Night 001

[allthekeys]

|| THREAT DOWN

|| NIGHT 001: GENERAL As the sun sinks lower on the horizon, the Guards grow noticeably more uneasy. On the walls, several large fires have been lit, casting the sky with a crimson glow as the sun vanishes from the sky. It makes it seem as though the wall is burning. All of the guards have donned bows and sheaves of arrows, and are constantly looking skyward. Animals are quickly herded back into the stables. Shortly, not even a cat pokes their nose into the Courtyard. The Guards will make a very obvious attempt to herd the guests back inside as well, even going as far as to pick up anyone who is arguing with them about it. Their movements are hurried, and they will not tolerate dawdlers. Those who were outside will see a rather impressive defense mounting around the town, with large bonfires being lit, casting the falling night into a strange, flickering glow. The mist that has pressed against the walls all night seems to be creeping inwards, and with it comes a brutal, bone chilling cold. A light snowfall begins to fall with the night, peppering those who are still outside with the fragile flakes. Those who were assigned to the Gardens will find themselves surrounded at nightfall by an entire unit of the guards. The guards are silent as they close their circle around them, herding them back towards the castle. They will not allow for any escapes, and will pin anyone who tries, simply carrying them back towards the castle. It seems that they are meant to remain within the dubious safety of the castle they awoke that morning in. Any attempts to leave once they have been herded into the safety of the castle will be prevented by those same guards. Repeated attempts will see the trespassers tossed in the cells in the basement to wait out the night. Troublemakers will not be tolerated it appears. As night grows closer, the prisoners will notice that the guard in charge of watching them is becoming increasingly restless. Shortly before night properly falls, he will unlock their cells and unfasten Dist's cuffs, before striding quickly away in the darkness, leaving them to find their way back on their own. As soon as the last wedge of light vanishes from the sky, the Feral Deer attack. Hundreds of them swarm over the castle, and the air is filled with the beating of wings and their hungry groans and bellows. It is soon also filled with arrows and flame as the guards rise in defense of the castle. The bellows of the guards, the twang of arrows, the clang of metal as one of the deer manage to strike soon rises to an unearthly cacophony. Untouched by either side of the pitched battle, there is a seemingly human body hanging by a noose from the balcony nearly overlooking the main doors out of the courtyard; at first glance the figure seems dead, but there is an occasional twitch of movement, as if weakly struggling. The figure looks male, dressed in embroidered, silver-accented white that has been stained with blood and ash, torn and scorched in places; a silver mask and crown have been nailed into the head, covering the face, while the man's neck and hands bear silver collar and silver rings, each surrounded by blackened, blistered flesh. The various statues, sculptures, reliefs and carvings of creatures and figures both inside and outside the castle begin moving come nightfall, creatures of living stone pulling free of walls and pedestals; those outside join in the battle, the winged ones seeming fully capable of flight despite being made of stone. Those inside patrol the halls, occasionally growling or hissing in contempt at the guests; they do not seem inclined to attack unprovoked, but are far from friendly. Two of these gargoyles stand guard at either side of the grand staircase, further preventing any passage to the upper floors. As the battle begins, many might fail to notice at all that something has happened to the collars. For those who have hearts to beat, it seems for a moment that the metal echoes that vibration and then simply comes apart. What it leaves behind is a sigil floating slightly away from the body of the wearer. It glows faintly, though not brightly enough to destroy night vision, and very clearly resembles the symbol that can be found on the tapestries. It produces faint warmth, as well as the illumination, though it cannot be touched or covered. Toph and Jack Skellington do not have this sigil and may find themselves targeted by the Guards unless they are in a well-lit area. Anyone who possesses Shadow Powers will find their grasp of them gone entirely for the first part of the night. It is not simply that they cannot control them; it is as though these powers no longer exist. Perhaps they never existed, and the delusion of them has simply been cast aside? It is hard to tell, simple enough to realize is that the powers and abilities they granted are gone. Over the next few hours they will trickle back, though it will be several before they can be used reliably again. The night is brutally cold, enough that water left untended in cups will freeze over and the visitors will find themselves needing to stick close to the fireplaces to keep warm. The lower floor is the worst of it, and the blankets provided by the castle seem to do little warm the chill of the night. Any who brought cloaks, coats or other items with them may wear them, so long as they fasten the provided cloak over it. The chore board has been wiped clean, freeing the newcomers from their duties. New lists have appeared, several names they do not know are assigned to ”Service” and a group of Mukuro, Hibari, Jack Skellington, Toph and Dist have been assigned to clean the Steward’s Quarters. The Steward himself is sitting at his desk, writing messing notes and counting coins. He will turn as though watching those sent to clean his quarters, but do nothing