Torsten drags Kendra away as the soft sound of rain starts to wash over the village of Ravengro. There is a soft groan from the man, whose features are visible for only a second as he enters the dark hallway, but that momentary glimpse is enough. His features have scarcely begun to rot, yet one eye is infested with maggots; one of his hands is almost falling off, only attached to some pieces of skin and sinew, there's a noticeable limp. With all the decay of death, Petros Lorrimor has returned home...
Venedictos begins to sing. Not the playful folk songs of earlier, but a haunting chant, a requiem for the dead, that the dead might find their rest. His holy symbol glows briefly, and energy is carried out on the notes of his song.
Perform: Sing:
Channel energy to harm undead:
Will save DC 14 for half damage
Aerys stares speechless at the lurching silhouette in the doorway. Nyx arches his back, baring tiny fangs in a surprisingly loud hiss. Aerys finally manages to stammer. "Forgive me, professor. But I think you would approve of me attempting to stop one such as yourself..." He then thrusts out a hand to launch a pulse of pure white light at the staggering form.
Working intently on her trap, Valerya almost doesn't hear the crack of wood and the muffled voices. When she notices the scream and the door opening, though, she quickly grabs the nearest weapon and jumps out the window. Knowing full well which woodboards to hold and grab for support, she climbs the wall going down, hoping to reach the invader before the worse happens.
Getting a glimpse of a figure entering the house door, she lets out, despite of herself:
"P-Petros? It can't be."
Climb check:
Even in death, Petros Lorrimor is of strong will, only barely affected by Venedictos' haunting requiem. He emits a painful moan as Aerys's spell burns away the remnants of his dangling hand. As Viktor and Valerya both approach the scene, Professor Lorrimor groans and sets into a rush. He smashes his heavy, rotting arm into Venedictos, trying to silence the song...
"Ooof!" The song cuts off as the air is knocked out of his lungs. He stumbles a step backwards, holds out his hand, and a bolt of electricity shoots across the gap at the zombie.
Touch attack:
Damage: electricity
Aerys sends a purplish-white bolt of energy arcing through the dim chamber. Strange shadows jerk and dance as it careens unerringly to burst in the zombie's chest.
Seeing that his newfound family has things well in order, Torsten concentrates on pulling Kendra away from the grisly scene.
Valerya takes a first step inside the house and almost drops her weapon from the surprise.
She takes a couple seconds to recompose herself, her mind struggling to make sense of the scene.
It can't be, why did he rise? Is there a problem? Why's he attacking us? Can't be spontaneous! Oh gods, it's him!
With a subtle click, she arms her crossbow and points at the abomination that once was Petros Lorrimor.
Think, Valerya! He wouldn't rise and come to attack his own daughter, someone must've raised him, remember what he taught you!
"Venedictos, duck!" She waits nervously until Venedictos moves away from the undead abomination, then lets loose a crossbow bolt aimed to the head (knowing some corporeal undead have that weakness).
If Venedictos did not move, I will move to H10, drawing my weapon on the way, and performing the same action.
The corpse of Professor Lorrimor staggers with both Venedictos and Aerys's spells, more flesh rotting off of him in an instant. Valerya's crossbow bolt flies through the back of his neck. Chunks and bits of his dead flesh sprays across the floor. Viktor's electrified dagger cuts through the dead flesh, the stench overwhelming...
Professor Lorrimor is once again put to rest...
When Torsten has pulled Kendra out of the entryway, Aerys whispers to his companions. "If our enemies are willing to stoop to depths such as these... I fear we must try to find what they seek in Harrowstone soon - perhaps no latter than tomorrow. I can only imagine what they may send next." He rubs his chin thoughtfully. "I admit to being more than a little hesitant to use the spirit planchette. But do you think we could perhaps use it to contact the professor, and learn the name of who committed this horrific act?"
"I agree, this seems to be the best plan of action, although I am no more looking forward to using the planchette than you."
Torsten looks horrified.
