Shadow War campaign In-Game: Chapter 69- Manor of Death

[Navarre]

The Shadow War

Chapter 69
Manor of Death

You step across the threshold of Maldomkin's paper house. Your mind goes from Hell to home as your body breaks down into a temporarily insensate stream of matter. Having recovered Faerun, the safety of Union Point will be welcome after the alien landscape of Laukordia.

The first thing you notice as you reconstitute is the smell. It is pleasant but unfamiliar. As eyes reform in your body you see that nothing else is familiar either.

You are standing in a dark parlor. As large as a tavern, it is adorned in decorative paintings, large rugs, and hanging chandeliers.

Comfortable seating is arranged in small groups in various parts of the room, dark wood covered in leather and velvet. The furnishings are of a rich mahogany, echoing the walls of the room itself.

Tables large and small are arranged along some portions of the wall and within the seating groups. Bowls of pure silver hold fresh fruit of some sort. The fruit appears small and dark purple from here.

The lights are off, your masks providing the sight needed to survey the surroundings. Straight across the room from you is a closed set of double doors; a matching pair at the far end of the room to your right.

The air is cool but comfortable and the smell you sensed catches your nostrils again. It is vanilla mixed with a light spice. It barely masks the smell of cooking food coming from elsewhere beyond this room.

Inoke looks around the room before her then at you, Liv.

"We take wrong turn? This not Alabaster Tower."

[Strifeter]

Tren studies the room carefully.

{Do I see the door we came in from?}

[sab39]

{What magic do I detect? What can I sense of the environment around the room we are in and what life forms, if any, can I detect?}

[Navarre]

Tren, you turn to look behind you. There is indeed a door here. You recognize it.

It is, from all appearances, the free-standing door in the Alabaster Tower. It seems to be the very same door that you used to transport to Laukordia and the return destination Liv chose when leaving across Maldomkin's threshold.

The door is open now. Stone stairs descend into darkness.

[Strifeter]

Tren ponders about the door.

"You don't think the ravager could have 'moved' the door after we used it the first time. Putting us somewhere she wanted us?

Tren draws his rapier from it's sheathe and begins to focus on the shard.

[Navarre]

Anbar, you try to quiet your mind, searching for life within the house. You sense the presence of at least a dozen sentient creatures, human you believe, within the house.

But something is interfering with your perception. It seems to be, if possible, an antithesis of the World Spirit; a force of anti-life working against you. You do not believe the force is sentient or actively blocking you but rather some unnatural aspect of the house itself.

Tren, the shard begins to glow brightly; brighter than you have ever seen. You feel the shard burning in your arm, just short of painful.

[sab39]

"Hyde's mansion?"

Seems to me we should get out of here if we can. We're not prepared for facing Hyde alone at this juncture. Will the Totem work to get us back to Union Point - to a mundane doorway this time, if you please?

"Also, Uma?"

Can you hear me now?

[Navarre]

There is no reply from your Whisper.

[Gaumer]

"What in the name o' Kallum, where we be?

Damn magic. It'll be the end o' me yet. Take in a good look, mates. Anyone be knowin' this place?"

Bed moves towards and listens at the double doors straight across.

"Go check on those others. We not be wantin' to be caught off guard more than we be."

[Navarre]

No one seems to know the place.

Donovan moves quickly to the doors straight across from your entry point and listens. He looks at you and shakes his head, indicating he hears nothing.

Bedlor, you hear a low voice past the doors and to your left, where Anbar sensed someone. It is a female voice that alternates between talking and humming. You cannot make out the words.

Tren, you are already at the open door where you entered. Listening, you hear an occasional whistle, as if in summons. Once or twice you hear what you believe to be the sound of a cracking whip.

[Gaumer]

Bed whispers to the group

"Got a girl this way. Speakin' but I can'ta be makin' out words."

[Navarre]

Donovan leaves his door as Vinnrog draws his great axe and moves to guard it, Inoke at his side. The rogue comes over and listens as well.

"Voice is a little shaky but I hear her," he whispers.

"Yes, yes. In the parlor, is it?" he repeats her words.

"I think she knows we're here."

"But who's she talking to? No one is answering her and no one's coming this way."

[Strifeter]

"There is a whistle sound coming from this way. i also hear the sound of a whip. I will investigate further."

[Gaumer]

"Aye, we should all be movin' that way.

Give it a looksee an' come back, Tren?"

[Navarre]

Aphra looks at you, Tren, and draws her night cleaver.

"Need backup?"