As Park opens his haunt siphon, the Father briefly becomes visible to the rest of the group before his face twists and contorts, and then is sucked into the siphon. The mist in the glass vial turns an eerie shade of green, and then Father Charlatan is no more.
”That worked! Brilliant job, that’s two down. Three to go. Unfortunately, you have to dive into the bottom levels of Harrowstone to get to the others. Are you prepared for that?”
”Rajuna!” Kendra calls out to you when you open the door, a fresh set of waterworks cascading down her face as she lets you in. ”I’m so glad you could make it here at least, even if you are a little bit late for the funeral. It was a disgraceful affair regardless. Come in, come in, dry yourself off.”
She takes your by now soaking jacket and hangs it on a rack before ushering you to the kitchen table. ”Would you prefer or coffee while you catch me up on how you’ve been?” she ask, preparing water for either.
Park holds the siphon gingerly. He knows it is his imagination (mostly), but the thing feels evil.... "I think this thing should be put somewhere safe. I don't really know how they work but I wouldn't want to drop it and release him again." He carefully packs it and shoulders his pack.
"With the Piper secured do you think his flute would be safe to play? It's really a beautifully crafted instrument."
"Maybe we could go back to Kendra's and store it? Label it with bright letters, 'Danger. Do not touch!'. But I could use a short break and a bite to eat. How about you guy?"
”Rajuna!” Kendra calls out to you when you open the door, a fresh set of waterworks cascading down her face as she lets you in. ”I’m so glad you could make it here at least, even if you are a little bit late for the funeral. It was a disgraceful affair regardless. Come in, come in, dry yourself off.”
She takes your by now soaking jacket and hangs it on a rack before ushering you to the kitchen table. ”Would you prefer or coffee while you catch me up on how you’ve been?” she ask, preparing water for either.
Raj is busy trying to not burden Kendra with getting his soaking burnoose off while listening to what she said, dealing with the guilt, working on his apology, and stifling his crush. It was a lot. Eventually the burnoose is on a hook… and so is Rajuna.
He catches her elbow on the way to the kitchen and turns her around briefly. His expression is grim, hang-dog at best, ”Ms. Lorrimor, I am awfully sorry about your Da and getting here so late. I only got your letter a couple days ago. I’ve been racing here ever since.” Well, galloping… on a ‘borrowed’ horse which he left at a stable in a nearby town with a note of apology and the name of the horse’s owner…. But that wasn’t something Kendra needed to know. ”Missing the funeral, your tears, and not being here to help when you needed it – I’m, I don’t have the words. I’m sorry. I’m just, sorry.”
He follows her into the kitchen, where he places his dripping pack beneath the chair. He pulls a blanket from it and begins drying himself.
”Coffee’d be what I need. Thank you, Ms. Lorrimor. Better with a splash of brandy, if it’s no trouble? So, what was that you said about a 'disgrace'?”
Yes, we should be prepared for the bowels of the prison after we've had a night's rest.
Morganne shares what she knows about the siphon and inspects the flute trying to determine if it would be cursed
”It would most likely be safe to play now, yes. His spirit has left this plane entirely. I am not sure how the vial works, however. You might want to do as you say and keep it safe, just in case.”
”Some of the villagers in town banded together in an attempt to prevent father from being buried in the town cemetery. They accused him of…dabbling in necromancy.” she almost cries here, her voice cracking as she speaks. ”Luckily a few of his friends who did make it to the funeral were there to help prevent things from getting ugly, and the mob spent a night in the cells.”
She then fills you in on everything going on around town, with the hauntings and the stirge attack on the school and the Harrowstone prison investigation going on right now as you speak. She mentions it’s been a while since they went up there this morning, and that they might head back to town relatively soon.
”Here’s your coffee, with a splash of brandy. Pharasma knows we all could use a drink or two right now.”
”Some of the villagers in town banded together in an attempt to prevent father from being buried in the town cemetery. They accused him of…dabbling in necromancy.” she almost cries here, her voice cracking as she speaks. ”Luckily a few of his friends who did make it to the funeral were there to help prevent things from getting ugly, and the mob spent a night in the cells.”
She then fills you in on everything going on around town, with the hauntings and the stirge attack on the school and the Harrowstone prison investigation going on right now as you speak. She mentions it’s been a while since they went up there this morning, and that they might head back to town relatively soon.
The thief sets the damp blanket carefully on a chair to dry, considering all of Kendra’s news. Raj generally kept his distance from the townsfolk when he was in Ravengro. Certainly, many locals might recognize him but he’d rarely wasted more than a few words on any of them. But he paid attention when Doc related the goings-on in town and the key players. And he knew the people who smelled like trouble for Doc. He says lightly, ”That band of hayseeds… they weren’t led by that crusty old bastard, whatshisname… Gibs, were they?”
