The Fall of House Pancrazio Chapter One

JMaytr · Post by **JMaytr** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 10:54 pm

Moving towards the greenhouse, Tristan feels a strange sense of foreboding. The hair on his neck begins to stand on end.

Opening the doors of the greenhouse is not an easy task, dirt and new vegetation block the way. As the doors are flung open, Tristan can see the interior of the room. The windows of the greenhouse are dirty with many years of neglect. Cobwebs adorn the ceiling like holiday decorations.

The flowers and herbs growing in the pots are long dead and brown, a thin layer of mold coating them. The smell of the fungus hits Tristan hard, but a quick sneeze clears the scent away(1). Through the dead plants, a white flower with purple veins grows in many of the pots.

The greenhouse is eerily silent, but Elsie's ears perk up and the hound points towards the far east of the greenhouse. The bitch is shaking in fear.

(1) FORT SAVE Tristan=16 success

PathOfDreams · Post by **PathOfDreams** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 11:22 pm

Goran uses this time to track the scene, concentrating on the larder entry and the entrances to the manor. Perhaps his tracking skills can draw him to any previously undetected clues (1).

The pathetic attention the halfling is paying to agna is making Goran's already ill stomach churn with wrenching pain. He hardly knows little Agna enough to grovel over her in such a manner. Sickening. Perhaps he has ulterior motives? Did he have blood on his hands when i confronted him outside the Guest House?

The obsurdity boils further as the whining and self degradation persists.
Suddenly, interupting his search momentarily, he roars with the fury of the wild, "MAAAGENTAAA!!". A short pause, then in a low, authoritative tone, "Tuke, your snivelling is casting a deep shadow over yourself. You are to shut you lips and not open them except to take airs into yours tiny lungs. Get up and find your mistress, the one who calls herself my fathers daughter."

Goran, with a sense of intestinal relief, continues his vigilant search throughout the lower level of the manor.

(1) Search check, result 7 :Survival check for tracking, result 22. i am not sure which check is appropriate.

ewancummins · Post by **ewancummins** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 12:56 am

JMaytr wrote:
The greenhouse is eerily silent, but Elsie's ears perk up and the hound points towards the far east of the greenhouse. The bitch is shaking in fear.

(1) FORT SAVE Tristan=16 success

Tristan commands the bitch in a firm voice-

'' Elsie, stay.''

If she bolts, at least there's a chance her barking will attract the others.

Tristan lets go of the dog's leash, hopeful that her training and loyalty will be enough to at least keep her near the door. He doesn't attempt to force the poor animal to go much further inside the greenhouse.

If she does bolt, maybe her barking and carrying on will alert the others... Light could be worse, but it's still too gloomy, I might miss the intruder..

He slings his musket and draws a pistol with his right hand. With his left, he reaches into his backpack and draws forth his enchanted torch. He holds the torch aloft, filling the interior of the greenhouse with its heatless radiance. With pistol and torch, Tristan walks towards the east end. He keeps his eyes peeled for any sign of a prowler, and tries to slow his breathing enough so that he can hear small sounds.

RocEter · Post by **RocEter** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 3:35 am

Julian watches Tuke with care, He then looks to Goran "Goran you aren't helping any, go assist Tristan, He may need assistance, Tahl and I have the Manor under control." he tells Goran.

Once again Julian turns his gaze to Tuke, he adjusts his eye patch again Gonna have to replace this patch, it is starting to itch." he thinks to himself. Julian watches Tuke to see if can get his underlying message (1)(2)

1. Sense Motive check Result 21
2. Spot Check 15

PathOfDreams · Post by **PathOfDreams** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 8:46 am

Goran continues his search of the manor fro clues, largley ignoring Jullian's request. Perhaps he enjoys Tuke's whining. Goran explodes into a violent coughing fit, once finished, he reaches into his belt pouch and breaks off a small chunk of a dull brown root. He begins chewing it fervantly.

