Get Out [Hard/DE, Now Rated R] ❷✗

[Ranth]

Ranth let out the breath he hadn't realised he was holding when the ghost's paused in their approach and began to speak to them in a friendly, typically southern drawl that low key made the circumstances and location of this mansion even more bizarre! Ranth was relieved for two reasons- one of which was because they weren't being torn apart by other world entities, but more importantly, he'd demonstrated sound judgment in front of Rin. Be that as it may, there was still a lot that they didn't know or understand about this place and as Ranth listened to the ghostly duo he found that some of his questions were answered... only to be replaced by more questions!

The good news was that there was apparently a way out of this place. It wasn't just good new in fact, it was fantastic news and a minor weight felt as though it had been lifted from his shoulders. The ghost known as Mandy went on to explain that there was a key hidden somewhere in the mansion. A skeleton key in fact, which was the only thing capable of opening the door and letting them out of this hellish nightmare. But mixed in with this delightful bit of news was something that sounded rather a lot... less pleasant. Mandy spoke of something awful happening the last time people were trapped here.

From what Mandy told them, it seemed like one of the people trapped in the mansion had turned on the others. What was worse, was that Mandy seemed completely sure that the same thing was going to happen with Ranth's group as well. Was this another part of the mansion's power? It wasn't enough that they'd been brought here with no memory of how they'd arrived or what they had been doing beforehand? Or that they'd been placed inside bodies of opposite gender? On top of that, they would have to contend with each other as well?

Did that mean that they should try to regroup with the others as soon as possible? Or was it already too late and they should avoid the others? How would they know who they could trust, or for that matter... could they even trust themselves? That was perhaps the hardest part for Ranth to grasp- if the mansion caused him to turn on the others, would that mean that he'd have lost his mind or any semblance of free will? The mere idea of it caused him to shudder with a combination of fear and disgust.

"Thank you very much for your help. Do you know where our companions are now?" It was a long shot, but perhaps the ghosts could tell them if anything had happened to the rest of the members of their party. As far as Ranth could determine, there were at least three levels to the mansion based on the fact that he was currently in the basement and he'd seen stairs in the main foyer that led to an upper floor. For now, his best bet was to try and find a way back up to the ground floor, but now that he knew that they had to find a key... that meant that they'd have to stay down here until they'd examined every room to make sure it wasn't down here with them somewhere.

Once the ghosts were gone, Ranth would turn to Rin and breathe deeply. "Are you alright, your majesty? I'm sorry for falling on you earlier", he said with a small bow. "It seems like we need to find that key, but it could be anywhere..." he sighed before steeling himself against what was coming next. "If what the ghosts said are true, then we can't trust the others, not completely at least. Some of the others are people we know. Wycliff and Ludwig from squad 13 for example, but the others... I know their names but I don't think they're from the Soul Society if they were truthful about their identities", he mused. "I think it's best if we look for the key ourselves and avoid the others as much as possible... not that it matters until we found a way out of the basement"

When that was agreed upon, they would move on through the door to the south.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Listening to this disgusting child talk was making Shizuka's blood boil. Every single word that came out of her mouth made him want to rip her stupid little head off and feed it to wild animals. Even referring to Luke as her dad made the Fullbringer want to vomit. Luke was not a father. Luke couldn't be a father. This tiny brat was going to be in some trouble if Shizuka ever had a moment alone with her. With every passing moment and every new sentence Nadezhda said, Shizuka's face grew darker and darker. He was getting seriously pissed off at this kid. As if children couldn't be any more terrible, this one showed up.

“You know… one of you guys is gonna be “it” soon right?”

"If by 'it' you mean the person to fucking kill you, then I volunteer."

“Want some?”

Shizuka stared at the sandwich for a moment before he spoke. "What I want is for you to get the fuck out of here."

“It’s nice that you’re so cozy to one another. Is that gonna change when one of you becomes “it”?”

"I swear to fucking God Almighty that I will torture you until you're begging for death. Get your dumbass self and your goddamn sandwich out of my sight."

