Charnel Crown (GM Sarah) (Inactive)

Game Master Sarah 'queen' B.

Alexi’s gaze follows Kendra as she departs. Then he carefully helps his sister to her bed, gently laying her down on the soft mattress.

CATHY

You sink rapidly into an untroubled sleep, exhausted beyond even dreaming.

You can remove the Fatigued condition

ALEXI

Once you have finished helping your sister, you go in search of Kendra and find her pacing her father's study, looking more anxious than before. "I can't find it. My father kept a journal every year, meticuolously describing what he'd done, where he'd been, his expeditions, his magic, everything. I can't find this year's. It's not where it should be, it's not where I've looked, even Yuriel didn't get it for me when I asked, which means if it is here it's locked away somewhere, or hidden. But why? Id doesn't make sense. He wrote it in a code, and even i have troulbe reading it."

She throws up her arms. "Without it, I don't know what wards he put on this place, or when, or when we can expect them to expire if they haven't already. We're not defencelss. I mean, the main enchantments on this place are in the foundations. It's just the wards that protect against, well, that sort of thing. But I don't like it." Her brow furrows. "father dies and that thing drops in on us right away? I think it's linked. But how?"

She sighs, clearly giving up for now. "It's the funeral tomorrow. I'm going to bed and then geting up to cook us all breakfast." She looks at you. "Would you be a pallbearer for teh coffin? I'm sorry, I should have asked that earlier, but today has been, well. And I'll ask Cathy to walk alongside me, keep me company. If you think she'll be ok, that is."

”Yes, of course,” Alexi says, placing his hand on Kendra’s. ”I will gladly honor your father, and I am certain Cathy will as well. Good night, Kendra. I hope you sleep well.”

The paladin rises, bows, then retires to his bedroom.

+++13 OCTOBER 4711+++

Cathy gives Alexi a soft squeeze as he helps her to bed. "You're the best. So lucky to got you." Tiredness makes her garble the sentence, which makes her giggle.

As he's leaving her room, she gives him a look: "Don't think I've forgotten to ask 'bout you and Kendra."

Her giggling follows him out the room until the door closes.

+++14 OCTOBER 4711+++

She gets up early the next morning, much more so than usual, and heads back to the bathroom. Partly this is just because she wants to have enough time to look right for the funeral (she owes the Professor that).

But also, it's to banish the memories of last night, and the terror she felt as the blood dripped down the walls. If that haunt comes back today, or ever again, this time she's going to be ready for it.

+++14 OCTOBER 4711+++

Cathy's morning bathe is unevtenful, to her relief or disappointment. Once you are both ready and dressed, you join Kendra in waiting at the front of the house. The coffin will arrive here on a hearse, and then as is traditional it will be carried from his former home all the way to the Restlands, on the other side of town beyond the temple to Pharasma. Kendra has opted for a long dress with crimson sleeves and black trim, and her dark brown hair is worn up and held in place with a pin of ivory.

Eventually, you are joined by a small trickle of locals, around half a dozen in total. All are sombre and have little to say, merely giving Kendra a respectufl nod and the pair of you a curious glance. Once it becomes clear that no one else is planning to join you, Kendra gives a nod and several of the guests, together with Alexi, lift the coffin off the hearse and start the slow walk to the Restlands. Kendra offers her arm to Cathy, and leads the mourners at the front.

The procession takes you past most of the notable bits of the village: the square containing the town hall with the stone statue in front of it, the smithy, alive with the ringing of metal on metal and the smell of blazing coals, the tavern (closed for now: the tavernkeeper is part of the procession), the apothecary, the general store.

You then pass over the bridge that the tow of you crossed last night, and walk to the very edge of town where the Restlands are located. A simple stone arch, marked with the spiral of Pharasma, forms the entrance. There are no gates.

Kendra continues to lead the processing, with Cathy at her side, along the Dreamwake — a gravel pathway that winds through the cemetery. As you reach the halfway point along the Dreamwake, rounding a corner onto a path called the Eversleep, you see that the way ahead is blocked by a group of around six surly-looking locals. From their garb, they are labourers.

