[Cherry Heart] Haunted House

[Kyng]

♫

The people of Salix Brook were constantly traumatized by Sallows Manor. It was the old home of the Lord of the Land, and was quite a sizable. A very romanticized location, it sat up on a hill that overlooked its fiefdom and was once heralded to be the place of great splendour, hosting balls and events for the town to enjoy. It was all in all a nice place, you see. However, ten years ago the manor was caught ablaze in a mysterious fire that, oddly, left the manor standing. Indeed, it remained in tact, looming over the manor, the tale of its misfortune having since terrorized the town of Salix Brook.

The Cherry Heart guild was commissioned the quest to investigate the haunted manor by the village’s cleric, who has expressed his concerns with the nature of the manor and how it has affected the villager’s moral. His name is Johann Bergstum, a tall and very stern looking man. He carries a halberd for his own protection though he was also a very competent caster. He wore very regal looking attire, it seemed very official.

The town’s guard, noting the arrival of Cherry Heart, would lead them to the cleric and, upon this arrival, the cleric smiled weakly to them.

“Ah, the mages of Cherry Heart? Thank goodness you’ve arrived.” Johann seemed to be very exasperated by the state of the town. For good measure at that, as Salix Brook was a much more moodier setting than the city of Prunus. It was a lot darker, cast in a valley nestled between the hills, with a lake half-coated in a fog and forest. The town was evidently built upon the lake, the manor looming over with an eerie sense of dread that casted the village in a shadow of sombre mood.

“My name is Johann, Johann Bergstum, it is my pleasure to meet you.” The cleric gently spoke to the wife of the tailor, asking for tea to be brought to the mages who joined his company. “I am certain you have questions. Ask me whatever you wish, I will answer them as best as I can.”

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

"Purify, purify quick, tainted child of the jungle, must purify."

 

Kasayee let out a sigh. The moment she began traveling with this group the spirits began to riot. One of the girl's coming with her on this quest was of a race of people that had very...different views of death. Kasayee's race was often at odds with them, and they very blatantly went against the natural order of things.

The druid wouldn't deny she felt uncomfortable in the girl's presence, but, there wasn't anything to be done about that. She was already pushing herself to do this quest, dealing with purifying this girl's soul would be a huge pain. Not to mention she wasn't quite sure how to go about that.

"Just shut up." she muttered, seemingly to herself. She had decided to walk most of the way, and she was starting to get worn out. Thankfully the spirit's voices seemed to grow quieter as they approached the village.

 

She smiled slightly at the guards, who seemed to be avoiding looking in her direction. "I don't mind." She told them, which didn't seem to relax them. Nonetheless they were led deeper into the village, and to a young looking cleric.

As they made their way across the village, Kasayee took note of their surroundings. She felt a pressure upon her, as the gloom of the village became ever-more present. She frowned as she realized that this was a place completely at odds with the natural state. She was correct in choosing to come here, after all.

 

“My name is Johann, Johann Bergstum, it is my pleasure to meet you. I am certain you have questions. Ask me whatever you wish, I will answer them as best as I can.”

 

"Introductions again? Strange, everywhere I go..." Kasayee blatantly, but not with any intentions, didn't give her own name. In fact, she hadn't told her name to her companions, nor did she know, or remember, their's. She pondered if there was any questions she should ask. Really she was just here to go check out that mansion, right? But then again... "Why have you waited so long?" She said bluntly. "This village feels...so wrong. And yet only now, why?" She waited for an answer, not realizing how accusatory it sounded.

[Alaina]

As the trio of guild members had made their way to the town of Salix Brook, Strio could feel a hot blooded fire burning within. This was her first task as a member of this guild, one of which that would allow her to showcase just what it was she could do. Granted, she had no idea what it was that the group was actually supposed to be doing, but she was absolutely confident in her ability to get whatever it was done. Though she was less so confident the skills of her other comrades. She had zero idea what the nudist lizard person or the slightly nudist cat lady was actually capable of, so she would just have to go on the assumption that they were worse than her. Though, those thoughts were slightly subsided as the group met with a man who seemed to have some importance in this town. 

 

As the man had greeted them, she felt it only natural to do the same. "Well met, sir Johann."Before she went on to introduce herself, though, the nudist lizard lady had already gone into asking questions. A person with initiative! She could respect such a trait and definitely recognized what she had said to be true. There was definitely something off about this town. There was just some unnatural gloom that permeated all around, one that she couldn't exactly pinpoint but could definitely tell was there. Nodding as the nudist had finished her question she asked, "what manner of haunt is the mansion providing that it has made this town come to such a state?"

[Kyng]

"Why have you waited so long? This village feels...so wrong. And yet only now, why?"

"Well, if I had known this would've been an issue I would've responded sooner. Unfortunately it appears the citizens of Salix Brook aren't very...open, to discussing such abnormalities." Johann began to explain to the nudist. "Indeed, from what I have gathered the people here are hard-working folk who did not speak of such hauntings, as they didn't wish to express such vulnerabilities among their brethren. By the Blood, if they were less stubborn I would've known faster, and you might've also - I was contacted when the disappearances of the villagers began."

