Joren's throat tightens as he hears Ashley's voice. Quietly, he responds to Vilus:
"Aye. Aye, she was saying us. I am hoping she and Samir are really together. Yet I am not trusting my senses in this place, neither sight nor hearing."
Then louder, calling out carefully as he had to Samir: "No, we are not seeing you Ash. And we are not trusting our senses after the path we have been traversing through this house. Can... can you help with easing my mind... when we were first meeting, before crossing the Shield Pass, within the first couple hours, you were offering me something to drink. Something I was enjoying very much. Can you be telling me what that was?"
(OOC: it was a swig from a jug of goat's milk she had bought... as with Samir's voice, Joren does not trust that some entity is not imitating Ashley's voice.)
He continues, giving her and Samir time to form responses to his request: "As for what this place is, neither Vilus or I are knowing, and hoping you might be guessing better than we. Yet I am suspecting Mal was the half-elven child of the couple Mayor Shamp spoke of moving in here decades ago. With half-elves living longer, the timeline is matching. And the source of Mal's mind-altering magic being mixed up with all this strangeness, then and now."
Samir mutters to himself, his brow pinched as he thinks, casting his memory back to that moment. So much had happened since then. "Oh!" he chirps quietly, then louder, "We needed the guard to leave, so we made him have to use the facilities. The sound of trickling water!"
Joren breathes a sigh of relief. "Really being you, Samir! This house is tricking the mind constantly, starting when Vilus and I found ourselves alone outside with the three of you vanishing and the sun suddenly sinking lower towards the horizon. We were following your footsteps to a locked but not locked cellar door and passing through some nastiness in the cellar before climbing up through this trap door, following the faint sound of Ash's voice."
"From where I am standing, I am seeing a dimly lit dining room, half-eaten spoiled dinner for four, food and wine spilled, plates and glasses fallen and smashed, fireplaces having ashes once stoked angrily and charred remains of a letter. Can you and Ash be making your way over to us? I was going to inspect the discarded and burned letter in the fireplace. Vilus, you and I should both stay holding ends of this rope so we are not separating."
Joren pauses. "Are either of you knowing where Mal is? I am thinking we are seeing flickers of his childhood or maybe the source of his mind magic."
Vilus breathes a bit of a sigh of relief too, tying the rope around his waist as to not get separated further in this strangeness. "Joren hold the rope, I'm going to get them... Guys I'm coming to you! Don't attack if you feel something" He closes his eyes and listens to the voices as Samir and Ash begin to answer. In the dark, without sight he walks toward the voices, letting only his ear fulfill his beliefs if what is Infront of him. Arms outstretched he tries to touch Samir or Ashley grabbing onto them if he feels anything.
Vilus' hand closes around a wrist, and looking up, he sees Samir standing before him now, with Ashley next to him. Suddenly, everyone hears shouting from up the stairs through the remaining door. It sounds like... a heated argument of some sort.
Ashley breaks into a grin as Vilus appears in front of her. "What a strange place!" But before she can look around for Joren and see where they came from, the argument from the stairs pulls at her attention and she starts heading in that direction.
"I am glad you're both safe! I haven't seen Mal yet, only heard his voice." Samir cocks his head, brow furrowing as he hears the raised voices from upstairs. "I believe it may have been coming from the direction of that argument. Come, he may need our help." With the majority of their group gathered up once more, Samir wants to head towards the sound of angry words, worried that Mal may be in trouble.
Vilus opens his eyes and let's out a sigh of relief, as though he has been holding his anxiety in his lungs for some time. It seems for a moment like he might grab Samir and Ash up in a hug, but thinks better of it and releases Samir's hand. "Glad you're both safe, this house feels alive and actively trying to confuse us with illusions... Well not illusions, sort of, they've been kinda belief based. Let's get upstairs, I had my shadows scout the exits, it should be this way."
Joren's gruff face breaks into a wide smile as Ashley and Samir fade into his view, and he gives each of their shoulders a rough squeeze.
Hearing the heated argument upstairs, the warrior echoes the goliath's words. "Illusions being based in belief. So not believing everything we see or hear... Vilus is putting this into practice better than I. Going to read the charred letter in the fireplace if it is giving a clue."
Belatedly, Joren realizes the irony, as apparently he believes there is a charred letter in a fireplace which he believes exists, simply because he can see it.
Nevertheless, his first move is still to send his echo to stand next to the fireplace and swap places with it. If no immediate mishap occurs, he takes a knee to slide the flat of his Dunamis Blade under the letter to lift it out and pull it towards him. If this is successful, Joren stands to quickly grab the letter in one hand and skim it, all while holding his blade in the other and further sending his echo towards the stairs up from which the contentious noises are coming.
As the Dunamis blade slides into the soot below the letter, it disturbs a hidden bank of still burning coals. A gout of flame licks out like angry claws swatting at an intruder. A nasty little burn, Joren might have received, but both he and his blade are unharmed.
