Thattaman's Haunting of Harrowstone

[Thattaman]

All of you have some reason to be at the funeral of Proffesor Lorrimor. For some of you, you studdied with him at university, others defended him in dire straits. But all of you found a place in his heart-and his will. You have arrived in the Restlands, the graveyard for all in Ravengro who pass away; just being here you can feel the air being cooler and that something isn't quite right. It's probably just the eerie feel of the dead.

As you arrive, very few people have come to Lorrimor's funeral and only one person seems truely upset. Kendra Lorrimor is stood weaping next to the proffessors coffin.

[Wyntonian]

Charles stands next to the widow in his priestly attire, one tear running down his grey cheek. "Your father was a good man, ma'am. Desna always needs to take the best."




Edit: Sorry! I see a weeping woman with the guy's last name, I kinda assumed.

[Thattaman]

It's his daughter, Wyntonian :smalltongue:, just edit your post to say your father. And the weeping orphan. I probably should have siad that earlier.

Kendra looks up at the preist. Thank you. All though I'm not sure everyone in this town had the smae idea. Are you one of my fathers university friends, he spoke often of them.

[Down Comforter]

Grim enters the graveyard quietly, glancing unhappily at the graves that surround him. Overhearing Kendra speak, he smiles sadly and moves to her. Laying a hand on the should of the priest, murmuring "Brother."

In a smooth Varisian accent, he offers her his kerchief. "Your father was a good man, one of the finest I ever met. I had the pleasure of his company when he traveled among the Varisians in the River Lands. You have my condolences for the loss of such a spirit as his."

[ninthbit]

Your father was an exceptionally wise man. He wasn't one to prejudge. He offered respect to anyone, reguardless of their face. He offered encouragement and support where noone else would. It was an honor to have known him.

[Larpus]

"The professor was an outstanding man...", says the half-elf in a deep and saddened voice, "...His work might have been of questionable value for the uneducated, yes, but is nevertheless valuable and necessary, anyone with vision and desire to move forward would clearly see that. Never, never let anyone lessen its worth or how great of a man the professor was."

[Phasm]

A splash of vibrant pink and green stands out in the graveyard and the somber hues of the mourners' clothing. Siv has temporarily turned her purple wizard's robe black with judicious use of Prestidigitation, but she draws the line at coloring her hair or skin. Aww, poor lady. Is that his daughter? The gnome walks up to the small gathering, crystal-topped staff in hand. (A wizard's staff is an essential part of a wizard's attire.) A small brown owl sits on her padded shoulder.

"Hi, are you Professor Lorrimor's daughter? He talked about you all the time in his letters." Siv reaches up to pat the woman's hand. Humans pat a person's shoulder to comfort them, but that's out of the question for a gnome. "I had all these things I wanted to tell him... he knew so much about the world and magic and stuff. I even named Lorrimor here after him because he was so interesting!" She gestures to the owl. Lorrimor the owl hoots at the mention of his name. "And he liked me, treated me like a fellow scholar instead of a freak. Not that I mind playing the part of a freak, but it gets kind of boring after a while, you know? So your dad knew how to see past the physical and that's a really good thing in a person, especially a scholar because you should never take anything for granted. But maybe when I learn enough magic to travel the planes I can figure out where he went and go talk to him there. I'm sure Pharasma put him in one of the nice places like Elysium or Nirvana! You can come with me if you want to by the time I learn the spell!"

How lungs that small manage to talk that much before stopping for air is one of the mysteries of the gnomish people.

[Maralais]

Reymord slowly enters the graveyard, keeping his eyes fixed to the ground, and approaches Kendra Lorrimor, figuring she's her daughter from their similarity.

"I know that Professor Lorrimor's loss is very saddening, and having such an understanding man as a father must mean a lot, but..." Reymord stops for a moment to form the correct sentence in his head. "But at least we can find a bit of peace, knowing that he had a full life, seeing the world, and not only seeing, but making a difference in it."

He then takes out his lute. "I would like to honour Professor Lorrimor with a dirge that I wrote, if you are fine with it. I hope it will at least shed some more light to his vigorous and compassionate personality."

[archetypal]

A few tears slip down Kendra's cheek as she listens to the outpouring of support and appreciation for her father. Wiping these away with a dark lace handkerchief, she says: "I'm so glad you were all able to make it; so few of the townspeople are willing to come out for funerals with things the way they are in town these days, and I'm not sure many of them really knew my father. I'm also happy he made such good friends on his travels; he always seemed a bit lonely here. I only wish he had more hours on this earth to spend with us all."
With that, she looks sad and leans over the closed coffin and places one final kiss on the dark, polished wood.

A few onlookers are standing a little bit away from the coffin; looking embarrassed for Kendra at the small number of attendees and both uncomfortable and curious about all of the new and foreign faces the Professor's death has brought to their small town.


Going to wait for Thattaman to advance further, but I figured you guys would like a reply

[Maralais]

"It's the least we can do for him." Reymord states, and prepares himself to play his dirge.

"We salute you oh Professor Lorrimor,
Thy deeds shall not be forgotten forevermore.
Your mind, more precious than any jewel or ore,
Helped unearth Golarion's marvellous knowledge.

Ashik is my name, and I'm glad to have known you,
Ever since you left, academies are still blue,
And your contribution permanent, still turned to,
I am honoured to have paid you(not enough) homage."
Perform(String Instrument) roll:
[roll0]
aaand there goes the roll. I'll do it on OOC.

[Thattaman]

As the song gets played, all the pallbearers pick up the coffin and close the lid, you march for ten minutes with the coffin in hands. Just befor you get to Lorrimor's grave, you are stopped by twelve men. One of them, Gibs Hephanus steps forwards.

"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 tranforming into anger. "What are you talking about? I arranged it with father Grimburrow. He's waiting for us! THe graves already been dug.

[Larpus]

The half-elf speaks with his deep voice, now obviously annoyed by the distraction, while his expression does an even worse job at not appearing irritated.

"Is any one of you father Grimburrow or his superior? If not, move aside, talk all you want, but you have absolutely no authority on the matter."

[ninthbit]

Not looking to start trouble, Jadzik politely asks, Surely you have a writ or some other form of formal injunction you can present? Otherwise, by what right do you have to interrupt this mans burial?

[Larpus]

Can't see this going well...

Diplomacy: [roll0]

[Down Comforter]

Grim moves to the front, "Gentlemen, please. Surely there's something that can be done to alleviate this issue. Please explain to us why, despite the blessing of the Father, you feel that it is important to waylay us in the midst of a burial."

Diplomacy:
[roll0]

[Thattaman]

I'll only count Grim's diplomacy check because everyone elses would have resulted in combat.

Gibs stares angrily at them but allows you to pass. "We just think a necromancer should be buried away from our kin. We'll let you pass, but don't expect any flowers on his grave. With this he spits on the ground.

[Down Comforter]

Grim steeples his hands and bows his head quickly. "We appreciate your cooperation. I will be sure to be available to you later should you wish to voice your concerns in depth."

With that, Grim waves the processional onwards.

[Wyntonian]

From where he stands with a coffin on his shoulder, Charles glares daggers at those blocking the path. He refrains from swearing during such an occasion, but only just, as they interrupt this man's last great journey on Golarion. The accusation sticks, though..... Necromancer? What?

[ninthbit]

Once the group disperses, Jadzik quietly addresses the other pallbearers. We should get this moving. The professor may have had an open mind, but he typically had a full belly. He rarely missed a meal... Then he keyed them to step off. "Left step on two... one. two. step."

[Phasm]

Siv accompanies the pallbearers, frowning in puzzlement. "Why wouldn't they want him in hallowed ground if he was a necromancer? The whole point of consecrating graveyards is to prevent the dead from turning into undead, so that's the very best place to put someone who was into the whole undead thing! Unless you cremate the corpse, of course, but it doesn't look like they do that here, which they should because there's soooo much necromancy in Ustalav." She pauses for breath.

"And why didn't he tell me he was a necromancer? I don't judge other wizards for their specialties! I mean, necromancy is boring and kind of icky what with the rotting flesh and stuff, but I'm sure he had good reasons for studying it! If he did and they're not being stupid and thinking all wizards are necromancers. I wonder if his spellbook and journals are still around?"

Oh. Wait. "Oops, you're supposed to be quiet at human funerals, aren't you? Shutting up right now!" Siv mimes zipping her mouth shut. Human funerals are so boring. Maybe she can get the Professor's other friends to help her give him a proper gnomish sendoff if there's a tavern around here! One of them is a musician, so they'll have music, and she's got a spell prepared for fireworks...

[Larpus]

Gaspar shrugs it off, thinking little of the distraction or the accusation, not being a stranger to arcane scholars to study death and necromancy, keeping the pace to take the professor's coffin to its grave.

"Necromancer or not...the father has allowed it, and his decision is ultimate and absolute, regardless of any variables involved...", he mutters.

[Down Comforter]

Grim walks along side the casket, "We should not allow the words of thugs to be accepted as truth without question. Take what they say with a grain of salt; Ustlav folk are hardy, but suspicious and superstitious."

[archetypal]

One of the other five attendees walking with you speaks up quietly - he has the look of a leader, tall and well built, if slightly past his prime, but well groomed and formally dressed, with a neatly trimmed, thick gray beard and a kind face. "I ought to have introduced myself earlier, but, as you may have noticed, it is in our nature to be somewhat weary of strangers. I am Councilman Vashian Hearthmount, and that was a fine thing you folks did for Kendra and for the memory of the late Professor. Those men who waylaid us are all local farmhands; thugs of low character. I apologize on behalf of my town; perhaps we could learn something from you lot."

Some of the other attendees nod along in agreement, but don't add anything further. The procession continues its solemn walk towards Professor Lorrimor's final resting place.


Thattaman can continue the plot, but I figured I'd add some local flavor for now

[Wyntonian]

Charles nods appreciatively at the words, and speaks softly to Taren under the coffin. "Desna would say it's a greater blasphemy to interrupt a man's last journey on earth than...whatever they claimed. What's nekrermancy?"

[Thattaman]

The funeral continues without anything else strange happening. Father Grimburrow apologises for the people of his town's rudeness. After the funeral, Kendra takes you back to the Lorrimor house. You wait for about half an hour. In that half hour, she tells you about what Lorrimor did in his work and how unexpected his death was. You learn that he went out to research what he was working on and how a gorgoyle was dislodged and fell on the proffesor to result in his untimely death.

Iff any of you want to make a speech about the proffesor at his burrial, then make a diplomacy or perform check. You can talk about Lorrimor in private now if you wish or I'll move onto the will.

[ninthbit]

At the burial, Jadzik gives a telling recount of his experience with the Professor. It was just a few years ago that I met the professor. He found me in the university library. I used to go there when my village would make their runs into the Caliphas market. If he didn’t find me, I would likely have ended up a bored and depressed peat farmer like my friends and family. Like most things in life, he found me to be a curiosity. A half-breed obsessed with reading. He helped guide my studies. He even got me accepted into a few of the religious courses that the university had. Through him I discovered my patron Abadar. Dedicating myself to the progress of civilized society and the destruction of that which opposes it, primarily Ignorance. While I mean no disrespect to my parents, but this man was just as much a father to me. He gave me life… he gave me purpose. A tear falls from his eye as he steps aside for the next speaker.


Will edit after roll, lets see how well of a public speaker he is firstDiplomacy: [roll0]

[Thattaman]

As the story is told, many people weap in memory of him especially Kendra.

Congratulations, you got yourself a trust point for the party.

[Down Comforter]

As Jadzik leaves the stage, Grim steps in behind him. Taking the stage, a slight smile on his face.

"Good people... today we remember a man. A man who lived a life full of vigor and zest. A man with a passion for his work, the people around him, and of course his dear family." Grim looks over to Karen and smiles encouragingly.

He starts to pace back on forth on stage, "When I first met good Professor Lorrimor, I was but a lad, traveling the world. The two of us had this in common: a passion for exploration and discovery, a love for those who shared the destiny of the road, and a constant wonder with the world around us. The good professor was a man who lived his life fully and with the intention to make it a better place for his beloved daughter."

"It is to this adventurer, this bastion of brilliance and kindness, that we gather and grieve. But I tell you, although the grief seems strong now, take heart in the fact that Lorrimor lived a good life, a full life. He would not want us to weep for him! Let us celebrate that our good friend has made this world a better place by his brief time in this place and that now he lives amongst the divine in their golden fields and libraries. Truly, no man deserved better than the good professor."

Grim pulls a brightly emblazoned flask from his coat and raises it to the sky. With a grin, "Here's to you Professor. May your adventures never end."

Will add dialogue based on my roll. Diplomacy: [roll0]

[Phasm]

Siv sniffles, pulling a pink handkerchief out of her sleeve and dabbing her eyes. She isn't nearly as eloquent as this Varisian guy, but she isn't about to leave Professor Lorrimor's funeral without saying something. As Grim leaves the stage, Siv puts her handkerchief away and walks up to the grave.

"Many people in this country don't really like or trust gnomes or wizards, and I'm both. It was lonely when I came to Ustalav at first... until I met Professor Lorrimor. He treated me like a person instead of a weird fey thing. He helped me learn about what to do and not do in a human country, and told me all about his adventures and magic! It was great. The Professor was exactly the kind of person I had hoped to meet when I left my home, a truly interesting person who thought I was interesting too.

"Professor Lorrimor was a real inspiration to me. I wish I could have spent more time with him. But let's not spend this time being sad for ourselves, people! He's gone on a journey to the Outer Planes, and as long as somebody remembers a person they're not truly gone. The gnomish custom is to celebrate somebody's life after they die, to talk about all the fun and interesting things they did and generally have a good time in their honor. So on that note..." Siv makes a few gestures with her free hand, speaking the mystic words that tell the universe what she wants it to do.