Less lightly, he adds, ”Have any of them been causing you any problems since then? Any strange happenings around the house?”
”Here’s your coffee, with a splash of brandy. Pharasma knows we all could use a drink or two right now.”
He tips his coffee cup to her both in thanks and a salute. ”If anyone deserves a drink, it’s you, Ms. Lorrimor. Pour yourself one. Your secret is safe with me. An’ if you don’t wanna drink alone, pour one for me as well. We’ll drink to your father and his strong-as-steel, daughter.” His scarred face breaks out into a crooked, coaxing smile.
With the used siphon carefully packed and the words from Vesorianna Park is ready to return to Kendra's home.
The rain has lessened up when the group leaves Harrowstone, with it being only a light drizzle.
They find Kendra having a drink with Rajuna, an athletic looking man with dark hair.
"Ah, there you are! Was wondering when you'd make your way back from that awful place" Kendra says, offering to pour them a drink as well.
"What all has happened since you went back?"
Even with the light rain Park feels a lighter mood growing as they get away from the prison. Was it his imagination?...
When Kendra asks about what had happened he pulls the pretty flute from his pack and plays a quick tune on it.... His familiar joins in with her 'natural piping'. The resulting noise is rather bad, but it brings a smile to Park's face anyway. "We got the Piper and his stirges. Now I can practice on this without his haunt somehow attaching his evil to me!" He packs it away again and takes a seat.
He pulls the haunt siphon out of his pack as well. "We also got Father Charlatan. I think we should put this somewhere safe. I don't think he can be released, but I wouldn't want those necromancers to get it and somehow figure out a way...." He accepts a drink and relaxes, letting the others talk as well.
If clothing makes the man – the sombre tones of his utilitarian, rain-repelling leather jerkin, leggings, and boots – then the fellow is Ustalavian through and through. He is also clearly Varisian, judging by his black hair and swarthy, olive skin. But what stands out most about the man at the table, drinking with Kendra with the ease of familiarity, are his scars. It’s said that Ustalav takes a bite out of everyone who lived there long enough. In the Varisian’s case, that’s a literal truth. Two parallel fang or claw slashes run from his hairline, diagonally across his face, and then down his neck towards his shoulder… disappearing below his jerkin. For good measure, a small divot of flesh is missing from the bridge of his nose where a fang crossed it.
His self-introduction is brief. ”I’m Rajuna, or Raj… Doc called me both. We worked together at times.” He glances at the full haunt siphon as it is passed around. He nods, ”Nice work.”
Ah, another latecomer I presume? It seems the professor knew people from all over and many were unable to arrive in time for the funeral. Morganne looks outside forlornly. But where are my manners? I am Morganne, I once saved Professor Lorrimor life and in return, he discovered my talents for the arcane and helped me to attend Theumanexus College in Korvosa. And this is... She holds out a hand to Park prompting him to continue.
"Ah, sorry for my lack of proper manners. I am Park Song, and my accompanying friend here I call 'Birdie'. Not very original I know, but she seems to like the name. Say Hello Birdie."
"Our other friend here is Petyr Kindler, but I suppose I should let him introduce himself...."
After Petyr introduces himself, Rajuna says, ”Good to meet you all. Ms. Lorrimor has been telling me about your investigations and the dark happenings around town. I wish I knew Doc was looking into the Way so close to home, maybe things could have been different..." His attention drifts briefly then snaps back, "Well, I’ll be blunt. I want in on what you’re doing.”
He continues, "You don't know me. It's a risk. All you know is Ms. Lorrimor knows me. So, ask your questions and I'll answer them as honest as I can. And you folks can think on it and let me know tomorrow if you're willing to deal me in. Sound fair?"
"Alas, unfortunately it was Gibs. Don't worry about vengeance or revenge, the sheriff left him in jail overnight. They just didn't understand my father or what he did."
Raj frowns, his face clearly saying let's agree to disagree on that. He speaks cautiously, "Ms. Lorrimor, I appreciate that you're a kind and generous person. I'd like that not to change. This ain't about vengeance or even revenge. And Gibs bein' ignorant won't make me feel any better if you get hurt because of it. A man being ignorant don't bring any less hurt to your doorstep. Hurt can change who you are - believe me - and I'd hate to see that happen to you."
He takes a breath and continues, "For some men, knowledge or even a little time in a cell, don't end their hate... but fear, gut-level fear, can penetrate a thick skull. Gibs might be one of those. I'm not gonna do anything now. Maybe Gibs will leave you be. I'm glad if that happens. But if he starts sniffing around, looking for trouble... then giving him a good scare might right the situation. And I've got the skills to scare him in ways he won't forget. That's all I'm saying."
