Boyd - As you push through into the lounge, you note the strange doll's house appears to be a replica of Prospect; or, at least a more intact version of Prospect. Bookshelves line the walls to the north and south, though even from where you stand you can tell that their contents seem to be water damaged. Some 25ft to the northeast is an overgrown door, it seems to have not been disturbed in some time; it is covered in ivy and other vegetation.
All - You hear a ruckus from outside the property. A heavily accented, gruff, woman's voice is barking instructions. You catch snippets;"Find Brinck and Sedgewick, bring them to me...", this is followed by a few choice words.
Faila scrambles to help Nikita stop the escaping Sagacitas. Small, large, fast, slow, she goes after all of them in a kind of frenzy, dancing around the table, stomping with her boots, slashing with her claws---wait, what? My hands grew claws again--until every last worm she can see is dead.
(Just reiterating from above, Nikita only looked for Sagacitas larvae briefly, trying to kill or encase the obvious ones with Prestidigitation or Shape Water before grabbing the case and moving back out to either help Boyd/Erma if needed, or ideally, go after Sedgewick at the back of the house as Brinck said).
((Given that it seems like Nikita is not in the dining room currently, I'll use your roll as though you are standing at the entrance to the lounge))
As you peer through the entrance to the lounge, two things immediately catch your attention;
Located on the mantlepiece is a framed painting, largely untouched by the invading vegetation. It depicts a young lady, in her mid-thirties, with long flowing red hair. The image seems to depict fire rising from her left hand (see image below);
You could swear you noticed movement coming from the bear-skin rug on the ground; tangled vegetation works its way around the rug's arms and head.
You rip and tear and squish and squash. Many of the larvae die at your hands. Once you have calmed down, you look around and see no living parasites that have managed to evade your wrath.
Reasonably satisfied that she has eliminated the sagacitas threat, Faila prowls in a circle twice more before taking off across the room, following the others in the direction of the lounge.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Nikita murmurs despite herself and the pressing circumstances, pointing at the painting "I wonder if that is Asha Hawkes. It was said she has red hair, I believe..."
She shakes herself from her reverie. "Stay away from that bear-skin rug in the lounge! It may be alive or enchanted and I mistrust the plants growing through it."
And then: "We must either get to Sedgewick NOW while we can and deal with whatever he has become. OR confront Lexi Rosetta and her crew of thugs outside first. I vote for Sedgewick."
As Nikita moves towards the back of Prospect where she expects Sedgewick to be, beckoning the others to join, she and Thumbtack split duties. Nikita gives Faila a once over, worried that the feral young woman may have gotten Sagacitas larvae on her body without realizing it. Meanwhile, the owl familiar briefly flies back to listen and look out the front window to try to get an idea of how many people Lexi Rosetta has with her.
Boyd attempts to jam a tumbler in the front door's lock, essentially breaking it. Then he looks to his allies and shrugs; "I dunno the right move, but I'm not interested in having some angry pirates at our backs while we confront some strange monster."
The sound of a cracking and twisting of vines rings out from the lounge. Slowly the bear-skin rug begins to move, turn and lift, adopting the form it would have once taken in life. Ivy wraps around its mighty frame, giving it life. Fungal spores and growths cover its back as it rises to its hindquarters.
Thanks to Nikita's warnings, the party has enough time to act. Quickly exiting the room they lodge the door behind them. If they are to move on without incurring the powerful plant-creature's wrath they will need to do so silently.
ALL - Please make a Stealth roll to avoid detection.
Moving further through the property, the hallway seems to go on and on, stretching its length. Multiple doors can be seen leading off from the hallway. A grand piano and additional lounging area are located further ahead. A grand staircase sits to the right of the hallway. New vegetation growth covers the walls, flooring, ceiling, and most of the furniture. A damp, wet smell persists throughout. Ivy leaves rustle and creak, full of fresh growth.
Cold air blows from the north of the property, chilling the party to the core. The breeze seems to carry whispers, a faint voice, a woman's, though it is unintelligible.
((Explored Area of Prospect - Red X's denote doors, the larger the 'X' the larger the door))
A faint voice can be heard from the door to the west of the hallway ((the first Xon the left)). It sounds weak, fraught with fear, and anguished. "MUM! MUM! Heeelp!", the screams repeat followed by, "Its -- wet -- please, I don't want to drown!"
Thumbtack:
Glaring outside the front window, Thumbtack relays a strange sight back to you. It looks like Lexi and her pirate gang have disembarked from the carriages but they are surrounded by a number of smaller figures -- men? dwarfs? something different? Thumbtack cannot quite discern.
