Carrion Crown IC

[PhyrexianShovel]

Kara, looking at the summary, you realize that you've read about Harrowstone before. You don't know much about it, but comparing the dates of Ravengro's founding and the prison's, you realize that Ravengro came after the prison, not before.

Kuzit, you unfortunately can't seem to dechiper the library's organizing system.

OOC: The above isn't set in stone, if Maronne wants to aid another.

[BramsesII]

Maronne

With Kuzit struggling to understand the library system, Maronne tries to help out to make sense of it all.

Spoiler

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Aid another check. Note: Should Maronne succesfully aid another, Kuzit gets a +4 instead of +2 because Maronne has the helpful trait.
Knowledge (History): (1d20+3)[14]

[ylvathrall]

Kara frowns deeply as she processes the summary of what happened in Harrowstone. Hundreds dead. The Head Warden, dead. It seems strange that such a thing could happen without intent, in a secure facility. And then there's the fact that the prison predates the town. She's not sure what any of it means, beyond that it isn't good.

She carefully puts the papers back the way she found them and makes her way outside, nodding politely to the person sweeping as she passes. Next stop, back to the temple of Pharasma.

[PhyrexianShovel]

With Maronne's help, Kuzit's able to figure out some of the organizing system, which eliminates three or four older bookshelves from your search. It may still take several hours to find a book that can help you figure out Harrowstone's past.

Kara, you manage to find the temple without much difficulty. The mid-morning sun lights up the large stained glass window as you approach it, but the area near the temple is surprisingly quiet. Only the chirping of a few birds breaks the silence. No one is standing outside the temple today.

[ylvathrall]

Kara goes to the door and knocks. "Excuse me," she calls, hoping that someone is inside the temple to answer her question.

[BramsesII]

Maronne

Maronne looks at Kuzit with a grin and cracks her knuckles. "Alright. Let's do some research, shall we?" She says, looking for a tome that might shed some light on the history of Harrowstone.

[Syless]

Kuzit nods. "I think we have time... hopefully. Probably. Something catastrophic probably won't happen while we're reading." Despite unfamiliarity with the library, with Marionne's help, she begins the long process of hunting for any relevant books.

[PhyrexianShovel]

A voice calls out, seemingly from inside the Temple of Pharasma, "Busy! Come again later!" The eerie quiet resumes, seemingly consuming all other sounds near you. You can't hear anything at all.

[ylvathrall]

Kara hesitates a moment, then calls out, "Is there something I can perhaps help with?"

[PhyrexianShovel]

The sound is clear in your ear, now. "No! GO AWAY!" The silence resumes, draining all traces of sound from the area. You feel a slight breeze, but you find that you can't hear it at all.

[ylvathrall]

Gritting her teeth, Kara hesitates and looks around, then hurries into the building. Whatever is happening, someone clearly needs to help, and no one else is around to step up.

She never took herself for the hero type. It's an interesting feeling.

[PhyrexianShovel]

Inside the temple, you find that hearing has returned to your ears. You feel a slight ringing in your ears as you look around, but you don't see anything different from you last saw it. Whatever danger there was, it seems to have passed.

[ylvathrall]

Kara hesitates, then hurries out and stands by the door, trying not to make a fuss about it. Something is very wrong about all this, but she still needs answers. This is the place to find them. She can wait for them to deal with the aftermath of whatever was happening here.

She focuses on that, that chain of logic, like a drowning woman clinging to a rope.

[PhyrexianShovel]

Later that evening...

Kara, someone approaches the temple as the sun approaches dusk. It appears to be Father Grimburrow, the head priest of the temple. "Good... evening," he says, as he begins to open the doors to the church Are... you here... for the... evening mass?

Maronne and Kuzit, you complete your research by evening. Your combined notes from various sources read as follows:

Harrowstone is a ruined prison—partially destroyed by a fire in 4661, the building has stood vacant ever since. The locals suspect that it’s haunted, and don’t enjoy speaking of the place. Harrowstone was built in 4594. Ravengro was founded at the same time as a place where guards and their families could live and that would produce food and other supplies used by the prison. The fire that killed all of the prisoners and most of the guards destroyed a large portion of the prison’s underground eastern wing, but left most of the stone structure above relatively intact. The prison’s warden perished in the fire, along with his wife, although no one knows why she was in the prison when the fire occurred. A statue commemorating the warden and the guards who lost their lives was built in the months after the tragedy—that statue still stands on the riverbank just outside of town. Most of the hardened criminals sent to Harrowstone spent only a few months imprisoned, for it was here that most of Ustalav’s executions during that era were carried out. The fire that caused the tragedy was, in fact, a blessing in disguise, for the prisoners had rioted and gained control of the prison’s dungeons immediately prior to the conflagration. It was only through the self sacrifice of Warden Hawkran and 23 of his guards that the prisoners were prevented from escaping—the guards gave their lives to save the town of Ravengro. At the time Harrowstone burned, five particularly notorious criminals had recently arrived at the prison. While the commonly held belief is that the tragic fire began accidentally after the riot began, in fact the prisoners had already seized control of the dungeon and had been in command of the lower level for several hours before the fire. Warden Hawkran triggered a deadfall to seal the rioting prisoners in the lower level, but in so doing trapped himself and nearly two dozen guards. The prisoners were in the process of escaping when the panicked guards accidentally started the fire in a desperate attempt to end the riot.