Irving the Meek · Post by **Irving the Meek** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 9:26 am

Tuke tries to conceal his incredulity behind his tears. The man walking around in the boar mask thinks I'm melodramatic? Hello, Mister Pot. Mister Kettle, at your service, and aren't you the black one? Although Tuke had to confess, privately, that it was a touch overdone. As long as Emilio or Julian don't jump to the wrong conclusion, we'll be all right.

The wrong conclusion... Tuke's mind races. Agna came in for the tea jar. The tea with that flower in it, the one that might have poisoned Luicia. Where's the tea now? I can't see it. Why was she so rotten? We buried her today. Where's that monster now? The flower. Agna's bloody hands. It took the jar from her. It wants... Lucia wants her tea. She wants her flower. Where else is the flower? The greenhouse. Sweet Ezra, that thing must be in the greenhouse.

Tuke's head snaps up. He looks at Julian, pretense slipping away. " Julian.", Tuke says carefully. "I think that whatever killed Mariabella is in the greenhouse. I think it wants an herb that was kept in the larder. It was an ingredient in Lucia's tea. Agna said that Lucia grew that herb in the greenhouse."

Tuke's hands shake a little, and his voice quivers. " I think... I really do think that a man of your reputation should handle whatever is in that greenhouse. I think you're better equipped to handle it than anyone else. I..."

And at that, Tuke's composure genuinely collapses. "Oh, Ezra. Oh, sweet Ezra save us."

JMaytr · Post by **JMaytr** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 5:21 pm

Agna comes to. She is covered in blood...Mariabella's blood. Her mind races. That thing...the Luisa thing...did I imagine it? Surely whatever that creature was couldn't be real.

My hands on Miss Phebe's throat...Mariabella's torn throat... (1)

Tahl and Roderigo finish their search of the manor, turning up no intruders. Saverio's room however, seems unusually warm, and Miss Phebe's unusually cold.

The pair move towards the second floor landing as Magenta and Gianna walk out from their rooms. Magenta's choice of sleep wear leaves little to the imagination causing the normally stoic Tahl to blush. His eyes betray him and steal more glances at the beautiful raven haired woman. Something about her seems to want to overwhelm Tahl's senses (2).

"What's happening Roddy?" Gianna asks, fear causing her voice to tremble.

"Someone has killed Mariabella. Tuke claims to have seen a bandit, and Agna appears hurt as well. Stay in your rooms until we are positive the house is safe."

"Did I hear Emilio say Goran is here?" Gianna begins retreating to her room.

"He did. Im sure he arrived from Barovia late."

"Maybe my brother thought our cook was a pig instead of a sow." Magenta says coldly. Her gaze is fixed on Tahl.

(1) WILL SAVE.
(2) WILL SAVE. Charm effect

PathOfDreams · Post by **PathOfDreams** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 9:23 pm

Goran reluctantly returns outside after not turning up any tracks. Upon emerging from the rear portal of the manor, he begins again his search for tracks or signs of retreat (1).

How could it be that there are no wet tracks or mud inside that would show the presence of a stranger in the manor. Perhaps our hurried flight into and about the manor wore away at any tracks worth investigating.

He turns his gaze forward now to search for Tristan in the dark and dreary night. I wish the sun would rise on this moment. He thinks to himself, although his wishes are far from reality.

The light from Tristans torch illuminates the foggy glass of the greenhouse, providing a cast of shadowy illusions in the rampant overgrowth of the flora.

Goran leaves his pack by the back door and brings only what he needs, a few finely honed blades, one of which (hand axe) is now unstrung from his belt and in his paw as he approaches closer to Tristan.

(1) Survival check to pick up tracks retreating from the manor, result 17

Griselda · Post by **Griselda** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 10:09 pm

*double post*

Griselda · Post by **Griselda** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 10:10 pm

Agna begins to hear noises, aware of something outside her, like a swimmer in a dark pool who sees the moon through the water above.

Footsteps, overhead. The floor creaking. Where am I....? Wait. That smell, of dust, of cloves, of other things, in the larder -- yes. Why am I here? Something about tea...

