The Fall of House Pancrazio Chapter One

[Griselda]

Agna stares at Tuke and for a moment her eyes seem unfocused. Then something clears, and she shakes her head.

"I can't, Mariabella will notice it's gone, I've got a headache--"

Her words start to tumble over each other, and she claps her hands to her mouth in a physical effort to stop speaking. She closes her eyes, trying to regain something more of her comportment. After a few moments, she slides slowly, almost reluctantly, down the door frame and sits on the back steps. She allows Tuke to press the wine glass into her hand and finally takes a sip that would fill a thimble. A little color begins to seep back into her cheeks.

She turns her face up to the stars and gazes for what seems like a long time. For as long as the little fool as known her, Agna has been comforted foremost by natural phenomena -- thunderstorms, birdsong, autumn color, a sliver of new moon in the sky. Perhaps it is something of the Vistani in her. Little by little, her trembling ceases and her fear-drawn features soften slightly.

Still gazing up at the sky, taking no more of the wine but still holding the glass, she says in a low voice:

"Tuke, for as long as you have known me, have you ever known me to lie or invent wild stories?"

[Irving the Meek]

Tuke shakes his head. "No. Never." And it's always disappointed me, Tuke thinks. He always suspected there was a wild soul lurking under the prim serving girl the Pancrazios had transformed Agna into, so very long ago. Maybe Lothario's crudeness has brought something buried in her into the light.

[ewancummins]

Jullian keeps a careful watch as the group rides back the manor.

"I don't believe I have properly introduced myself to you two. I Sir Jullian Pancrazio, I am aware that you are empolyed cousin, but what do you do for him?" He says, as keeps his one eye on his surroundings.

The young gunman smiles in a friendly way and makes reply-

''Tristan Appleman, sir. Pleased to make your acquaintance. I keep the guns and dogs for your kinfolks. ''

[Griselda]

Agna drops her gaze into the wine now and stares, as if hoping something will swirl up from the depths. She glances back into the kitchen, confirming she and Tuke are alone. Finally, she takes a deep breath and releases it slowly, her shoulders heaving:

"I always wondered if this house had things in it. For as much happened here, with the fire and who knows what went before.

"Tonight, when I was cleaning up Miss Phebe's room, I saw....," her words die off, then return in a frantic rush. "I saw something writing on the wall over her bed, letters, by no hand I could see, scratching into the wall and filling with something nasty and yellow, like pus from a wound gone bad. It said 'Hurts'. I stood there and looked at this. All the while, Miss Phebe was asleep. Then the letters seeped away, and suddenly Miss Phebe started snoring, strange and loud. My head started hurting, thundering headache, then I saw fire, I heard someone screaming, and my throat was burning. And then...."

Again, she falters, but when she speaks again, her voice sounds faintly wondering, in spite of the distinct quaver that is invading. "And then, I saw a little boy walking toward me. He had black hair and Pancrazio features. He started reaching out to me, and his arms seemed to stretch, and then his fingers were stretching and they made a scratching sound. I-I put my hands out to stop him, my fingers were on fire--"

She squeezes her eyes shut and her shoulders shake. The wineglass trembles in her hand, and the wine starts to slop in the bowl. Her voice sinks to a low frightened tone. "And I opened my eyes, and my hands were around Miss Phebe's throat like I was trying to choke the life out of her. I realized what I was doing and I dropped her. She started breathing again and she seemed to fall back asleep, thank Ezra. I don't know what was there, it's never happened before, I didn't want to stay, I just wanted to finish and get out as quick as I could -- oh, merciful Ezra, what have I done?!"

Her head drops onto her arms and she sobs softly.

[Irving the Meek]

Tuke sets down his own wine and rubs small circles in Agna's back, carefully concealing the surprise he's feeling. Of all the things he expected to hear, that wasn't one of them.

He takes a moment to think. He'd never paid much heed to the stories of ghostly piping in the manor. At worst, he'd figured that Phebe had figured out how to make a grass flute at some point and was entertaining herself at odd hours. Every old house has a ghost story in Borca; it more or less comes with the furniture.

But it was true - Agna had never lied to him, ever. And if, for some reason, something had compelled her to lay a hand on Phebe...

"All right. Shhh, shhh. All right. We can make this better, I promise."