Park stares at Rajuna, curious about his words. He delays, thinking about the question. Deal him in? "I think we can trust the Professor. If he accepted you, we can as well."
"The real question is whether or not you really want to join with us. It's dangerous. These haunts are hard to fight and will probably attack us in any way you could imagine, physically, mentally, and spiritually. We'll have to draw on all of our abilities and fight them as a team."
In an odd display of candor, accompanied by a crooked, amused smile, Raj replies, ”Don’t put all your faith in Doc’s judgment til you hear it. He called me a two-edged sword and he was right about that. Also, you should know, I’m a thief – among other things. Sometimes Doc needed someone to get him in the back door instead of the front, or needed a scout, or someone who could press in the right way.”
”The real question is whether or not you really want to join with us. It's dangerous. These haunts are hard to fight and will probably attack us in any way you could imagine, physically, mentally, and spiritually. We'll have to draw on all of our abilities and fight them as a team."
”Haints, eh?” He says revealing his highlands past, ”Danger and haints I’ve seen – and fought – before, with Doc. Like I said, I want in.”
Park chuckles when Rajuna calls himself a thief, but lets him finish his statement. "There were a good number of students at University that called me thief for taking the tuition and not working as hard as I should have. But I assume you mean that you've professionally trained? Good! That means you know how to spot traps better than I can, and possibly how to defeat them without getting hurt. That's a useful skill. I'll defer to Morganne's opinion, but I've got no complaint."
"As to training, I've trained to fight with light weapons but chose my machete. I think I stuck with it primarily 'cause other students thought it was ridiculous. They preferred their rapiers and dueling blades.... And I'm a trained Bard, calling on some simple magics through my music. Birdie there is like a familiar to me, and I'm supposed to be training her to accompany me. I haven't done too great yet, but eventually she should be able to use some of my bardic magic to help all of us."
Rajuna nods, "I'm pretty good with finding and beating traps. Same goes for locks. Not sure I'd say I'm 'professionally trained'..." He hitches a thumb towards the window, "Ustalav was my finishing school."
The next day opens with the sun peeking through the windows of Kendra's house, heralding at least a break in the wall of rain that has plagued Ravengro the past week. Kendra greets you, seeming a tad bit hungover.
"I just woke up myself, unfortunately, or else I'd have breakfast ready. Feel free to make yourself at home, there's plenty of food in the house." she seems tired, and more than just exhaustion. It's been a rough week clearly.
And still, throughout everything, Harrowstone awaits atop the hill once more.
Rajuna wakes on his makeshift bed – the couch in the sitting room. He sits up and does a series of stretches before folding his blankets neatly into a neat pile by his backpack. He slips into his boots and slides into the kitchen. Seeing Kendra’s condition, he says, ”I can make eggs, if you want some? They might help.” Regardless of her choice, he makes an egg with mushrooms for himself and grabs an apple.
Park smiles when Rajuna mentions making eggs. "I never turn down someone else cooking. I've never taken the time to learn how...."
Once they've had some breakfast he gathers his gear, ready to head back to Harrowstone.
Rajuna shrugs, and sets about making omelets with cooked mushrooms and – after a brief kitchen search – tomatoes and caramelized onions for everyone who is hungry. ”I wouldn’t say I cook well... just well enough. Living on rations or burnt food makes people testy.”
After breakfast, with surprising efficiency, he cleans the kitchen. Afterwards, he empties the non-essentials from his pack and puts them with his blankets. With his gear stripped down to the essentials, he’s ready to depart.
Once you get back to the hole in the floor , it becomes clear that it will be significantly harder to climb down past the lip of the pit without a rope. Thankfully, Rajuna has one and attaches it in such a way to make the descent easy enough.
It's only a 20-foot climb down into the lower prisons, but you can clearly see it would be impossible to climb back up if your rope wasn't there.
This cavernous chamber may have once been an underground cellblock, but it has long since collapsed. The crumbled walls are thick with mold and stained with soot, and heaps of fallen stones and charred wooden beams line the area. Water drips and seeps along the walls, collecting in a dark, murky pool in the middle of the room. To the north, the twisted remains of a wood and iron lift lie in a heap in a shallow portion of the pool. A jagged hole in the roof yawns twenty feet above this ruin. To the west, a partially blocked opening seems to open up after several feet into a dark but stable tunnel.
As soon as you set foot in this chamber, the room fills with a cacophonous roar of screams and howls, echoes of the cries of those who burned to death in this room. It doesn't seem to have any effect, but an instant later, the surface of the dark pool of water begins rippling around the ruined lift as three ectoplasmic spirits rise up, dripping and horrible, to attack.
