Garland stood there stoicly as he watched the spirit drift around in her fury and grief. After a moment he sets the badge in the skeletons hand, closing the fingers around the symbol of office as best he could. It was clear that he had great empathy toward the spirit. "Lady Hawkren, I am entrusting the future of Harrowstone to you for a time. Let there be no doubt that we know a similar pain that you feel. The people responsible for your husbands spirit disappearing are also responsible for the murder of my best friend. We will bring them justice and I hope during that pursuit we may return your husband's spirit so you may both rest in peace together."

Garland pauses as he whispers a soft prayer over her remains. "You may think of your remains as just bones and dust but they are never the less a part of you. A burial with your descendants present and the proper rights may help you in some small way. So I ask again, what would you like done with your remains? I can easily bury them in a sentimental place or cremate them and spread the ashes to your wishes. You need not answer the question now but please think on it. When morning comes we will descend into the prison again and face Professor Feramin"

Vesorianna seemed to grow more disconsolate, more out of touch with reality. She drifted about the chamber seemingly heedless of Garland's words, sobbing and wringing her hands. Every now and then she would drift out of the chamber and enter through another wall. She did seem aware of the party, vaguely, but more and more her focus seemed to be drawn back to containing the other spirits. At least the badge seemed to be helping her. A ghostly replica of the relic appeared in her hands and she cradled it to her breast, wailing and muttering about her lost love.

Our heroes retreated respectfully and left her to her grief. There was a brief discussion about the remains, both Vesorianna and her husband's, but it was decided to let them rest for the time being. Perhaps she would be better able to express her final wishes without the constant battle with the supernatural horrors below the prison.

They made their way outside the grounds and pitched their tents near the prison's outer wall. The day tended towards evening, and evening into night. As darkness fell they could see the lights of Ravengro begin to flicker up some two or three miles distant down the hill.

The night passed very differently for our three heroes.

Constantine slept deeply and restfully, a pleasant evening despite the rocky grounds surrounding the prison and the thin drizzle of rain that began to fall about midnight.

Darcon tossed and turned, his night another sweaty horror. Again nightmares plagued him, visions of running and being burned alive.

Garland slept a completely dreamless sleep. He fell insensate the moment that he tucked himself into his bedroll that night. The long watches passed in a deep black pit for him.

He awoke in the grim, early moments of pre-dawn. Something had awakened him from his deep and dreamless sleep. But what? As he shifted in his bedroll and felt a flaky discomfort. Had he spilled something on himself in the night? Then he threw back his coverlet and found, to his horror, that his hands, his shirt, his boots, were splattered with dried blood.

Below in Ravengro a crowd was beginning to form near the monument.

---

During the night Darcon fails a will save and is Fatigued the following day. Garland also fails, but has a rather more horrifying effect.

Garland was never phased by the sight of blood. In his years he had seen more then his fair share as he was a healer, physician, and surgeon as much as he was a follower of the lady of graves. He took a moment to look at his hands and sigh partly in frustration and partly in exhaustion. "Feramin, you bastard!" he says under his breath, believing that after freeing Gibs he himself became the next victim to be possessed.

With anger and purpose filling him he gets up and moves to his companions beds, uncerimoniously nudging their feet one by one to wake them. "Both of you, get up. We have a problem." he says coldly as he pulls a wand from his things, waving it over himself to remove his own fatigue before doing the same for Darcon. "I believe Professor Feramin has found a new pawn. Me."

OOC: Use 2 charges of the wand of restoration to remove Garland and Darcon's fatigue

SCG has no doubt that last night something or someone was killed and the statue again desiccated by blood.



“All the more reason to finish this now.  Shall we head inside?”
This message was last edited by the player at 12:41, Thu 03 Oct 2019.

As vitality flowed into him and his fatigue was banished, Darcon thanked Garland for the healing and listened to the cleric speak with concern, gazing at the spattered blood on his clothes with raised brows.

"Are you sure? I too suffered from nightmares the night before, but I don't believe I am under any type of enchantment or possession. If what you speak is true though, do you believe a visit to the chapel might be in order to have an exorcism performed, before you lose control entirely?" The mage queried Garland.

Turning his cowled head to look towards Ravengro, Darcon noticed the crowd forming around the monument in the distance. Suddenly realization dawned on him and he snapped back to his companions, "Oh no, I think the possession might have made Garland do something in the village last night..."

The crowd milling in the town square was far enough away to make out much more than agitated movement, but here and there a flaring torch sputtered even in the gray dawn light, and more than one townsman looked to be waving a shearing hook or pitch fork. Someone was standing on the monument addressing the crowd.

