Bramwell stares at Filiana with curiosity for a moment, but quickly dismiss the sight of her glowing eyes upon seeing the Professor's grave open and desecrated. His face contorts into an angry frown, and the dhampir crouches over studying the scene. His grimace suddenly softens into surprise as Bramwell realizes what has happened here. "Easy, little one," he tells Filiana. "Gone indeed, but not robbed. These marks indicate that the Professor clawed his way out of the grave, instead of being dug out." He lowers his head and drops his shoulders with a loud sigh. "Miss Kendra, I'm afraid this is rather bad news. I doubt he has ressurrected in good terms. If the Professor has risen as an undead, his soul agonizes. We cannot have that." He then turns to Imperia and Dr. Cawthorne. "Perhaps that man Gibs, in his superstition and ignorance, was inadvertently right. The worst has come to pass in this graveyard."
Filiana stares in horror as Lord Bramwell makes his assessment of the situation.
Un...undead? Pharasma preserve us!
Once again her hand makes the almost unconscious motion to place the spiral of Pharasma over her heart.
Impera's face twists with concern. "Dug out?" her shoulders sag. "This has to be the work of the Way. There's no other reason for him to do that. We need to find him, and put him back to rest quickly."
"Lord Bramwell can you see which way he er went?" she pats Kendra on the shoulder. "I'm sorry."
Cawthorne's eyes go wide as saucers at his companions' revelation. His beak hangs agape for a few moments in astonishment before he squawks "The professor? " His voice is harsh, more bird call than human speech, and his taloned fingers begin to fidget with the chains which hang from his vest pockets as he looks wildly around at the others. "Surely there's some mistake! Just a prank by this heckler Gibs, or unruly children! Or some beast dug him up, a, a wolf, or a bear - yes, that's it, a bear! A bear caught his scent, and came into to town in the night and dug him up..." he implores, the words spilling out of him and trailing off as his piteous eyes search the faces of those gathered for agreement.
"... surely it was a bear..."
"I insist he dug himself out. That is beyond question, given the way the earth is upturned. We could hope we did not bury the Professor, that something else laid in his coffin, but we have no reason to believe that right now. So we must certainly work with the possibility that he has risen as a zombie or something similar. And this being the work of the Whispering Way comes as a natural conclusion, yes?" The dhampir speaks coldly and does not seem too upset about the situation, sounding more annoyed at the challenge on his assessment than at the actual problem itself.
Bramwell jumps down into the grave and concentrates on studying the coffin. After a while, he climbs out again and searches the area for any tracks left behind by the elusive cadaver.
There are several trampled tracks in the dirt, all of them seemingly days or weeks old. You manage to pick out one set of tracks--one with a lopsided gait. One of the track-maker's legs appears to have been dragging along one functional leg.
Filiana stares hard at Lord Bramwell as he jumps down into the opened grave... What in the name of the gods is he doing?
But then the flat, almost angry stare morphs into one of puzzlement as he casts his spells.
No wait... that ... what is that that he is doing? Is it magic? A spell of some sort? Is that what that is? I think it is, but to do what? Is it, is it helping him somehow? I think that's it, but I don't really see how it is helping ... Oh, he's doing another one... it's more ... about ... seeing? Seeing? Seeing What? And now he's doing it again... is this what he does all the time? So what was that? Was it the same as the first one? I think it might have been... no, I'm not sure. How strange. Interesting too. So different from what I did .. I just pointed and ...
She glances down at her hands for a moment as if to check that nothing odd is happening with them that she hasn't noticed...
I wonder though... could I? Could I do what he just did? But he's ... he's ... I know what he said but I don't want to be a necromancer ... but ... that second thing he did. That was just a looking thing. No harm in that, surely... just looking should be safe
Filiana frowns in concentration as she tries to remember what Lord Bramwell did. At first she tries to copy his gestures and words but after but a moment she seems to instinctively change both slightly, making the casting something more her own without really knowing how or why she is doing it.
A pale glow forms within her eyes, similar though not exactly the same as what happened earlier. Almost instantly her eyes widen as her view of the world changes under the effects of the spell and she gasps out ... Oh! Oh my!
Imperia had been watching Bramwell do his study, and turns quickly to the halfling when she hears her cry out. Drawing her sword as she does.
"What's wrong? Did you discover something?" She looks around trying to determine what caused Filiana's cry.
Filiana looks intently at her hands, marveling at the pale glow that lingers on them in the aftermath of her casting. Then she notices a different glow coming from Doctor Cawthorne's belt. Seeing that it comes from a small flask, she looks down to a flask on her own, plain and worn belt, glowing a very similar but subtly different shade of light blue.
