Flight 04

Date: 31.10.21

Prev: Flight 03

Next: Flight 05

September 25, 1335:

A looks at the muffin and the cupcake. Wants to know more about the chimney witch. A still wonders if they’re poisoned, and G reminds them they could eat them. The debate rages, with V suggesting its disrespectful to not eat them. G points out its’ weird that it’s only one, when normally you make batches. A smells it, like funfetti, G cuts open the muffin, it’s a little dry, cupcake is cut open too.

A eats it. Funfetti cupcake, strawberry icing. A is carefully and dramatically, thoughtfully tasting. “I like the chimney witch. We can trust them. I think. They make good cupcakes. And I’m not poisoned. I don’t think.” G comes over, surprised that they started, “well… this would have been useful.” Vial of prepared detect poison and disease solution, tests a crumb of each baked good. A affirms they should trust the witch. They head for the stairs.

A ritually casts detect magic before they leave. G interrupts, asking what they’re doing; why is it taking so long? G can do it for free. A explains the magic theory. No surge! Yes, A detects magic. “G, use your magic detect since it’s so easy! Isn’t this amazing!” a matter of tapping into the weave, aligning yourself with the weave and causing a feedback loop. They see laurie’s sword, aadi’s necklace, gift’s wand, some of gennifer’s tools.

They enter the guest bedroom. V enters first, sees the cat and it takes off, but it’s disappeared. V panicks, but A/G saw it vanish and struggle to try to explain to V. They turn back to the room and confirm it’s empty. L is watching V run. V realizes the doors are closed, L didn’t see a cat go by. V goes back to A/G who suggest it was a ghost.

They go into the morning room. A checks out the bookshelf. Books are nonsense text, faded titles on covers. A keeps one. V: mabe I can read this? No. G checks out the tea set knows how much it’s worth. G takes it, tells A about the tea leaves dried at the bottom, forming the shape of a screaming face missing an eye. A points out the pillow and V sniffs it. (dad had a guard dog, disappeared with him) V wonders if the cat is the one who needs help that Theodora suggested. V wont’t ake the pillow now but might come back for it. (A looks out the window and there’s like a… sameyness)

V/G go in through the inner door, A absenindedly goes through the hall door. They smell medicinal – like the nursing home smell. A it smells like old people”. They discuss the smell. They check out the mirrors, they’re dingy. A casts presti to clean them. Before they leave, A sticks their head in the fireplace to thank the chimney wtich.

In the bathroom – A tries to fix the mirror with mending and it works. G doesn’t see any thing magical, but aflare of magic in the fireplace. Another cupcake: yellow brown icing, on a gold cake, white frosting with E on it. A wonders if they’re saying “help me” btu G reminds that Theodora said the witch didn’t need help. A cuts it open, wondering if there’s anything inside. A lizard tail! They ponder the inclusion.

Next bedroom, but no chimney witch message or other interesting thing.

The office, G recognizes it. The chair is now turned away. A uses mage hand to turn it around… nothing. G looked through, but didn’t find anything. Suggests A takes a look. (V can’t find the cat). A finds Loren’s will, explaining their family and how Loren ided. A wonders if Theodora wants them to help the husband and children. A also finds a small key in the desk when they come over to see what V is doing. A thanks V, who is surprised and really happy that A thanked him, and starts thanking everyone.

They go back downstairs. L suggests trying to do another séance before going upstairs, so they go back to the parlor. Explain to Gin what happened, etc.

Laurie begins the séance. Purple lighting when Theodora is invoked. V greets her.

G: who are you? T: spells out her name V: do you have a cat? T: Newes V: is Newes safe? T: Yes. G: are your children safe? T: No. G: is Loren safe? T: Dead. A: aren’t the kids dead? T: Yes, trapped. V: is Loren the danger? T: No. (is he the one who knocks?) G: does the chimney witch mean you harm? T: No. V: does anyone in your family mean you harm? T: No. G: do you know the person who wants to harm you. T: No. G: are they alive, this person? T: Neither alive nor dead. A: are you being punished? T: No, hunted. V: is it the warlord? T: No. A: Is the thing that’s trying to harm you, is it what’s being punished? T: I don’t know. G: {A, why do you keep bringing this up?} V: why is the chimney witch giving us presents? T: A helpful spirit. V: When the note said fear below, was it the basement? T: Below it. G: when you said loren was dead, was that his soul? T: Yes. V: is Theodora or anyone in her family the falling person? T: No. A: what happens if one of us dies in this house? T: No escape. A: Did Theodora send the notes? T: No. A: do you know who did? T: [planchette moves to the crwon at the center of the board] V: who doesn’t want us here? T: [planchette moves up to the symbol of the beating heart] G: does that mean someone alive doesn’t want us here? T: Neither alive, nor dead. G: What is the name of the person who is hunting you? T: No name. Gen: Is the warlord helping whoever is hunting you? T: Yes. A: is what’s hunting us human? Was it ever human? T: No. V: is it the house itself? T: [planchette moves between yes and no] A: is it what’s under the house? T: I believe so. G: will the witch stone help us defeat what’s below the basement? T: No. Not my goal. V: Is whatever’s down there in danger? T: No. V: do you think whatever it is is evil? T: Yes. A: what is your goal? T: RESTORE HER SHIELD. A: the chimney witch’s shield? T: No. A: whose shield? T: FAREWELL.

