([Completed] Luca/Troy Adventure 1): Return to Tuskdale Hall

[archolewa]

Gwen's eyes widen in horror. "You want to spend the night here? In this cursed basement?"

She looks around the dim space nervously, fingers tightening on the shaft of her halberd.

[Kenjosephus]

Troy

Or we can further explore this manor and find other comfortable part that is not in this basement

[Juramenta]

Luca pauses, weighing the options before them. He can sense the unease in Gwen's voice and the practicality in Troy's suggestion.

"I understand your concern, Gwen. This place doesn't exactly inspire comfort," Luca admits.
dialog]"But staying here does offer some advantages. We have all the tools and materials we might need close at hand, and if I can decipher these texts, the solution could be within reach."[/dialog]

He shifts his stance, considering the alternative. "On the other hand, exploring the manor might reveal a safer, more secure place to rest, and perhaps even more supplies or clues that could aid us. We could continue our search and return here if the night draws near and no better option presents itself."
He meets Troy’s gaze, then Gwen’s, hoping to have a way to balance the practical with the emotional, trying to find a compromise that will keep them all comfortable and prepared.

[archolewa]

He shifts his stance, considering the alternative. "On the other hand, exploring the manor might reveal a safer, more secure place to rest, and perhaps even more supplies or clues that could aid us. We could continue our search and return here if the night draws near and no better option presents itself."

Quick note: It's already night. You guys arrived as the sun was setting, and you've been here for a few hours now. It's full dark outside.

Gwen shrugs uneasily. "I mean, if you think it's best. I just. What if there are more skeletons or something down here? Those things were so silent. And everything's so...old and dead. Rotten food. Rotting stuff. You'd think we were exploring a long forgotten ruin. Ain't natural."

[Juramenta]

Quick note: It's already night. You guys arrived as the sun was setting, and you've been here for a few hours now. It's full dark outside.

In that case Luca would stay with his earlier suggestion, but it depends on what Troy would want to do. Luca is a bit indecisive at the moment, which is usually not something that happens to him often. Except normally he doesn't really care how something plays out. This time he is actually invested in the situation since his talk with a certain someone at a inn. Knowing he would be responsible for uncovering a counter ritual with his low understanding of magic makes it even more difficult. On the other hand freeing her might be the key to finding out what happened to everyone

[Kenjosephus]

Troy

If that's so, then we should stay here for the night, bar the door with anything that's big and sturdy. I will explore alone or with a person, only for scouting, to see the rest of the manor if there is any unexplored place and resources. I will return here if i find something or nothing. No fighting and trying to be brave. What do you think about that?

[Juramenta]

Luca nods
''Once this room is barricaded I will be fine on my own researching all of this.'' he says indicating he would be okay being left alone if Gwen wishes to go along with him.

[archolewa]

Gwen looks between the two. She sighs. "Probably best if I stay here. I'm not exactly dressed for scouting, and no offense Uncle Lucky, but Mama always said you're a lover not a fighter, and Papa always said, mostly joking, that's the only reason he hasn't broken your nose yet. Wouldn't be sporting."

[Kenjosephus]

Troy

Allright, that settles it. The two of you bar the door while i'm going ahead. May the Seer bless my sight and life for this.

Troy will explore the rest of the manor, starting from the blockaded part of the cellar.

[archolewa]

Troy

Allright, that settles it. The two of you bar the door while i'm going ahead. May the Seer bless my sight and life for this.

Troy will explore the rest of the manor, starting from the blockaded part of the cellar.

Ok, so you want to backtrack to the main cellar room? Be aware, you didn't see any other entrances or exits the last few times you passed through. Do you want to head back upstairs and explore the manor itself? Note that on the east wall of the room you're currently in there are two doors: one on the north side, and one on the south side. You guys came in through the door on the north side.

[Kenjosephus]

Troy

Wait, isn't the alchemist room is on the south and the statue is on the north? We do have explored those right?

[archolewa]

Troy

Wait, isn't the alchemist room is on the south and the statue is on the north? We do have explored those right?

Here's a (VERY) rough layout of what you've seen before, showing relative locations:

Code: Select all

Room-with-castle-model-and-statue
                             |
                             |_________Skeleton Room________ Cellar
                             |
                             |____ Alchemist Room

Note that this elides a few twists and turns in the corridors, but should give you a rough idea of where everything is.

