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Post by Mushgnome on Jan 8, 2012 10:44:55 GMT -6
The Party (dressed in their street clothes), accompanied by Malleable and Drosophila Teamster, leaves Critters and crosses the river, heading south on Garrison Street. Drosophila deftly maneuvers the forklift through the congestion of Main Street and the Merchant District, then skirts the edge of the University traveling along Pickman Street.
At the corner of Boundary and High, Fated signals to stop at a surplus store called The Rusty Buckle. 7 silver pieces later, he is proud owner of denim overalls, linen undergarments, and a wide-brimmed straw hat. [Anyone else with last-minute errands? The Rusty Buckle is the closest shop to your house; nothing fancy, but they have basic clothing, tools, supplies, etc. at a reasonable price.]
Following the teamsters, you zigzag left on Boundary, right on Saltonstall, and finally left onto the rutted, muddy Hill Street. At this point, the forklift begins to struggle, and it requires the combined effort of the brother-sister Teamsters to maneuver it through the mud.
The dilapidated farmhouse at 440 Hill Street has what realtors call "old charm." It's in desperate need of a coat of paint and a few basic repairs. But you can immediately see its potential as a base of operations. Gunnery notes the cupola and widow's walk on the roof that will give a commanding view of the property. You also see a field (overgrown with weeds), an orchard (trees gnarled and twisted), a barn, and a couple of small sheds.
Fated takes a deep breath, produces the key with a flourish, and strides to the front door...
[1d6]
The key turns smoothly in the lock, the door opens with a loud creak, and the party peers into the gloom and dust. All is quiet within...
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kipper
Level 3 Conjurer
Posts: 57
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Post by kipper on Jan 8, 2012 12:20:54 GMT -6
Breath of New Moon remains in the street for the moment with the Teamsters, keeping careful watch on the chest.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2012 13:52:44 GMT -6
Very satisfied, and quite pleased with the 'old charm', Minion accompanies Fated to the front door.
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Post by crusssdaddy on Jan 8, 2012 14:41:12 GMT -6
Fated knocks loudly on a beam and calls out into the house:
"Hello? Anyone in this home? Constables here, we're performing a welfare check. Hello?!?!?"
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Post by waysoftheearth on Jan 8, 2012 15:47:52 GMT -6
Gunnery heads off to walk the property perimeter as the others are making their way inside. As he goes he is muttering something to his wrist that might be; "Lance Corporeal, Gunnery, reporting. Stardate 812819992, assessment of new..."
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Post by Mushgnome on Jan 8, 2012 16:29:27 GMT -6
The Teamsters are in no hurry to investigate the creepy old house. They hang out in the driveway under the supervision of Breath.
Fated knocks and calls out, but there is no answer from within, only silence. As his eyes adjust to the gloom, he sees a large, dusty, empty room--perhaps a living room?--whose notable features are a large stone fireplace, a swinging door leading deeper into the house, and a stairway leading up. The windows are all covered with shades and curtains, so that the open front door provides the only light. (Minion stands nearby, hand hovering near the haft of his weird axe.)
Meanwhile Gunnery begins a circuit of the farmhouse. The architecture is typical of the region, a sagging two-story, wooden frame structure. There is an addition or "ell" on the west side of the house that appears to be of newer construction, and also a closed "bulkhead" type door leading down cellar. The fields to the south are still brown and shriveled from winter, guarded by a murder of fat black crows. [1d6] As Gunnery moves to the north side of the house, he is startled by a disturbance from the orchard: something bigger than a crow or rabbit scampers out of sight into the brambles to the northwest, heading toward Hangman's Brook!
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Post by ehiker133 on Jan 8, 2012 23:13:44 GMT -6
The Shade of the Evermore is itching to check out the Hangman's Brook, but... follows Fated and Minion inside the house to make sure it is secured properly before doing so.
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Post by Mushgnome on Jan 8, 2012 23:41:13 GMT -6
The Shade opens the curtains, flooding the living room with light.
[3d6]
Shade, Fated, and Minion complete a quick search of the room, but find nothing of value, not even furniture.
