“A horrible tale indeed, Solomon tried to swat them away, but he could not and so he grabbed her and fled to the village likely the ghosts still attacking along the way there.”


SCG nods to his friends
“The sisters may point us to notice something in the scene that we are unlikely to know or consider important; my knowledge of local things is limited.”
Sir Constantine Godalming rolled 8 using 1d20+4.  Know local
This message was last edited by the player at 13:54, Mon 30 Mar 2020.

Shade nods slowly.  "He might not have been able to deal with the ghosts, but he might have found something particularly important. If there was a person or people responsible for the ghosts and Solomon disrupted that by his very presence, he might have been an accidental hero, above and beyond what he did for his friend."

To Constantine she adds with a wink, "Mine is a bit more."

OOC: 10:34, Today: Shade of Lonwood rolled 29 using 1d20+13.  Knowledge (local) check.

Barrister Kaple nodded and accompanied them out to the carriage that Constantine had rented for the duration of the trial. He left them with hopeful words, and then returned to the courthouse.

After a brief stop in Devotional Way; a street in the trade district filled with shops specialized in relics, potions, cures, and holy items; our heroes began the carriage ride out to Hergstag. The journey took the better part of an hour and while they traveled Shade filled the others in on what she knew of the small, abandoned hamlet and surrounding areas.

She could recall the troubles that led to the abandoning of the town, although the details had not filtered through to Lepdistadt proper. Rumor held largely the same information that the casefile did. Once a small and prosperous farming community on the edge of the Dipplemere swamp, a series of deaths and disappearances unnerved the grief stricken villagers enough that none could bear to stay at the site of so much tragedy. When the deaths culminated in an attack by the dreaded Beast the villagers gave up their homes as cursed and moved away en-mass. Before the attacks Hergstag had been a small, provincial farming community typical of the area surrounding Lepdistadt. After it was a completely abandoned ghost town.

---

---

The carriage approached the village from the eastern road after the bouncing journey from Lepidstadt, rolling up to the empty windows of the nearest outbuildings close to noon.

A quaint locale, the widely spread houses were now broken windowed husks with peeling paint, sagging roofs, and boarded doors. The place was eerily quiet, lacking even the sounds of wildlife common to such communities. The only sound was the forlorn screeching and clapping of a rusty shutter slowly swinging back and forth in the low wind somewhere.

The first trio of buildings just outside town appeared to be a house and two outbuildings, one a single story trading post and the other a granary with the roof partially collapsed.

---

I'm hearing a couple of 'up for anything' votes and one 'go to the village first' vote, so I'm moving the action along to Hergstag with a shopping stop first, feel free to pick up any supplies you feel you'll need before exploring the village.

If you would like to visit the Oriznov sisters first let me know and I'll break you out into your own thread.

Adrin had pulled out a rolled mat and a thin but firm board from his pack as the carriage had rolled along. He also pulled a finely wrought case from his pack.

The mat was rolled out on the board and revealed itself to be a well crafted harrowing mat. The case that he opened showed a well worn, but very elaborate deck of Harrow cards. As the case was opened and the deck was withdrawn, the light in the carriage dimmed so that it was dim light in the carriage as they bounced along, not the full light of day. He shuffled the deck a few times, and then cut it.

He drew forth his card and then laid out the others in alignment. He nodded along with the past as it was revealed, Trumpet, Lantern, Fiend. He muttered to himself, "the danger. Yes, Cain and I... the deaths, the Beast, Solomon's situation." As each card was laid out, an illusory image of the card appeared in the air above it, shining in the dim light for all to see.

The present showed its hand next, Uprising, Bear, Tyrant. "Untamable strength, again Solomon."

Finally the future, Wanderer, Juggler, Liar. "Hmm, obsession, desire. But ours or another's? Destruction either way in our future. But what of the hill and its spirits? Hmm?" he swiped the board clean with a sigh as the carriage pulled into town. The cards were placed back in the case, and the board which was visibly too big to fit in the bag and the mat both were placed back in his pack alongside the case and deck.

OOC: Found a program that does the dealing, thought I'd try that rather than rolling for it
Results - https://i.imgur.com/sudlvD8.png - fit the past and present so far... it'll be interesting to see what the future holds ;)
This message was last edited by the player at 19:00, Mon 30 Mar 2020.

