Staunton Bluffs Episode IV: Siege and Stand

[Nathan of the FoS]

Roland has been looking out from one of the front windows and tapping his foot, as if thinking of something. As the others begin talking about going to bed, he turns and says, "If anyone sees a tall, thin woman out here, DON'T LET HER IN. Especially you, boy (this to young Master Armitage). I don't care what she says, or what she offers you; if she does come in she'll probably bite your head off, and then you'd be sorry, wouldn't you?"

[BigBadQDaddy]

Alainsoon loses himself to writing his notes and applying them to the ficticious work he is currently writing. For long moments he stares in contemplation, then continues his work. Eventually, his weariness overcomes, and Alain surrenders to slumber in the living room where he has been writing.

[ewancummins]

Jamethon excuses himself and makes his way back downstairs. He will look around any unsearched rooms, going into the basement if he finds it. He'll take a candle[two or three , if he finds extra] his sword and pistol, and a sharpened wooden stake[should be easy to make].

[kintire]

Shana finds a comfortable spot, not too far from the others and relaxes into sleep mumbling

"wake me when its tiime fur mwotch...."

[Don Fernando]

Startled by the find, Jarryd takes his cape and wraps the tome with it, avoiding touching it, just in case he thinks.

He moves slowly through the grass in front of the house, he can see already the candles iluminating the interior. As he reaches the entrance of the house, Jarryd hesitates a little. Should he take the tome inside?? Why was this tome out there? Why is it written in his Language?

He turns back and goes in the open again. I shall find someplace quiet to look at it before showing it to the group. Walking slowly away from the main entrance he finds what appears to be a wooden hatch. Surely it must be the entrance to the basement of the mansion. He tries to open it, and amazingly the door swings open relatively easy. A loud screech breaks the silence of the night. The strange smell that comes out of it reminds Jarryd of the Akiri tombs.. the ancient smell of dust and ....

Darkness hides what lies inside and Jarryd hesitates for a second. He produces a torch from his backback and after a few minutes it illuminates the stairs. Grabbing the wrapped tome in one hand and the torch in the other he ventures into the unknown.

[steveflam]

Bethana follows Moorkroft to the basement, armed with her Greatsword and Longsword... "Here, Jamethon, let me go first, friend" Brethana lays a hand on his shoulder , then passes him, her vision more apt to the dark than his. She peers ahead into the darkness not illuminated by the candle, listening intently for any noise and searching for any hidden doors there may be. Her heart pounding at the absolute silence and darkenss, hands clenching and unclenching on her Greatsword nervously.

[Nathan of the FoS]

Seeing that a small group are about to go downstairs, and that they have no more light than a candle, Roland snorts and says, "Wouldn't you like to be able to see?" Walking over to his trunk, he mutters something and opens it, pulling out a metal rod as long as his forearm with a cap of some gold-colored material at one end. Striking the other end against the floor, the rod releases a steady golden glow. He closes the trunk, mutters something else, and goes to the basement door. He closes the trunk, mutters something else, and goes to the basement door.


Holding the sunrod in his left hand and taking out a pistol which he holds in his right, he follows Brethana and Jamethon down the stairs.

[steveflam]

Brethana talks to Roland without looking back "I dont need any light and Moorkroft seems fine with his candles" and keeps walking down the stairs.

[kintire]

With a sigh, Shana considers the options. Explore the musty basement, or stay in the comfy upper rooms and get some much needed rest.

Alone.

With a Vampire about.

She follows Roland down the stairs.

[Le Noir Faineant]

Moorkroft walks up to young Armitage and asks in a loud voice, ''Master Armitage, do you know how to get to your uncle's castle from here?''

[Name's Arlington.]

The boy looks tired. "Far from the border of the fields."

Then his eyes brighten.

"At the Old Hanging Tree, there's a waysign, or so."