He should have known better. He should have realized that none of his threats were going to work. Shizuka was getting worked up over a ghost and swearing more than she had in years. Was that because of the heightened testosterone? Maybe. Who knows? What Shizuka did know, on the other hand, was that this house was starting to get on his nerves. Why now? Why not before? Well, that was because he was too focused on Luke's boobs to think much about anything else. The only thing in his mind was the thought of Luke naked. Even the female form was acceptable at this point. Again, was it because Shizuka was a boy? Maybe.

Without realizing it, the blonde had followed the little girl and his super cute girlfriend into what could possibly have been the most gruesome room he'd ever seen in his life. There was blood everywhere but no actual bodies to be found. It looked like a scene from when Shizuka decided it was a good idea to take down an entire building of tyrants. Yes, those were fond memories. Memories that he never brought up to pretty much anyone, but they were good nonetheless. Now he was just focusing on trying to make sure Luke was okay and getting her away from Nadezhda.

That is, of course, until the child talked about the dagger. It was odd. The details were rather ornate. It seemed like this thing could have been highly custom and possibly made for a specific purpose, though he wasn't entirely certain. He was actually rather afraid to touch the thing. He didn't trust it very much and didn't have much reason to if Nadezhda was speaking so highly of it. Useful or not, it was a concern. Shizuka questioned whether or not picking it up was worth the inevitable hassle. But of course, Luke would pick it up anyway and hold on to it. Shizuka freaked out briefly for a moment before sighing. Nothing bad happened yet, so it was probably fine.

“You definitely want that.”

"You can't fucking tell her what she does and doesn't want."

”As bad an idea it is...maybe we should split up for a minute here? I’ll take this door and you go through the west one. We'll cover more ground if we search two rooms at once. If anything happens I’ll come running.”

Shizuka sighed unhappily. "Fine. But I'll make sure to scream like a girl so you know it's bad."

He didn't like the idea of splitting up, but Luke had a point. They'd be able to handle themselves for now. More creepy stuff was bound to happen whether they were together or not, so it didn't matter much if they split up. What Shizuka didn't like was being away from Luke. It was weird, but he had this odd desire to protect her. She had been a man for so long so Shizuka never really thought about it, but now Luke was a girl and just so, so small. With a concerned look on his face, Shizuka allowed himself to walk towards the west room. He might as well go along with the plan for now.



Strength - 50
Speed - 50
Knowledge - 50
Sanity - 45

[Deleted]

Haunt Score: 4

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}{Spoiler}{Upper Floor Map}

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}{Spoiler}{Ground Floor Map}

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}{Spoiler}{Basement Floor Map}

ooc: If your speed is 50, you can move up to five spaces in rooms that have already been explored. If your speed is 45, you can move up to four spaces. You only move one room at a time when you're exploring a new place.


Hibiki & Asuka
The Abandoned Room (O)

“H-Hibiki!”

Asuka squeaked nervously as her favorite foxy not-blondie belted out just about the smoothest line ever. The male’s cheeks flushed furiously as he looked around to see if anyone was around hearing him but he could help the delighted, embarrassed smile that was starting to form on his lips. “Y-Ya think so? I make a pretty good guy huh?!” He snickered, pulling Hibiki just a bit closer as they entered the room. He still didn’t understand why Hibiki looked like Amaya and for Asuka it was really, really weird but hey! Bridges will be built when they got there! ..Or is it crossed? Those sayings sure were confusing and sometimes weren’t true! But.. Just to be sure! She had to ask about one specific one! “Is it true that if you don’t eat an apple, the doctor will come to your house at night and scare you, Hibiki?”

The prospect of sweets and someone even sweeter made her feel just that much more courageous in this spooky scary house. Asuka nodded her head excitedly and giggled as the crow left. He held up the Crystal Ball for the Kitsune and when Hibiki looked in it, he’d see a vision and only be privvy to the details of it:

Asuka was running for her life. She nearly stumbled into a room they’d both never seen before and her face was panic stricken as she ran and ran. Screaming from the top of her lungs but it was unclear what was chasing her. All she kept saying was “Skeleton key! We have to find the Skeleton key and get out of here! That’s our only way out of here!! Somebody keep searching!”

