RAVENLOFT: The One That Got Away: Chapter 1 IC

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ewancummins
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RAVENLOFT: The One That Got Away: Chapter 1 IC

Post by ewancummins »

On a breezy evening in late summer, in the city of Pont-a-Museau

Gehrman residence, a brownstone near the Musarde River



Frau Gehrman hurries into the pantry as more guests arrive. She shouts back into the kitchen through the open doorway.
"Hornsby, where's the red wine? The good stuff?"
The servant leaves the kitchen to join his mistress in the pantry, with a lit candle.

Outside the window of the refurbished old house, children sing and play in the street.



Lolly lolly, rags and bones,

down the pipes where ratters roam,

I found a hat pin in the muck,

now in my chapeau it is stuck,

Lolly lolly, rags and bones,

down the pipes where ratters roam,

Far I wandered in the gloom,

till I found a lonesome tomb,

Lolly Lolly rags and bones,

down the pipes where ratters roam,

In the tomb - a door to Hell,

opened wide and through I fell

Lolly lolly rags and bones,

down the pipes no more I'll roam.

Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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Re: RAVENLOFT: The One That Got Away: Chapter 1 IC

Post by Brock Marsh Runoff »

Pont-A-Museau

Dorgio Varga, priest of The Morninglord, moves through the streets of Pont with his wife, Lorna, and their young son, Sandor. He is clad in robes and a brocaded cloak, but is unarmored and goes about without any obvious weaponry. They are, after all, going to a dinner with dear friends. And should something happen, there are contingencies…

Sandor Benedek Varga rides on his father’s shoulders, while Lorna carries a basket of fresh bread—much finer stuff than the coarse-grained caked Dorgio had grown up on as a child. His own cooking has improved somewhat—a necessity now that he was a father, but Lorna had insisted. Apparently he’d only improved so much, and Lorna couldn’t bear the thought of bringing one of his goulashes to a couple as refined as the Gehrmans.

Ahh Bennedict, so different from himself, so scientific, so urbane, so cool in demeanor. Yet he is Dorgio’s oldest friend in the city. Over the last eight years they have adventured together, sometimes winning, often losing, but always doing what they could to make the world a little less dark. Together they’ve seen horrors that most people couldn’t imagine.

But he knows that Lorna is probably right about the goulash.

They stop in front of furniture shop, the streetlamp light glinting off a mirror behind the store’s window. Sandor turns to look at his own reflection, delighted by what he sees. Lorna smiles as well, seeing her husband and son together. But Dorgio does not tell them about what he sees in the mirror. His green eyes look into the reflection and see a dozen ghosts crowded around him, a dozen souls who will not leave him be.

His wife is beautiful and kind. His son is healthy and curious. And only occasionally does he get the urge to flee Richemulot and leave it all behind.

The family turns away from the storefront at last, and finishes the rest of the walk towards the Gehrmans, knocking on the door when they arrive.

As Dorgio waits outside his friends house, he hears the group of children playing. Light above, where has he heard that rhyme before? Has he even heard it before? It plays in his ears like a half remembered fever dream.
"You said I killed you--haunt me, then!...Be with me always--take any form--drive me mad! only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you!” -Wuthering Heights
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Re: RAVENLOFT: The One That Got Away: Chapter 1 IC

Post by steveflam »

Juergin finds himself walking through the streets of Pont A Museau. Anyone paying attention to him sees a young blond haired man wearing a cloth, which covers the bottom part of his face.

Steel blue eyes peer out from his long blond hair, tied in a long pony tail. Long coat, tunic, pants and boots complete his attire. A rapier adorns his hip. A scrimshaw necklace

hangs from his neck. Every few shop windows he stops to look in, looking at himself in the reflection at the same time.

Soon he has arrived at his destination. He stops to listen to the children singing and playing outside, wonders if he has heard the words before. Before going to call on Herr Benn

he approaches the children playing and singing. "Children, gut evening! Might I ask you about deiner song you are singing?"
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Re: RAVENLOFT: The One That Got Away: Chapter 1 IC

Post by ewancummins »

steveflam wrote:Juergin finds himself walking through the streets of Pont A Museau. Anyone paying attention to him sees a young blond haired man wearing a cloth, which covers the bottom part of his face.

Steel blue eyes peer out from his long blond hair, tied in a long pony tail. Long coat, tunic, pants and boots complete his attire. A rapier adorns his hip. A scrimshaw necklace

hangs from his neck. Every few shop windows he stops to look in, looking at himself in the reflection at the same time.

