Wilhem leads the way down the overgrown road leading out of the village and up the slope over which the forlorn edifice of Harrowstone looms. Tittering & excitable Zooglub is right on his heels, while the others -- Tatyanza, Yala, and Valamir -- are shortly behind. Kendra was left behind to explore other avenues of investigation and Sunbolt was returned to the stables. Storm circles overhead as the gray clouds gather.
The knight has his shield -- emblazoned with the golden dragon sigil of his order -- strapped to his arm, but his sword remains in its sheath. Tatyanza holds her quarterstaff, and Valamir loads his crossbow and keeps it at the ready. As the path winds upwards, the huge gatehouse flanks the entrance. The sagging wood and metal gates that once barred ingress now hang negligently open. They creak softly in the breeze. Everything appears abandoned.
Wilhem tells Zooglub and Valamir to have their ranged attacks ready and to stand behind him about ten feet and spread out to his left and right. "If there are enemies here, I will parley with them first. We may be able to gain some valuable information. But if we are attacked, I will draw them to me. You two try to hit them as best you can before they close in."
"And what are we poor, helpless females to do, sir knight?" asks Yala.
"This is no game, Yala," warns Wilhem. "I would prefer you both stay here. Tatyanza's healing will be critical to us if we must fall back, and none of us should be alone. If you must come, you are free folk, and I will not stop you... but stay well behind me."
The witch approaches him, crouches down, and gathers some mud on her fingertips. She rises and makes a mark on Wilhem's forehead. "You protect all of us... and this will help protect you. My kind do not just turn people into toads, you know." (Wilhem is warded - +2 deflection bonus to AC, and +2 resistance bonus to saves, lasts until hit or a save is failed)
The group moves into formation and move closer to the open gates. Through the opening, the group can see the enormous gray prison building past crooked, claw-like trees. A dilapidated house with a sagging roof sits on the prison grounds in the shadow of Harrowstone's walls. Creeping ivy covers almost everything.
As soon as Wilhem puts his gauntleted hand on the swaying gate and pushes his way through, he cries out and stumbles back. Yala tries to catch him, but the armored knight is too heavy and he falls on the ground. His eyes are filled with shock and terror (failed DC 12 Will save, shaken for 2 minutes). He manages to get back to his feet and tries to collect himself. "I felt, I felt -- just for a moment -- like my skin was on fire..." He puts his face into his palm and takes a deep breath. "Lady's Light! It felt so real! I felt trapped, like in a coffin, and I was burning..."
"Well... this place certainly is haunted," says Zooglub.
"Many died here horribly," replies Tatyanza as she comforts the knight. "Are any of you truly surprised?"
"How can we investigate if the spirits here won't allow us to enter?" asks Valamir, who suddenly feels less comforted by his crossbow.
"The Professor was able to come here, as were the folk who found him," says Yala. "Perhaps what happened to Wilhem was an isolated occurrence..." The witch slowly walks towards the gateway and steps through. Once across the threshold, she turns to face the others. "Whatever it was, it is gone. Are you fit to continue, Wilhem?"
He nods and dusts himself off (-2 attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks).
Zooglub adds, "I noticed he touched the gate when he stepped through... perhaps the spiritual residue -- if you will -- is concentrated in the structures of this place. We should be careful what we touch."
The party cautiously continues on, exploring the inner grounds of the prison. The entire western section of the area (to their right) is flooded, though a few bent, weathered gravestones poke up above the edges of the water. A huge section of wall nearby has been completely reduced to rubble. To the left is the old, dilapidated house. Along the outer wall are watchtowers, in equally bad repair. Straight ahead is the gray hulk of the prison itself. The roof appears about to fall in and is blackened here and there from fire. Parts of the wall have fallen in to piles of debris. Valamir mentions how it certainly appears as if the Professor could've been crushed by falling masonry. "The entire place seems ready to fall apart."
Zooglub can see the tower to the east is riddled with holes where dozens of glittering, little eyes watch. "We're not completely alone. Rats. Quite tasty if prepared correctly."
The group moves to the house which is overgrown with gray-green ivy. They briefly explore the fire-gutted interior, but Valamir warns, "it is not safe to be in here. It could collapse on us at any moment. There is nothing here anyway." (Perception = 23) The party quickly departs except for Zooglub. "But this might have been the warden's house. If the Professor was looking for something when he died, it might be in here somewhere." He starts tapping the floor to check for hollow spaces. A moment later, a section of blackened ceiling crashes down, and the goblin is not able to roll out of the way in time. He emerges from the house coughing. He is slightly injured (5/10 hp), but alive. "Well, if whatever-it-is is in there, it's staying in there!" Tatyanza lays a hand gently upon his shoulder and causes a soft, golden light to radiate through him (1/4 1st-level spells used, cure light wounds for 9 hp).