to interfere with them. The Cook crouches just inside the door, watching them with beady eyes as though waiting for one of them to do something wrong. The gruel has been replaced by a thick stew, the broth made from meat and vegetable scraps, thickened with turnips, potatoes and other more unfamiliar vegetables. While slightly more favorable than the meal during the day, it lacks salt. A stack of bowls and spoons sits near the hearth, and it is much more comfortable here than anywhere else in the house. A few loaves of bread with blackened crusts, cheese rinds, overcooked vegetables and some of the fattier pieces of meat have been left in buckets near the servants hearth. Anyone is welcome to take these scraps as they wish, there will be no consequences for it; however they will not be renewed, once this surplus food is gone it will be gone. A pot holding something that looks like blood will draw any characters that require blood to it. It smells foul to anyone else and it is not suggested that anyone else try to drink it. A small kettle filled with something that smells faintly like coffee and tastes a bit nutty hangs over the low burning fire and will be constantly refreshed. The drink is warming and restorative. Those who drink too much of it during the night will find themselves feeling drowsy and a bit drunk, though will suffer no serious ill-effects. In the Barracks several guard remain to guard the contents, a good portion of the castle cats have been herded here to wait out the siege. They sprawl carelessly on every available surface and watch those who enter the rooms with glowing eyes. There are other creatures sheltered here, watched over by guards. A large wooden crate holds baby birds, pheasants, peacocks and goslings are the most noticeable, but there are a few other types that are not immediately recognizable mixed in among the others. These tiny birds are guarded against the prowling cats, which mostly look uninterested. One of the guards is constantly warming stones by the fire, wrapping them in a towel, and placing them inside the crate to keep the little ones warm. Several pups play and wrestle on the floor, their game carefully overseen by the watchful gaze of their protectors. Two gryphon cubs have joined them, still covered in downy feathers and full of awkwardness that no grown creature might display. They tug at bone toys and other scraps that have been given to them for play, growling and rolling about on the floor. It has been covered in straw to help keep the small bodies warm, and the fires are kept stoked to keep the room comfortable. They are fed often by their protectors. Their coats are shiny and their eyes are bright, all are clearly well tended. No attempts to harm these small creatures will be tolerated by any of their guardians. It seems as though the guard here changes often, rotating out those who might have been involved in the fight with the ones who are watching over these small creatures. Inside Grand Dining Room a party is clearly under way. The Grey Maids attend it, sweeping between the kitchens and the room with barely a pause to allow them to breathe. The doors opening spill lights and laughter into the otherwise darkened halls. It seems as though the revelers are completely unaware of what goes on outside. There will, however, be no safety for the newly arrived within the hall. Several guards stand sentry outside the doors, allowing only the maids to pass. Though they seem restless and often crane their necks to peer down the halls, obviously aware of their fellows and the fighting, they cannot be encouraged to leave their posts and will allow none to pass. Two gargoyles, large stone gryphons, flank either side of the guards; while the creatures stay still for long periods, they are fast to hiss or snap at any guest coming too close to the doors. The Captain still walks the halls, his pace quicker as he moves between the levels of the castle, overseeing the defenses. He is harried and obviously stressed, but he has been joined on his travels by a large black crow with white feathers on her chest. She sits on his shoulder as he travels the halls, occasionally chattering some comment to him as they go. In the Musicians' Parlor the door to the other section of the room has been latched. From inside, the soft sound of music can be heard, and the occasional soft voice of a singer warming up his or her voice. The clink of metal against metal can also be heard. There is no way to open this door. The Jester remains in the throne room, now playing a dancing tune on the strange instrument across his lap. He is joined by a woman in a brightly covered feathered cloak, her face and hair completely concealed, but her breasts barely contained by the costume. When she spins, the skirt of peacock feathers fans out, but she seems resistant, even when the music plays. There are other dancers as well. Strange gentlemen wearing what must have once been their finery now stretched to rags, their bodies long and unnatural, they grin widely, mouths full of pointed teeth and hands ending with glittering knives. They dance a strange dance composed of two lines facing each other, their grotesquely elongated bodies warping as they move, joints crackling as they are forced to bend. So long as the Jester plays and his feathered companion stays on hand, these creatures are harmless. Should he stop playing or she leave the room, they will swarm the hallways. As the battle begins outside, something odd has happened in the Basement. In the hall outside the Dorms the quiet is briefly disturbed by the sound of a small child laughing. Anyone poking their heads out of the doors will see a small, dark haired child running down the hallway to a darkly shrouded figure. The child, a girl wearing a dress with bell sleeves and her hair done up in braids, is picked up