The tallest of these toughs is an elderly but wiry retired man, with the bearing of the retired soldier. He holds up one hand, and the rest of his little gang spread out to block the path. He gives Kendra a sneering look. “That’s far enough, woman. We been talking, and we don’t want your father buried in the Restlands. You can take him upriver and bury him there if you want, but he ain’t goin’ in the ground here!”

Kendra is swift to respond, her sadness swiftly transforming into anger. “What are you talking about, Gibs?” she cries out. “I arranged it with Father Grimburrow. He’s waiting for us! The grave’s already been...”

Gibs cuts her off, talking over her loudly. "“You don’t get it, woman. We won’t have a necromancer buried in the same place as our kin. I suggest you move out while you still can. Folks are pretty upset about this right now.”

Kendra turns white with anger. “Necromancy!? Are you really that ignorant?”

Gibs flushes red at the insult, balling up a fist. "See, it's talk like that gets pretty girls hurt. Turn round, go home. We won't tell you again."

It hasn't come to a fight yet, you can still do social skill rolls. ALEXI: it's a full round action for you to put the coffin down safely

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22
Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22

Alexi remains solemnly silent as he helps to carry Professor Lorrimor's coffin. The tiefling is clad in a black, long-sleeved tunic, tied with a belt over equally dark pants. His holy symbol of Iomedae is displayed prominently on his chest.

His eyes narrow when the toughs confront Kendra. From the body language of the group, it's clear that the man speaking, Gibs, arranged for this display. The others are just following along. He also spots the tattoos some of the followers bear.

"If Kendra has already worked out arrangements with the priest, then you would do well to honor their lawful accord," Alexi says to Gibs. He turns his gaze to the tattooed men. "You are men of honor, are you not? I see you fought in the crusades against the Worldwound. As did I. Surely, you would not besmirch your honor by getting involved in such pettiness as denying a man his final rest."

He keeps his gaze leveled on those men, allowing his sister to take charge of the conversation and hopefully convince Gibs to relent.

Diplomacy (Aid Another): 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (14) - 1 = 13

Knowledge religion: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20
Sense Motive: 1d20 ⇒ 3

Cathy is dressed today in a better quality of black than her usual clothing, and has opted for a dress rather than the robes she normally wears. Her skin is even paler than usual, and she is silent for the whole of the journey. She gladly takes Kendra's arm and keeps her company for the procession, but is shorter than the other woman and so has to make more steps in order to keep pace with her.

She stares up at the spiral cut in to the archway, drawing a spiral over her heart as she steps through into the Restlands. She doesn't worship Pharasma, as such, but the silver symbol around her neck which carries the goddess' sign and acts to channel her arcane magic is a reminder of The Lady of Graves' influence in her life. She thinks back to the conversation with her brother that morning, and his warning of a future discussion. Not something she's looking forward to.

Lady of Graves, judge me wisely, and let others judge me not. Especially brothers who ask too many questions.

Her thoughts are interrupted by the intrusion of the man and his friends. She's bewildered by his hostility to the Professor. Just because you study necromantic spells, that doesn't make you a necromancer. But that's not a point that she thinks will go over well.

Instead, she extends her left arm, revealing the tattoo of Pharasma's spiral on her skin. "Here. See this mark of the Lady of Graves, and that symbol of Iomedae. Neither of us would be friends with a necromancer. I don't know what your issue is, but do not lie about the dead. They can't defend themselves."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

She gives Gibs a hard stare. "But I will defend the Professor, and you do not want to cross me."

Intimidate: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14

"Or me," Alexi adds, baring his sharpened teeth.

Intimidate (Aid Another): 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (6) - 1 = 5

The two men Alexi has identified are starating to back away even before Cathy speaks, and as she makes her point the rest of them start to drift off too. Gibs however seems to be less influenced by her threat, and only the realisation that he is now alone cuases him to back down, cursing. He runs after his supposed friends, and you hear him berating them for their failure to back him up.