Minion doesn't like the look of the fireplace; it appears foul and filthy to his keen Bone-Man senses.
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Post by ehiker133 on Jan 9, 2012 8:29:11 GMT -6
The Shade communicates **Finding nothing is sometimes better than finding something.**
He moves on to the next room, lamenting the fact that he can no longer call out a warning to would-be intruders...
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Post by Mushgnome on Jan 9, 2012 11:29:01 GMT -6
What is the party's plan/strategy/marching order for exploring the dark and creepy old house?  (Sounds like Shade volunteered to go first...) |
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Post by ehiker133 on Jan 9, 2012 11:37:42 GMT -6
How about just room by room? Can we get a description of the room we entered through the front door and what exits there are from this room?
Or are you looking for something a bit more generalized?
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Post by Mushgnome on Jan 9, 2012 11:44:45 GMT -6
[1d6]
Shade pushes open the swinging door to the next room... it is very dark in here... Shade can just make out a big pile of furniture/mattresses/refuse dominating the center of the room.
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Post by Mushgnome on Jan 9, 2012 12:01:34 GMT -6
How about just room by room? Can we get a description of the room we entered through the front door and what exits there are from this room? Or are you looking for something a bit more generalized? I guess just wondering what precautions y'all are taking to avoid being eaten?  I will make a text-map of the floor plan when I get a chance (visual art is not my strong suit). |
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Post by crusssdaddy on Jan 9, 2012 12:20:05 GMT -6
Fated: "I suggest we split up. No lights, so as not to draw attention. Who will take the basement?"
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Post by Mushgnome on Jan 9, 2012 12:36:37 GMT -6
...............................................
..............G................................
..................##############XX###..........
..................#.................#..........
..................#.................#..........
..................#.................#..........
.......cellar.>>>>#.................#..........
........door..>>>>#........?........#..........
..............>>>>#.................#..........
..................#.................#..........
..................#.................#..........
..................#.................#..........
..................#.................#..........
..................#.................#..........
.....###########################XX###..........
.....#............#.................#..........
.....#............#.....pile........#..........
.....#............#......%%%%.......#..........
.....#............#....%%%%%%%%.....#..........
.....#.....?......X.....%%%%%%%%....#..........
.....#............#...%%%%%%%%%%....#..........
.....#............#...%%%%%%%%%.....#..........
.....#............#....%%%%%.....S..#..........
.....#............#...FFF......X..X.#..........
.....##################O########..###..........
..................#...FFF...........#..........
..................#.fireplace.......#..........
..................#.............F...#..........
..................#....M............#..........
..................#.................#..........
..................#.....empty.......#..........
..................#.......room......#..........
..................#.................#..........
..................#.................#..........
..................#............X..X.#..........
..................##############..###..........
...............................B...............
...........................TT....driveway......
...............................................[/size]
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2012 12:38:19 GMT -6
"I suggest we all visit the cellar together after we've done a quick inspection of the upper floors.
"We'll want to employ a chimney sweep before we light a fire in there, I'd imagine." Minion points to the fireplace.
Does any of the furniture in the next room look usable?
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Post by Mushgnome on Jan 9, 2012 12:49:00 GMT -6
"I suggest we all visit the cellar together after we've done a quick inspection of the upper floors. "We'll want to employ a chimney sweep before we light a fire in there, I'd imagine." Minion points to the fireplace. Does any of the furniture in the next room look usable? sees the piled contents of several rooms (explaining why the living room is bare). The sturdier pieces of furniture look more or less intact, but the mattresses and upholstery are in bad shape. How close will Minion approach? Will he poke/prod the pile and attempt a Search check? |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2012 13:23:16 GMT -6
"I suggest we all visit the cellar together after we've done a quick inspection of the upper floors. "We'll want to employ a chimney sweep before we light a fire in there, I'd imagine." Minion points to the fireplace. Does any of the furniture in the next room look usable? sees the piled contents of several rooms (explaining why the living room is bare). The sturdier pieces of furniture look more or less intact, but the mattresses and upholstery are in bad shape. How close will Minion approach? Will he poke/prod the pile and attempt a Search check? Yes, I prod the pile with my axe. I prepare myself to attack a rat but spare a cat. |
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Post by Mushgnome on Jan 9, 2012 13:31:50 GMT -6
[1d6 search check]
Minion prods the pile with his axe, and it pokes right through the gap between two cushions. It appears the pile has a hollow space inside, like an igloo or pillow-fort. Whether or not there's anything living inside, he cannot be sure (but it sure smells bad).