Briefly looking through contents, Joren sees that it is addressed to a Mr. Carlo Elotine from a business contact in Madurst
Dear Mr. Carlo Elotine
I hope all is well with your beautiful family and new home. I have to say, it was quite a surprise to hear of your decision to leave Madurst behind so abruptly, but I suppose you wanted to benefit from the healing powers of being out in nature.
Inauspicious timing, as things may have it, though. The guard has been asking around about the recent rash of missing children, and they seem to have it in mind that you might know something given the odd timing of your unexpected departure. Still, it's in their nature to sniff around, and I'm sure this will blow over in a few weeks.
In the meantime, I'm handling the settling of your old trade contacts, and with your continuing payouts, I expect you'll have no trouble living comfortably, if not a bit smaller than before. I'll send a man out in three weeks with the sums for you to look over
Joren grimaces, both at the treacherous flame and the contents of the charred letter.
"If we are entertaining the idea of this once being Mal's family home as I am, then it is sounding as if they were having the same issue with vanishing children in Madurst as after moving out here, at seeming significant expense to them, and the Madurst guard being suspicious and asking questions after their departure. Letter being addressed to one Carlo Elotine, who I am thinking may have been father or father figure to Mal? Being sent by a business associate Tynwyd in Madurst. I am wondering if that is some illusion or shade of Elotine who we are hearing shouting upstairs now..."
Not liking any of this, Joren tucks the letter into his belt and steps to follow his companions towards the sound of commotion up the stairs.
"wait what's Mal's last name?" Vilus queries. As they ascend, and then more quietly, "Madurst is where he came from right? Has something similar happened there? Mal can't have a hand in something that is disappearing kids... Right?"
Joren's throat tightens as he hears Ashley's voice. Quietly, he responds to Vilus:
"Aye. Aye, she was saying us. I am hoping she and Samir are really together. Yet I am not trusting my senses in this place, neither sight nor hearing."
Then louder, calling out carefully as he had to Samir: "No, we are not seeing you Ash. And we are not trusting our senses after the path we have been traversing through this house. Can... can you help with easing my mind... when we were first meeting, before crossing the Shield Pass, within the first couple hours, you were offering me something to drink. Something I was enjoying very much. Can you be telling me what that was?"
(OOC: it was a swig from a jug of goat's milk she had bought... as with Samir's voice, Joren does not trust that some entity is not imitating Ashley's voice.)
He continues, giving her and Samir time to form responses to his request: "As for what this place is, neither Vilus or I are knowing, and hoping you might be guessing better than we. Yet I am suspecting Mal was the half-elven child of the couple Mayor Shamp spoke of moving in here decades ago. With half-elves living longer, the timeline is matching. And the source of Mal's mind-altering magic being mixed up with all this strangeness, then and now."
Barn(Paladin1): Damian_May's Ereworn Under the Shadow | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest | Nivi(Rogue5): Erik_Soong's Netherdeep
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Quyen(Adept1, ba5ic): ConstancePhokas' Nentir Vale (Discord) | Seri(Druid1): Hunter_Orien's Saltmarsh
Xarian(Fighter3): Luna_Dust's Marks on the Map | Ophelia(Sorcerer2): BillM's Icewind Dale | Shin(Wizard1): Culuril's Strixhaven
Samir mutters to himself, his brow pinched as he thinks, casting his memory back to that moment. So much had happened since then. "Oh!" he chirps quietly, then louder, "We needed the guard to leave, so we made him have to use the facilities. The sound of trickling water!"
Joren breathes a sigh of relief. "Really being you, Samir! This house is tricking the mind constantly, starting when Vilus and I found ourselves alone outside with the three of you vanishing and the sun suddenly sinking lower towards the horizon. We were following your footsteps to a locked but not locked cellar door and passing through some nastiness in the cellar before climbing up through this trap door, following the faint sound of Ash's voice."
"From where I am standing, I am seeing a dimly lit dining room, half-eaten spoiled dinner for four, food and wine spilled, plates and glasses fallen and smashed, fireplaces having ashes once stoked angrily and charred remains of a letter. Can you and Ash be making your way over to us? I was going to inspect the discarded and burned letter in the fireplace. Vilus, you and I should both stay holding ends of this rope so we are not separating."
Joren pauses. "Are either of you knowing where Mal is? I am thinking we are seeing flickers of his childhood or maybe the source of his mind magic."