Kendra shudders and pinches the bridge of her nose. "I could have done without that. I am sorry," she aplogises to the group. She gives a weary smile to Cathy and Alexi "Thank you for handling it so well."

There is a quiet murmur of agreement from the other mourners, and a comment about referring Gibs to the Sherrif.

Kendra breathes in deep for a moment, and then gives a nod. "Let's continue, shall we?"

"Yes, we shall," Alexi says, grateful to have avoided an unnecessary fight.

Cathy's fingers itch from suppressing the arcane energy she was planning to unleash if the others didn't back down, but she folds her hands together and gives Kendra a smile. "Ready to proceed!"

She sneaks a quick look back at her brother: "how did you know those two were crusaders?"

”I saw their tattoos,” Alexi whispers back.

The incident now past, the procession continues up to the plot Kendra purchased for her father. No further complications prevent the lowering of his coffin into the open grave by the gravediggers. The local priest of Pharasma, a truly ancient man named Father Grimburrow with a bald head and overgrown, bushy white eyebrows conducts the ceremony.

"'I am the Spiral of Fate,' so says our Lady, 'and all paths leadeth unto me.' We comend this day the soul of our dear friend, taken from us too soon from our prespective but we know that the River of Souls claims all in their alloted time. Seek what comforts you can on this side of life and know that the Gray Lady will render true judgmetn to us all. We pray to her, that now and at the hour of our death she will judge us rightly, truly and swiftly."

He invites Kendra and the other mourners to sprinkle soil on teh buried coffin. "Know that we are as dust, and to the dust we will return, even as our souls live on forever in the herafter. I will not say, do not weep. I will not say, do not mourn. For by that weeping and mourning, we celebrate the life that has passed and will never return by this way."

He gives Kendra a gentle smile, that seems out of place in his grizzled experssion. "Dear child, would you care to say a few words about our departed friend?"

Kendra nods, fighting back tears. "All here who knew my fath- knew that- that-" she stops, clearly unable to continue, and takes a ddeep breath. "I-" She looks at the two of you. "Perhaps you could both say something for me? Please?"

”I saw their tattoos,” Alexi whispers back.

This gets a thumbs-up and a "So. Clever!"

When it comes to the funeral, Cathy takes what feels like an age before throwing the dirt onto the coffin that instead she clings to in her fist. Releasing it to fall feels like a betrayal, somehow, like she's admitting defeat. That it's time to say goodbye at last to someone she hoped would be around for a lot longer. She never got to say goodbye. So many things she never got to say. And now never will.

Sometimes silence is an acceptable thing to say. She throws the dirt and hears it land on the coffin as she walks away without looking.

When Kendra's voice fails, Cathy knows the feeling. Her own throat is so tight that she fears to take the invitation, but knows that she cannot let her friend down. She steps forward to take Kendra's place. It's a moment or two before she can say anything. "You don't need me to tell you what a good person he was. What a great mind. What a dedicated scholar. What a gifted teacher. You all know that."

"What you might not know is the difference he made in people's lives. In mine. In many, many others whose potential he saw, whose lives he altered, whose lives he saved. Not just mine, but so many people he came into contact with are better off because he lived. Because he cared..." She trails off for a moment, but regains control.

"They say a man is not truly dead while his name is still spoken. Well, I will be speaking Petros Lorrimor's name for many, many years still to come."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

Alexi knows he can’t compete with his sister for eloquence, but he offers a few words as well. ”Petros Lorrimor was a good man. A kind man. He helped my sister and I when we needed somebody the most. It is not an exaggeration to say he saved our lives. Perhaps several times over.

“I did not know him as well as I might have, and for that, I am sorry. But he always did right by Cathy, and by his daughter, Kendra. He will be sorely missed. May he find peace in the next life.”

