Part I.i. - The Last Will and Testament...

[Veritas]

Together, the small group flows across the river, towards the Temple of Pharasma that overlooks the town of Ravengro - a calming influence to the west, compared to the ominous, ever-looming remnant of Harrowstone Prison to the south. Even so, the village of over 300 souls has previous few moving to the Temple.

When the group of people arrives at the temple, they find the doors opened. Within are nothing more than rows of pews, some tapestries with the spiral of Pharasma upon it, and an altar at the end. Before the altar is a finely crafted coffin of darker wood, polished lovingly by the talented craftsman who made it. No priest is in sight.

Towards the front moves the woman in her twenties. With darker hair, a slightly longer nose, and wider, almost protrudant eyes (made red by the tears flowing slowly from them), it is obvious this is a relation to the professor, likely his daughter, Kendra Lorrimor. She is sobbing, quietly, as she looks to the small gathering of people. She does not seem surprised.

"As...as is the tradition of this village, my father would like to be carried to his..his...f-final rest...by his friends. Who...who will help to carry him?"

The coffin is lined with two brass handrails, and it would take at least four people to move it comfortably; perhaps as many as six.

[`Nessa]

Chouko nods at the young woman's question and steps forward silently. She approaches the coffin, studying it casually. It confused her, the coffin: she could see the love and skill that went into its construction, the quality of the wood and the brass. All this, just to send one man back to the earth? These people were strange, she concluded, but she would follow their rituals. It was the least she could while she was here.

[joviality]

Navene is surprised at the lack of respect for such a prominent member of this village, especially one so small. Death is a time to rejoice the life of a person and send him lovingly into the arms of Pharasma. It is not a time to hold grudges against the deceased. She is not surprised, however, at the precautions taken to make sure the dead do not rise again. Professor Lorrimor had seemed quite interested in the topic, and had likely made a few enemies during the course of his research. When Calaera gives her the look, she attempts to return a steady, comforting gaze.

Inside the temple, Navene is comforted at once. The familiar trappings of Pharasma around her, she feels quite at home. Seeing Kendra crying, Navene quickly goes to her side in an attempt to comfort her.

"Yes, yes of course we will help with the funeral," indicating herself and Calaera. "But first... May I have a moment with your father? I made a promise to myself that I would bless his remains personally before he is sent to rest. I hope it is not an inconvenience, but it would put my soul at ease."

[Veritas]

Kendra sobs softly as Navene approaches, and her head tilts. From her belt she pulls forth a handkerchief that appears fresh enough - suggesting she picked it up before departing for her father's funeral. For a moment, she dabs her eyes, and then she looks to Navene.

"In...in this village, the funeral proper is held at the gravesite. Father Grimburrow is already waiting there for us, where blessings may be said. Beyond that..." and then she shivers again, lowering her tear-streaked face into her handkerchief for a moment, her shoulders shuddering in grief.

[joviality]

"I understand. Please forgive my misstep. I would be honored to help carry him to his final rest."

With that, Navene takes her place at one of the corners of the coffin, prepared to bear the brunt of its load.

[logan]

Fin obliged the request with a nod of his head. Not wishing to be in the lead when the group marches out, Fin stands post by the right rear corner of the casket.While waiting for the other volunteers, Fin glances quickly at those present. Fin wondered who else might be the others summoned in the same way that he was. Not wanting to move the conversation away disrespectfully, he reserves his questions. Wrapping his fingers around the brass bar, noticing now his palms had grown sweaty. He starts to grow anxious for the ceremony to proceed.

[comicsans12pt]

Solaz steps forward.

"I am stronger than i look. I am honored to travel with the Professor one last time.l"

She takes a spot in the middle on the right side. She reaches across with her right hand and holds the rail with both hands.

[`Nessa]

Chouko watches the others as they take hold of the brass rail and tentatively takes a hold of it. The metal is cold beneath her hand, and it feels strange. This isn't like any last rite she had ever seen, and she had thought, at first, that the rails were ornamental and they were going to have to shoulder the box. Ping notices the shift, feels the muscles tense as Chouko prepares to take the weight of the casket, and clambers down to watch from the relative safety of the floor beneath one of the pews.

She smiles at Solaz and says carefully, "For the professor."

[Juniper]

Calaera is surprised after the cool reception of the townspeople to see how quickly these few strangers step forward. It is an odd group, and it doesn't look like anyone has had much time to rest, as armor and weapons - or pets - are the norm. She runs a quick hand back to check the pommel of her sword in an automatic motion then steps forward to take the final place without a word, standing across the wood and brass from Navene.

