As you cross the threshold and enter the room, you each catch a momentary whiff of something burning ... a smell like burning flesh, then the impression fades. From up the staircase along the south wall, Nich and Ned can make out the muffled sound of a woman sobbing.
There are a number of exits from this room
- the stairs going up on the south wall
- the windows on the north and south walls which lead outside
- this room also contains doors on the north and south walls
- the hallway ahead has opposing doors also on the north & south
- the dining room past the hallway has some fantastic stained glass windows which must overlook the sea far below. Probably wouldn't be a great idea to go out that way.
As we made our way up to the house, Lleidr shared the following info:
Foxglove Manor is over 80 years old, and has been the seat of the Foxglove family the whole time. Some sort of tragedy struck the family a few decades ago, and no one’s lived there since. Common rumor holds that the place is haunted.
Foxglove Manor is known as the “Misgivings” by some locals, particularly by Varisians. It certainly has a bad reputation—sightings of strange lights in the attic windows, muffled sounds of screaming from above and below, and even rumors of a huge bat-winged devil living in the caves below the manor are but a few of the tales told about the place. The Foxglove family lived there as recently as 2 decades ago, but then a fire burned down the servants’ building, Cyralie Foxglove was found dead—burnt and dashed on the rocks below the cliffs behind the house—and Traver Foxglove was found in his bedroom, dead by his own hand.
The children, including young Aldern Foxglove, were sent away to be raised in Korvosa by distant relations.
Aldern Foxglove recently returned to live in the manor, but he had a hell of a time hiring locals to aid him in the reconstruction and repair of the old building. Until Aldern moved back in, the place was cared for by a man named Rogors Craesby (a retired innkeeper who lost an ear in a bar fight many years ago) who came in 3 days a week from Sandpoint to air the place out, check for squatters, and make minor repairs.
He'd also mention that, now that he's talking about it, he noticed that the ghoul back at Hambley's with the keychain around his neck was missing an ear. Probably Rogors, poor man.
Again, if it matters,
If Lleidr can hear the weeping from up the stairs, he'll sneak over to the foot of the stairs and make another Perception roll. If he doesn't, he'll move to the door in the north wall to listen.
Nich, the sobbing sound came from somewhere upstairs. There is a staircase on the south wall. Here's the latest map.
Lleidr doesn't catch the weeping sounds. Aside from the occasional creak of the house settling, there are no sounds from that north door.
BTW, I highly recommend a film, 'The Woman in Black' to get you in the mood for this phase of our adventure.
"Seriously creepy place. If I were Aldern I wouldn't be trying to fix the place up. I'd stand back and throw torches at it until it burns to the ground." He pauses for a moment then adds,"It definetly sounds like a woman weeping. It could be nothing but wind blowing through a loose shutter but we may as well start upstairs."
I think it comes from upstairs. Lets head up. Nicholae heads up the stairs.
"Um...good idea. Let's go."
You've entered a hallway atop these stairs, a dreary place of stale air and dust. Splotches of mold spot the ribbons of peeling wallpaper and the floorboards pop and squeak with each step.
You immediately spy several exits in front of you, and all the doors are shut.
-Immediately next to Nich is one.
-There are doors for north-east and south-east corners of the house.
-You can see a door in the north wall at the end of the hallway.
-In the middle of the hall ahead of you, a pair of opposing double doors are in the east and west walls.
- You can also tell that the hallway keeps going at the north end as it bends to the west.
Nicholae opens the door next to himself
You've entered a stairwell leading back downstairs. It's narrow and the walls are unadorned plaster.
Is the weeping still audible? Can everyone hear it now?
No, the weeping some of you thought you heard has stopped.
Where to next folks? You can take these newly-found stairs downstairs or you can go back into the hallway and choose a path previously mentioned:
-There are doors for north-east and south-east corners of the house.
-You can see a door in the north wall at the end of the hallway.
-In the middle of the hall ahead of you, a pair of opposing double doors are in the east and west walls.
- You can also tell that the hallway keeps going at the north end as it bends to the west.
Let's try the east double doors.
This large room features two padded chairs and a long couch facing a wide alcove lined with stained-glass windows. Several music stands lean against the southern wall next to a violin, two flutes, and a large harp; all three instruments appear at first glance to be warped, rusted, and/or coated in dust.
