Night 045

[allthekeys]

|| THREAT DOWN

|| NIGHT 045: GENERAL The Clock strikes in the sixth hour of the evening, as darkness begins to fall. The chimes seem elongated, slow as if fighting through the thick heat in the air to reach the ears of the houseguests. Despite the slowness of the sound, the sky becomes dark with haste. For a moment the lights fail, and it is pitch black. After a few long seconds, the stars begin to appear in the sky, and the lights flicker back to life. They seem somehow duller now. Anyone with access to a radio or walkie-talkie will hear it crackle to life. The phones ring. Answering, or listening, will beckon a voice familiar to many as the young woman Rose. She sings for a moment and then softly says, “ten.” The sky ripples as the light fades and night falls, sparks of colors stretch between the stars, becoming waves of color as the night progresses. Those who spend much time stargazing might find that they see bits of places in the sky. A market here, a patch of sky filled with constellations that do not fit in the sky, the deep rippling of an ocean at nightfall. The places never linger for long, but they are rather alarmingly different than what the houseguests might expect to see. Thankfully, the weather has begun to ease some. It remains hot, but no longer unbearably so. Still, it is easy enough to feel uncomfortably sticky from sweat and dizzy from the heat rising in waves. The white uniforms still help the worst of this. Anyone still listening to the phones or radios will hear a word: “nine.” All Hallways seem to stretch on forever. They go on unnaturally long, far longer than they ever have before, though nothing seems to have changed and anyone measuring will find them to be their normal length. But it takes far longer to traverse them than normal, the next turn seeming to only arrive at the point of immense frustration or panic. It is in these peaks of emotion that the halls finally let you get where you wanted to go. This wouldn’t be such a problem if it weren’t for the Wallcrawlers. They're out in force and aggressive; while they mostly remain in the hallways, they will pursue into rooms, and there is a risk of finding stragglers within rooms unexpectedly. They mostly aim for lone individuals, but they're bold enough to harass pairs, and may need effort to escape, fend off, or dissuade from attacking. They aren't the only things loose in the hallways; Chestmouths wander all houses save the Fifth in the halls. They mostly hunt the wallcrawlers, and seem to have developed a preference for attacking the smaller monsters, enough to sometimes interrupt the wallcrawlers' hunts. Unfortunately, they will also try to catch and eat guests and even other chestmouths that stray too close to their meal. “Eight.” Throughout all houses, stray animals will occasionally appear; there is no rhyme or reason to what sort of animals show up, or even what kind of climate zone or environment they're from, and guests from worlds other than Earth may even see some familiar wildlife. For the time being it's confined to mostly normal or less-dangerous animals, although an occasional mundane predator may appear. They will sometimes vanish as mysteriously as they'd appeared, gone if a guest leaves the room and returns - but they face far more attrition from the various local monsters taking them as convenient prey. The Feral Deer are unhappy tonight, in an anxious, agitated way as they flock the skies and land on the rooftops, their hooves making noise that can be heard through the ceilings all through the top floors of the houses as they move; the sounds ranging from scratchy steps to heavy, sudden thumps when they land. They are highly unwilling to touch ground, but they’re still dangerous. "Seven." In the Parlor of the First House, the piano plays by itself; the music is bright, cheerful, even hopeful, if marred by the occasional sour note, missing string, or hesitant pause. sensitives may catch a brief glimpse of a female figure at the bench, never clear enough to make out any features. [warning for eye trauma] In the middle of the Ballroom sits the Doll Queen, her pretty dress matted with dried stains of blood. Around her sit numerous dolls, some of them removing their human eyes, others with their own once again at their place in the red smeared eye sockets. Throughout the room lie a handful of bodies, having seemingly been dragged there to be discarded unceremoniously. Though these people appear