Night 017

[allthekeys]

|| THREAT DOWN

|| NIGHT 017: GENERAL As night falls, the Gryphon Riders silently stop whatever they had been doing, heading to their beasts. The gryphons rise into the sky in a rush of wings, circling the castle three times before vanishing into the fog. The sky is overcast, the clouds difficult to distinguish from the fog around the edges; a slow drizzle fills the air, adding a faint chill and turning everything dreary and grey. The ground remains muddy and damp. Occasionally translucent, floating figures, distorted and ghostly, can be glimpsed behind buildings or around corners outside, but they vanish when any attempt is made to look too closely. The crows save Marten are scattered around the outer grounds. They can be found occasionally hiding in high crannies and taking shelter on small ledges, puffed and shivering; the few spotted by townspeople before the sun has completely set are brought inside, given blankets and bowls of warm cream. || TOWN The Wanted Posters placed around town have begun to decay, tattered and ragged, the writing on them barely legible. The Guards seem to respond in kind, no longer caring about the people that had been previously hunted so long as they abide by normal rules. They may, once again, freely enter the castle. The town has become infested with colonies of spiders, ranging from the size of medium to large dogs. Their exoskeletons are translucent, clearly revealing the black, tarry blood that circulates through their bodies. They are highly aggressive, eager to attack whoever and whatever they perceive to disturb them. Although they can be killed relatively easily, more always seem to appear, and they are overwhelming in sheer numbers. The Tavern has opened its doors. Light, quiet music, and the sound of laughter spill into the square, and echo within the common room, although there is no sign of musicians or patrons on entering. Servers wander the room, bringing food and drink to any who take a table or seat at the bar; their features are mutable, changing from glance to glance, and anyone interacting with them will find it hard to remember any detail the moment they look away. Despite this oddity, the guards only seem aware enough of the building’s existence to go around it, and no external threat will enter; it is safe for the night. || GARDENS AND YARD A large number of Hunters have swarmed the courtyard. They seem content in the wet weather and bask lazily in the mud; however, they are by no means benign and will readily pursue anyone who is traveling alone. Strangely, one of them has a broken chain fastened around its neck. The Garden has mostly recovered from the assault of the previous night; a few thin green shoots peek over the top of the wall around it, visible from the other side. The new growth in the damaged areas remains soft and fragile, shifting to lean into the drizzling rain. The Green Man wanders this area, pausing occasionally to tend to the fresh greenery, while Marten the crow flutters behind him, whistling fragments of tunes. At the entrance to the Maze, the two guards remain posted. A handful of copper coins and colored pebbles sit on the ground between them, getting traded back and forth endlessly in an idle game of dice. A large portion of the ground has been ripped up near the Sheep Pen in the stables. A young woman in a tattered dress, who Hibari and Arietta would recognize from several nights ago, is perched atop one of the fenceposts. As usual, her eyes are glazed over and she stares into the distance at nothing in particular—but this time, her expression seems harsher and somehow more severe. The sheep and goats are uncharacteristically aggressive and will relentlessly charge anyone who attempts to enter their pen. Throughout the night, any pets or companion animals brought into the stable area will become snappish and antagonistic towards whomever they accompany, regardless of their usual dispositions. The effect will last only as long as they are in the area, though once it has faded, they will become unusually tired and lethargic. || CASTLE A heavy wind is rushing through the North and Southwest Passages of the first floor. In contrast to the warming temperatures outside, it is bitterly cold and icy, and brutal enough that it’s nearly unbearable to stay in the passageways for any longer than necessary. Something seems to be scattered over the staircase in the Common Hallway. It is nearly impossible to climb the stairs without tripping over something unidentifiable, although a visual search of the area will reveal nothing there. The Bleeding Child is also wandering the First Floor. She is skittish and mostly attempts to keep out of sight—but if she happens to encounter Luce, she will make a concerted effort to follow him. The door to the Steward’s Quarters is ajar. A pot of soapy, freshly boiled water is balanced precariously on top of it; anyone who attempts to enter the room is at high risk of getting scalded. No matter how many times it is disrupted, it will continue to reappear as soon as the door is left alone. And no matter how long it sits for, the water will not cool down. The Steward himself is busy patrolling the main hallways of the first and second floors. He is quick to try and seize any servants who cross his path and will forcibly drag them to the Torture Chamber, where the Executioner waits. The Tyger patrols the upper hallway, carrying itself imperiously. Those who are quiet and cautious may be left alone, but it responds quickly to sudden movements or signs of disrespect. It seems more cognizant than usual of its surroundings. Estinien and younger Hibari may find themselves stopped in the hallway with a growl and a watchful stare should they venture onto the second floor. Though the sound is notably out of place, a telephone seems to be ringing somewhere in the Collector’s Library, though its source is maddeningly difficult to trace. There is no soap to be found in any of the bathrooms throughout the castle. || 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. Dragon Bedroom 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 1. The Bricklayer's Shed 2. Smithy 3. The Cheese House 4. The Tailor's Shop 5. Butcher Shop 6. Metalworker's Shop 7. The Brewery 8. Market Square 9. The Well 10. Apothecary 11. Confectionary Shop 12. The Bakery 13. Toy Shop 14. Pub 15. House 1 16. House 2 17. House 3 18. House 4. 19. Monastery 20. Gardens 21. The Shelter 22. Rose Cottage 23. The Burned Out Row

Comments

NIGHT 017 plotting!

[allthekeys]

Request? Questions? Plotting? Goes here.

Luce!

[birdwingsandthings]

Luce will be a busy bee, but he will want to see what game the Guards by the maze is playing (and see if he can enter the maze)