There are several murmurs of approval from the assembled mourners at Cathy's speech, as well as sympathetic looks towards Kendra. She offers her own thanks by enveloping Cathy in a tight hug and a whispered "Thank you." Having regained some compusoure, she ends teh burial service by unwinding the linen shroud that was across the stone memorial, letting the cloth fall into the grave atop the coffin. The headstone is plain grey slate, with lettering picked out in white marble: PETRESCUE "PETROS" LORRIMER, 4663-4711

As the gravediggers start to use their shovels to bury the coffin and close up the grave, the ceremony is over. Kendra clears her throat. "Thank you all very much for attending. Please do join me back at home for a memorial wake." It is late in the year and the daylight is already starting to fade by the time you start on the joruney back to Kendra's house. Once there, you find that the main dining room, which is not normally used and was a place for the Professor to store papers, has been opened up. Not a shred of parchment is in sight and the table is spread with food and several large bottles of wines and spirits. Rather than sit down at the table, by a sort of unspoken agreement people gather up a plate of food and a drink and find somewhere to sit, alone or in groups, cris-crossing the room and talking in low tones with one another. It appears that everyone else knows everyone else. Kendra does her best to keep you included in conversations but she is invariablly drawn away to the study by people wanting a word in private. Cathy receives some attention and due praise for her words and for defusing the situation with Gibs. Alexi is given polite nods and people talk to him when it would be rude not to, but it is clear that you are both outsiders here.

Alexi is quite accustomed to the role of outsider. He lingers on the periphery of the gathering, giving polite nods when required but otherwise attempting to keep to himself.

Cathy likes being liked, so she enjoys the attention, but she's not actually that good at meaningful interactions with people in general (she doesn't understand them). She's happy for other people to chat while she sort of soaks up the atmosphere.

It's not the only thing she's soaking up. One advantage of speaking Draconic is that she can get almost perpetual refills of her glass from Yuriel, without having to get up. So she sits, brooding, staring down into her drink and breathing in the brandy fumes. She is mentally weighing up the pros and cons of downing it - she doesn't enjoy hangovers and as a general rule doesn't overdo the drinking, but on the other hand being sober and in her right mind really doesn't appeal right now either. A state of blissful unconsciousness where she doesn't feel the Professor's absence as a dull ache, would be her ideal. And if that means puking it all up again tomorrow morning, well tomorrow is another day.

+++ 14 OCTOBER 4711+++

CATHY

“Miss Alaro?” The voice distracts you from your gloom. Looking up from your seat, you see a pale face with a long, inquisitive beaklike nose staring down at you. His eyes are large and dark, sharp and perceptive. The thatch of hair is a salt and pepper grey, suggesting late middle age. He gives you a smile. It doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Yes, you must be Miss Alaro, you fit the description Petros gave you perfectly. I am so pleased to make your aquaintace at last, but obviously this is not how I would have chosen to meet you. Poor Petros.” He gives a long sigh. “He and I knew one another from way back, but more recently we had lost touch, you mgith say. Gone our separate ways.” He gives another sigh.

“I should apolgise for interrupting you when you look deep in thought but I know you are close to Kendra and I assume you are staying here.” He doesn’t pause to see if you confirm this. “I was hoping to speak with her but she is wrapped up in the study and sadly I have other places to be. Time and tide do not wait.” He gives you another smile, as dead-eyed as the first. “Would you mind passing on my regards? Adrissant is the name. Please tell her how thrilled I was to be in her home, and I am only sorry that it took so long.” His eyes gleam.

He offers you a bow. “And now I really must be going, I have one more person to catch up with and then I shall be on my way. I wish you the best, Miss Alaro. Petros had high hopes for you and I shall watch your future career with interest.”

Cathy, Spellcraft check please

ALEXI

“Master Alaro?” The speaker appears in the kitchen (no surprse you have ended up here, the holding pen for the social pariahs) so noiselessly you’re not sure how long he had been standing there before you noticed him. A tall man, well over six feet in height, and thin as a rake. His face is pale, the nose long and beaklike and his dark eyes are sharp. You get the impression he sees a great deal and says much less. The thatch of hair on his head is a salt and pepper grey, suggesting late middle age.