[Kenjosephus]

Troy

Ah, i see. Well, Troy already says that he is going out to scout the rest of the manor so if that's required him to go back to the cellar, then that is what he will do.

[Juramenta]

Luca chuckles softly at Gwen’s words, his eyes twinkling with fondness for the memories she conjures up.

“Your mother certainly had a talent for seeing people’s true qualities. How keenly observant of her and yes, the result of specialization does result in a lack of lesser skills” he begins, offering Gwen a mischievous grin. “But she also knew the mark of a true warrior, and your father’s spirit? It’s the stuff of legends. I could train every day of my life and still not come close to matching his prowess. That’s why we made such a good team. He was the brawn, and I, well, I was the looks, the brains, and everything in between.” he chuckles, delivering the last line as if her father were right there, ready to retort with a good-natured jab. “Usually, by now, I’d be stuck in a headlock for saying something like that. Here’s hoping you’re a bit more benevolent than your father would have been.” Luca’s tone is playful.

As they work together to barricade the room, Luca’s lighthearted demeanor gradually shifts to one of quiet determination. They arrange the furniture and debris in a way that fortifies their makeshift haven, but with enough care that they can quickly dismantle it if Troy needs to re-enter in a hurry.
Once they finish, Luca takes a seat. For once, he feels the unfamiliar strain of doubt creeping in. The papers before him seem to mock his lack of formal training. Yet, there’s a spark within him that refuses to let this challenge go unanswered.

“Alright,” he mutters to himself, rolling up his sleeves as if preparing for a physical fight rather than a mental one. “Let’s see what we can make of this.”
He begins his study, his usual carefree nature tempered by an unusual seriousness. He may not feel fully prepared, but he is slowly realizing that the bold words of changing his ways are starting to become real. Let alone be driven by the urge to save his old friend and dear Hannah. Both always showed him a kind heart, no matter what mischief he managed to get them entangled in.

[archolewa]

Troy

Ah, i see. Well, Troy already says that he is going out to scout the rest of the manor so if that's required him to go back to the cellar, then that is what he will do.

Ok, and just to make sure we're clear: the alchemist workshop that you three are in has two doors. It sounds like you're going back the way you came, and going upstairs to explore the manor, rather than going through the southern door and exploring more of the basement.

I'll post results for both of your efforts tomorrow (it is late and I am le tired).

[archolewa]

Sorry about the delay. Real life got in the way, and these exploration posts require a bit more mental energy.

2 hours left on torch


Troy lights a fresh torch I assume? and makes his way through the dark corridors back upstairs. He is back in the stair room on the main floor, with a door opening to the east, one to the west, and one to the south. The west room is a simple storeroom filled with moldy laundry, tools used by the servants for keeping the laundry and manor clean, as well as a few old chairs and a fireplace. The east room is the kitchen, a large cluttered space filled with cooking utensils, a large (and cold) cooking hearth, moldy spices and hooks that once might have held cured meat, but that had long ago been picked clean. A door in the kitchen's north wall opens out into a dark, tangled, long overgrown garden. As Troy peers out into the darkness, some of the vines along the wall move a bit more than he would expect in the still night air.

There is a door to the south, leading to the room with stairs up. He could also backtrack to the hallway that led to the Lord's office, where they fought the giant rats. There was another door a bit further south of Lord Tuskdale's office if his memory serves. Or he could return to the main hall.

Meanwhile, Luca labors over the dense ritual as Gwen stand uneasy guard 1d20+8-4 (density of document, plus poor environment) = 23 > 20. However, Luca pretty quickly learns a few things.

First, he is absolutely confident that this ritual is beyond his own meager understanding. There's no way he could hope to execute it, or devise a way to reverse it, or even truly understand it no matter how much time he had.

Second, this is definitely one of those old elven rituals of plenty, and there is definitely something subtly wrong about it. He can't quite put his finger on it, but there are some bits and pieces that are just off based on what scraps of knowledge he's picked up through the historical songs he's learned. Musical notes that seem slightly off tone. Key elven chants that are left untranslated.