When Imperia speaks to her she looks up at the woman, the pale glow still evident in her eyes.
Discover? Oh my, yes ... I ... and, and he ... she points to Lord Bramwell, still in the grave. As Imperia watches, the light fades from Filiana's eyes and she seems to properly focus on her for the first time.
For a moment it almost looks as if she is going to get distracted again, this time by the return to normal vision and the absence of magical light, but then she manages to restrain herself.
I... I did what he did. His Lordship I mean. I saw what he did and I copied it. I did not know that I could... I mean I've never... well, not on purpose anyway...
"I insist he dug himself out. That is beyond question, given the way the earth is upturned. We could hope we did not bury the Professor, that something else laid in his coffin, but we have no reason to believe that right now. So we must certainly work with the possibility that he has risen as a zombie or something similar. And this being the work of the Whispering Way comes as a natural conclusion, yes?" The dhampir speaks coldly and does not seem too upset about the situation, sounding more annoyed at the challenge on his assessment than at the actual problem itself.
Finding no solace in the faces around him, Cawthorne's eyes harden before he looks away and gathers himself. Buck up, you fool! This is no time for petty sentiment - it's precisely this sort of reaction that allows such problems to linger and fester. And in front of womenfolk, and a lord, no less? At least act like a proper man, if you ever hope to be one!
"Yes, of course, m'lord. You are quite right. I'm afraid I allowed my emotions to get the better of my judgment." The doctor's voice is cool and composed, moreso than it has been since his arrival.
Oh! Oh my!
The tengu turns a contemptuous eye upon Filiana at her outburst. See what you've started, Audubon? When will you learn to control yourself? As she stutters out a confused explanation, he gives a mental shrug before turning his attention back to Lord Bramwell, letting Imperia deal with the halfling. So, she's possessed of some peasant hedge-magic; that explains the professor's interest.
After Filiana has been calmed and the search of the grave has been completed, Cawthorne speaks again. "If you'll pardon me, Miss Lorrimor - I don't mean to be callous - but is finding whatever remains of the professor of prime concern? By his own hand he believed that stopping this Whispering Way and their efforts at the prison was of paramount importance, and he sacrificed his life attempting to achieve that goal. It seems likely that if those same necromancers have animated his corpse or otherwise engineered his undeath, it is to distract from the events at Harrowstone. Perhaps our efforts are better spent in resolving the situation there before chasing after any other revenants or phantoms they've left in our path?"
He gives a slight bow to Kendra. "After, of course, we ensure that you and young Jayla are safe and secure. It may be best if we impose upon this Father Grimburrow and his church to house you until these matters - and these poor souls - have been put to rest."
Noticing the strange look on the doctor's face, but incorrectly reading it as fear, Filiana falls quiet.
Oh no... this is how it started back home. First those looks...
Then, incongruously, a small smile crosses her lips. Funny though, I was so scared of him. I thought he was going to eat me, or feed me to the vampire or some such. And now he's scared. Just like normal folks ... just like back home...
"As much as I'd like to search out the Professor immediately, I do agree with the Doctor. I believe that Harrowstone has something to do with this. That task needs finished." She puts an arm around the young woman. "I'm so sorry. Let's get you back to the house, and we'll go from there.
"Come along Filiana. We can talk about your magical discovery when there's time. I too have some magical abilities. Magic manifests itself in many ways." She taps her buckler, and touches a coin hanging around her neck. "If you'd like, we can work together to figure it out. There must be a book or two we can study about the subject."
Filiana smiles somewhat hesitantly at Imperia, a little overwhelmed by all the events of the last few minutes, including Imperia's final comment.
I did not know that you could learn such things from books.
She will then quietly follow along with the rest of the group, not really knowing where else to go next.
As the group heads back to the Lorrimor house, Cawthorne pulls Imperia aside a ways, out of earshot of Kendra, and speaks in a low voice. "Ms. Albus, not only has your associate come under the influence of the spirits at Harrowstone, but now the professor seems to have been corrupted and risen as an undead, such that his old house cannot be considered secure. For their safety I suggest we relocate Miss Lorrimor and Jayla to the care of this Father Grimburrow and his church until we resolve the situation."
Imperia looks to Kendra as they walk along. "I agree. I believe we can get Khardan on board with moving Jayla to Father Grimburrow at the church. The Professor is likely to go back to his house, and we don't want Jayla and Kendra there alone. Khardan is going to be very upset. He traveled with the Professor extensively."
