The Fall of House Pancrazio Chapter 4

[JMaytr]

Letter from Saverio Pancrazio to Roderigo Pancrazio

15 June 758

Dearest Nephew,

I have arrived in Richemulot and not a moment too soon! The lands of Falkovnia are a terribly strict place. And the people! Do not get me started on them; they are a bunch of violently crazed warmongers.

While in Richemulot I had the opportunity to visit an old friend by the name of Denys Sancerre. He has aged well and has many beautiful daughters. during my stay with him i was able to broach the subject of our famous vineyard. I simply cannot help myself, the wine our farms produce is the very talk of Falkovnia and Richemulot! And Denys is no fool. He has agreed to buy two cases of wine from us a month. Even when I am pursuing my own scholarly interests, I cannot avoid making sales for the family.

How is miss Phebe? I miss my daughter so. I received word that my grandsons Julian and Sebastian are in the ancestral home. I cannot express enough my happiness at having us all so close. Who would have thought that the passing of my sister could reunite our fractured family.

I should be in Borca in just a few days. I look forward to seeing all of the family soon, including your own son Goran. I wonder; did he become the rich big game hunter he sought out to be? There is so much catching up we must do!

See you soon nephew.
Saverio.

[JMaytr]

Clean morning light washes over the grounds of pancrazio manor. The day arrives with the singing of birds and the buzzing of insects. During the light of the day the dozens of flowers blanketing the grounds creates an almost dizzying spray of color. Borca is truly a beautiful place.

Inside pancrazio manor the mood is a mixture of fear and loathing. Emilio and Agna busy themselves in the kitchen preparing the evenings feast and cleaning placeware.

Sebastian is still in bed. The shocking dream from the previous night has allowed the poor man little actual rest, though he appears to sleep quite soundly.

Tahl, already awake for hours, has been performing his usual security duties, and cleaning of his blades. Just before dawn a carriage arrives at the estate. The elf watches as Magenta exits and quickly retreats inside Pancrazio Manor. Something about her is strange to Tahl; as if she was afraid of something in the carriage or of the approaching dawn.

Tristan, awakes shortly after dawn thanks to the braying of the hounds. As he checks on the animals, he discovers that the horses appear to be healthier than normal. The new beast, the one brought back by Emilio and Agna, almost seems to shine in the morning light. As he place feed in the bags, the animals begin to eat casually, as if not too hungry.

Julian is also still asleep. Not one to be up with the sun, the knight typically awoke a few hours later.

Harold sleeps through the night, waking in the morning more refreshed than the elderly man had felt in a long while.

Goran, like Tahl has been awake for a couple of hours. The young man notices his sister Magenta arriving home just before dawn driven by Lothario Enzo's carriage. Goran sees no sign of the Borcan noble. Magenta retires to her room and stays there for the rest of the morning.

[ewancummins]

After doing his early morning chores with the horses and hounds, Tristan drops by the kitchen.

''Hello, Miss Agna. I've brought you a treat. ''

Tristan reaches into his satchel and produces a pear.

''Fresh and ripe.''

Brushing an errant lock of blond hair from his face, Tristan offers the fruit to the servant girl with a little smile.

[Lord Skybolt]

After Tahl see's Magenta arrival and seeming to be fearful about something . He goes into kitchen to see about getting some breakfast .

[Griselda]

Agna, who is carefully washing several sizes of plates between swallows of milky black tea, turns to him with a smile that seems brighter than yesterday. "Good morning to you, too. Tristan. I'm sorry, but you must get your own tea this morning." She nods apologetically toward the big worktable where the brown servants' teapot is wrapped in a cozy alongside the cups, a jar of preserves and sliced bread. The oven is already heating, and two pots simmer on the stove.

She accepts the pear, takes a bite, and promptly wipes her chin with her apron. "And juicy. Wonderful." She slices it in half and discreetly slips the unbitten half onto Emilio's plate, near where he is counting and polishing the silver.

She finishes her portion in a few bites and returns to the dishes, the rinsed ones now receiving a gentle drying. Her eyes never leave her work, but she manages a quick sidelong glance to indicate her attention.

"How'd the new horse like the stable?"

[ewancummins]

''Oh, he likes it well enough, I expect. A fine horse!''

Tristan busies himself with fixing tea for the servants.