Third, the petrified basilisk heart is definitely the ritual's keystone ("keystone" being a term of art for a reagent that is of critical importance to a ritual. Often it is the quality of the keystone reagent that drives the quality of the ritual itself). But, he *knows* that basilisks did not exist in any form before the rise of the Kinslayer. While not inherently aggressive creatures (no more so than a mundane snake). they still emerged as a side-effect of the Kinslayer's dark power flooding the world. Certainly no benign ritual would make such a corrupted reagent the keystone.

So, whatever this ritual is, it's not an elven ritual of plenty. After a moment of thought, he also remembers that the old elven sage who taught him the song about the Dreadlord lives in Thorncity. He spends his days at the local magic-user academy, helping to teach young elves and budding magic-users alike how to master the arcane arts. He might be able to shed some more light on this. The elf is not cheap, and he only takes on work that interests him, but this is definitely something that would interest him.

Indeed, Luca is confident he can explain the ritual just enough to pique the old elf's interest just enough to get himself a discount.

[Juramenta]

“Gwen,” he begins, has he rubs his temples “I’ve got some bad news and some... well, not-so-bad news.” He gestures to the papers, scattered in front of him.
“This ritual... It’s far too advanced for me to reverse, at least with what we’ve got here. There’s something deeply wrong with it. Notes that seem off, chants left untranslated. And that basilisk heart? It’s the keystone of the ritual, but basilisks didn’t even exist before the Kinslayer’s rise. This whole thing reeks of a ritual corrupted by adding and changing key parts of it.”

He pauses as he lets the words sink in, then leans back slightly. A thoughtful look crosses his face.
“But there’s a silver lining. I know where we need to go next. Thorncity. There’s an old elven sage there, a master of the arcane arts. He’s the one who taught me the song about the Dreadlord, and if anyone can shed light on this ritual, it’s him. We’ll need to get Esmerelda, what’s left of her anyways, there too. Maybe with his help, we can find a way to undo what’s been done.”

He stares towards the room where Esmeralda is located “But first,” he continues, his tone now more resolute, “we should finish exploring this mansion. There might be more secrets hidden within these walls, clues to what else has transpired here, and maybe even where the people have vanished to. Hopefully Troy's scouting brings about good news. Once we’ve uncovered everything we can, we’ll should arrange a cart to load her in and make our way to Thorncity. It’s the best shot we’ve got.”he says as he looks back at Gwen, offering a small, encouraging smile. “Don’t worry, we’ll get to the bottom of this. And when we do, we’ll make things right.”

[Kenjosephus]

Troy

Troy began rummaging through the kitchen for leftover food. Afterwards, he will sneak his way south towards the room with stairs he goes.

[archolewa]

Troy

Troy began rummaging through the kitchen for leftover food. Afterwards, he will sneak his way south towards the room with stairs he goes.

90 minutes remaining on torch.

There is very little food, most of it likely eaten by the rats and other animals scurrying through the empty manor. What little remains has long spoiled to a degree that it really shouldn't have considering the manor has been empty for close to a month at most. But once again, it looks and feels like the place has been abandoned for at least a year, possibly longer.

The upstairs holds little of interest. Bedrooms for the nobility on the upper floor, bedrooms for the servants on the very top floor. A small chapel to the Seer with an elaborate offering bowl. The place is calm, and has an element of peace...but also feels uncannily empty, as have all chapels since the Seer returned from the Maw, unconscious from the countless wounds sustained in the final battle against the Kinslayer.

Troy sees a few small packs of giant rats from a distance, but each time he's able to pause and hide, and the rats show little interest in him anyway. At one point, he spies a thick vine wrap itself around a normal rat, and drag it squeaking out a window, but fortunately well before he got close. Half an hour after he went upstairs, he finds himself back on the main floor. The main hall to the East the, the Kitchen to the North, and the hallway that leads to Lord Tuskdale's office to the West.

“Gwen,” he begins, has he rubs his temples “I’ve got some bad news and some... well, not-so-bad news.” He gestures to the papers, scattered in front of him...

Gwen nods to Lucas' explanation, her face pale and her lips quivering as she clenches her teeth. "If you say so, Uncle. I hope Troy hurries. There is a bad wind here. Cold and clammy. The sooner we're out of here and on to Thorncity the better."

[Kenjosephus]

Troy

Troy will proceed to the Lord's Tuskdale office in his last attempt to search for the clues or supplies, trying to avoid the silent living vines that might've entangled him and send him to death's embrace

Sorry for the late response, just finished my gig and ready to proceed