“I do not know of such as this though symbols and themes I recognize.  To my thoughts  the trumpet and lantern are beings of light and should come before fiends.   Perhaps a sign for any summoners to consider bringing into our coming conflict.

“The uprising tyrant is the one sought by the Whispering Way; bear if is Solomon is perhaps his totem nature’s fury, perhaps that is the spark of life that resides within.”

“The last one is obviously the shapeshifter who murdered the good folk of Morast.”

"Riiiight." Cain just says sceptically at this exchange. To him cards are a game of luck, math and skill at making the other guy think what you want him to think, nothing more. Instead he looks around trying to get the lay of the place before they start searching for gods-know-what. "Do we have a plan here, something we should be focusing on first? Or should we just go about methodically until we find something?"

Ok, so that's a hill in the SW corner, but it's probably not the only hill around. I do wish we could have asked the witnesses some questions first, but not if that means we get separated here.

The harrow cards seemed to snap into place on the board of their own accord, brief images flickering like dreams over the surface. Each card seemed to bear a special significance to the town of Hergstag, and when the last snapped into place a gust of wind tugged at the edges of the cards but didn't displace a single one. Instead the rush of air over the painted cards sounded for an instant like a swarm of angry bees.

But it was in Adrin's mind that the augury truly spoke. He sensed some ominous portent in the transposition of the Liar and the Demon's Lantern, and a deep feeling of foreboding settled over him.

While the foretelling was in progress Cain kept a ready eye out, scanning the abandoned town. Over the houses and fields he could see the hill that the Beast had mentioned, the tallest point in the area. Hergstag's environs were marshy and rolling but relatively flat, with boggy moisture collected in muddy pits in defiles beneath low mounds. But the hill overlooking the town was high and firm enough to be thickly overgrown with thorned bushes and gnarled trees.

---

Adrin, your augury returns the result Woe.

The hill to the south west is the only large hill in the area, and is likely the hill that Solomon followed Ellsa to. The surrounding area is marshy with sparse trees, overland travel will have to be on foot as it's too boggy for the carriage but you won't require a boat. There are small swamps and stunted trees all around the village, if you would like to search the surrounding area for the Beast's home it will take 1d8 hours to perform a thorough search of the surrounding countryside. You can shave off 1 hour for each 5 by which you beat a DC15 Perception or Knowledge: Geography check.

Adrin shivered slightly as the weight of the cards blew over his soul.

He shook his head, "believe as you will Cain, but the Harrow has spoken. That hill where the girl died is a dangerous place for us to go, it holds fear and perhaps death. I would be inclined to search for the creature Solomon's house first, but I see no sign of the tree or anything he mentioned. My vision seems to be shaken as much as my soul by the result of the Harrowing. I know little of the surrounding lands here either so a likely direction eludes me."

"We could perhaps look for any records the town may have kept? Everyone keep an ear out as well. The creature Solomon said the spirits on the hill called to his friend 'Eller'. It's possible only she heard their calls. Everyone speak if you hear something."

OOC: 13:42, Today: Adrin Prescu rolled 12 using 1d20+7.  Perception .

“I fear the most direct route to answers is indeed the hill with the tree.  The children were raised as ghosts and something necromantic or undead did the deed; finding it clears Solomon of all these murders as well, destroying it also must be done.”

“If naught else the ghost children may tell us something we did not know.”
This message was last edited by the player at 18:57, Wed 01 Apr 2020.

No movement appeared to trouble the overgrown fields or hills of the town, and while the wind tossed a forlorn curtain here and there the houses looked abandoned as well.

The outbuildings near the road being near to hand, our heroes turned their search there with disappointing results. The main building was a small shop or trading post, behind it a cottage, and between them an empty granary.

A search of all three buildings revealed nothing. This wasn't a village that had been abandoned in haste, the villagers had packed up their belongings and moved away in grief. Still, because whoever had lived here had been particularly thorough didn't mean the other villagers may not have left some clue.

None of the buildings looked like a town hall or record room, but there was a chapel towards the center of town, a likely spot for old records to be kept.

