Ven stares at Elgrior a moment. "Is he crazy? I wonder. Some of that rant has the ring of truth."
He turns and follows Aenian to Lowl's estate.
You leave Elgrior behind and continue on towards Iris Hill. The man continues his shouting as soon as you move away, and you hear him until his voice fades into the fog behind you.
The road winds past the last few homes on the edge of town before turning to climb up the wide hillock. For a time, you lose everything but the road in the mists...
Weiralai waves you towards the manor. Your chains clink as you waddle forward.
You shake off the deja-vu as the road bends left and then climbs straight towards the top of the hill. A high hedge wall appears before you from the fog. Ahead, the road leads to a stone gatehouse. Its tall iron-banded doors are shut tight.
Ven shakes his head. "Were we led here in chains? Or was it somewhere else? Or did it happen at all? I think this cursed amnesia will drive me truly insane."
He stops and looks at the gatehouse. "Aenian, I don't think we want to just walk up and knock on the door. Whether it's Lowls or someone else, they're not going to be friendly to us. Should we try to sneak in?"
"Well, the talk to people thing hasn't worked for us and I really dont know what to expect of this Lowls guy, so yeah let's sneak in. Vaustin, you up for a little subterfuge?."
Vaustin frowns, but looks up at the tall hedge nervously. "That thing is pretty high, and dense. How do you propose we get inside?"
Aenian tugs at the scarf hiding his face from the sun and adjusts his hat doing the same as he glances up at the hedge, "These things don't grow overnight, and I don't recall it being here ... how long have we been gone?"
He shakes his head, putting aside the misplaced memory and answers Vaustin, "Let's find somewhere a bit inconspicuous and we'll use a rope."
The investigator unslings 50 feet of rope from his shoulder and connects a grappling hook. He swings it twice in a circle and then hucks it up as high on the wall as he can.
;
Ven stays on guard while Aenian secures the grappling hook.
Let's go!
Aenian leads you a short ways away from the gate house, circling the hedge wall until it is out of sight in the fog and rain. The grapple sails up and over the hedge, catching with a muffled rustle. Using the rope, you scale the hedge without any trouble.
Within the surrounding hedge, the garden of Iris Hill appears eerily shrouded in a thin mist that lingers over the grass despite the driving rain. The estate grounds are comprised of the manor and four out buildings surrounding a central fountain. The gatehouse from the town road appears to be the only entrance to the grounds.
The ground floors of the various buildings that make up Iris Hill are built with solid stone blocks, and thick vines of ivy cover the walls with a verdant blanket. Sturdy timber-frame construction makes up the second floors of the buildings, jutting slightly from the thick walls below.
The building closest to you appears to be a guest house. Adjacent to it are a carriage house and stables. Across the fountain circle is a smaller building, perhaps a bath house. The manor looms between them, two stories tall with a high, arched roof, two large chimneys and circular dormer windows.
All of the buildings appear dark and quiet, and the odor of heather and ivy seems mixed with some sweetly sour, unwholesome essence.
"Gah, mist ... havent had good experience with that recently."
Aenian draws Red Destiny. "Let's check the out buildings first."
He heads toward the guest house stablea
Aenian leads Ven and Vaustin quietly past the guest house and towards the stable. The building is silent and empty, and it appears no horses have been housed here for quite some time. A closer look inside reveals wide dark stains marking the damp, musty hay in the individual stables.
Whispering, "There is a horse here. Someone is home."
Ven nods at Aenian. "Let's find out who it is."
Staying in the shadows he moves to the manor.
There are no horses in the stable...
"Gah! Ghosts and haunts again. Damn it."
Aenian glances around for hints of violence before he follows Ven.
The stables are attached to a larger carriage house with a set of tall, wide doors at the entrance. One of the doors hangs open, and you can see a large, black carriage fills most of the space within. A smell of freshly turned earth hangs heavy in the air.
*
Next to the stables and carriage house is a small but well-appointed guest house. It appears as dark and empty as the rest, but as you near the front door, you can smell wood smoke and see slivers of flickering light emanating from the edge cracks.
Ven will search the black carriage.
At the guest house, Ven will look around for a back door, low window, or some alternate method to enter other than the front door.
