrong. I miss you every day. Your laugh. Your smile. Your always knowing what to say to make things better. Looking at the party, Thank you for showing me that caring and taking care of others is a true calling to be honored and treasured. I hope in the years ahead that I will come to build an equally rich network of true friends and companions and that my days will be filled with laughter and wonder as yours were. tears starting to flow freely now, Tell Mom I love her and that as much as I'll miss the two of you, I'm happy that you can be together now. Resit in peace.
The two gravediggers begin to shovel dirt on top of the coffin. Father Grimburrow gives Kendra a hug and after talking to a few of the assmebled council folk about the Gib issue departs.
The townsfolk pay their respects to Kendra, and except for tavernkeeper Zokar, they barely acknowledge the party's presence. The small group departs, except for councilman Vashian Hearthmount.
Kendra looks at the PCs-Well...who's ready for a drink? I think we've earned one before we hear Father's will read, yes? Vashian if you are ready, please gather up the will and meet us at my house for the reading.
Vashian-As you say lady., he turns and departs.
Kendra walks with the PCs back to her house and serves drinks as best she's able while you wait for Vashian.
~any actions before Vashian arrives?~
No action here
(wasn't very inspiring)
no action here
[dice=diplomacy]1d20 + 6
(wasn't very inspiring)
no action here
Must have been all worn out from catching the coffin!
Vashian finally arrives-Ahem, well you know why I am here, I'm sure. Let's just skip the pleasantries given the dust up at the Restlands and given that you insist on your guest being present during the reading. He gives each PC an unfavorable look and then produces a scroll case. He shows the case to Kendra and the PCs so you can see that the Professor's seal remains unbrokenDon't want any confusion or scandal after the reading. Tut-tut.
He then proceeds to break the wax and open the case. As he does, a small iron key falls out of the tube, clattering noisily onto the table. Undaunted by the key, Vashian begins to read, obviously eager to be done with this business and to get back home.
I, Petros Lorrimor, being of sound mind, do hereby commit to this
parchment my last will and testament. Let it be known that, with
the exception of the specific details below, I leave my home and
personal belongings entire to my daughter Kendra. Use them or
sell them as you see fit, my child. Yet beyond the bequeathing of
my personal effects, this document must serve other needs.
I have arranged for the reading of this document to be delayed until
all principals can be in attendance, for I have more than mere
inheritance to apportion. I
have two final favors to ask.
To my old friends, I hate to impose upon you all, but there are
few others who are capable of appreciating the true significance of
what it is I have to ask. As some of you know, I have devoted many
of my studies to all manner of evil, that I might know the enemy and
inform those better positioned to stand against it. For knowledge
of one’s enemy is the surest path to victory over its plans.
And so, over the course of my lifetime, I have seen fit to acquire
a significant collection of valuable but dangerous tomes, any one
of which in the wrong circumstances could have led to an awkward
legal situation. While the majority of these tomes remain safe under
lock and key at the Lepidstadt University, I fear that a few I have
borrowed remain in a trunk in my Ravengro home. While invaluable
for my work in life, in death, I would prefer not to burden my
daughter with the darker side of my profession, or worse still, the
danger of possessing these tomes herself. As such, I am entrusting
my chest of tomes to you, posthumously. I ask that you please deliver
the collection to my colleagues at the University of Lepidstadt, who
will put them to good use for the betterment of the cause.
Yet before you leave for Lepidstadt, there is the matter of
another favor—please delay your journey one month and spend
that period of time here in Ravengro to ensure that my daughter is
safe and sound. She has no one to count on now that I am gone,
and if you would aid her in setting things in order for whatever she
desires over the course of this month, you would have my eternal
gratitude. From my savings, I have also willed to each of you a sum
of one hundred platinum coins. For safekeeping, I have left these
funds with Embreth Daramid, one of my most trusted friends in
Lepidstadt—she has been instructed to issue this payment upon
the safe delivery of the borrowed tomes no sooner than one month
after the date of the reading of this will.
I, Petros Lorrimor, hereby sign this will in Ravengro on this
first day of Calistril, in the year 1540.
Councilman Vashian looks questioningly at Kendra.
Kendra-You have done your duty Councilman and I thank you for it. I bid you good eve as my friends and I have much to discuss.
