Nilan casts a Light spell on his Quarterstaff.
This may help. he says, holding his Quarterstaff up so light shines about.
Light Spell
Right Hand= Quarterstaff
Left Hand= Spellcasting Focus (Holy Symbol of Kelemvor)
Readied Weapons=
1 Dagger
2 Dagger
3
4
5
6
Readied Items
1
2
3
4
"Lets go." Illufaus move further into the room, beckoning the others to move with him.
Current Map: Death House Floor 1
Perdita stepped into the grand foyer, her half-elven eyes cutting through the darkness. Illufaus followed behind her.
Nilan meanwhile cast some magic and the tip of his staff lit up brightly as he held it high, illuminating the portico and spilling into the grand foyer.
No problem with the cantrip change.
In Game Time: 10:34am
Nilan says Well, lets not dawdle in the foyer. Nilan strides forwards and opens the door at the far end of the room.
This was taking entirely too long. Sorry.
Move to c15 (I can see the map from home) and open the door.
Light spell on Quarterstaff
Right Hand= Quarterstaff
Left Hand= Spellcasting Focus (Holy Symbol of Kelemvor)
Readied Weapons=
1 Dagger
2 Dagger
3
4
5
6
Readied Items
1
2
3
4
Hack nods when the light is produced and moves forward right behind Nilan as he opens the door.
"I think we should close doors behind us as we search for the monster. If it gets past us somehow we don't want it to have a straight path to the little children. Plus, we'll hear it if it opens doors."
"Agreed. Lets move." Illufaus readies himself for whatever may be beyond the door.
Current Map: Death House Floor 1
Nilan moved forward to the oaken doors with the stained glass and opened them.
A wide hall runs the width of the house, with a solid black marble fireplace at one end and a sweeping, red marble double staircase at the other. Mounted on the wall above the fireplace is a exquisite looking longsword with a windmill cameo worked into the hilt. The wood-paneled walls are ornately sculpted with images of vines, flowers, nymphs, and satyrs. There are five other single wooden doors that lead out of the room and both staircases lead upward. A large suit of armor rest on a pedestal between both staircases.
In Game Time: 10:38am
Hack carefully moves into the room, searching for traps on the floor and around the doorframes. He whispers over his shoulder to the others.
Did the kids say where the parents were?
"They said the parents were guarding the basement."
Ah, satyrs and nymphs -- maybe Mother does have something to do with this misty, creepy place in which we're swallowed up.
But there's still something wrong! Mother lives in a tree like a respectable evil Dryad, not a home.
Why does this place look so beautiful on the inside while everything looks so banal and dead on the outside?! It doesn't make sense.
It's more like Fey magic than reality. Illusions. This whole place seems more like that -- just a bit more menacing.
Perdita Imogen makes sure both entry doors we came through are closed, then inspects the foyer and hall for dust or signs of recent use.
DM:
Are there any smells in house?
Do the Satyrs & Nymphs look friendly, frolicking and pleasant -- or more like wicked, evil Dryad servants?
Or something else?....
Illufaus follows Perdita, looking around for whatever catches his eye.
Moving to B-11
Current Map: Death House Floor 1
Perdita inspected the grand foyer as well as the main hall for dust or tracks or any signs of disturbance. Both were impeccably clean and free of dust, dirt or any signs of recent passage as if they were just cleaned. As she inspected the carvings on the paneling in the main hall. The wood-paneled walls are ornately sculpted with images of vines, flowers, nymphs, and satyrs. However upon closer inspection she can see serpents and skulls inconspicuously woven into the wall designs. The decorative paneling follows the staircase as it circles upward to the second and third floor.
As Illufaus entered the main hall close to the fireplace he noticed that there was fresh wood in the fire but it was not lit. The sword over the mantle looked to be of high quality.
There are no smells in the house, none at all except for the smell of the wood.
In Game Time: 10:41am
"Let's keep moving, and find the parents."
Hack moves to the solitary door in the south wall, and listens carefully while checking to see if it is locked.
"Does anyone else find it odd that there are no smells in this house that looks so different on the inside than the outside?
"And did you all notice the serpents inconspicuously slithering twixt Nymph and Satyr in the wood paneling, and the skulls?
"But alas quickly, we must find the basement stairs!"
Uruk dawdles at the door and then sheks his head, shuffling quickly to move up to the others...