Angry words are being exchanged between the two groups. Then the leader, you presume to be Lexi, steps forward and plunges her rapier into the chest of the nearest small humanoid. Blood spurts from the wound and a battle commences.
Thumbtack makes out around 12-15 pirates including Lexi and multiple smaller creatures.
Boyd's attempt to jam the door:
Working quickly, you attempt to jam the lock of the door. You feel like it has been successful however the windows if broken, might be able to serve as an entry point.
As you work near the door you hear shouting from outside. It appears that Lexi and her pirate gang are being accosted by a group of small humanoid creatures, the likes of which you have not seen before. This shouting match culminates in Lexi stepping forward and thrusting her rapier into the chest of one of the beings. It falls to the ground, gurgles blood, and then keels over. Battle is joined as both sides start swiping at each other and taking up defensive positions.
The sound of fighting can be heard from outside; the familiar sounds of swords clanging, of pain-filled cries, of screams, and of curses echo around the Prospect's main drive.
Boyd warns everyone of the hullabaloo he heard outside - pirates fighting with tiny humanoids... maybe those same weird things in the trees that Nikita saw on the way in.
"Well, where to next? I think I got the door jammed proper, but they could still come though the windows. If they do, they'd have to clamber through one at a time and we'd have the advantage... What do you say? Gods, I feel like a trapped mouse in here! Anything that gets me away from this place quicker, I'm for." The nerves from coming in contact with strange cosmic horrors seems to be getting to the middle-aged man, and he seems on edge.
Nikita is about to add to Boyd's point but with the plant-bear forming, she attempts to stealthily move further into the house, unsure of whether to go to the back where Sedgewick's study is or to investigate the source of the voice first. Probably the voice first, since it may be Esther.
Meresaa, staying away from the windows and animated bear rug, quietly makes a suggestion.
"I'm not in the habit of 'destroying' people, but what do you all think about simply hiding ourselves away while the bandits go after Sedgewick? It seems to me that if we simply bide our time, our two problems could quickly reduce their numbers by half. Might I suggest we begin looking for a dark corner behind the door over here on the left since it sounds like there very well could be someone in need behind it?"
She raises a hairless eyebrow quizzically before moving to the door and placing a hand on the handle. Pausing to look back to the group, she adds, "Whether or not we end up facing off against Sedgewick in some fashion, I really need to get a look at this portal. Interplanar gates have been my primary subject of study for some time now, you know..."
The party creeps deeper into the mansion. Moving to the first door on the left you hear the voice come through again. "Heeeelp?! Somebody, anybody?! BILLY?!"the shouts are more frantic now. A steady drip, dripping can be heard from behind the door.
Meresaa plucks up the courage and turns the doorknob -- it's locked. The door itself is made of solid wood, a keyhole is located just below the knob. You might be able to break the door in but that would almost certainly alert any creatures in the immediate area.
At the moment, no one else has tried to enter the mansion through the front door.
Ermasnietsz remains at the back of the beeline, lingering outside the room with animated bear-rug a bit longer to observe the strange phenomenon. To her, it feels like an event of déjà vu. She can remember a parallel event that has somehow changed her life forever and carefully forged her current identity and personality.
If nothing peculiar happens, she will follow the party while moving deeper into the death pit. When Meresaa starts talking about a frightfully 'spiffing' idea, she will try to express her opinion on the matter.
"I'm not the best person to judge who's a demon or who might be an angel since I dislike humankind in general. But, I have been struggling a bit regarding the alignment of Sedgewick. He might not be as evil as we've been imagining him to be."She pauses abruptly to watch the movement of Boyd, then continues to speak as if she were going through a trance like condition.
"Sedgewick might be a victim of conspiracy. We had to be hundred percent sure before doing something that can leave a permanent mark."
Boyd pushes open the door. "Looks clear in here. Just regular overgrowth, by the looks of it."
Boyd - As you push through into the lounge, you note the strange doll's house appears to be a replica of Prospect; or, at least a more intact version of Prospect. Bookshelves line the walls to the north and south, though even from where you stand you can tell that their contents seem to be water damaged. Some 25ft to the northeast is an overgrown door, it seems to have not been disturbed in some time; it is covered in ivy and other vegetation.
All - You hear a ruckus from outside the property. A heavily accented, gruff, woman's voice is barking instructions. You catch snippets; "Find Brinck and Sedgewick, bring them to me...", this is followed by a few choice words.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Faila scrambles to help Nikita stop the escaping Sagacitas. Small, large, fast, slow, she goes after all of them in a kind of frenzy, dancing around the table, stomping with her boots, slashing with her claws---wait, what? My hands grew claws again--until every last worm she can see is dead.
