Tatyana wakes early and hurriedly eats breakfast, hoping to get as much research done as she can before her shift. Before she leaves she asks Kendra, "Is there a post office in town? I have a letter I wish to send."
She politely offers, "Yes there is a post office on the far side of town. I can take it, as I have several other letters to be sent as well."
---
As Tatyana interrupts the children, they immediately stop playing and stand quietly and nervously. Even after her words they watch you quietly unsure. Kim you can try to do a diplomacy check if you wish or simpy assist.
Valliard:
Are you circling the walls of the prison or the prison itself?
Harrowstone is located on a barren hill south of the city of
Ravengro, the stark, sagging roof of its central structure
visible through a large gap in the surrounding wall. A
partially overgrown track leads from the southern edge of
town, winding around the base of the hill and then back
up along its southern slope to the prison itself. The prison
consists of four distinct areas, each with its own features.
Prison Grounds: Harrowstone’s grounds are contained
within a crumbling stone wall, the eastern portion of which
has fallen away into a huge sinkhole that formed when the
extensive eastern wing of the prison dungeon collapsed
after the dreadful fire of 4661—this collapse took with it
the prison graveyard, which now lies in ruins at the bottom
of the murky pond that filled the sinkhole.
R1. Courtyard Tower Doors
A sagging wood and metal gate set between a pair of stone
guard towers once barred entrance into Harrowstone, but the
gates now hang negligently open, creaking softly in what wind
touches the ruined bars.
The stone wall that surrounds most of the prison
grounds is covered with creeping ivy, and the blocks
beneath that growth are eroded. Climbing the walls
requires a DC 10 Climb check. The walls themselves are 20
feet high. The first PC to enter the Harrowstone grounds
has a sudden rush of claustrophobia and the split-second
sensation that her skin is on fire. This sensation causes
the character to become shaken for 2d4 minutes if she
fails a DC 12 Will save.
What do you investigate next?
The R2. Observation Towers
R3. Warden’s House
R4. Harrowstone Facade
R5
etc.
See slide 7 - Harrowstone Map
She explains, "Harrowstone is a ruined prison, one of the main reasons the village exists. It was partially destroyed by a fire in 4661, the building has stood vacant ever since. It is said to be haunted. My father was found dead outside of Harrowstone, crushed by some falling debris of the ruin. Thus the reason for a closed casket."
Tatyana being a member of the faith and having Kimberly with you would give you a +5 bonus on your diplomacy check.
Valiard:
know local harrowstone: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17
Harrowstone is a ruined prison—
partially destroyed by a fire in 4661, the building has
stood vacant ever since. The locals suspect that it’s
haunted, and don’t enjoy speaking of the place.
DC 15: 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 occurred. A statue commemorating the
warden and the guards who lost their lives was built in
the months after the tragedy—that statue still stands on
the riverbank just outside of town.
know local five prisoners: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
No prisoners of note come to mind.
Henric :
What subject were you trying to look up with your K religion check?
Kim:
Which subject were you trying to uncover? It does make a difference.
Everyone can make a check of what you know and spend 8 hours to research at a library.
The will was updated 3 months ago, the journal was updated 17 days ago, near the day he died.
She shakes her head to Henric's question, "I have been away at the academy for the last four months. But look here at the last entries and the others circled in red. The Whispering Way, a cult of necromancers to say the least, he was trying to thwart. They had an interest in Harrowstone and that is where he died. Maybe doing some research on the Whispering Way or those who died in the fire? Feel free to use this library but there are other collections of books that could be useful in researching as well."
Research: Using a Knowledge check to research a topic allows the PCs two options—simply making the check to see what a character knows about the topic (this is a free action, but can only be attempted once per character), or spending a day looking through references, books, and other materials (this check can be attempted multiple times, but no more than once per day). There are four locations in Ravengro that can be used to research— Kendra suggests all four, but warns the PCs that the locals might need some convincing before they allow strangers to use their libraries. Using any of these sites to research information about Harrowstone or the Whispering Way allows a character to make Knowledge checks untrained (although doing so negates any bonus on skill checks the research site might provide).
The Lorrimor Place:
Kendra offers to let the PCs use
her father’s personal library to research, free of charge
and regardless of the PCs’ current Trust point total.