The cleric rubbed his chin in contemplation as Strio then floated her own questions to him. She asked him what in particular was haunting the manor, to which he evidently had plenty of exposition to drop.

 

"Unfortunately, I myself have yet to see the likes that lurk within those hollowed halls. I have heard many accounts on what in particular has gone on. According to the folk of the town, they believe an ensemble of poltergeist Mages haunt the halls, and cast fell curses upon those who dare enter the grounds. I am not certain myself, but I have detected intense amounts of arcane magic being cast. There was necromantic auras, however I cannot commune with the dead."

 

However, Johann then took out a small little vial, a sample of blood he had evidently taken. "This was cast upon the carpet of the main hall. It moved deeper into the home, however shortly after I was overcome by a sense of crippling fear. This fear is what I believe is compelling those of lesser magic to fear the manor. I do believe it might be the work of a Dark Mage."

[Yui]

---

This was already turning out to be interesting. Izula took up this quest because outsiders associated hauntings with ghosts, which naturally had to be sent back to where they belong. In that regard, everything was going more or less how the shaman had expected. Gloomy, tense village, some kind of priest figure giving the group details, and - as was written on the paper - there was a house that people were calling haunted. What Izula wasn't expecting, however, was a fellow native of Zyzymt to join her! A Demi-Lizard no less! They were okay; a little too passive for Izula's liking, but they made excellent sacrifices to compensate. She by all means wanted to make a sacrifice of this one too, but there were bigger fish to fry right now. If everything Izula had read and was hearing were to be taken as true, somebody was playing with the spirits of the dead. That was something she couldn't stand for.

 

"This was cast upon the carpet of the main hall. It moved deeper into the home, however shortly after I was overcome by a sense of crippling fear. This fear is what I believe is compelling those of lesser magic to fear the manor. I do believe it might be the work of a Dark Mage."

 

Blood magic? Talk about primitive.

 

"What you're basically saying is somebody's calling up spirits of the dead, and you want us to deal with him. Sound about right?" Glancing to her side at the Demi-Lizard, Izula added "My, uh...ally and I, are willing and able to put things back in order." If there were any two people that could fix the natural order of life and - more importantly - death, Izula believed it was a shaman of Xolti and someone that either was a druid or worshiped nature in the same way their druids would. An odd combination given the history between the two races, but sometimes history had to be cast aside. Somebody tampering with death very much qualified as such a case.

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

"See, she's friendly." Kasayee spoke suddenly, out loud, to the spirits. The girl obviously wanted the same thing they wanted, so it shouldn't be any problem working with her. Without any explanation of her out-of-the-blue statement, the druid thought on the cleric's response.

"What is the point of hiding such things? Humans and their strange sense of shame will always confuse me, it seems." Honestly, the world would work much better if people were just open about things. She cringed a bit, remembering that she hadn't told her ally about what the spirits reaction to her was. Well, she wouldn't hide it if it became important, at the very least.

 

The...bird girl also asked a question, which made Kasayee examine her for the first time. She didn't know anything about her, but she seemed...what was the term, formal. Back to the cleric. He was saying it was the work of mages. "Of course, who else would disrupt the natural order? As for speaking with dead. I...might be able to help." She hesitated to say more, knowing it would put more of the work on her. But, she did just preach the importance of openness... "I can commune with spirits. It's not exactly talking to the dead, but maybe if I were in a group of restless spirits, I could call out to them. It's worth a shot, at very least."

[Alaina]

As the man answered her question, Strio started pondering more on this situation. Ghosts, hm? Strio did not have any experience dealing with the departed; corpses, spirits, some other third kind of undead. As such, she couldn't go back on past experiences to assist in her in this endeavor. However, there were hardly any situations in the world that couldn't be solved with sword and fire. Thus, the situation would probably be able to solve itself out alright. He further went on to explain that this was most likely also the work of a dark mage within there, which only strengthened her belief in her problem solving skills. 

 

She nodded at what her feline compatriot had said, and then was a bit surprised at what the nudist had said. How fortuitous it was that she had such a companion that was able commune with the dead! Granted, she was slightly concerned that the girl seemed to keep talking to herself, but she could just chalk that up to some level of insanity given to her by talking with the dead. Nothing much to worry about. Drawing Rokkur off her back, she pointed it gallantly towards the mansion. "Fear not, man of cloth!  For I and my comrades shall purge this town of any darkness that resides in that mansion!"

[Kyng]

Johann smiled weakly over to Izula with a shrug. “I cannot say this for certain. Even I know not what lurks beyond. I fear something dreadful, but perhaps your assumption might be an accurate guess.” He honestly couldn’t make too much sense of it all himself. While he could very easily detect the arcane sensation, the fear, the dread that overcame him soon overwhelmed his senses and he simply could not continue or progress deeper into inquisiting the dark depths and the bowels of the manor.

 

Glancing over to Kasayee he chuckled softly. “Pride is the mother of all sin, as they say.” Her later assertion was relatively true, very little other than one who could manipulate the way a world works could tinker with life and death. Though perhaps there was simply a supernatural element towards it, that lurked deeper within? He could only guess.

