Haunting House

[Saber Sloth]

They go down the tight hallway, the journey familiar if in reverse. They pass the closed door leading to the stairs that loop from the grand staircase, keeping them on the ground floor. They had yet to go down those stairs, and don't know for sure they would end up at the top of the grand staircase, but it was a possibility.

They're walking for a while. The hallway seems longer going this way, passed the 'downstairs' door nested into the same wall the grand staircase, stretching on and on and on until - suddenly they find themselves in a formal dinning room. Large windows on the far wall, airy curtains doing nothing to hide the black, lightless void outside. Facing those windows, and to their right is a ornate fireplace, and on either side of the fireplace are two doors. Both are closed.

The table long, and made of a beautiful dark oak, set up as if awaiting a dinner party only the chairs have been knocked over, and most of the chair's wood is rotting.

Standing here, and taking in the room the Lost hear the pounding of footsteps coming from above!

Nope, right goes right, left goes left. I messed up. That's it, that's the snag and why I wanted to explain OOC
and using the staircase up leads to the enclosed staircase that normally leads down, that's in the tight hallway. Further down the tight hallway is/was unknown, going right is another lounge with another archway that leads further into the House

[Rhodes]

Enemies? He nodded to show acknowledgement of Sera's senses even as the cold prickled down his neck. Fear, that he could always admit to himself. Clever. Verrrry clever. Perhaps if we find the secrets I might apply these to Ednas. Make it a true house of Horror again....

Game recognized game.

In some ways, it was pleasing seeing the Beast so agitated. So in tune with her Fear - to Rhodes, that only meant she was alert, prepared. Ready to Survive. The best state to be in to fight... or flee. He would never detract from it.

The Lord of Fear lead the way down the corridor. It felt.... long, almost like it was longer than the house looked form the outside, though he couldn't say for certain. The doors at the end opened into.... a dining room, in a similar sort of state as their boney friends back in the Lounge. He stalked his way around, taking in the room, the furnishings, running a finger along the fine table. He plucked a fork from one of the settings, examining it delicately.

The thumping from "Upstairs" instantly drew his eyes, stooping to present a smaller target on reflex, a snarl on his lips. Was it a person? Or just a sound? The Blackness beyond the windows made him less sure his sense of the Air would be reliable, but he reached upwards regardless, hoping he could sense a person moving through the air. It would at least give them something.

If this were a standard house, one of the doors flanking the fireplace should lead to rooms that would connect back to the empty lounge. If this was a clever illusion, the first floor merely mimicking the ground floor, there would be finite "up the stairs"... but the unpredictability of their Contracts seemed to add another dimension.

Still wary of the sounds from above, Rhodes slinked over to the blackened window, looking for signs of paint or covering - anything to show it was an craft-based artificial darkness.

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2022-12-15 04:52:39	Rhodes rolls 7 to Spot the craft? Wits 3 + Investigation 4 (10 Again)	8, 5, 4, 4, 2, 8, 1	2 successes

Just amending my list to be doubly sure am right (and a handy reference )
Entrance Hall with Arch left, Stairs & Hallway ahead (and a door that going up the stairs emerges from), Archway right.

• Going Left Archway - Skeletons lounge
• Going Upstairs - emerge out the narrow hallway (somehow) of a door back into the main entrance hallway
• Going Right - goes back to Skeleton Lounge (somehow) Different empty lounge and Archway leading further in
• Going down hallway - Dining Room

Communion with Air is active, letting Rhodes sense the location of all the Air up to 40 yards around him.
Equipment: Hip flask of scotch whiskey, wallet containing a picture of Sera and $214, fake IDs, keys, Hedgespun coat (+1 def)
Defence: 4 (3 base, Hedgespun active)
Health: 7/7
Willpower: 2/2
Glamour: 7/10

[/QUOTE]

[Seraphina]

Sera quickly shakes her head, “It makes no sense to me either.” It was weird, and this wasn’t a good place for weird. Well, that level of weird anyways.

This wasn’t the time or place to argue or be stubborn, so she follows Rhodes.

Pausing at the door, she quickly takes out a piece of gauze and ties it on the handle. If it helped or not, well, the night would tell. But it felt right.

Well, this was new! New was good in this case, it meant maybe, just maybe, they were making some progress.

Eyes dart to the ceiling and the pounding footsteps. Could just be a worker, could be something else. Hell, she wasn’t even sure anymore.

Frowning, she looks to the two doors, “Left or right.” She says to no one in particular. “I say we try left first, as right seems the obvious choice and none of this appears to be following any rhyme or reason.” So left made sense. "But," begins the Treasured, "things aren't always what they seem." her voice quiet, as if speaking to herself.

Though she does watch Rhodes with curiosity, wondering what he was looking for.

Hedgespun Necklace(+1 singing), dagger, 1 bottles of water, bag of Reese’s Pieces, gauze and medical tape, compact with mirror, cell on silent
Health 7
WP 3
Glamour 9/10

[Sonnie Wu]

A dining room. Well, at least it was someplace new. Progress!

The windows, though. Or rather, the void outside those windows, drew out a hiss from the Monkey. "See? Nothing!" Sonnie pointed at the inky blackness. "There's nothing out there!" This is what her animal senses had been telling her. "We're not on Earth, anymore..."

The echo of footsteps elicited another hissing sound, and her staff came back out, fully extended. She listened, carefully, trying to identify the mystery walker. Trying to judge his/her/it's size. Barefoot or booted? Alone or more than one creature? Were they in a hurry or casually strolling?

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2022-12-15 13:48:00	Sonnie Wu rolls 10 to Perception: Wits 4 + Comp 2 + Contract 4 (10 Again)	5, 2, 10, 5, 6, 1, 7, 3, 8, 6, 4	2 successes

Fang & Talon 2: Beast's Keen Senses active. Sonnie has +4 dice to all Wits-based perception rolls for the rest of the scene.

