Vasilios, finding a ritual that seems to work, repeats it again and again, in the belief that doing exactly the same things will carry exactly the same results. So he breathes, moves, talks and even thinks exactly the same time after time.
Enough of this madness! stated Dinaeri, as he took yet another swing at the magical Armour, aiming for what he believed to be the core once more.
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Between Alton's magic and the elven attacks, the armor finally falls into pieces, whatever enchantment that powered it clearly broken. Silence descends on the dark house once again.
Clearly I poked my head into an area the hosts do not wish laymen to enter. Perhaps I will review some of the materials in the study and take a break, I find myself tuckered out from that encounter - my bell rung if you will.
Wellby roots around in the study looking for anything speaking of a monster or some such association.
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Out of the mists just down the hallway Grym steps out along with his trustwothy squire Earnest and their caretaker Ms. Hackett. Earnest carries the house banner and says plantively crumbs, chief how did we get from the fens to this here hallway? and Ms Hackett tsks as she comments on the general dustiness and how unsuitable this all is as Grym says never fear Earnest, I am sure Torm has us here and now for a purpose.
Seeing a banner-carrying man as well as an old lady and balding man appear unexpectedly, Alton quickly writes their description down on a piece of parchment, which serves as his "Book of Adventures That Have Been Undertaken By the Bard Alton Underbough". Hello! Who are you?
Ah, greetings Glym, Knight of the Bridge, Earnest, and Ms.Hackett. My name is Alton Underbough, and I am the second to hold that name. As for my companions, I shall let them introduce themselves
Oi! What's going on over there? Has anyone seen Felix?
With all his story behind, Vasilios is a bit wary about people related to the church, though he manages to at least introduce himself... carefully.
-I am Vasilios.
Wellby continues to search the office for anything meaningful.
Alton rushes to Welby I'm afraid I have no healing spells..... He quickly moves to write about Gryms healing, but discovers that he ran out of parchment. Drats!
I thank you, Master Grym. It seems this fine home is a magnet for traveling nobility.
The desk in the library having been already thoroughly searched, Wellby looks to the books on the shelves. Hundreds of tomes line the walls, covering a range of topics, including history, warfare, and alchemy. Several expensive first-edition collected works of fiction and poetry also catch the halfling's eye.
One book is clearly more interesting than the rest; the dust surrounding it have been swept away by constant pulls from the shelves, and the title has been worn from its red leather spine.
Wellby, curious, pulls the book from the shelf.
Ignoring the strange book, Alton begins to pull the fictional and poetry books off the shelves. Oooh..this is nice...A classic!...Look, my tutor wrote this one.... at least, I think? He turns to the side and notices Welby holding the strange book. Welby... whats that?
-Er... guys... as much as I like a good page turner, we're not here to buy books, remember?
Not that it's a wonderful idea, but I feel all that could be found in previous rooms has been. The upper floor has me curious. Besides, if something should catch me off guard, I have at least one means of escape.
With no sign of Felix and with the other party members heading back down the hallway, Dinaeri stepped over the now broken Armour before making his way up the spiralled staircase, immediately inspecting the doorway to his far left.
Twisting the handle as quietly as possible, he attempted to push the door open as gently as could be, to not draw any unwanted attention to himself.
In one corner is a heavy wooden chest with clawed iron feet. The chest lid is ajar; a skeleton dressed in leather armor sticks out of the inside, the previous opener having collapsed face-first into the container.
Oh my... This brings back some bad memories, Wellby carefully enters the room. He begins to slowly search and step lightly to avoid disturbing the scene. Luckily his stature aides the endeavor.
As he inspected the room, he opened the Stained Glass balcony doors with the intention of airing the room a little. It needed it as the air was stale and irritable to the lungs.
Stepping out onto the balcony, the Eladrin Lord deeply inhaled the now fresh air. The silence was eerie, but the sound of night was a little more calming to him.
Waaaaaa, ahwaaaaaa he suddenly heard.
A young one? This house doesn't look as though it's been occupied for quite some time. To think a newly born child would be up here is both unusual and quite unsettling.
Leaving the balcony and slowly making his way to the western door, Dinaeri kept his wits about him, attempting to sense the nature behind all of this. He didn't believe too much in the supernatural, but with his past experience back at his home domain, he was ready to be disproved of his own beliefs, as he once again, gently pushed open the door.
Also, how high up is this floor? 30-40ft from the ground?
Taking out his rapier, Alton carefully treads over to the the skeleton and pokes it with the sword. Grimacing, Alton begins to inspect the pentagram in the middle. With a thoughtful look and his face, Alton rips a small piece of parchment, balls it up, and throws it into the sand.
The chest had originally been trapped, much to the dead thief's misfortune. The skeleton's leather armor and rib cage were punctured by three darts, launched from hidden ports in the chest's construction. In the skeleton's clutch is a letter, sealed with red wax.
The chest contains three blank books with black leather covers , three spell scrolls, the deed to the house, the deed to a windmill, and a signed will.
When you open the door to the nursery, you feel a presence behind you. An ethereal, skeletally thin young woman stands in the bedroom, staring with terrified eyes. "Did you wake the baby?" she demand. "Did you wake my Walter?"
Wellby strides back to the desk of the room and sits to read the letter, breaking the seal carefully with the proper opener.
Alton stands over Welby, reading the letter as well
Vasilios is a bit bored, thinking why are they searching books when they came here to look for a monster...
-Guys, are you fini- oh, bugger...
Good Morning Lord, Alton! Just give me thirty damn seconds and you can have it. If you're in such a rush I'll read it aloud. Now go sit over there or something, Wellby says irritated and waving a hand towards an empty chair and reads the letter aloud.
Ok, ok...... Alton backs off, and begins to read one of the books he took off the shelves.
I opened the balcony doors and then heard the child, so no, I did not wake the baby, though I did enter the room to make sure all was in order upon hearing Walter, you said?...crying. I assure you, I bare you no harm.
I am not a messiah sent to you by the Dark Powers of this land. Ihave not come to lead you on a path to immortality. However many souls you have bled on your hidden altar, however many visitors you have tortured in your dungeon, know that you are not the ones who brought me to this beautiful land. You are but worms writhing in my earth.
You say that you are cursed, your fortunes spent. You abandoned love for madness, took solace in the bosom of another woman, and sired a stillborn son. Cursed by darkness? Of that I have no doubt. Save you from your wretchedness? I think not. I much prefer you as you are.
Your dread lord and master
-What the...?
Vasilios runs to where the shouts come from, in case Dinaeri is in danger.
As Wellby reads the letter aloud, he slows his speech and leans into the letter studying it intently. Once the screams echoes from upstairs he begins cursing, S@$&! S~@+, s++$, s+%+, s+&+, s!%~! G*~&$&n those filthy lying brats!
He dashes up the stairs shouting, Everyone, there is no baby! Walter is dead!
Alton peruses the book with a mixture of disgust and curiosity. Ooh.... When Wellby begins shouting about the lying kids, Alton says I knew there was something wrong with those kids!
After shoving the book in his backpack, Alton begins to run after Welby. What does it say!?