 

Strio managed to bring him to bow his head to her. “Your confidence radiates through me, and ignites the blood in my veins. I shall leave this to you, but by the Blood if you should need anything at all, please come to me. I will aid you however I can, within reason.” Johann was relieved the mage of Cherry Heart had such a powerful tailwind of bravery within her - someone needed to have it, after all. They did seem like a rat-tag crew but who knew, they could surprise him for the better of the town.

 

With this there was many options for the three mages:

 

They could further investigate the town. Sallix Brook evidently was a whole village of tight-lipped folk and while the cleric might’ve gotten information relayed to the mages, where would be better than the horse’s mouth? Naturally this might come with difficulty as the people seemed to be inherently gloomy and stubborn, and the nature of some might tick them off edge, but more information might significantly aid their chances at understanding the haunting nature within the manor. Even the homes of victims was worthwhile considering.

 

They could alternatively investigate the manor’s grounds, and get a closer sense of the place from a safer distance. The manor itself was detached from Sallix Brook’s town proper, cast upon and fenced away upon a hill overlooking the creek. Clues might lurk around the grounds, a tracker might find trails, a keen nose might smell a scent. Anything could really help them gather what they need to know about their intent on taking on the haunted house.

 

Or, they could go gun-ho and charge straight for the haunted house itself. When better than the present? Why gather more intel when you can resolve the problem there and then - if they think they could handle it, of course.

 

Naturally there might be more options for them to consider, but the three were clearly solid considerations for them to make. What do Izula, Kasayee and Strio do?

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

"Fear not, man of cloth!  For I and my comrades shall purge this town of any darkness that resides in that mansion!"

 

Kasayee stared at the bird girl for a short time, trying to decide how serious they were. "You're so excitable."

 

This cleric seemed to have some wisdom, with the line about pride. True, pride certainly affected many races and caused them to hide the truth. It was so bizarre to the girl, who had been taught to share details of every trouble she was having. She drank the tea set in front of her while the cleric continued to speak. She had already made her decision, so what he had to say wasn't entirely important. Instead she focused on the taste of the tea. It wasn't something she was used to drinking. In fact, Kasayee usually only drank water and whatever juice she got from fruits. But, it certainly wasn't bad.

 

She tuned back in near the end of his speech. "You talk strange" she noted. Poetic was the term many would use. Many besides Kasayee of course. She stretched, and headed out the door. Being unused to working as a team, she almost forgot to mention where she was heading. She turned back and halfheartedly raised her voice. "I'm going to take a look at the manor grounds." she said. And so she did, heading straight to the manor, with purpose in her steps. She made it about a dozen feet before she decided to take wing, and transformed into her bird form to get a view of the manor from the sky.

[Alaina]

"But of course," Strio proclaimed proudly at the nudist girl's comments. "One must approach each and every task with a soul full of passion if they are to complete it effectively." And Strio was one who would most definitely complete this task. After her comment, though, the cleric continued to speak and wish them luck on what they were going to do. From there, Strio was ready to go and deal with this problem. While she was one to definitely go gung-ho straight into the belly of the beast, so to speak, that would not do for this particular mission. If she were to deal with such an unfamiliar problem, she would need all the information she could get on it first. Talking to the humans, though, would probably prove fruitless if she had tried. They probably had fairly low awareness of what was going on with this haunt, as they normally would unexplainable phenomena. Besides, any information they could gather, she could probably do just as well. 

 

With that, the young crow girl started to walk in the same direction of the nudist girl before being a bit surprised by the girl's sudden transformation. Not only could the girl strut around naked like it was completely natural, but she could also turn into a flying creature as well! The lizard people were slightly an interesting one, that was for sure. However, she saw this sudden transformation as a challenge. And as a race who prided themselves on their wings, Strio would definitely not lose in a contest of flying. Taking off almost immediately, Strio flew straight towards the manor grounds, going at high speeds to pass up the nudist, lizard, bird, girl, thing. As she made her way there, she continued to stay afloat in the skies and try to examine whatever she could of the ground below with her keen pseudo-avian eyes. 

[Kyng]

The manor grounds of Sallows Manor, surrounding the old, haunting building. It seemed to be incredibly unattended, the grass overgrown and many weeds having torn and reclaimed the stone path to nature once again. The hedges, once beautifully trimmed to form verdant statues, now were bushy and large, uncared for, and messy as a result. The great willow tree that towered over the manor around the rear could be seen over the roof, the great willow tree of Salix Brook, looming ominously and demanding attention to be brought to itself through its raw size alone.

 

The stone work wasn’t much better. Disregarding that which had been reclaimed to nature, it was also severely weathered down and cracked from erosion and ice shattering. Statues, though, remained intact, though darkened from the weather and the grim skies above appearing much less like a glorious statue of a frog, the sigil and the animal of Salix Brook, and much more like a fel ghoul of golem proportions. There were two of these statues, both sitting at the entrance to the courtyard solemnly, quietly, guarding them entrance almost.

 

Then, of course, you have the western grounds, dominated largely by an unattended hedge maze. In truth it was less a maze anymore, and more a single, enormous shrub with paths occasionally becoming apparent. It was walled off by walls akin to those of a villa, separating it into its own little quarters accessed through archways that opened the “maze” to the entrance of the south.