The vision followed Asuka as she continued throughout the house, sprinting down halls and jumping over loose floorboards. “We have to get out! Someone! Do something! We can’t give up here!” She tried to encourage whoever listened. “They’re our friend! We have to save them! It’s this house! As long as we get out we’ll be absolutely fine! C’mon!” She continued. The last of this particular vision would see Asuka finally catching her breath, finding some solace before turning to enter a room. It was quiet for a moment but then Hibiki suddenly would hear a blood curdling, ethereal scream and see just a glimpse of Asuka’s gloved hand trying to reach out, pulling desperately at the wooden door panels and scratching, wooden chips falling to floor… And be pulled back immediately into god knows what with silence following the rest of that vision.

Another vision would then come into view. One both the pair could see:

It was the room they were in. The way the crystal ball displayed it, it was as if someone was watching them through a camera.

“Oh! That’s me! That’s me! Aha~! I’m on T.V!”

It was a short vision; It showed Asuka walking to the corner of the room prying open a loose floor board in the corner of the room and pulling out an ornate golden box. From there, all the visions would end the Crystal Ball would be just a normal Crystal Ball with some mysterious properties. Who knows what!?

Asuka tilted her head confusedly and went to the same spot she saw in the vision and pulled at the floorboard. “Whoa! Hibiki! That ball just gave us a pretty box!” She shook it and heard something inside! “Oh my goshness! Is this a birthday present! You have it Hibi!”

If he looked inside, he’d find only the most beautiful, sparkling Angel Feather. It was dainty and from it emanated a small, dim silvery light. This thing sure felt good! Maybe it was Hibiki’s lucky day?

The Entire house would hear whispers. They started out like whispers at first. Just like the ones they heard upon entering. It starts like a whisper, but then sudden shrieking. It was soul rending and menacing. It felt like it assaulted your mind and soul in every respect. It was like someone was screaming in your mind, filling it with awful, evil sounds.

Everyone must make a Sanity Roll & Roll above a 4 to avoid taking mental damage. (You roll 5d3)
1-3 takes 5 mental damage (Knowledge or Sanity; your choice.)
0 takes 10 mental damage

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}{Spoiler}{Angel Feather}When you attempt a roll of any kind, you can call out a number between 0 & 8. Use that number instead of rolling the dice. This item will disappear after being used.

---

Ranth & Rin
The Organ Room (E) -> The Catacombs (O)

“Oh he has manners, Jed! Of course, sweetie~! Jed and I just wanna help you poor kids get up and out of this house!” She put a hand to her heart and looked at both Ranth and Rin with a sympathetic smile. Jed nodded his head in agreement. “I have a dumb feeling that that darn thing isn’t gonna be around until that stupid haunt starts.” He rubbed his temples, grumbling, trying to think back on something. “Hold on, hold on..” He put his hand out, trying to buy just a few more moments of the living pair’s time as he tried to remember anything that would be of help to them. “Jed, are you trying to think back to that last time when those kids got real close? The one with the spiders?” He nodded his head and then the memories seemed to come flooding back to the ghastly groom. He snapped his fingers and hugged Mandy. “Aha! Yes, Mandy that’s right! Thank you, dear!” He turned to Ranth. “That darn key ain’t gonna make much of a appearance til that blasted haunt starts. It’s a creepy thing. I remembered the feeling. It was in the room next to us but we weren’t in here last time..” Mandy tried her best to remember the finer details but she shook her head, not able to bring anything to the table. “I think most everyone’s on the ground floor. Someone's in the library for sure. There’s a real cute couple on the upper floor too. You kids will have to stay safe until then. I’m so sorry.” The ghastly pair would then back off, floating off into a wall, waving. "We're gonna go keep an eye out for that key! We'll let ya know if somethin' turns up! Good luck kids! Y'all take care!" Rin stared awkwardly as they floated off into a wall before turning to her companion.