"First things first. We need to make sure Phebe's all right. If she's hurt, I know a trick or two that can mend her." And let's see that she's not bruised., Tuke thinks. If Magenta saw marks on Phebe, Agna would be lucky if she was driven from the house. "Come with me. Let's look things over together. Pranksters like this never show up when you've got company - they only pick on people who wander off alone, or go exploring odd noises in the middle of the night with nothing but a candle and a thin nightie. They've got no business picking on honest maids like you going about their business, that's for certain. I'm going to have to complain to the management. Or give this brat a good spanking, one or the other. Come along. You've never seen me administer a solid spanking, have you? An admonishing one, mind you, not a recreational one. Well, there was this time...

And Tuke gently leads Agna off the stairs, a steady patter of wild tales and jokes easing the fear from her heart.(1)

(1)INSPIRE COURAGE ACTIVE. All allies receive +1 morale bonus to saves vs. charm and fear effects, +1 to hit and damage. JMatyr, I intend to maintain the effect until Tuke does something other that tell jokes and provide comic relief; it will last for about 30 seconds(5 rounds) after I stop joking around.

[JMaytr]

DOWNSTAIRS IN THE DRAWING ROOM

Mariabella is cleaning the room, carefully dusting all of the furniture and the many antique clocks above the fireplace. This had been one of Miss Luisa's favorite places, well here and the greenhouse, and Mariabella still found herself thinking about the things she needed to do to prepare for Miss Luisa's day. She started to weep. Even though the old woman had grown increasingly distant, Mariabella had known her all of her life.

There was a sudden noise from behind the cook. She turned her head to look...


UPSTAIRS IN MISS PHEBE'S ROOM


Tuke slips into the room quietly, Agna close behind him. The very memory of being in the room and her earlier actions made the girl want to flee, but the reassuring jests of the halfling had done much to help her failing nerves.

There is very little light in the room, emanating from the candle on the stand next to Miss Phebe's bed. Right where the words formed. The body on the bed is motionless, but a moment after entering Miss Phebe lets out a loud sharp snore and rolls over, her face now in the light. Peering closely Tuke sees what he expected and feared; small hand sized bruises were forming on her neck, some yellow and dull others dark and black (1)

(1) HEAL CHECK


ALONG THE ROAD TO PANCRAZIO MANOR


Tahl, Sir Jullian, and Tristan make their way slowly back to the manor. The silence of the night was heavy and suffocating.

But the silence is broken by a loud snap of underbrush that cracks like a whip on each of your spines. A second later the howling of wolves floods the sky.

Tahl sees them first.

Five black furred beasts begin circling the group, coming close, less than twenty yards away. The beasts have bared teeth and the ragged looks of starvation. A purple saliva drops from their mouths in thick, oozing clumps.

[RocEter]

Jullian dismounts his horse readying his longsword and shield for the battle(1)

"Ezra bless my blade, and protect us this night." He says.


(1)total defense action +4 dodge bonus to AC, making AC 25

[Irving the Meek]

"...and the lass says, "You're not that short!"

Tuke stops whispering jokes to Agna as they enter Miss Phebe's room. He holds Agna's hand firmly - he knows that without the steady patter, Agna's likely to run in fear.

"All right. Let's see. No writing or any nonsense. Prankster must have shoved off for the night. Good thing too, it's past his bedtime. All right, all right, let me look here..."

Tuke suppresses a wince when he sees the bruising. He doesn't know much about wounds and such,(1) so there's no reason to take chances.

He closes his eyes a moment and remembers how Captain Matthew taught him - the boat surrounded by green trees and vines, the hum of cicadas, the scent of the lilies. Everything has to be just right.

A good bard can't really cast magic. But some of the old poems, if you say them just right, have a magic all their own... or flatter the great powers of the world enough to net you a favor, if you ask nice.

"You are the true sapphire
that can heal and end all my sufferings,
the emerald which brings rejoicing,
the ruby to brighten and comfort the heart.
Your speech, your looks,
Your bearing, make one flee and hate and detest
all vice and cherish and desire all that is good."

Tuke recites the old poem, reaches out to Ezra, and thinks to himself, Please. I may not be too faithful, but what woman can resist a little flattery, eh?

He feels a strong wave of power wash through him, and watches the bruises diminish with relief. Hopefully, the old magic will be enough to remove the marks.(2)

(1)Heal check, result 5.
(2) cure light wounds, 9 hp healed.

