Kast moves forward, looking around.
”Are you sure you head something, Seamus?” Kast asks before raising his voice in the hallway.
He hopes to hear a reply.
Kast's words echo back on himself in the large rambling house. At first, he thinks he heard something, but it's only someone climbing the stairs behind him.
He waits a moment for a reply, but none is forthcoming.
As Kast stops and starts shouting, Izomandakus, who is confused by the guard's light and the many corners of the corridor and the many shadows produced by them, stumbles with him, then Pachemu stumbles with Izomandakus, who hits Kast's back with his head and has to hold himself to the well shaped arms not to fall "Oh, sorry"
"*Cough* *cough*" the boy hits his chest with the fist "This place is full of dust"
He steps back to make room and points to the left door "It seems no one is here, or at least, no one who wants, or perhaps can, answer us... so why not opening this door here and start checking room by room?"
Pachemu tilts her head and looks at the boy stretching her eyes.
As a means of justification, he adds "Do not look at me like that, Aldern might be in danger..."
Kast nods at Izomandakus and opens the indicated door when others are ready.
"Let's work our way down."
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Val tries, really she does, to focus on listening for a woman’s voice like Seamus heard, but everything is just so…ugh. Ruins and caves and such being horrible stinking messes is understandable—even expected—and she had never spent much of her life until now in them. This is a manor house, though, the exact type of luxury she had lived in all her life. Every discoloration, every broken board, every spot of mold calls images of their proper ideal forms. ”He must not have had the money to fix this place properly or been prevented in some way from fixing it. No noble would find this state of affairs even remotely acceptable. You all do not know that world like I do. Appearances and proprieties are the price of admission, and dear Alexander has certainly been trying to play the part. He was probably trying to keep this place’s state a secret to buy himself time.” She swerves back to the group as she suddenly remembers something. ”Hold on: did one of you not say that someone was murdered here? Just what the hells is going on with this family?”
"Yeah! The Sheriff said. But who is Alexander?" Izomandakus looks quizzical.
He blinks as Seamus insists he heard something "Are you sure there was a voice? The mind can play odd tricks over a house noises on this unsettling atmosphere. And why a woman's voice? Men weep and sob continuously and the only inhabitant of the manor is Aldern, so why you say woman?"
Izomandakus opens a door, after Seamus checks it, to reveal a short dismal hallway and another set of stairs leading back down to the first floor.
Kast moves to the next doors and opens them when others are ready.
Izomandakus blinks again while remaining calm and serious at Seamus back and forth "Can you define what do you understand by feminine sounding?"
The boy pushes the door open and checks the stairs there "These go down back to the lower floor"
Undoing his steps he moves to the central area and checks the room after Kasts opens.
You open the doors to reveal a stone fireplace siting 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 their subjects from view.
There’s another set of double doors on the far side of the room.
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Kast moves in to look around, his head swiveling to Seamus. ”You sure you heard something? I mean...this place is dead and empty. I’m not sure what you heard. Maybe it was a cat.”
Kast looks around for a cat.
”Here kitty-kitty. Here kitty-kitty.”
When others are ready, he’ll open up the next set of double doors to find Seamus’ missing cat.
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Val begins the careful work of trying to cleanse the outer layers of dust and cobwebs using her prestidigitation, focusing on taking a light touch to make sure she does not accidentally damage the paintings themselves. Aside from the opportunity to clean, she adores seeing how people decorate their homes. Sapphira in particular has an uncanny facility for art critique and could even tell you the decade and location of a painting’s production with nothing but close observation. Sapphira’s favorite was a proud symbolic piece that she owned an original of. Called “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” if Val remembers correctly.
Now, in a typical noble’s manor, most of the paintings are likely just depictions of the peers in-question and their families. However, there is a great deal that can often be gleaned from such paintings, especially when you know when and why each was commissioned. Betrothal paintings, in which an artist portrays a subject so as to communicate their beauty and fundamental character, are common when significant distance keeps the two nobles in question from meeting in-person, and such paintings are typically kept after a successful match. With a keen eye, you can learn more about the core of a person than you would any other way. Or so Sapphira says. Val has made efforts in that vein but she has none of the natural talent or patience that her beloved—it feels so good to say that—does. Still, there is a comfort in finding something she can point to and say “yes, that is connected to the world I know” in the middle of all this horror and murder.
"Oh, I was not doubting you heard it, I was just thinking on the prejudice of assuming..." Izomandakus breaks into laughing as Kast starts calling the house cat "Oh well, just forget it! I am sure you will guide us to the source and we will discover sooner or later"
"The paintings are probably of Aldern's family, or their domains..." the boy helps Valena remove the cobwebs, removing a large chunk with the tip of his staff, then carefully cleaning the surface to reveal one of the paintings with the hand "...or at least that I saw in Magnimar's richest houses"
Carefully cleaning the dusty cobwebs over the paintings reveals beautiful portraits of the previous tenants of Foxglove Manor. The three to the north depict Vorel and Kasanda Foxglove and their daughter Lorey. Vorel is a tall, middle aged man with long dark hair, a clean-shaven face, and dark blue noble’s clothes, while Kasanda is a stern-faced brunette woman with wisps of gray in her short hair and a flowing blue dress.