The doctor bobs his head in agreement with Imperia, relieved she didn't dissent. He stiffens at the mention of Khardan; he'd met the professor's bodyguard on several occasions, though he'd already heard him speak more since arriving in Ravengro than he had in all their combined prior meetings. In fact, until recent events he'd suspected the orcish half-breed wasn't fluent in Taldane, or possibly any language. Not so much a beast as he appears; something I should be familiar with.
"We're all upset, Ms. Albus. But we have a duty to perform, and must comport ourselves with propriety despite the difficult circumstances." Cawthorne slumps his shoulders and clears his throat somewhat sheepishly. "A point proven by my own outburst, I'm afraid - a lapse that won't be repeated. I'd prefer if we didn't speak of it to Khardan, lest he fear I'm not up to the task."
"Of course. I won't mention it Dr. Cawthorne. Consider it forgotten." [i]Interesting he doesn't want to look at a disadvantage in front of Khardan. I wonder why he'd feel that way. He's a brilliant tengu.[/b]
Imperia catches back up with Kendara, Filiana, and Lord Bramwell as they walk up the steps to the house. She enters and heads up the stairs where she knows Khardan will be watching over Jayla.
"How are you feeling Jayla? We have some bad news. Perhaps you and Khardan could join us in the front room?"
Khardan is seated in a large chair beside Jayla's bed, his face set in a scowl of worry.
He eyes Imperia like a dog leaning protectively over a bone, but turns to Jayla and asks "You feel up to it, Kid?"
When Jayla indicates her readiness to get up and hear Imperia's news, Khardan fetches her a robe and shoos everyone out of the room until Jayla is ready to go. He then follows the two women back into the main room.
"What is it?" he asks when Jayla is comfortably seated.
Jayla is quiet, but nods her assent as she gets up from the bed.
Once back at her home and settled in, the quiet Kendra speaks up.
"...something's happened to Father's grave." She starts, her voice shaking with equal measures of fear and rage. "Someone's--someone's reanimated his corpse..."
"What?!" Khardan says, his face momentarily terrifying in its rage. "What?! How do you..."
With a visible effort, Khardan quiets himself, though the anger can be easily seen just below the surface and in his eyes.
"Tell me," he says. "Tell me what happened to the Professor."
Kendra flinches away from Khardan as his fury briefly overtakes him, a spark or two flying from her fingertips. But the moment passes as the half-orc calms himself, even if it's only barely.
"Filiana and I... we went to pay our respects. We were speaking of family and friends, and such... until we found his grave. Neither of us knew what had happened--in fact, until Lord Bramwell and the others caught up to us, I was about to storm into the cathedral of Pharasma and demand answers."
"That's when the others found us. Lord Bramwell was the one who determined what sort of foul play was at work; some necromancer--or, rather, some form of necromantic magic was used to awaken my father's corpse as it lay in his grave. He clawed his way out, and now... now he's at large."
"I don't want to think about what'll happen if someone finds him..."
"Lord Bramwell was unable to follow the trail from the professor's grave," Cawthorne states matter-of-factly. "Ms. Albus and I believe the best course of action is to leave Miss Lorrimor and Jayla in the protective custody of the Pharasmans while we go to Harrowstone and stop the spirits there, one way or another. While the fate of the professor is infuriating, it's most likely meant to divert us from the situation at the prison. We can gather whatever advice the priests have when we deliver you two ladies, then put the matter to rest - whether by putting these spirits back the way they were or destroying them outright. This should remove Jayla's affliction and leave us free to find what remains of the professor.
"What say you, Khardan?"
"How can you not follow the trail of a dead man?" asks Khardan. "It's not like they're good at hiding their tracks. Out of respect for the Professor, we should find him first. What if he does harm someone? I don't think I could live with that any better than Miss Kendra."
Imperia notices for the second time that day Kendra's reaction to being upset involves electricity from her fingers. I wonder what she's thinking. I don't know what her capabilities are. She's the daughter of the Professor so they are probably considerable. I don't think I'll upset her right now by asking.
"I don't know why Lord Bramwell was unable to follow the tracks. He examined the grave closely. We could go back and start from there. Perhaps we will get lucky and he went to Harrowstone." Imperia sits next to Kendra. "After we take these ladies to the Pharasmans, we can go back to the grave site and you can take a look Khardan. You may be able to find more information."
"I am motivated by my respect for the Professor as well, Khardan - respect for his final request."
"I don't know why Lord Bramwell was unable to follow the tracks. He examined the grave closely. We could go back and start from there. Perhaps we will get lucky and he went to Harrowstone." Imperia sits next to Kendra. "After we take these ladies to the Pharasmans, we can go back to the grave site and you can take a look Khardan. You may be able to find more information."