Soon he has arrived at his destination. He stops to listen to the children singing and playing outside, wonders if he has heard the words before. Before going to call on Herr Benn

he approaches the children playing and singing. "Children, gut evening! Might I ask you about deiner song you are singing?"

The children, three girls of nine or ten years' age, stop their skipping game on the pavement and turn to face Juergin.
All three stare at him.
One girl steps a few inches toward the stranger. The skinny waif starts in,
" What? The song? Oh it's---"
Her eyes go wide. Staring past Juergen's shoulder, she stumbles as she backs away--staggering right into her playmates.
She shrieks.

All three girls spin round and dash off down the nearest alley, setting off a chorus of barking dogs just out of sight.

Juergin hears
VIEW CONTENT:
a familiar whisper, "I just wanted a better look at them. I like kiddies."
Dark One slides around to Juergin's front and looks up at him from the pavement, two dull red spots glimmering where eyes should be in the bearded shadow-face.
"Let's get indoors. More hiding spots. And food for you, Boy. I crept up , saw Benn's woman cooking. Benn, he always was the fanciest of us, except that mad halfbreed. I bet the slops is real good. You eat some, let me watch. Heh..."
Last edited by ewancummins on Mon Sep 05, 2016 8:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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Re: RAVENLOFT: The One That Got Away: Chapter 1 IC

Post by Adam »

Bennedict sits in the half-shadow of fading light streaming through his window, pipe puffing away between his teeth as he flips through case files. Three weeks, he thinks, Three weeks since he started that case, and Franc has made no progress on finding the Fifth Street cat burglar. If I have to go pay another visit to that old sow of a widow that hired us, I'm going to have to let him go. This is just...unacceptable.

Times had been good for Bennedict and his detective agency, but he had been introduced to the special Hell of having to manage employees. The gendarme trusted his detectives, after many years of his blood sweat and tears, to handle cases with which they were struggling or that they suspected had some element of the paranormal at work. Unfortunately, once they gave him a few fledgling cases and received solid results, suddenly it became an excuse for sergeants and detectives across the city to start dumping cold cases and any they deemed "unsolvable" in his lap. He couldn't run down all the leads himself, so he'd had to start contracting work to others, others without his skill or attention to detail. Franc was one such, a Mordent transplant who fancied himself a private investigator but who, Bennedict suspected, was just an intrigue addict who liked having the freedom to stick his nose in the business of others. Such a man could have his uses, of course, but lead investigator was not one of them. His lack of imagination and ability was going to lead to his dismissal one of these days. Bennedict had concluded, at last, that it may as well be sooner rather than later. At least this way he wouldn't have to find the witless man face down in an alley after getting involved in a gang leader's business.

He cocks an ear to the song of the children in the street, grunting in irritation. As if I'm not having enough trouble concentrating. He walks to the window, snapping it shut in irritation. "Bennedict?" comes Charlotte's voice from the door frame. "Are you still up here? Put those case files away! The bad men will wait for one night."

His grip on the windowsill briefly tightens, knuckles turning white. You have no idea what difference one night can make he mentally growls, picturing, as he often did, Evangeline Sancerre lying dead while he was helpless to stop it. He takes a breath, reminding himself that she was not the source of his irritation. "Of course," he says, "You're right. I lost track of time. I'll be down in a moment."

She smiles, and for a minute everything is alright again. He smiles back. "It will be good to see Dorgio and Lorna again. It's been too long. Go on, I'll be along."

She casts another doubtful look at the pile of papers until he reaches down, sweeping them into a drawer that he snaps shut. She turns and leaves, resuming her haranguing of Hornsby, as Bennedict pulls on his sport coat and taps out his pipe. His eyes fall again on the drawer containing Franc's uncompleted casefile, as well as half a dozen others that needed his attention, but shakes his head and walks to the door. "Tomorrow," he said, "It can wait for tomorrow."

Briefly, he wishes he could believe that.
Last edited by Adam on Mon Sep 05, 2016 9:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Of course," Benn mutters, "It would be a damned shame if we ever knew what the hell was actually going on."
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Re: RAVENLOFT: The One That Got Away: Chapter 1 IC

Post by ewancummins »

THE HOUSE


moments later---


Hornsby admits Dorgio, Lorna, and little Sandor into the Gehrman domicile.
The servant shuts the door quickly after the family enters, but not before shooting a sharp look at the young swordsman loitering near the house.