The windows themselves depict a diverse array of animals and plants--from north to south are a large pale and ghostly scorpion, a gaunt man holding out his arms as a dozen bats hang from him, a moth with a strange skull-like pattern on its wings, a tangle of dull green plants with bell-shaped flowers, and a young maiden sitting astride a well in a forest while a spindly spider the size of a dog descends along a string of webbing above her.
Just a quick follow-up on the prior post:
- the windows are stained glass again
- your eyes might be drawn to the 'i' button on the map. I had the room desc stored in this button, and copied the above text from it, which is why it's selected in the image. If you don't know, you can store player info, like area descriptions, in those little info buttons for a live game on Maptool. Just one more reason why Maptool rocks. But, the button has absolutely no significance in regards to this room at all.
Lleidr will move into the room and check out the instruments.
All the instruments are likely worthless, given their poor condition. It's obvious to you they haven't been used in years, if not decades. Anything else you want to check out? If not, where to next?
"Well, they have the creepy factor down... Let's check out this first door first."
I'm assuming you meant the first door on the right.
This bedroom features a child-sized bed, a chair next to a toy box, and a looming stone fireplace big enough for a child to get lost in.
I'm going to need a Perception check from each of you.
Perception
Each of the men in the party are mystified by how Selia seems momentarily paralyzed in a state of horror. Then, the mood passes.
What happened Selia?
Dammit, so slow :(
Lleidr will step over to Selia to check on her.
"Selia, are you all right? Did you hear a child crying, too?"
Selia, I'm going to need a Will save from you.
While we're waiting on Selia ... where to next, folks?
The horrific vision Selia experienced has left her with 3 points of Wisdom damage.
If there's no apparent ill effect on Selia, I guess we can move on to the double doors across from the music room.
With all the spooky crying that various party members are hearing, Lleidr will keep the FoE readied.
You look shaken indeed! Lets move quickly
"My parents are trying to kill each other! And I am next! Mother, put down that torch! Father, that knife!"
Selia's eyes are wide with terror, and then she sinks to the floor, drained of energy.
Gods above! What vision are you seeing there? One of your own or one from this old house?
Selia seems confused by the question.
Lleidr will produce a wine flask and try to comfort Selia.
"I heard a child crying right before she collapsed. Ned, didn't you hear a woman crying downstairs? Maybe we should figure out a way to block our hearing 'til we know what we're up against?"
"What?? I think I am ok. But it was a powerful vision."
"A child? No. I heard the sound of a woman weeping from up here. I stopped when we came upstairs."
A stone fireplace sits in the northwestern portion of this chamber. Paintings hang on the walls to the north and south, each covered over with a thick sheet of dusty cobwebs that obscures its subject from view.
Besides the pair of doors you came through, another exit is a pair of double doors on the opposite side of the room.
Lleidr will suddenly remember he has cantrips and cast Breeze to clear the dust covering the probably out of reach paintings.
Sorry for the delay folks. Got a kid in the hospital with shunt issues.
Lleidr's arcane magics peel the layers of cobwebs off the paintings, revealing a set of portraits and a family tree. The sudden appearance of so many vividly rendered faces all staring at you is quite unnerving.
Near the door is a recently updated work, a family tree framed and printed on fine parchment, but obviously neglected for many months.
There are three portraits on the north wall, each with a nameplate:
- Vorel Foxglove
- Kasanda, his wife
- Katharinne, one of their daughters
Vorel is tall, middle-aged, with long dark hair, a clean-shaven face, and nobly attired in attractive dark blue clothes. Kasanda is a stern-faced brunette woman with wisps of gray in her short hair and a f lowing blue dress.
There are five portraits on the south wall, and again, each has an identifying nameplate.
- Traver Foxglove
- Cyralie, his wife
then their children,
- Aldern
- Sendeli
- Zeeva.
Traver, like Vorel, is tall and thin, but with an even narrower face and a thin mustache. Cyralie is a young woman with long red hair
and an impish smile. The other three portraits portray their subjects in childhood, each holding a treasured toy and each wearing a face betraying both innocence and sadness, or perhaps fear.
I need a Perception check from each of you please.
Are those paintings?
Sorry - that 19 is for Nicholae.
Ned (NOTE - I got a Per 16 for Ned), Nich and Lleidr all notice the room getting noticeably colder immediately after the paintings are revealed.
So ... if the 3 of you would like to try doing something, you'll need to roll Initiative for the surprise round. Unaware of the sudden change, Selia is unable to act for the moment.