The carriage is covered in dust and clearly has not seen use for some time. A nearby wall is hung with tools and various pieces of tack.
While examining the carriage, you spot a hole dug into the ground behind the carriage. The excavation is recent, giving the area the scent of fresh earth. The hole is nearly five feet wide and descends into darkness and out of sight.
*
You circle the small building, looking for other entrances. There are no other doors, and only two narrow windows on the ground floor. The second floor has several more windows, slightly larger in size.
Ven gets on his knees and peers into the hole trying to detect any signs of life. He then whispers to Aenian, "There can't be anything good down here. Shall we find out what Lowls is hiding in this hole or shall we confront whomever is in the guest house?"
Beyond the range of dsrkvision?
"Hang on a sec."
Aenian secures the grappling hook and rope and then slips into the hole as best he can.
Aenian secures his rope around the carriage wheel and then slips down into the hole. The descent is confined and roughly excavated along a jagged path, but there are plenty of hand and foot rests to use.
About thirty feet down, the hole breaks into a much larger cavern. This natural cave, illuminated by large floor lanterns, extends from west to east, slightly descending from a raised shelf below Aenian to a pool of water.
Two strange, hideous creatures perch atop stalagmites at the floor of the cavern. They have star-shaped heads and two bat-like wings. Countless writhing appendages are arranged radially around their barrel-shaped bodies.
They appear sluggish, or asleep, and make no immediate reaction to Aenian's entrance from above.
While Aenian scouts the cave, Ven will move back to the guest house and will detect thoughts to determine if the house is occupied. If he detects someone, he will attempt to pick up any surface thoughts.
What in the holy f*** is that? Aenian thinks to himself.
Aenian will climb back up and share his disturbing findings with Ven, sketching out a quick drawing.
Aenian does not see any obvious exits from the small cavern, but the pool of water ripples with some small current.
In the rain and fog above, Ven concentrates on the guest house. He detects two minds from within, but he cannot penetrate their natural mental defense.
Ven will describe what he's found to Aenian. "That cave doesn't sound pleasant. Maybe we try to sneak into the guest house first and get the jump on these two? Think maybe you can pick that front door lock?"
"Yeah, sounds like a plan. Wish I could collapse this tunnel some how, though ..."
Aenian drinks an extract of blend and then sneaks up to the guest house, glancing in windows before moving to the front door to check if it is locked.
Ven will go invisible once Aenian picks the lock and will follow him in.
Aenian cannot see anything through the small windows. You find the door unlocked, and it swings open easily...
"Please, stop tramping around in the rain and come in," a woman's voice calls.
Light and warmth from the brick fireplace greets you at the threshold. Inside is a well-appointed lounge including a mahogany table with three matching leather-covered chairs, and an antique sideboard near the foot of a stairway going up. The liquor cabinet is well-stocked with a variety of crystal decanters and carafes.
A couple dressed in the finery of nobles sits around the table in this room, sipping wine from crystal goblets. The woman has her blond hair braided and coiled atop her head, and wears an expensive dress and fitted jacket, while the man has dark hair and a long mustache and wears a dark grey suit.
They are aware of us?
Ven locks eyes with the woman. "Greetings, we were just looking for Master Lowls. Please do tell us who you are and what you are doing here. Now, where did ol' Lowls run off to? You will help us find him, won't you?"
He attempts to charm the woman.
"Oh, its them," she smiles as Ven steps forward. "Ven... and Aneen was it?" Her eyes pass over Vaustin as if he weren't there. "We'd heard you were 'indisposed', isn't that right, darling?" The dark-haired man nods, silently.
"Surely you remember us... Dalene," she says, referring to herself, "and Asa." She waves her wine glass towards the man. "Though we'd only just arrived before you... went away."
"As for the count, he left the estate some days ago, before all these troubles began," She punctuates the statement with, "Quite a rude thing to do when you have guests, if you ask me. And Melisenn has not proven to be much of a host."
The woman's eyes narrow a touch. "Now, why would you attempt to charm me? That hardly seems necessary. We're all friends here, after all."