Ermasnietsz moves closer to the source of the gruff female voice attempting to eavesdrop on the new arrivals.
Perception 14
InkedBee (Undead_Analyst)
Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts - Jenviel Tsumara: Fallen Aasimar- Monk|Crimson Sands of Time - Navarra Iltazyara: Human- Druid/Warlock| Bleak Prospect - Ermasnietsz: Reborn- Clockwork Soul Sorcerer
Faila (and anyone else looking for the Sagacitas larvae) can I have Perception or Investigation checks, your choice.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
(Just reiterating from above, Nikita only looked for Sagacitas larvae briefly, trying to kill or encase the obvious ones with Prestidigitation or Shape Water before grabbing the case and moving back out to either help Boyd/Erma if needed, or ideally, go after Sedgewick at the back of the house as Brinck said).
Nevertheless, Perception: 21
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Faila Perception: 9
Nikita's Perception check:
((Given that it seems like Nikita is not in the dining room currently, I'll use your roll as though you are standing at the entrance to the lounge))
As you peer through the entrance to the lounge, two things immediately catch your attention;
Faila's Perception check:
You rip and tear and squish and squash. Many of the larvae die at your hands. Once you have calmed down, you look around and see no living parasites that have managed to evade your wrath.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Reasonably satisfied that she has eliminated the sagacitas threat, Faila prowls in a circle twice more before taking off across the room, following the others in the direction of the lounge.
Nikita murmurs despite herself and the pressing circumstances, pointing at the painting "I wonder if that is Asha Hawkes. It was said she has red hair, I believe..."
She shakes herself from her reverie. "Stay away from that bear-skin rug in the lounge! It may be alive or enchanted and I mistrust the plants growing through it."
And then: "We must either get to Sedgewick NOW while we can and deal with whatever he has become. OR confront Lexi Rosetta and her crew of thugs outside first. I vote for Sedgewick."
As Nikita moves towards the back of Prospect where she expects Sedgewick to be, beckoning the others to join, she and Thumbtack split duties. Nikita gives Faila a once over, worried that the feral young woman may have gotten Sagacitas larvae on her body without realizing it. Meanwhile, the owl familiar briefly flies back to listen and look out the front window to try to get an idea of how many people Lexi Rosetta has with her.
Nikita Perception: 17
Thumbtack Perception: 23
Either way, Nikita puts away Brinck's case in her pack so it is not visible, making sure it has no Sagacitas or odd vegetation clinging to it.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Boyd attempts to jam a tumbler in the front door's lock, essentially breaking it. Then he looks to his allies and shrugs; "I dunno the right move, but I'm not interested in having some angry pirates at our backs while we confront some strange monster."
Thieves' tools: 13
Afternoon - Day #2 - Deeper Prospect
The sound of a cracking and twisting of vines rings out from the lounge. Slowly the bear-skin rug begins to move, turn and lift, adopting the form it would have once taken in life. Ivy wraps around its mighty frame, giving it life. Fungal spores and growths cover its back as it rises to its hindquarters.
Thanks to Nikita's warnings, the party has enough time to act. Quickly exiting the room they lodge the door behind them. If they are to move on without incurring the powerful plant-creature's wrath they will need to do so silently.
ALL - Please make a Stealth roll to avoid detection.
Moving further through the property, the hallway seems to go on and on, stretching its length. Multiple doors can be seen leading off from the hallway. A grand piano and additional lounging area are located further ahead. A grand staircase sits to the right of the hallway. New vegetation growth covers the walls, flooring, ceiling, and most of the furniture. A damp, wet smell persists throughout. Ivy leaves rustle and creak, full of fresh growth.
Cold air blows from the north of the property, chilling the party to the core. The breeze seems to carry whispers, a faint voice, a woman's, though it is unintelligible.
Nikita & Thumbtack's Perception checks:
Nikita:
A faint voice can be heard from the door to the west of the hallway ((the first X on the left)). It sounds weak, fraught with fear, and anguished. "MUM! MUM! Heeelp!", the screams repeat followed by, "Its -- wet -- please, I don't want to drown!"
Thumbtack:
Glaring outside the front window, Thumbtack relays a strange sight back to you. It looks like Lexi and her pirate gang have disembarked from the carriages but they are surrounded by a number of smaller figures -- men? dwarfs? something different? Thumbtack cannot quite discern.
Angry words are being exchanged between the two groups. Then the leader, you presume to be Lexi, steps forward and plunges her rapier into the chest of the nearest small humanoid. Blood spurts from the wound and a battle commences.
