Valerya & Venedictos
The girls look at each other and mumble quietly - then one of them speaks up. "We don't know, mister. It's been sung in Ravengro since forever!"
"Seems eerie enough."
After he regains his breath, Valerya offers him a hand to get up.
"I'd be curious to know how much of Ravengro's history, which we've been trying to uncover, can be found in folk melodies and children's songs," he whispers to Valerya.
He thanks the girls for their time and teaches them one more silly song to relighten their mood and spirits before departing with Valerya. "Back to the mansion?" he asks her.
Valerya walks by Venedictos' side, eyes gazing at the ground while she speaks softly.
"You'd be surprised. Have you ever heard the thrice-damned count? We used to sing it in my country, and Petros' said it's based on a centuries-gone noble who dined on blood and ashes. When you have little education, you find ways to keep history alive."
She whistles, calling Grimmand to her side and petting him.
"If you won't mind, I want to walk around a little more. I have to think and I do my best thinking while walking. A lot has happened in the last few days and I'm having a hard time figuring how this all... fits together. I mean, there was something with us back there, in the tomb. Did you feel it?"
Venedictos shivers at the memory. "I'd prefer not to dwell on that. Very well. Be careful, and I'll see you back at the house."
Venedictos heads back to the house for some rest.
Valerya
The memories of the Ravengro you knew several years ago have not been tarnished. At the Laughing Demon, you are welcomed by Zokar, who offers you a drink (on the house!). Jominda, one of Professor Lorrimor's old friends gives you an almost motherly embrace when she spots you outside her shop. Gruff and morose Jorfa, the blacksmith in Ravengro, gives you an acknowledging nod when you pass by the forge. For all the hostility the town has offered, Ravengro seems to welcome your presence...
Aerys & Viktor
It is with great passion that Kendra reads through book after book, scribbling down notes with great fervour. You both have difficulties navigating through the library at first, but you manage to help her well enough with fetching books and helping take notes. After four long hours, the mental toll is heavy on all three of you. Kendra wipes a droplet of sweat off her brow as she skims through the seven pages of notes.
"Whew! I...I may have gone too far", she giggles, rising from her seat. She sways for a second, as she drops down to the chair again. "Ah, I should have stretched my legs... time goes by so quickly when you're having fun, doesn't it?"
There's a different side to Kendra when you leave the Unfurling Scroll. She is all smiles as you return to the mansion.
Everyone
"We're back," Kendra announces cheerfully as she, Aerys and Viktor trods through the front door. "Goodness, I feel so alive! And hungry... I'll start cooking some dinner, I hope you are hungry too."
"Aerys, Viktor, could you go over the result of our research with the others?"
She gives both of you a kiss on the cheek, from nowhere, before she vanishes to cook dinner.
Harrowstone
At the time Harrowstone burned, five particularly 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.
The Five Prisoners (UNLOCKED)
Originally, Harrowstone housed only local criminals, but as the prison’s fame spread, other counties and distant lands began paying to have more dangerous criminals housed within this prison’s walls. At the time of the great Harrowstone Fire, the number of particularly violent or dangerous criminals imprisoned within the dungeons below was at an all-time high.
The five most notorious prisoners in Harrowstone at the time of the great fire were Father Charlatan, the Lopper, the Mosswater Marauder, the Piper of Illmarsh, and the Splatter Man.
Aerys stares blankly into space for a few seconds following the kiss on the cheek from Kendra. Finally he drags himself back to reality with a visible effort. Pulling out the notes from the long afternoon of research, he reads them aloud to the others.
"While I know little of necromancy, I can only imagine so many evil natures perishing at the same time, so violently, would have to leave its mark upon Harrowstone. These five outside prisoners were particularly notable - perhaps the Whispering Way's goals involve one or all of them. Perhaps the Town Hall might have more records on these prisoners? I believe the professor also mentioned in his journal lists the Church of Pharasma might also contain..."
At the sound of Aery's voice trailing off, Torsten (who has been white as a sheet), pipes up.