As you exit the decrepit old library, you spot a stranger walking up the street. Judging by her clothing, she's new to the town.

OOC:Apologies for the lack of a post, I was without a computer for a week and a half, and was only able to make short posts via phone. I'll PM everyone. I apologize for not warning you all beforehand. By the way, Ylenia, the stranger is you. I leave your description of her up to you.

[The Hellbug]

Guess the old professor was looking for some peace and quiet in his twilight years--not much to see in this Ravengro. Could be that's a good thing: slow country folk maybe means I'm not too late...

Ylenia enters Ravengro by foot late in the afternoon, doing her best to ignore any lingering gazes from the locals while she tries to get her bearings. Unable to do so without help she sets down her walking stick and takes a seat near the town center, running a hand through her greasy hair and wondering if maybe she should try to find a place to clean up before continuing. Just as she decides that it's not necessary (this should hopefully just be a quick stop anyway), Ylenia spies a strange pair exiting what looks like a library and with a quick hup and a balancing of her pack, she hefts her walking stick and approaches them.

"Ay!" the former gravedigger hails the halfling and kobold, "either of you know where I could find the Lorrimer estate?"

[BramsesII]

Maronne

The halfling smiles and waves at the person hailing them before remembering where they are. She drops her smile and approaches the stranger slightly warily. "Uh, well, we might. Who wants to know?"

[ylvathrall]

"I will gladly attend mass, and then I have a question that you may be able to, ah, shed light on, if you would be so kind." Kara smiles, carefully not showing how sharp her teeth are.

[The Hellbug]

"And who are you? The wee sheriffs of this little town?" Ylenia answers with a snicker before bending down to put her head more to a level with the pair, "No? That's his estate's business, not yours. Let's just say I'm a weary friend who's traveled a long way only to miss a funeral so I'd really like to avoid any more dilly-dallying. If you can't help me, I'm sure someone else can. Maybe someone a bit more local?"

[Syless]

Kuzit tilts her head at the strange new girl. "You're here to pay your respects to the Professor as well? Then I wouldn't really bother the locals... they don't seem too fond of us. The rest of the late Professor's guests, that is. And... bad things are happening here. If you're curious and helpful, there's plenty to be done, but if you aren't interesting in risky situations, I suggest you be on your way, miss." The drake on the kobold's shoulder snorts.

[The Hellbug]

"Professor's guests? As well? I suppose I should step in with you two, then," Ylenia replies, her attitude toward the two pivoting swiftly, "I don't know about any sort of 'bad things', but he's included me in the will. Sooooo...name's Ylenia, by the way."

[BramsesII]

Maronne

"Uh... alright." The halfling looks at the woman with a raised eyebrow. That's a very sudden change of demeanor, she thinks to herself. "Oh, I'm Maronne. An old acquaintance of the professor. Wait. You said you're in his will as well?"

[The Hellbug]

"Mmhmm," Ylenia nods, swinging free her backpack, "honestly real surprised by it, too. Woulda thought an academic type like him would have better options. Ah, there it is."

The gravedigger draws the notice of the funeral and invitation to Ravengro for the reading of the will from her pack and offers it to the halfling.

"Maronne, huh? On second thought, maybe it's not weird the old coot would have--what's the word--eclectic friends."

[Syless]

Kuzit huffs. "For a friend of the Professor's, you're rather rude to him."

[The Hellbug]

"I..." Ylenia suddenly pauses and frowns at the kobold.

"Sure, you're right. I'm sorry; didn't mean to offend," she apologizes quickly but sincerely, "do you two mind pointing me in the right direction?"

[PhyrexianShovel]

"Of course... What...is your...question?

[ylvathrall]

"It is quite simply this. How, do you know, when the fire passed, were the spirits of the prisoners placated for their sorrows?" Kara smiles. "I wish to know whether there is a chance that the restless dead still linger on."