Book II - Chapter IX: The Haunting of Trollskull Manor

[Ancelas]

Book 2: Descent
Chapter 9: The Haunting of Trollskull Manor

After chatting with Amrik at the Low Lantern, the Lucky Hand had several things to consider regarding where to take their investigation. Amrik was obviously up to something, but being the son of a Grand Duchess, as well as a well-connected man of his own right, made it difficult to confront him directly. It was possible that they might find something to help them in Brampton - the fact Amrik wanted them to deal with Fagin was confirmation that the thief knew something - but it would mean getting past the cordon, either by stealth, or by flexing the authority Zodge had given them.

Amrik, the Poisoned Poseidon, cultists, murders, Elturean refugees, plagues… what was the connection? By this point, the party seemed to have uncovered a number of clues, but they were lacking the material that connected them. It did not seem like simple chats would yield much more information.

These were the thoughts lingering over the party as they trudge through a heavy rain that had opened up over Wachovia. The light rainclouds of the morning seemed to have been shoved aside by tick, darker clouds blown in from the sea, and no one was happy about it. Needing a place to stop and think and plan for a while, the party headed back north through the city. They could fetch a warm meal at Elfsong, but they hadn't checked on the Trollskull Urchins lately, and a nagging feeling brought about by the dream Cerys had the previous night warranted a check in.

As they walked into the alley and approach the manor, they could sense something was off immediately. Janks, Squiddy, and Ren were all outside the open back door, shouting inside, shouting at one another, and visibly in some sort of distress.

Squiddy noticed the party approaching and broke away from the others to dash over. "You have to help us! Mouse heard something from the manor and went inside, but then he screamed, and Nat went in after him, and there's something inside that has them both and the Knick-Knack Man isn't home to help and we don't know what to do!"

((Initiative: Vincent 19, Cerys 17, Crystal 15, Rey 5, Jinn 3))

[CautionCat]

Soaked and left with wondering how deep this rabbit hole would go, Vincent walked along with the others back to seek out the Urchins. The shouting made him worried, and then the kids ran up to tell them what happened.

Vincent didn't hesitate to move and go into the manor. Didn't question or scold the kids, he needed to banish whatever the hell it was stuck in this place before more people got hurt.

"Where are you? We're here to help!"

[redcoat]

NO. She'd barely had time to think the word before her form shifted, the slight elven woman giving way to the skin of a huge direwolf. She bounded in, side by side with Vincent. Her hackles were raised and her face already snarling at something that would dare threaten her urchins.

[uberwulfx]

Cerys and Vincent wouldn't scold, but Crystal immediately moved to Squiddy, putting her hands on either side of his face, taking over that task.

"What were you thinking, you know it's bad in there. You warned us about being in there!" She pulled Squiddy to her body protectively while standing tall, noting Vincent and Cerys already on the move.

"Quickly, Squiddy-- do you know what part of the house they may be stuck in? How long ago was this?"

[Kyt]

Rey let out a raspy growl, her expression quickly falling into a grimace as she moved forward. She let Crystal ask the kids questions, while she moved into the house after Vincent and Cerys. Readying her crossbow, she immediately started looking around for signs of where the kids had gone.

((Action: Holding to shoot any enemy that comes out. Bonus Action: Investigation 22 for where the kids are/went))

[Ancelas]

Cerys and Vincent led the charge into the house, rushing out of the muggy rain and into a wall of heat. The inside of the building was dark, dust and shadows stirred into an obscuring fog, but the over-large oven and the kitchen fireplace were both lit and blazing with fresh fires.

The normally cold, dank manor house felt oppressively hot, and a ripple of unease swept through Vincent as soon as he stepped into the kitchen.

There was no response to his call.

---

Squiddy was grabbed and startled, but offered no resistance. "I kn-n-now, that's why I stayed outside! But Mouse said he heard crying, and screaming, and ran in! It was only a few minutes ago, b-but the place doesn't feel right!"

[opius]

Jinn groaned and jogged toward the kids as soon as he saw they were yelling at the house. He was planning on breaking it up, telling them not to go inside. The kids shouted about what was going on and before he could react both Vinny and Cherry were already inside. "Aw for cryin' out loud. You kids- None a ya's go in, alright? Wait out here for Nick-" He glanced at Rey, who already had her bow drawn.

Well, she had the right of it. To Crystal, "Get em to talk. Cherry's got a good snoot- she'll sniff em out if she can. I'm checkin' the basement first. Scream bloody murder if you even think somethin' weird's happenin."

He moved in past Rey. "Rayray, you move quick. Imma count on you to be where you need to be when you need it." And with that he was moving. Off to find a Mouse in a Manor.