G: the warlord’s daughter’s shield? Gen: Mara invited local nobles after taking back the castle, and killed them.

A: it’s weird how Mara was able to do it. something malicious is under the house. How would Mara be able to defeat this warlord? V: gift got magic from a friend. Maybe she got magic from a bad friend. A wonders if Mara is trapped too.

1. Go upstairs 2. Check out the tower 3. Go downstairs

They’re gonna spend another night.

G approaches A semi-privately, with V. “you mentioned punishment a lot. Why? Do you suspect something?” A: I’m not certain it would be good for you to know. V: we’re all in this together. A: I think we should be careful about dying here. But we also can’t get out, probably, because of the mists. V: I thought we would? A: I’m not sayig we’ll be stuck here for a little while. If I’m correct, there is an eternity of living in this house, suffering, if we fail. That’s why I think it might not be great for you to know that. But oh well, too late! V: Idr get eternity, but if we’re stuck trying ot help, that’s not a bad thing! G: yes it is. G: so we have to win. No other option.

V wonders if A is taking it seriously, if they’re willing to do it on their own. A tries to defend their self-sacrificing, but V argues past them about how they have to temper with water. A is impatient and thinks they should keep investigating. G weighs in, thinking they should go out investigating. V drops the convo and goes to Gen/Laurie and asks for help convincing them. Laurie won’t go with them, but she gets why they’d want to go out. V doesn’t want to hang back if they go, but he doesn’t really want to go out either.

A: if we’re going out… I have a spell. (enough for 1 casting of protection from evil and good, Gen offers 4 other vials of holy water) casts on gift, wild magic! BLUR on aadi. G: are you trying to turn invisible? A: I swear, I wastrying to be helpful. Gen puts her hand through the blur, it’s so weird. V gives Gen a quick hug before they go up.

They go upstairs. V feels something. He transforms. V doesn’t really understand at first,this anger and fear, he’s been anxious but never really panicked before, in the hazy disconnectd way, he thinks aout why he might be panicking, the dead they fought, aadi wearing the creepy veil, being told their unvinvited, what aadi told them about being trapped, how maybe he’s not being helpful, or too dumb to figure out how to help, when his dad went missing, he saw his mother this big woman, having these panic attacks, remembers her sitting at the table and freaking out, and he feels helpless, but she was just fine after that and never spoke about it, and he goes blank and transformed.

Round 1. wolfV: hit aadi, no lycanthropy, hits the wall, makes the house shake a little. A: mage armor, no surge; they’re like, is this really happening??? And look around; take out the pocketwatch and cast it; “Vito? This is pointless because you’re no doubt a werewolf, but hopefully you’ll remember this, but anything that happens is not your fault.” And trying to block the doorway. G: “A, I’m going to attack him.” A:, don’t. do you have a spell that can lock this door against a large werewolf? “if I knock him out I can bring him back”; casts minor illusion behind V of a voice saying “no no don’t hurt me”, like down the hallway, deception 12 vs insight 19; he sees through it.

Round 2: wolfV: charges at A, but A tries to keep him from getting downstairs, but too narrow; thinks aout trying again. A closes the door but it has no lock; sleight of hand to tie it with rope, 10; G casts unseen servant to hold a rope and pull it taut when he comes down the stairs;

Round 3: wolfV: door breaks down, A dex save 16; acro contest, A wins, flattens themselves aginst the wall, V 5 pts blundgeon from falling, he is prone but gets up but runs into G. A: sapping sting, V fails and is prone, surge! For the next minute, any object or 2x2 foot area of liquid that you touch that isn’t being worn or carried, by another creature instantly freezes; so A psills waterskin and touches it so it freezes. G hits V with quarterstaff; backs off, V hits with AOO (no curse);

Round 4: wolfV: tries to get up, but remains prone, but gets back up; gets back up for good this time; bites A, no curse. A shocking grasp hit V. G runs close to V, sacred flame hit.

Round 5: wolfV rus after G after slipping on the ice, CURSED!!!; runs away (G misses an AOO); A stumbles on the ice; A fires a witchbolt but it misses; burning a patch on the wall; tries to b ack away but trips, V gets crit AOO; unconscious. G healing light on A, 10 hp restored, guiding bolt hit.

Round 6: wolfV runs down the hall to the foyer, jumps down between gen and L. A stands up and dash down the hall to the top of the stairs. G follows, to the foyer, “That’s Vito! Don’t hurt him!” persuasion 17, big nod from L.

Round 7: wolfV: miss @ L. L 2x hit. A sapping sting on V. Gen runs back into the parlor to find something. G sacred flame.

Round 8: wolfV: hit L, no curse, L AOO, then runs after Gen and jumps on the table, Gen is cowering. L runs after, 2x hit. A jumps the bannister and hits the ground; shocking grasp. Gen shillelagh. G climbs down and jumps into the room; sacred flame hit.

Round 9: Vito: hit Gen, curse but no curse; L hits 1ce.

G slumps against the wall. Gen gives him a sleeping potion. Gen hands out potions to cure the werewolf in case they were bitten. She fakes taking one. “I miscounted”.

A casts mending on G, then SURGE… but nothing? But also L is mended. (A explains wild magic to G while mending)

A knows witch stone as hag stone.