Night 005

[allthekeys]

|| THREAT DOWN

|| NIGHT 005: GENERAL The wind outside begins to pick up shortly before sunset, with unseasonably warm drafts mixed with the winter chill. As the sun goes down, it elevates into hot gusts that scream along the walls, easily powerful enough to knock over the unwary, warm enough to bring with them a change in the overall temperature. The heated winds have a swift impact on the piled snow, melting it throughout the night; unfortunately, during this process every surface including the top of the snowbanks is turned to sheets of incredibly slick, sharp-edged ice, with bits of blowing “snow” turned to jagged sideways sleet under a brief display of a half-full moon and stars. The swiftly growing amount of meltwater seeps in under doorways; rivulets of water run along the corners of walls on the First Floor, running down the stairs to flood the Basement to a depth of a few inches. Anything left on the ground will be fouled by slightly muddy water that occasionally contains bits of twigs, plant matter, and less identifiable debris washed in from the outside. Shortly after nightfall, the moon and stars vanish from the sky, shrouding everything outside of the castle in an oppressive darkness that seems to creep like a fog along the edges of any light sources. A sense of foreboding accompanies this unnatural blackness for everyone within the castle. The Guards turn particularly wary and cautious, quick to keep a hand on weapons, while all Sensitives find the feeling intensified into an awareness that something has gone horribly wrong, as if some other power has suddenly won dominion over the Night; those sensitive to the presence of dark powers or light and dark will feel the darkness as if it were a living thing. For Dist and Rei, the sense of foreboding is absent; as though whatever darkness has settled has taken a comforting, protective tone towards them, although Rei’s glass animals are uncertain, rarely moving away from her. As her attempt at bringing day fails, Amaterasu will feel a phantom hand petting her gently, while a voice fondly informs her that she is a “Good dog”. The Gargoyles seem to be gathered outside, unaffected by the sleet and wind; they prowl along the rooftops, balconies, and walls, snarling and posturing at the unnatural darkness that has fallen. While they seem mainly preoccupied with whatever has drawn their ire, they are aggressive if touched or otherwise distracted. As water begins to creep in around the doors and windows, the Grey Maids rush to mop up the mess as quickly as they can, though it seems to be largely ineffective. The more water they mop up, the more water there seems to be. The Grey Maids are trailed by Sirens tonight, who chatter amongst themselves in clicks and chirps but never spoken word. The beautifully monstrous women are as alluring as always, though they do not sing, and they take a certain active interest in all the servants tonight. Female guests may find Sirens breaking off from their clusters to trail them through the halls. They do not attack, but rather seem oddly protective of them--they do not always identify potential threats correctly, but they are especially vicious to male potential dangers. Male guests will be chased away at best. But if they aren't so lucky, far worse fates await them. In the Basement the walls ooze dirty water, making the floors slick with it. The water pools in places, leaving unpleasant surprises for those walking around in the dark. The walls and floor are entirely damp very shortly into the night, and any brush against them will leave the person damp as well. In some places the dirt walls have crumbled a little, allowing actual streams to form. Even the Dorms are affected by the mess, anything left on the floors will quickly become soaked with the water, and the damp, musty smell of wet earth lingers here. Candles sputter out in the dampness, leaving the servants to wander about in the dark. It seems impossible to keep a fire lit in the basement for very long, leaving the chambers damp and cold, despite the apparent break in the weather. In the Servant’s Bath the woman has returned, again scrubbing the weird assortment of severed limbs. She hums to herself, though the tune is happy and entirely at odds with her macabre task. Her dress is splattered with fresh blood, though it is difficult to tell if the blood comes from the limbs she is cleaning or from their previous owners. The Salamanders are agitated and upset; the creatures can be found scattered through the First and Second Floors, as their avoidance of the flooding drives them to be less wary of guard-patrolled areas than usual, while an occasional individual is stranded on furniture in the basement. In their agitation they are even quicker to seek out open flames and heat sources that they can reach - warm, living bodies included. In the Tapestry Room the weaver is curled on her bed, watching the little monster undo her work from the day. She clutches her small bundle tightly in her arms, her face pale and her body stiff with terror. The doors to the Craft Rooms stand open tonight. Though even with the doors to their cages unbarred, none of those trapped within them make any move to escape. In the Generator Room the troublesome water seems to be treated like a blessing, though the twisted forms there do not pause in their work, many lift their heads, mouths open to catch the dirty water as it falls upon them. The water leaves splotches of clean skin on their heads and shoulders, revealing that though they may look identical, all features concealed with the black dust that cling to them, they are individuals that toil beneath the