"I have yet to see it myself but from the description it quite apalling, come follow and see." He leads you down the trail passing a small shack, you spy Gibs standing outside stifling a yawn leering as you pass by.
At the end of the trail a small crowd has gathered around a tall moss covered statue that you take to be the Harrowstone Memorial. The crowd parts as the sheriff leads the way and you see the small descration that happened. At the base of the statue you see the large slab that holds the name of the 25 guards, the warden's and his wife's has been graffitied with letter V in red paint, as well as the rest of the statue being splatterd by it.
Sheriff Benjen steps up to the statue and places his figer warily to the letter, he sniffs it and then puts it to his tongue his eyes grow wide as if he had come upon some shocking realization. He stands and turns to the crowd drawing in a large breath "Everyone is to disperse and the memorial is off-limits until I deem otherwise. Marcus come here I have an errand for you to run." He announces before pointing to small boy who quickly walks over. "Go to the jail and tell Francis and Janey to do a headcount Edekar a'int goin' anywhere, and don't you tell anybody about this or you won't get to be my errand boy anymore." He whispers to the boy as he sends him on his way, he looks at the dispersing crowd and then to the four of you. "Things seem to have gotten real interesting since you people showed up, that a'int red paint on there thats blood."
As you begin to cross the south bridge of town you see several townsfolk walking down a worn trail to the south on the other side of the bridge, as you get halfway you see another group go down the trail, another goes by as you finish crossing, and as the four of you reach the trail you are met by the sheriff.
"Fancy meeting you folks guessing you heard whats happening, I'm going down to see it myself."
"Then I will send my own acolytes to investigate this area and inform you of the fruits of their labor. If you will tell me I will send them as soon as I am able." Grimburrow replies.
"Hmmm very interesting, he had mentioned his suspicions to me before but I figured it was something merely out of academic curiousity." The father seems honest as he replies.
"As for the cache, the professor had approched me about this as well so I will tell you as I told him. It is possible a cache like this exists but digging through tombs will not exactly please the lady of the graves, but here is where you two will difer. I trusted and knew the professor and allowed him to go looking for this trove, you and your group sadly do not have that trust... yet, befriending Ms. Lorrimor has helped you so far but you are still strangers to me." As he finishes he takes a long drag from his pipe and blow a large smoke ring towards the clouds.
As you come to the temple once more you see Father Grimburrow with a pipe in his mouth. "By the Gods I'll never get to smoke with you four running about it seems. Kendra is still with Alek unless you have other buisness?"
Sadly none of you have heard this tune before despite the eerie quality about it.
"Its less sung to children by their parents but more passed down from child to child, something the sing when they jump rope or play in the square. I've heard it a few times before but its never been this unsettling." Responds Benjen before being taken aback by A'isha burst, he composes himself quickly and looks to her. "Well that helps prove that theory we can use it to prove his innocence but they'll still won't want him running loose right now."
"I don't know the name of it but here let him sing it." Benjen says opening the jail, he carefully removes the gag as if he feared being bitten.
You hear Edekar try to spit out a few lines but they are unintelligible as he coughs in fits eventually his throat is clear and begins to sing the rhyme.
"Put her body on the bed.
Take a knife and lop her.
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."
Benjen lets Edekar sing the rhyme once more before stuffing the gag back in his mouth. "He about drove me and the deputies crazy last night with that." He says as he exits the cell, locking it again.
As you inspect the leg you nothing can be done that the acolytes and father haven't already.
"I'm going to stay here and watch over Alek, I'll send someone if wakes up." Kendra says pulling a chair up to Alek's cot.
When you enter the jail you see the desk is filled by the sheriff who looks displeased as fills out paperwork. "Oh welcome, your friend is right here." He says pointing to a manacled and gagged Edekar in the cell behind him. "Had to shut him up, he kept singing some local nursery rhyme."
The town is barely awake as you go through, a few people stare at you as you walk but go about their buisness as they see Kendra walking with you.
As you reach the temple Father Grimburrow stands outside as if expecting you, you see him tuck something into his robes as you approach. "Hello again, I expect you are here to see your friend he is in the acolytes quarters."
He guides you through the temple and shows you to where Alek is sleeping, his left leg nothing but a knob right below the knee clean gaws wrapped around it. "It was great that we got there when we did if he had lost more blood we might not have been able to save him."
After a few minutes the sheriff comes back down with Kendra right behind him. "Have a good day ladies, sir. I'll be at the jail if I'm needed." He says tipping his hat and nodding to Stefan.