You will do as you see best, but I refuse to be a part of such matters. I do hope that your efforts are successful, though. If you find a name...
The barbarian continues to calm Kendra, smoothing her hair and shielding her from the gruesome sight in the entryway.
Shhh, shhh. Come now. This act will be avenged, I swear on the name of my father and his father before him. Come now, to bed. I will bring a cup of te shortly, and will watch over you as you sleep. Come.
He lifts Kendra into his arms, carrying her to her bedroom. He leaves only long enough to prepare a cup of hot tea, and returns with it, spending the rest of the night seated on the floor of Kendra's room, drowsing in and out of sleep.
Gesturing at Petros' remains, Torsten nearly growls:
Will someone see to this before morning? I aim to visit the Pharasmites at dawn and explain to them that I do not wish to see Petros again. They will comply, or wish that they had.
Without waiting for a reply, the man stalks upstairs.
Venedictos nods at Torsten's 'request'.
Then he grimaces, looking at the task at hand. "Should we get a shovel?" he asks half-heartedly.
"That does raise a question. My initial thought was to call the sheriff regarding this. But I fear word of this would only confirm some of the townsfolk's talk of necromancy. Do we..." he struggles visibly for words. "...handle this ourselves?"
Valerya goes back into the room, carrying a white sheet, which she uses to cover up Petros' body.
"I'll... I will do it. Down there, down by the oak in the yard where he used to read smoking his pipe."
Finishing to cover the body, she clears her throat and speaks in a normal tone:
"It's bad enough someone did this blasphemy, and I don't wish to parade Petros throught town and have to answer yet more idiotic questions. We can bury him somewhere private, where he would want to rest, and no one will know."
Kendra latches onto Torsten when he aids her to her feet, her face buried into his chest. She is trembling and doesn't resist at all when Torsten begins to lead her up to her room. You can hear her stutter: "P...please... please bury him..."
The sobbing grows distant and eventually vanishes as Torsten has closed the door to her room.
Aerys nods solemnly. "Thank you, Valerya. In all honesty, I think the best thing the rest of us can do is finish our research, so that we can stand up to those who did this more effectively. I want them to regret this. Deeply."
Seeing the stack of books still awaiting them, Aerys grimaces. "Perhaps I'll just help you in your task, Valerya, and then seek some rest. I would rather put our research off until tomorrow, and then see what Harrowstone has to offer us after at least a little sleep..."
"I'll help as well. I've been cooped up too much lately. I need to get out, and while this isn't the optimal time, a little physical activity should do me some good."
"And I shall come out too, to cover you in the work lest there be more citizens of the Restlands out and about."
"Thank you."
She goes on to wrap the body of Professor Petros Lorrimor on the sheet, and carry it gently outside.
It is a grisly couple of hours as you take the remains of Petros Lorrimor out into the garden and bury him once more. There is no-one else out in the streets of Ravengro as the fog sets in. The moonlight vanishes behind dark clouds as you finish, as if to acknowledge the burial, and it is late in the night when you finally go to rest. . .
It is a drawn-out morning. The drizzle of rain is rattling against the roof, and the atmosphere in the house is heavy and oppressive. The smell of rotten flesh is distinct and nauseating down in the entry-way. Kendra is staying in her room...
Venedictos will clatter around the kitchen looking for spices like cinnamon and cloves, and put a big pot of water on to boil. Once he gets it going, he puts lots of spices, orange rinds, and anything else aromatic and yummy he can find in to boil for awhile. Then, he takes the pot off the fire and sets it up in the hallway to let the delicious smells take over while they continue their research.
Viktor will use prestidigitation for an hour to clean the hallway. After this, he will spend time researching in the library, presumably with Aerys.
Aerys nods his approval at Viktor's casting. "Handy spell, that. I may have to learn that sometime." Then he turns back to the stack of books in the library with a sigh.
A soft "click" can be heard from upstairs as Torsten softly closes Kendra's door. The sound of the man-mountain coming downstairs is slightly less quiet.