The five to the south show Traver and Cyralie Foxglove, their son Aldern, and their two daughters Sendeli and 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. Each painting bears a plaque that identifies those pictured within.
Valena is, perhaps, surprised at the quality of the paintings. Sure, there’s a little mold damage, but that can be repaired magically easily enough (mending or make whole). The paintings show a different time, before all this… mess.
Unfortunately, as she admires the paintings, she also notices, as do you all, that it’s getting quite cold. Really cold. Breath frosts in the air and fingers of rime slither across the walls. You all shiver unexpectedly as your bodies react to the sudden drop.
Seamus notices the cold first, and sees Vorel's painting begin to bulge. Seamus, you have one full round action to act.
- - -
The figures depicted in the portraits… change. They mostly shift from paintings of living people to those of the dead.
Kasanda and Lorey slump into misshapen, tumor-ridden corpses. Traver grows pale as a long cut opens in his throat and blood washes down over his chest. Cyralie blackens and chars, and her arms, legs, and back twist as if broken in dozens of places. Aldern’s flesh darkens with rot, his hair falls out, and he deforms into a ghoul like monster.
Both Sendeli’s and Zeeva’s portraits frost over but otherwise remain unchanged.
Vorel’s entire portrait, frame and all, erupts into a sudden explosion of fungus and tumorous growth as Seamus stabs it - covering everyone in the room!
The wave of fungus and disease washes over the entire room in seconds, before the chamber suddenly reverts to normal - though the sudden increase in temperature leaves you a bit sweaty and uncomfortable.
Fort
Know (Religion)
Kast tucks his nose into his sleeve as he gets out of the room.
The paintings return to 'normal' after a moment, though there's now a stab wound in poor Vorel's chin. You can also see the filth and spider webbing that obscured them originally begin to creep back, as if the house is reclaiming them, though it'll take some time to obscure them fully once again.
Kast isn't sure how to stop it permanently, perhaps some later clue will shed light on the situation, but he does know it'll reset in a about a day. However, as it only triggers if you clean off the paintings, you should be able to avoid it even if you enter the room at a future point.
"Critters!" Izomandakus frowns as he gets out of the room "This room is haunted"
"No surprise no one entered there for cleaning in a while, I wonder how Aldern can live here" turning to follow Seamus on the western doors.
Kast will explain what he knows and understands of the haunt. "...so that's what I got. Right Izo?" Kast looks at Izo for confirmation, mostly sure he's right.
He will move with Seamus to the next doors, ready for them to be opened.
Val luckily still had her scented handkerchief at hand so she could breathe in something other than the horrible mold when it exploded. When it’s finally over, she shivers all over as she desperately tries to clean herself as fast as possible before she gags at the sight of all the horrible corruption. After at least a full minute of breathless cleaning, she finally begins to calm.
”I hate, loathe, despise everything about this.”
She sighs, still not removing her handkerchief from her mouth. ”Well is that not all very symbolic. I suppose we are supposed to take from this that Kasanda and Lorey are dead of some condition, Traver had his throat cut, Cyralie was burnt and broken, Sendeli and Zeeva have caught a chill but are otherwise fine, Vorel is a disgusting disease, and Ardbert is undead.”
Izomandakus nods towards Kast "Yes, I think same"
And also continues absentmindedly nodding at Valena "That has sense... what a terrible end for a lordly family... what a terrible end..."
As they enter into the new room, Izomandakus will cast detect magic while Pachemu tries to pick any notable scent.
Izomandakus, though well versed in haunt behavior, has nothing to add to what Kast already shared.
Seamus finds nothing on the next set of doors and opens them.
The furniture in this bedroom, while dusty and unkempt, does not exhibit any major signs of water or mold damage. The one exception is a dark stain on the desk near the northern window.
Please make a Will save.
- - -
Kast offers a quick glance into the room, but not seeing any sobbing women or noisy cats, he spins on his heels to go to Izo's door.
"You ready to open this, Izo?" Kast asks, and when the party is ready, he will.
Izomandakus sets his hands on the doors surface "Who is ever ready for any door, specially in a house this empty. I have the feeling we are going to stumble with a swarm of cockroach at any time soon"
The boy let's Kast open and go first "I have no rush for it"
- - -
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Seamus, on realizing what he just did, looks down at the fine, er, that’s not a fine dagger! That’s a jagged piece of wood! He realizes his vision was just that. A vision. There was no fancy dagger with a silver handle, and Valena was no enemy to be vanquished.
The house confuses friend for foe in the minds of its residents even exchanging silver for wood.