by the strange figure and carried away, her laughter echoing down the halls long after they have disappeared from view. Despite any attempts those in the castle might make to follow them, both have vanished. There are several large hounds roaming through the basement, though they do not stay in once place for long. They can be found in the upper floor, but the guards seem to make some effort to chase them away when they appear. Often throughout the night, the hounds can be heard howling in the town, their hunting cry an unnerving ripple of sound that echoes over the sound of the battle outside. They will hunt anyone who becomes injured during the night, their cries dropping to growls and then silence as they get closer to their prey. Something strange is occurring in one of the dorms. Sitting on Murtagh’s trunk is a small, brown dragon. He is mostly translucent, wings slightly spread in obvious alarm and trembling. As he finishes looking around, his body hunches as though he waits for a blow. He vanishes before anyone can reach the trunk and no sign remains of him. For just a few moments before she also vanishes, a small silver dragon can be spotted hiding in the blankets, clearly as terrified as the brown, though her wings she keeps close to her body. She remains for longer than the other, but vanishes in time. Though it seems as though if one were to turn the blankets on the bed just right, she might reappear. One of the Grey Maids sits on a bed in the Women's Quarters humming quietly to herself as she knits a shawl. She is the only person in the room, and her head remains bowed over her work despite any attempts to gain her attention. A game of marbles seems to be in progress on the floor by her feet, though she does not move to touch the marbles herself. Occasionally the sound of the marbles rolling across the floor can be heard, or the clatter of one marble striking another. They never seem to move when someone is looking at them, but they constantly change position. In the cells, a prisoner has appeared. The poor, pale creature is barely skin and bones, and clutches weakly at the bars, sunken eyes gazing out into the hall. Wisps of pale hair cling to her scalp, but it is clear that the jail has taken its toll upon her. She has gone beyond cold and does not even shiver at the chill that bites in the air. Occasionally, she scrapes at the ice that forms on the bars of her cell with her tongue; clearly desperate enough to live that she does not care what else she might take from the dirty bars. It seems that not even scraps can be spared for her, despite the excess upstairs. Someone is hard at work in the Carpentry room, a man with bronze skin is bent over one of the work benches, a look of consternation on his face as he bends a piece of wood into place. He barely seems to hear anything the houseguests say to him. Instead he mutters to himself, perspiring despite the cold air that fills the basement. In the Porcelain and Pottery rooms the wheels spin, though there seem to be no hands attending them. Vessels form, vanish from the tables, and appear in the kilns with seemingly no regard for any idea that someone must carry them to these places. In the Porcelain room a woman can occasionally be heard humming, though she never appears. The rooms are warmer than the rest of the house, though there is still a chill in the air. Anyone who lingers for long in the Tapestry room will find an exquisitely woven shawl being wrapped around their shoulders by someone unseen. The strange troll is busy at work unraveling the scene on the loom and cannot be bothered to accept any distraction. The basement seems otherwise quiet, although candles beyond the small area around the dorms and craftsman's rooms that gets an occasional guard patrol are extinguished; the entire rest of the basement is lacking in light, save the Torture Chamber, where a large fire has been stoked in the center of the room. Curiously, no heat seems to radiate from it, and anyone who watches it will find scaled shapes shifting within as several sets of wide silver-gleaming eyes peer back at them. Other salamanders creep around the room, occasionally snapped at by their fellows if they approach too close to the already-crowded fire. While the creatures duck under the torture racks and tables at the opening of the door, it does not take them long to emerge and investigate the new intrusion; anyone who lingers will find the creatures approach them boldly, and they will attack if allowed too close. On Maurice's bed someone has left a gift. It is not wrapped, and the guitar would hardly be called new. The wood is travel worn and the leather strap that would allow it to be carried over the shoulder is scared with the stories of many miles. Still, the instrument plays true and the strings are in good repair. A note has been affixed to the neck of it. "Music eases much in these troubled times. May it give you hope, as it restored mine." It is signed with a simple "J". Those who diligently did their chores during the day will find their wages in their trunks. Fate will find that she has double the normal wages. || THREAT DOWN 1. The Cells 2. The Carpenter's Room 3. Porcelain Bedroom 4. Glassmaker's Room 5. Tapestry Bedroom 6. The Pottery Room 7. Basement Generator Room 8. Torture Chamber 9. Basement Hallway 10. The Hole 11. Basement 12. Basement Passage 13. Stone Washroom 14. Wine Cellar 15. Women's Quarters 16. Empty Dorm 17. Common Hallway 18-27. Dorms 1. Receiving Room 2. East Hallway 3-8. Small Parlors 9. Collector's Library 10. Grand Hallway 11. Grand Dining Room 12. North Passage 13. Castle Kitchen 14. Pantry 15. Common Room 16. The Steward's Room 17. Steward's Bath 18. Southwest Passage 19. The Musicians' Parlor 20. Throne Room 21. Guard Passage 22. Captain's Quarters 23. Soldiers' Barracks 24. Soldiers' Bathing Area