As our heroes squinted out at the town they became aware of a small party hustling up the hill towards them. It was an odd collection.

The first to arrive, agitated and bouncing on his heels, was young Enos. Haephenus Gibs followed, unshaven and in his shirt sleeves, bouncing a stout cudgel in his hands. He grimaced at the sight of Garland. Jorfa and Alendru were with him, the stout dwarf in a dented breastplate and the wizard looking worried. Bringing up the rear, puffing but moving spritely despite his age, was Father Grimburrow. He looked over Garland and nodded grimly.

"It's as I feared. I had hoped...but no. Someone saw you last night. Saw what you did to the monument." The old priest said, addressing himself to Garland.

"We tried to explain that you wasn't yerself, that it was the spirits..." Gibs broke in.

"But they wouldn't listen to us. This isn't natural. Some dark presence is making itself felt in the minds of the villagers. Something making them more hostile, more angry and irrational. They aren't listening to reason." Father Grimburrow said.

"We've come to warn you. You must flee Ravengro. The new sheriff has no love of you and he's whipping them into a frenzy. If fear if they cannot be made to see reason then your lives are in danger. They're coming here, to the prison. The mob will be here in less than an hour."

Kendra's eyes were as wide as saucers, darting from Father Grimburrow to Garland.

SCG readies himself and prepares to enter the prison still yet.

“The dark entity works to save itself from our final assault; and we are expected to flee in fear but if we go now the dark can be defeated and it’s sway over the villagers destroyed.  Do as you must but I have a darkness to destroy below this place..”

For added emphasis he takes up the hand axe in case he faces a troublesome foe.

With that he turns to enter the prison

Garland doesnt stop as he quickly gathers his things and prepares. "This changes nothing, we are ending this today. I have my doubts that they will enter the prison with the rumors but I have a plan for the political fallout. Father Grimburrow, you are the senior church member in Ravengro. If I survive I will submit to a formal inquisition lead by you. Prepare the paperwork so that everything is official and then I suggest you send a letter to the Canterwall bishop and request clerics, inquisitors, and warpriests to cleanse Harrowstone. Even if we are successful it will take decades of hard work to fully remove the taint."

Father Grimburrow nodded and stood aside to let the adventurers delve once again into the dungeon below Harrowstone, nodding and waving a benediction over them as they began to descend.

"Wait!" Kendra called out as they were making their way inside.

"I'll stay here with the others. Maybe we can reason with them, try to get the townsfolk to see what's really going on." She said.

"Or knock some sense into 'em if'n they don't." Gibs added, bouncing his cudgel in his palm.

Kendra shot him a reproachful look, perhaps not quite forgiving him for accusing her father of necromancy.

She dug in her satchel, rummaging around until she found the battered cursed spell book that they had found. She pressed it into Darcon's hands.

"I...I don't know if this will help, but take it anyway." She said.

"It was the key to the Splatterman's power in life, maybe it will be of some help banishing his evil from the prison."

She gave them one last wave and then went to stand shoulder to shoulder with the friends that our heroes had made in the town. Below the hill the mob was starting the hike up towards the prison.

Our heroes made their way swiftly through the now familiar corridors of the prison. They lowered themselves into the fetid pool of the collapsed cells and then hustled to the entrance of The Nevermore. It yawned blackly before them, a gaping tunnel that seemed to drink light and hope. All that remained was to make any final preparations and then begin the assault.

---

Father Grimburrow casts Bless on the party before they descend into the prison.

When they arrived at the entrance to the final chamber Garland prepared himself and the group, casting protection from evil upon himself and Magic weapon upon Constantines weapon. "I'll use everything at my disposal to end this quickly. Either we put this spirit to rest or we never leave." he said stoicly as he drew his morningstar ready for battle.

Darcon accepted the spellbook warily, worried the curse might interfere with their upcoming performance against the final specter.

The situation in town was alarming, but hopefully once they defeated the final spirit and the spirit of the Warden's wife performed her enchantment, the dark presence influencing the townsfolk might fade and they would listen to reason.

He told as much to the priest Grimburrow, Kendra and the sage Alendru, requesting them to reason with the mob that was approaching, but to keep themselves safe at all times and take no risks until the party returned.

When they approached the final chamber Darcon produced a wand from his belt and murmuring the eldritch word of command touched both Constantine and Garland with the slender piece of darkwood, before repeating the command and gesture upon his own person. Finally he chanted a spell of white magic, a common ward among mages of any sorts except the truly evil ones, and formed the ward around his own person.

"Now, let us begin," he whispered from beneath his white hood, taking up position behind the paladin and the priest, his staff firmly gripped in one hand.