He nods as you turn round and see him. “Yes. Definitely Master Alaro, or Mister I should say of course. The boy has become the man, in the ways the world measures these things.” He gives you a pleasant smile, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Or most of the ways, perhaps?” He shakes his head. “But I digress. I wanted to meet you in person after hearing about you from Petros. Oh, of course, we mostly discussed your sister, but you were mentioned too.” He says this in a way that suggesst that merely being mentioned in a conversation between such great men is a great favour. You suspect he perhaps does not have much in the way of self awareness (in that respect it’s somewhat like talking to Cathy – maybe it’s a wizard thing, although it’s not a fault that Petros shared).

He looks briefly regretful. “Sadly I’m not able to stay. I was hoping to see Kendra but she is with others in the study and I simply have to leave. I have asked your sister to give my regards, so perhaps you could see that she does?” He leans in slightly. “Bewteen the two of us, I rather feel she may have been hitting the drinks. I know the study of the arcane takes a fierce toll and many do not have the streength to endure it, but if I were her brother I would want to be told of it.” His tone manages to suggest that a real brother wouln’t need a stranger to tell them.

He gives you a bow. “Anyway, until next time, Mast- Mister Alaro. May your goddess keep you.”

Alexi, Sense Motive check please

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Alexi rankles at the man's superior demeanor. He does not rise to his barbs, simply nodding. "I will see to my sister's well-being. Goodbye," he says brusquely.

Cathy blinks as the man appears and starts to talk to her. "Um, hello. Of course I'll pass on your message to Kendra." She isn't sure she likes the man very much, but Alexi brought her up to be polite. But she definitely isn't comfortable about the idea of him "watching her future career with interest."

She will be asking Kendra for more information about him. She's glad he gave his name.

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23

Once he's left, she turns her attention back to the silent contemplation of her drink. The brandy fumes seem to have turned into whisky fumes without much in the way of fuss. No doubt about it, a knowledge of Draconic is a handy thing to have.

After a while, Alexi sidles up beside Cathy. "How are you holding up?" he asks, noting the strong smell of alcohol surrounding his sister.

Cathy looks up at her brother, blinking slightly as she tries to focus. "'m OK. Doin' a 'speriment." She gives a little hiccup. "Trying to find the right nummer of drinks that'll make me not feel so much." She giggles as a thought strikes her. "The number that'll make me numb-er." She's pretty pleased with that one. The giggles are making her hiccup more, though. Or maybe it's the other way around. Hm, that's an interesting thought.

Another thought strikes her. "Djasee Kendra anywhere? Gotta message for her." The giggles have gone but the hiccups are still there, so that proves... no, wait. Does it? She frowns. Thinking is difficult at the moment. Luckily, drinking is still easy.

Alexi places a steadying hand on Cathy's shoulder. "Easy. I think you've had just the right number of drinks already. It would probably be best to save the message for Kendra until you are in a more lucid state, yes?"

"Uh-uh." Cathy shakes her head, although only once since it proves too disorienting to do again. "Can still feel." She puts a hand over her heart. "Here. Hurts. Not numb enough."

"Why don't you tell me your favorite memories of the professor? Focus on the happy times instead of your sorrow," Alexi suggests.

"Can't. Don't wanna cry, an' if I start talking 'bout him I'm gonna cry an' I won't stop." Even the good memories are painful right now, because of the realisation that there won't be any more of them.

Cathy does however hand over her glass to her brother. He may be right about not having any more drinks. "Help me to my room? Think I might need to lie down."

Alexi complies, helping Cathy to her room so she can lay down. He takes her shoes off and places them by the bed. "Is there anything I can get you?"

Cathy gives her brother a dreamy sort of look and flutters her eyelashes. "Dunno. Did you see any of the other guests who look like they might be willing to take advantage of a girl who's had a bit too much to drink?"