Fireworks shoot into the sky, brighter and more colorful than anything alchemy can produce. The display is silent at first until the gnome calls upon her innate powers over sound. Not only do they start making the whistling and crackling of ordinary fireworks, music fills the air with a jaunty tune that the Professor always requested when there was a minstrel around. Among the fire-blossoms above them, more fireworks spell out:


FAREWELL PROFESSOR LORRIMOR!


Casting Silent Image, followed by the gnome spell-like ability Ghost Sound.

[archetypal]

At the burial site, all of your comments are well received; both moving and inspiring the audience. Kendra in particular is glad to hear the appreciation you all had for the Professor and his life - she even manages a small smile at the gnome's colorful fireworks.

http://i.imgur.com/PHzsw.jpg
Once you are all sitting in Kendra's living room (which doubles as a cozy library and study), and after she has explained a little bit about the Professor's demise and his most recent activities, she offers you all a drink and you begin to relax around the fireplace. Kendra explains that they are waiting for Councilman Hearthmount, the man who introduced himself at the funeral, to conclude some other business before he comes here to read her father's last will and testament. In the meantime, she is interested to hear anything else you would like to share about your various backgrounds and experiences with her father.


This is also a good opportunity for any of the group members to introduce their various skills to the rest of the group.

[Down Comforter]

Grim takes small glass of strong liquor and finds a comfortable seat off to the side. He nurses his drink and looks over the gathered group, but does not say anything.

[Wyntonian]

Charles gasps as the explosions and music along with everyone else, his face alight with childlike glee. Feeling slightly embarrassed to follow such a memorial, he refrains from telling his life's story to the group, and how Lorrimor played an important role.

Later, sipping his drink, he coughs and begins. "The Professor found me as a baby by the side of the road. I'm half-orc, so not many people want anything to do with me. But Professor... he took me. He saw that I had the Mark of Desna on my hand," He holds up the dark swirling, butterfly-shape on his palm "that she'd chosen me as her own, so he took me to the temple. If it weren't for him, I would have died there, and he's been with me ever since. He went with me on my first Journey, and he's always been there..."

He pauses, and sets down his drink. "Oh, and I'm a priest, by the way."

[Larpus]

Gaspar suddenly lets a sight out, been silent for the whole time, even refusing to give a word, with a drink in hand and a bit embarrassed, he starts talking.

"Yes...the professor was a great and remarkable man...I apologize for not giving a speech, I was never one for pretty words and, well, after my brother in race's speech? Anything I could think of would only be an embarrassment for everyone involved and soil the memory of the good professor."

He pauses and takes a big gulp.

"But make no mistake, I'm no less thankful for meeting the professor, he was also the first to see something truly worthy in me and my...study, I guess that in a sense we had quite a lot in common..."

"But I'm digressing, my name is Gaspar Laurens, I'm an alchemist, pleased to meet you all."

[Maralais]

Reymord finishes his glass of wine quickly, perhaps a bit too quickly, he realizes as he sees himself to be the only one who has finished his glass.

He then reconsiders his memories with the professors, and starts speaking in a calm tone. "Well, frankly, I had never actually met the professor's adventurer side. For me, he was the limitless history encyclopaedia whose lessons I had the chance to see. Of course, he did seem a bit too knowledgeable about ruins from time to time... Well, at least now I know that leaving the university to see the world was not wasting his effort on teaching the likes of me. He was practically an example to follow for me, and remains so."

"Also, I'm Reymord Lamsdare. I only wish we could meet for better reasons."

[Down Comforter]

Grim, still nursing his drink, raises his glass, as Reymord trails off, "Grim DuMaine, dabbler in minor magics and... the like. Met Lorrimor when he was visiting our troupe and the pair of us managed to talk and fight our way through a number of troubles." He finishes his glass and fills it once again.

"Never imagined I would be here, especially after all these years. Right gloomy it is."

[Thattaman]

After an annoyingly long wait, councilman Vashian Hearthmount enters the room, although he is not strictly a solicitor, he's the closest Ravengro has to one. It is obvious that he is in a rush and does not care much for strangers being involved in local matters. Vashian takes scroll case that shows the proffesor's personal seal, he breaks the seal, and as he does a small iron key falls out of the tube, clattering noislily to the ground, the councilman takes little to no attentions to this and gets straight to the will. He clears his throat and reads.


“I, Petros 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 appreciating 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 lock 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 matter 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 of you a sum of one hundred platinum coins. For safekeeping, I have left these funds with Embreth Daramid, 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 4796.”

[Down Comforter]

Grim lets out a low whistle. "A hundred platinum? That sounds like right good pay for staying in one place for a month, even somewhere as dark as here. Wouldn't mind takin' a peek inside those books of his neither."

He looks over at Kendra, "What do you think of all this, dove?"

[ninthbit]

As the councilman reads the will, Jadzik reaches down and picks up the key, upon hearing their task, he tucks it in a pocket. Well it seems we'll be in town for a while. I was curious about how he passed, this will give a great opportunity to get a better understanding. Kendra, you said a gargoyle came loose and fell on him. Didn't anyone find this peculiar?

[Larpus]

Gaspar raises an eyebrow at the mention of the tomes, being clearly interested in reading them himself and being cocky enough to consider in his head the possibility of continuing the professor's study once his will is carried.

He moves in surprise once more as he hears the amount of money the professor has left them, a man of little ambition could die from shock of just hearing that he might come to hold such an amount.

"Well...that sure is an awful lot, can't help but feel that transporting these books won't be as easy as it sounds..."

"...And while I do agree with you, cleric, and would certainly like to know more about the circumstances, never forget that his will was not for us to 'find the truth about his demise', but instead help miss Lorrimor with whatever it is that she needs in order to get herself back together."

"Ergo we shouldn't poke the matter out of our own desires and curiosity, but only if miss Lorrimor wishes us to act as such and at the time she deems fit."

[Maralais]

Reymord listens to the will carefully, and when it ends, listens to everyone else's ideas. "While researching the accidents was not in the will, neither was not researching it. I think we can try and understand what has happened as long as Kendra remains safe."

He then turns to Kendra. "So... Is there something we can do during our month here, other than helping you out? And would you mind if we took a look at the professor's researches?"

[ninthbit]

Unfortunately, the tombs aren't hers to grant access to. I'm sorry Kendra, but they belong to the Lepidstadt University and to be placed in the care of Embreth Daramid. The professor was so concerned with this task that he summoned us all here to ensure their protection. For the month we are here I am at your service, but that won't negate my second charge in the protection of these tombs.

My curiosity in investigating your fathers death is more than personal satisfaction. We've already seen that the town is upset with your father. I know him to not be a necromancer (he shakes his head scoffing at the outlandish accusation.) My concern is that if there is a necromancer, or some other malicious force that set against him, then it may still be out there.

[Down Comforter]

Grim stands, reading over the shoulder of the councilman. He chips in quickly, "Now technically our job is to ensure the protection of his daughter, not the tomes themselves. We merely need see them to the University at the end of the month. There's nothing that prescribes against or prohibits us from investigating his research."

He straightens the vest beneath his long grey coat. "And besides, I say it's our duty to investigate the death of dear Lorrimor. I do not know why necromancy holds such disdain for you Jadzik, but from what I have gathered, the rumors of necromancy surrounding the professor stem from his choice of reading material, not actual practice."

[ninthbit]

Do I really need to explain the negative consequences of necromancy?

[Down Comforter]

"Certainly not. But the same could be said of any school of magic. Evocation, in fact, functions primarily as a means of violently launching elements and force at others. Illusion can enslave the minds of the unwilling. Conjuration can be used to summon devils and... other things." He coughs, "You cannot discount a school of magic purely for the evils that some perpetrate."

[Wyntonian]

Charles follows the back-and-forth, increasingly confused and already slightly foggy from the liquor. "Is nerkermancy making things purple? Is that why they call people purpletraters? I don't see what's wrong with that... Miss, if it turns out to be bad, I won't let anyone turn you purple."

[ninthbit]

I'm not discounting the entire school of necromancy. I have a colleague that regularly works with law enforcement. He has the ability summon enough life into a corpse to interrogate the deceased. Discovering facts that lead to the proper prosecution of criminals. That is a far cry from being called a necromancer, one dedicated to the art of subverting nature. A science that regularly requires the sundering of innocents' soul.

In anycase, we're moving off the point. Kendra, have you put any thought into your future plans?

[Down Comforter]

Grim briefly turns to the confused half-orc, "Necromancy is magic that relates to death and life." He sniffs as Jadzik turns away and turns away to find something a touch stronger.

[archetypal]

Kendra puts on a brave face as the will is being read, but she clearly is moved by all of the thought her father put into ensuring her welfare. Thanking and dismissing the councilman (who seems all too happy to wash his hands of this affair, and leaves quickly), she turns to the group.

"I... don't know what to say. I certainly had not given much thought to these matters; I was so preoccupied with arrangements for the funeral. I'm going to need some time to decide if I want to stay here in Ravengro." She pauses.

"It's been my home forever, but things seem so much... lonelier... now. I would very much appreciate your company until I've made up my mind; you all are welcome to stay in our home for as long as you need - we..." she stops short, "...I have some extra rooms you can sleep in and it will be nice to cook for someone other than myself."

She sits quietly for a little while as the group talks, lost in her thoughts, but at the discussion of necromancy, she suddenly stands, as if she had come to a decision, and begins speaking more loudly. "I don't know if his death was an accident or not, but I know he was a good man and he didn't deserve this, and he certainly was not studying necromancy, unless he had good cause and the best of intentions. Clearly my father trusted you, and so I am going to trust you as well. I'll fetch you his trunk. I haven't been through his things yet, but... maybe you will find something."

She turns quickly and leaves the room.

[Phasm]

"Oh, necromancy isn't that bad. Kind of icky, like I said earlier, but not all necromancers are evil! I'm sure Professor Lorrimor was just doing the whole 'know your enemy' thing." Siv is perched on an armchair, feet tucked up underneath her. Lorrimor the owl is sitting on the back of her chair, head tucked under his wing. By now the spells that turned her robe black have faded, leaving it a bright purple. "I definitely think we should investigate his death because it doesn't look like people here liked him, and even if it was an accident, if a gargoyle fell on him more gargoyles might fall and that would be bad for other people going wherever he went! So if there's more loose gargoyles we should take them down."

She pauses briefly for breath. "Oh! I forgot to introduce myself, didn't I? I'm Siv Sparkfingers, conjurer extraordinaire!"

[Larpus]

"Since miss Lorrimor left the room, I feel free to speak my mind: personally, I doubt it was an accident, the chances of a gargoyle, of all things, falling are already pretty low and then have someone be standing at the target point and have it be someone not exactly liked by the general public?"

He takes a deep breath, looking very angry as he speaks, with veins becoming apparent on his neck, with his very voice becoming more aggressive.

"That smells like dirty cheap murder to me...I swear...I swear that if my supposition is the truth, I'll go to my limit to track whoever did this and grant to him or her a fate very similar to the one he or she forced upon the professor with my own hands...!!"

Gaspar pauses and snaps out of his rage, noticing he said more than he meant to, rubbing his eyes and calming himself.

"S-sorry...I...I said too much...but yes, if miss Lorrimor wishes or allows us to, I would like to help in the investigation..."

[Thattaman]

Kendra rushes into the room with a small oak chest and a key, she offers the key to Jadzik. She allows you to open the chest, curious to what is inside.

[Wyntonian]

Charles excitedly crowds behind Jazdik, easily tall enough to see over him, and offers to lift Siv up to get a better look.

[Down Comforter]

Grim wanders over, curious as to what is in the chest.

[Larpus]

Gaspar follow the rest, getting up from his spot and strying to take a glimpse of the contents as soon as the trunk is opened.

[Maralais]

Reymord tries to see what's inside from his position, playing a suspenseful two-note melody on his lute while waiting.

[ninthbit]

Excuse me, bu I won't violate a mans trust to satisfy my own personal curiosity. I have no intentions of opening this chest. It's contents are the property of the Lepidstadt University. Anything in here that you feel compelled to see you will have to take up with Embreth Daramid when we deliver it.

Our current task at hand is Kendra's protection and assisting however we can as she moves into the next phase of her life.

You all may as well sit back down so we can discuss how this next month will go.

The stern look on his face is that of an unyelding man.

[Down Comforter]

"Yeah, that's not going to happen. As I said before, we were never forbidden from looking through his things and I have every intention of finding out exactly what I'm dealing with. If you don't like it, you can wait outside while the rest of us try to solve the death of our dear friend."

With that, Grim takes the key still in Karen's hand, inserts it into the chest, and lifts the lid.

[ninthbit]

Jadzik attempts to stop Grim, but ends up being no need. The key doesn't fit the lock.

[Phasm]

"Oh, thank you, Charles! Wow, you're strong." Siv happily accepts the half-orc's aid, sitting on his shoulders like a human child. "Come on, Jadzik, don't be such a stick in the mud! I know the faculty at Lepidstadt. They like me! It'll be just fine if we take a little look-see. And if Professor Daramid doesn't like it, I'll tell him I'll tell all the other professors about the incident with the weasel!"

She's not sure why Professor Daramid was so embarrassed, though. The Weasel Incident was hilarious! And the best part is that he did it himself!

[Wyntonian]

Charles gently lowers Siv, and puts a hand on Jadzik's shoulder. "You seem stressed. I go for walks when I'm stressed. We should go for a walk. Just down the street and back? Let's go.
Be back before you know it." It's unclear whether the pressure exerted is Charles deliberately pushing, or him just being damn strong and over six feet tall.

[ninthbit]

Seeing that the key that failed Grim, Jadzik agrees to the walk. You're right, it's been a long trip and the reality of our loss is just really sinking in.

During the walk Jadzik thinks about the choas that was insuing. If that wasn't the key... He pulls the one from the will that he picked up. I wonder. Then it occurs to him as to why it was left.

