Resonance of twilight Chapter One: Meetings

[Strahdsbuddy]

Mortimer is put off slightly by Sheridon's manner, and decides to give up trying to be polite and focus on watching his back. Kevic seems to attract an interesting array of retainers.

He stops himself in mid-thought; he should count himself among that list, for here he is in the middle of the marsh staring down an abandoned manorhouse. And why? Because he didn't care for what they were serving for dinner at Heather House. Well on your way to becoming an old fool, he thought. Actually, OLD fool assumes far too much.

And so the fool retrieved his bag from the back of the carriage and slung it over his shoulders as he followed Kevic.

[BigBadQDaddy]

In slow response to Kevic's approval, Sheridon continues to pull the wood cutting axe from the drivers seat, the unnerving drag of the metal axe head on the wooden floor board sends an uneven dull grinding sound into the otherwise relatively quiet air. The handle indicates the axe is old, its wood grain stained into dark lines coursing about. The axe head itself is spotted with rust.
Sheridon's eyes dart about the party before he begins to limp after Kevic, towards the manor house.

[Desertrising]

As they begin to travel through the swampy ground everyone notices that the mist is very thick along the ground. They also feel a chill begin to creep into their bodies which is a very strange feeling as the day had been quite warm up to that point.

After walking for several minutes the group comes up to a decrepit manor house that has obviously seen better days. Even from this distance it is easy to notice most of the windows have broken and that the roof it sagging.

Kevic turns toward the others smiling "May I present Crawford Manor." He says. Then clutching his chest slightly he breaks into a coughing fit using the caliban as a means of continuing to stand upright.

After several moments of painful coughs wracking his body the deformed man looks at the rest of them motions toward the Manor. "We should probably take care during our inspection. There is no telling of what we might find inside." he says...

[HuManBing]

Florian stood easily, muffled in his fashionable greatcoat and watching his breath plume in the chill of the night, but his eyes were alert. A glance back down their path showed nothing, save the distant lantern on the side of the carriage and the still horses out front - almost unearthly in their silent patience.

He cut his eyes across the house's facade, taking in the chipped masonry, the empty windows, the sagging shutters. Doubtless, others had squatted here before them and been long gone to the winds. He stepped back, squinting up at the highest level and trying to make out if there was any ledge, ideally one with statuary or drains for an easy ascent. Whatever he could make out, he kept to himself.

Puffing his cheeks out as his lips puttered a distracted rhythm, he stepped round to the sides, craning for any side entrances. Sometimes these places had servants' doors to the kitchen. Sometimes there would be coal-holes, accessed through swing doors leading directly to the basement.

When he got back to his fellows, there was a bright spot of color high in each cheek, and his curly hair was tousled. He shot a look at the locks of the front door, noting their position compared to the handles, and their likely age.

Remembering himself, he pulled up brightly and looked at his companions.

"All is well?" he asked, apropos of nothing much. "What is it you all are thinking, then?"

[BigBadQDaddy]

The coachman walks to the side of the doorway, looking for a window to peer in. Finding one, he removes any blockage (Boards, etc. if any) and clears away any grime coating the glass with the sleeve of his coat.

[WolfKook]

Melissa stood at some distance from the house, unaware of what the others were doing. She was so overcome by the feeling of having been there before, that she could not do much more than stare at the whole house in awe, asking herself how could she feel such familiarity with that place. Perhaps she had come here as a young girl? Perhaps she had somehow seen it in dreams? The story of her uncle, as she had read it in his diary, repeated in her head, the words resounding ominously, and the same array of feelings began pounding in her heart. She started breathing heavily again, hearing voices of the past, and seeing as the old and abandoned house suddenly was lit by a phantom ray of light, coming to life again before her very eyes. She felt such passion, such power, such powerlessness, in such a brief moment, that she lost her breath. Everything began turning around her, and she started feeling sick and dizzy. Soon after, she was not conscious anymore.

[Strahdsbuddy]

Not having been as anxious as Sheridon to march up to the manor, Mortimer was close by when he heard Miss Crawford begin to breathe oddly and quickly, and he turned back just in time to see her swoon. He kneels down and confirms that she is still breathing.

"Kevic, i don't suppose you have a balm of some kind. I'm afraid i'm not much help."

[WolfKook]

Melissa opened her eyes. She was still dizzy from the shock, and took a little while to get back to her senses. She realized she was already in the house, and guessed her companions had taken her inside, and put her on some kind of couch. Trying to clear up her mind, she forced herself to sit down, and to look around, to see where was she and what her companions were doing.