 

The north of the manor’s grounds were, as previously stated, the lands of the great Willow that towered over Sallows Manor. It was nicknamed Sallows Gallows based on how it hung over the stone walls of the manor. Around the tree was a small garden with a green pond, barren of life that fueled a now non-functional and equally green fountain. It was quite a grim and depressing sight in truth, but it seemed much prettier to the hedge maze, in a sad way. A kind of beauty that brought only melancholy and despair.

 

That left the eastern mausoleum. In the manor’s hey-day, it might’ve been something of a sign of respect to the manor’s previous lords and ladies, but now it was clearly the sight and source of dread. The phantoms that claimed to plague this manor might be the spirits of the deceased who lived within the halls of the mausoleum. The eastern quarter was ruled by the mausoleum, as little other than it stood there, the rest merely the cobblestones that wrestled for light against the weeds that were slowly winning.

 

This is how the manor’s quarters were drawn up. Though there was a very faint smell of blood upon the courtyard, only the sharpest of noses would pick it up. It seemed to pool around the doorstep, suggesting what was known - there was something inside bringing victims deeper into the manor. However, with the door locked there seemed to be a difficult task ahead of them. The frog statues also seemed to be...less statuesque as they shook and creaked and croaked. What will the mages do?

[Alaina]

As was expected, Strio had made her way to mansion grounds first, beating out both the nudist bird lizard and the somewhat exhibitionist cat lady. And from the skies, she could see that the manor had most definitely seen better days. The signs of wear and tear, from both age and weather, were very much apparent from just a cursory glance of the place. While the manor was most definitely a more glorious sight back in the day, seeing its decrepit state that it was in now only made it an obvious place that some kind of haunt would be associated with. After taking a bit of a look from above at the whole of the manor grounds, Strio tried to think about what she had seen. There was probably nothing of value to be gained in the shrub maze, nor the tree and pond. All that really left was the mausoleum, an ideal place for some manner of ghost power to originate from and then the actual manor itself. 

 

As Strio landed on the ground, she continued to look around at the place. The more she looked, the less fired up she got. This place was actually pretty dreary, and just being here felt like it was putting a damper on her mood. As she let out a bit of a sigh at the sort of depressing grounds, she soon realized that her guild mates were already here as well. And she couldn't lose face in their presence. It was at this point that she realized that what looked like statues earlier were not so statuesque. The perfect opportunity to divert her attention away from the atmosphere of the play. Psyching herself up once again, she proclaimed, "fear not my fellow comrades."She drew out her sword, Rokkur, as she pointed it towards the statues."I will bravely examine those suspicious hunks of stone, so you may put your emotions at ease."While she was most definitely acting pumped to go examine it, the thing still had an eerie presence to it. It could probably be really dangerous too. With blade in hand, Strio started to cautiously approach the thing, keeping a keen eye out for any sudden movement or detail that may present itself with the statue. 

[Yui]

---

"Fear not my fellow comrades. I will bravely examine those suspicious hunks of stone, so you may put your emotions at ease."

 

"Something's behind them, in the mansion," Izula commented in response. She could smell the blood. The scent was faint, but it was definitely there, and those frogs were between her and her destination. With that said, Izula was a shamaness of death, trained in ending life quickly and gracefully. As such, dealing with lifeless husks like these increasingly non-statue-esque statues...was outside of her usual experience. Still, she had a duty to fulfill. Both for her guild, and more importantly, for her god. She'd have to at least try to deal with these things. Hopefully they were old enough that she could at least do some damage with her knife.

 

"Which frog you want?" the shaman asked, pulling out her knife in a reverse grip and approaching the croaking statues alongside the bird girl. "They don't look like they'll just let us through."

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

Kasayee didn't react much as the other bird passed her by. Though, she was certainly confused by the fact that she was rushing to get somewhere, when they were trying to find information. The Druid scanned the manor ground best she could.

It was sad, really, to see what has become of this place. Usually when such artificial structures were left to their own devices, nature took over. It was a beautiful process. One that was truly admirable. However this...was not like that at all. It was as if, instead of nature, an evil took control of the land. The natural cycle wasn't being denied here, it was being perverted and corrupted.

Kasayee was not one prone to anger. But whoever did this was a danger to nature itself. She had to find out what happened here, and put a stop to it.

Filled with a determination she was unaccustomed to, Kasayee checked where her allies had gone.
Evidently they thought their time would be best spent looking at the statues. While foreboding, Kasayee wasn't sure that there was anything to be learned from them. However, to the east, the mausoleum.

The idea of putting the dead in a building always felt odd to Kasayee. The dead should be returned to the earth, not trapped inside. Perhaps there was an unrest spirit, or many, clinging to this place.

She ignored the statues, instead heading directly to the mausoleum, intending to transform back into her regular form when she was right above the roof.

[Kyng]

And so, the three split into two groups. Kayasee boldly ventured alone to the mausoleum, while Izula and Strio decided to investigate the twin toad...statues.