More light would help, and maybe with some teamwork, the sofas, bedframes, and dressers could be moved apart to see who or what's underneath.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2012 14:16:15 GMT -6
"Fated, do you have a lighting device from that train we were on? Let's try to see into that gap."
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Post by ehiker133 on Jan 9, 2012 14:17:20 GMT -6
Does this mean there are windows on the right (eastern?) wall? If so, The Shade will throw up the shades.
The Shade communicates to Fated **Laugh Out Loud**
(Ehhh... haven't figured out how to laugh with telepathy yet.)
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Post by Mushgnome on Jan 9, 2012 14:33:47 GMT -6
Shade throws open the shades (yes there are two large windows not indicated on the map).
The daylight is not bright enough to see inside the nest, but it does reveal another important detail that Minion overlooked previously (he rolled poorly on his Search check): there is an obvious trail of pillow-stuffing and rags leading from a small floor-level opening in the southwest corner of the pile to the fireplace and up the chimney.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2012 15:24:09 GMT -6
Do the walls and ceiling in the house (what we've seen of it so far) seem slightly misaligned or off-square?
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Post by Mushgnome on Jan 9, 2012 16:26:21 GMT -6
Do the walls and ceiling in the house (what we've seen of it so far) seem slightly misaligned or off-square? A good question! Your house's roofline is in the gambrel style (with the addition of cupola and widow's walk). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GambrelThe original structure of the main house sloughs slightly toward its own west ell, into drooping, sagging, non-Euclidian geometry.  |
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Post by crusssdaddy on Jan 9, 2012 17:43:16 GMT -6
Fated flashes his light on the pillow-fort.
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Post by Mushgnome on Jan 9, 2012 18:10:02 GMT -6
And so the interior of the pile is illuminated!
The interior is a cozy igloo big enough for perhaps 4-6 people sitting cross-legged. On the floor is a stained and cigarette-burned futon mattress with most of the stuffing ripped out. Glass bottles, crushed cans, and overflowing ashtrays are scattered everywhere. There is an overpowering reek of sweat/musk/urine/alcohol/stale smoke from within. But nobody appears to be home, no sound or movement.
To save some back-and-forth, let me tell you: both exits from this room are shut. The reinforced western door has a sturdy iron lock, and the wooden north door appears barred from the other side, with no keyhole. In the empty first room, there is a staircase leading upward, but on closer examination the upper story is blocked with heavy furniture preventing further progress.
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Post by ehiker133 on Jan 9, 2012 22:07:36 GMT -6
Sorry, but to clarify, do we have our main weapons or are they still in a chest within the carcase of the frog demi-god?
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Post by Mushgnome on Jan 9, 2012 22:15:55 GMT -6
Sorry, but to clarify, do we have our main weapons or are they still in a chest within the carcase of the frog demi-god? All your gear is still loaded on the forklift, under the watchful eye of Breath and the Teamsters. The party already sold the toad-corpse for 337sp. |
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Post by ehiker133 on Jan 9, 2012 22:50:58 GMT -6
Sorry, but to clarify, do we have our main weapons or are they still in a chest within the carcase of the frog demi-god? All your gear is still loaded on the forklift, under the watchful eye of Breath and the Teamsters. The party already sold the toad-corpse for 337sp. |
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Post by Mushgnome on Jan 9, 2012 22:57:42 GMT -6
Oh! Hmmm... how'd I miss that bit? Ah, well... but bottom line is that we don't have our weapons/gear with us. What's the ETA on the chest's arrival at the house? Not sure how much I want to do without being prepared... The forklift with your gear is parked outside in the driveway. |
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