Ghosts of Gauntcliff: Chapter Six

[Ail]

Eustace looks at Abigail, uncomfortable. He nods at Primeiro and waits until the servant has left.

Then, he says

"It's about last night. There is some intimate relation between you and that shadow-thing. It seems to know you, but you say you don't recall who it could be.

Could it happen that it has simply read that name from your mind, and is playing tricks with you now? Instead of actually being someone you knew in the first place? Do you think it picked you apart, or were you the one who gave in to it more than the rest? And what about that painting? Did you feel anything after it was burnt?

I know it's an awful load of questions, but we have to know what we can, and you may be more of a key than we realised at first. How far will you be telling Sancerre about this? And by the way, why are you on this island? Did you know Sancerre from before? Does he know anything about your childhood?

[Adam]

Bennedict nods, satisfied that nothing is in the room. Just a flight of fancy he concludes. He returns the crossbow to the desk, then turns and squats next to the bloodstain, pulling out a letter opener and scratching up some of the substance from the boards.

[Ken of Ghastria]

"Could it happen that it has simply read that name from your mind, and is playing tricks with you now? Instead of actually being someone you knew in the first place? Do you think it picked you apart, or were you the one who gave in to it more than the rest? And what about that painting? Did you feel anything after it was burnt?

I know it's an awful load of questions, but we have to know what we can, and you may be more of a key than we realised at first. How far will you be telling Sancerre about this? And by the way, why are you on this island? Did you know Sancerre from before? Does he know anything about your childhood?

Primeiro waits until Eustace is done. He can sense the other man's discomfort. After a few seconds, he says, "The last questions are the easiest to answer. I never laid eyes on Sancerre until I stepped on this island. However, he seems to know quite a bit about me. 'How' he possesses this knowledge is something I don't yet know, but so far he has demonstrated it only to, ah, discourage me from making further accusations against him. So, yes, I'll tell Sancerre what I know -- or at least what I believe to be true -- since it's oddly possibly that he could make better sense of it than either of us!" Eustace can sense frustration in Primeiro's voice at this last part.

"As for the creature playing tricks...," he continues, then looks down as though considering something. "That's an excellent question. Was it pulling a memory from my mind?" He looks up again. "At that particular moment, no. When I recognized the term it used from my childhood and I mockingly called it 'Servant' and spat upon its former life, it didn't play along with the game. It was angry. So that much feels true, at least. As for the painting, if indeed that's what it was -- it did dissipate into shadow, remember -- I felt nothing when it was destroyed." A slight smile. "Again, if indeed it was destroyed."

He stands up and the smile gets a little broader. "Lastly, 'was I the one who gave into it the most'? Poppycock, Eustace! Poppycock! I withstood its onslaught masterfully, I must say. Had my rapier been magically enchanted, I would have given that thing a solid thrashing! Now, if there is nothing else, shall we head to breakfast?"

[Ail]

"Yes, we shall. I need some time to regain my God's favours, but I can use the morning to prepare more mundane help... silver dust will prove to be useful, and I need to check if I need anything else. Let's hurry then."

[Ken of Ghastria]

Primeiro walks with Eustace, and they soon see Sancerre and Everline at the table, clearly engaged in a very serious conversation. He watches the two for a moment before entering. As Primeiro has come to expect by now, Sancerre's manner is deceptively light, and Everline's mood is -- understandably -- one of dark determination.

"Good morning, Monsieur Sancerre, Mademoiselle Vaughn," he says politely as he and Eustace enter. He takes a seat next to Sancerre. "As you understandably know by now, monsieur," he says to Denys, "we had a frightening, interesting, and successful evening. The greater task, however, is far from complete. I would like to see it through to its grim conclusion. Only then will you have a chance for peace on this island."

[Ail]

Eustace greets everyone present politely. He takes a seat in front of Sancerre, across the table. He remains silent for the moment, letting Primeiro and Everline do the talking while wathing Sancerre's features.

[ewancummins]

THE TERRACE-

Sancerre sips his wine, listening in silence. When Primeiro has finished, the merchant says,
"Indeed, I am sure we would all wish to see the monster destroyed and the island made safe. If you need more help from me or my staff, simply tell me what you need. "
A servant brings Denys another bottle of wine, fills his cup, and passes him a note. Denys reads the note before handing it back to the servant. He murmurs,
‘’Just give this to Claudas. Tell him that I have approved the action.”
Denys pours wine for anyone who wishes some, before continuing.
‘’I’m curious to know more about last night’s battle. Did Dorgio's rites and incantations help? Were the flammables you took from the cellars useful against the monster?”