Lorna leans in to her husband as Hornsby leads them down the hall into the parlor.
"Did you notice that stranger with the scarf tied over his face? Looked like a robber! Dorgio, darling, are you even listening?"
She frowns, elbowing Dorgio --not too roughly--in his side.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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Re: RAVENLOFT: The One That Got Away: Chapter 1 IC

Post by Adam »

Bennedict hustles downstairs, stopping as he runs into Jonas in the hall. "Straighten out that collar, boy," he says, tugging at the boy's tie and dusting the lint which always seemed to cling to the boy's shoulders. He gave him a smile. "I think I heard Dorgio come in, downstairs. Want to hustle down and say hello?" The boy eagerly nodded his ascent, closing the primer on his desk and hustling downstairs.

The two entered the parlor a moment later, Bennedict's face splitting with another grin as he saw the boy run up to "Uncle Dorgio's" leg and snare it with a hug. "Old friend," he said, "It's been too long. I think your wee one was barely crawling last I saw him, now look. Up and about like a fine young man!" He turned to Lorna. "And you are radiant as always, dear. Have you been by since Tilda was born?" He gestured towards the small bassinet in the corner. A pair of grey eyes, fortunately the only feature she had seemingly inherited from her father, peered over the sides with curiosity at the newcomers.
"Of course," Benn mutters, "It would be a damned shame if we ever knew what the hell was actually going on."
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Re: RAVENLOFT: The One That Got Away: Chapter 1 IC

Post by ewancummins »

Lorna smiles at Benn, and then turns to baby Tilda to make cooing sounds and silly faces while her husband and Benn catch up.

Little Sandor clings to Dorgio and stares at Benn's son.
"Oooo."
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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Re: RAVENLOFT: The One That Got Away: Chapter 1 IC

Post by steveflam »

"All right. Looks like you spooked them good, too," he chuckles as he heads off to Benn's home, his shadowfriend in tow.

He walks up to the door and knocks.
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Re: RAVENLOFT: The One That Got Away: Chapter 1 IC

Post by ewancummins »

steveflam wrote:"All right. Looks like you spooked them good, too," he chuckles as he heads off to Benn's home, his shadowfriend in tow.

He walks up to the door and knocks.

Hornsby moves past his employer and the guests, nodding his head in a deferential manners, and goes to the front door.

The serving-man opens the door a crack.
He looks out at the veiled stranger on the stoop,
"Yes?"
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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Re: RAVENLOFT: The One That Got Away: Chapter 1 IC

Post by steveflam »

"Gut day, men Herr. Mein name ist Juergin, Juergin Zwygart unt Herr Benn haff invited me whenever I was in town. I am in town, unt here I am. I am sorry if I did not send word beforehand."
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Re: RAVENLOFT: The One That Got Away: Chapter 1 IC

Post by ewancummins »

JUERGIN
steveflam wrote:"Gut day, men Herr. Mein name ist Juergin, Juergin Zwygart unt Herr Benn haff invited me whenever I was in town. I am in town, unt here I am. I am sorry if I did not send word beforehand."

''I see. Please to wait here."

Hornsby closes the door.

The lock clicks a second later.

---------------

BENN and DORGIO

They both see Hornsby hurrying down the hall.

The servant stops before Benn.
"Excuse me, sir, but you have an unexpected caller. A countryman of yours, I think."
Last edited by ewancummins on Tue Sep 06, 2016 9:38 am, edited 2 times in total.
Delight is to him- a far, far upward, and inward delight- who against the proud gods and commodores of this earth, ever stands forth his own inexorable self.

-from Moby Dick (Hermann Melville)
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Re: RAVENLOFT: The One That Got Away: Chapter 1 IC

Post by Adam »

Bennedict arches an eyebrow. "Indeed? Odd that I had heard nothing before now,"

He walks to the door, half expecting to find another dusty academic behind the door when he opened it, but instead finding a young swordsman with a masked face.

He takes an involuntary step back, involuntarily pushing the door closer to being closed. "Ah, can I help you?"
"Of course," Benn mutters, "It would be a damned shame if we ever knew what the hell was actually going on."
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Re: RAVENLOFT: The One That Got Away: Chapter 1 IC

Post by steveflam »

"Herr Benn, it is I, Juergin. I am sorry to haff dropped in unannounced. I am in town unt accepting your offer to look you up. For obvious reasons I am wearing a mask, mein Herr."
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Re: RAVENLOFT: The One That Got Away: Chapter 1 IC

Post by Adam »

Bennedict blinks, mind trying to catch up with this new information. "Ah, well, come in then I suppose," he says, gesturing through the door. "As it happens, Dorgio is here as well. What brings you to Pont?"
"Of course," Benn mutters, "It would be a damned shame if we ever knew what the hell was actually going on."
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