''Maybe later I'll take you out on the lawn, give you some riding lessons- would you like that?"'

[Griselda]

For a glorious half-moment, Agna considers the idea and is entranced with the thought of clambering up on that beautiful Tinker horse's broad warm back. Then she returns to earth very roughly at the sight of the bowls and glasses still awaiting a rinse, and she shakes her head with a bemused expression. "Any other time, I would say yes and thank you, but today I'll thank Ezra if I have time to stand still between here and tonight. Which reminds me, if you have something for wearing tonight and it needs any press or small mend, give it to me soon, so I can do it while waiting for the sauce to bubble or whatever."

She leans in a bit closer and says, lower, "And don't you dare disappear in the kennels until suppertime. We'll need extra hands up here to arrange the dining room and parlor. He--," she inclines her head toward Emilio, "--should not be dragging furniture around."

[ewancummins]

Tristan leans in a little closer, as well. He smiles as his eyes meet Agna's own. In a quiet voice, he says-

''Of course not, I'd never dream of shirking. Besides, why would I wish to rob myself of the pleasure of your company?''

The young man's breath carries a pleasant odor of mint and ...juniper berries?


Just then, the tea kettle comes to a head, whistling shrilly. Tristan quickly turns away from Agna and takes up the kettle.

''Ah, tea-time, everyone!''

He deftly pours a cup for each servant present.

''Do you want me to take tea round to any of the upstairs folks, Miss Agna?''

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Why don't you let me do that, boy?" Harold grumps as he comes limping into the kitchen, his barn owl already perched on his shoulder. "After I've had my own share, of course." For a wonder, though, it's a rather good-natured grump; the old man looks positively dapper today.

"Wouldn't want to expose you to that harlot, girl, if she's even awake at this time of day," Harold addresses Agna. "That, and I need to go check on Ms. Phebe, as well. Sending me up with the tea things is just killing two birds with one stone."

Harold sits down heavily at the table, wincing slightly, then sighs. "So," he says in his rough voice. "Has anyone put any serious thought into what we're to do with the tainted labyrinth beneath this house, and whether it is actually worth saving or we should just run for Levkarest and beg the Home Faith to come burn this place down while we run across the border?"

The little smile playing about the corners of Harold's mouth robs his coarse words of some of their sting, but his eyes look honestly curious.

[Varrus the Ethical]

"Gah!", Sebastian exclaims as he awakes with a start. Blinded by the morning light, Sebastian falls gracelessly out of bed with a
thud.

"Ow!" Blurts Sebastian as he hits the floor.

The impact from the fall jogs his memory, and the horrific experience in the library comes back to him.

"The Boy!" he says as he remembers. Finding his things, Sebastain dresses in his casual cloths and exits the room. Intent on finding the library, but still unfamiliar with his surroundings, he soon finds himself lost.

[Griselda]

Agna sidles back a step or two from Tristan. There is, after all, Magenta's threat of yesterday, still fresh in her mind. And Tristan seems strangely more loquacious than usual for him....

She takes her cup from Tristan and gives it a hearty dollop of milk.

Agna looks dubious at the idea of Harold carrying a tea-tray up the stairs. His stiff gait and the stairs doesn't inspire confidence with the china. She smiles, but the mention of Magenta gives her an expression as if she's trying to look pleasant while swallowing vinegar. "It's kind of you, sir, but it's a bit late to avoid the exposure. Besides, I wouldn't think you'd want to give her another chance at you. Anyway--" she plunges a dessert plate into the wash water, anxious to move the conversation along, "-- you seem cheerful this morning. I take it we all slept better than the night before."

At Harold's pronouncement, the half-Vistani maid stops mid-action, dripping plate in hand. Darting a quick glance in Emilio's direction to see if he heard Harold's unconsidered words, she gives Harold a tight smile and says in a glib tone, "Oh? Would that have anything to do with what you all were up to yesterday while I was out?"

[ewancummins]

Agna sidles back a step or two from Tristan. There is, after all, Magenta's threat of yesterday, still fresh in her mind. And Tristan seems strangely more loquacious than usual for him....

Tristan seems not have have noticed Agna's reaction, as he suddenly busy with the tea. Before he can accept Harold's offer, Agna has politely insisted on taking up the tea, herself

Joining Harold at the table, Tristan pours first for the old man and any other sitting down, then for himself.