"He's currently being held in the temple and like I said not much to do he's stable and resting, but I can't stop ya from seeing him." He says and then turns to Kendra.
"Kendra might I have a word in private with you?" He asks.
"Of course Benjan let us go to my room." Kendra replies motioning the sheriff to go upstairs.
As you all almost ready to depart you hear a knock on the door. Kendra moves to answer it and you hear the shock in the voice when she says. "Oh, hello sheriff what brings you by this morning?"
"Nothing good sadly, I believe you are friends with Mr. Avad and Mr. Olterov?" The Sheriff asks.
"Well they are more of an acquaintances but yes. May I ask why?" Kendra responds.
"It appears Mr. Avad was able to sneak into Mr. Olterov's room and ambush him with an axe he had found by the inn. Mr. Oltrov had the smarts to try and dodge but his leg took the blow, Mr. Avad struck again and took the rest of his leg off. Some patrons ran and found Mr. Avad about to strike the final blow when they intervened and barred him in the room." The Sheriff expalined.
"My word is he stil alive?" Kendra asks shocked by the incident.
"Yes but nothing can be done for his leg, at least not here He will be moved to Lepidstadt once Father Grimburrow says he is safe to travel. The Sheriff answers. "Mr. Avad will be staying here in Ravengro though. He appears to have suffered from some sort of mental break, but we are keeping him locked up until we can confirm it."
I have figured out a way to give Alek his exit and Edekar a small exit but a way to come back in case he decides to return to the internetl, so my evil plan is set in motion.
As you begin to work the lock you begin to finally understand the complicity of it, where you expect to find one tumbler you find two small one and as you turn one the other turns. Eventually you give up thinking it to be too hard.
Inside you find many of the unholy rituals and prayers used by Urgathoa's clergy, but it seems that this is one of many books they use for many parts seem missing or incomplete. You also notice a familiar handwriting scribbled in the margins, they are mostly comments about a circled passage.
You find four other books within the chest. The first is a jet black book with the words On Verified Madness etched into its front, if any of you care skim it contents you see that is a treatise on aberrations and other etities found on Golarion that possess remote ties to the Dark Tapestry.
The next two are recognized by both Rhia and A'isha for they are Serving Your Hunger and The Umbral Leaves the unholy books of Ugathoa and Zon-Kuthon respectively, you find a note in these three asking to be given to Professor Montangine Crowl.
The last is a book of deep purple clasped Brass Scarab with a single eye in its center, the book's covers are rimmed in polished steel and clasped with a small but seemingly intricate lock, the keyhole itself a small traingle. A note is tucked tightly under the steel and reveals that this book is to be delivered to Judge Embreth Daramid.
@Rhia You remember very little of Ravengro itself, and what you do Edekar and Alek have already told the group.
Rhia's Eyes only:
From what you can deduce from the journal The Whispering Way is a sinister organization of necromancers that has been active in the Inner Sea Region for thousands of years.
Agents of the Whispering Way often seek alliances with undead creatures, or are themselves undead. The Whispering Ways's most notorious member was Tar-Baphon, the Whispering Tyrant, although the society itself has existed much longer than even that mighty necromancer.
As you flip through the pages you realize its Petros' journal, a few entries are circled and these are the ones you read aloud.
Circled Entries in the Professor's Journalcurrent date is 19 Calistril 4713, you can see the real handout here
22 Pharast 4703 The Whispering Way is more than just a cabal of necromancers. I see that now. Undeath is their fountain of youth. Uncovering their motivation does not place me at ease as U thought it might. Their desire to be eternal simply makes them more dangerous.
16 Kuthona 4712 It is as I had feared. The Way is interested in something here in Ravengro. But what could it be?
19 Abadius 4713 Whatever the Way seeks, I am now concerned their goal is connected to Harrowstone. In retrospect, I suppose it all makes sense the stories they tell about the ruins in town are certainly chilling enough. It may be time to investigate the ruins, but with everyone in town already being so worked up about them, I'd rather not let the others know about my curiosity there's plenty of folks hereabouts who already think I'm a demonologist or a witch or something. Ignorant fools.
30 Abadius 4713 It is confirmed. The Way seems quite interested in something someone who was held in Harrowstone. But who, specifically, is the Way after? I need a list of everyone who died the night of the fire. Everyone. The Temple of Pharasma must have such a list.