[Veritas]

The spots beside the coffin are being filled - not by the few friends who came forward to wish the professor well on his journey, but by the strange travellers who are still in their steel and leather, bearing weapons. To the front on the left and right are Navene and Calaera; at the back are Chouko and Fin, with Solaz in the middle. For a moment, the others watch, as they wait to see if any others will step forward.

[Veritas]

Given the size disparity of Solaz, nobody seems to feel the other side of the casket needs to be filled; a procession forms - small, and rather intimate. Kendra stands before the casket and the other handful of mourners behind. She steps forward, and it is obvious you need to move in step behind her.

The five pallbearers lift, and up the casket goes. It is heavy, and awkward, and if it needed to be placed down, it is quite clear that it would take a few moments to do so. The lid in particular seems heavy, and as a result, the coffin isn't as balanced as one might have expected - almost as if it was designed to keep a reanimated corpse within, standard burial practises for the country of Ustalav.

Kendra leads the party out of the Temple and to the road, where she turns left, heading towards the Restlands. Behind a fence, the Restlands are the town's burial place. Gravestones dot the landscape that is half-hidden behind wrought iron, and dirt paths wend between, allowing a mourning procession to carry their deceased to their final rest.

Except, in this case, as the procession crests the final small hill before the Restlands, up ahead, a crowd has gathered. Perhaps three, four dozen folks, some with pitchforks in hand, all wearing the homespun common within the Principalities on their farmers and common folk. A half dozen of them are armed with clubs, and stand astride the path into the Restlands. Behind those six, but forward from the other collection of folk, is an elderly, but tough-looking, man. He is sneering with a wicked gleam in his slightly bloodshot grey eyes, and his hand is raised up, a fist in the air.

Kendra pauses, her reddened eyes going wide. "Gibs Hephenus!" she calls out loudly, anger having overcome her grief suddenly. "What is the meaning of this!"

[little]

Reto had only been in Ravengro for maybe an hour, and already this had been a very strange day. The young soldier had seen funerals before... of fallen comrades, or old warriors whose time had simply come, but today was very different. Bidding someone farewell from this life and sending them into the next was a sad occasion, but only those very close to the Professor seem to be showing those emotions today. And the good times past with the departed were often celebrated and remembered well into the night, but never did it result in children singing down right disturbing rhymes in the town's square.

Reto did not help carry the casket, even though he knew he should have. He was the strongest of the bunch, and it seemed to be the other travelers bearing most of the load, but the entire experience had him shaken up. Something was just plain wrong with all of this. And besides, he had only seen the Professor once. The old man may have been thankful that Reto had prevented that theft a few years ago, but he really didn't know the man at all... and was pretty sure he was alone in that. He felt very out of place and uneasy.

Suddenly, as if things weren't weird enough, the path of the funeral party was blocked. People holding pitchforks and clubs were in the way, and the young woman leading the procession appeared shocked and panicked. Reto still didn't understand a damn thing that was happening, but he was suddenly very happy he was not carrying the casket. Instantly, the warrior placed a single hand on his Guisarme (without drawing it) and began to move through the crowd, towards the young woman. He couldn't imagine anything more disrespectful than interrupting a funeral like this, and Reto was going to make sure that if anyone besides the Professor was going in the ground today, that young lady wouldn't be among them!

[`Nessa]

It was difficult, and it was awkward, but Chouko manages to shift the casket so that her shoulder took the weight and freed up one hand. With it, she reaches out to firmly grasp Reto by the arm with a shake of her head. "Bad idea," she said quietly. "This is neither the time nor the place, stand down."

Then, because the casket is heavy and hard to balance, Chouko releases his arm so that she can once again hold the casket while her mind races. She's in a bad spot for trying to see what's happening, to count the number of people that they're facing, but she does know it would take too long to set the casket down gently to engage them. Their small group would be over run in moments. There are simply too many people here, presumably villagers, to fight and she would not see the professor further disrespected. She could feel anger, hot and roiling, building in her stomach and she began to breathe deeply to push the thoughts away.

[Veritas]

The coffin trembles dangerously when Chouko moves her hand from the brass railing. It is quite clear that it could easily fall if it was upset in balance again. The other holders have to strain to keep it upright for those moments.

[logan]

Fin was surprised when the weight shifted, his grip almost slipping from the rail as his palms sweat made the surface slick. Although Fin was caught off guard when he peered around the coffin and saw the mob, he also felt that this partially unveiled the disposition of the locals.

Fin thought back to when he was exiting the tavern. Fin glanced around Calaera in to the group.

Perception check to see if, and where, the man Fin overheard outside of the Laughing Demon is present in the mob.

[dice=20] + 8[rand=0154172264168574439261280595621804771698221569195136846107523008503]