The group moves on and opens the next chamber door though the very house seems to want to expunge them.
This large room features two padded chairs and a long couch facing a wide alcove lined with stained glass windows. These windows 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.
Though the room should be full of light, the crust on all the windows casts a pallor over the chamber. Also, the symbols feel… familiar somehow. At least to some of you.
Val pulls back in shock at Seamus’s stab. She reflexively knocks the piece of wood out of Seamus’s hand. She just stares at him for a long moment, her thoughts twisted and strained. Once she is sure that it was just a momentary madness brought on by this hell of a house, she just nods. ”Take care what you touch.” She remains distant, trying to let herself calm. She knows it is a different situation, but with how her husband just suddenly attacked her, her mind cannot help but see it as the same, looping through the traumatic memories over-and-over. She shakes her head and smacks her temple with her palm.
Kast is quick to enter, but then slows as he sees the symbols. His brow furrows as he thinks.
Know (Arcana)
"What kind of 'normal' person pays for stained windows like that. I mean, this kind of thing has to be planned years in advance. Work like that doesn't happen quickly," he observes, and wonders how long the decay has been in the house.
Izomandakus moves in reaction closer to Seamus and Valena "Are you both fine? This house is unnerving, we better avoid adding to the odd feeling"
When it seems things settle quickly, the boy enters the room to examine closer the stained glass.
"I have no idea Kast, but whomever was, had definitely a strange taste..."
It takes you a moment, but you wonder if maybe this is in fact part of a common lich’s formula. The specifics are unique to each lich to make the attempt of course, but these are the main ‘base’ ingredients.
- - -
Seamus checks, and opens the next door to reveal a bedroom. It 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. Nothing seems to stir in the room.
”Seamus, buddy, I don’t think there is anyone here. Not even cats,” Kast says, no longer worried about being jumped by anything living as he enters the room Izo is in.
He casts Detect Magic and looks around.
”Maybe we should start with the bottom and work our way up?”
Val had made an abortive attempt at reading up on necromancy in order to be better prepared for dealing with the (likely undead) murderer. She has always hated studying, but she hates unknown horrors more, and if she cannot stop the horrors from coming, she can at least make them a bit more known.
”Wait up, everyone.” She points to the various implements in the windows. ”I am hardly an expert on the matter, but I believe these are necromantic implements. And all of them together suggests someone trying to attain lichdom.” She pauses to see if anyone else has perspective to add to the subject.
"A lichdom ritual?" Izomandakus looks at the images with renewed interest "Who would decorate his own home with that?"
While Izomandakus grimaces clueless, Pachemu snorts.
"Maybe we can finish this floor as Seamus suggests..." he points up "...then keep clearing up as Kast suggests"
No one can confirm Valena’s information, but it certainly feels right. Yuck. Izomandakus figures the glass was put in when the building was built. More or less. It’s certainly not a recent addition.
Pressing on in your search of the house, you find another bedroom. However, this bedroom is caked with a thick, spongy layer of dark green, blue, and black mold.
- - -
”I dunno enough to answer that, Val,” Kast wishes he could more perfectly confirm Val’s point. ”But maybe we can speak to Brodert later for confirmation. We can certainly describe it well enough. It’s that unusual, for sure.”
Perception
Kast spins around, holding out the Iron Quill, looking for a speaker.
”Did you guys hear that? A child’s voice?!”
Izomandakus turns abruptly and places his staff in self-defensive position "Where was that?"
"No, no, I heard it this time too! There is a child somewhere!" the boy steps into the bedroom and starts to search inside hitting the toy box with his staff to look inside, then kneeling to check below the bed.
Finally, Izomandakus slowly approaches the fireplace and very carefully looks inside "Are you ok? Do not be afraid, we can help" and looking back to the others "Can someone bring light up?"
Pachemu comes by the toy box and sniffs, trying to find the scent in the room.
Some of you hear the child and some do not. Nothing further happens though, and no further sounds reach your ears (save the creaking of a large old house). Izomandakus kicks up some mold, but finds nothing like a child anywhere.
As you prepare to move on however, Izomandakus finds that his face itches. Slightly at first, then the discomfort increases.
- - -
"Nothing here..." comments Izomandakus, and just then, he grimaces and let's his staff fall bringing his hands to the face.
His nails dig into the fresh face flesh as he shouts disgusted "No, what's it?! What do I have?! Remove it! Remove it from me!"
Pachemu squeaks, jumping altered, unable to reach Izomandakus' face or be of any other help.
Everyone may act, but please only one round of actions at a time.
Izomandakus begins shouting and clawing at his face. His nails dig deeply into his flesh, and tear away his face. Izomandakus takes and this round.
Izomandakus, you may attempt another save for your round (not an action) as well as whatever else you wish to do. I’ve positioned everyone on the map more or less where you might be.
Pachemu, war pig, is unaffected by the mold.