to be alive on closer inspection and are trembling as they lie there, drawing quick, hurried breaths in fear, they make no move to leave. Perhaps because they would not see where to run even if they could as their eyes are only just now being given back to them. The dolls are pressing their eyes back into their empty sockets with little regard for a job well done; some are put in the wrong way around, some break and collapse from the pressure, and others fall to the floor to lie next to what was probably the rightful owner, but maybe wasn’t. Anybody who took a doll’s eye better watch out tonight and anybody intruding on the scene should tread lightly. The Doll Queen looks somehow tense and angry behind the curiously blank face, and her dolls move quickly. [end of warning] The sound of horses can be heard in the fog of the Greenhouse, though a horse does not appear. Those who linger at the edge of the fog can occasionally see a light bobbing in the distance. Nothing appears from the darkness. "Six." In the Basement, the Doctor is in and hard at work. Though the person on the table is not known to anyone in the house, the girl’s screams are clearly audible. The Nurses will happily book you an appointment, and are quick to seize anyone who wanders the halls too long past visiting hours. The Student Bedroom is safe tonight, though the room feels strangely empty and desolate. The Mirror Bedroom only appears as a room of mirrors for a few moments on entering; then, whoever has walked in will find themselves in a recreation of some event from their memory - likely of importance, although it seems skewed towards the negative. While they can watch their past selves and the event play out, attempts at interacting with it prove fruitless, solid objects and people seeming incorporeal. Moreover, it seems to have a habit of distorting things; altering rare happy memories to have gone wrong, highlighting a character's sins, regrets, and failures. Those who linger too long may find that it will outright show them the worst possible outcomes of events, altered versions of their life gone horribly wrong. If another person enters after, they can join the audience; the room shows a preference for the first person to have entered, although pairs or groups who linger too long may find it shifting its attention. Someone has taken something dark and tarry to the broken glass, scrawling out the looping, and jagged letters of the message: “if you build it, they will come.” Don finds himself in the Gallery again. At first perfectly fine, the fear is clear on his face before he buckles over, clutching at and hugging himself as his body begins to break and snap. The Art Enthusiast is left in his place, weeping softly. He does not move for a long time, even to react to anyone who comes near, but eventually straightens up and begins and quiet patrol of the art gallery. When his walk begins, he is dangerous again. There is a burst of static from the radios and phones. There is noise coming from the Sewing Room, the sound of chatter and the distant call of music. It sounds lively and inviting, glasses clinking and people laughing. It sounds as though everyone is having a wonderful time. There is no one in the room. The Mannequins, however, have all been dressed formally, in long dresses and tuxedos. They are all strewn about the room, group together in clusters as if they were interacting with one another. There seem to be more of them than usual, but strangely impossible to count; any efforts to track the number will find the houseguest losing their train of thought somewhere around a dozen. Strangely, they have all also been dressed in the skins of animals, still-bloody faces of mammals and oversized birds stretched over their heads like masks. It seems to make them resemble the Unnatural Servants, though these mannequins aren’t alive, are they? The Servants themselves can be found in any dining hall or kitchen, seemingly at random intervals, setting up a large dinner or feast. They are cooking large, extravagant meals throughout the night, constantly setting and re-setting the tables. Candles spot the tables, burning but never melting, and the dining cloths are immaculate. The Burning Man periodically paces outside of the dining rooms, made anxious by the candles. He does not seem immediately hostile, but any whom come close will find otherwise. Similarly, it at first seems as though he won’t enter the dining halls—but he will follow and he will