Thumbtack makes out around 12-15 pirates including Lexi and multiple smaller creatures.
Boyd's attempt to jam the door:
Working quickly, you attempt to jam the lock of the door. You feel like it has been successful however the windows if broken, might be able to serve as an entry point.
As you work near the door you hear shouting from outside. It appears that Lexi and her pirate gang are being accosted by a group of small humanoid creatures, the likes of which you have not seen before. This shouting match culminates in Lexi stepping forward and thrusting her rapier into the chest of one of the beings. It falls to the ground, gurgles blood, and then keels over. Battle is joined as both sides start swiping at each other and taking up defensive positions.
The sound of fighting can be heard from outside; the familiar sounds of swords clanging, of pain-filled cries, of screams, and of curses echo around the Prospect's main drive.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Faila Stealth: 20
Ermasnietsz: Stealth 16
InkedBee (Undead_Analyst)
Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts - Jenviel Tsumara: Fallen Aasimar- Monk|Crimson Sands of Time - Navarra Iltazyara: Human- Druid/Warlock| Bleak Prospect - Ermasnietsz: Reborn- Clockwork Soul Sorcerer
Stealth: 16
Boyd warns everyone of the hullabaloo he heard outside - pirates fighting with tiny humanoids... maybe those same weird things in the trees that Nikita saw on the way in.
"Well, where to next? I think I got the door jammed proper, but they could still come though the windows. If they do, they'd have to clamber through one at a time and we'd have the advantage... What do you say? Gods, I feel like a trapped mouse in here! Anything that gets me away from this place quicker, I'm for." The nerves from coming in contact with strange cosmic horrors seems to be getting to the middle-aged man, and he seems on edge.
Nikita is about to add to Boyd's point but with the plant-bear forming, she attempts to stealthily move further into the house, unsure of whether to go to the back where Sedgewick's study is or to investigate the source of the voice first. Probably the voice first, since it may be Esther.
Stealth: 15
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Stealth: 10
Meresaa, staying away from the windows and animated bear rug, quietly makes a suggestion.
"I'm not in the habit of 'destroying' people, but what do you all think about simply hiding ourselves away while the bandits go after Sedgewick? It seems to me that if we simply bide our time, our two problems could quickly reduce their numbers by half. Might I suggest we begin looking for a dark corner behind the door over here on the left since it sounds like there very well could be someone in need behind it?"
She raises a hairless eyebrow quizzically before moving to the door and placing a hand on the handle. Pausing to look back to the group, she adds, "Whether or not we end up facing off against Sedgewick in some fashion, I really need to get a look at this portal. Interplanar gates have been my primary subject of study for some time now, you know..."
A smile glints as she turns the doorknob.
Characters currently being ruined on this forum:
Neria Tallfellow (Halfling Rogue) - Curse of the Crimson Throne with Ashen_Age
The party creeps deeper into the mansion. Moving to the first door on the left you hear the voice come through again. "Heeeelp?! Somebody, anybody?! BILLY?!" the shouts are more frantic now. A steady drip, dripping can be heard from behind the door.
Meresaa plucks up the courage and turns the doorknob -- it's locked. The door itself is made of solid wood, a keyhole is located just below the knob. You might be able to break the door in but that would almost certainly alert any creatures in the immediate area.
At the moment, no one else has tried to enter the mansion through the front door.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
"Getting more use out of these than I'd've thought..." Boyd murmurs as he approaches the door with his lockpick and probe.
20
"Hang on, Esther, we're coming. The carnival sent us."
Ermasnietsz remains at the back of the beeline, lingering outside the room with animated bear-rug a bit longer to observe the strange phenomenon. To her, it feels like an event of déjà vu. She can remember a parallel event that has somehow changed her life forever and carefully forged her current identity and personality.
If nothing peculiar happens, she will follow the party while moving deeper into the death pit. When Meresaa starts talking about a frightfully 'spiffing' idea, she will try to express her opinion on the matter.
"I'm not the best person to judge who's a demon or who might be an angel since I dislike humankind in general. But, I have been struggling a bit regarding the alignment of Sedgewick. He might not be as evil as we've been imagining him to be." She pauses abruptly to watch the movement of Boyd, then continues to speak as if she were going through a trance like condition.
"Sedgewick might be a victim of conspiracy. We had to be hundred percent sure before doing something that can leave a permanent mark."
InkedBee (Undead_Analyst)
Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts - Jenviel Tsumara: Fallen Aasimar- Monk|Crimson Sands of Time - Navarra Iltazyara: Human- Druid/Warlock| Bleak Prospect - Ermasnietsz: Reborn- Clockwork Soul Sorcerer