Kayasee, returning to her normal form upon the roof of the mausoleum, would easily detect the sheer cold of the limestone structure. It was evidently once a beautiful white to celebrate the resting place of those of Sallows Manor. Now, it was off-white and much of the rendering had chipped off and worn over time from the rain. It was as chilling as the grave itself, though of course the dead would not feel such a chill.

Speaking of the dead, Kayasee’s semi-connection with the Spirit World would be able to, just barely, pick up the trace of an unsettled spirit within.

One unsettled spirit, wailing from within the building as if seeking help, seeking someone to hear them and bring them the rest they so longed to have.

One unsettled spirit, in a mausoleum of lords and ladies. Just one that could ever so faintly be traced by her druidic gift.

Just one.

The door to the mausoleum remained locked as it had ever since the day the manor was abandoned, but nature was having its own try and breaking it open. A pair of vines were creeping behind the iron doors and seemingly wrapping around them as if attempting to break the doors open. It seemed whatever was inside was even begging Mother Nature herself to help them in this time. Though, a spirit being bound and trying to break free was quite unheard of - indeed, the spirit being locked within a limestone structure might be preposterous to the supernaturally aware. And yet it remained so.

Izula and Strio, however, were cautiously sizing up the twin frog statues that stood before the courtyard. As Izula asked her companion which she wanted, the statues began to quake and move! Many flakes of stone cracked off of them as the one on the left began to blink of all things. The one on the right soon followed suit, blinking as if it had awoken from a long sleep and, with this, the pair of statues leered at the girls.

“Ooh, lookie here. Looks like a tasty meal!” The one on the left croaked with a smile.

The one on the right was much more foul. “Don’t be stupid, they’re not here to be eaten. They’re here for something else. Isn’t that right?”

“D’aww, but I’m sooo hungry!” The one on the left croaked with an eager smile, his stone tongue looking over the two girls. “Though they do look really skinny…”

“Shut up!” The one on the right croaked angrily, before leering at the girls. The two statues then, almost simultaneously, began to leap up and off of their pedestals with a mighty thud on the ground. “Nobody is as stupid as you are, and they’re not going to offer themselves as a meal for free. They’re clearly here to get into the manor!”

“Ah, but only we know the way in!” The one on the left croaked with glee. “Maybe they’ll give us something to eat if we tells them!”

“And if not…” The one on the right smirked wickedly as he gleered over Strio and Izula hungrily, licking its tongue almost perversely.

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

Kasayee shuddered slightly as a chill went through her body. It was cold, colder than was natural. Of course, this just made her more convinced this was the right choice. She wasn't surprised to hear the faint cry of an unrest spirit. But she was saddened. Her heart sank, and ached, at the pain she could sense. Though, why only the one? Of all the dead that were likely trapped inside, why is only one calling out? The mystery grew, instead of shrinking, as she learned more.

The door was sealed shut though, perhaps, she could force it open if she tried. But she preferred not to resort to such methods just yet.

What tied this spirit to this building, who were they, and what happened to them? She had to know, if she were to help.

 

Her companions were being threatened by the statues. Evidently there was some life to them, though not a life that Kasayee was used to. She wondered if they were magic, or some sort of living creature.

Well, she didn't have to bother with them, there were two others over there. And Kasayee knew better than to underestimate a Kettir.

 

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her soul calling out to the spirit. Trying to let it know she was here to help. That she just needed to know how. Then she transformed again. This time into the form of a small lizard. She scurried across the roof of the mausoleum, and around the edges. She was looking for a crack, a hole, anything that she could slip inside with her now much smaller body. It would be dark inside, but Kasayee had no fear of the dark. She was born in darkness, and once she died, she would return to the darkness until her spirit moved on.

[Alaina]

As she approached the stone statues, her feline comrade had come alongside her to assist in dealing with them. After asking an obvious question of which of the two that she would prefer to fight, the answer was quite simple. Both of them, obviously. Strio was confident that these odd stone frogs couldn't hold a pebble to her might burning avian passion. Though, thinking more on it, wings and fire seemed like a terrible match up for a rock. Nevertheless, she would persevere  their epic combat with these beas- oh they weren't fighting. 

 

While the statues were very much not inanimate objects, and instead some manner of fiend, they did not seem to have interest in combating them. Well, at least not as things stood. Instead, they seemed to bicker about eating the two cherry heart members, before then discussing the entrance to the manor. Strio was somewhat off put by their hunger, and would have gladly just launched an all out assault on them. She did not, though, due to what they had said about the manor. Strio eyed them a bit curiously, wondering what secrets the frog ghoul monster things held within. "What do you mean by, 'know the way in'? Does this manor's door hold some sort of secret to opening it, or one that prevents it from being smashed by the fury of steel and sun?"

[Yui]

---

Izula was ready to hunt, to kill...and it seemed the frogs weren't interested. By the looks of things, they were more content bickering amongst themselves about their appetites and the door. The frog on the left bothered her in particular; did he not have any sense of duty? Somebody like this frog would've died back in Zyzymt. That said, he did drive a pretty good deal...if, of course, that was his attempt at making a deal and not just idle thoughts slipping off his tongue. So it was food they wanted, was it? That would be easy to find if there were any animals in sight.