burn it all down. In the Chapel of the Second House, although no-one can be seen, there is the sound of an impassioned sermon echoing from the altar in a language none of the guests could understand. Should anyone nonhuman or anyone with powers enter, the pace will suddenly shift, the tone turning accusatory and hostile. The unfortunate will be left with a growing sense of dread, as well as nagging reminders of guilt for any harm they've done to others, real or imagined; these grow stronger the longer they remain, and linger throughout the night. In the Rough Kitchen the Shadow Man has taken a seat. Around the room are the Thirteen Children watching him with an air of eager expectation. He holds a gold coin, idly spinning it as he speaks to the children. The sound of it is almost hypnotic to those who happen to overhear, an odd whirling sound that seems to bid them to sit at his feet, to listen for a few moments. Nothing that he says will register as words or phrases, the meaning of the conversation lingering just out of the grasp of those that overhear it, as though the words vanish from their minds as soon as they are uttered. Another Dark Figure, cowled and hunched in the corner, keeps watch over the tiny gathering. Though these figures are not a threat at the moment, the unwary could find themselves sitting among them, listening as though to a truth they can never unhear. Those that do linger will find themselves losing time and focus as the hours tick by. It becomes increasing difficult to leave. "Four." In the Rose Garden the Lady In White is tending to the roses, her hands covered in small scratches and spots of blood from the thorns. Something has happened to her eyes, and heavy bandages have been wrapped around them, inhibiting her progress as she moves through her work. She hums a sweet, hauntingly familiar tune as she moves around the area, her head tilted to the side as though listening for an answer. A Baby sleeps in a basket near the birdbath, and her gardening is quick to end should anyone disturb the basket. She is quick to move to defend the sleeping infant’s slumber, and does not seem to recognize friend or foe. The Catacombs are cool, torches flickering throughout the halls. Noise seems to refuse to travel more than a few feet, voices hushed, while the alcoves have coins, folded paper cranes, bits of dried fruit and sweets, and candles laid out along the edges. The entire area has a solemn air that is oddly peaceful everywhere save by the strange gate; monsters are hesitant to enter, and will be lethargic and uninterested in guests everywhere save near the locked gate. The Admirers are around in the Third House tonight, visible to anyone and not simply those who wake with them. They sit about the house on the floors, shaking visibly. They don’t seem to see the awake houseguests, but will still be found in the beds of the sleeping. "Three." The doll in the Silk Room, Hana is awake again and outside of her case. She kneels on the floor, cupping a white flower in her hands, frowning at it, clearly troubled. She is responsive enough, and will make conversation, but little seems to bring her out of her perturbed state. Dave is in the The Seedy Bar tonight, finishing his cleaning of the place. It is still stained deep with blood that doesn’t want to come out of the wood it has seeped into. It seems the place is not safe so long as something has soaked through to its core. The fairy ring in the Courtyard keeps thriving. It’s grown taller and more dense, reaching about a foot high, and the fine cracks in the stone inside have deepened somewhat. The atmosphere inside seems denser somehow, like the air itself carries more energy. The Hunters have found the Lake. Taking frequent swims and dives to cool off from the warm weather, it’s clear to any onlooker how fast and sleek they really are, which is a very good reason to stay at a safe distance. Although they seem quite relaxed resting in and around the water, they are deceptively quick to fall into action when they catch scent of prey. "Two." Any draconic characters or characters connected to dragons in the house will find themselves drawn to the Gazebo as the night passes on, and might find themselves humming an odd tune they cannot recall ever hearing before. The Dragoon stands there watching the lake, spear at his side as he gazes into the water. The Fifth House has reopened. The entire place is much cleaner than before, but still ramshackle. The places