Moving closer to the massive ruin, the group gets a better look at the two-story building that looms over them. Ivy and moss cling to the walls, leering stone gargoyles are perched on the eaves, and the narrow windows in the facade are blocked by rusty iron grillwork. Piles of rubble are strewn across the soggy ground where stone has fallen from the walls. Stone pillars support a balcony over the front doors. The latter hang askew on their hinges permitting a dim view of the chambers within. Valamir again warns of the unsound construction of the entryway (Perception = 26). Wilhem suggests performing a circle around the whole structure before plumbing the inner darkness.
The party begins a slow, counterclockwise circumnavigation of the building, slogging over the muddy, weed-choked ground. Valamir keeps his eyes (and crossbow) raised towards the black windows that gaze down upon them. Zooglub directs his attention downward (since, as he would say, he's down there already). He makes his way around a fallen gargoyle statue and happens to notice something strange around the foundations: a series of sinuous runes carved into the stonework. Some of the lettering is still stained with a dark, reddish-brown substance that has escaped the recent rains.
He points them out to the others, "well, now, here's something... smeared with blood, I'm guessing, though there's not much left, thanks to last night's rain."
Tatyanza approaches and says that the symbols are actually written in Varisian. Not much of it makes much sense to her, except...
"Desna..." she whispers, horrified. "Here... and here... and again right here!"
"What is it?" asks Yala.
"A name is repeated over and over in these carvings... Lyvar Hawkran, the warden!"
"I think this is what we're looking for," says Wilhem.
"Well," says Zooglub while fishing a few things from his bags, "it's all we've found of interest so far. Miss, would it be possible for you to translate all of the carvings for me onto a piece of parchment? Goblin would be best, but Taldane will suffice." He hands Tatyanza a small book opened to a blank page and a quill. He holds a small bottle of ink for her.
She nods and sets to work, "I don't know where to begin."
"Just get it all down," says Zooglub, "we'll figure out how to make sense of it later."
The explorers slowly make their way around the structure as Tatyanza scribbles away with the goblin's aid. The others keep a close eye out for danger. Valamir grows nervous.
"I don't like lingering here so long... it will grow dark soon, and rain is coming."
Yala breathes in deeply and looks to the sky. "Nightfall is still hours away, but you're right that it will rain soon (Knowledge - nature = 27). In an hour, perhaps less."
"I'm going as quickly as I can," says Tatyanza. She finds that the runes stop when she reaches a part of the wall that has crumbled and is partially submerged beneath the pool. Some suggest that she continue transcribing going the clockwise from where she started. Zooglub splashes into the pool and says, "the writings may continue just around the corner. It looks dryer a little further ahead." He peers through the breach in the wall. "The water isn't deep, even for me. Look!"
Suddenly ripples appear out from the edge of the water. Slowly three slime-covered skeletons arise from the depths and stagger towards the adventurers. Wilhem draws his horseman's flail and shouts, "everyone behind me! Use blunt weapons of you can!" Valamir shoulders his crossbow and pulls forth his morning star. Tatyanza & Zooglub put away their writing materials and prepare for battle. Yala places a ward on the knight once again before the undead horrors close.
Two of the skeletons fall shortly after the battle begins -- their dripping bones clattering into a heap into the mud -- but then suddenly the last one standing bursts into flame. Its unearthly screams echo across the grounds. It continues its attack and burns Wilhem and Valamir quite badly. Tatyanza calls upon her divine connection to the mysteries of life and sends waves of golden radiance emanating out of her. The energy rejuvenates Wilhem's strength, but both the skeleton and Valamir fall to the ground after it washes over them.
With the gaunt undead adversaries defeated, Tatyanza runs to Valamir's side to aid him. Yala intercedes, however, and says, "you cannot help him! Didn't you see that it was your healing energy that hurt him?"
"How interesting..." says Zooglub. "It would appear that our self-righteous friend here is one of the undead."
Tatyanza refuses to believe it, but Yala tells her to gather what translations she has gotten so far, and get back to town. She asks Wilhem to carry their comrade's limp body. Soon, the companions are fleeing the prison and trying to get back to Kendra's house before the rain catches them.
DM Notes:
XP = 81 each for defeating skeletons.
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