When he returns, he explains his revalation. It accurs to me... Showing the key. If this is the key, why didn't he simply send the key to his collegues after prepairing his will, surely he trusts them with a copy if they are to receive the tombs. It was sealed in with the will, he wasn't using this key. It was left for us. It must have been left for us. Nothing else makes sense. He then opens the chest to examine the contents.

[Down Comforter]

Grim coughs, "The will did say that Lorrimor was 'entrusting my chest of tomes to you'" Regardless, he leans over once again and looks in the chest, keeping an eye out for anything related to necromancy or summoning.

[ninthbit]

Yes it did. His legal advisor should have worded that better. As written, the CHEST was entrusted. Not it's contents. Anyways, its a moot point now.

[archetypal]

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.

The other tomes comprise the books of dangerous lore mentioned in his will—three of these have notes tucked into them indicating that they should be delivered to one Montagnie Crowl, a professor of antiquities at Lepidstadt University. The fourth, Manual of the Order of the Palatine Eye, has a note indicating it should be delivered to Embreth Daramid, a judge at the Lepidstadt Courthouse (although the note asks for this delivery in particular to be handled discreetly, and includes the address of Embreth’s home).


If you want the text of any of these notes, or a more detailed description of any of the books, let us know.

[Down Comforter]

Grim picks up the book labeled "Read Me Now!", briefly scans the title, and cracks it open to the first page, which he reads quickly to himself.

[Phasm]

"Ooh! Ooh! Would you sit down and read it so I can see too, Grim? It's not fair, everyone here is so tall..." Siv gazes up at him imploringly with big purple puppy dog eyes. If puppy dog eyes came in purple, that is.

[Larpus]

Gaspar, curious but silent, tries to squeeze himself so he can read the book over Grim's shoulder. "What does it say? More instructions as to how we should proceed?"

[Down Comforter]

"The first several pages don't seem to be all that interesting. From the annotations at the front, this seems to be a journal that the Professor kept over a period of decades."

Grim flips through the rest of the book, skimming through the older entries and focusing on the events of the past several weeks.

[archetypal]

Grimm finds the following circled entries:
http://i.imgur.com/9hz8f.jpg

[Down Comforter]

Grim reads through the circled passages quickly and then re-reads them more slowly, taking in the implications. He marks the pages with his hand and looks at those gathered around him. He doesn't relay the full inscription, but summarizes thusly,

"It seems as if our suspicions of foul play are confirmed. It seems that the Professor discovered a necromancer cult that follows something called the Whispering Way, seeking to prolong their life through the pursuit of undeath. They seek the spirit of someone who died at a place called Harrowstone, which lies in ruin."

"He... found strange symbols etched along the foundation of the place, but spirits chased him away. He stored away a weapon cache in a nearby tomb. It seems he left this journal here, should the worst come to pass, just before he left for Harrowstone one last time."

He looks at Kendra, "It seems that we are going to earn our stay here"

[archetypal]

Kendra listen's to Grim's summary, clutching at her necklace, with tears reappearing on her cheeks as the group realizes that her father was, in fact, murdered.

In a weak voice she says: "Oh... I wish he had told me what he was doing. I could have helped... or stopped him... but I guess he thought he knew best."

She pauses. "I'd like to retire for the night. You all are welcome to do as you wish; make yourselves at home. There are some spare bedrooms in the back of the house once you are ready to get some rest."

[Wyntonian]

Charles finishes reading, slowly mouthing the words to himself. The academic tone is about as difficult as the hardest parts of Desna's holy texts, and he sometimes needs to ask for help with those. "Oh! Nekrermancers use undead! I get it. Oh, this looks bad... Miss Kendra? Do you want me to stay nearby? If undeads come, Desna will help me."

[Phasm]

Siv gasps. "Oh my gods, the Whispering Way, that's like the Whispering Tyrant! People who want to know his secrets because they're greedy or desperate or just plain stupid because undeath sucks and it's totally boring and what's the point of being around forever if people hate you and you can't eat or drink or sleep with cute boys?" Lorrimor the owl wakes up, disturbed by his wizard's distress, and hoots. She looks over at her familiar and waves a hand.

"It's okay, Lorrimor, nothing we can do right now so go sleep or hunt or something because I'm not going anywhere tonight. I will tomorrow though because we have to go hunting for necromancers!" Siv turns back to the rest of the group. "Right? Because that type won't stop at anything to get necromantic lore and if what they want is right here it'll probably be really bad for the town. And are you really a cleric of Desna, Charles? Because if you are that's awesome, you're exactly what we'll need for fighting undead, and Desna's my patron goddess besides!"

[Down Comforter]

"Necromancy isn't all bad..." grumbles Grim under his breath. He tosses the book to the Inquisitor. "There ya go big guy, it should go wonderfully next to that big stick of yours you keep hidden away."

With that, Grim wanders outside into the barely lit backyard of the house, making certain that he can't be seen by anyone outside the home.

[Maralais]

"So, we have followers of the Whispering Tyrant called the Whispering Way, who use someone inside the ruins that is Harrowstone to gain youth? And the professor fears that something will happen, should he be too late?

Reymord plays with his beard. "Considering he is late in a different sense of the word, we must investigate. We all seem to be capable of fighting." He pauses and murmurs to himself: "Sort of..." "Not to mention some of us are well-versed in arcane arts and/or knowledge, and it seems only the professor was aware of the need to stop them."

"...But I guess the best would be to let the day sink in. I think I'll check the spare bedrooms and play some old songs before I sleep, maybe some of them will be related to Harrowstone.

[Larpus]

"It seems that the professor indeed wanted us to continue his work...I do have something on my mind though..."

He pauses. "Did the Whispering Way find out about the professor? Are they at all related with the mentioned 'ghosts'? As far as I know, it can go both ways, ruins are not unheard of housing ghosts and undead that serve no one, but if the Way's plan was so grandiose, they should be resourceful, to say the least..."

"...I'm digressing again; what truly worries me is this: supposing the Way knew of what professor was doing...do they know about us being here? And just how many members are there? They ought to have daily lives and...who knows? The innkeeper might be one of them!"

He calms himself down before continuing, "Ahem...ergo, we have to be extra careful when investigating..."

"But yes...I wholeheartedly agree, for today we rest...looks like we'll be paying the church of Pharasma a visit in the morning." He turns to Jadzik, "If at all possible, may I have the professor's journal to read through during the night? The undead are not exactly my area of expertise, but I'd like to make myself useful for the night."

[ninthbit]

Damn elf, you would think with his long life he would be less obtuse. Impatients and greed is going to get him killed; or worse, someone else. Jadzik is flipping through the book when Gaspar asks to read it. I was hoping to read it as well. How about we flip a coin for it. He then pulls a copper, shows its two sides to ensure it's a fair coin and gives it a flip, letting it land on the table.

Coin Flip:
1=Heads:Jadzik, 2=Tails:Gaspar
[roll0]

[ninthbit]

Satisfied with the flip, Excellent. It looks like I shall have the first crack at it. If you rest now, I will gladly wake you in the middle of the night so you can still have some time with it before morning. Would that suffice?

Jadzik will be skimming the journal mostly. He's looking for any relevant passages. If there are sections in a different language he will mark the pages and then once done, use comprehend language to reexamine those sections.(10 min duration)

[Wyntonian]

Charles blushes slightly. "Yes. I live at the temple, and the priests decided I was one of them just last month. Desna's my paytro... parto... she likes me." His hand comes up again, now with his thumb and little finger moving to make the butterfly on his wide palm flap its wings.

[Down Comforter]

Grim sits on the ground, enjoying the night air, and lights his pipe. He thinks back about all the local history his adoptive father taught him in an attempt to remember something about Harrowstone.

Know: Local
[roll0]

[Larpus]

Gaspar shrugs, "Sure, that works for me; I'll mark my room with a piece of fabric on the doorknob, just so you don't accidentally wake someone else."

With that, Gaspar gets up and goes towards Siv and Charles, just in time to see Charles' display, being quite surprised by it. "Now that's quite an unusual tat-...birthmark...you got there, I guess I can see why Desna likes you...Charles right? I think I overheard the gn-...sorry, I'm quite bad with names, miss Sparkfingers, call you by that."

[Thattaman]

I posted the info you researched on the OOC thread. Although you can't seem to find much about Harrowstone, and only what you've heard from Ustalavian tales.

[ninthbit]

The next morning, Jadzik shares the information he and the others have discovered with everyone. Then he continues on, From his journal, I would assume that he found this false crypt, the day after he mentions a weapon stash he heads back to Harrowstone. I think a few of us should address this cache with the local clergy and see if we can find any additional implements to aid us. He has the location here; I can only assume it's accurate, since he returned so quickly.

[Wyntonian]

Charles looks up from his prayers. "Clergy? I know some. Let's go by the Temple of Desna so I can ask the priests for help."

[ninthbit]

His notes indicate that it was the church of Pharasma that stashed the equipment. It should be them that we seek.

[Down Comforter]

Grim comes down the stairs, bleary-eyed and blinking, his clothes looking slept in. "I reckon that before we go charging off after caches of weapons, we ought to make sure we fill up. I've a feeling it is going to be a long day for us. I know some Pharasmans, so I'll tag along once I've had a bite." With that, he starts wandering the house, trying to find the kitchen.

[Maralais]

The night, Reymord ignores the discussion, thinking he can catch up to it in the morning, and heads for the first spare bedroom in the back of the house. He closes the door, finds a place to put his travelling backpack and sashes down, and sits on the ground, the lute in his hand. He tunes it, tests it by playing "The Times They're A-Stoppin", a simple yet lovely song about the effects of Time Stop, and when he's certain that he's ready, starts checking his repertoire.

"Now were there any songs about The Whispering Way? Perhaps in the epics about the Tyrant? Hmm..."

KN: Arcana for the Whispering Way:
[roll0]
KN: History for Harrowstone:
[roll1]

[Larpus]

Gaspar comes out of the corridor with the professor's journal.

"I agree that the Pharasma church shall be our first stop, but I'm unsure if the professor did indeed retrieve said tools, he specifically mentions that he believed to be out of time, so it's quite possible he deemed haste more important than his safety and charged unprepared."

"Either way, I think everyone will agree with my brother in race that we should fill our stomachs before heading out...as I mentioned yesterday, it's very possible that the Way knows of us, we can't fully trust a single body in this town, nor for information, much less for snacks may the hunger take the best of you."

He handles the book to Jadzik. "Also, I believe we should go after whoever found the professor's body at some point as, if he did retrieve any of the tools, we will be missing the ones he had with him."

[Phasm]

"Breakfast time!" Siv bounces down the stairs, clad in practical shirt, trousers, and jacket as opposed to her robe from the previous night. The robe was rather more tasteful, though, by virtue of being a single color. Between the gnome's green skin, pink hair, orange shirt, bright blue trousers, red belt, and violently purple jacket, it looks like a rainbow exploded on her. The only piece of clothing that doesn't assault the eye with color is her black boots. Lorrimor flies down behind her in the eerily silent way of owls.

"I didn't find out all that much about the Whispering Way and Harrowstone and stuff because somebody took the books and I didn't get them until late and I need a certain amount of sleep in order to rest my mind for spells. Anyone else find interesting information? And what's our first stop after breakfast? I think we should go to the Pharasmin church."

[Wyntonian]

Charles blinks in surprise at the streak of neon coming down the stairs, but nods agreement. "The Pharasmians are kinda boring and morbid, but they don't like undeads. I studied with them for a little bit. They can help us, if we're going to fight undeads. I'll want to tell Father Illstrom that he should watch out for skeletons and ghosts and such. Desna doesn't like them either."

[Down Comforter]

Unable to find the kitchen, Grim returns to the room grumbling but looking better, with his clothes in order now. "I can never find what I need in big houses like this," he mutters as he drops into a chair. He looks up at Charles, blinks, and looks at Siv. He blinks several times and rubs his temples. "Gnomes," he grumbles.

Looking over at Gapar, "If you don't mind, I'd like to take the lead when we talk to Pharasmans, I've bumped into them often enough during my time on the road and I understand them for the most part."

[Larpus]

Gaspar looks quite perplexed at Siv's attire, taking several seconds to snap out of surprise into his calm and apparently ever bored self.

At Grim's request, he replies, "Be my guest...I might be many things, but knowledgeable in religion or temple goer are not on the list."

[Thattaman]

More info Reymord learns about Harrowstone
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 conf lagration. It was only through the selfsacrifice 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.
You've learnt a lot about both Harrowstone and the Whispering Way very quickly, It's good because it has given you a lot of XP.

[Maralais]

The morning, Reymord wakes up and slowly wears his adventuring outfit. Takes out his rapier, examines it, basks in its presence and then puts it back to its scabbard. Just as he is at the edge of his door, he suddenly remembers something.

From that point to downstairs, Reymord's journey lasts a few drops of sand.

"Errr... Hey! Morning, people. Soo, did you guys find anything about the Whispering Way? Anything that might indicate its importance?" After just a tiny second of silence, he continues. "Because I did."

After calming down, he continues. "Apparently at the time of the fire, five notorious criminals were transported there, and since the Whispering Way usually tried capturing unique undead creatures... You get the point."

[archetypal]

From another room in the deceptively large house, you smell a delicious breakfast being prepared. Following your noses, you end up finding the kitchen, where Kendra, who, by the looks of it woke up much earlier than you all did is hard at work at a small stove. Already on the table are are stack of pancakes taller than Siv and a heaping pile of scrambled eggs. The popping noises coming from the stove indicate that there's bacon and sausages too, which are just about ready to eat. There's enough chairs for everyone, although they are mismatched, as if Kendra had to bring some from a couple different rooms just to seat everyone.

