Day 018

[allthekeys]

|| THREAT DOWN

|| DAY 018: GENERAL As the sun rises, the Huntsman’s horn sounds three times. At the end of the third call, all those caught up in the hunt will collapse where they are, exhausted; they will wake after a few hours, tired and sore but returned to normal, with only hazy memories of their time with the Hunt. The Huntsman himself, his hounds, and the riders ride out into the center of the courtyard, then dissipate into fog. A small patch of it lingers on the spot where the Huntsman stood, thin and low to the ground, with no apparent effect save keeping that small area unnaturally cold in the daylight. The cloud cover clears, and otherwise the day is clear and sunny, growing warmer, with a pleasant breeze. || THE TOWN Just after daybreak, Tanny enters the town, still blinded. She makes her way to the door of Rei’s cottage with some difficulty, knocking on the door to wait. The Monastery is locked as usual, but the garden in back of it is in ruin. It appears as though a fire has broken out overnight, and large sections of the formerly lush garden have been grazed over and destroyed. Treasa intermittently emerges throughout the day to clean up and pick out anything that can be salvaged from the mess. She is visibly distraught, and her efforts seem almost halfhearted. For the most part, she will not go out of her way to speak with those who pass by the garden, though she won’t ignore them if addressed. Five crows are wandering through the town, seemingly lost or confused. They spend most of their time on the ground, hobbling around awkwardly and fluttering their wings in failed attempts to fly. Every so often, they will manage to take flight—but their ability to do so is even clumsier, and they are only able to remain airborne in short bursts. They seem intent on stealing whatever food they can find, though they are decidedly lacking in any form of stealth. || GARDENS AND YARD The Garden seems bolstered from the Night; vines once again overgrow the walls around it, trailing over the central path toward the gate and creeping on that edge of the courtyard. Thin fog can be seen wisping through deeper parts of it, winding like a living thing that retreats quickly when approached. The two Guards at the Maze Entrance are relieved at daybreak by two others, coming through the maze from the direction of the outer wall. || CASTLE The Grey Maids rush bak and forth down the Servant Passageways on the first and second floors. They seem to be in quite a hurry—although if any of the servants attempt to follow and find out what has them so preoccupied, they will find themselves quickly attacked. At all times, at least one maid stands guard in front of each locked door at the ends of the second-floor passageways. Somewhere in the Collector’s Library, a man’s hushed voice repeats the same sentence over and over again, distant and distorted no matter where one stands to listen. “I think I’ve found somewhere safe.” On the second floor, the Music Box has started playing again. The chores for the day have been assigned: Dorm 18: Second Floor Dorm 19: Basement Dorm 20: Second Floor Dorm 21: Kitchen Dorm 22: First Floor Dorm 23: First Floor Dorm 24: Groundskeeping - Garden Dorm 25: Groundskeeping - Yard/Road, Stables Dorm 26: Kitchen Dorm 27: Groundskeeping - Garden