 

"What do you mean by, 'know the way in'? Does this manor's door hold some sort of secret to opening it, or one that prevents it from being smashed by the fury of steel and sun?"

 

"If we feed them we'll find out," the shamaness answered. Directing her gaze toward the frogs, the shamaness insistently added "Right? It would be a shame if you starved here, I'm sure~" Izula of all people understood feeding a starving mouth. The hunger of Xolti had no limits. Fortunately, the death god was only capable of eating souls; these frogs looked like they'd settle for more material meals instead. What did they eat for that matter? They seemed to be able to eat Izula and the bird, judging by their earlier conversation, but if that happened then they couldn't very well get the information about how to get into the manor, could they? Was any creature fair game or did they have a specific people-only diet?

 

For Izula, it all boiled down to how she could help herself, Xolti, and these frogs all at the same time.

[Kyng]

“...Wh-who’s there…?!”

“...y-you’re here to help me…?!”

“...how...I-I can’t see you...wh-where are you…!?!”

The voice of a woman, in her later youth, resonated within Kayasee’s being, responding to her in her meditative trance. Her voice was hastened, as if petrified of what was out there. As if it had locked itself in - or been locked in within the mausoleum. Her voice was trembling with terror, evidently a victim. It seemed they were beyond unnerved at this rate.

In her lizard like state Kayasee scoured the roof and walls seeking a crack within. Nature was on the druid’s side, as the vines that had crept into the iron doors gave her the window she needed to creep within the dark confines of the chamber, and within it was as anticipated - pitch black. The sky above was too cloudy and sombre to light the chamber. Though, there was one light. A crimson light surrounding a figure.

The figure was the spirit, floating aimlessly around the walls as if seeking a way out. She was hammering her hands against the limestone, trying to break it, but from her half-hearted swings it was evident she had been there for far too long. She was spectral in a red hue, her eyes pitch black. She wore an apron, a sweater, some modest trousers and had her long hair in a ponytail, ribboned over her shoulder - she seemed very warm and motherly, but for her ghostly nature.

---

“I’m sooo hungry!”

“Shut up, the poultry is talking.” The right one croaked angrily as left one had interrupted Strio. But heading what she said, he grumbled and smirked wickedly. “Well, little birdy, that’s for us to know, and you to find out, isn't it?”

As Izula spoke, the left one smirked happily and licked his lips delightfully hearing she’d feed them. Soon after though she taunted him and it made his mood rather sombre. “So...hungry…” It was clearly ravenous. Shaking its head from its appetite it grumbled angrily. “No fair...no fair!”

The one on the right naturally soon berated its companion as he leered at Izula with a grumble. “Be careful, skinny cat. Watch your tongue.” He wickedly grinned and licked his lips with his stone tongue once again, taunting her in turn. “There might not be much of it, but I’ll suck the meat from your bones!”

“But they’re so skinny.” The one on the left replied. “Look, we’ll tell you how to get in if you find me something thick…something...succulent...flesh…” The flab on its cheeks jiggled as it shook about humming at the thought of the taste of flesh.

“Find US something.” The one on the right retorted. “The manor’s master doesn’t feed us. We owe him no allegiance. But we owe you two nothing either - and frankly, I’m tempted to hop off this plinth and devour you right now.”

 

With that the left growled. "Now. FEED ME!..or I'll eat you!" It was evident this one was the more...docile...of the two?

It was evident that Strio and Izula had two plainly clear options - take the offensive, and attack the stone frogs, or barter their entrance with flesh. Of course, a sharp intellect or wit might work a way into other solutions for this prevalent problem.

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

“...Wh-who’s there…?!”

“...y-you’re here to help me…?!”

“...how...I-I can’t see you...wh-where are you…!?!”

 

Kasayee had been right in her decision. Her instincts were sound. As were her instincts to find a space to crawl into. She slipped through the cracks, wriggling her body to squeeze through the last bit. She dropped to the ground, wincing at the sudden fall. But that didn't matter. Before her was a spirit, manifested into a physical form. To many it may seem monstrous, but to Kasayee, it was merely sobering. She didn't make a sound as she returned to her normal form, and looked upon the spirit. She seemed desperate, weak, and hurt.

Kasayee took a step closer, trusting in herself to walk in the darkness without faltering. She settled her emotions, keeping the anger at whatever caused this disturbance in the natural order within her. She exuded an aura of calm. And a gentle feeling of wisdom, much older than herself. She had given herself into her true druidic nature, gently strengthening her connection to the spirit world. "I am Kasayee." Despite not being one for introductions, she knew better than to deny this frightened soul something so simple. "You who are bound to this world. I desire nothing more than to free you from your suffering. But I must know the nature of it, what keeps you here? What happened to you?" She slowed her approach, not wanting to startle the spirit, as she waited for it to answer her.