Good morn. I apologize for my gruffness last night. I am sickened and angered by what happened here, as I know you all are. I sought only to lessen Kendra's suffering, and did not mean to be as short as I was. Can you forgive me?
He sniffs the air.
...and what is that smell? It's very pleasant.
Valerya sits by the table, wearing a weird contraption with multiple lenses in her forehead, one of them a magnifying glass in front of her left eye. Her hands fidget with small tools while she slowly moves a spring into a shutting mechanism.
You did well, big man. Thankfully she had someone who could... communicate with her. For that I'll owe you.
Finishing the phrase, she turns her eyes away from the unfinished trap and gazes upon Torstenm her left blue eye magnified by the lens.
Thank you.
Saying that, she smiles softly, probably for the first time you have seen. Although her face is still smudged by dust and her eyes denounce her lack of sleep, the delicate elven traces somwhat alleviate the harshness of her conditions. A few seconds later, she returns to her craft.
Viktor's spell aids in the removal of the smell, and within minutes the hallway looks as it did before the grim visit of last night. Before long Venedictos's brew is giving the rest of the home a nice, fragrant scent.
Aerys and Viktor return to the books. The atmosphere of the library is renewed with your determination...
Aerys renews his studies, but following the events of the previous night, he finds himself jumping at any sudden sound, and casting occasional glances at the library's door. Slowly, however, the work at hand takes over, and he delves deeper into his reading.
Viktor returns to where he left off the previous night. He occasionally gets up to pace about, quickly returning to his seat once feeling has returned to his legs.
Torsten returns Valerya's smile sincerely, but the look is quickly swept away by one of curiosity.
What in the nine hells is that gadget? I've never seen the like of it before! It looks as though it would explode into about thirty pieces if I looked at it incorrectly.
Despite the lack of sleep, Valerya laughs heartedly.
"And it may very well be that it will do just that at this point, my dear Torsten. It's still unfinished and will demand some work, but the main principle is this:"
She offers up a metal disc the diameter of a finger.
"This here is the pressure plate. It stands on the ground, in the middle of all these metal points, see?"
She holds the pieces together, showing Torsten what it would look like when finished.
"Your foot goes in here," - she points at the pressure plate - "and this little spring in here goes snap, and then this little lever comes this way. The end result is this:"
She bangs the two metal plates riddled with sharp metal teeth.
"We use it to trap bears and deer in the western woods, but I think in here we could very well use on those damned whisperers. One touch and snap - there goes your leg."
Torsten eyes the trap warily.
I have seen those used, and to good effect. They are deadly when they function. But I didn't mean the trap, I meant that thing on your eye. Regardless, it's clearly helping you with the trap, so that gives me the answer I need.
The northerner turns to the group.
I have...changed my mind about visiting the Pharasmans this morning. I fear that if I did so, my anger would get the better of me. However, I do plan to go into town today, to see if there is anything I can learn through inquiry, lousy at it though I am. Anyone who wishes to is welcome to join me, but I see that you seem to be making some progress with the tomes, so I will understand if I go alone.
For now, though, I will prepare what breakfast I can. I am not Kendra.
He stalks off into the kitchen.
Torsten's offer brings a smile from Aerys, but he shakes his head regretfully. "Thank you, Torsten - while going into town sounds appealing, I fear this is where I must direct my efforts. Our excursion into Harrowstone seems daunting at best, and I wish to understand the hazards as fully as possible."
"I, too, will remain and assist with the book learning. Forewarned is forearmed, etc."
As Viktor, Aerys and Venedictos set to researching today, Torsten tends to the house and Valerya works on her contraptions. The day goes by without any incident, though the events of last night casts a heavy shadow over the atmosphere...
After nine gruelling hours, Aerys, Venedictos and Viktor finally emerge from their research with tired minds. Kendra has not left her room all day, and Torsten has prepared tonight's supper. The research has been fruitful...
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.
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.