She walks him to the door and locks it after he leaves.
Returning to the PCs-Well...thanks again for everything, especially today. I'm not sure I could have made it through this last week or so without your company. I'll need a few weeks to settle my affairs here in Ravengrown and I'm not really sure if I will keep the house or not. So many memories... As the will says, I'd ask you to stay in town for a month, you will stay here of course as my guests. As for the chest, it's here, she points at a fine looking chest sitting unobtrusively in a corner of the room, she then points at the key who would like the honor of opening it?
I am happy to stay the month to make sure Kendra is safe. I also would like to investigate Lorrimar's "accident.". The least being, seeing his actual place of death and talking with those who found his body.
"I can open the chest if you like, you may want to move back or even leave the room in case it is trapped."
search the chest for traps
Maybe now is a good time for Randtam to demonstrate his arcane prowess and Uuranx his divine? Inspection and detection prior to opening seem like a reasonable course of action. Vraxel-I'm assuming your "river rat" background gives you skills beyond just fine blade work?
(if we are taking 10)
I shall detect evil on the chest.
I cast detect magic on the chest.
You detect no evil or magic on the chest itself.
Did I find any traps?
Did I find any traps?
Negative.
"I didn't find any traps, Kendra give me the go ahead and I will open the chest."
If you believe it is safe to, go ahead.
I open Pandora's Box, I mean the chest.
The key fits the lock perfectly, and within are several old tomes and one relatively new one. The newest tome sit on top and bears the pharse "Read me now!" scratched into the leather cover.
To group: "read me now".....seems fishy for Lorrimar to write in common. He knows many different languages, why write in common?
I cast detect magic again since the chest is open.
"I just met Lorrimar recently and am not familiar with his handwriting but many of you have known him for a lengthy time and have exchanged letters with him, does the writing on the tome appear to be his?"
After careful examination your spell shows a faint aurau of magic about one book only. It has a rich purple cover containing a brass scarab set with a single eye in its center. The book's covers are rimmed in polished steel and clasped with a small but intricate lock, the keyhole of which appears to be for a key with a strange, triangular shaft. There is no key in the chest.
http://cdn.obsidianportal.com/assets/78953/ManualEsoteric.jpg
DM: The book that says "Read me Now" and the magic book are different books, right?
DM: The book that says "Read me Now" and the magic book are different books, right?
Yessir.
Does Alamin recognize the writing on the cover of the book?
That is clearly the Professor's writing. If he left it for us, I would assume it is instructions of some sort or maybe his journal?
Does Alamin recognize the writing on the cover of the book?
Sorry, didn't see your earlier ninja post.
"Lets open the book that says read me now. Any objections?"
None here. I say we open it.
Ok, I open the book that says open me.
You open the book and read a few lines. This book appears to be the Professor's journal.
It's the professors journal maybe it can help us investigate what he was doing when he died.
Keep reading.
I keep reading the journal.
Meaning no offense Vraxel, but it would seem Randtam is the most learned and studied of our group? I myself have spent endless hours in the stacks of various temples doing research; I spent so much time because I serve Sarenrae best with my sword arm and faith not my skill at books. Randtam, what say you? Maybe the three of us can tackle the journal while you test your mind with the other three tomes? Uuranx, given the Professor's research can you divine any evil about any of them?
To group: just precautionary, but I would like for Uuranx to detect evil. I would love to read the tomes. Especially the one with the scarab. I will be extra careful with that one.
To DM detect magic again when the book is by itself.
I will detect evil on the books.
Your detecting reveals that the locked book with the strange scarab atop it has a faint magical aura.
The other three books radiate a faint evil.
The journal has no detectable auras.
Concentrate on the scarab...detect magic and use my knowledge. Focus power.
Knowledge arcana check please.
To Kendra where did your father meditate and find peace when studying?
I need to be alone to study this.
Kendra-He actually kept a study on the first floor. It's through there; but how are you going to study that book...when it's locked, and what of the other books and his journal?
I open the lock
I open the lock
[dice=arcana]1d20 + 8
The lock is infinitely beyond your ability to open.
Well then, I attempt to look at the other tomes.
Apparently everything is beyond my ability to decipher and understand.