Rajuna eyes the creatures emerging from the pool, trying to determine their nature. Purely because he’s not sure touching the dripping abominations is safe, he slides the thick-bladed sword from its sheath and focuses his ki briefly on the blade. He taps it against his leg. ”You weren’t kidding about this place being haunted.” Without waiting for a reply, he engages one of the monsters.
Stunning Fist (3):
Ki Pool (3):
Shuriken (20):
AoOs (6):
Effects: none
Park moves up with Rajuna to attack the spirits. "Pretty mean too. They were hardened criminals and they were killed by the fire. These look a bit different than the haunts above, almost like actual ghosts. I hope not though. My weapon wouldn't do much on a real ghost."
These horrors are known as ectoplasmic creatures, and are created when energies drawn from the Ethereal plane capture the hostile energy of a soul inside ectoplasm, a vile substance resembling thick tangles of slimy linen or dripping goo. It is solid and can be damaged by normal weapons, although they have a slight resistance to everything but slashing weapons .
Park and Rajuna cut down two of the unfortunate tortured souls quite easily, freeing them from their prison of cursed 'flesh'.
Morganne points a finger at the remaining undead and sends a bolt of white light streaking towards it.
Morganne's ray strikes the last creature of ectoplasm, dealing a small amount of damage to it.
It takes a step towards Park, and swings a horrifyingly disgusting arm towards him.
It connects, and Park feels a sickening revulsion as some ooze sloughs off from the arm and drips upon his skin, but he shakes it off and is fine.
Learning that the creature is solid, Raj slides up next to Park and delivers a set of criss-crossing slashes to the goopy monster.
Stunning Fist (3):
Ki Pool (3):
Shuriken (20):
AoOs (6):
Effects:
Park shakes the goop off of his arm, feeling the burn from the slime. He adds his own attack to Rajuna's.... "Ouch!
The final ectoplasmic corpse falls to the ground in a disgusting pool of ooze beneath your feet before dissipating.
Four dark hallways exit from this large empty chamber, each striking out in one of the four directions of the compass, and each decorated with a soot-caked brass nameplate affixed to the ceiling just above the entrance. A rubble-choked stairway leads up in the middle of the room, while eight skeletons dressed in scorched prisoners’ robes lie on the ground.
The stairway, based on your knowledge of the prison, originally led to the collapsed stairway in the level above. A quick look reveals scratches along the rubble and stone blocks—likely testimony to the prisoners’ futile attempts to dig out the deadfall from below.
The brass nameplates that hang above each of the four hallways leading out of this room identify the cell blocks that lie beyond, although the soot must be wiped away to reveal these names. To the north lies “The Oubliette.” To the west lies “Reaper’s Hold.” To the south lies “The Nevermore.” And to the east once stretched “Hell’s Basement.”
Rajuna wipes the soot from the placards with the base of a fist. He reads the names silently to himself. "Playful. I can't speak to the other ones... but we can expect a hole in the floor to a drop-cell in 'The Oubliette'. In some tongue it means 'to forget'... and that was a the point. You drop someone in a pit and forget about 'em. Any preferences on where we start?"
Morganne circles around to the murky pool from which the dripping horrors emerged. She looks to Park. "Do you have a light spell? I'm curious if there is anything down there."
Park glances at Morganne and nods. "Hopefully it won't summon more...."
He hums a short tune and places a light cantrip on a stone, tossing it into the water.
"I believe the chances are low. So far, few things have waited for our 'by your leave' to spring out at us." She watches the stone drop into the pool carefully.
The thief also stares into the waters, looking for threats or something of interest.
The stone with light on it clambers down the well (in ) and reveals a clearly severely damaged skeleton dressed in the same prisoner robes as the corpses piled around the crumbled stairs. Both the dark pool in and the empty well in don't have anything of interest in them beyond the single skeleton.
Seeing the pile of bodies by the foot of the stairs Park thinks a moment. "Morganne? Can you cast that Deathwatch spell again? A little warning before a haunt attacks, of those bodies stand up to fight us would be appreciated."
"Certainly." Morganne weaves the necromantic spell and looks around the room with fresh eyes... just in case something is lurking among the various skeletal remains.
Arcane Reservoir (6): x
Channel Energy (5):
Gentle Rest (6):
Arcanist 1st Spells (5): x
Clerical Spells:
~ 2nd ~
Gentle Repose:
Ghostbane Dirge:
Spear of Purity:
~ 1st ~
Burning Disarm:
Deathwatch: x
Shield of Faith:
Weapons Against Evil:
Bolts (10):
Effects:
Mage Armor (w/ Reservoir Pt) – 5 hours
Deathwatch – 30 mins
When no horror immediately emerges from either pool of water, the thief chuckles. "This'ud be the moment where Doc would say, 'Well, Raj, that was anti-climactic'."