Mini-Scene: House on the Hill

[zipp]

You entered the house the rest of the group is approaching mere minutes before their arrival. This scene takes place in that time period. We'll eventually transition you from this scene into the main group.

You tied up your horse in the dark stables, noting the lack of other horses, thinking maybe no one is home. You also found the front door unlocked. This seemed like the perfect spot to await the companions.

You are in a small inside porch, with wooden doors leading to the main house. Glass windows allow you to see a dark room beyond the doors.

Pushing onward, you find yourself in a dark kitchen. A strong and pleasant smell assaults your nostrils, the smell of freshly cooked food. Dirty pots and pans line the counter, though some are soaking in water: a sign that someone started the dishes.

There are two doors leading from the kitchen. One is more a doorway than an actual door, and it hits a corner, so you can't see where it leads. The other is an actual door.

Which way do you go?

[Sir Aram]

Sir Aram looks around the kitchen for a candle and some flint to light it. Then he proceeds cautiously to the doorway, peering around the corner before rounding it.

Do I need to roll SKILL now? Invisible Castle has been down for hours, unfortunately.

[zipp]

Skill for stealth? In this case it doesn't matter, as you round the corner to find an empty, but well-lit, dining room with many windows, though the curtains are drawn. The huge table is lavishly set for eight, and a huge mostly-finished meal is laid out. It includes ham, chicken, and even some fish (a rare thing this far from the coast), as well as many varieties of vegetables. It smells delicious, and you realize you haven't eaten anything but stale bread for days.

There is another hallway at the far end of the room. It leads to another door. There is also a door halfway down the hall, and the windows show to the outside, so you assume this door leads outside. Across from the door is a staircase.

Something is causing your skin to crawl, though you don't know what.

Actions?

[Sir Aram]

I meant for perception. Invisible Castle came up briefly, but it's down again now.

First things first, thinks Aram. I need to check out the house first to see if it's safe before I sit down for a meal. Something caused the people who lived here to disappear in a hurry. I'd better be systematic about this. He turns around and heads back to the kitchen to see what's behind the door he had passed up earlier.

[zipp]

Well, I'll give you one freebie, here, then.

As you turn to go back towards the kitchen, some impulse has you check out the window. You see another shape out there, bending down in the grass and poking around. It's probably the companions.

Do you want to go outside and hail them, or continue your search of the house?

[Sir Aram]

I'll continue the search. I don't want to appear too eager to join them; let them make the first move. I also may find something interesting in here that I might want to keep for myself before they see it.

[zipp]

Behind the door in the kitchen is a very small hallway, leading immediately to another door. It is oppresively dark in here, and the other door appears to be locked.

[Sir Aram]

Sir Aram tries the inner door to see if it is in fact locked. If it is, he returns to the kitchen, closes the outer door behind himself, and then goes back to the dining room to check out the door at the far end of the hall beyond it (the one that doesn't lead outside).

[zipp]

The door is locked.

Moving back through the house, you open the other door and come into a well furnished study, replete with a personal library, a fireplace, a hardwood desk, and two immensely comfortable chairs. The fire is lit, and the room is aglow with soft light. Whoever owns this house is quite wealthy. There are no other doors here.

[zipp]

While looking around the study, you hear a knock on the front door and hear someone calling out for someone to respond.

[Sir Aram]

Aram walks to the front door. "Who goes there?" he calls.

[zipp]

Alright, at this point move posting to the main thread.

Welcome to the game.