"I find the whole thing odd. Strange children. No apparent sounds of this creature that I can hear. Does it look like some beast cam rampaging through here? This place oozes with something off."
Left Hand: Empty
Readied Weapons [6]: Dagger
Readied Items [4]: Arcane Focus (Crystal Rod), Torch, Tinder Box, Spellbook
Spell List for Day [3]: Alarm, Detect Magic, Magic Missile,
Nilan follows behind
Still no access to the map, sorry. Both sites are blocked by my firewall.
Light spell on Quarterstaff
Right Hand= Quarterstaff
Left Hand= Spellcasting Focus (Holy Symbol of Kelemvor)
Readied Weapons=
1 Dagger
2 Dagger
3
4
5
6
Readied Items
1
2
3
4
Current Map: Death House Floor 1
Hack moved to the southern door in the main hall and pressed his ear to it and checked the handle for a lock. He heard nothing from the other side and the door did not seem to be locked and neither did it seem to have a locking mechanism.
Perdita moves over beside Hack and opens the door....
This oak-paneled room looks like a hunter's den. Mounted above the fireplace is a stag's head, and positioned around the outskirts of the room are three stuffed wolves.
Two padded chairs draped in animal furs face the hearth, with an oak table between them supporting a cask of wine, two carved wooden goblets, a pipe rack, and a candelabrum. A chandelier hangs above a cloth-covered table surrounded by four chairs. Two cabinets stand against the walls. One on the north wall and one on the west wall.
Suddenly a gust of wind blows through the house, originating from upstairs somewhere as the breeze blows by you from down the red marble staircases. The front door of the house slams shut behind you and you here the children outside scream.
Areas shaded dark on the map but not completely black is where the light doesn't reach and you must have darkvision to see what is in those squares.
In Game Time: 10:45am
Nilan makes a sign with his left hand meant to ward away evil spirits.
This is no mere home...something is wrong here.
"It's just the wind, Nilan. ....So far nothing here is beyond what some mischievous Fey could do, minor illusions and such.
"There's no time to search every room looking for the cellar. I vote we run back to where the kids are; we just heard them scream -- we've heard nothing here. Let's make sure they're okay and get them to tell us how to get to the cellar."
"Are you kids okay; what's happening?!"
Upon hearing the scream, Hack chases after Perdita.
"Help the children!"
Uruk lets Perdita run by him to go back to the door barely able to conceal his raised eyebrow at her apparent lack of concern for the strangeness of the home. Perhaps I am so inured to captivity that I have lost my sense of what is normal or right...
"This doesn't seem right. Something is off." Illufaus says to thin air. "Why are we even here? What happened in that mist? Nothing makes sense." He slowly moves back to the children, lost in his thoughts.
Current Map: Death House Floor 1
As a few of the group rush toward the door and the children Perdita is the first to make it to the door and swings it open and calls out to the children. She can see the portico, the unlit hanging lanterns, the rusty iron gate they opened to come into the portico but beyond that there was only swirling mist. As if the entire village had been swallowed up by the thickness of the fog. No village, No children, nothing. The mist lapped at the iron gate like a dog lapping water but didn't seem able to come past it.
Perdita called out louder for Rose and Thorn but nothing and no one answered her back.
In Game Time: 10:51am
"We should keep moving, and see if we can save the parents, and avenge Rose and Thorn." Grief at the fate of the children shows on Illufaus's face, by glistening eyes and a slight living tinge to his face.
"Yes. .... And whatever that Mist is, it is clearly NOT Fey. And I don't want to be in it again.
"Let's search this house more carefully, is my vote. If we find a monster so be it; I just hope we find something."
Come, then, Perdita, back inside.
Hack gently grabs Perdita on her upper arm to guide her back inside and out of the weird mist.
This mist is giving me a weird feeling.
Nilan follows behind
This is indeed unnatural. Some foul magic is at work here.
Current Map: Death House Floor 1
Perdita starred out into the swirling angry looking mist now, transfixed on its movements and watching it lap at the gate like it wanted to enter the house and engulf them as well. It called to her in her mind, wanted her to step into it. She only awoke from her trance like state when Hack placed a hand on her shoulder as she shook off the weird feeling as everyone else waited for her back inside the house.
In Game Time: 10:55am
Skeptic to the core Uruk merely frowns at the revelation of the missing children, "I agree we search the house. I'm thinking there are not parents to worry of. They seemed more like bait to me..."