Barn(Paladin1): Damian_May's Ereworn Under the Shadow | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest | Nivi(Rogue5): Erik_Soong's Netherdeep
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Quyen(Adept1, ba5ic): ConstancePhokas' Nentir Vale (Discord) | Seri(Druid1): Hunter_Orien's Saltmarsh
Xarian(Fighter3): Luna_Dust's Marks on the Map | Ophelia(Sorcerer2): BillM's Icewind Dale | Shin(Wizard1): Culuril's Strixhaven
Vilus breathes a bit of a sigh of relief too, tying the rope around his waist as to not get separated further in this strangeness. "Joren hold the rope, I'm going to get them... Guys I'm coming to you! Don't attack if you feel something" He closes his eyes and listens to the voices as Samir and Ash begin to answer. In the dark, without sight he walks toward the voices, letting only his ear fulfill his beliefs if what is Infront of him. Arms outstretched he tries to touch Samir or Ashley grabbing onto them if he feels anything.
Vilus' hand closes around a wrist, and looking up, he sees Samir standing before him now, with Ashley next to him. Suddenly, everyone hears shouting from up the stairs through the remaining door. It sounds like... a heated argument of some sort.
Ashley breaks into a grin as Vilus appears in front of her. "What a strange place!" But before she can look around for Joren and see where they came from, the argument from the stairs pulls at her attention and she starts heading in that direction.
"I am glad you're both safe! I haven't seen Mal yet, only heard his voice." Samir cocks his head, brow furrowing as he hears the raised voices from upstairs. "I believe it may have been coming from the direction of that argument. Come, he may need our help." With the majority of their group gathered up once more, Samir wants to head towards the sound of angry words, worried that Mal may be in trouble.
Vilus opens his eyes and let's out a sigh of relief, as though he has been holding his anxiety in his lungs for some time. It seems for a moment like he might grab Samir and Ash up in a hug, but thinks better of it and releases Samir's hand. "Glad you're both safe, this house feels alive and actively trying to confuse us with illusions... Well not illusions, sort of, they've been kinda belief based. Let's get upstairs, I had my shadows scout the exits, it should be this way."
Joren's gruff face breaks into a wide smile as Ashley and Samir fade into his view, and he gives each of their shoulders a rough squeeze.
Hearing the heated argument upstairs, the warrior echoes the goliath's words. "Illusions being based in belief. So not believing everything we see or hear... Vilus is putting this into practice better than I. Going to read the charred letter in the fireplace if it is giving a clue."
Belatedly, Joren realizes the irony, as apparently he believes there is a charred letter in a fireplace which he believes exists, simply because he can see it.
Nevertheless, his first move is still to send his echo to stand next to the fireplace and swap places with it. If no immediate mishap occurs, he takes a knee to slide the flat of his Dunamis Blade under the letter to lift it out and pull it towards him. If this is successful, Joren stands to quickly grab the letter in one hand and skim it, all while holding his blade in the other and further sending his echo towards the stairs up from which the contentious noises are coming.
Barn(Paladin1): Damian_May's Ereworn Under the Shadow | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest | Nivi(Rogue5): Erik_Soong's Netherdeep
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Quyen(Adept1, ba5ic): ConstancePhokas' Nentir Vale (Discord) | Seri(Druid1): Hunter_Orien's Saltmarsh
Xarian(Fighter3): Luna_Dust's Marks on the Map | Ophelia(Sorcerer2): BillM's Icewind Dale | Shin(Wizard1): Culuril's Strixhaven
As the Dunamis blade slides into the soot below the letter, it disturbs a hidden bank of still burning coals. A gout of flame licks out like angry claws swatting at an intruder. A nasty little burn, Joren might have received, but both he and his blade are unharmed.
Briefly looking through contents, Joren sees that it is addressed to a Mr. Carlo Elotine from a business contact in Madurst
Joren grimaces, both at the treacherous flame and the contents of the charred letter.
"If we are entertaining the idea of this once being Mal's family home as I am, then it is sounding as if they were having the same issue with vanishing children in Madurst as after moving out here, at seeming significant expense to them, and the Madurst guard being suspicious and asking questions after their departure. Letter being addressed to one Carlo Elotine, who I am thinking may have been father or father figure to Mal? Being sent by a business associate Tynwyd in Madurst. I am wondering if that is some illusion or shade of Elotine who we are hearing shouting upstairs now..."
Not liking any of this, Joren tucks the letter into his belt and steps to follow his companions towards the sound of commotion up the stairs.
Barn(Paladin1): Damian_May's Ereworn Under the Shadow | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest | Nivi(Rogue5): Erik_Soong's Netherdeep
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Quyen(Adept1, ba5ic): ConstancePhokas' Nentir Vale (Discord) | Seri(Druid1): Hunter_Orien's Saltmarsh
Xarian(Fighter3): Luna_Dust's Marks on the Map | Ophelia(Sorcerer2): BillM's Icewind Dale | Shin(Wizard1): Culuril's Strixhaven
"wait what's Mal's last name?" Vilus queries. As they ascend, and then more quietly, "Madurst is where he came from right? Has something similar happened there? Mal can't have a hand in something that is disappearing kids... Right?"