"And if the trail of the Professor leads us away from the prison, away from Ravengro, how far do we chase him?" Cawthorne's gaze turns to Imperia for support, whereupon he realizes his mistake. This is a matter better discussed outside the company of Miss Lorrimor, of course. Really, Audubon, where are your manners?
"You're right, of course, Ms. Albus. We'll see to the safety of Miss Lorrimor and Jayla, and then Khardan can see the grave for himself." And hopefully the brute will see reason as well!
Filiana's brow furrows as she considers Doctor Cawthorne's words.
Well, given that Ravengro lies directly between the Prison and the Restlands, I think someone would have seen him if he had been heading down to Harrowstone. And if someone had seen him we'd probably be hearing a commotion by now.
She glances at Kendra and Jayla. And if we take the south bridge, we have to walk right past the Temple, so we can take them there and then just continue on our way I can't believe that just like that I am talking like I'm part of this. Talking about dropping Kendra and Jayla off at the Temple to be safe. And don't I just wish I could be staying there with them. But I have to do this... I have to see this through. For the Professor.
Kendra nervously clears her throat and nods, tentatively. "As you wish..."
----------------
The walk to Pharasma's temple is quiet, but windy. The clouds overhead show no signs of moving.
The stone front steps of the cathedral are empty--and the interior is almost entirely without anyone around. Only a single acolyte, sitting in a wooden pew, his head bowed in prayer, is present.
Imperia enters the cathedral, "Good day. Where is everyone? We need to speak with the Father if he's available. It's very important."
Cawthorne looks around the interior of the massive cathedral with interest while Imperia summons Father Grimburrow. A bit sparse, though that certainly magnifies the effect of its sheer size - a great, big space full of nothing. Cawthorne frowns slightly, as much as his features allow for such an expression. I hope it's not meant as a metaphor for what awaits us after death...
Filiana follows Imperia into the cathedral, pausing to make the sign of the spiral over her heart as she crosses the threshold, her eyes wide.
So big ... so, very ... big. You could fit half a dozen of the Church of The Lady back home into this space. How...and why, did they ever make something so big?
Lady of Graves, watch over us and guard us. Judge us wisely and usher us to our reward when we come to the Boneyard. And Lady? ... especially the Professor. He needs your justice now more than any of us.
Khardan stalks along, scowling and holding his sharp spear in his right hand. He is no devotee of the death goddess and holds her in awe but also in little regard. He is rather for right and justice than for death and disposition.
The acolyte looks up at Imperia as she addresses him. "Father Grimburrow is in the middle of prayer in the vestibule. What is your business here?"
"I told you we need to speak to him. It's very important. These ladies need a place to stay for a bit, and we have some other news for his ears only. Go and fetch him if you would, please." Imperia stands tall and looks down at the acolyte imperiously waiting for him to do her bidding.
Filiana watches nervously as Imperia talks to the acolyte.
Please ... please Brother, we would not ask to interrupt him if it were not important. We do not wish to interrupt the songs of worship but it really is urgent.
The acolyte is quiet for a moment or two before nodding. "Very well. Wait here."
With a swish of his plain violet robes, the acolyte disappears into the darkness beyond a set of doors in the far wall.
A few minutes pass and the shadows grow slightly longer as Father Grimburrow emerges from his prayers, his balding head dotted with beads of sweat and his white brow furrowed. "Ah--you again?"
"And with a couple of new faces, as well." The old priest scratches his bearded chin and wrinkles his nose. "Ms. Lorrimor. I suspect I already know what you would ask of the Lady."
"This is Filiana Longsong, and Professor Cawthorne. They were collegues of the Professor as well. There have been disturbing developments." Imperia moves away from any listening ears of acolytes.
"The Professor's body has gone missing from his grave, and Jayla may be possessed by one of the spirits from the prison. We have to very important priorities to deal with, and no way to keep the ladies safe while we do that. Can Kendra and Jayla stay here in the safety of the cathedral? We need to find the Professor, and we need to take care of the remaining spirits in the prison."
She steps back. "Do you happen to know anything about possessions? That isn't our area of expertise."
"This is Filiana Longsong, and Professor Cawthorne. They were collegues of the Professor as well. There have been disturbing developments." Imperia moves away from any listening ears of acolytes.
"Doctor Cawthorne, actually," the tengu says, bowing slightly to Father Grimburrow. As Imperia leads them away from the acolyte he attempts to make small talk with the priest. "If I may say so, Father, you have quite a remarkable church here. It impresses upon one a humbling austerity of purpose."
"The Professor's body has gone missing from his grave, and Jayla may be possessed by one of the spirits from the prison. We have to very important priorities to deal with, and no way to keep the ladies safe while we do that. Can Kendra and Jayla stay here in the safety of the cathedral? We need to find the Professor, and we need to take care of the remaining spirits in the prison."
