Chapter 2 - The Investigation

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Nov 13, 2023 9:24 am
OOC:
Lets make it happen. :D

Miss Melody

SpiritualSocket Inactive for 11 months

Nov 13, 2023 12:53 pm
Miss Melody
Miss Melody says, "Oh, I think I'm just letting the spooky stories of the area get to me. I hear rumors of the lost son, mice going mad when they go for a walk outside, and then at night when it's dark, this manor sounds like a ghost is roaming around."

Looking at the brooch, she beams with pride. "It is a beautiful brooch. Thank you. An outgoing guest said they found this lovely little piece, and I... well, I won it in a game of chance. Oh, how I do love a good game like that."
Nov 15, 2023 7:47 pm
Before returning to their room and telling the others about what she has found out, Sky decides to go and see Mrs Sprocket right away.

Mrs. Sprocket

SpiritualSocket Inactive for 11 months

Nov 15, 2023 8:28 pm
Mrs. Sprocket
Mrs. Sprocket welcomes you into her room. The space is cluttered with an array of tools, gadgets, and spare parts. She approaches you and presents a peculiar device. "This is a sound dampener. When you turn it on, it will reduce the sound in a room. I use it at night to help me sleep better. Again, thank you so much for the help with the clock!"
OOC:
The device takes up two inventory slots
Nov 15, 2023 8:31 pm
GM
Please select a poll option.

What happens Next? Public

Let's Sleep for the Night
Wait, I have more I want to do before I sleep.
Nov 16, 2023 12:04 am
GM
The group retires to their room for the night. The room exudes coziness and warmth, offering a comforting atmosphere. Yet, the tranquility is interrupted by a storm outside, with heavy rain relentlessly drumming against the windows. Each mouse is briefly stirred from their sleep by a haunting wail that seems to blend with the wind as it courses through the creaky corners of the old manor. The sounds of branches colliding with the building echo in the night, creating an eerie symphony that blurs the line between natural elements and ghostly murmurs.

As the storm gradually subsides, a new day breaks, and the trio awakens, feeling mostly refreshed despite the nocturnal disturbances
OOC:
HP is restored for the group. What are their plans for the day?

Note: The noise dampening device takes up 2 inventory slots. Sky currently is using 4 slots, so if she decides to carry it around she will be encumbered. It, however, can just sit in this room.
Nov 16, 2023 5:36 am
OOC:
I lost track a bit but I THINK the only medallion piece I got to see was the one that Captain Mortimor has? Hm, I should be taking notes - I had thought "Oh, it's all written in posts, I don't need to take notes, I can just check them" but with lots of posts... a useful learning moment for me, I think! :)
Before they go out of the room to start their day, Bay tells her friends what she learned or heard about yesterday:

Ever since the son of a previous very wealthy owners vanished and that family left the manor, every new owner has only stayed a week, saying they heard (and driven away by) ghostly wails and spied eerie sight. Captain Mortimer and other guests describe the manor as cursed.

But when Mr Filmon arrived, the ghostly haunting stuff stopped, and Mr Filmon used the spooky tales to attract guests (although, contradicting that, some guests talk about ghostly noises coming from inside the manor at night?)

The wealth and treasure of the lost son's family was abandoned in the manor - but no one has found it yet. The family didn't even look for their son, they were too scared. They believed that some of the local flora causes people to do strange things, and that's apparently what scared them so much.

Captain Mortimer has a fragment of the medallion.

There is another guest, Count Gregory, who they haven't met yet, who doesn't join for meals.

There is a rumour that Mr. Filmon has a rich benefactor who gave him money to buy the manor in exchange for some service - and that this service is about protecting somebody's identity.


Bay has several suggestions of things they could try and do today:

Talk to Captain Mortimer, show him their medallion fragments, ask if he would like to join them in searching for the treasure and the other pieces of the medallion - Bay doesn't want to steal the medallion from him, so was thinking of working together with him, maybe splitting any treasure between him and the three of them? Or maybe to offer to buy it off him, or get it from him some other way?

Try and find Count Gregory - perhaps he has a medallion fragment too?
OOC:
This is assuming the other mice described their experiences of yesterday - a bit meta-gaming but doing it to speed things up a bit - happy to retract it if you prefer.
Try to win Miss Melody's medallion fragment off her in a game of chance.

Return to the garden shed ready to somehow deal with those skeletons and investigate more of what is going on underneath it.

Look for the medallion fragment thrown out of the window into the mushrooms - maybe better to do this with at least two of us, in case the mushrooms are somehow confusing or having some nasty effect on mice.
Nov 16, 2023 6:40 am
"How about it? Let's go for a little stroll before breakfast, shall we?" Sky has related all she knows and is eager to find out about the mushroom patch and the kid. Afterwards, during breakfast, they will have ample opportunity to challenge Ms Melody to a game of chance or learn more about the elusive count. As for the Captain... maybe he would agree to help out with his piece as long as he is kept informed about the proceedings(?).