Agna's thoughts become a welter of noise and tangled images of the day's events, a long stinking stream running like winter melt-off. Blood, not wine, pouring from the pitcher she's carrying at the table -- rain beating wilted grave-flowers into muddy submission -- Lothario's stare as he licks his lips -- scratching words on a wall filling like a fouled wound -- a child-ghost's burning hands on her throat -- her own hands on Phebe's neck with a strength she didn't know she possessed -- slipping up the stairs with Tuke -- the musty-faded scent of a dried flower -- a shadow in the larder door -- Mariabella -- and blood.

Her breath grows rapid and shallow, as the fear begins to fill her veins. The moon grows closer. There are voices, near and immediate, people waiting to see her. She would have to open her eyes soon. And when she did, she would see Mariabella's blood on her hands.

RocEter · Post by **RocEter** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 10:44 pm

Seeing that Agna is awake Jullian moves over to her.

"Agna what has happened here, you must tell me!" he says to her.

Jullian sighs hearing Tukes words "Tuke help Agana back to her room, I am going to find Tristan. I will return to speak to her when I have returned. Tell my uncle both he and Tahl are needed in the greenhouse."

Jullian places his hand on Anga's shoulder "Everything will be all right, Agna."

He stands and rushes towards the greenhouse.

Lord Skybolt · Post by **Lord Skybolt** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 11:48 pm

Tahl turns his head away so as not to be staring at Magenta's comely form .

JMaytr · Post by **JMaytr** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 12:33 am

Moving towards the eastern part of the greenhouse, Tristan suddenly hears what alerted Elsie; the sound of stone scraping against stone. Looking towards the sound, Tristan is confronted with a horror from nightmares: it is Luisa, returned from the grave. Her skin is gray and has rapidly decomposed. Green grubs crawl about the wounds in her skin and in the orafices of her skull.

"MUUUUUSSSST HEEEEELLLPPPPP!"

The creature shambles towards Tristan with arms outstretched; black claws retracting from her fingertips.(1)
"HEEEEELLLPPP BLOOOODD"

(1) HORROR CHECK

ewancummins · Post by **ewancummins** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 2:52 am

Tristan moves backward, ready to fight if Luisa comes at him in a rush.
The young man swallows his revulsion and addresses the revenant.

''Mistress Luisa? I'm Tristan...I worked for you, don't you remember? You don't want to hurt me. You are trying to help, or you need help from me? Help the family, your blood, is that it?''

[OOC horror save 21]

JMaytr · Post by **JMaytr** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 4:33 am

IN THE GREENHOUSE-

The creature appears to understand Tristan. It cocks its head to the side, spilling a fresh group of grubs onto the ground.

"TRISSSSTAAANN.........FAMILY...........YESSSSSS...."

The creature continues moving towards Tristan but her black claws have disappeared inside her fingers. As it shambles closer, the Luisa thing looks ready to embrace Tristan.

Elsie however senses danger to her beloved handler and leaps forward, teeth bared. The beast is so intent on attacking the Luisa thing that she snaps her leash in two. Leaping onto the thing, ferociously tearing at the decaying creature, Elsie knocks Luisa over, going for its throat.

Tristan watches the fat green grubs burrow into the flesh of poor Elsie. (1)
Julian enters the greenhouse through the open door. (2)

IN THE KITCHEN-

Agna clears her thoughts. She can remember the creature that wanted the tea leaves, the parody of Mistress Luisa. Pulling herself up, Agna finds the rest of Mariabella's throat on the floor of the larder, under where she had been laying. Blood clearly drips between the cracks in a section of the floor. (3)

Roderigo and Tahl enter the kitchen. Tuke shuffles in a few seconds later, a victim of his slower speed. (4)

(1) SPOT CHECK
(2) HORROR CHECK
(3) LISTEN CHECK +2 FOR AGNA
(4) LISTEN CHECK TAHL -2, TUKE -2

Café de Nuit

Welcome, friends, to our establishment.

The Fall of House Pancrazio Chapter One