She steps back. "Do you happen to know anything about possessions? That isn't our area of expertise."
Father Grimburrow quietly listens to Imperia's explanation before holding up a hand. "Our Lady holds a special hatred for those undead who choose to torment the living so. Ours is a holy ground--I am certain your friend will be safe within our walls." He nods at Jayla. "And Ms. Lorrimor may stay as well."
"Possession by an external force is a matter that can be resolved in a few ways--depending on where they stood in life, a simple protection spell can cast out even the most vile of fiends. If Jayla was possessed by one of the spirits of Harrowstone, a protective spell that wards against evil should allow her to cast it off."
"If I may say so, Father, you have quite a remarkable church here. It impresses upon one a humbling austerity of purpose."
"So long as our cathedral stands, Our Lady has little use for ostentation. Rich or poor, good or evil, man or woman or anything in between, all are made equal in the end."
"Their bodies, perhaps," says Khardan. "But the Lady sends their souls on to reward or punishment. Arborea and Abbadon are not equal results."
"Jayla is my friend. I am... glad... she will stay with you."
Jayla wordlessly takes a seat in one of the pews, and her little thrush flits next to her and perches on her shoulder. She bows her head in prayer. "...thank you for this, Father."
Father Grimburrow nods solemnly. "Now, as to the matter of Professor Lorrimor's body..."
He sighs and rests a hand on his holy symbol. "...this is a matter of dire importance. The desecration of a burial ground is an insult to Our Lady. When did this robbery of his grave occur?"
Cawthorne gives a nervous cough. "Yes, well, strictly speaking I don't know that 'robbery' is entirely accurate..."
Imperia looks around to make sure no one else is nearby. If they are she glares at them until they move away, "Lord Bramwell is convinced that he climbed out of the grave on his own. He examined the area closely."
Father Grimburrow's brow creases and he clenches a fist. "Then this is more important than I believed."
"...did you discover how he died?" He blinks, his wrinkled expression turning puzzled. "It may have something to do with how strong his undead form will be."
"Apparently the Professor was killed by one of the restless spirits at Harrowstone, by the command of those whom he was trying to stop." The doctor nervously turns his grey bowler in his hands, his talons handling the hat with surprising delicacy. "I believe that this new turn of events is meant as a distraction for anyone attempting to set those ghosts to rest, but certainly I'm no expert on the undead or those who create them. Perhaps my conclusion is too presumptuous?" He looks between Father Grimburrow and his new associates, his head cocked to the side in curiosity.
We don't actually know what these necromancers were after at the prison. If the Professor found one of his books there, then might not the distraction be the other way around?
Filiana pales at the Father's words... Pharasma protect us... she whispers.
Oh, but this is too horrible to even think of. Awful as it is to think of the poor Professor shambling about as a zombie, it is so much worse to think of him as one of those things that eats people. That is just too ghastly for words
Once again she makes the symbol of Pharasma over her heart.
Father Grimburrow's expression turns... well, grim. "Then the best case scenario would be that his body is merely a zombie, and not, say, something far worse."
"And whatever the purpose of this... so-called distraction, if the damage they've done is not fixed, who knows what will happen to Ravengro..."
"That's what we were thinking. We thought we should go back to the prison first take care of the evil lurking there, and then look for the Professor."
"Speaking of the evil there. Lord Bramwell has some things to show you. We found them in the Prison, and know they are cursed. Do you have the skill to cleanse them?" She waits for Lord Bramwell to show the items to the Father.
Bramwell steps forward dragging an old sac behind him. He bends over and produces several items out of the sac, laying them on one of the pews. Once more, the dhampir takes the time to describe each item and who it belonged to, as well as the curses bestowed on them. His explanation is meticulous, but somewhat tedious.
"What we do know, Father, is that by destroying the ghosts, we can rid these items of their curses; but alas, we need them curse-free in the first place to use them against the spirits of Harrowstone! In honesty, we do not have many resources to deal with these undead criminals, and these objects would be of great help as long as they do not force us to kill each other, as it seems to be their purpose."
Father Grimburrow purses his lips and looks the items over.
"Hmm..." His eyes flash violet for a moment, and he tilts his head. "...through Pharasma's grace, I could perhaps remove the curse from the prayer beads and the spellbook. The curses on the smith's hammer and the axe... such curses are much more tenacious than those bestowed upon more mundane objects, and can never be truly cleansed."
"Still, were I given a sufficient donation to the Church, I could perhaps cleanse one of these items."
Khardan looks to Lord Bramwell, wondering how rich the man is.