Sky stashes Mrs Sprocket's device in the room. She feels for her bruised ribs and finds them no more but a bit tender. A good night's rest has done wonders for her constitution. The mouse puts on her coat and turns to leave, after having looked through the window and making sure the suspicious shroomy spot is still where she remembers.
Nov 16, 2023 6:57 am
OOC:
Bay will wait to hear from Hazel, and then offer to join Sky out amongst the mushrooms
Nov 16, 2023 9:48 am
After they returned to their rooms, Hazel can no longer hold back and spills out what she had learned. "Mr. Filmon is a Necromouser!" the sneaky mouse exclaims agitated. Telling the story of the unlawfully locked barn - a crime in itself! - she reports further on the trap with the mouse, snake and cat symbols, the impenetrable fog, the pool and the frickin' skeletons! At least two! And armed! How very territorial those two are. A proper mouse in her right mind shouldn't go down there alone - that lesson she had learned.

After a good night of sleep and just a bit of snoring on Hazels part, the archer listens to the others before agreeing: "A game of chance sounds excellent. But one that we win! It wouldn't be in our interest if we lose this game. Any ideas how to facilitate that?"

A bit disappointed that everybody seems to prefer a boring morning hike to the mushroom fields, she suggests: "Well, I am intrigued by this mysterious count. Does anybody know where he can be found?" Hazel continues further: "Maybe in the room with the paper across its windows? Next I will try my luck there."
Nov 16, 2023 11:45 am
Sky nods. "You do that and then we'll meet up at breakfast. I'll bring my dice in case we need them. Otherwise we might have a kind of contest with Ms Melody perhaps? Any special skills you guys have not shared with me over the years?"
OOC:
Sky has loaded dice. We could challenge Melody to a game and hope that the odds are in our favour?
Nov 16, 2023 11:46 am
OOC:
soises says:
"Mr. Filmon is a Necromouser!"
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Nov 16, 2023 12:04 pm
"A dice game sounds good to me." Hazel nods her approvement. As long as Ms. Melody isn't into archery or swimming, the brown furred adventurer has no idea how to get the missing piece in a "fair" contest from the pretty mouse girl.
OOC:
couldn't resist... ;-P
"But I've to tell you... I am against bringing the captain into our circle. At least for now." she honestly shares her opinion. They don't know him and his agenda. Hazel hasn't even seen him so far. And trusting others ... well that isn't her strong suit.
Last edited November 16, 2023 12:21 pm
Nov 16, 2023 12:28 pm
"NECROMOUSER?!!?!" exclaims Bay!

"This adventure just flipped from exciting to terrifying?!

Taking a moment or two to breathe, though, Bay follows up with:

"But this brave team of mousy friends here, we've got this, I know it!"

"I'll join you to the mushroom patch, Sky - you go first, and I'll hang back, in case anything dangerous seems to happen to you around the mushrooms. Then it's time for breakfast!"


With that, Bay makes her way out of the room.
OOC:
Tried but failed to bring in a reference to the Lord of the Rings chapter "A Shortcut to Mushrooms" here...
Nov 16, 2023 1:55 pm
GM
OOC:
Quick clarification on the PC actions. Do I understand this correctly?

Bay and Sky are going outside to find the mushroom circle. Bay will hold back to keep and keep a distance to better keep watch.

Hazel will go looking for Count Gregory. She'll first try the room with covered windows.
Nov 16, 2023 2:31 pm
That's correct for Bay :)
Nov 16, 2023 2:52 pm
GM
Stepping outside, Bay and Sky are greeted by the typical cold and cloudy weather that seems to be the perpetual state on the island of Shivers. Fortunately, the day holds a reprieve from rain. As they explore the vicinity around the manor, they notice a large dirt patch near the water's edge, surrounded by mushrooms in a complete circle. The patch spans approximately three mice in diameter. Within this enclosure, a young, visibly famished mouse engages in a repetitive activity, tossing an object into the air and catching it skillfully.

Not far from the dirt patch stands an old, lifeless tree. Perched in its branches is a crow adorned with a peculiar purple necklace, peacefully slumbering. At the tree's base, there is a hollow, seemingly inviting exploration.

How do Bay and Sky proceed?
OOC:
Crows are a particularly deadly creature to mice, but they are not outright aggressive like a snake or a cat. They usually know 1 or 2 songs which act as a sort of spell. They can fly incredibly fast (3x normal speed), and their primary motivation is to protect the secret hallowed places in the world from those who would do them harm.
Nov 16, 2023 5:06 pm
OOC:
correct :)
Nov 16, 2023 5:25 pm
GM
Hazel

Hazel locates the room with covered windows on the second floor at the front of the manor. It seems Mr. Filmon repurposed this space into a makeshift lost and found and covered the windows to hide the disorder from approaching guests.

Upon entering, Hazel discovers an assortment of forgotten belongingsā€”clothes, luggage, trinkets, and various odds and endsā€”all shrouded in a substantial layer of dust, attesting to their abandonment.

The items of note are:
- a pristine white bed sheet
- a purse brimming with 36 pips
- an incense stick
- an aged wooden holy symbol

If Hazel continues her search for Count Gregory, she discovers the front desk vacant. A clear listing of guests and their assigned rooms is visible. Count Gregory is lodged in room 6, adjacent to Miss Melody's room 5.
Nov 16, 2023 6:46 pm
OOC:
EEEEK this feels all VERY DANGEROUS!
Bay will move quietly up to within a 10 cm or so from the edge of the circle (I guess for a mouse a foot is equivalent to like several metres for a human), and talk out to the young mouse in the middle of the circle. Bay isn't raising her voice - she doesn't want to disturb the crow if she can help it.

"Hello friend mouse!" Bay says to the young mouse.

"Are you doing OK? This looks like a cold, unwelcoming place to be spending so much time."

"Is there anything I can do to help you?"
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