Gameplay

Anders follows Sophia, head down. Still a little in shock after his recent possession.

Eir follows the group around still making some glances at Anders from behind. Almost killing a colleague... that probably felt really bad for him. But well, safety was safety, and the biggest advantage of a gun was range. He couldn't take the risk to approach him too much right now.

You retreat to the attic and gather astound the journal, or peruse the occult books.

The occult books are too long to reproduce here. A player character who describes what she is looking for can find information about ghosts and spirits.

Nora's Journal

January 15th
I saw it again last night, as I was on my way to empty the widower Rutger’s chamber pot. The candle in my hand went out and, standing still in the dark corridor on the second floor, I could hear the floorboards move. Someone was walking toward me. I whispered my husband’s name, and an unknown voice responded with a word I couldn’t understand. The hairs on my arms stood up and the blood throbbed in my veins. Finally I dropped the pot and ran downstairs. My footsteps woke several of the guests. I had to spend more than an hour on my knees scrubbing the stench of Rutger’s excrement off the floorboards. Sami was angry. I didn’t tell him I’d seen a ghost – it would be adding fuel to the fire.

January 17th
Do I really have myself to blame? I know what I did to Sami, but that was almost twenty years ago. He gets so different when he’s angry, and I go mute with fear – whilst he demands answers. Perhaps I should know better than to upset him? But all I did was suggest that the sudden falling apart of the inn might have occult causes. I definitely shouldn’t have mentioned the ghost. Now I won’t be able to show myself to the guests for a week – the bruises around my neck can be concealed with a collar, and no one can see the pain in my chest and stomach, but my left eye is purple like a plum and my nose is swollen. I fear for Sophia. She is so much like me, and I’d like to tell her everything – but I’m afraid of what Sami would say. He wants to eradicate all things artistic and sublime from his daughter’s body – that which came from me.

January 31st
I mentioned my nightmares to Sophia, and it turned out she’s been having the same dreams! A man being killed – the murderer sneaking up behind him and cutting his throat with a knife. The body is buried in unconsecrated ground, and suddenly it is my body in the grave. I’ve been buried alive and can’t get out. All I want is revenge, or peace in death. I wake with a scream.

February 7th
The fourth time I saw him I understood what he was whispering – it’s not a word, but a name: "Pyri". After spending several days pondering the matter, to Sami’s great annoyance, I remembered where I’d heard that name. Sami’s grandfather, who used to run this inn, was named Pyri Harjula. There are lots of old letters in the attic. Among them I found a stack of messages all signed with Pyri’s name, written in code and addressed to someone in Upsala. The code was easily deciphered, and now I’ve shut myself away in my room all morning, reading Pyri’s love letters. Sami is furious that I’ve neglected my duties. He is banging the kitchen walls and throwing saucepans against the floor. Poor Ingelie.

February 8th
I now know who the dead man is. Pyri writes of his guilt and feelings of remorse over a murder he committed. He killed a man named Oscar Hjort by slitting his throat. This happened during a meeting with three people from Upsala. One of them was named Albert. Oscar was unwilling to cooperate, but what he was meant to do I am unsure of. They buried his body somewhere in our garden. Pyri says that, instead of having a priest consecrate the ground, they desecrated his body with magic. He fears that he has damned the inn and condemned himself to hell.

March 1st
Sophia has been quiet and withdrawn for some time now. I sat down to talk with her, and she told me that she dreams of setting up a theater. She wants to put on shows here at the Witch Cat. I think it’s a brilliant idea. I have sent an invitation to the Troll Dreams theater troupe, mostly to attract customers but also to inspire Sophia. They will pass through here in early April. This time I won’t let Sami get his way.

March 19th
Sami saw the letter from the theater director, and as I’m writing this I have hid in the stable like a naughty child. He hit me with the fireplace poker – everything went black and I woke up on the floor. I lost the feeling in the fingers of my left hand, and they are still numb. Blood, saliva, snot and tears are running down my face, so I need to keep this paper away from my body to avoid staining it. I’m so scared.

April 3rd
If I stay here he’ll kill me. Tonight I’m packing my things, and I’m taking Pyri’s letters with me. I’ll show them to Sophia when I come for her. Perhaps we will return to the Witch Cat one day, when Sami has died or come to his senses. Then we can go looking for ghosts together.

Trond is shaking with anger.

What kind of man hits his wife? He killed her, no doubt

I will take a look through the books, maybe it says something about bodies in unconsecrated ground.

As the others are taking their time reading the note, Trond shuffles through the occult library. What is immediately clear upon finding a few references is that an unquiet spirit would need to 'find peace' and then the body must be buried in hallowed ground.

Dagmar isn't the most wholesome fellow but still, the way Sami treated his wife was cowardly.

Anyone know where the nearest hallowed ground is in case we need to rebury someone?

Probably the nearby church..

You'll recall that you can see a church from here, and the pastor was at dinner tonight.

Anders is starting to regain his composure. A task...a riddle, something to do is what he needs after that possession.

How about we go find the pastor? he seemed a nice enough man maybe he would be so kind to help us rid the Inn of the vengeful spirit

His help will probably be needed. I am afraid we will also have to dig up a body and re-bury it.

Do we know where the mother is? Or where she us supposed to be? Might there be two?

Sophia explains, "She left. She joined a passing theatre troupe and left. Father had... well, after that, she ran. And left me here with him."

Left if she was lucky. I wouldn't be surprised to find two bodies buried out back.

Yes. Right. Let's go find the pastor

You go down the stairs and find Sami coming back up with a gun. He doesn't point it at you, but he's spitting mad, and takes up space in the doorway to Nora's room, as if to defend it from you re-entering it.

In the mainroom, it is even darker. The fire seems to put out no heat. The pastor is completely inebriated, wobbling in his chair barely conscious.

Stopping himself at the end of the stairs, Kikkert took a look at Sami, and turned his head to spit on the ground in a typical soldier fashion.
He knew how people like this were. Angry at the most vulnerable, but fearing anyone that could oppose resistance to them.
Taking a last look at the armed man, he approached Trond, and put Anders's gun in one of his hands.

-Keep an eye on Baldie-Beardie for me, will ya ?

Without waiting for an answer, he approached the priest, trying to determine his exact mental state, and if he was hurt in any way.

Trond keeps the gun pointed at the floor, but keeps a wary eye on Sami

The priest is drunk and terrified. He's been drinking a lot and reeks of booze, but is otherwise healthy.

He can probably answer simple questions.

Anders walks by Sami without looking and walks straight up to the priest.

Father...we need to be able to get into your church. Please help us

He's pretty drunk, but seems cooperative. You may need to partially carry him.

Here, let me help you, father. Dagmar puts an arm around the priest's waist. Come on Anders, you can take the other side.

Anders goes over and grabs his other side.

Once we get him back to the church I think we can begin our search for the remains. I think having an exit plan once we have them is a good idea.