You continue down the road eventually swinging away from the river and finally the Mansion known as the 'Misgivings' appears ahead of you.The place looks deserted the grounds gone to seed the once attractive formal gardens overgrown and choked with weeds.
The house itself, which sits on a headland overlooking the waters of the ocean, isn't overly large. Either the Foxglove family fortune didn't extend to grandiose buildings or the family were uncharacteristically modest for Varisian nobles.
As stated previously the house is a fairly modest two and a half story affair generally orientated west to east. The front entrance is in a small wing that sticks out from the main body of the house towards the North West. To the north south and east of the house sheer cliffs lead down to the crashing waves.
To your right as you approach the house are the ruins of a once substantial building.It’s impossible to tell how many floors the outbuilding that stood here once had, for all that remains are the crumbling stones of its foundation.
The stones still bear scorches and cracks from the fire that destroyed the building long ago. To the east, a four-foot-wide stone well sits, partially collapsed, in the corner of the ruins.A few sickly looking ravens perch in the trees around the ruins watching you in silence
You are still only a month past the summer solstice and there are still a few hours of daylight left.
Intentions please
Roman views the scene.
With the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit. I say insufferable; for the feeling was unrelieved by any of that half-pleasurable, because poetic, sentiment, with which the mind usually receives even the sternest natural images of the desolate or terrible. I looked upon the scene before me—upon the mere house, and the simple landscape features of the domain—upon the bleak walls—upon the vacant eye-like windows—upon a few rank sedges—and upon a few white trunks of decayed trees—with an utter depression of soul which I can compare to no earthly sensation more properly than to the after-dream of the reveler upon opium—the bitter lapse into every-day life—the hideous dropping off of the veil. There was an iciness, a sinking, a sickening of the heart—an unredeemed dreariness of thought which no goading of the imagination could torture into aught of the sublime. What was it—I paused to think—what was it that so unnerved me in the contemplation of the House of Foxglove?
Muchorak nods his thanks to Marak, "Yes," he looks at his other companions, "Are we all ready?" With their acknowledgement Muchorak begins the walk to the house, the front entrance...
Screeching softly as she glides in for a landing Alihawk flows to Gnome form briefly as she looks at the building. She gathers Lunas and Little Bear to her and casts some helpful magics over them. She then flows to wolf form and pads alongside Big Bear into the forbidding house. As she does she keeps her senses alert for any sign of danger or evil.
The musty decaying smell of the mansion confuses Ali's sense of smell and she doesn't see anything of importance.
Inikai indicates to the others by gesture that he is going to look into the well in front of the house. He circles it when he gets close enough to see over the rim of it.
The well is very deep the bottom shrouded in darkness..
"Try the house?"Naria suggests
"That's what we came for," Romon replies. "Seems more a spot for suicide than a murderous lord."
Romon sizes the place up.
The house itself looks rundown and neglected.You know from the comments Aldern made when he feasted the ones who saved him that the family has lived in Magnimar for two generations now and it shows.
There are 4 chimney stacks, two towards the rear of the house one towards the front of the main building and one large one in the off set wing.
It would be a DC 20 to climmb on any part off the house..one roll to get the the second storey windows, another to the half story and a third to reach the roof(reflecting the poor condition of the building and the chance of it breaking away under you)
Nari lets out a low whistle as she observes the building "Definetly a fixer upper." she comments to no one in particular.
"There are no signs of crops or livestock here; so whatever dwells inside does not eat normal fare. More ghouls, I expect. I wish we could just burn it to the ground without having to go inside, but I doubt that will be enough to guarantee that any enemies inside are slain. So, we go in and start killing as usual?"
Muchorak nods at Inikai, "Indeeed let this hunt be finished." He steps upto the door and turns to Romon, "Mean of wealth have been known to bare entrances. Would you be so kind?" and he gestures to the door.
Romon counters, "They're also less likely to bar or guard a second story window. We could sneak in that way."
If the party wants to use the door -- he won't fight. It will be the normal routine.
Listen, perception
Find traps, Perception
If needed disable device
When the door is ready to open he'll wait for the party to be ready, draw his sword and dagger and open it. If it opens out he shields himself with the door. If it opens in he goes through and to the side to get out of the party's way.
At sneaky man's comment on the window, Aliwolf looks at him curiously for a moment, then looks up at the window and smiles slightly in understanding. Jogging forward slightly for momentum she suddely turns to hawkform and flies up to the second window, landing on thewindow sill and looking in.
Ali finds that the windows are shuttered on the inside..also the years of neglect have resulted in a build up of grime on the glass so as to make it almost impossible to see through it.
Squawking in frustrating Alihawk continues to fly about the house checking if there are any other possible entries other then the front door
You see no sign of any other open way into the house.You do however note that the rear wall of the building sits right on the edge of the cliff.