Most of the hardened criminals sent to Harrowstone spent only a few months imprisoned, for it was here that most of Ustalav’s executions during that era 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 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 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 Way’s most notorious member was Tar-Baphon, the Whispering Tyrant, although the society itself has existed much longer than even that mighty necromancer.
The Whispering Way itself is a series of philosophies that can only be transferred via whispers — the philosophies are never written or spoken of loudly, making the exact goals and nature of the secretive philosophy difficult for outsiders to learn much about.
Exact details on the society are difficult to discern, but chief among the Whispering Way’s goals are discovering formulae for creating liches and engineering the release of the Whispering Tyrant. Agents often travel to remote sites or areas plagued by notorious haunts or undead menaces to perform field research or even to capture unique monsters. Their symbol is a gagged skull, and those who learn too many of the Way’s secrets are often murdered, and their mouths mutilated to prevent their bodies from divulging secrets via speak with dead.
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.
Father Charlatan, Sefick Corvin
Of the five notorious prisoners, only Father Charlatan was not technically a murderer, yet his crimes were so blasphemous that several churches demanded he be punished to the full extent of Ustalavic law. Although he claimed to be an ordained priest of any number of faiths, Father Corvin was in fact a traveling con artist who used faith as a mask and a means to bilk the faithful out of money in payment for false miracles or cures. He became known as Father Charlatan after his scheme was exposed and his Sczarni accomplices murdered a half-dozen city guards in an attempt to make good the group’s escape.
The Lopper, Vance Saetressle
When the Lopper stalked prey, he would hide in the most unlikely of places, sometimes for days upon end with only a few supplies to keep him going while he waited for the exact right moment to strike. Once his target was alone, the Lopper would emerge to savagely behead his victim with a handaxe.
The Mosswater Marauder, Ispin Onyxcudgel
Only 5 years before his hometown of Mosswater was destined to be overrun and ruined by monsters from the nearby river, Ispin Onyxcudgel was a well-liked artisan and a doting husband. When he discovered his wife’s infidelity, he flew into a jealous rage and struck her dead with his hammer, shattering her skull and his sanity with one murderous blow. Wracked with shame and guilt, Ispin became convinced that if he could rebuild his wife’s skull she would come back to life — but unfortunately, he could not find the last blade-shaped fragment from the murdersite. So instead, Ispin became the Mosswater Marauder. Over the course of several weeks, the cunning dwarf stalked and murdered nearly 20 people while searching for just the right skull fragment. He was captured just before murdering the daughter of a visiting nobleman from Varno, and was carted off to Harrowstone that same night.
The Piper of Illmarsh, real name unknown
Before he snatched his victims, the Piper taunted his targets with a mournful dirge on his flute. He preferred to paralyze lone victims by dosing their meals with lich dust and then allowed his pet stirges to drink the victims dry of blood.
The Splatter Man, Hean Feramin
Professor Feramin was a celebrated scholar of Anthroponomastics (the study of personal names and their origins) at the Quartrefaux Archives in Caliphas. Yet an accidental association with a succubus twisted and warped his study, turning it into an obsession. Feramin became obsessed with the power of a name and how he could use it to terrify and control. Soon enough, his reputation was ruined, he’d lost his tenure, and he’d developed an uncontrollable obsession with an imaginary link between a person’s name and what happens to that name when the person dies. Every few days, he would secretly arrange for his victim to find a letter from her name written in blood, perhaps smeared on a wall or spelled out with carefully arranged entrails. Once he had spelled his victim’s name, he would at last come for her, killing her in a gory mess using a complex trap or series of rigged events meant to look like an accident.
"This looks delicious, Torsten. My day has been productive as well. Between Venedictos, Aerys, and I, we've found out a lot. There was definitely a connection to the splatter man. He used to spell his victims name in blood, one letter every few days, until the name was completed, at which point he would kill him or her. He was mentally deranged, using complex devices and such to make the deaths look accidental, as well.
"Have you talked to Kendra at all today? I haven't seen head nor tail of her."