---

---

1 - Trading post - explored
2 - Houses
3 - Houses
4 - Houses
5 - Houses
6 - Chapel
7 - Houses
8 - Houses
9 - Houses
10 - Houses
11 - Hill

"Please, forgive my skepticism Adrin. I have seen too many fortunetellers read only what they already know is likely in their cards. Or worse, what they think they know is likely." Cain says distractedly as they begin their search of the village. He tugs on his sleeves and his fancy clothes change color and cut to an explorer's outfit more appropriate to their task.

"From what I remember, the ghosts of dead children would haunt the village at night. I wonder if the same would apply for the hill as well? Let's at least search the chapel first before going there."

Do we leave the countryside for later?

“Looks like we should go through the town to even reach the hillside.  I always say never leave dangers behind you to hinder a retreat.”

Cain let the way towards the village chapel, moving along the dirt track road that connected the scattered houses and keeping an eye out for any threats.

The chapel was a wide, single story building with double doors and a slanting roof that rose to a high steeple. The bell that had once hung there had been removed, and the doors and windows had been boarded up to protect it from the weather. It had bourn the months of abandonment well, but the once whitewashed walls were beginning to streak and its wooden beams to take on the gray, pitted look of abandoned buildings.

It was the work of a moment to pry open the boards nailed across the door, but before our heroes could proceed inside they heard the faintest sound from within. It was a thin, whispy sound, like the muffled voice of a child, rising and falling and singing hymns.

SCG pauses and listens to the singing....
Today: Sir Constantine Godalming rolled 20 using 1d20+1.  Knowledge religion to know hymn (under DC 15).

Adrin froze when they heard the sounds of a child singing... from within an abandoned village's abandoned church.

He listened to see if he could make more anything specific about the voice while still outside. He also reached into his pouch and grabbed a handful of coins with one hand.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:53, Thu 02 Apr 2020.

The voice was thin and wavering, very clearly a child's, but did not seem to be distressed. The hymn that it was singing was a popular one sung on Sunday by children of Ustalav's various faiths, a pleasant tune with a simple melody that spoke of sunshine and light.

With the windows boarded it was impossible to see inside, but the wavering and tremulous quality of the song made it sounds like it was coming from farther away than the area of the chapel would seem to allow, although the voice very clearly originated from within.

Cain flicks one end of his scarf over his shoulder before slipping inside the chapel, quickly hiding behind nearest cover he can find. He takes a peek from behind it, looking for the source of the singing.


Luckily skills don't auto fail on natural 1.
20:19, Today: Cain rolled 17,25 using 1d20+16,1d20+11.  Stealth, Perception.

As Adrin had done his Harrowing, Shade had watched with interest.  She had done Harrowings herself for clients, though had often stacked the deck to get the result she wanted, particularly if she wanted business out of them.  But that had been back when little had mattered to her but her own skin. It was clear Adrin had a true connection to the cards, and the warning of Woe was welcome.  Shade was a women who often suspected the worse, so it did not surprise her that Woe was near, but it was nice to know she was not merely watching shadows.

As the others talked about where to go and the ghostly children, she had chimed in, "The children might haunt the village at night, but I would rather investigate their resting place by day, should they have one."

As the sound of cheerful singing was heard at the chapel, Shade went quiet and whispered for Nook to follow after Cain and see what could be seen inside.  It could be something as simple as a roving child seeing how their voice echoed in a "forbidden" building... or a waif from beyond the Pale singing because they knew no better.

OOC: 22:14, Today: Shade of Lonwood rolled 31 using 1d20+14.  Nook Stealth.
22:14, Today: Shade of Lonwood rolled 15 using 1d20+6.  Nook Perception.

The singing stopped the moment Cain slipped into the shaded chapel. It was dark inside, the only illumination emanating from the open doorway and the occasional chink in the roofing or the boarded up windows. Cain's eyes strained, and as his eyes adjusted to the darkness he could barely may out a dark figure lurking in the pews.

He had only a moment to react, and then a piercing shriek echoed through the chapel. Instantly the birdsong and ambient noise cut off, leaving the entire village in an eerie silence. A waist high figure rushed towards him, howling in wordless rage. It was a small figure, it could have been a child, moving like a shadow against the darkness. It was transparent, its form defined by negative space that was wreathed in a pulsating, red and black flame that seemed to drink in light. As it glided forwards swiftly it passed through the pews and benches in the way, phasing ethereally through them.