1 Calistril 4713 I see now just how ill prepared I was when I last set out for the Harrowstone. I am lucky to have returned at all. The ghosts, if indeed they were ghosts (for I did not find it prudent to investigate further) prevented me from transcribing the strange symbols I found etched along the foundation hopefully on my next visit I will be more prepared. Thankfully, the necessary tools to defend against spirits are already here in Ravengro. I know that the church of Pharasma used to store them in a false crypt in the Restlands at the intersection between Eversleep and the Black Path. I am not certain if the current clergy even know of what their predecessors have hidden down below. If my luck holds, I should be able to slip in and out with a few borrowed items.
2 Calistril 4713 Tomorrow evening I return to the prison. It is imperative the Way does not finish. My caution has already cost me too much time. I am not sure what will happen if I am too late, but if my theory is right, the entire town could be at risk. I don't have time to update my will, so I'll leave this in the chest where it'll be sure to be found, should the worst come to pass.
When you open the box you find it filled with several old tomes and one relatively new one. The newest one lays at the top with the words "Read Me Now!" etched into the leather.
The silence is eventually broken by a knocking on the door.
"I've got it don't worry." Kendra calls out as you hear move to the front door. "Ah, Councilor Hearthmount your right on time."
"Thank you Kendra, I'm sorry for your loss." You barely hear come from the door. Kendra walks in shortly followed by a man in his fifties he is broad shouldered, straight backed, and walks slightly bow legged. As he walks into the study he gives an air of dislike towards all of you though your not sure if its because you are strangers to Ravengro or some other sinister reason. your pretty sure its the stranger thing. He stands in front of you all and produces a sealed scroll case. "If you all would inspect this case and verify that the seal has not been broken we can proceed." He shows the case to each of you and see that the wax PL is still intact, after showing he sits at the desk and opens the case spilling out an iron key and a scroll, Hearthmount grabs the scroll and begins to read aloud.
"I, Pteros 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 appreciate 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 lack 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 mater 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 for you a sum of one hundred platinum coins. For safekeeping, I have left these funds with Embreth Daramaid, 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 4713."
The Councilman looks to Kendra as he rolls the scroll up. "Thank you Vashian, you can go." The councilman stands and leaves silently.
Through several letters and the occasional meeting the professor has mentioned Harrowstone in much detail.
Harrowstone is a ruined prison partially destroyed by a fire in 4661 (it is 4713 now), the building has stood vacant ever since. The locals suspect that it's haunted, and don't enjoy speaking of the place.
Harrowstone was built in 4594. Ravengro was founded at the same time as a place where guards and their families could live and that would produce food and other supplies used by the prison. The fire that killed all of the prisoners and most of the guards destroyed a large portion of the prison's underground eastern wing, but left most of the stone structure above relatively intact. The prison's warden perished in the fire, along with his wife although no one knows why she was in the prison when the fire occured. A statue commemorating the warden and the guards who lost their lives was built in the months after the tradgedy, that statue still stands on the riverbank just outside of town.
Most of the hardened criminals sent to Harrowstone spent only a few months imprisoned, for it was here that most of Ustalav's executions were carried out. The fire that caused the tragedy was, in fact, a blessing in disguise, for the prisoners had rioted and gained control of the prison's dungeons immediately prior to the conflagration. It was only through the self-sacrifice of Warden Hawkran and 23 of his guards that the prisoners were prevented from escaping, the guards gave their lives to save the town of Ravengro.
At the time Harrowston burned, five particulary notorious criminals had recently arrived at the prison. While the commonly held belief is that the tragic fire began accidentally after the riot began, in fact the prisoners had already seized control of the dungeon and had been in command of the lower level for several hours before the fire. Warden Hawkran triggered a deadfall to seal the rioting prisoners in the lower level, but in so doing trapped himself and nearly two dozen guards. The prisoners were in the process of escaping when the panicked guards accidentally started the fire in a desperate attempt to end the riot.
@Alek You can tell that Kendra is telling you what she knows to be the truth, and has general dislike for the prison.
So when I metioned brandy earlier it got my brain going about Austershalin Brandy from the Lies of Locke Lamora series, so I went to the internet to see if someone had come up with a recipie for Austershalin Brandy. Sadly no one had but I did find someone who had come up with foods and one drink from the series so I feel like sharing it. Enjoy
All were a moved by a few of your speeches and memories of Professor Lorrimor, Father Grimburrow gives a moment of silence and then steps forward again. "Phrasma teaches that all death has meaning and that while we should mourn those who go to her we should celebrate their life and the life they brought to the world." He leans over and draws a spiral onto the professor's coffin with a piece of chalk. "May the Lady of The Graves judge you fairly for the good you have done in this life and the evil you may have prevented."