---

Use Wand of Mage Armor to case Mage Armor on Constantine, Garland & Darcon. +4 Armor bonus (Force) to AC to all party members, duration 1 Hour. It's Force armor, so it should work against specters and the like.
Darcon also casts Protection from Evil on himself, +2 AC & +2 all Saves. Duration 1 Min.

"Steel your resolve and make your preparations count, and if at all possible stay behind me and do not get beyond reach or singled out for trouble."

With that and seeing the preparations fully made he leads the group into the last section of the prison....

The dark corridor was the same as any other in the prison. Perhaps it was the hate and rage that festered within it, perhaps it was the foreknowledge of the foe hiding there. But the short journey down the pitch black corridor was filled with as much dread as the entire excursion through the prison above.

Our heroes emerged into a cell block identical to the other across the way, partially flooded, with crumbling walls opening up much of the space around the oubliette in the center, now a deep and murky pool. There were no bodies in this room, no skeletons, just a wide empty chamber flanked by charred walls and oozing water dripping from the roof.

No sooner had they entered when an echoing cackle reverberated through the walls, a cruel, mirthless laughter without visible source.

"At last...you've come...you've blundered..." A dark voice like grating stone spoke from everywhere and from nowhere. "Directly into my trap!"

A wave of dizzying pain washed over the party. Constantine shook off the worst of the sensation but Darcon and Garland both felt as if their minds, their very souls were being drained. And there, on the wall next to them, in dripping blood, letters began to form as if traced by an invisible finger. One was a dripping D, the other a bloody letter G.

---

---

A haunt manifests as you step into the room. Constantine passes a will save, Garland and Darcon each take 2 Wis damage.

---

Cursing as he felt both mind and soul under assault, Darcon gripped his staff with both hands to steady himself. He shuddered inwardly as he saw the first letter of his and Garland's name appear on the walls, wondering what it could mean, then gazed about the dank chamber for any sign of their foe.

---

Delay Action in case someone does something for the enemy to reveal itself this round

SCG shakes off the effects of the darkness and calls out to the voice in the darkness...."Avaunt shade and show yourself so that you may be felled, I do not fear your trap or trappings!  I suggest you stop these wicked games and seek repetance before your banished to the eternal torment, and no longer a tormentor."

SCG scans the darkness to see if there is any sign of the haunt itself...

"How fare you my frieds? Start the spirit siphon so our foe is forced to face us in the flesh."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:30, Tue 08 Oct 2019.

Garland staggers for a moment, setting his hand against he wall to steady himself before he looks around for the shade. "There is an old saying Professor, the bear that see's the trap can not be caught! You have made us the most dangerous kind of enemy, the kind with nothing to loose!" he says as he moves forward toward the water, sure that the remains of the professor lie within.

The splatterman's insane laughter continued to echo through out the chamber but the spirit didn't reveal itself, content to let his haunt finish off these upstart adventurers. As the haunt manifested bloody letters continued to form on the walls. DA now stood in crimson on the stone, and GA. Still our heroes felt as if their minds were being drained by the unholy letters, and although they had the mental fortitude to resist the letters continued to form.

Darcon and Constantine stood ready while Garland moved to the murky pool, peering down into the fetid water. Even with his light held high the pool was too foul and cloudy to see further than a couple of feet. If it followed the same layout as the cell block on the opposite side then he could expect a deep pit that opened into a cell nearly ten feet by ten feet, but who could tell with the water so black?

---

---

Darcon and Constantine both delay, you each get an additional standard action this round.

Garland makes a perception check on the pool but is unable to see through the murky water. I'm assuming that your light source is a torch or the light spell cast on your gear or something that you're holding.

The haunt continues but you pass your saves.

GAR - Garland, 2 wis damage, Bless, Protection from Evil
CON - Constantine, Bless, Magic Weapon
DAR - Darcon, 2 wis damage, Bless, Protection from Evil
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:19, Wed 09 Oct 2019.

The truth was Garland wasnt exactly sure how to handle this particular haunt but he knew the splatterman's modus operandi. "In life he only killed those women after spelling out their names, destroy or erase them however you can. Having anyone's spelled out can only hurt us!" he said as he held the glowing morningstar up and looked down into the murky water. He didnt want to go beneath it but he had little choice but to find The true source of their foe.

Garland took a deep breath just in case the water plunged over his head and stepped forward, bending down and furiously searched for something, anything that might grant them a clue or a way to defeat the creature.

“Garland!  This is a job for me!”

SCG wades into the water as well
This message was last edited by the player at 13:28, Wed 09 Oct 2019.

Darcon gritted his teeth as he felt another dark clutch at his very soul from the haunt, and gripped his staff with whitened knuckles.