As you walk into the kitchen, Kendra looks up and smiles at you, although her cheerful demeanor belies relatively dark circles under her eyes and a drawn look to her face - if she slept last night, it wasn't for long. She says "I do hope I made enough. You all seem excited about something... is it just my cooking after your long trips or do you have good news?".

[Down Comforter]

A look of bliss briefly passed over Grim's face, "Dove, at this moment your cooking is the greatest thing my tender soul has had the privilege of experiencing." At that, he grabs a plate and starts piling it high.

As he turns away from the food, "Oh, and we've discovered some things, be sure to speak to Reymord over there."

[archetypal]

"Discovered some things? That sounds interesting. Reymord, what did you find? Where you doing some reading in father's library? He has so many books in there..."

Finishing with the bacon and sausage, she puts the greasy food on a platter and sits down at the table, looking somewhat expectant for a summary of the group's discoveries.

[Phasm]

"Hurray! Breakfast!" Siv beams up at Kendra, climbing up onto a chair piled with large books and a cushion; obviously an attempt to make a seat high enough for her to reach the table. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't want to talk about undead at the breakfast table because that's just nasty. I mean, have you smelled zombies before? Because I have and it's really super disgusting and the Whispering Way is totally into that sort of thing and when I think about the Whispering Way I can practically smell it and that kills the appetite. So! Yummy food first, zombies and prison second, if that's okay with everybody else."

The rainbow-garbed gnome smiles and reaches for the pancake platter, just barely able to reach it. Siv serves herself a single pancake and portions of eggs, bacon and sausage that would be small for a human, but are quite large for a gnome. "Hey Lorrimor, want some sausage?" The owl hoots enthusiastically from his perch on the back of her chair. The wizard giggles and cuts a bite, feeding it to her familiar.

[Wyntonian]

Charles finishes his morning prayers and joins everyone at the table. "Is anyone here a Pharasmian? I'd do the talking at the temple, because I'm a priest, but if anyone else knows them maybe they should." After a short pause, he continues around a sausage, "And I'm not really good at talking, anyway."

[Maralais]

Reymord looks at the table, unable to suppress his grin, and takes a seat between Siv and Charles, and starts eating.

"Alright. Three things. First..." *nom nom nom* "This is DELICIOUS! Second of all, I can't believe I did not think about looking at your father's library, though I did find some relevant facts through folk songs." He eats a pancake in just two bites, takes a bite from his sausage and finally returns to Kendra. "As for the third, I just figured a possible reason why your father could be investigating Harrowstone, so I guess today, we'll be making preparations for going there. Any heads-up on what we might need, other than your father's protective equipment?"

While waiting for the response, Reymord continues his meal, and looks at everyone from time to time. He remembers from time to time that they are together due to a funeral, which makes him wear a small frown from time to time.

[Larpus]

Gaspar acts as a civilized man for most part, quietly grabbing a place and some food, however, once he takes a bite, he looks perplexed from the difference of Kendra's cooking and the horrible food he's been eating since...well, pretty much ever since he left home, being nothing more than makeshift horrible food he made himself or trail rations, taking only a few seconds for the half-elf to forget his table manners and start eating like a starving illiterate goblin.

Between every bite and swallow, he pretty much mutters a few words, "Yesh, well -gulp- it sheems that the professor..." he swallows and takes another bite and chews it, "...he wash a hero...and that we -gulp- are here to contchinue hish work...and...I would alsho -gulp-, ahem, if at all possible, I'd also like to request access to the professor's library, I'm sure there must be many books interesting both to this case and otherwise there to be read", with that said, he remains silent, eating a large amount of food (but still sensible considering his muscular mass) as if that were his last mean on earth.

[archetypal]

Kendra looks at all of you happily enjoying her food with a smile on her face "I'm glad you brought your appetites - some of you seem positively ravenous. You're welcome to three square meals a day here. The professor enjoyed his food as well, so we've got a well stocked pantry here."

Responding to Gaspar and Reymord, she says:
"You all are also welcome to use the library; it might help you in conducting any more research into his recent activities. Unfortunately, I really don't know anything more about what he's been up to. All that stuff in his journal - the Whispering Way... Harrowstone... a hidden cache of equipment... he never shared any of that stuff with me. All I know is that the Harrowstone ruins are on the outskirts of town. I also know a little bit of magic if it might help - just a few things I picked up from father and some of the priests around town, but I'm sure you are all much more experienced than myself."

[Down Comforter]

Grim wraps a sausage or two in a piece of cloth that he slides into a pocket for later, he looks up at Karen, "while we appreciate your truly generous offer of both your home and help. All of us no doubt appreciate the use of your fine home, but I cannot ask you to become more personally involved than you already are. Good ol' Lorrimor would give us quite the thrashing if he heard we had ever let you come to harm. We will do all we can to keep you safe and investigate the death of the professor."

With that he stands dramatically and looks over everyone else. "Now then, let's get off to this temple of Pharasma that Lorrimor was talking about." He picks up another sausage and chews on it. "Unless, of course, any of you want to head off elsewhere."

[ninthbit]

The Pharasma clergy seem to be the best place to start. I agree that we should head there first. Jadzik finishes his last few bites and then starts fixing his gear.

[archetypal]

Kendra looks thoughtful. "The temple is probably a good place to start - the clerics there have always been meticulous record keepers; they probably have more information about Ravengro's history stashed away in their library than even the town hall. Also, you've already met Father Grimburrow. Careful though, they aren't usually willing to grant permission for people - especially outsiders such as yourselves - to search through their archives."

"You can get to the temple by walking south for a bit from here til you reach a fork, and taking the northwest road across the river, then following that path until you reach the temple. It's pretty hard to miss, as it's a large and rather ornate building. It's maybe a quarter mile's walk."

[Phasm]

Taking one last swallow of orange juice, Siv daintily wipes her hands on a napkin and jumps down from her chair. "Well, it can't hurt to ask, right? I think I'm forgetting something... oh yeah!" The gnome rushes upstairs and returns a few moments later with her crystal-topped staff, crossbow, quiver, and the pockets of her adventurer's sash bulging with gods know what. "Always have to be prepared! Who knows, they might have giant rats or giant spiders in their basement that they want somebody to fight. That seems to happen an awful lot. Come on, Lorrimor, we're going on an adventure!" Her owl obediently flies to his perch on her shoulder. "Thanks for breakfast, Miss Kendra, it was yummy!"

[Maralais]

Reymord takes a last bite from his pancake, looks sadly at his now empty plate, but quickly gets a hold of himself. "I'm sure comparing folklore with their records could speed up our research. So we're all going to the temple then?"

He gets up and walks to the stairs. "Just give me a moment." he says, and a few minutes(and bag closing, rapier preparing sounds) later, he gets down, wearing his adventurer's outfit beneath his armor, and his backpack and pouch. A closer look indicates that his backpack seems emptier than usual, presumably due to his choice to leave his bedroll and food rations. "So, I'm ready for the day."

[ninthbit]

Gaspar and Reymord, I thought you would be going through the professors library, while Siv, Charles, Grim and I head to the temple of Pharasma.

It shouldn't take all six of us to look for this place since the professor gave us an almost exact location. If all goes well, Charles and I can look for the cache while Siv and Grim check their records.

[Larpus]

Gaspar finishes eating and regains his composture.

"Yes, that we shall. There might be something in the professor's books that he left out of both his will and diary, so I intend that we find it. I also cannot ignore the tiny voice in my head telling me to be suspicious of just how far the Way can hear and see..."

"...As such, I fear for miss Lorrimor's safety and will be much more at ease to see that nothing unusual happens today."

[Wyntonian]

Charles nods, considering. "Will you two be able to protect Miss Lorrimor ok? I think you can, you guys seem pretty tough. I'll go get those weapons and stuff with you, Jadzik. C'mon, Siv, it'll be fun!"

[Maralais]

"Hmm, I guess we can leave the priests' records to you guys. Heh." Reymord chuckles a bit, then considers the situation.

[Down Comforter]

Grim disappears upstairs and comes back moments later with hints of a light armor beneath his clothes. As he slides a knife up his sleeve, he looks at the gathered group. "I have no doubt that I can talk our way into the library and town hall both." He saunters over to Siv, "And if need be, we can always boost you through a window," he whispers to her and grins.

He looks at Jadzik and Charles. "Do let us know if you can't get in. I'm sure firecracker here and I can manage."

[Larpus]

"I'm sure we can manage. The Way hasn't done anything directly against miss Lorrimor yet, so either their reach isn't quite as big as I've feared or they're pragmatists and unwilling to expose themselves needlessly."

"And while I'm unaware of mister Lamsdare's abilities here, I know how to strike nearly any creature where it...hurts.", he says with a grin.

[Maralais]

Reymord raises an eyebrow. "I've been told that my music can be sharp. He then takes a more serious pose. "Though, I'm not that focused on fighting."

[archetypal]

Grim, Siv, Charles, and Jadzik:

As you depart from the Lorrimor home, you follow the directions Kendra gave you earlier. About 10 minutes later, you arrive at the Temple of Pharasma, by far the most elaborate building you have seen so far in Ravengro. On the eastern side is a large stained glass window depicting a stern Pharasma standing in judgement of Count Andachi, one of Tamrivena’s most infamous previous rulers. The whole building has a gothic, cathedral look, although it is not nearly as large as some cathedrals you have seen or heard of previously. You stop in front of a set of hard-worn stone stairs that lead to an imposing, dark, wooden door. You hear some faint chanting in a low register from inside the building. To the left of the door is a life-sized stone statue of a hooded woman, with no discernible face and an hourglass hanging from her neck. Extending out from her cloak is a bony hand holding a dagger that points toward the ground.


Gaspar and Reymord:

You spend the next hour helping Kendra clean up from the breakfast and doing some chores. Kendra indicates that she would like to head to the market at the town square at some point, but you have time to conduct further research in her father's library if you so desire. You also have access to the other three books in Professor Lorrimor's trunk if you would like to examine those more closely.

[Down Comforter]

Grim briefly looks over the statue of the woman, "Looks like we're in the right place." He slides the door open and slips inside, hoping to not draw attention to himself in case there is service being performed.

[archetypal]

Grim, Siv, Charles, and Jadzik:

The four of you step quietly inside the temple into a wide open space that serves as a sort of lobby for the building. Straight ahead you see a large open space with a number of benches and an alter raised slightly above the level of the floor you are standing on, with the stained glass window behind, sunlight pouring in, which throws multicolored patches of light all around the inside of the otherwise fairly dark space. A few acolytes are sitting on the benches, chanting or praying silently, but it's clear that there is no official service being held. As you enter, another acolyte who was crossing the lobby turns to greet you. He is wearing a dark robe with silver trim, but with the hood pulled back so you can see his face. He is a relatively young man, with a kind face, but he looks confused as to your presence here. "Welcome to the Temple of Pharasma, Lady of Graves. You are not members of our flock, but you are welcome to join in our worship..." he gestures towards the benches. "Or have you come for something else?"

[Down Comforter]

Grim bows his head low, "A fine day to you. This is truly a magnificent place of worship. I have not seen one such as this in a goodly time and it brings my heart joy in this time of grief that Pharasma has such a following in Ravengro."

Diplomacy to improve attitude:
[roll0]

"The four of us are friends and representatives of the late Professor Lorrimor, in search of items he bequeathed his daughter in his last will and testament. He trusted her protection to us, you see, and we would dearly wish to do right by him."

He looks deep into the acolyte's eyes. "Surely you can assist us retrieving several items from a crypt, that we might do right be a goodly man and his daughter."

[ninthbit]

Temple of Pharasma
Jadzik remains quite, allowing Grim to do the talking. What a dismal place, why one would worship in such a manner is beyond me. However, this construction is quite nice, especially considering the area we are in.

[archetypal]

Grim, Siv, Charles, and Jadzik:
Returning the bow, the acolyte says"Thank you for your kind words. The people of Ravengro are blessed by Pharasma and you are as well. We chosen few in her service strive to bring knowledge, understanding, and an appreciation for all facets of life, including death, to the people here. I am glad that you have taken the responsibility for Kendra's well-being upon yourselves; the Lorrimors are a well-liked family here in Ravengro, and the Professor was a friend of the temple."

"As for the matter of these 'bequeathed items' I don't believe we have any property of the Lorrimors in the catacombs below or in the temple vault - all of the crypts are in the Restlands, the graveyard to the north that we maintain, but any items interred with the dead are to remain with the dead, by the will of Pharasma. I will fetch Father Grimburrow from his chambers to see if he can assist you further."

With that, the acolyte turns and leaves through a smaller wooden door on the north side of the lobby.

[Larpus]

At Home
Once he's done helping Kendra finish the house chores she needed help with, Gaspar says to Reymord: "Might as well take the opportunity to see whatever these tomes are about, after all, the professor had them for research, but I don't think it's a different research...might even produce faster results than his library, which seems extensive enough to spend days to no avail if going with no clue."

"That said, let's be extra cautious, I don't think they're magically trapped or anything, but the knowledge in them might be enough to corrupt us, so we stop if we see anything that seems to be too much to bear. Deal?", he says, placing his hand on top of the chest containing the tomes.

Not quite sure what's the checks involved are, but might as well roll all the knowledges I have with no extra modifiers:

Knowledge(Arcana): [roll0]
Knowledge(Dungeoneering): [roll1]
Knowledge(Nature): [roll2]

The plan is to first go briefly through the tomes to grasp their overall contents, reading more carefully anything that catches the eye.

[Down Comforter]

Temple of Pharasma
Grim bows his head once again, "That would be most appreciated acolyte. We will wait here while you fetch the good Father."

As the Acolyte leaves, Grim grumbles, "I really need to make sure who I'm talking to can actually help before I use up all my creativity on them."

He thinks through what he knows of the local area, trying to remember if he knows anything about the Restlands.