(Jinn takes the dash action to move 50, free-action to interact with the trapdoor as an item interaction. He's not investigating or being careful)

[CautionCat]

Vincent would run off ahead, Cerys in tow, down the hall and into the spacious gathering. Casting detect Evil and Good, he attempted to try and see if he could sense a concentration of evil, where the kids might be. (range 30 ft)

"Basement? Alright." He caught Jinn's words as he moved further into the building. "Cerys, sniff them out, I'll follow your lead."

[redcoat]

Much like her allies, Cerys knew that the dire wolf's form would grant her an edge when it came to tracking down Mouse and Nat- her urchins. Head down, she immediately focused all of her attention on parsing the wave of smells and sounds, attempting to pick up Mouse- who was less subtle and quiet than Nat.

((Perception- Nat 20, total of 26))

She'd bound off in their direction, once she found his scent- not waiting for Vincent and Jinn, trusting them to follow her.

[Ancelas]

Jinn and Vincent led the charge into the common room. There was a dim glow of firelight in the room coming from the lit fireplace, but the dust and shadows seemed to choke the light from the air, making it difficult to see. They came to a stop at the trap door leading to the cellar, in front of the mirror that had been shattered the last time they visited the manor. It remained shattered, but this time there were words scratched into the wood behind the mirror.

Hush little orphans, don't cry no more

Mama Esther's at the door

Jinn knelt and threw open the door to the cellar and was met with a blast of muggy heat. Vincent focused on his holy abilities, reaching out for a sign. In the past, the manor had felt quiet and cold, save for when the poltergeist Lif was causing trouble.

Now it felt... malevolent. He couldn't pinpoint a source, but something had changed within the old manor house.

There was a thunk up stairs. A series of rapid creaks, follow by another thunk. And another. And then the sounds faded away.

Cerys turned her nose to the floor, sifting through the smells. The manor was old, and very few people had come through besides the Lucky Hand. She was able to block those familiar scents out and focus on the ones that mattered - the two belonging to Mouse and Nat. Both led her forward, past the bar, and toward the stairs leading to the second floor.

With a path set, she bounded forward, leaping clean over Vincent and Jinn as they ducked toward the cellar door, and dashed up the stairs to the second floor door. As she reached the closed door, she began picking up other smells, unfamiliar smells.

[uberwulfx]

"Alright-- alright."

She bent down to give Squiddly a peck on the forehead, before holding him at arm's length to look in his eyes, as much as his fear and confusion would allow. "Stay out here, even if you hear any more noises, screaming, or someone calling your name. If the Knick-knack Man comes around before we're out, tell him to just... be ready, okay? Don't let anyone else in, if you can."

It was a tall order for a scared little kid, Crystal knew, but he had his task. A final pat of his arm, and Crystal turned to run in after the others. She mentally ran through her list of spells, but she knew she didn't have anything to help find the two kids. Gods save the Manor's spirit when it was located, though. She skidded to a stop inside the door, looking back and forth as she grimaced at the wave of heat and gathering of shifting darkness about them. With Raziel drawn free, she moved forward to stop between Cerys and Vincent, waiting for those who had a bead on the kids to lead them forward. The moment she stopped moving, Cerys lifted her head and bolted, so Crystal dashed forward to follow.

[Kyt]

"Shit!" Rey swore as nothing was readily apparent, except for the house being even creepier. She wouldn't be against burning this place to the ground when all was said and down.

As Cerys dashed off, she swore again, seeing that the boys were already focused on the trapdoor. "We do not split up! You hear me? This thing picks people off!" Her piece said, she ran after Cerys, putting on speed to keep up with the wolf.

(Move, Dash, Bonus action dash)

[opius]

Jinn took a staggering step back from the rush of heat, lip curling back as he snarled. The others were bolting forward, Rey voiced her... very level headed and probably smarter instruction and he growled back. "Right-! Alright- fine- yeah!" He saw her run past and saw the mirror.

His lip curled back further as the horror kind of... set in. "Vinny... Vinny, Crys, come on- I think Cherrys' got a lead." He left the trapdoor be before following after Rey and Cerys, trying to keep pace.

[Ancelas]

Crystal drew Raziel from its sheath and the broken blade flared red through the swirling cloud of smoke that constantly enveloped it. Crystal could feel the blade awaken in her mind, though it remained silent.

Most of the Lucky Hand went chasing after Cerys, the heat and shadows of the manor pressing down upon their senses. The door at the top of the stairs, in front of Cerys, was closed, but did not possess a lock to keep it shut.

[CautionCat]

Vincent quickly followed after Cerys, once she was on the kids' trail. His mace at the ready, they came to the top of the stairs, and he would check if the door was magically shut- if not, he would fling it open- if it was, he would smash his mace against it to get through.