Alexi returns Cathy's look with a stern glare. "No. I am not going to do that for you."

Cathy wilts slightly under the glare. It doesn't bring her back to sobriety, but it does stop her playing up the drunkenness as much. "Sorry." Her voice is small.

Alexi’s expression softens. ”You should get some rest. I’ll sit with you to make sure you are undisturbed.”

Cathy yawns. "OK. Gonna go to sleep now. Gnight." It doesn't take her long to black out.

As promised, Alexi stays by sister’s side, watching over her as she sleeps.

+++15 OCTOBER 4711+++

ALEXI

You are, as usual, up long before Cathy is the next morning. When you get to the kithcen, you find Kendra doing some of the washing up from yesterday, drying the plates as they seem to dunk themselves into the sink and the scrubbing brush does its work. (You can sort of see the point of magic right now). She gives you a smile, seeing you not only up but fully dressed. She is still in her dressing gown.

"Morning. Hope you slpet well. You'll ve pleased to know I was able to give our leftover food to our guests to take home yesterday so I'm going to cook breakfast from scrahct. Can I interest you in bacon and egss?"

CATHY

You wake up late the next morning feeling not so good. Smoe sort of head cold, maybe? You were outside a lot of yesterday, and October in Ustalav is damp and cihlly.

"That sounds delicious, Kendra. Thank you," Alexi says, trying (and failing) not to stare too much at the woman in her nightie. "Is there, uh, anything I can do to help you? And how are you holding up?"

Head colds are the worst, Cathy decides. Or could it be food poisoning? She can't remember that much about what she ate last night, but her head and her guts are both unhappy. Wincing, she slowly crawls out of bed and heads for the comfort of the bath. Hot water is soothing, and failing that she can always just drown.

ALEXI

Kendra gives you a grateful look, before expertly cracking several eggs into an iron skillet. "Thank you. I'm surprisingly ok, I think. I'm graetful to you and Cathy for stepping in yesterday, but that was the first time it really hit me. It's been so busy snice he died that I haven't had a lot of time to sit and think."

She's quiet for a moment and concetnrates on flippling over the bacon rashers in the pan to stop them sticking. "Councilman Hearthmount is coming by later today for the reading of the will. I suspect my father will have a message for me, or possibly for all of us. I understand from the codicil that he updated the will earlier this year, although I don't know why."

She puts a plate of bacon, eggs and mushrooms down in front of you before taking a seat opposite, with a bowl of oatmeal porridge. "I don't know what you two are planning to do next. If you want to stay here for a bit, you're both welcome. I like your company, but if you want to move on then I understnad."

CATHY

The bathroom is again free of unquiet spirits and splatters of blood. A hot bath helps some with your cold/food poisoning.

”I haven’t discussed it with Cathy, but I would like to stay, at least for a time. After so many years away, I hoped we might try to get back to how things were before.” He hesitates before reaching across the table and placing a hand on the back of hers.

And of course Cathy chooses that moment to make an entrance, although not deliberately. That would suggest she is thinking about someone else. She has dressed for comfort rather than company, although she is dressed. A haze of soap hangs about her, and her still-damp hair is in clumps that will need some serious attention at some point but that can wait until later.

"Morning, both!" She gives them a cheerful smile, clearly over the worst effects of whatever was bothering her earlier. As oblivious as ever, she doesn't notice that she's interrupting what could be A Moment. "Hi Kendra, it all smells good. Could I have some..." She hesitates, giving a lingering glance at Alexi's bacon before remembering his finger poking into her stomach. "...some oatmeal, please?" She sits down next to her brother and pilfers a slice of bacon from his plate.

"Oh, before I forget, not that I do tend to forget, but anyway. I have a message from one of the guests yesterday who had to leave before he could meet you. Let me think: oh yes, his name was Adrissant and he asked me to pass on his regards."