As he sips the hot tea, the young man replies to Harold's question-


The cellars? I think we ought soon to go back down there and finish our explorations, that's what I think. The family is counting on us to handle this. We may find more clues as to just what is going on in this house, and beneath it. We may locate more supplies or valuables. If there are more monsters down there, we ought to clean them out.

Let's review what we know:

• A walking dead thing attacked and killed poor Mariabella, and it retreated to the greenhouse after the killing. It was destroyed there, thank goodness.
  
  The monster spoke to me when I addressed it- thinking it was Luisa.
  
  We went to Luisa's tomb and saw her body- which looked just as you'd expect it to look, nothing strange.
  
  There is a hidden tunnel that opens into the greenhouse.
  
  Luisa used the old greenhouse. So far as we know, no one else did.
  
  The hidden cellars contained a large store of food, a shrine, and bedroom/living quarters.
  
  In the bedroom in the cellars, we found a locked chest with magic on it and a strange keyhole- one that might be shaped like one of Luisa's rings.
  The chest is very heavy. Oh, and did you ever manage to get that chest open, Harold?
  
  The frightful apparition of a weeping boy appeared to us in the cellars.
  
  There are ghouls in the cellars- or at least, there were.
  
  There is a hidden opening in the pantry that connects the manor house to the cellars. A ladder leads down, making access easy enough- if one knew about the secret opening.
  
  Mister Sebastian was hurt by a mysterious smoke cloud in the pantry, and yet we don't see signs of a fire in the pantry, do we? He mentioned boiling liquid, I think. He had trouble again with smoke, in the library- but there was no fire.

Now, this is getting past what we know, but…maybe a ghost made that smoke, a ghost that died in a fire -the boy? They say it’s usually the smoke that kills you, not the flames. It’s just an idea- I could easily be wrong.

As for the rest, you know that I think Luisa Pancrazio might have known about the cellars and that the chest could be hers- but I'll own that I haven't got proof, just a couple of clues that suggest the possibility to my mind.

We need to put our heads together to solve this trouble, I’m sure of that much. Harold- or any of you- have you got any ideas, observations, etc that might help us get to the bottom of these weird happenings?''

[Griselda]

Agna listens to the litany of discoveries with growing shock, the dishes slowly forgotten. She's not sure if her reaction should be horror or disbelief. But more importantly, she's not sure if she wants to ask further questions or mention her own finds with Emilio near by.

She finishes the dessert plates and dries her hands. Then she asks softly, her earlier bright manner now very subdued, "You said something about a chamber, below the pantry. May I see where?"

[ewancummins]

Agna listens to the litany of discoveries with growing shock, the dishes slowly forgotten. She's not sure if her reaction should be horror or disbelief. But more importantly, she's not sure if she wants to ask further questions or mention her own finds with Emilio near by.

She finishes the dessert plates and dries her hands. Then she asks softly, her earlier bright manner now very subdued, "You said something about a chamber, below the pantry. May I see where?"

''Oh, yes, of course.''

Tristan rises from the table.
He pulls a flintlock pistol, checks the priming, replaces it in his pocket, and walks to the pantry/larder at the rear of the kitchen.

Once Agna joins him, he points out to her a dark-stained wooden grate in the floor.


''It's right below us- always has, been. That's not just an old drain, it covers the mouth of a vertical shaft- equipped with a ladder- leading down into a big cellar with side tunnels- we still don't know just how big it is. There is a storage area down there where we found all this food.

He waves his right hand at the shelves of the pantry, which are jam-packed with earthenware jars of preserved food.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Harold claps Tristan on the shoulder before he can get up, a rare smile creasing his weathered face. "Well done, boy," he compliments him. "You have an organized mind, to put everything together like that. You might like to get yourself into a University one of these days, no telling how far you might rise.

As for the chest, no, I haven't gotten it open. Haven't tried to. Where there's necromancy on the lock, it's best not to poke your fingers in. We should try to find the proper key, since I lack the kind of spells that might disarm the trap."

Harold nods at Agna's refusal of his services and shrugs. "As you would, child. But mind this; I'm old. It's a little harder for that harlot to wound my feelings than yours. Oh, she offends me to high Heaven, but she can't hurt me as easily."