Know:Local
[roll0]

[archetypal]

Grim:

The Restlands serve as the principal graveyard for the town of Ravengro, and lie to the north of the town. It is a large cemetery, with multiple crypts and mausoleums, in addition to hundreds of tombstones. The Restlands are where the Professor was buried. The priests of Pharasma are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the cemetery, and for overseeing burial ceremonies. The priests and the townsfolk are likely to react negatively to anyone seen disturbing the dead.

[Down Comforter]

Temple of Pharasma
Grim turns to those accompanying him, "It may be best if the locals don't see us pilfering this cache of Lorrimor's. I can't imagine the locals would take it too kindly if they discovered us "looting" a tomb as it were."

[archetypal]

Lorrimor House:
Retrieving the tomes from the professors trunk, Gaspar notices a few more details about the books. The first has no title, with a rich purple cover adorned with a brass scarab set with a single jeweled eye in its center. The cover is rimmed in polished steel and is clasped with a small lock. The second is "On Verified Madness," with a jet black cover. The third is "Serving your Hunger" a book with a dark red cover engraved with the image of a rotten insect. The final book is "The Umbral Leaves" with a ragged leather binding and the image of a skull with barbed chains drawn through its eye sockets bleached into the cover.

See OOC thread for info about conducting the research.

[ninthbit]

Temple of Pharasma
Quietly Jadzik interjects. Well, it wasn't HIS cache. His notes indicate that the priests created it a long time ago, so long that they likely forgot about it.

[Down Comforter]

Temple of Pharasma
"Technicalities. If the priests don't even know it exists and we can use it, I say it's free game." He looks about and adds quietly, "Especially if this cult of his is threatening the town."

[ninthbit]

Temple of Pharasma
"Its nothing of a technicality. If the priests stake no claim to the property, then the laws of salvage and finds apply. If they do know of the crypt and dont offer their support, that is their right. Even if it be misguided and potentialy dangerous to them. I would recommending that we be vague to test tbeir knowledge of the crypts presence."

[archetypal]

Temple of Pharasma
The acolyte returns, this time trailing Father Grimburrow, whom you recognize from his presence at the Professor's burial. Grimburrow is an old man, who walks very slowly. He is dressed in a fashion similar to the acolytes, but he wears an hourglass around his neck filled with red sand, matching the one worn by the statue in the front of the building. He looks carefully and somewhat suspiciously at each of you before speaking with a raspy voice:

"My brother tells me that you are here seeking something that belonged to Professor Lorrimor? I am sorry, but we don't have anything of that sort here, and as I'm sure Kendra has told you, he wasn't buried with anything of particular value. Also you spoke of a crypt? The Lorrimors do not have a crypt in the Restlands..." he trails off, as though waiting for you to explain yourselves.

The acolyte leans forward and whispers something in his ear. Father Grimburrow laughs, almost sarcastically, and says "My brother says that you are harmless, and are likely only misinformed. In that case, I'm afraid that there's not much more we can do for you here, unless you would like to stay and worship or are seeking to purchase some of the minor magic potions we create here to aid those in pain or with mild maladies."

[Phasm]

Temple of Pharasma

Siv rolls her large purple eyes at her comrades. "Just tell him about it, sillies! These are Pharasmins, of course they'll want to help us fight undead or even do it themselves because Pharasma hates undead worse than anything!" She turns to look up at Father Grimburrow.

"See, the Professor found out that the Whispering Way- you know who they are, right?- was going to do nasty stuff up at Harrowstone because apparently there's ghosts or something there from the fire and one of them was connected to the Whispering Way when they were still alive..." The gnome happily tells Father Grimburrow all about what they found in Professor Lorrimor's journal, ignoring any looks of anger, horror, or oh-my-gods-what-is-she-doing from her comrades.

"...so he was going to just take the spirit-warding stuff and put it back afterwards but you guys should know it's there for the future even if you don't want to lend it to us so you can fight undead better!" Siv beams up at the priest. "So is there anything we can do to prove we're the good guys so you could trust us with whatever Professor Lorrimor needed to protect himself against ghosts and didn't have, because I bet it was a ghost that dropped the gargoyle on his head!" Pause. "Well, maybe he did have it, his journal didn't say one way or the other whether he actually got it. But if we can at least figure out what it looks like we could look for it in Harrowstone so we can give it back to you guys because it's yours and stealing from Pharasma is a really bad idea. And can we look at your records of people who died in the Harrowstone fire so we can figure out who the Whispering Way people are looking for?"

[ninthbit]

Temple of Pharasma
Jadzik uses all his effort to mask his contempt for the half-pint blabber mouth. F***ING GNOMES!!!!!!!!!! How can something so small cause so much chaos?

[archetypal]

Temple of Pharasma
Father Grimburrow looks rather taken aback and very surprised, but tries to hide it. The acolyte's jaw is actually hanging open by the time Siv finishes her rant.

"Well... that is quite a tale. Of course we know of the Whispering Way, who doesn't? They are the source of many tall tales used by parents to scare their children into behaving, but the Way is nothing more than a cult of necromancers, and I assure you that we would know if they were operating in Ravengro. As for this cache of equipment meant to fend off evil spirits - it's possible that former members of this temple had access to such equipment and then hid it away for future use; but I can't permit you lot to go rummaging around in the Restland crypts - the last thing this town needs is rumors of grave-robbery; if the Professor did indeed find this equipment it was highly irresponsible of him not to tell me. I will send Brother Urich and Brother Mendel to search for this hidden equipment in the Restlands, and I will let you know if they can corroborate your wild story."

As he continues, his voice becomes noticeably angrier: "Regarding Harrowstone - I'd caution you not to go poking around in those ruins; it's a dangerous place, and dark things happen in places like that; better to let the dead rest undisturbed. Finally, our records are strictly off limits, especially to outsiders, and they are meticulous and carefully kept; I refuse to have them pawed through by people looking for another ghost story to scare the citizens of my town with." By the end of this speech, his expression is positively stormy.

"Now, if there's nothing else, I'd like you to leave now and leave us to our work in peace."

[archetypal]

Lorrimor Home

Gaspar skims the three titled tomes to see what he can find out about their contents:

"On Verified Madness" is a treatise on aberrations and other entities found on Golarion that possess remote ties to the Dark Tapestry, the name given to the dark places between the stars in the night sky. While Gaspar is deeply disturbed to find that such creatures even exist, he doesn't see how this information will be useful to their present situation.

"Serving Your Hunger" is a holy text related to the goddess Urgathoa. It is notable because Urgathoa is the closest thing the goddess Pharasma has to an enemy, as Urgathoa is literally an undead goddess. Professor Lorrimor's notations liberally sprinkle the margins, but they seem to be more theoretical and philosophical than practical advice.

"The Umbral Leaves" is a translation into common of the unholy book of Zon-Kuthon, the god of pain, often referred to as the Dark Prince. This seems to serve as reference material, with little other purpose. Gaspar finds some of the discussion of torture techniques oddly enthralling, perhaps due to his background in the knowledge and practice of vivisection.

This process takes him about an hour. He spends the next 2 hours searching for information in the Professor's library about the recent activities of the Whispering Way, but all he finds is a confirmation of what the group had already discovered, namely that the Way is a group of necromancers seeking to discover eternal life through the pursuit of undeath, and that they take great pains in preventing their secrets from being found out. He does obtain a few extra scraps of knowledge regarding the creation of liches, which seems to be one of the Way's main goals. They are difficult to create and rely on powerful magic; the summoning process is something even a group of trained necromancers would find difficult without a powerful artifact to aid them.

[Down Comforter]

Grim grits his teeth cuts quickly in front of the gnome, glancing back as he does. "We will talk about this... later."

He turns to the Father and bows his head again, showing every sign of being humble, "Father Grimburrow, I must ask that you reconsider. We are all very close friends of dearly departed Lorimor and we only wish the best not only for his kin, but for the town for which he bore such love."

Grim looks the Father square in the eye, "surely you can understand that we all wish to do right be Kendra and the town, and I can assure you that our group is dedicated and meticulous. We will bring no harm to either the blessed dead nor your surely meticulous records."

Grim's eyes seem to shine with emotion, "surely you can allow us to make the best of your skill to bring comfort to a sorrowful girl."

Diplomacy (I'll edit the text to match the roll)
[roll0]

[Thattaman]

Temple of Pharasma:
Father Grimburrow is slightly moved by Grim's words. HE speaks slowly and calmly whilst saying this. "Although I do not trust you, the proffessor was a wise man. Because it is stated in his will that you should look after his daughter and continue his research I grant you permission to search the crypt. If you find anything of interest then I would like for it to be brought to us immediatly for investigation. But I would not recomend going into Harrowstone, or making an attack on the Whispering Way."

[ninthbit]

Temple of Pharasma:
As Grim speaks, Jadzik calms his nerves about the gnome and calls from his divine powers to order his mind, then he polietly adds. and your library of records, Father? I was basically raised in a university library. I'm a priest of sorts myself. Abadar is my patron. If you could be so kind as to allow at least one of us, myself perhaps, to access the records I can assure you, we will not use this to spread ghost stories and place unwarrented worry upon Ravengro.

Aiding Grim
Diplomacy (Aid another): 15
Using Touch of Law(Sp) (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/cleric/domains/paizo---domains/law-domain) on himself. d20 resolves as an 11 with a +4 cumulative bonus.

[Maralais]

Lorrimor Home
Reymord nods at Gaspar, and sees him heading to the tomes. "Let me know if something useful comes out of them. Or a monster that was bound into them." he says jokingly, then considers if that might be the case.

He walks to the library, and tries to figure out how it is laid out. Once he has an idea about the library's system, he begins his search.

Alright, considering that his books sorted according to their subjects, here's what I'll do: Search subjects similar to undeath, Whispering Way, Harrowstone(including its design and history in general) and Pharasma herself.

Since I edited this, I'll have to do the rolls on OOC.

[Thattaman]

Lorriomor Home:
Reymor spends an hour searching through the many tomes that the Proffessor had accumulated in his time alive. But alas, he could not find any information on Harrowstone. But the Proffessor was very knowledgable when it came to the whispering way. They really are one of the scariest cults there is. For all the info on the Whispering Way, check out the OOC thread where I put what has been found out. You can't find anything other than that.

[Wyntonian]

Sensing the reactions of those nearby, and almost before she stops speaking, Charles hefts the little gnome over his shoulder, turns and walks towards the door. "C'mon. Let's let the others talk, Siv. We can go check out the crypt in a little bit, ok?"

[Larpus]

Lorrimor Home
Gaspar meets Reymord after his own "book spelunking" at the professor's library, with the tomes under his arm, looking rather frustrated "Sigh...couldn't find a full octopus for a practical joke...would've been funny...but what can one do...?", he shrugs.

"Talking seriously now, these tomes are...unique...this one's about aberrations, not surprising as I met the professor at an aberration lecture, but I don't think it'll be of much use here; this one's about Urgathoa and might have some relevance, but I lack the religious knowledge needed to get past the basics; and this one is about torture...again, don't see how it'll help us but...eh, I think it deserves closer inspection, so I'll be reading it when I have the chance...for...you know...just to be sure...yes."

"And sorry about the delay on the library, a thought crossed my mind and I just couldn't stop reading and reading and reading and reading -inhale- ahem. Basically, I began to wonder about what the Way wanted here...I mean, why here? And what could be so grand to get the professor worked up enough to throw his caution aside? Then it struck me...they might be conducting research on lichification..."

"I don't fully understand, but I know that a lich is far from good news and is enough worry for drastic measures; for that, they'd also need a big empty space that no one goes to, which Harrowstone fits to the t; it's also a deeply complicated process that is likely to create failures, this town having its history and an eerie aura around it seems like the sort of place random undead would either go unnoticed or disposed without much fanfare."

He pauses to catch his breath after talking so much enthusiacally. "If I'm correct, they most likely would need some powerful artifact to aid with the ritual, which they either have already or are looking for in this town, which, considering the rumors for hidden secrets around here, is not completely out of scope. Bottom line, if the others' visit of the Pharasmian temple doesn't give us any further clues as to how to proceed, this might be a decent lead just so we're not aimless, what you think?"

[Maralais]

Lorrimor Home
Reymord closes the last book he has read with disappointment and puts it back on its shelf. "We should hand Urgathoa to our cleric I guess, as for torture... I'll pass."

"Lichification does sound plausible, but who will they lichify? I was thinking more of making fancy undead from those five very dangerous criminals that were transported to Harrowstone before the fire, but if it is as you say, we're in a much bigger trouble."

He then thinks about the situation and looks a bit... Frightened. "I don't know about you, but I doubt we can fight directly with a group that is powerful enough to create a lich. But the artifact gives me an idea... I think going directly to Harrowstone might be too dangerous for now, but we can widen our research to see if we can find such an artifact and claim it before the Way does! Then we could keep it safe at Lepidstadt University."

"We'd need to be on the lookout for any unnatural undead activity though. As if there's something like natural undead activity..."

[Larpus]

Lorrimor House
"Well, liches are 'fancy undead', who knows? Besides, as dangerous as 5 crazy people gone undead might be, don't personally think it's too out there beyond what a bunch of Pharasmian clerics can deal with...unless we're visiting the place with the absolute worst collection of Pharasmian clerics in the world...which I hope to not be the case"

"And I agree that we'd be neck-deep in excrement if we bump heads directly with the Way, but we do have an advantage: with the Pharasmians here, the Way seems more interested in remaining nothing more than a rumor than going to the extent of their power to ensure victory, ergo, we should be fine as long as we're cautious enough."

Gaspar pats Reymord in the shoulder, "Well, figure we should get going, miss Lorrimor mentioned she needed some chores dealt with around town, didn't she? We might use the opportunity to learn more about the city as well, if nothing else, just knowing where the dead ends are might be the difference between life and death...followed by undeath..."

