Our brave adventurers recently delved into the unsettling quiet of a seemingly abandoned manor, a place that soon revealed its tormented past. While the Hearth room initially offered a semblance of safety, the lure of the unknown drew them deeper into the decaying structure.
The exploration began with a descent into the heart of the haunt, each room echoing with spectral remnants of bygone tragedy:
- The grand ballroom became a stage for a ghostly dance, featuring the apparitions of General Montarthus and a woman in black. Their spectral conversation hinted at a clandestine affair and a looming “army of the undead” commanded by the General. As quickly as they appeared, they vanished, leaving behind an air of mystery and dread.
- The mundane privy offered a strange comfort, as nothing out of the ordinary manifested. This led to the unsettling thought that the manor might be less actively haunted and more a repository of lingering memories.
- Even the simple act of examining the fireplace revealed layers of the manor's history, with ashes suggesting multiple past occupants.
- A seemingly ordinary corridor held an unseen door, a silent sentinel guarding further secrets.
- One particular room presented a curious puzzle: its door remained stubbornly locked until the first door leading into it was closed, prompting a moment of strategic hesitation among the group.
- A vast empty chamber yawned before them, with southern exits promising further unease.
- The remnants of what appeared to be a wizard's spell practice room showcased scorch marks and battered training dummies, testaments to past magical energies, though a thorough search yielded no tangible rewards.
- A chilling encounter unfolded in another room as an evil doll wielding a butcher knife emerged from the shadows, sparking a swift reaction from the startled party.
- An upstairs hallway pulsed with an eerie green light, a visual manifestation of lingering necrotic energy.
- The grim discovery in the washroom painted a clearer picture of the manor's sorrow. Here, the spectral form of a naked woman with bloodied wrists, identified as the General's wife, was found within a wash tub, a tragic testament to suicide brought on by the General's affair with the night hag. A blood-soaked towel further underscored this tragedy.
- In a disturbing vision within a waiting room, the adventurers witnessed the General's advisor – revealed to be the malevolent night hag – offering a doll to a small girl before evaporating into nothingness.
The whispers of the past grew louder with each discovery, revealing a tale of infidelity, despair, and dark magic. The night hag, it seems, played a significant role in the manor's tragic history and the General's command of the undead.
The night culminated in a dramatic collapse of the manor, leaving our heroes shaken but alive. Noteworthy was the acquisition of a button and a ribbon from the defeated evil doll.
But the tale of the Haunt is far from over. Next week promises to delve deeper into the mysteries surrounding the doll and a little girl, suggesting the lingering darkness of the manor continues to cast its shadow. Stay tuned for more tales from this spectral saga!