Ven fumes at the woman. "I have no idea what you're talking about! Friends you say, eh? Prove it! How did we know each other? What do you know about us? And what exactly was your relationship with Lowls? I think he is responsible for committing us to that infernal asylum and we are determined to find answers. Are you going to help us? Who and where is this Meliseen? We'll need to talk to them next."
Dalene arches a brow but keeps her cool in the face of Ven's rant. "Not close friends, of course, but I was trying to be polite in the face of your break in and mental assault."
"I know very little about you, in fact. Just that you were the count's henchmen. We met once shortly before you and Count Lowls departed. I had no idea that you were sequestered to an asylum, but I cannot say I'm surprised. Your memory appears flawed."
"As well you should certainly know Melisenn, for she is the count's right hand, and your superior. I'm sure she can alleviate your confusion... shall we go and speak with her now?"
Ven shakes his head. "We're not Lowl's henchmen and neither Meliseen nor yourselves are our superiors. You still haven't told us why you're here or anything about yourselves. Why bother staying if your host is gone? Why did Lowls invite you here in the first place? What exactly are you doing for him?"
Dalene sighs and gives Ven a withering look. "I have no need to explain myself to you, nor do I need a reason to visit the count's estate. Clearly you have no understanding of noble leisure, and I have no interest in explaining it to you."
"I will no be subjected to your rude intrusion and interrogation any longer. Begone from my sight. Go pester Melisenn with your inane questions. You'll find her in the manor." She waves you off and turns away, as if you were no longer there.
Aenian looks on stone faced. Unsure of anything, he is trying to absorb whatever details these two let on without disclosing much himself.
"Your servants havent been affected by the disappearances, graffiti and other such buffoonery happening in town then, I pray?"
Await a response and then, "To Meliseen then. Enjoy the rest of your stay."
He sketches a quick bow and steps briskly out the door.
Ven follows Aenian out. He turns back to Dalene as he leaves. "We're going to get to the bottom of what's going on. You'd best not be involved."
Dalene pointedly ignores you, and Asa moves to close the door behind you after you leave. You hear the lock being thrown loudly.
When out of earshot of the guest house Ven turns to Aenian. "Well, that didn't work so well. Somehow they were able to detect us. It may be the same case with Meliseen. Show we just knock on the door this time?"
"Yes, apparently we are expected. I still don't like those things I saw in the cave, though. Something is not normal or right here, no matter what we were before."
Ven will move up to the manor front door and will knock.
Vaustin shuffles nervously in behind the two once cronies, trying to make heads or tails of the situation.
You follow the path up the main manor building. The entrance is a set of tall double-doors with a peaked arch. The knocker echoes loudly within, though it seems strangely dull outside in the mists. A moment later, the door creaks open. A man with a neatly-trimmed beard and exquisite outfit greets you with a silent bow, waving inside with his other hand. You note the butler is wearing a fine rapier and main-gauche set on his belt.
"Please, come in," a woman calls. Her voice is deep and carries a Katapeshi accent.
Inside is a long greeting hall clad with fine wood paneling and marble floor. The hall seems like an oversized curio cabinet -- hundreds of items and art objects are displayed on small tables, in vitrines, and on benches. Dozens of paintings and tapestries of various sizes hang from the walls and muffle the echoes that would normally be present.
Two other guards, a man and a woman, both dressed in similar finery to the butler, stand at the opposite end of the hall.
Standing next to an ebony pedestal with an elaborately etched human skull, is a short woman in her early thirties with long, smooth hair tied in a pony tail and deep, dark eyes. Her dark skin reveals her Garundi heritage, and she sports a ferroniere with a large teardrop-shaped topaz on her forehead. She wears a modest corset top, yellow silk blouse and long skirt. She smiles, white teeth gleaming.
"Ven, Aenian... and?" she asks Vaustin, but barely pauses for a response. "You... should't be here. How did you manage escape from Briarstone Asylum?"
Ven wearily eyes the guards and then sighs, "We nearly didn't. What a nightmare! I'm still not sure if we've woken up from it. The one thing that is increasingly clear is that Master Lowls is complicit with the whole affair. Your association with Lowls, my lady, forces us to regard you and the other guests with some suspicion. You will forgive us if I ask you to explain your presence here, your business with Lowls and your knowledge of ourselves before our most unfortunate imprisonment within that asylum."