Moving forward to remain close to the other, Darcon stopped at the edge of the pool, not wanting to submerge himself like the others. "Garland, perhaps you should use the last remaining soul siphon?" The mage called out to the cleric.

Turning his head he gazed at the letters on the wall, wondering if there was some way he could stop or erase them. His eyes glimmered as he gazed at them with his arcane senses along with the mundane.

---

Cast Detect Magic at the letters to detect anything. Also making the following skill checks: Knowledge (Religion): 18; Knowledge (Arcana): 30

Constantine and Garland both dove into the pool in the center of the chamber, splashing through the murky water as they dove down to seek their foe. The pool did indeed look as if it mirrored the deep oubliette on the other side of the dungeon. It was 30ft deep and perhaps 20ft wide, a dank pit where prisoners were left to rot before it filled in with seeping water.

They dove down through the murk following the lighted head of Garland's mace. It was nearly impossible to see through the polluted water but Garland could just make out the floor of the pool. There was definitely something down there, a human sized lump limed onto the floor surrounded by scattered objects, but nothing moved below.

Meanwhile Darcon engaged in a frantic examination of the bleeding letters. Even as he watched the letters GA oozed out of the far wall and, although he couldn't see it, the swimming cleric felt the twinge as his psyche was attacked. The haunt was clearly a malevolent and supernatural presence but the letters themselves seemed to be little more than blood on stone. It would be a simple matter to smear or destroy them.

---

---

Garland and Constantine dive into the pool in the center of the chamber. It's a 20ft wide and 30ft deep pool, although the entrance is only 10ft wide so if you come up in the wrong spot you could get pinned under the floor and have to feel your way along to the entrance.

Garland spots what looks like a body and some gear at the bottom of the pool, although it's tough to make out through the murk. I rolled a swim check on your behalves and you both passed, so if you want you can start this turn treading water at the surface or you could start 10ft down. The water is still so the swim DC is 10.

Darcon examines the letters and determines that you could probably damage the haunt by damaging the letters themselves, as well as the normal methods of damaging haunts. Doing at least 1 point of damage will erase a letter, and AOE spells or other actions could wipe out many letters at once.

You roll Will saves but only Garland fails, he takes 2 Wis damage.

GAR - Garland, 4 wis damage, Bless, Protection from Evil
CON - Constantine, Bless, Magic Weapon
DAR - Darcon, 2 wis damage, Bless, Protection from Evil
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:13, Wed 09 Oct 2019.

Surfacing from the water, SCG takes a deep breathe and goes down to see about retreiving the body, while also making sure he is able to resurface at the right place.  If nothing else he will drag the body closer to the edge of the pool, even if it takes multiple times to bring it there....

He readies the handaze thinking to use it to hook into the body so he can more easily drag it.....

Rather then chance his lack of athletic prowess Garland stays at the edge of the water and takes a deep breath before he descends into the darkness, going straight down as far as he could and feeling around to find the body as well as anything else. "The answer is down here, we must risk it." he thought as he went deeper

Garland and Constantine dove deeper into the murk, struggling down towards the still figure lying on the bottom of the pool. Garland foundered in the water, hampered by his heavy armor. Constantine struck out easily and swiftly, quickly pulling himself down to investigate.

It was a skeleton partially covered in silt and fallen debris, slimy bones with the flesh long rotted off and the white stained a dark, sickly green by the ashy water. There were some weapons scattered in the silt as well, a longsword and a dagger, as well as the rusted and pitted remains of a guard's jerkin. Constantine reached out with his handaxe and hooked the rib cage, yanking it towards him. The bones simply crumbled, tumbling apart into a mismatched jumble that bobbed away in the water. The skull, partially decayed and stained nearly black by ash and corrosion, began to float buoyantly upwards through the water.

Meanwhile above the bloody letters continued to form, DA and GAR oozing from the walls.

---

---

Garland founders and remains at 10ft.

Constantine can double move and swim twice to get to the bottom of the pool, where he finds the bones and the discarded equipment.

Darcon and Garland fail will saves and take 2 wis damage. It's worth noting that with his wis this low Garland no longer qualifies for wisdom based spellcasting.

Darcon, because you were skipped this round you get an additional standard action next round.

GAR - Garland, 6 wis damage, Bless, Protection from Evil, 22 rounds of air
CON - Constantine, Bless, Magic Weapon, 24 rounds of air
DAR - Darcon, 4 wis damage, Bless, Protection from Evil
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:12, Fri 11 Oct 2019.

Garland descends into the darkness once again, trying to recover whatever he can from the murkey depths.

OOC: 08:29, Today: Garland Van Burke rolled 17 using 1d20-3.  swim check.