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

Brozak uses his hammer to try and push open the first door on the right in the hallway.  He peers in looking for trouble.

Gently pushing open the door with the head of his warhammer, Brozak sees in front of him a chamber that appears to have been a study. A battered writing desk still stands strong amid the wreckage of a collapsed ceiling, though the accompanying chair fared less well. A large wooden beam dissects the room, with one end planted firmly against the base of the wall to his right, while the other rests atop the wall to his left. At a cursory glance, climbing the wooden beam up to the remains of the upper floor seems like a possibility, but may be unstable if attempted by anybody other than a fleet-footed individual. Similarly, the condition of the ceiling suggests that walking around up there may be dangerous too.

"Friends, it would appear we could reach the second floor through this room.  Some light on their feet could do it.  I am afraid I would bring the whole place down."

Brozak tries to search through the remains and the desk for any interesting books or trinkets.

Investigation - 15

I feel we should check the whole house for danger before doing a detailed search of anything - and stay all close. Do I understand our Lady's description - that we might expect conjuration to our left (upper right corner of the house) and necromancy next room to the right?

Red will draw his shortsword and let his fiddle hang from its strap swung around to the back

" You are right Red, sorry."

Brozak moves to the next door, and tries to push it open with his hammer as well.

Quote from UnsungNero >>

" You are right Red, sorry."

Brozak moves to the next door, and tries to push it open with his hammer as well.

[OoC]: Which one?

(ooc)  Whoops, the one on the right.  I always try to follow the right hand rule, so I don't get lost.  That is a player thing, not a character thing.

Again, Brozak quietly pushes his way into the next room along. A gaping hole in the ceiling leaves no doubt as to where the debris in this small room came from. As for the room's purpose, that is less clear. There is rubble on the floor, as well as a few square slates of marble and numerous figurines carved from the same material - as well as the customary ruined books and litter of papers, charred or otherwise.

Therne's inclination is to go to the left (ie, clockwise), but if Brozak is heading to the right, she'll look in there, and if the necromancy source isn't that room, check the next room to the right, then go back to the room just to the left of the entry, and proceed clockwise from there.

The necromancy source appears strongest in the first room that she enters, but is still somewhat faint. In the second room the aura weakens, but Therne does manage to spot some interesting things in the room that Brozak missed. It appears that this was once a game room, evidenced by the dice sets and dragonchess set strewn across the floor, as well as water-damaged playing cards. She also notices what looks like another page from the diary that she found earlier, with two entries visible this time.

Therne:

"It seems that you may have been right to be suspicious of that mirror, Abner."  She shows the others these new scraps. "I believe the necromantic energy is coming from this room. Shall we see what we can find in the other rooms and then explore this one in more depth? Keep a cautious eye out for the mirror."

[OOC: how recent is that last date? And I assume we haven't come across any mirrors yet?]

Quote from pocketmouse >>

"It seems that you may have been right to be suspicious of that mirror, Abner."  She shows the others these new scraps. "I believe the necromantic energy is coming from this room. Shall we see what we can find in the other rooms and then explore this one in more depth? Keep a cautious eye out for the mirror."

[OOC: how recent is that last date? And I assume we haven't come across any mirrors yet?]

[OoC]: That date corresponds to roughly 4 months ago, but from the overgrowth of the garden Therne would know that it's definitely not this year's month. You haven't found any mirrors.

[OOC: So it's likely the house has been abandoned for a year and four months? that that entry was from a year and four months ago?]

[OoC]: Perhaps even longer. It's like picking up an entry dated 31st June. You don't know which year it's from.

Abner

Abner will take a closer look at that blackened portrait on the wall.

Investigation: 20

He wipes a little soot off with his sleeve, and takes a look at the reverse and upon the wall itself.

Is there a recognizable face? A nameplate? Something on the back, or hidden behind it on the wall?

It's just a normal portrait, nothing hidden. It depicts a lord and a lady standing in a clearing, which you recognise to be the one in which the manor stands - before the structure was built. Despite their stoic expressions, it is obvious that they were incredibly happy. 

"Necromancy is a foul thing.  I like your plan, Therne.  Let's proceed."

Brozak again uses his hammer to push open the door across the hall.  

There is plenty foul about this tale. Already I worry about what we might do against such magic - hopefully the clues of these place bring us a fair solution.

Since he's not at the front, Red will keep scanning to the sides and often to the ceiling, thinking something more agile than us could be up there.

Shouldn't something be living in here? Rats or kenku if nothing else? And didn't Captain Juglut tell you he saw the home intact a few weeks ago? As odd as we are, seems to me.

Abner

"I think it's time to climb that beam and go upstairs, although I fear Clarice's ghost might wait for us up there," he whispers. "Any advice before I climb it?"

He wanders back into the room with the beam, puts his hand on it, and looks up with an expression of uncertainty. He scratches his head, looks at the others, breaks into a grin, and shrugs again.

Advice? How 'bout stay together? Patience? We haven't checked all the rooms - there might be another way up. If you get attacked while alone, or we get attacked while you're away...Look, when we go up I'll rig a rope and grappling hook and some pitons.