Meanwhile, at the front door, Romon discovers that the door is not locked nor is it trapped..his ears pick up nothing but the sounds he would expect from a old and decaying building.Attempting to open it reveals that damp and age make it stick badly requiring some force to open it.(All doors in this house open inwards)
Strength check
Strength check
Strength check
Strength check
Indeed he seems to be having some difficulty
Romon's face turns red as he pushes on the door, and not just from exertion. He finally sags back. "There's no traps, no locks, but this door is jammed tight. Muchorak, if you lean on it and I help maybe we can force it together."
Strength, aid another Obviously Romon's fatigued. Naps for everyone!
Muchorak nods at Romons request, sheaths his blades and attempts to force the door open...
One heavy boot later the door is sagging off it's hinges
"Shall we?"
If it's duration was less than 4 hours it has expired.
The smell of rot and decay meets your Nostrils as you stand in the doorway..the ceiling of the entrance hall sags,crumbling plaster tries valiantly to remain on walls that trickle damp. The whole house gives a general impression of neglect and ruin.
We peek inside?
At the doors opening Muchorak draws his blades again ready for some undead creature to lash out. The foul air strikes him instead causing a pause and garnering a cough from the warrior. "Must we face this stench through out this entire place?"
A slightly more detailed description of the room follows...
A curving flight of stairs to the south winds up to the upper floor, while a pair of large stone fireplaces brood to the north and south. Heavy dark-blue curtains hang over the windows, and the frames above each of the two doors are carved with dancing gargoyles and skeletons.
Trophies hang on the wall to the northeast: a boar, a bear, a firepelt cougar, and a stag, their glassy eyes staring from fur crusted with mold and cobwebs, yet they pale in comparison to the monster on display in the center of the room. Here crouches a twelve-foot-long creature with the body of a lion, a scorpion’s tail fitted with dozens of razor barbs, huge bat-like wings, and a deformed humanoid face.
The stuffed beast’s poorly maintained fur has fallen away in places, allowing the sawdust filling it to sift out into tiny mounds on the platform below.
Inikai
"I recognize that central beast from Ilsoari's stories at the Academy. It is a manticore, a very fearsome creature. If Foxglove felled it, even with retainers to assist him, he must be a formidable man in his own right."
Inikai then wrinkles his nose. "Do any of you smell anything burning, like hair?" He then reaches around to his haversack, searching for a sack of flour. If he gets it in time he gets ready to throw a few handfuls onto the floor but holds onto it for now.
"It would appear Foxglove was a killer." Muchorak sighs, "Ever since these civilized men came to these lands they've killed for their enjoyment. Never respecting the spirits." Muchorak looks back at Wolfspirit then to Inikai, "Perhaps we should just burn this place to the ground?"
"Better search the place first. Try the nearest door?" Naria suggests looking at the creatures with morbid fasination.
|
"The place certainly seems the product of an unwell mind." Marak says quietly, regarding the carving of gargoyles and skeletons.
"Still, ghouls, as I understand it, are grave-robbers, inclined to tunnel into the earth to find corpses to feed upon. If they nest here, it will be in the cellars, and below, where fire would not reach them."
"The place certainly seems the product of an unwell mind." Marak says quietly, regarding the carving of gargoyles and skeletons.
"Still, ghouls, as I understand it, are grave-robbers, inclined to tunnel into the earth to find corpses to feed upon. If they nest here, it will be in the cellars, and below, where fire would not reach them."
You reckon burning the house in its current damp condition would not be the easiest thing in the world anyway
Having joined her companions in time to enter the house and flowig back to four-leg form Aliwolf growls at the grusome display in the room. Eager to be out of this place she swiftly begins to sniff and scout around.
Muchorak steps into the home, takes in it all, "Shall we go upstairs or the doors?"
"The stairs leave us vulnerable to attackers from behind these doors. If we take the door we are vulnerable to attackers from upstairs. Neither one seems to be more advantageous. We might as well take the door."
[ooc]Correct[/url]
All doors in this building require a DC 14 strength check to open.
Giving the stuffed animals a wide berth the two wolves pace along side their pack leader.
The general smell of rot and decay pervading the house is not conducive to canine tracking.Everything smells funny.
Stepping into the house, Romon sniffs. Smells like Madame Devor's House. Nasty place that was. Ohh. What have we here...
The thief begins a circuit of the room, checking out the various appointments and goods.
Appraise, most valuable
Appraise, random item
Appraise, random item
Appraise, random item
Romon's appraisal of the visible objects is that they might fetch 5 coppers for the lot from a junkman.There is nothing of any real value in sight.
Half way down however, where the room narrows, a rather gruesome antique—what appears to be a mummified monkey head—hangs on the northern wall. A bellpull extends from the monkey’s gaping mouth.
A ratty throw rug partially obscures a foul stain of dark-colored mold on the floor.
Muchorak will continue to the doors, avoiding the monkey head and the stained rug if possible.