Health 8/8, Willpower 4/4, Glamour 6/12

Hedgespun Boots (+2 SPD), Hedgespun Staff (+2 DMG), Hedgespun Coin Pendant (+2 DEF), baggie of goblin fruit (2 murmurleaves), thermos of coupnettle tea, smartphone, 3 throwing knives (concealed), some Halloween candy.

[Saber Sloth]

In Rhodes' ear as he moves forward towards the black viewed windows,

"Up is down - "
"Down might be - "
"Up yes!"
"It's a pantry - "
"Kitchen....Looks"
"Normal."
"Get away from the window -"
"There's nothing out there."
"...why do the windows open..."

Looking at the windows, beyond the windows, what the Dread Lord sees is black. He doesn't seen paint, or construction paper, or wood. But a nothing, no light, from the streetlights, or neighbouring homes, nor the stars and moon. It doesn’t seem like they’ve all gone out but vanished. There’s no street below no sky above. The building seems to just be hanging in a void.

Sonnie, straining her senses hears the rushing footsteps, wet slaps of skin on tile, and fleeing something - that something, Sonnie can hear taking more measured steps unerringly following the faltering wet slaps. And at the distant edge of her senses she can hear something - barely - that sounds like wordless screaming.

[Rhodes]

Sounded like the Air was as muddled as they were, though there were snippets of usefulness among them.

The inky-blackness was concerning, and the Dread Lord's frown furrowed deeper. "I'm inclined to agree," he offered to Sonnie and giving a glance to his wife to explain his inquiry into the windows. "But in that case... where? I know of nothing in like this." But if Darklings slinked out from anywhere in the Hedge, he imagined this would be the place.

"Kitchen. And Pantry." The offering to Sera was still solemn as the Flowering racked his brains. He still had an air of insight to maintain. Still more was needed - he followed his wife towards the left door.

Up was down, yes. It sounded like the air cycled back through the door and.... down? Up? the stairs in the hallway as the best path, but he felt better knowing the rooms below were explored first.

Just amending my list to be doubly sure am right (and a handy reference )
Entrance Hall with Arch left, Stairs & Hallway ahead (and a door that going up the stairs emerges from), Archway right.

• Going Left Archway - Skeletons lounge
• Going Upstairs - emerge out the narrow hallway (somehow) of a door back into the main entrance hallway
• Going Right - goes back to Skeleton Lounge (somehow) Different empty lounge and Archway leading further in
• Going down hallway - Dining Room, 2 doors flanking the fireplace.

Communion with Air is active, letting Rhodes sense the location of all the Air up to 40 yards around him.
Equipment: Hip flask of scotch whiskey, wallet containing a picture of Sera and $214, fake IDs, keys, Hedgespun coat (+1 def)
Defence: 4 (3 base, Hedgespun active)
Health: 7/7
Willpower: 2/2
Glamour: 7/10

[Seraphina]

A frown as glances to the windows. “Well, maybe still Earth, but I don’t think we’re on the safer side anymore.” It was the only logical thing that her mind would accept at this point. They had somehow gone into a Gate. But that doesn’t explain everything.

It was unsettling that Rhodes was agreeing with Sonnie and that he hadn’t seen anything like it.
Seeing that he was going to follow, she opens the left door. Not quickly, but measured, because they were not in Sacramento anymore and you never know.

Hedgespun Necklace(+1 singing), dagger, 1 bottles of water, bag of Reese’s Pieces, gauze and medical tape, compact with mirror, cell on silent
Health 7
WP 3
Glamour 9/10

[Sonnie Wu]

The Monkey's eyes were on the ceiling, as if she could see what she was listening for. She couldn't of course. No animal had X-Ray Vision, and Contracts didn't cover Superman. Still, it was better than looking at the damn windows and the abyss beyond. She frowned as she took in the auditory information and relayed it to the Fairest.

"Someone's being chased up there... wet bare feet? Pursuer's not in a big hurry, though... and there's something somewhere else. Far off. It's... someone's screaming!" She kept her voice low, despite her excitement. Sonnie didn't want to attract attention to them. Just because they had trouble navigating this house didn't mean everyone did.

[Saber Sloth]

To Sonnie's straining ears, the screaming crescendos, before cutting abruptly. Replacing everything with an echoing silence.

To Rhodes' ears, there's more whispers, snapshots of different conversations before there is a rising echoing scream.

To Sera, senses unoccupied by Clause hears it first. Footsteps, heavy, unhurried, coming up from the hall behind.

[Rhodes]

His senses focused on the sounds of the Air to the exclusion of others, Rhodes continues through the door to the left of the fireplace. The Scream makes him flinch, but no-one else seems to hear it, so it must be,.... the Air? Yes?.... This contract was not easy to use.

Hopefully it would all join together. .... Hopefully.

Just amending my list to be doubly sure am right (and a handy reference )
Entrance Hall with Arch left, Stairs & Hallway ahead (and a door that going up the stairs emerges from), Archway right.

• Going Left Archway - Skeletons lounge
• Going Upstairs - emerge out the narrow hallway (somehow) of a door back into the main entrance hallway
• Going Right - goes back to Skeleton Lounge (somehow) Different empty lounge and Archway leading further in
• Going down hallway - Dining Room, 2 doors flanking the fireplace.

Communion with Air is active, letting Rhodes sense the location of all the Air up to 40 yards around him.
Equipment: Hip flask of scotch whiskey, wallet containing a picture of Sera and $214, fake IDs, keys, Hedgespun coat (+1 def)
Defence: 4 (3 base, Hedgespun active)
Health: 7/7
Willpower: 2/2
Glamour: 7/10