[Maralais]

Lorrimor House
Reymord gets a hold of himself, and smiles. "You're right. And did I ever mention that doing chores is a speciality of mine?" He proceeds to look for Kendra in the house, beckoning Gaspar to follow, and declares: "Miss Lorrimor, our little research seems to be completed. I believe you mentioned a walk to the market?"

[archetypal]

Lorrimor Home / Town Plaza:
Kendra responds"Your escort isn't strictly necessary, but I do appreciate it. I could use the help carrying some supplies back here." This last part she says with a joking smile on her face.

The three of you depart for the town square around noon and walk northeast towards the town center. As you approach, the fields turn into small cottages, which in turn become the larger buildings you would expect in a town the size of Ravengro, including a town hall, a tavern, and the like. At the center of the town is a small gazebo surrounded by a grassy circular plaza with a small but bustling market. Walking towards the plaza you pass a group of men heading south, the way you came, lead by someone who could be the town sheriff. They all have worried looks on their faces and are speaking in quiet but urgent tones to each other.

[Down Comforter]

Temple of Pharasma
As Father Grimburrow agrees to allow them access to the records and Restlands, Grim thanks him for his kindness and leads the others away. "Right then," he says grimly, "should I take a look at the records or are we off to the graveyard?"

[archetypal]

Temple of Pharasma:

Father Grimburrow considers Jadzik's request to use the records and says "Fine. I am loathe to allow strangers into our archives, but you" he looks at Grim "have demonstrated proper respect for the goddess and our church. I shall allow you and you alone to access our records. You may not take any of the materials with you, but I can have one of the brothers make a transcription of anything you find important. If you wish to examine the records now, Brother Urich here will show you the way, or you may return at another time."

"As for the rest of you, you may either wait here for your friend to finish, or leave, but I must ask you not to bother me or my brothers any further - we have important work to do here."

With that, he gathers his robes around him and walks back the way he came.

[ninthbit]

Temple of Pharasma:
I'll go with the other two and leave you to it here. With that, Jadzik goes to catch up with the others.

Edit: Others = (Siv and Charles) who are waiting outside the temple because the little loudmouth gnome can't keep it's trap shut. :smallbiggrin:

[Phasm]

Temple of Pharasma
Siv lets out a startled yelp as Charles picks her up, barely managing to hang onto her staff. Her familiar takes off, hooting indignantly as this rude disruption of his perch. "Charles! Let me go!" She squirms at first, trying to break free... until she looks down. It's a long way down for a gnome. "I don't understand, I was telling the truth! I always try to tell the truth because keeping track of lies is really hard and they'll always get found out, and when they do there goes your academic reputation, poof!" Her high-pitched voice fades away as the half-orc carries her out the door.

"Whyyyyyy...?"

[ninthbit]

Temple of Pharasma
Once Siv, Charles and Jadzik leave the temple, It's not that anyone has or is lying. Sometimes it's important to withhold facts to deduce the truth. The priests have made it clear that they are unaware of any cache of materials at the Restlands. Thus they have no claim to anything we find. We've received the permission we sought to investigate, I suggest we head out now before they change their minds.

[Maralais]

Town Plaza
"Say Kendra, you wouldn't happen to know if there's a problem troubling the townsguard here, would you?" Reymord asks, trying to keep a nonchalant tone.

[Thattaman]

Town Plaza:
Kendra walks up to a woman who is trying to keep people calm. Mirta, what is going on, has something happened. Mirta looks at her gravely. "It's not that bad, but someone has desecrated the Harrowstone memorial. A huge V has been drawn on it with blood. And peole fear that it is the ghosts from Harrowstone." Kendra then walks back to Jadzk and Reymord and tells you what se was told.

[Wyntonian]

Immediately outside the church:
Charles meets Jazdik as he comes out, Siv replaced on the ground. "So? Are we going tomb robbing?"

[Down Comforter]

Grim finds his way to the dusty library and finds a large table from which he can work. Stripping off his armor and settling his belongings beneath his chair, he begins searching throughout the well-ordered library for anything that might help the search for information about Harrowstone, Ravengro, the Whispering Way, or anything that might help the group.

With a stack of books as tall as he is, Grim searches.

Taking 20 on my knowledge rolls (since I'm assuming I won't be eaten in here)
Know: Arcana - 22
Know: Dungeoneering - 26
Know: History - 22
Know: Local - 26
Know: Religion - 22

[ninthbit]

Leaving temple, as they walk to Restlands:
It's not tomb robbing. We are simply searching for a lost cache of unclaimed property. Robbing is the act of depriving someone of their property either by force or threat of violence. Upon death, ownership is reassigned to the next of kin or as outlined by a will or other lawful device. This cache is legally lost. No one is aware of it or can rightfully claim an owning intrest in it; as such, we are claiming it as salvage and found property.

[Thattaman]

Grim:
You can find the same info on the Whispering Way as before, but one thing you haven't looked much into, is the prisoners of Harrowstone, in here are all their records here is the info on them. Originally, Harrowstone housed only local criminals, but as the prison’s fame spread, other counties and distant lands began paying to have more 16 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 Illlmarsh, and the Splatter Man. Which one of these five do you want to research more on?

[archetypal]

Leaving the Temple of Pharasma:
As the three of you leave the temple, an acolyte follows you out. Appearing at first uninterested in you, he checks to see if anyone else from the temple is watching and then, seeing no one, slips a vial to Siv. It’s the same acolyte that was standing behind Father Grimburrow. He speaks quickly -
“Thanks for telling us the truth – my name is Brother Mendel; even if the Father isn’t convinced, I believe you, and I’ll make sure as much as I am able that we Pharasmans take appropriate measures against any members of the Way here in Ravengro. Good luck finding that crypt. This is a potion of curing light wounds - it should help if you are injured.”
Not waiting for a response he turns quickly and walks around to the back of the temple.

The three of you begin walking north from the temple, on the way to the Restlands…

Can everyone walking back make a perception check please?

[ninthbit]

Leaving the Temple of Pharasma:
[roll0]

[archetypal]

Town Plaza:

Kendra looks worried after she relays the news: “If the monument has been defiled, that can only be bad news. Maybe the two of you should follow the sheriff and those men and have a look at the monument. I’ll finish my errands quickly and head home – I’ll meet you back at the house.”

As she is speaking, a group of five little Varisian girls dressed in shawls and dresses are playing a skipping rope game at the side of the grassy plaza nearest you. Each of the girls takes turns jumping in the rope while singing two lines of a rather disturbing song, then skips out of the rope to let the next girl take up the next two lines. The way in which the girls switch from skipping to passing the ends of the rope to each other to keep the whole thing going is strikingly well timed and well choreographed—and the verse itself, which the girls sing in Varisian, is rather disturbing. The five repeating verses are as follows:

“Put her body on the bed.
Take a knife and lop her head.
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.”

[Down Comforter]

Thoroughly worn out from his research endeavors, Grim neatly puts all the books away. Slipping a sheet of paper with what he has learned inside his jacket, he puts on his armor once more and slips out the door. He heads off in the direction of the Restlands, hoping to catch up with the rest of the group.

[Larpus]

Town Plaza
Gaspar lifts his eyebrow at the macabre song the girls are singing, he does pay attention to the words, out of morbid curiosity.

He hesitates when asked, but nods in agreement, "Very well, but be careful miss, don't wander on the streets and stay away of any...unusual occurrences...be safe."

"Let's got, mr. Lamsdare, the others might need us."

[Phasm]

Outside the Temple of Pharasma
Tucking the potion away in one of the pockets of her adventurer's sash, Siv beams up at the acolyte before he walks away. "Thank you, Brother!" Mercifully, this time she speaks in a loud stage whisper as opposed to full volume.

At least someone believed her. The gnome turns back to her companions. "Shouldn't we all go as a team? There might be traps and things, and it wouldn't be nice to go and get nifty spirit-warding stuff without everyone there, and maybe Gaspar and Reymord found useful things in the Professor's library since the Professor knew about the crypt and the Pharasmins didn't!"


Perception:
[roll0]

[archetypal]

Jadzik:

You half-hear the faint sound of a wagon being drawn by two horses. As the sound approaches, you feel cold and lonely, despite the company of your friends and the early afternoon sun shining brightly upon you. In the dirt of the road ahead of you, you see the tracks of two horses and wheeled vehicle appear in the dust, headed south - opposite the direction you are walking. The noise of the horses and the creaking of the wagon get louder as the tracks reach you and then recede as they pass you.

[ninthbit]

Left the temple, Almost to the Restlands:
What the hell? Jadzik mumbles under his breath as the ghost wagon passes. Returning his attention the blabber-mouth of a gnome. I figure a little finger wiggling gnome like yourself would understand that knowledge is a fickle thing. It’s like a symbiant or parasitic organism. It needs a host to contain it or it can perish. It’s quite possible that with their extensive library, that the priests have simply lost record of it, while the professor may have found notes of this from any number of sources; wives tails, journals from the hired craftsmen, diaries from former clergy that have left area. Aren’t masters of the arcane constantly on the pursuit of lost knowledge?

As for regrouping, while I do agree that there is safety in numbers, I have to question the level of risk there is while in town. Being a burial site, the Restlands should be consecrated grounds, thus protected from unnatural evils. In any case, finding it shouldn’t be difficult. I imagine that if they built a crypt, then there is likely a small mausoleum above it. Given that it was buried long enough ago that it has been forgotten by the locals, we can also assume it’s a much older, likely one of the first, buildings on the grounds. That AND the clue about the cross roads, we should be able to pretty much just walk up to it. Once we’re that close, Abadar will guide me. If it exists, we will find it. But we must act quickly, these priest are paranoid and could quickly deny us access. Also… you have Charles and I; I can’t foresee anything the two of us can’t handle.

[OOC: "I can’t foresee anything the two of us can’t handle." Famous last words ]

K.Religion:
I'm assuming it's obviously a ghost of some kind. I would hope an inquisitor could figure that out. But I'm dropping a roll in case there’s more to it.
k.Religion: [roll0]

[archetypal]

Jadzik:


Yeah, it's a ghost or at least some sort of leakiness from the past into the present. You also realize it was headed in the direction of the Harrowstone ruins, and no one else in your party saw it.

[archetypal]

Charles:


You notice the Jadzik is distracted for a few seconds and that he was staring at something and looked over his shoulder to follow it as it presumably passed you.

[Wyntonian]

Restlands (?)
Charles looks at Jadzik as he turns, apparently watching something go by. "Jadzik? What is it?"

[ninthbit]

Just arriving at the Restlands:
I think I just witnessed a ghost, or at least some kind of echo of the past. From over there... and then right past us, heading out that way. I could hear the wagon and I saw tracks form. It wasn’t a full manifestation, I couldn’t see it. Just sound and tracks.

There is definitely something peculiar going on around here. We should better hurry.


Once we're there, If Jadzik has any difficulty finding a sutiably old building near the cross roads, he will then start to check any near areas that could potenialy serve to hold a crypt. He'll take 20 on his perception check, using Sift(at will) (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/sift) to scan the area. This will give hime a 26 (20+11-5) to find anything hidden within sight. He can also use Detect Magic(at will) to help aid the search.

[archetypal]

Everyone but Grim:
As you continue walking north towards Ravengro, you see a group of men, lead by someone wearing a uniform that indicates they might be a town sheriff or something of the sort, with some worried-looking burly farmer-types following closely behind. A few hundred yards behind them are Reymord and Gaspar.

As the group of Ravengronians approaches you they slow, and the leader has time to recognize that none of you is human. "You orcs there, stop! Identify yourselves; what are you doing in Ravengro?" At the same time, one of the other men says to another "Is that... a child? on the orc's back?" and a third says "Those don't look like full-grown orcs..." Their pause gives Reymord and Gaspar enough time to catch up...

[Larpus]

Gaspar follows quickly, a bit sweaty but not too much out of breath.

"Easy there, officer, they're friends not foes. And no, it's a common mistake, but they're not a pair of juvenile orcs and a child, they're a pair of half-borns, much like myself but from a different race, and a gnome. Ergo, they are allies to the town, not criminals of any sort, so there's no need to raise weapons or be antagonistic to them."

Will edit after I see the roll, but I expect a low roll and Gaspar being pretty smart-ass.

[roll0]

Oh...that went well.

[ninthbit]

At the accusation of being called an orc… a dim witted savage species, Jadzik grits his teeth and inhales deeply through his noise, trying his hardest to subdue his disdain for such ignorant people. We’re two priests and a wizard, and they choose to harass US! Collecting his composure he very politely replies with the tone of an educated man.

First off, I’m no orc and I take insult to the association. While my people do have some orcish heritage, they are not a group of savage ignorant brutes. Also, I’m just as much human. In any case, we have peacefully coexisted with humans for well over 200 years, likely much further.

With that cleared up, I am Jadzik, a priest of Abadar. This is Charles, a priest of Desna. The little one is no child, she is a gnomish wizard. We arrived yesterday to attend the funeral of a close friend. We have remained to assist his daughter in closing out his affairs.

[ninthbit]

Forgot the roll:
Diplo to improve: [roll0]

[Wyntonian]

Charles waves at the sheriff and his followers and hefts Siv up onto his shoulders, the axe hanging loosely at his side. "Hi there! I've seen you around, you go to the Temple of Desna, right? Nice to meet you! I'm Charles!"

[Maralais]

Reymord hears the words "Orcs... Identify Yourselves!" before catching up to the group, and observes the situation quickly. He sighs silently and walks before the sheriff.
First the roll, then the talk:
[roll0]
"As my friends have already said, we have come for the funeral of a friend and are not orcs. I'm Reymord Lamsdare."