Kendra doesn't pull her hand back as Alexi reaches for it, and her eyes meet his before flitting away. She's about to say something when Cathy makes her entrance, and it's not clear whether she is relieved or annoyed by the interruption. "Morning to you too, Cathy. Good of you to join us. One bowl of oatmeal on its way." She rises from the table and ladles severl gloops of porridge into a bowl, which she then drops to the floor as Cathy dlevers the message. It hits the hard stone tiles with a shattering crash, spattering gobs of oatmeal everwhere.

She doesn't seem to notice. Her entire attention is focused on Cathy, as her eyes bore through the wizard in an attempt to get the truth. "Say. That. Again. Tell me Everything."

”If that is the same man I am thinking of, the he briefly spoke to me as well. Said he wanted to meet me and Cathy. He came across as very rude indeed.”

Cathy shrinks back from Kendra's unexpected glare, looking to her brother for support. "Uh, that was.. that was it, really. He said, uh, that he was pleased to make my acquaintance at last, that he knew Petros, I mean that he knew your father from way back but they'd gone separate ways. He told me his name, asked me to pass on his regards, and how thrilled he was to be in your home, that he was sorry it took so long. He said your father had high hopes for me and he would watch my future career with interest."

She shudders slightly. "I didn't really like the way he said that. I agree with Alexi, I don't think he was a very nice person. But I wasn't rude to him, Alexi has told me about being polite to people."

"Kendra, I'm so sorry for upsetting you, I didn't know, I just was asked to pass on a message..." She trails off, torn between wanting to hide behind her brother and knowing that's a childish thing to do.

Kendras' face goes pale with fury as Cathy talks. "That bastard!" She paces around the kitchen, clearly too upset to stand still. "In my house, with my friends." She paces soem more. "My father said the only way he'd get into this house was over his dead body, so his message means he's glad my father is dead and he's sorry it took so long. And he didn't even have the guts to say it to my face!"

She takes in a ddep breath and looks at Cathy, realising how upset she is. "Cathy. I'ts not your fault. It's NOT. There's no way you could haave known. I'm not angry with you, and I do't blame you at all." She stoops down and starts to clear up the remains of what she dropped. "Come on. Let me get you another bowl of porridge."

Alexi moves to help Kendra clean up. As he does, he gives her a reassuring look that. He feels there's more to the story of Adrissant than what she's telling them, but now does not seem the proper time to press for more details. But he files the information away for later.

Cathy nods, not trusting herself to speak. She looks down at her porridge as she eats and doesn't make eye contact or conversation during breakfast, which sits heavily on her stomach once she's eaten it. Afterwards, she hastily gets up and makes her way to the door. "'M gonna, uh, go for a walk. Get some air while it's still light. See you later."

Cathy - is there anywhere in particular you want to go?

No, I'm good. Just aware that I interrupted something between Alexi and Kendra and I want to make Cathy scarce to give them some space :)

Alexi watches his sister leave, then turns back to Kendra. "She'll be okay. In the meantime, I am at your disposal for anything you need before the reading of the will."

ALEXI

Kendra gives you a grateful nod, and then hesitates. "What you said earlier, before Cathy came in." She looks at you. "What did you mean exactly?"

CATHY

Kendra's voice reaches you as you leave the room: "Remember the will reading's going to be after lunch!"

With that, you are out of the house, the door closing behind you. Your footsteps start to lead you towards the direction you walked yesterdya, back to the town square and to the Restlands, although you deliberatly turn away from that path before you get to the cemetry. What draws you away is the sound of laughter, and children singing. On a small side street, a group of five little Varisian girls dressed in shawls and dresses are playing a skipping rope game at the side of the road. Each of the girls takes turns jumping in the rope while singing two lines of a rather disturbing song, then skips out of the rope to let the next girl take up the next two lines. The way in which the girls switch from skipping to passing the ends of the rope to each other to keep the whole thing going is strikingly well timed and well choreographed — and the verse itself, which the girls sing, is rather disturbing.

"Put her body on the bed.
Take a knife and lop her head.

Tricksy father tells a lie.
Listen close or you will die!"