"Never Winter, Seldom Spring" - A Loose Collection of Adventures

Well, if we are working clockwise, the ball room is next, then the rooms to the north side of the manor. And when we come around to that study again - if there is no better access - we can rig a rope to make climbing the beam safer. Brother Brozak, could you lead again, down the main hallway? We probably cannot count on surprise, given the recent ruckus.

Abner

Abner sighs loudly with exasperation. "Clockwise.... Do you always explore new places clockwise? Do you eat up your supper plate clockwise? Do you ever want to follow your instincts instead?"

”My instincts tell me to clear this floor and make sure this area is safe before we go further on.  Make sure that we aren’t Leaving any dangers behind us.”

“To move widdershins as part of a magical practice invites bad energies,” Therne says primly. “When we moved that way look what happened to Adri.”

Abner

"Fine, fine."  Irritation is written on Abner's brow, even as he smiles broadly to the group. Having lived as a hermit all of his adult life, he's not used to working with others.

Abner will follow Brozak down the lefthand hallway into the ballroom, and carefully search ("clockwise, of course" he mumbles) for traps, ambushes, or other dangers ("fanged widdershins") as well as any more scraps of journal.

Perception: 18

The only thing that Abner finds amongst the wreckage and debris of the ballroom is a singular page of the diary, flapping in the gentle breeze that enters through the massive hole in the wall leading towards the back of the manor.

Abner:

Huh, so that's why. I guess the different sources of magic work differently. Aside, hopefully only Abner can hear Fanged Widdershins is a great name for a band. Or basically, my description from the right side profile. Cocks his head and smiles showing teeth.

Red brings up the rear now that Adri is out, and continues to check up as well

Perception: 8

[ooc after the ballroom I thing the big room north-central is next, if we need to set our next actions]

Abner

Abner shares what he read on the most recent scrap he found. "Sounds truly horrible."

With that last page Master Abner found, here is what we have

[ooc put 'em in google, all can edit, here is the link
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1V-Sp6QghZRcVb_BASNxKGfJmw1t5fCcN-p8X9EMFb2I/edit?usp=sharing   ]

I now think this was years ago - when Redmane first bought the mirror from Captain Dirk's crew - so the house may have stood haunted but looking 'homey' for years, and burned recently?

Deciding to finish up your exploration of the ground floor of the manor, you first head into the room opposite the entry hall. The room was clearly the dining room. Though in need of a good clean, it remains remarkably intact. A large table and eight matching chairs in the Cormyrian style dominate the room. The furnishings are high quality, and those of you who have experience in the upper-class areas of Faerûn's larger settlements recognise this as a set that could fetch 100 gold in a major town or city. Unfortunately, their size and weight is such that getting them there would prove to be troublesome.

Gingerly heading into the final room with Brozak in the lead; you find that this area was clearly the kitchen, as evident from the oven and the numerous cooking utensils scattered around the room. Less indicative of a typical kitchen is the shattered remains of a statue scattered across the middle of the floor. On further inspection, it appears that parts of the statue resemble a large beak, a large bird-like talon and part of a shortsword or dagger. At the opposite end of the kitchen, a fallen cabinet strewn with utensils and broken crockery has been fashioned into some kind of crude nest.

As you begin to look through the kitchen as a group, Abner kicks part of the nest and scatters it across the floor, revealing what appears to be the handle to a trapdoor beneath the mess of cutlery and pottery.

Therne looks at the scraps of diary and considers. "Do you think we might find more information if we go to Neverwinter and ask there? I had thought the Redmanes were only recently disappeared, but looking at these pieces put together, you may be right." She looks around. "I also think it may not be wise to sleep here overnight -- it may be a magical influence that kept Lord Redstone here."

What do you all think about the events - is my theory full of holes? Are there clues in the pages I've missed?

The diary tells a story of love and despair - those alone could explain Lord Redmane's behavior, with no need for another influence. And it seems a kenku lived here - long enough to build a nest and make a mess, until turned to stone by the cockatrice. But it was broken, either right then or within the day petrification lasts - so I am not keen to leave Our Heroic Sister behind. And I worry about moving her in the state she's in. 

Can we tell if the kenku was petrified while falling, or was tipped over from a standing pose? Investigation 8

Wasn't this the corner where you detected conjuration? Could it be above or below? And the necromancy next door - cellar or rafters?

I don't think we should go down the cellar until Sister Adri is with us and we've recovered our spells. But we can make use of daylight. A more thorough search of the rooms, letting Master Abner climb his beam - for just a peek, mind. I feel like we need more clues. I wouldn't know what to do if we found the mirror - break it to break the curse? catch Lady Redmane's ghost in it's reflection? Turn it upside down?

I can think of two tales that fit what we know - a horrible tragedy, and this is just about salvage, or at best putting souls to rest; or there is something we can do for them. Maybe Redmane joined his wife in the mirror out of desperation and we can free them both.

Maybe there will be answers in Neverwinter, although we already know the Seldom Squad sold the mirror. Maybe it will be a clue left behind in the  Calimshan Vault, or we track down this Daratin. Those would mean transporting the mirror to safety maybe, and going on further quests? To know we will need more clues.

'...Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings. In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings, Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven...

"From these pages, it would appear that love is what held Lord Redmane here.  I agree that this place has been abandoned for some time, Not sure if that is a kenku nest or a cockatrice nest, but that statue is definitely kenku. Maybe some of the same flock that waylaid us earlier.  Maybe it was recently petrified?  Within the last day or so.  Mayhaps they are the ones that set the fire, or they have come to investigate the manor like us, but with more nefarious goals than our?"  Either way, I believe we should hole up here, guard Adri as best we can, and keep a look out for trouble.  Do you think it is possible to lay her down gently so that she cannot fall over?"

If she's standing now I think she won't fall over unless knocked over. And if we lay her down, if she's leaning on some parts that don't work when she recovers, it could be a strain. But, that reminds me - Sister Adri was injured before being petrified - You or I ,Brother B, ought to be up when she thaws in the post-midnight hours in case she needs some healing

"We can wrap her in a bedroll or two, or whatever else we have we can use as padding," Therne suggests. "Maybe some cushions from some of this furniture? Then we can explore the rest of this level and upstairs if we have time before dark. I can also still try to find some nearby animals and ask them how long it's been since humans were here regularly."

Animal informant, good idea. Also when the fire happened and what is moving and dangerous around here. 

Now that we have cleared the floor, let's search the spaces we skipped over. The office and desk across the hall, under Abner's beam seems like a good place to start. Maybe I can roll something other than a seven Investigation 19

yup, 6

Therne will help gather and arrange materials to pad Adri, but she's too short to really help with attaching it to her (and possibly even with helping to ease her down).

Once Adri is down, Therne will re-cast (ritually) Detect Magic and go looking (with anyone who wants to come) for the two magic signatures, starting with the conjuration magic.

[OoC]: Where is Therne looking? The spell doesn't indicate direction, and only outlines magic within line of sight. 

Abner

Abner gently tugs on the handle of the trap door and quietly peeks in with his darkvision. 

Perception: 15