[Alaina]

Poultry? Strio had half a mind to barrel through these stone creatures right here and now. She was a proud member of the Coronid race! With wings black as the night and a mastery over the air incomparable by any other race. Not some mere flightless clump of feathers that's taste was used as a comparison for everything. In addition to that comment, these obnoxiously rude statues just continued to prattle on about how famished they were, and the two seemed dead set on a getting a meal. Knowing that there wasn't much for them to find here in ways of living food, outside of themselves which wasn't actually an option, Strio's irritation only continued to grow at these statues. She was here to purge this manor of a haunt, not be some errand girl for hungry statues. While the grip around her sword tightened, she looked the statues dead in their faces. "If your allegiance lies with none but yourselves then why not just allow us passage in so we may dispatch of whoever is causing such a disturbance and use them to feed you. Surely they would have more meat on their bones than either me or my compatriots."And if that didn't work, then she would hold no reservations in forcing her way through. 

[Kyng]

♪

The ghost wasn’t even startled by Kayasee. Surprised certainly, but in place of a brief fright came only a sigh of great relief, as if she had been saved, as if a messiah had came to free her of the torment that bound her to the mortal plane. She could finally hear someone’s voice, someone who would help her, aid her. Kayasee’s aura of calmness, gentleness was more than effective - it had soothed the soul’s irrationality and broken it's insane trance to a state of reason, but the sorrow was more than evidently still there.

“Kayasee...you can see me...oh thank the divine…!”

The phantom’s relief was apparent. With a sorrowful smile she turned to the source of the aura. Kayasee could see her spectral visage quite clearly, before having her back turned to the druid in an attempt to free herself, but now Kayasee would be able to see the beauty this one once held in their mortal life. Now, her haunting beauty only seemed to further convey a message of woe. The good die young at the hands of the wicked, it seemed.

Kayasee’s aura of calmness had the soul willing. Much like Kayasee wanted to free her, she too wanted to leave the hallowed mausoleum. “My name is Lady Emily Sallows. I was the fiancée to the Lord of the manor.”

The ghost gently began to weep recalling why she was stuck here. “My fiancée...h-he had been sent to speak with the count, to seek better treatment of his people. I want to see him. I want to see him!”

Then she recollected her memories and furrowed her brow. “...the Count’s first son. Cain Blackthorn. He took the manor and slaughtered the staff with his wicked casting, but many he kept alive...to feed from.” Stroking her slender neck, gently tugging down the turtleneck she exposed a pair of fang marks into her flesh. “I wasn’t afflicted of his foul curse...he drained me until I had nothing left...he would never tell me of my fiance - he told me I had no claim to the home and I should be grateful I could be of service to him…”

Kayasee had uncovered the identity of the new Lord of Sallows Manor.

---

“Ooh!” The left one thought aloud. “I like that! His flesh would be quite nice actually.”

“Yes, yes you are right…” The one on the right croaked. “But, you see, therein lies the issue. How can we be sure you will stick to your word?” His face turned menacingly foul. “After all, that malkin berrated us - US.” With this, the one on the right spat out his tongue - which was, too, made of pure stone - as it lunged for Izula’s face out of the blue. A sphere of pure stone would likely cause concussion should it connect.

The one on the left then grumbled. “The birdbrain has been civil at least. I fink we can trust her. She wants to get us more meat - so stop being so brutish!” For an idiot it did seem to have some common sense when the angry one lashed out like this.

It drew its attention to Strio as he looked down at her. “You promise to give us the master’s flesh if we let you in?” He didn’t really think too much about it, as he was looking forward to a good meal. “Then, all you need to do is open the door handle with a blood-stained hand. The master has an illusion upon the manor, filling it with the souls of the mad lost lords and ladies of the manor trapped and scaring away the weak minded.”

The one on the right nodded to this. “Mm, a blood-stained hand is the key to dispel their presence. The master lives in a basement I believe.”

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

Kasayee could tell her presence had an effect on the spirit. And, thankfully, a positive one. The woman managed to calm down enough to stop her mad assault on the walls that bound her.
It hurt her to see how young this woman was. This wasn't right.
As the spirit revealed her name, and her relation to the manner, Kasayee began growing cold. She had a feeling she knew where this story was heading. Death because of the failing of mankind. A death that could, should, have been avoided, if things were as they should be.
She couldn’t fathom what it was like to love someone, let alone be unable to be with a loved one, but Kasayee certainly could feel the pain the woman was experiencing. She had opened herself to the spirits, and thus she could feel something of their sorrow and suffering. And this woman had suffered greatly.

And so the druid learned the truth. The current Lord of the manner was a foul creature. Who used dark magics to murder. She was distressed to learn of how Emily had died. Certainly, in nature, animals fed on other animals to survive. But the creature described here was not something of nature. A parasite that exists only to disturb the natural order. It was appalling.
Had the man simply killed his prey, and fed on them, then Kasayee would be more lenient. It may seem strange to most, but even humans were not above the food chain. But the manner in which this “Lord” killed went far beyond that.

“This is not how it should be.” Kasayee said, shaking with sadness and rage. “Youth should not be snuffed out like this. Life is not meant to be this way. Nature had a different course in mind for you, Emily, and I’m sorry this creature took you from your intended path. I will find this...Cain. I will find a way to release you from this place, and learn what has become of your fiance. You will be able to rest, soon, I promise.”