This...explains much, I am afraid. When I took my leave from goodwife Mirta today, I noticed footprints in the earth just off the main street. And when I say that I saw them, I mean that I saw them appearing before my very eyes, with no person present to be making them. They led to Harrowstone prison on the hill. I did not attempt to follow, as I felt strongly that doing so would have been suicidal. It seems to me that the prison - or something in it - is related to the defacement of the monument, which is itself a monument to those that died in the prison fire.
Torsten makes the sign of pass-evil, and falls silent.
"I also learned a local children's song and about a woman who was murdered by a man and her blood splatter perfectly spelled her name. As the blood had spelled a letter, I thought it coincidental and asked the girls about the origin of the song, but all they knew was that it has always been sung in Ravengro. Do you know it Kendra?"
He sings the little ditty. Perform, Sing:
Wait, what did Kendra say the one criminal's name was? The Splatter Man? Is that coincidence?
Aerys shudders. "I was hoping he had earned the nickname through bad table manners," he quips. Looking to Kendra, he asks "Would your father have had more books regarding Harrowstone we could possibly check?"
The sound of chopping can be heard when Venedictos sings the song. She returns before he finishes, listening to his beautiful voice, clad in an apron. "I've heard the song before, yes. I don't know where it originates from. It's rather eerie..."
She turns to Aerys. "I'm not certain. My father has so many books, it would take a while to look through them all. I wouldn't be surprised if he did..."
With a smile she returns to the kitchen, and the chopping resumes.
"Well, Aerys, do you want to go look around for appropriate books, then?"
"Yes. I have a feeling, however, that books regarding The Lopper and The Splatter Man will be less than conducive to a good night's sleep..."
"Please don't get lost between all the books," Kendra calls out to you from the kitchen. "If any of you aren't going to look with them, could you possibly help me with dinner?"
"Hmmmm...dinner." Venedictos follows his nose into the kitchen.
"Certainly, milady. How may I help?"
Hrmph, Torsten says, looking for all the world like a bull in a Tien crockery shoppe. Ought I to play Librarian, or Cook? Sooner or later, something is going to need hit very hard with a large sword. And on THAT day, I tell you...
He disappears into the kitchen, mumbling to himself.
Torsten wades into the kitchen and walks up to Kendra. He touches her hand, gently, and requests the knife.
Please, Kendra, chopping things is one of my more finely honed skills. If I may?
He sighs.
Sorry. It's...been a stressful day. I am much more used to facing that which I fear on open ground, face to face. The world of spirits and shades is something I don't understand, and frankly, something which I fear.
He hands the knife over to Kendra.
I am sorry, Kendra. Tell me how best to help, I will do what I may.
Torsten & Venedictos
Kendra smiles as Venedictos enters, and even brighter with Torsten there too. When the Ulfen mangles the onion, she covers her mouth with wide eyes and a nervous laugh. She then gives the man a soft kiss on his cheek.
"Venedictos, could you be so kind as to peel the potatoes? About twenty-five of them should suffice... Torsten, could you prepare the kettle? The big one in the larder, it needs to be filled with water and the fireplace needs to be heated..."
Tonight's dinner is extravagant: two dozen potatoes to accompany both boiled fish and roasted pork, a thick creamy buttersauce, cowberry jam, roast mushrooms and mushroom stew. You all settle down to dine...
As they enter the library, Aerys heads to some shelves he had neglected in their previous searchings. As he begins examining the spines, Nyx also peers curiously from his shoulder at the books as well. "I know you can't read. You're not fooling anyone, you know,"Aerys mutters to him.
Valerya takes her time reading book's spines, hoping for a particular title to jump to her attention.
After a few minutes, she pulls a big red volume out.
"Hmmn, this looks promising..."
Checking in rooms he has not previously entered, Viktor proceeds to look for books that catch his eye.
Valerya
The red tome contains several scriptures in a language you are unable to decipher.
Aerys & Viktor
You both find a section of the library that look promising for a future research session...
