Prologue - Death House

Taniwha turns to examine the windows then back to the group, "Any of the ground floors ones, it’s ten feet to the second floor and I don’t think any of ya would make the climb." He falls silent for a moment and watches as the Knight enters the front door. "Maybe better staying together . . ." the door slams shut, ". . . Oh shit!"

Sweeping past the group and children, Taniwha starts examing the door looking to open it.

Drina's emerald eyes blinked in response to the sudden reverberating slam of the door. Sure wind could cause a draft but it seemed closer to the house swallowing the knight than some natural phenomenon. A glance at the mist surrounding the house confirmed that her assumption wasn't entirely based on an overactive imagination. "Shhh, children. 'Tis only the wind. Keep hidden.

The ranger felt the presence of the cloaked one as he rushed past to the door. Laying a hand on his shoulder, Drina hoped to draw Taniwha away from the door without alarming Rose and Thorn more, I think your original plan to secure another entry a prudent one. Do you have any particular skill or shall we simply pry open the window with a crowbar?"

"Owww" Avalyn yelps as the door slams shut. "That might be just the wind. But yeah, this is spooky."

She reaches with her hand for the door to open it. A door that just slammed shut, might not be locked.
But then she notices Taniwha's careful examination of the door. And smiles approvingly and waits.

Amalthea gasps as the man is engulfed in the darkness of the house and the door shuts behind him. She sees the cloaked man and Avalyn rush forward to the door while Drina comforts the children. Out of instinct, she moves to the ground floor window that was pointed out, closest to the front door, and attempts to open it and find their companion.

Taniwha instinctively drops his shoulder as the hand is laid upon it turning his head slightly, his manner calming as he who it is. "I have." he says quietly turning back to the door, "You showed kindness, a rare trait." he adds in a quieter voice as though to himself.

Taniwha can clearly see that the door hangs loosely on its hinges, as full of mold and rot as it is. That means there should be nothing holding the door shut so tight, yet it doesn't budge. Even whatever lock might have once held the door has long since rusted away, yet the door holds as fast as if it were banded with steel.

Amalthea moves to the nearest window and tries to pry it open. At first it doesn't budge, but on her second try it swings wide open. A blast of warm air rushes into the chilly air, and inside she can see a roaring fireplace. The room inside looks like a hunter's den, with a stag's antlers mounted above the fire. Two padded chairs draped with animal furs face the fire. Overall, the place looks comfy and inviting.

---

Taniwha just shakes his head, "This is all wrong. No good, better through the window." He then turns pulling the hood further forward again as if a security blanket. His curiosity gnawing at him turns and gives the kids a good once over, looking for anything that was out of place.

The children look back at Taniwha (or, more accurately, the shadow of his hood). They shift uncomfortably a bit, but nothing marks them as anything more than scared kids.

He shrugs and moves around to join Amalthea at the window.

"The window is open! I don't see anyone though. Sir, can you hear us?"

If no response from the man, Amalthea is going to toss in a nearby rock to see if anything stirs inside.

Amalthea calls into the room, but there is no response. The same thing happens when she throws a rock: nothing.

---

Avalyn peeks through the windows. The rock which Amalthea tossed inside, is that visible from the outside somehow.
Can she somehow see Abraham from outside the house?

If the windows are dirty, she will mutter a few magic words to wipe them clean.

Hearing the rock bounce around and nothing reacting or exploding, "Give us a boost . . . Amalthea?" Taniwha says reaching to climb through the window.

Amalthea stoops a little and cups her hands to help boost her cloaked companion.

"Upsy-daisy lad."

"So we're going in?" Less of a question really and more of a statement of intent as the ranger followed the other members of the party to the window that had been forced open. Informing those who seemed to be her companions at least for the short term, "I'm pretty nimble so I think I can make it but especially if I get a bit of help. Ummm...I'm not sure I caught your name, but with two of us at the window we should be able to lift the other two women inside, don't you think? And just my opinion but with the mention of monsters, I think it best if we stick together."

If Taniwha cleared the window without further complication arising, Drina would take a step back before running toward the same entrance point vaulting herself toward the room.

The rock that Amalthea tossed into the room is visible where it has rolled under the side table between the chairs. Indeed, nothing stirred in the house when it was thrown. The windows are indeed filthy, but Avalyn's magic cleans them easily. Both first floor windows look into the den room, which means that Abraham must be deeper in the house.

After Avalyn observes everything she can, Amalthea boosts Taniwha into the room. Behind them, Drina gracefully springs over the windowsill and into the den. The adventurers feel the comforting warmth of the fireplace, banishing the chill from their bones. A moment later, that warmth gives way to panic.

Three snarling wolves, yellow eyes gleaming, circle the party. Or only seem to, since they're actually clever taxidermies with saliva painted on to their tongues and snouts. At this point, a door in the eastern wall swings open and there stands Abraham.

Now that the party is inside the den, they can see the rest of it. There is only one exit, a polished mahogany door in the east wall. (Abraham just used it.) There are also two cabinets against the walls (somewhat flanking the door) and a table with four chairs in the western corner of the room. On the table before the fireplace is a cask of wine, some goblets, a pipe rack, and a candelabrum. Mounted above the fireplace is not just a stag's antlers, but its whole head. The dead eyes gleam lifelessly down at the party.

Finally, hanging above the party's heads is a chandelier of wrought iron. It is lit and flickers as cheerfully as the fireplace roars.

"Good to see you lad, what is the layout of the place?"

While the man answers, she places the rock she threw in on the windowsill they came through to keep it from shutting fully while they explore the house.