grates. Throughout the Second Floor, all of the Bedrooms have been locked, but they are far from silent. The sound of pounding and voices echoes throughout the hall, as though in each locked door one or more people are trapped, beating on the door for escape and screaming, with none of it understandable to any guests in the hall. Those trying to tamper with or investigate the doors will find that whatever power defines each room seems to be spilling over. The Merry Gentlemen are having a tea party in one of the upstairs parlors, though they seem to be causing great damage to the cups they are using. They do not bother with knives or spoons, using the blades at the end of their hands to stir the tea or to spear a cake from one of the plates. Their odd, grating laughter starts up the moment anyone comes close to them, and they are anything but passive tonight. Any attempts to approach the stairs to the third floor will surely end in misery. Murtagh will find that as night arrives, two new dragons wiggle their way free of his bag, crying for food and comfort, their minds swirls of chaos. It should seem familiar to him by now, after so many of them have already awoken. In the Kitchen the Cook seems unusually wary, pacing back and forth, their bad leg dragging. This last throughout the night, and the Cook seems unusually gruff, barely bothering to answer questions. In the Storage Room someone has carefully shored up the broken leg of a once fine table with a brick. The table holds a tray of fine mince pies, and a few large pies made with dried fruit that has been soaked in brandy until it is once again soft. Loaves of bread the size of a child’s fist have been stacked on another tray, as well as small honey sweetened cakes no bigger than a coin. This fine spread seems to have been laid out for the servants, though those who partake of them will find themselves sinking into a nearly dreamless sleep for the span of five hours on one of the couches. They will awake unmolested with a blanket lain over their frames, and well rested besides. This strange sleep will only happen once, and those daring enough to try the food again will find themselves only satisfying their hunger on decent food. Fresh towels have been laid out in the Sandstone Bath, and though most have stains or patches, all smell good and clean. Some herbal salves have been left prominently on the counter here, the labels advising they are to be used for blisters and other small skin abrasions. Near the cells one can occasionally hear the faintest sound of a bell ringing, though it has no source. It fades in and out, and can best be heard where the water is deepest. It seems the water is amplifying an otherwise inaudible sound. Likewise, one can occasionally encounter a patch of air that seems too solid, preventing passage. It seems to draw closer to the Pit as the night goes on. In the Pit in the Basement, the water creeps in, slowly filling it. It seems that someone is caught within it, their screams are easily audible in the halls. The mud nearest to it has grown slick, the sides threatening to collapse, and attempts to get close to see what is inside the pit will likely cause those curious or concerned enough to venture near to fall within as well. The screams continue throughout the night, at times interspersed with almost animal-like whimpering and the sound of something scrabbling against the slick mud sides. Occasionally, the sound of this scrabbling is followed but a shorter shriek and a wet thud as something falls to the bottom again. This thud grows wetter and wetter as the night goes on, until it is only a splash and a gurgle, rather than a thud at all. Something walks through the basement halls, adding a strange, flickering light to the otherwise darkened passages. It appears to be a dog, though to call it such would seem lacking. The dense orange "fur" that surrounds it is clearly made of fire, flames that glow white hot where its eyes should be, and almost flicker out where the paws touch the water. It lowers its head from time to time, sniffing at the water, examining the places where the liquid is forcing its way between the stones. It does not seem particularly fond of the Salamanders, and it will readily seek the creatures stranded in the downstairs area out, knocking them from their precarious perches above the invading water and dousing their forms in it. It largely ignores the presence of the servants, guards and Gargoyles, though the stone creatures do give it a wide berth. The crows settle abruptly just before the storm hits, cramming themselves into nooks and crannies in order to ride out the winds. They caw and grumble throughout the night, and can often be depended upon to be crammed in the most unlikely of places. Under tables, in the darkened corners of rooms, or even nestled between pillows on couches. Please reply below or otherwise contact a mod if you are attempting to tamper with one of the locked bedroom doors. || 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 1. Main Hallway 2. Silver Bedroom 3. Silver Bathroom, 4. The Storage Room 5. Upper North Passage 6. The Barren Room 7. The Sandstone Bath 8. The Motley Room 9. Collector's Library (Upper Level) 10. Head Bedroom 11. Museum 12. Colonial Study 13. Plush Bathroom 14. Locked Room 15. Glass Gallery 16. Mural Bedroom 17. Round Bedroom 18. Gem Room 19. Jungle Bedroom 20. Locked Door 21. Marble Bathroom 22. South Passage 23. Exotic Zoo 24. Servants' Room 25. Magpie Bedroom 26. Slanted Bathroom 27. Fortune Hunter's Bedroom, 28. Locked Room 29. Crystal Bedroom 30. Crystal Bathroom 31. Gold Bedroom 32. Gold Bathroom 33-34. Open Parlors 35. Music Box Bedroom 36. Enclosed Orchard