The burning whisp reached out with a childlike finger in a wide swipe that Cain barely managed to escape.

---

---

As you enter the building a ghostly figure moves forward to attack. It tries to touch Cain but fails, it's currently the player's initiative.

---

BC - Broken Child, AC 15, Touch 15, Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +4, incorporeal

CAI - Cain
CON - Constantine
DAR - Darcon
ADR - Adrin
SHA - Shade

F - Waist high furniture. Provides cover, surmountable by a DC10 acrobatics check.

"Shiii...!" Cain's curse is cut short as he dodges the swipe of the apparition. Something tells him getting touched by it would be a very bad thing. He draws his own blade and swings it wildly in the general direction of the ghostly figure, then abruptly vanishes from sight.

22:19, Today: Cain rolled 9,13 using 1d20+8,1d8+7.  Attack, Damage.

Bah. After attacking, I'll use Vanishing Trick (burning Ears of the City) to become invisible, then step to l9. I completely forgot to cast Mage Armor before getting into this mess.

"Come now child and let us be an aid to you and release you from this tormented shadow of your former self."

"Are you Eller, who knows the giant puzzle of a man?"


"Come and tell us, you can help your frend."


Diplomacy 12
This message was last edited by the player at 20:52, Mon 06 Apr 2020.

Shade is not the tiniest bit sanguine that a ghost is going to respond to sweet words.  She glares at it, power behind her eyes reaching out to attack it, giving the ghost the Evil Eye!

OOC: Using Evil Eye hex, Broken Child needs to make a DC 15 Will save or will take -2 to AC.

The apparition seemed unswayed by any of our heroes various attempts to quiet it. Cain's sword may as well have been a willow stick for all that the specter cared for it. Shade's haunting gaze was met only with a manic and malevolent stare in return. Only Constantine's attempt to use reason drew any response from it.

"Come 'n play. Come 'n play! You're gonna wind up just like me! You're...it!" The dark vortex burbled, once again darting in to lay a hand on Cain and then dashing back into the shadows. The little figure ducked down behind one of the cloth shrouded pews, giggling  and doing its best to hide.

---

---

Cain swings and misses.

Constantine talks but doesn't seem to sway the spirit.

Shade uses evil eye, but the spirit saves.

The ghostly child tries to touch Cain again, but misses. Disturbingly, the way that its head tracks you makes it seem like the creature can see you despite your invisibility. It moves away, which prompts an AoO from Cain.

It's currently hiding behind the pew, granting cover from Cain and blocking line of sight from those outside.

Adrin, Darcon, because you were skipped you get an additional standard action next round. Cain, you have an AoO.

---

BC - Broken Child, AC 15, Touch 15, Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +4, incorporeal

CAI - Cain, invisible
CON - Constantine
DAR - Darcon
ADR - Adrin
SHA - Shade

F - Waist high furniture. Provides cover, surmountable by a DC10 acrobatics check.

Adrin was not surprised in the least by the apparition when it turned on Cain. He shook his head and muttered, "woe is all around us it seems..."

He spoke two different words as he drew the shape of a fell Harrow in the air towards the creature and wind of ill omen seemed to blow through the church. On his second word three bolts of eldritch energy, vaguely card-shaped, leapt from his hand to strike the creature.

OOC: if we're getting 2 standard actions I'd do the following order
Action1 - Mage Armor (duration 5 hours, +4 AC good vs incorporeal)
Action2 - Magic Missile

Damage: 13 pts of force damage
11:31, Today: Adrin Prescu rolled 13 using 3d4+3.  Magic Missile.

Annoyed that invisibility had no effect on the apparition, Cain dodges another attack before slashing at the retreating spirit. "Sorry, not in a mood for games today." Realizing his mistake in coming unprepared to a fight, he too begins casting a spell of protection on himself.

21:57, Today: Cain rolled 18,9 using 1d20+8,1d8+7.  AoO (Attack, Damage).
Mage Armor up. Though if the spirit is using touch attacks, it won't matter at all.