Dinner scene
"Well?" Kendra asks, almost nervously as she reaches for a slice of pork. "What... do you think...?"
Torsten falls to with vigor, hardly saying a word until his plate is mostly clean.
This is delicious. I must confess, I've not had two good home-cooked meals in a row since leaving the icy north several years ago.
So what have we learned? The only thing that I am nearly certain of is that the criminal called the "Splatter Man" is a restless spirit, and is residing in Harrowstone prison. It is this spirit, I would guess, that is responsible for the defacing of the monument last night. Do any of you think it wise...
He wolfs down a mouthful of roasted pork.
...to position a watch upon the monument tonight from a distance? That way we might observe any further activity, should any occur. The rhyme Venedictos learned from the younglings said "Splatters spell her name just right". Unless "her" name is "V", I suspect something else will happen, and soon, if not tonight. What do you think?
"My concerns would be that one or more of us might draw the attention of this spirit during such a vigil. Or, if the townspeople were to see one of us near another such occurance, their suspicions would only be confirmed in their minds." Turning to Kendra and Valerya, he asks "Would there be someplace safe near the monument where it could be watched?"
Kendra listens, her eyes lowered in thought. "There are woods next to the monument. I don't know how well your eyes would work in the dead of night, but ... you should be able to keep an eye on the monument without being seen."
Aerys taps his chin. "Valerya's eyes are far more keen the rest of ours - she could keep watch while the rest of us just try to remain hidden. If you all wish to do this, perhaps we could put off our research until tomorrow, and spend our evening waiting to see if the monument receives a return visit?
During most of dinner, Valerya is flipping through a big book with a red cover, trying to discern anything of value from its unknown script. Seeing someone said her name, she looks at the other seated at the table.
"Sure I can keep watch. Can anybody read this?" shge asks, holding the open book with the unknown language.
"I can read Elven. Sadly, the only other languages I know are the common tongues of the area."
Viktor has stayed very quiet through dinner up until now.
"I know a few different tongues, perhaps I can read it."
Viktor will take a look.
Seeing the others engrossed in their research, Torsten smiles.
Maybe we'll put off watching the monument for now. You fine academics can continue to seek answers where answers are most often found, and we'll follow the monument lead another night. After all, unless "her" name is "Vi", I'm sure there will be more letters after the next, as well.
"I don't think it's elven. Elven is easy, nothing like this!"
Valerya offers the book for examination to Viktor, gazing behind his shoulders to see if he can decypher it.
You haven't a clue what language this is...
Kendra rises slightly from her chair to get a glimpse of the first page. She narrows her eyes and lets out a soft murmur. "That is ...ancient Osiriani scripture..."
She doesn't wait for a reply as she rises from her chair, wiping away the remnants of the meal off her chin and lips. Gently she turns to the front page. "This is...hmm... 'The Recordings of the Rise of the Tyrant'..."
She turns a couple of pages, muttering under her breath in some tongue that sounds strangely familiar - the writing makes little to no sense. "It's... this tome is ... it's a journal about... the fall of Ustalav by the hand of Tar-Baphon...a compilation... this tome is ancient, it's..."
She brings a hand to her forehead, staggering slightly. Her breath is growing slightly faster. "Ah... I guess I must be more tired than I thought... I'm sorry, my head... I have a bit of a headache, I must confiess..."
Venedictos leaps up from his chair, moving faster than ever before, as he rushes to her side. Helping her lean back in her chair, he starts fanning her neck and face, snapping out, "Water!" to anybody else at the table. He lays a finger against her wrist and checks other vital signs.
A quick guidance chant and then a Heal check to diagnose/help Kendra:
Aerys' chair topples over backwards over as he leaps up. Fearing the book itself is some sort of arcane trap, he whispers a few sibilant words and thrusts his hand forward, using a minor spell to slide the tome across the table away from Kendra.
As the book ceases its motion, he begins another soft chant, briefly touching his eyes with forefinger and thumb.
The soft breathing, the warmth of her skin suggests a mild fever and headache. It seems to be the product of a long day. Fortunately, cold water, and lots of it, helps.