[ewancummins]

Tristan hastily dismounts and readies his musket, taking aim at the biggest wolf.

[Lord Skybolt]

Talh dismounts and readies his shield and thinblade for any wolves that get within reach or pass him in their attack on the party .











Dismounts as a move action and readies shield and weapon as free actions. Waiting for opportunity attacks if wolves go by him or other party members . Lots Possible for him in a round .

[Rock of the Fraternity]

In Vor Ziyden

Harold sits in front of his fireplace, feet propped up on a cushion. The fire is slowly dying out, as should be expected. Once nothing remains but smoldering embers, he will retire to his bed. In the meantime, he thumbs through an old book he purchased for his own reading pleasure ... but tonight, it can't seem to keep his attention.

With a sigh, the ageing scholar (he feels very old tonight) puts aside his book, steeples his fingers and looks into the fire. 'I should have said something to someone,' he chides himself. 'No, I did tell someone, and he laughed it off. This ... this just will not do. You did not flee all the way from Mordent and find ... what needs must pass for a home and gainful employment here, to look away from genuine danger, Harold Noor.'

Sighing again, Harold rises from his chair and walks to a nearby table. There is a bottle of red wine, still half full. There is a glass. Harold picks both up and puts them aside. He's partial to Barovian red wine, he really is, but he knows better than to drink of them to excess. Sighing yet again, he opens the tabletop and considers the objects he has stored within. Picks one up and tests the edge; a nice, well-made dagger.

'Suppose I'll have to speak more forcefully with the bloody Borcans when I return in the morning,' he thinks to himself, slightly sourly, as he retrieves several other items. 'But just to be on the safe side, I'll bring some supplies. Some surprises, mayhap.' The next object to leave the safe hiding place is a pouch on a wide, leather belt. The belt still fits, more or less, and Harold straps it on. It's depressing, really, how easily his hands can still do that. It really is.

Shaking his head, Harold closes the table, pours himself a glass of wine, then replaces the bottle on the table and shuffles back to his chair and tries to reimmerse himself into his book. Just until the fire's gone to ashes and embers. Then he'll retire. But his little tools, he'll keep close at hand from now on in. Brow creased, Harold sips the brutish vintage.

Oh, yes. He'll keep his little surprises at his side.

[JMaytr]

ALONG THE ROAD-


Tahl holds his blade at the ready as the wolves move in for the attack. Tristan's gun fires at the largest of the black furred beasts, a large patch of flesh exploding off the creature as the bullet finds its mark. The wolf howls but does not fall.

The wolf by Tahl bares its teeth and tries a bite on the elven swordsman, missing by mere inches. The failed attack leaves enough of an opening for Tahl, and the elf plunges his fine blade through the nape of the wolf's neck. The beast is dead before its body falls to the ground.

Two of the other wolves close in on Julian, while the fifth black furred beast runs off silently into the night.

The armored man strikes down at a wolf missing him. The other wolf flanking Julian finds his mark however, and buries a jaw full of teeth into the mans right leg. Foul looking, purple ichor oozes from the painful wound. (1)

UPSTAIRS at PANCRAZIO MANOR-

Tuke breathes a sigh of relief as he watches Agna's finger sized bruises disappear from Miss Phebe's throat. The sleeping woman lets out a snort and rolls over, away from the candle light. She clutches her bear and appears to be sound asleep. Rythmic snoring soon follows.


(1) 3 damage/fort save

[RocEter]

Jullian lets out a growl of anger as the wolf bites into his right leg from the behind. He turns around to face the wolf at his flank attempting to strike the wolf with his sword. (1) (2)

1. Fort Save: 14 (rolled 4+10)
2. Status 17/20 Hp

[JMaytr]

The pain in Julian's leg is fierce. Chancing a look Julian can see the purple saliva from the wolf was dripping down his leg, mercifully free from the wound. Whirling about, Julian brings his blade down on the culprit, burying it deep in the creatures back. It yelps in pain, and readies itself for another attack.

[Irving the Meek]

Tuke puts a finger over his lips, gestures to Agna, and tiptoes silently out of the room.(1) As they quietly walk down the winding stairs to the kitchen and back room, the little fool pauses for a moment. Did I hear a wolf howling out there in the wilds?(2) Ezra help good Master Pancrazio if there are beasts out tonight.

(1) Move Silently check, result 20.
(2) Listen check, result 14.