"I guess you're the sheriff of Ravengro, were you at town plaza a few hours ago? Because I believe I have seen you or someone of equal ranking, investigating something about Harrowstone. My friends and I are capable fighters and most of us know how to deal with ghosts and the undead. We would like to help you with whatever's happened in Harrowstone, and full cooperation would make this a lot easier."

[archetypal]

Everyone but Grim:
The farmers and the sheriff relax a bit as it becomes clear that you are not hostile. The sheriff waits for all of you to explain yourselves, introduces himself as Sheriff Benjan Caeller, then turns toward Reymord and says "You have a strange choice in travelling companions, friend. Look, I didn't realize all you foreigners were coming in for the Lorrimor funeral. As long as you don't cause any trouble..." he looks specifically at Jadzik, "we won't have any problems. As for the 'investigation' I don't know much myself. There were reports from a concerned citizen that the Harrowstone memorial to the south had been vandalized, something about a bloody 'V' and we were headed down there to check it out. Nothing for you lot to be concerned with, I'm sure, but if you want to have a look, I wont stop you as long as you don't start telling tales about it. More rumors and gossip about 'ghosts' and 'hauntings' are the last thing this town needs right now." He turns toward the farmers and says "That goes for all of you, really."

[Phasm]

Siv frowns at being called a child; she's never seen a human child with green skin, pink hair, and a crossbow. Maybe children here like to paint themselves? After what happened with the priest, though, she bites her lip and lets Jadzik explain. It's hard. Very hard.

The dam finally bursts under the pressure of the loquacious gnome's talkative nature. "I'm Siv and this is my friend Lorrimor, nice to meet you!" She points to the small brown owl preening himself on a nearby sign. "I named him after the Professor because the Professor was such an interesting person and he liked me!" The wizard smiles down at Sheriff Benjan. "The priest back there didn't like it when I told him about us investigating stuff, which I don't really understand, but humans do a lot of weird stuff and this is a human land so I'll try to follow your laws and customs and things and not tell people about necromancy stuff even though that's kind of being dishonest. I'm trying to be a good guest, really!"

[ninthbit]

Sir, I'm sorry to say, but they are not rumors. I witnessed phantasm of sorts just moments ago on this very path. A wagon and horses coming from town, heading to Harrowstone.

[Thattaman]

The sherif is slightly taken aback by Siv's sudden outburst. I don't care what you've seen or have been told, I don't want anyone to think that this place is haunted. If I here one thing from you about ghosts and necromancy I don't think I'd let you stay in Ravengro. With that he turns and walks away.

[Phasm]

The gnome sighs, dejected. People here aren't nearly as fun and inquisitive as the ones in Lepidstadt. She really is trying... and if you don't admit there's a problem, how are you going to get it fixed? All the Pharasmins in that temple back there would have to do is send a courier to a bigger temple saying that they've got a ghost problem and boom, expert ghost hunters. But noooo.

"I just don't understand humans sometimes." She pauses. "A lot of the time, actually."

[Larpus]

Gaspar makes a rather frustrated expression as he thinks for a moment, "Worry not, sheriff, regardless of what we might find, throwing the town in chaos, desperation and confusion isn't into our intentions or interests."

He turns to the rest of the party, "Well...we're still missing mr. DuMaine, whatever happened to him?"

[Down Comforter]

(two hours in the future) News of the defacement of the memorial had reached Grim as he walked the rough roads leading from the temple towards the Restlands. Having not sighted the group that he arrived at the temple with, he stopped briefly, considering, and turned back to the town square. "Surely if I haven't seen them yet, they'll be investigating that. Nosy bunch that they are." he mutters to himself.

[archetypal]

Despite the frustrating encounter with the Sheriff, the five of you walk with him and the other farmers to the Harrowstone Memorial. While there is rampant speculation as to the culprit, none of you get involved in the discussion, cognizant as you are of the Sheriff's threat.

The memorial is visible from a significant distance away. It is a 25-foot tall moss-covered stone statue overlooking the river. It depicts a proud, muscular man dressed in leathers and wielding a truncheon. There are 25 names carved into the stone base of the statue, including those of Warden Hawkran, his wife Vesorianna, and 23 others; presumably guards who perished in the flames. A large, dark red 'V', apparently painted with now-dry blood, is scrawled over the names. There is additional blood splattering the main body of the statue, as well as the ground around the statue.

Harrowstone itself sits upon a hill to the south, near enough to be a constant presence on the minds of the people standing around the memorial, but too far away to see any details of its construction or state.

[Maralais]

Reymord examines the area and plays with his beard. "Freaky." he murmurs to himself, then looks at the blood on the ground. He tries to see if it has a strange pattern when looked as a whole, or if it shows anything strange about the ground(different levels of suction?), or if it makes a trail to anywhere. His lack of any kind of information about searching is pretty obvious, as he nonchalantly walks on the very blood he is examining, touches everything he sees, and generally looks like he has no idea.
Untrained perception check gooo!
[roll0]

[archetypal]

There is no obvious pattern to the blood other than the 'V'. There is no trail of blood on the ground, just splattering.

[Phasm]

"Well, that's just not right!" Siv frowns down at the defaced monument from her perch on Charles' shoulders. Blood will wash off in time, but still! The gnome starts to cast a spell, then pauses and looks around. The villagers might think she's cursing the monument or something if they see her, since they don't seem to like outsiders very much.

She looks at Lorrimor and nods toward the statue, carefully visualizing the owl flying low above the crowd's heads and perching on the stone hero's shoulder. The familiar takes off, following his mistress' unspoken instructions. That should be enough of a distraction, and if people don't know about wizards, they'll think he's a pet and pets are naughty sometimes so I can just pretend to scold him if they get mad. When something moves right over your head, the immediate impulse is to look at it.

While her owl draws the humans' attention, Siv forms a short series of gestures, whispering the familiar cantrip to detect magic on the monument.


Casting detect magic, specifically on the part of the monument that's been defaced. She'll keep it up for the full three rounds if she can and there's something there.

Kno: arcana, just in case: [roll0]

[archetypal]

Siv does not detect any auras on or around the memorial, and the distraction works as planned.

[ninthbit]

Like the rest, Jadzik checks the statue and immediate area for clues to the cause of the defacement.
Perc: [roll0]
Time permitting, he would take 20 (Total 31)

[Wyntonian]

Charles looks more shocked than anything, recalling playing around the foot of the monument as a child. "That's really, really not ok. I think I'm going to be mad, soon. Can you guys magic this away or something?"

[archetypal]

Jadzik examines the statue and surrounding clearing extremely carefully over the course of nearly 15 minutes. He realizes a few things.

First, the amount the blood has dried means that the earliest this 'V' could have been painted was sometime last night. Second, the blood was transported here from somewhere else - there is no indication of an animal or, gods forbid, a human being slaughtered here at the memorial to provide the blood used for painting. Third, the amount of blood is substantial - enough to paint the 'V' - but is not nearly as much blood as you would get from killing any animal larger than a chicken or a cat. Fourth, tracks in the hard dirt surrounding the statue indicate that the memorial has had many visitors today, at least 12 (currently there are 10 people standing around the memorial). Presumably the vandal's tracks might be among them, but they are not obvious even to a keen eye.

[archetypal]

In response to Charles, the Sheriff says, sharply "We are more than capable of removing vandalism from our own memorial, thank you very much."

His body language makes it clear that while he has tolerated your presence here so far, he would like you to leave.

[Larpus]

Gaspar mutters to himself with an annoyed expression,"Now that's bad..."

being anything but a tracker though, he pays little mind to the monument and instead watches the crowd, expecting to catch someone acting out of the ordinary.

Perception: [roll0]
Sense Motive: [roll1]

[archetypal]

While the emotions of so many people are hard to read at once, Gaspar doesn't get the sense that anyone is hiding something.

The farmers and the Sheriff are all clearly distrustful of the five of you, especially as some of you have taken it upon yourselves to attempt to investigate the incident without the request of the Sheriff.

[ninthbit]

Friends, we are clearly not wanted here. Any trail has likely been trampled beyond following. We should leave this to the sheriff and go about our business.

If none object to leaving, then once they clear the town-folk's hearing, Over a dozen people have contaminated that area, not to mention it likely has nothing to do with what we're working on and is simple vandalism. It doesn’t help that their distrust only serves as a distraction to us both. We should give them a wide birth and continue are investigations elsewhere. The crypt remains to be located. I recommend we continue there as we had originally planned.

[archetypal]

The five of you withdraw from the monument under the watchful glare of the town Sheriff. Realizing that Grim is likely done with his research by this point, you travel north towards the Temple. He meets you at the fork in the road between the two town bridges, because he thought you might be in the town plaza. It is late afternoon, and the air is stagnant and beginning to cool a little bit as the sun falls towards the horizon.

The fork provides you with a decent metaphor for planning your next move; you can take the eastern path and head back towards Kendra's house and the town, perhaps to conduct further research, or you can head northwest to the Restlands to investigate the cache that is potentially hidden there by going around the outskirts of the town, walking past the Temple in the process.

[Down Comforter]

Grumpy from being stuffed up in the temple library for so long, Grim immediately takes the road in the direction of the Restlands, grumbling out, "Check the cache now. Research and read up in bed. Tired. C'mon."

[ninthbit]

Finally...

[Thattaman]

As you head towards the graveyard the air gets noticeably colder and you can practically feel ghosts and creatures around you. The false crypt is near to Petros Lorrimor's grave. The lock is already broken. Make a perception check.

[Larpus]

"I guess it's clobbering time...!", says Gaspar with a malicious smile to his face as he touches his morningstar on his belt. "That said...I'll make a return after dark to collect a sample, I would like to check if that's humanoid or animal blood, if it's animal, mr. Jadzik is most probably right and it's a random act of vandalism, if it's humanoid, however...i might be related to our enemies in some form or the other..."

Perception: [roll0]

EDIT: God darnit, I always forget to close the spoiler tag!

[Wyntonian]

Charles shivers at the sensations of the cold dusk air, the slight rustlings at the edge of his hearing and the feeling of old, malicious eyes. He hefts his axe and peers at the broken lock. "That's not right. They lock these pretty good. Hold on." He holds up his birthmarked hand, and wiggles, his thumb and little finger, making the butterfly wave its wings asymmetrically. "Desna, can we please have some light? Thank you!"

His palms begins glowing slightly, then surges with light in the shadows of the evening. "Better?"

[Down Comforter]

Grim nods slightly, his elven blood helping to keep the shadows from being a hindrance. He flexes his hands, "Should we be concerned about violence in the immediate future?" He examines the door with the broken lock and checks about, looking for danger.

Perception
[roll0]

[ninthbit]

Jadzik looks at Charles with a peculiar look. Can you not see in the dark? I've always found a bit of clarity for finer details without the light and color.

As for danger, I don't think theres much to be concerned with, we already suspected that the Professor was here. It makes sense that he would have needed to break the lock to enter. I doubt he has any skill with a set of picks. This just helps confrim that he was here. He then opens the door wide and walks in.
Perception: [roll0]

[Phasm]

As they approach the false crypt, Siv climbs down from Charles' back. "Thanks for the ride, Charles." Lorrimor descends to perch on her shoulder, large yellow eyes scanning the area. "Woo, feels spooky here." She speaks a few mystic words and touches a large glass cabochon in a gaudy decorative comb holding her arrangement of pink braids in place. It immediately lights up like Charles' butterfly birthmark. "There. Two lights are always better than one, and now Charles can hold stuff if he needs to without worrying about shutting off our only light." One of the professors at Lepidstadt University wore a helmet with an everlasting flame on the front for night expeditions, and Siv thought that was an excellent idea. She doesn't like helmets, but the light spell can be cast on almost anything.


Perception for Siv, assuming the area counts as shadows or darkness: [roll0]

Perception for Lorrimor the Owl: [roll1]

Both of them have low-light vision.

[Thattaman]

When inspectred closely you can see that the lock has been destroyed with acid recently. You can tell that no one other than the proffesor has been in here and you can see his tracks in the dust, leading up to a sarcophagus.

[Maralais]

Reymord walks to the sarcophagus, keeping one had on his rapier, should he need to draw it. "Let's be quick about this cache, shall we? I really don't like the idea of walking in a graveyard."

[ninthbit]

Jadzik begins to look around.

Autoloot=Yes
Has Darkvision
Perception: [roll0]

[Wyntonian]

Charles likewise ducks his head inside, his glowing hand held up, the other on his axe.

Darkvision as well.

If you feel the need to have a marching order, please put me near the front.

Perception: [roll0]

[Down Comforter]

"How big is this tomb?" Grim wonders, as he slips inside behind Charles and looks about.

Perception
[roll0]

[Phasm]

Siv takes a place in the middle of the group, sending Lorrimor to fly above their heads. Slinging her Wizard's Staff across her back, the gnome loads her crossbow for battle.


Perception for Siv: [roll0]

Perception for Lorrimor the Owl: [roll1]

[ninthbit]

Jadzik gives the gnome a peculiar look. "Are you expecting company?.."

[Phasm]

"You never know in crypts, even fake ones!" Satisfied, she looks up at Jadzik. "And loading a crossbow in battle is kind of a pain, and it's a real pain if it's not actually in your hands and you've got a staff in your hands that's a nice one that you don't want to lose! So I load it up ahead of time and put the staff away if there's even the littlest possibility that something with a taste for gnomes might be around." Siv's voice is unusually quiet, just loud enough for the party to hear.

[Maralais]

Reymord follows the others, pondering if he's actually the only one completely vulnerable to darkness. Instead, he focuses on sounds, but certainly not on smell, for very nauseating reasons.
Perception check: [roll0]

[ninthbit]

I suppose... With that, he pulls the massive axe from his back and continues his search for the cache.

[Larpus]

"Besides...we are facing a group famous for using undead, so it's not entirely out of spectrum that we find company even in a normal everyday crypt...", he says, covering the hear of the group and redying his morningstar.