the Servants go are spotless. The hallways in this house appear to be safe, not effected by the strangeness of the hallways in the other houses and not populated with wallcrawlers. The Beast however sits in the Broom Cupboard, its massive form crammed into the tiny space. It wails and howls as it lashes out against its confines, clawing at the door frame and scales scraping against the walls. Everyone in the house will feel a breath on the back of their neck and hear a voice whispering into their ear, “one.” And then there is silence. Night has arrived. [ ooc: An event is coming to the game. Be sure to check out the ooc post! ] || THREAT DOWN First House 1. Front Door 2. Entry Way 3. Coat Closet 4. Parlor 5. Formal Dining Room 6. Blue Kitchen 7. Doll Bathroom 8. East Hallway 9. Library 10. Study 11. Dawn Room 12. Closed Closet 13. Nursery 14. Dollhouse Room 15. Dollhouse 16. The Crack In The Wall 17. Maid Hallway 18. Clean Bedroom 19. Dirty Bedroom 20. Closet Room 21. Smoke Room 22. Yellow Bedroom 23. Vanity Room 24. Ivory Bathroom 25. Door to Basement 26. Supply Closet 27. Ballroom 28. Oak Hallway 29. Locked Door 30. Theater 31. Backstage 32. Locked Door 33. Music Room 34. Pool Room 35. Locker Room 36. Spa 37. Sauna 1. Hallway 2. Student Bedroom 3. Student Closet 4. Mirror Bedroom 5. Journey Bedroom 6. Fairy Bedroom 7. Red Bedroom 8. Mask Bedroom 9. Trophy Room 10. Gallery 11. Observatory 12. Sewing Room 13. Glass Bathroom 14. Perfume Bedroom 15. Library 16. Cherry Hallway 17. Thin Bedroom 18. Dark Bedroom 19. Light Bedroom 20. Loft Bedroom 21. Ink Bedroom 22. Mosaic Bedroom 23. Day Room 24. Narrow Hallway 25. Store Room 26. Open Bathroom 27. Blind Bedroom 28. Door To Floating Hallway 29. Corkscrew Stair 1. Basement 2. Dirt Hallway 3. Waiting Room 4. Doctor's Office 5. Supply Closet 6. Recovery Ward 7-11. Examination Rooms 12. Treatment Room 13. Surgery Room 14. Ward 15. Morgue 1. Main Room 2. Green Room 3. Half Bath 4. Small Kitchen 5. Garden Closet 6. Empty Hall 7. Radio Room 8. Carpenters Room 9. Painter’s Room 10. Shared Bath 11. Glass Blowers Room 12. Tapestry Bedroom 13. Dollmaker's Workshop 14. Pottery Room Second House 1. Straight Hall 2. Public Restroom 3. Glass Half Empty 4. Fake Bedroom 5. Model Bedroom 6. Locked Door 7. Viewing Bedroom 8. Memory Bedroom 9. Photography Bedroom 10. Dark Room 11. Shelter Bedroom 1. Stairwell Room 2. Wallpapered Parlor 3. The Open Door 4. Plain Kitchen 5. Pantry 6. Dining Room 7. Hallway 8. Half Sized Bath 9. The Blank Library 10. ??? Room 11. Open Hall 12. Rose Garden 13. Chapel Courtyard 14. Priest's Room 15. Priest's Bedroom 16. Hallway 17. Locked Door 18. Rough Kitchen 19. Junior Dormitory 20. Bell Tower 21. Courtyard Third House 1. Wind Tunnel Hallway 2. The Front Door 3. Sitting Room 4. Leather Study 5. Gentlemen's Lounge 6. Diamond Dining Room 7. Professional Kitchen 8. Stable 9. Locked Door 10. Orchard 11. Hanging Tree 12. Hot Springs 13. Locked Door 1. Red Hallway 2. Herbal Bedroom 3. Costumed Room 4. Bell Bathroom 5. Locked Door 6. Playboy Bedroom 7. Statuary Bedroom 8. Candy Store 9. Stalker Room 10. Satin Room 11. Scented Bathroom 12. Birdcage Room 13. Hedonist Room 14. Carved Parlor 15. Silk Room 16. Get Away Cabin 17. Vanity Bathroom 18. Velvet Bedroom 19. Wax Bedroom 20. Husk Bedroom Fourth House 1. Hanging Hall 2. The Slaughterhouse 3. Meat Freezer 4. Cheese Room 5. Salt Room 6. Preserved Storage 7. Fresh Storage 8. Hallway 9. Distillery 10. Humidor 11. Cramped Stairs 12. Hook Hallway 13. Smoke House 14. Drying Shed 15. Hot House 16. Lift 1. Tea Room 2. Cafeteria 3. Entrance Hall 4. Courtyard 5. Bakery 6. Patisserie 7. Overstuffed Kitchen 8. Ladies' Room 9. Mis-sized Dining Room 10. Men's Room 11. Servant's Kitchen 12. Unidentified Restroom 13. Empty Kitchen 14. Opium Den 15. Seedy Bar 1. Checked Hall 2. Wine Room 3. Green Bedroom 4. Soft Bedroom 5. Carnivore Bedroom 6. Herbivore Bedroom 7. Sweet Bedroom 8. Chamber of Purification 9. Nasty Bathroom 10. Horrific Hotel Room 11. Locked Door Fifth House 1. Outside Door 2. Plastic Hall 3. Bachelor's Kitchen 4. Garage 5. Abandoned Nursery 6. Boarded Room 7. Rough Hall 8. Old Bedroom 9. Bathroom 10. Pillow Room 11. Empty Bedroom 12. Patio 13. Poet's Room 14. Forgotten Storeroom 15. Mildewed Hallway 16. Broom Cupboard 17. Den 18. Unfinished Stairs 19. Workman's Room 20. Guest Bedroom 21. Lily Bedroom 1. Upstairs 2. The Nest 1. Leaky Basement 2. Ruined Apartment 3. Drained Parlour 4. Decaying Bathroom 5. Jammed Door