"If such an occurance as the "V" on the monument has not been seen in all the years since the fire, I wonder what our adversaries have done to stir up the spirits in Harrowstone? If that was indeed the first letter of the next victim's name, the number of "V" names at this table alone is somewhat disturbing. Of the items from the crypt we... acquired, Viktor, Venedictos and I can certainly make good use of the scrolls during our venture to Harrowstone. The haunt siphons may prove powerful items indeed in such a place. Can someone make good use of the arrows we found?"
"Indeed, if his ghost has been disturbed, this 'splatter man' could be after one of us. Viktor, Venedictos and myself are all possible targets for its rage. We'll have to watch our steps carefully so we don't walk into one of his traps."
After Aerys asks:
"I can try buying a bow in the city. I've used quite a few before, mainly for small-time hunting, and I'm a fast learner. If we indeed face undead spirits, my bolts will be surely wasted on them."
After that, Valerya takes one bowl of Torsten's stew and heads to Kendra's room, feeling a faint sense of deja-vu.
"Honey?" she says softly, while trying to open the door. If the door is locked, she'll whisper "Oh no, you won't pull that, not with me.", get on her knees and try to pick the lock to the room.
Thank you for your diligent research, and for your compliments on my humble stew. I know very little of cooking, so I am glad it is even edible, let alone tasty. I suppose I've learned a few things from Kendra these last few days.
Torsten stirs his gruel around aimlessly.
Kendra has been mostly silent all day - I find I can hardly blame her for it.
Are we visiting Harrowstone tomorrow, then? I find I both want to go there and I desperately want to avoid the place. I am worried that the might in arms taught by my elders will not avail me well in such a place. Still, I will go.
To Valerya's statement concerning the Splatter Man: "If this truly is the Splatter Man, we have some time. At the earliest among us, supposing, of course, that Venedictos doesn't have a 3-letter surname, my name would be finished, taking at least a total of 13 days by his actions in life. This should hopefully be an ample enough time to get rid of the threat."
"I suppose we should check out Harrowstone. I share your reluctance as well, Torsten. Things are getting stranger and stranger every day. It seems that the problem won't be staying in town for a month, so much as surviving in town for a month. Between these prisoner's spirits and the unfriendly locals, we don't much stand a chance, do we?"
With his last statement, he lets loose a small,nervous chuckle. It seems that the possibility of the Splatter Man targeting him has been on his mind since he uncovered the information.
Aerys nods at Torsten's concerns. "There may well be things that walk the halls of Harrowstone that your weapons will prove more than effective against. And hopefully we will come across members of this Whispering Way somewhere in these ruins. I doubt they would fare better against your sword than the vermin in the crypt did."
And hopefully we will come across members of this Whispering Way somewhere in these ruins. I doubt they would fare better against your sword than the vermin in the crypt did."
At this, a low, almost feral growl emenates from the barbarian.
They would not. They would not, at that.
Valerya
The door isn't locked. Inside Kendra's room you find that she is sleeping, her soft breaths almost peaceful. In the soft light of the lantern in the hallway, you can see the stain of tears on her face.
Valerya will walk in slowly and silently and deposit the tray carrying the food besides her bed.
"Sleep tight, Ken." She kisses Kendra's forehead and strokes lightly her hair before pulling a blanket over the sleeping woman. Finally, she will leave beside the bed a cup of water, a piece of bread and a fruit taking back the hot stew that is sure to spoil if left here.
Valerya walks down the stairs decidedly, leaving the tray on the first piece of furniture available. She cocks her crossbow, looking at everyone, and says:
"Let's do this, people. Let's make those bastards pay dearly for what they've done."
"Right. Who among us shall take the haunt siphons? From what I can tell about how they work, those among us who are quickest and sharpest of eye should be in charge of them. As for the rest of the items and potions, we should divide them as evenly as possible. Not trying to sound selfish, but a good use for those would be to use on me if I should suffer some incapacitating injury. While conscious, I can offer healing to others from a distance as you've seen."