"I can cover the hear, but in the event that we find a locked door or a trap, I do have some knowledge in the matter...not the best, but I hope to be decent enough."

Perception (with low-light vision): [roll0]

[Thattaman]

From looking, you can see that there are large cracks in the walls that have been used for passage by a small creature. And the dust tracks on the floor only go towards the sarcophagus on the other side of the crypt.

[Down Comforter]

Grim palms one of his daggers and moves beside the sarcophagus. "If the professor could manage, so can we." With a grunt, he shoves the lid to the side, hoping to reveal whatever is inside.

[archetypal]

As you venture into the deepest part of the crypt, Grim brazenly steps forward to the sarcophagus and pushes the stone top off - it moves more easily than he expects, so he pushes it all the way off the sarcophagus and it hits the floor. A cloud of dust rises, both from the sarcophagus and from the floor where the sarcophagus cover lands with a loud bang that makes several among you jump and makes Lorrimor the owl accidentally scratch Siv with his tensed talons.

Once the echoes of the crash die out, the silence that replaces them is perhaps even more unsettling. As the dust settles, Grim can make out a couple of items inside the sarcophagus. He remembers reading that this particular crypt is one of the oldest in the Restlands and was one of the first filled in the early days of Ravengro, which is surprising because none of you have seen evidence that bodies were interred here, although it certainly looks like a real crypt.

[Wyntonian]

Charles rushes forward and shines the light of his hand over the items. "What's in there?"

[Down Comforter]

"Odd that there is no body here..." Grim gently sorts the items and places them into his bag. "I think we should take a look at them outside, I'm not found of tombs and that crash could wake the dead."

"Heh. Wake the dead."

[archetypal]

As Grim sorts the items quickly into the bag, he gets a sense for most of the contents; there are around 30 arrows, including 5 that seem somewhat ethereal, 7 potions, 4 scrolls, 4 sun rods, and a thin darkwood case decorated with the image of a scarab with a single eye glaring from its back, which Grim recognizes from the cover of the mysterious book in the Professor's chest.

As all of you turn around to leave the crypt, you hear a faint rustling noise from the steps you descended to get to this sarcophagus, but nothing appears out of the darkness above.


Full item list:
12 silver arrows
10 +1 arrows
5 +1 ghost touch arrows
2 +1 undead bane arrows
4 Sun rods
5 potions of cure light wounds
2 potions of lesser restoration
1 scroll of detect undead
2 scrolls of hide from undead
1 scroll of protection from evil
1 Darkwood case with mysterious scarab engraving

[Down Comforter]

As Grim secures his bag, he looks over at Charles "You're going to want to take a look at these scrolls, Charles. Your butterfly might do us some good."

At the sound from the stairs, Grim immediately pulls back, hoping to stay behind the meatier members. He scans the room, hoping his vision will help him in the dark, "What was that?"


Perception check
[roll0]

[Wyntonian]

Charles slips the scrolls into an inside pocket with a smile. "Desna will. She always does."

At the noise above, he lifts his shining hand and hefts his axe, apparently jumpy. "Did you hear that?"

[archetypal]

The light from Charles' hand illuminates the stairs and part of the ceiling of the room above, casting the rest of the upper room into deep shadow, but nothing is visible. The cracks in the walls stand out in relief due to the shadows cast by the light, and seem to dance as Charles' hand shakes a bit.

Grim doesn't hear or see anything else.

[Thattaman]

Out of the cracks, come two huge insects. They move towards you, their pincers dripping with poison. One of them ins quicker than the other at it soon gets to Charles, biting him.

Attack roll [roll0]
Damage [roll1]
Make a DC 13 fortitude check or take 1d3 Dex damage.

[Down Comforter]

As the insects come crawling out of the cracks in the wall and start menacing charles, Grim immediately steps away from the approaching creatures. With a quick series of arcane gestures, he throws out a glowing hand and a tear appears in the air between the two insects. A skeleton that seems to bleed from its very bones emerges, wielding a scimitar.

"Kill those creatures for me, would you kindly." With that, the skeleton turns and slams its weapon and grasping hand into the creature assaulting Charles.

Five foot step to 7,1. (Move)
Summon Monster 1 at 6,3 (Standard)
Know: Dungeon to identify insects: [roll0]

Bloody Skeleton stats (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/undead/skeleton-medium/skeleton-bloody)

Skeleton
Scimitar Attack insect 1 (Standard)
[roll1] (+2 from flank)
Damage: [roll2]
Claw
[roll3]
Damage: [roll4]

[Wyntonian]

Charles shouts in pain and surprise as the bug bites his arm, in between the little steel plates that line his long leather jacket. He staggers, slightly, but hefts his axe and roars as he strikes. "YOU RIPPED MY COAT!"


Attacking the bug that bit me.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Going for the instagib....

[Maralais]

"Gah!" Reymord yells in surprise as he sees the emerging insects, and quickly takes a step towards the closest one. Raising his arm as if going to make a straight attack, he then quickly shifts his arm to his side and makes a vertical one, hoping to surprise the creature with his finesse.

Moving to 7,4 and making a melee attack on insect number 2.
Rapier attack roll: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Phasm]

"And this is why I got my crossbow out." Siv points at the centipede that bit Charles, chanting a mystic phrase at typical Siv speed. A small, glowing white sphere forms at the tip of her tiny green finger, streaking toward the insect with unerring accuracy.


Sorry about the late turn, folks.
Magic Missile! [roll0]

[archetypal]

Between what is plainly apparent now that the centipedes are in a better lit region of the crypt, and as a result of the various details you remember about local vermin, you recognize these insects as giant centipedes. They prefer dark, wet places, are voracious eaters of fauna, including humanoids, and are often found alone, in pairs, or in a colony of up to 6.

Those of you that were caught less unawares by the sudden attack of the creatures are able to defend yourselves. Grim's summoned skeleton is the quickest to act, striking with cold determination and somewhat otherworldly movements as it hits the centipede on the top of its thorax with its broken scimitar, leaving a deep gash, and then dispatching the centipede by raking at its face with his free hand. Near simultaneously, Charles attempts to decapitate the insect by swinging at it hard with his axe, but it shudders after being attacked by the skeleton and Charles misses, hitting the stone floor with a jolt that sends a painful shock up his arms and leaves a decent scratch in the rock. The creature collapses, legs still twitching and Siv attempts to finish it off with a targeted bolt of magical energy that strikes it on the soft underside and ends its twitching. At a glance you can see that it won't be getting back up for quite some time.

In the meantime, Reymord recognizes the threat posed by the second centipede and slashes at its head with the rapier. Hitting it across the mouth, his sword rips off one of its fangs and cuts through an eye, a black ichor seeping out of the wounds. It is desperately injured but still attempts to attack, turning towards its injured flank to bite at Reymord. With one of its fangs missing, however, it is unable to inflict any injury.


Giant Centipede 1: Dying at -7hp
Giant Centipede 2: Disabled at 0hp
Neither moved from their initial locations.
Slow group is up
Let me know what you think of this style of combat write-up; can't promise I'll be able to do it every time though.

[ninthbit]

Seeing still has a twitch of life, Jadzik swings his massive axe on the remaining creature.

atk[roll0]
Dmg[roll1]

[ninthbit]

Haaa.. confirming crit
[roll0]

[archetypal]

Jadzik strikes deeply with his axe at the second centipede, nearly cutting it in half.

After the adrenaline and the brief loudness of fighting, the sudden quiet is almost disconcerting, with only the sound of all of you, especially the physical fighters, breathing loudly.


Both centipedes are unconscious and very nearly dead.

[Wyntonian]

Charles pants, holding his injured arm. "Ow!" He kicks the centipede's corpse ineffectually. "Did anyone else get hurt?"

[Maralais]

"We should've guessed it from the cracks." Reymord says, still panting lightly. "Let's not waste any more of our time here, shall we?"

[Larpus]

"Don't think anyone got attacked...but are you feeling well, mr.Butterfly? If memory serves me right, these things are venomous, it's not the most potent poison in the world, but it's still poison.", says Gaspar, moving to the exit hallway with his weapon in hand in case anything else shows up to greet the party.

[ninthbit]

If anyone was hit, Jadzik will use Detect Poison to check them.

[Wyntonian]

Charles shakes his arm a little bit, frowning toothily. "It hurts. It's a little numb, too. Hold on, I can fix it. Desna? Help?" He closes his eyes for a moment in prayer, as the skin closes over his wound. He pokes it, tentatively, and smiles. "There we go! What next? It's late, should we be getting back?"

Healing me and anyone else who needs it for [roll0]

[Down Comforter]

"Well put Reymord, couldn't have said it better myself." Sliding his daggers back into their sheaths, Grim walks past the skeleton non-nonchalantly, "Would you kindly replace the lid of the sarcophagus. That's a good one."

As it moves to fulfill his request, Grim starts walking up the stairs. "Let's get above ground, so that we can take a closer look at this cache of Lorrimor's. I've had quite my fill of insects for today."

[Phasm]

Siv nods vigorously, the light on her head bobbing with the movement. "Yes, let's get a look at what we found! And we should get out of here before dark because I think that rude priest said something about sending acolytes to check the place out and they might kick us out of town if they find us!" The gnome follows Grim, purple eyes alert for further threats.

[Maralais]

Reymord chuckles at Gaspar. "Poisons? Even a sickly bard like me can get resistant to poisons, not to mention a powerful half-orc with the endurance of... Well, a half-orc." Reymord states, unable to find a comparison.

"Plus, drinking can actually make your body resistant to whole kinds of poisoning. So perhaps we should get our bodies more resistant after all the investigations's done?", he can't help but grin as he says so.

[Larpus]

Gaspar sighs, "While I admit that my concern was ultimately unneeded, it's but a common misconception that half-orcs are as resilient as full orcs, same as half-elves sharing the same mannerisms of the 'full version'."

"We have human blood in us, much more than whatever else we are, thus, we are as varied as you are, mr. Lamsdare, but I never heard the expression 'strong as a human'", he says with a smirk.

"But I'm ultimately digressing, it's indeed in the best of my interests and do as you suggested in leaving this dust fountain of a place and try to elevate my immunity to alcohol at ms. Lorrimor's comfy living room."

[Wyntonian]

Charles sneezes loudly, and pointedly steps on one of the dead centipedes on his way out, his hand still glowing to light the way as they return to Ms. Lorrimor's home.

[ninthbit]

Jadzik grimaces at hearing the term , half-orc... damn them. We are just as much human. There hasn't been an orc in my line for as long as its recorded... I'm no half anything. I'm Jadzik, the son of Kordun from the village of New Prosper. I f***ing hate being called an orc

[archetypal]

The six of you leave the tomb, climbing gingerly up the stairs, afraid that there might be more insects lurking in the dark. With Charles' glowing birthmark, you make it to the surface without incident, and have some time to go through the items you found in the cache and divide them up if you'd like.

The moon is a hazy, dim blur through the fog bank that has settled over the Restlands. A cold front has moved in, mixing with the warm air left over from the sunny afternoon you experienced to leave a humid but cold mess. As soon as you walk into the night air, you begin shivering and the fog condenses onto your faces and your clothing, so you get slightly damp. It's going to be a fairly miserable walk home, but there's a dimly glowing region to the south that you assume is the main commercial district of Razengro, so that should help you find your way back. With Charles leading the way as the main source of light you begin the trek back through the Restlands...


Split up the loot in the OOC thread. The "arrows" are now bolts.

Also, everyone needs to make a perception check.

[Down Comforter]

Staying slightly away from Charles so as not to spoil his vision, Grim tugs his jacket a bit tighter, trying to keep out the cold fog. "I heard talk of something happening at the memorial while I was walking from the Temple. Something about vandalism? Did any of you see what happened there?

[Larpus]

"Yes, we did...someone or something painted a big red V on it using blood. It wasn't anything like a horror novel scene where there's blood everywhere, though the origins of said blood concern me...if anyone's interested, I intend on visiting the location once more after dusk to collect a sample and check if it was random vandalism with pig's blood or a possible ritual marking with humanoid blood.", says Gaspar, while closing his coat to leave the cold night away from his skin.

[Thattaman]

As you enter the Lorrimor home it is very late. Kendra is asleep but she's left a large serving of traditional Ustalavian food each that is still warm.

[Down Comforter]

Grim immediately heads for the lounge, trying to be silent so as not to wake their host. He places his bag on the floor and sorts out their takings from the tomb, so that they are easily seen. "Alright, let's take a look at what we got from the tomb." With that, he places the Darkwood case in front of himself and examines it, probing it with arcane energy, opening it if it doesn't seem dangerous.

Cast Detect Magic, maintain it for the full length and keep it going when I open the box.

[Larpus]

Gaspar grabs a plate and fills it with a good amount of food, before heading to where Grim's performing the examination of the box, looking curiously at any glimpse of its contents that he is able to.

[Wyntonian]

Charles likewise fills up a plate, and uses it in conjunction with a couple bottles to spread out his new scrolls and look them over, silently mouthing along. One scroll is upside down, but he doesn't notice.

[archetypal]

Grim carefully examines the Darkwood case, and realizes that the image of the scarab engraved into the top matches the one that appears on one of the books in the Professor's trunk. The case itself does not appear to be magical, but upon opening it he discovers some interesting items, namely, a brass spirit planchette and four vials, made of iron and glass, with small swirling clouds of vapor within them. As his magical senses probe these objects, he notes that the brass spirit planchette has a moderately strong aura of divination about it, while the vials have a faint aura of necromancy around them.

The food is delicious, and several of you make a mental note to thank Kendra for her foresight when you next see her.


I'm back!
Knowledge Arcana or Religion checks for more info on these items.

[ninthbit]

Jadzik concentrates the gifts Abadar has granted him and examines the lot.
k.religion [roll0]
Detect Magic - Spellcraft to ID [roll1]