The book does not emanate magic.
Kendra is slightly overwhelmed, but her expression emanates gratitude. "It...I'm okay, Venedictos, it's a headache. I fear I must have exhausted myself earlier today. But thank you."
"Perhaps you should rest for a bit, Kendra - the past few days have been trying for you to say the least."To the others he says, "Perhaps we should hold off on watching the monument and stay here doing more research. I would hate for all of us to leave Kendra alone while she feels ill."
"You always push yourself too hard, Ken. Better to call it a night and head to bed. You can study plenty tomorrow, the books won't run away overnight."
Torsten nods emphatically.
Yes, you need rest. Come, I will help you upstairs, and clean up the dishes also. Let's go, no protesting.
Torsten helps Kendra to the top of the stairs, bids her goodnight, and returns downstairs to clean up after dinner while the others research.
Kendra nods and smiles apologetically. She leans on Torsten as she is helped up, and does not protest when the giant of a man brings her upstairs.
Cleaning up after dinner is a considerable effort; Kendra pulls all the stops when she cooks. Within the hour, every dish has been cleaned, every kettle has been emptied and washed. All that remains of the evening is to enjoy it.
As Aerys dries his hands, he looks at the others with a shrug. "As Kendra is resting for the evening, perhaps I will return to the shelves we found earlier today."
Knowledge (Arcane): 28
Knowledge (Religion): 28
Knowledge (Local): 28
Venedictos will add to the researching efforts, much preferring a warm evening indoors reading books than a cold one waiting for a homicidal ghost.
Valerya will take her time in her room, using her tools to craft a simple metal trap.
Aerys, Venedictos & Viktor
You search through every nook and cranny of the Professor's vast library; the sections in which he has divided his tomes at first appears to be done so in an obscure and unusual way. In two long, headache-inducing hours, you have found several books that all seem to pertain the topics at hand: Harrowstone, The Whispering Way and the five prisoners.
The lanterns are dying down. After two more hours of going through the tomes, scribbling down notes, discarding the unnecessary books, trying to do more than skim through the notes, the effects of the hour slowly creep up to you. Then you hear a knock...
"It's midnight," you can hear Kendra's voice from the entrance of the library. "Maybe you should get some rest? Don't worry about me, I just needed to quench my thirst, I will return to my bed immediately."
You can hear Kendra's footsteps fade away. Within a minute, you hear another knock. A heavier one. You get the impression the wall shook. And then another one. Even louder. And another one. Again. Again.
"Who could it be at this hour?" Kendra calls out from the hallway. You don't know how, but you can hear the lock to the front door open, the way it creaks open... and then all you hear is Kendra Lorrimor's scream.
Torsten & Valerya
You both jolt up from your bed as Kendra's scream resonates through the house.
Torsten pauses only long enough to grab his blade before sprinting downstairs. His heart hammering with adreneline, he is barely able to contain his emotions.
Aerys freezes at the sound of the first knock, hand still in the act of turning a page. Kendra's scream jolts him into action as he dashes towards the library door. He pauses only to grab his spear from the pile of gear he has left in a chair by the library door.
Torsten
Torsten rushes down the stairs; the scream has long since ended, though you can hear the wailing and sobbing of Kendra down on the first floor. The flight of stairs feels endless, your feet threatening to collapse. When you reach the end of the stairs, a snuffed candle rolls up to your feet. Kendra's sitting prone on the floor, trying to crawl away from whoever has just entered the house - you cannot quite tell who...
Aerys
Aerys tries to navigate his way through the endless shelves, yet for every right turn you stumble into one wrong, as the home feels darker than before. You can hear Kendra's sobs as you finally find the right way - Torsten is at the doorstep, and you can hear Kendra sniffling.[/i] [b]"Why... who would do this..."
"Father..."
Torsten grabs Kendra, pulling her firmly away from the door, suddenly and painfully aware of what he's going to see...
Venedictos, already moving, pales as he puts two and two together. He rubs his forehead and prepares to channel.