Lorrimor’s library provides a +2 bonus on all Knowledge
checks made to research the Whispering Way.
Ravengro Town Hall:
The records kept at the town
hall provide a +2 bonus on all Knowledge checks made
to research Harrowstone or the Five Prisoners, but the
town council normally does not allow visitors to use
the building at all. A DC 25 Diplomacy check is enough
to convince the council to let one PC use the site. Once
the PCs accumulate at least 31 Trust points, though, the
council lets the entire party use the site for research.
Temple of Pharasma:
The temple of Pharasma has
extensive notes on the town’s history, and is perhaps the
best site for research. Using the temple’s records grants
a +4 bonus on all Knowledge checks made to research
Harrowstone, the Five Prisoners, or the Whispering Way,
but securing permission to use this site for research
requires a DC 25 Diplomacy check or a Trust score of 30.
The Unfurling Scroll:
This building is a combination
schoolhouse and magic item shop run by one Alendru
Ghoroven; using its small library provides a +2 bonus
on all Knowledge checks made to research Harrowstone.
It cannot be used to research the Whispering Way at all.
Alendru asks for a 10 gp payment for each day that he
allows anyone to use his school’s resources, unless the PCs
reach a Trust point total of 27, at which point he waives
the fee and allows PCs to use the library free of charge.
Research Topic: Harrowstone
Knowledge (history) and Knowledge (local) can be used to
research Harrowstone.
Research Topic: Whispering Way
Knowledge (arcana) and Knowledge (religion) can be used
to research the Whispering Way.
Research Topic: The Five Prisoners
Knowledge (history) and Knowledge (local) checks can
be used to research the Five Prisoners.
She asks a bit scared, "After me? No I can't think of anyone but I know my dad had made many enemies. If we can find his journal, that might clear up more."
Councilman Vashian looks to Kendra, who thanks him, "Thank you Councilman Vashian, you are dismissed." Putting on a brave face, Kendra thanks you again for coming, and informs you, "I will need at least a few weeks to decide if I want to sell my family home or remain here in Ravengro. In the meantime, as stipulated by the will, I ask that you to remain as well. The rooms in my spacious... house... you may use and meals will be provided for the month. Excuse me I will go fetch the chest mentioned in the will."
The chest itself is a relatively small object of oak and iron. Kendra, nervous about the contents, offers the key to the room, stating, ”I will let one of you have the honor of opening the chest.” The key fits the lock perfectly, and within are several old tomes and one relatively new one. The newest tome sits on the top and bears the phrase “Read me now!” scratched into the leather cover.
You have gathered at the entrance to the Restlands with Kendra Lorrimor and a fine coffin containing the body of her father. It does not smell of death but the professor's personal flavors: ink, paper, and a hint of lemon. Kendra asks, "Which of you would like to serve as pallbearers?" There is room on the coffin to accommodate six people, with a minimum of four. As you have likely just arrived after a long trip, we can assume that you are outfitted with weapons, armor, and starting gear.
Father Grimburrow and a pair of gravediggers are already waiting at the site of the professor’s burial—as part of local tradition, they do not accompany the pallbearers from the gate to the grave. Besides your assembled group, only a small handful of villagers are attending the funeral procession. Old friends of Lorrimar, they too have come to pay their respects. They consist of Councilman Vashian Hearthmount, Councilman Gharen Muricar, tavernkeeper Zokar Elkarid and his 13-year-old son Pevrin, and Jominda Fallenbridge (Ravengro’s apothecary and one of the professor’s good friends). All of them are somber and have little to say to you at this time.
Once the pall bearers are decided... Kendra, as the deceased’s closest living relative, has the job of leading the somber procession along the Dreamwake—a gravel pathway that winds through the cemetery. Characters serving as pallbearers are considered to have both hands full as they carry the heavy coffin up the road. As the procession reaches 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 a dozen surly looking locals. The tallest of these toughs is an elderly but wiry retired soldier named Gibs Hephenus. He speaks out as soon as the group is noticed.
Gibs shouts out, “That’s far enough. We been talking, and we don’t want Lorrimor 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?” she cries out. “I arranged it with Father Grimburrow. He’s waiting for us! The grave’s already been...”
Then Gibs quickly retorts, “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.”
Indignantly she spouts out, “Necromancy!? Are you really that ignorant?”