"Gibs maybe we were wrong to do this, he never did no harm." Said a farm hand who stepped up to the elderly man.
"Mattin I know what I'm doing." He snapped back, he looked back at the six pallbearers for a moment. "Fine bury the old fool." Most of the mob go up the road some mumbling quitley Gibs gumbling loudly follows them, a few linger to the side waiting to join the procession as it passes.
Kendra turns to all of you. "Thank you for your quick action I fear that coud've turned worse by the looks of them."
The rest of the walk to the professor's grave goes by uneventful. Upon reaching the grave site you a see a bald elderly man dressed in black and two men who stand to the side holding shovels. Kendra walks up to the elderly man and the two share a short conversation before he turns to all of you. "I am Father Grimburrow thank you for this service to Petros, if you would please lay him in the grave we can begin." You set the coffin in carefully and step away from the grave and as you all begin to blend with the crowd Father Grimburrow begins his sermon. He talks of Petros's career, his dedication to his daughter, the passing of his wife, and his arrival and affect on Ravengro. "At this time I would ask any friends who are willing to speak a few words about Petros Lorrimor."
Kendra clears her throat loudly so all can hear her. "If the pallbearers could take their place we will begin our walk on the dreamwake."
As you all take your places you lift the finely made coffin and follow Kendra as she leads the procession through The Restlands. As you reach the halfway point turning onto the Eversleep you see the path blocked by about a dozen surly looking locals led by an tall elderly man who calls out. "That's far enough.
You've heard only a few things about Kendra. She's 25 and has only lived in Ravengro for the past 15 years, having moved here with her father when he retired from Lepidstadt University. She studied the arcane arts enough that she has become a well versed diviner but is lacking in the schools of the evocation and illusion. First check is almost max holy carp
You arrived in Ravengro just this morning with little time to find the cemetery before the funeral begins. As you arrive you see several people dressed in black, most pay you no mind but each of you are approached by a woman who is finely dressed with puffy cheeks and red eyes.
I am checking in with A'isha. Since I have spent all but about 3GP of her money, I believe I am set. I may buy some small cost items but that is it. I await the gameplay thread!
Gameplay thread will go up tonight when I get home.
I'm gonna close a little early, so once again thank you all for submitting this was a wonderful time reading all the submissions and horror type characters.
So without further ado RECRUITMENT CLOSED
The selected party members to join Arilla are:
Alek Oltorev/Human Investigator
Rhia Van der Geist/Human Oracle
Dr. Stefan Von Herzog/Human Wizard
A'isha Al-Rajhi/Human Paladin
Edekar Avad/Human Bard
didn't realize I picked all humans until I was about to post this
We are coming close to the last 24 hours everyone. I'm glad this recruitment has gone so well its taught me things to keep in mind for the next time. So finish up those submissions and I'll see you all at the finish line.
Front Line:
Zutarn Pawfriend-Halfling Cavalier order of the paw
A'isha Al-Rajhi-Paladin of the undead oath
Grair Brand-Aasimar Paladin ???
JJohnson88-Half Elf Ranger
Heal:
Marconi-Half Elf Inquisitor
Cutlass-Gnome Cleric of Desna
Rhia Van der Geist-Human Oracle
Gregor Einsenhorn-Dwarf Inquisitor
Bob Evil-Tengue Cleric of Pharasma
KatsuneSage-Tiefling Inquisitor
Support:
MannyGoblin-Spugnoir-Half Orc Vivisectionist alchemist
Ferriah Starpelt-Catfolk Bard
ArieIJzer-Human Bard
Dr. Stefan Von Herzog-Human Wizard
Orvad Kruss-Human Monk(Zen Archer)
Eamch Stone-Half Orc Sorcerer
Ashana Blacktail-Catfolk Rogue
Undecided:
Dredrick Valor-???
Wolfgang Rolf-???
@GriarBrand Carrion Crown is one of those Paladin friendly adventure paths, so having more than one paladin is never a bad thing.
@GMV I'm not the biggest fan of the Rich Parents trait but either will work for me. As for the dual archetypes I'm gonna say no, Its kinda like Ninja not being able to take Rogue levels.