Roland has been looking out from one of the front windows and tapping his foot, as if thinking of something. As the others begin talking about going to bed, he turns and says, "If anyone sees a tall, thin woman out here, DON'T LET HER IN. Especially you, boy (this to young Master Armitage). I don't care what she says, or what she offers you; if she does come in she'll probably bite your head off, and then you'd be sorry, wouldn't you?"

The young boy looks frightened, grabs Roland's hand and insists to go with you downstairs.

Alainsoon loses himself to writing his notes and applying them to the ficticious work he is currently writing. For long moments he stares in contemplation, then continues his work. Eventually, his weariness overcomes, and Alain surrenders to slumber in the living room where he has been writing.

*Knock knock*

Alain is brought back from his unpleasant slumber by a heavy pushing against the front door.

In the darkness of the night, he can see through the window: A slim female shadow standing at the front door... The moonlight falls on a pale, white face...

And a moment later, the figure is gone...

Holding the sunrod in his left hand and taking out a pistol which he holds in his right, he follows Brethana and Jamethon down the stairs.

With Roland and Brethana taking the lead, you walk down the narrow stairway...

You see a source of orange ligt illuminate the small earth tunnel that extends at the end of the stairway, and after a few meters, come along a small, pumpkin lamp...






[Happy Halloween, fellas!]

"So, mommy has set up a light for me", whispers little Master Arlington, and his voice is but a whisper...

As you walk forward, you notice that you are not walking over dirty wooden planks anymore.

You step out on a stone-paved cellar, small, burning candles enlight it...



Before you lies a coffin... Empty.

And as you turn to ask the young boy, he has suddenly disappeared!

Darkness hides what lies inside and Jarryd hesitates for a second. He produces a torch from his backback and after a few minutes it illuminates the stairs. Grabbing the wrapped tome in one hand and the torch in the other he ventures into the unknown.

As Jarryd opens the door, something stings into his hand. [DAM 1]

As he looks down a long stairway, he sees a blood-stained paper lying before his feet, twitching like if animated by an unholy inner life...

The paper is wickedly folded, and forms something like...

A twisted human doll...

[steveflam]

Brethana pulls out her GreatSword, and moves toward the coffin, inspecting it , then the surrounding floor for footprints, looking down the hallway ...........

[ewancummins]

Jamethon sets his candle down in the corner [stone paved area, not near flammable stuff], and begins looking around the room. He'll search it as thouroughly as he can, unless interrupted by something bad happening....


[OOC , He's stuffed his ears with candle wax, so he probably cannot hear very well]

[BigBadQDaddy]

*Knock knock*

Alain is brought back from his unpleasant slumber by a heavy pushing against the front door.

In the darkness of the night, he can see through the window: A slim female shadow standing at the front door... The moonlight falls on a pale, white face...

And a moment later, the figure is gone...

Alain is caught completley off guard by the figure in the window and give a startled cry. He then bolts from his resting spot and runs to the doorway to the basement.
"The woman! She is out side the window!" He shouts down the stairwell to the others below. He then reaches for his rapier, which is long gone.
"I havn't any means to defend myself..."he mumbles to himself. He then in a panic runs to the kitchen in search of a blade.

[steveflam]

Brethana , upon hearing Alain, pushes past everyone, taking the steps 2 at a time, and arrives at the door, "Alain, can you use a Long Sword?" she asks , as she eyes the door warily , heart beating fast "Just take it from my hip , friend and let us find this devil woman and dispose of her, the young Armitage has apparently disappeared as we reached the basement, Alain...".......

[Nathan of the FoS]

"So, mommy has set up a light for me", whispers little Master Arlington, and his voice is but a whisper...

For the first time Roland's face relaxes from its customary pinched, bitter expression into something softer and more pleasant--but it passes quickly.

And as you turn to ask the young boy, he has suddenly disappeared!

Roland's eyebrows rise, and he mutters one word to himself..."Ghost!"

Just then he hears Alain's call from upstairs, and Brethana pushes past him. Restraining an urge to trip her, he follows her and is half-way up the stairs when he realizes exactly what Alain said.

"Oh, by the Form," he moans. "She's here."