Uruk lets his words linger as he moves in to the larger room with Nilan and Illufaus. Spotting the sword Uruk moves to try to take it down...
Current Map: Death House Floor 1
Uruk goes to the fireplace and takes the well crafted longsword down from over the mantle. Looking at the windmill crest that is inlaid into the pommel. A fine weapon indeed.
In Game Time: 10:56am
"Nice sword Uruk. I wonder what their family name was?"
Uruk offers a smirk, "Based on what limited experience I have with humans I would say something like "Miller".
The wizard hefts the weapon awkwardly, "I have no talent with such a thing but if it works as fine as it looks it might help us if there is, indeed, a monster of some kind..." Uruk offers the sword to the others.
"I would agree. Humans have such odd names. Whats wrong with a little 'Stars-light' or 'Chilen'Templa?' There should be nothing, but humans twist it all."
"I have little skill with that kind of weapon. I'm better suited to a shorter one, or daggers. Not very strong."
Hack walks back into the room with the others and points to the south door, as he walks in that direction.
Let's finish up looking in here.
Perdita Imogen, somewhat disconcerted that she was so disconcerted by the Mists, briefly nods in appreciation and quickly closes the door to the outside elements -- as if keeping them at bay.
"Yes, um,.... yeah let's keep searching the house. At the very least, I'd like to find out WHERE IN FAERUN we've come!"
"But we should start with a cursory search first -- figure out what's here quickly and if there are people in danger. Then we can execute a detailed search.
"There is a potential reason for us to be hasty now and no harm in taking a fully thorough search later rather than sooner."
To Uruk and the others:
"Remember that long sword does not belong to us. Let us bring it so that, if we find the rightful owner and do battle with any kind of "monster," we can give it to the owner to help us defend his or her home."
Uruk almost says something mean to Perdita until he realizes that the half elf seems somewhat shaken. Instead he opts to nod at the paladin's point about the weapon.
Illufaus moves forward, opening the door to the next room.
Current Map: Death House Floor 1
Illufaus moved to one of the doors on the north wall of the main hall and opened it, the room was partical lit by Nilan's light from the main hall and Illufaus's elven eyes penetrated the darkness in the other half...
The centerpiece of this wood-paneled dining room is a carved mahogany table surrounded by eight high backed chairs with sculpted armrests and cushioned seats. A crystal chandelier hangs above the table, which is covered with resplendent silverware and crystal-ware polished to a dazzling shine. Mounted above the marble fireplace is a mahogany-framed painting of an alpine vale.
The wall paneling is carved with elegant images of deer among the trees. Red silk drapes cover the windows, and a tapestry depicting hunting dogs and horse-mounted aristocrats chasing after a wolf hangs from an iron rod bolted to the east wall.
In Game Time: 11:03am
Hack looks over his shoulder at Illufus advancing into a separate room, and simply shakes his head as he enters the south room for a more thorough investigation.
May want to stick together, folks.
Nilan frowns and follows behind the group as they continue to slowly search the house.
Seeing the half elf go north and the human go south Uruk grunts and follows closer to Illufaus not wanting the Warlock to be alone. Looking over the orc lets out a low grunt, When I see this sort of opulence it usually means something bad but then again I lived in bad places...
Current Map: Death House Floor 1
Hack advances into the hunter's den but the lighting is poor for his human eyes so he calls Nilan to approach the door and give him some light. Once Nilan was in the doorway he could see the entire room, however nothing stuck out to him in particular.
This oak-paneled room looks like a hunter's den. Mounted above the fireplace is a stag's head, and positioned around the outskirts of the room are three stuffed wolves.
Two padded chairs draped in animal furs face the hearth, with an oak table between them supporting a cask of wine, two carved wooden goblets, a pipe rack, and a candelabrum. A chandelier hangs above a cloth-covered table surrounded by four chairs. Two cabinets stand against the walls. One on the north wall and one on the west wall.
In Game Time: 11:07am
Hack leaves and joins the others.
"Nothing of interest in that room, unless your havin' a need for a pipe and a glass of wine."
Current Map: Death House Floor 1
Perdita moves back across the main hall and opens up one of the doors on the north wall....
A cloakroom has several black cloaks hanging from hooks on the walls. A top hat sits on a high shelf.
In Game Time: 11:09am