She turned from the spirit. Part of her knew that she could simply leave the same way she came, but that didn’t feel right. Her instincts, as well as her heart, were telling her to do something more. The girl was not simply a girl, right then, she was an avatar of Nature. And Nature was enraged. She approached the door, and lifted her hand. The cast iron felt even more unnatural than such a thing normally would. She moved her hand across its surface until she found the hinges. Once she did, she focused her magic. The easiest of her transformations, due to practice, was the ability to morph into a tree. And with enough focus...
Kasayee’s hand transformed, into a mass of roots, which wriggled their way between cracks in the stone where the hinges were set, pushing at them, and forcing them open. She did this to each hinge, until she was confident the door was weakened enough, and then she shoved it open, and made her way into the grounds once more.

[Alaina]

Strio was completely ready to deal with these stone creatures and force her way through. In fact, she was expecting it. Even more so as her feline guild mate was struck at by a stone tongue. This only made her resolute composure be startled for a moment when she realized her tactic of "compromising" actually worked. As it turned out, the glorious Coronid race also capable of such diplomatic approaches. With confidence brimming in her now, she only realized that it was only natural that they were savants at such conversational abilities as well. It also helped that these statues were scavengers for their food, a trait that the crow blood in Strio could very much relate to. Learning that they needed a blood stained hand to enter the mansion, Strio figured it would be pretty easy to get such a thing with the amount of sharp objects around them at once. Huzzah! This case was almost as good as solved already. 

 

Giving a thumbs up with confidence in her voice she said, "worry not, famished stone beings. I shall deliver unto you the meat you desire, you can put trust in that." After all, breaking such a deal would dishonor the Coronid race's splendor...Though, thinking more on it, crows were also usually portrayed as dishonest creatures. Well if that were the case, she'd just have to wipe that stereotype away! Turning to the her barely garbed companion she pointed her sword towards the door and declared, "now that we know this manor's secret let us proudly march in there and fi- wait a second." Strio's enthusiasm seemed to completely drop off towards the end there as she looked at her feline companion. While she knew something was off, it took her a few seconds to realize just what it was. They came to this manor as a group of three. There were only two of them here. Which meant that they had a third. Which meant that she wasn't here....

 

Strio tried to rack her brain hard to figure out where the nudist could have possibly gone, having zero recollection of her splitting off from the rest of the group. She was sure she came to the manor with them, and she was almost positive that she approached the statues with them. Looking around the manor she noticed that nudist guild mate of hers was walking away from another building, with a look of determination brimming from her face. Good! She wasn't entirely sure if this girl had any interest in completing the mission, based on her rather lax manner prior, but was pleased to see that she was gung-ho now. Shouting out to her, her voice slightly sharp to the ears, she yelled, "ah! My scaly comrade! Come join us as we begin our raid on this place!"

[Yui]

---

The bird and the frogs exchanged words briefly. Izula had to admit, the former had a good idea; kill the master then feed him to the frogs. The person who was tampering with death would be dealt with, his spirit and those he was messing with would go to Xolti, the natural order would be restored, quest gets completed, Salix Brook can rest easy, and the stone frogs get a meal. Quite literally everybody wins...well, except the master, who didn't deserve to win anyway. Just as Izula was about to inquire how to enter the mansion, however, the frog on the right lashed his tongue out at her! Izula leapt out of the way, landing on her feet and empty hand, the one with the knife held in front of her in a combat stance, tail up, and hissing at the frog.

 

...only for the one on the left to explain how to enter.

 

“Then, all you need to do is open the door handle with a blood-stained hand. The master has an illusion upon the manor, filling it with the souls of the mad lost lords and ladies of the manor trapped and scaring away the weak minded.”

 

“Mm, a blood-stained hand is the key to dispel their presence. The master lives in a basement I believe.”

 

A blood-stained hand? That's it? ...I'm beginning to wonder about this master.

 

"Now that we know this manor's secret let us proudly march in there and fi- wait a second."

 

Why did she stop? Izula took a look around; was something amiss? A single look around was enough to notice it in her case. The Demi-Lizard was missing. If she went and died to anything that wasn't Izula's knife, she'd be pissed. Just as Izula was about to inquire about it, however, she found her answer in the form of a loud sound coming from somewhere on the grounds. Directing her attention to it revealed the Demi-Lizard...and the mausoleum door she'd just torn off. Interesting. More importantly, the team of three was once again a team of three.

 

"Ah! My scaly comrade! Come join us as we begin our raid on this place!"

 

"I'm looking forward to killing this one," Izula said. Now then, a blood-stained hand. Gee, if only there was somebody with a sharp object around. Like, say, a Kettir with a knife. Izula pressed the blade of her knife firmly against her empty hand, then ran it across her palm, wincing only a little at the pain. The little slice was enough to draw blood, which was exactly what she wanted. Izula stepped up first, approaching the door, casting a brief glare at the brutish frog that had tried to attack her, and ultimately set her bloodied hand on the door, pushing it open and stepping inside.

 

Now then, the frogs had said a basement, right? "After you, fearless leader," the shaman grinned, looking back toward the bird.