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

"And we're glad you're back," he told Juergin in all sincerity. But there was something that the lad said, "they are okay where they are," that didn't set well with the priest. Had Juergin let something slip?

"That place, nightmarish you call it?" He draws a gold coin from his purse and begins turning it over in his fingers, as if in absent thought. "What you tell me, it sounds like a strange place indeed. Stranger still to think how thin the veil between this world and that one. Who knows what could be crossing over?"

Dorgio's hand twitches and the gold coin falls from his grasp, rolling onto the floor. His eyes go to the coin immediately. Jeurgin had said the creatures loved gold, after all. Maybe this would lure them out if the boy was hiding something...or somethings.

[ewancummins]

Jeurgin's room-

Dorgio's hand twitches and the gold coin falls from his grasp, rolling onto the floor. His eyes go to the coin immediately. Jeurgin had said the creatures loved gold, after all. Maybe this would lure them out if the boy was hiding something...or somethings.

The coin hits the floorboards spinning. Dorgio blinks, and the coin has vanished. It might have rolled under the bed, or perhaps fallen into a crack...

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

"Clumsy me, I am apologizing." His tone is pleasant, almost contrite, but his eyes belie his confusion. Had the coin really just vanished? If so, that was in itself was something...but perhaps he was jumping to conclusions. He leans down to peer under the bed. Maybe it simply rolled from his view.

[Ken of Ghastria]

THE TERRACE-

Denys pours wine for anyone who wishes some, before continuing.
‘’I’m curious to know more about last night’s battle. Did Dorgio's rites and incantations help? Were the flammables you took from the cellars useful against the monster?”

Primeiro accepts the offer of wine. He says, "Thank you for making your resources available. As for what we may need...." He looks to Everline and Eustace. "Perhaps one of my formidable companions here can best answer that, monsieur. I can say, out of unfortunate experience, that weapons without any enchantment are useless against our foe. I might as well have been stabbing smoke. So should you have any such weapons which I could borrow during this crisis, I would appreciate it. As for the details...."

He has another bite of a pastry and swallows it before continuing. "Our foe is a sentient shadowy madman. He is no fool, though. He wisely retreated after some of the magicks at our disposal seemed to injure him and after we destroyed -- I hope -- his 'workshop.' And that's where you may be able to provide helpful information, sir." He puts down his glass and gives Sancerre a pleasant smile.

"I believe you may know my father, a wealthy and influential man," he says knowingly. "I mention that because our shadowy foe knows me. And I, in turn, recognized his voice from some unpleasant childhood memories. The creature is -- or at least WAS when he lived -- a former servant in my father's household. He left years ago, after an unpleasant incident where he painted a portrait of me as a lad." He pauses to let that information sink in. "That same portrait, or a shadowy replica of it, was in a room beyond the steel door at the bottom of the pit. As was a portrait of the charming Everline here... you don't mind if I finally call you Everline, do you, mademoiselle?

"What those portraits were doing there, or what the connection between us is, I can only surmise. So I ask whether, in your dealings with my father, you ever encountered a member of the household named Frederic or perhaps Redrick? Or found traces of a man with that name during your time here?"

He holds off on mentioning their suspicions regarding a mortal accomplice.

__________________________________
Primeiro has a lousy Sense Motive modifier, but he'll make one to sense Denys' reaction to what he's just said. You can make the check, Ewan, since I shouldn't know whether belief or disbelief is based on a bad die roll.

[ewancummins]

Denys' cool composure flickers for just a second.

''It knows you? A former servant of your father, you say? Now that is interesting."

The big man sets down his wine cup.

"Hmm-- I don't recall meeting any servants named Frederic or Redrick or anything like that. Perhaps I did meet him, but never learned his name. Or maybe I missed him. Perhaps he left your father's service years before I met you father. You say he was dismissed when you were a boy? Just how long ago did he leave?"

[ewancummins]

BENN'S ROOM

Bennedict nods, satisfied that nothing is in the room. Just a flight of fancy he concludes. He returns the crossbow to the desk, then turns and squats next to the bloodstain, pulling out a letter opener and scratching up some of the substance from the boards.

The stain isn't deep. After just a little scraping Benn sees unstained wood.

[Adam]

He picks up a piece of the scrapings, examining them closely to see if they are actually blood or something similar.

[ewancummins]

He picks up a piece of the scrapings, examining them closely to see if they are actually blood or something similar.

It appears to be blood.