“I.. could be worse. The fault lies within this castle. You needn’t apologize.” She said rather bitterly, irritation on her er.. his face, clear as day. Though it wasn’t directed at Ranth. Rather, it was this blasted castle! The one with all the little whispers and apparitions and holes.. Ugh! She huffed before looking to Ranth, a small smile creeping on her face. “Are you well, my dear lieutenant~? You aren’t hurt, ne~?” Emphasis on “lieutenant”. Although she truly was concerned, she would attempt to fluster him just a smidge. Just the Empress having a modicum of fun before walking into a room that was full of who knows what. “A troublesome key that won’t reveal itself until the absolute worst moment. Hmph. Just what we needed, ne~?” She pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head, frustrated as ever at their circumstances. “So we are not alone.. When I awoke, it was just myself and another man. How many of us are there precisely?” She looked up to the ceiling. How many imbeciles are stomping about upstairs? Rin knew one of them was going to be it. That thought alone caused her look at Ranth from the corner of her eyes with mild suspicion. He could be it too.

She sighed, turning to him. “It seems we’re all candidates. You and I included. Should something like that ever happen to me then you must do whatever it takes to get out of here. Is that understood?” She looked to him seriously. Another life or death situation. Something the Empress was more than acquainted with and disturbingly comfortable with thanks to her rather “fun” past. “This room has nothing of use. We best search this floor thoroughly while we’re here. I’m sure it will be a pain to search.” She spoke, moving to the door to the south, opening it and allowing Ranth to go through first.

This room was extremely dark. The only light came from eerily ornate scones on the wall with candles. They were small and there were only a few scattered throughout the room. Stone walls and black iron cast gates and cells as well as coffins and crypts decorated this place. It wouldn’t be hard to tell that these were the Catacombs of this mysterious castle. The aura of this room was overwhelming. Suffocating almost. Every sound seemed to be amplified and it was dark. Not just appearance but the general feeling. This was a truly evil room. Worse than any of the others.

Rin seemed mostly fine but somewhat unnerved. “I hear something..” She whispered, moving closer to him. Her eyes searched before taking cautious steps into the room and turning on her flashlight. “Growling.” Ranth wouldn’t be able to pick up on it as quickly as his companion had but he’d hear it soon enough. Rin’s flashlight darted around the room. “Do you hear it?” she whispered, turning to him. She looked up to the ceiling to see several pairs of red beady eyes staring down at them. “Wh— !!“ Crow flew at the pair and Rin would do everything in her power to keep those nasty birds away from them. "CAWWWWWWW"

As she was distracted, Ranth would hear the growling grow louder and before he knew it, something would lurch at him and the feeling of teeth sinking into his own flesh would follow immediately after. “Ranth!? Are you ok?”

The Entire house would hear whispers. They started out like whispers at first. Just like the ones they heard upon entering. It starts like a whisper, but then sudden shrieking. It was soul rending and menacing. It felt like it assaulted your mind and soul in every respect. It was like someone was screaming in your mind, filling it with awful, evil sounds.

Everyone must make a Sanity Roll & Roll above a 4 to avoid taking mental damage.
1-3 takes 5 mental damage (Knowledge or Sanity; your choice.)
0 takes 10 mental damage


You have to make four rolls: 1 haunt, 1 might & 2 sanity. Roll might against me for the omen. Bite stays with you forever. Your first Sanity roll is for when you enter The Catacombs. Need 6+ to make it through the room. Otherwise, you just stop here. Your second Sanity roll is for the Hideous Shriek. You must roll above a 4 to avoid taking mental damage.


Make a Haunt Roll (8d3)

eaMb5p|81-31-31-31-3

---

Luke & Shizuka
From one bloody room to the next “Nadezhda” giggled shamelessly as she pissed Shizuka off. Entirely unfazed by the blonde male’s remarks. Her smile grew wider as she peddled closely behind Luke and turned her head a full 180 degrees to look at Shizuka. “No silly.” She smiled menacingly as she spoke. “One of you is gonna turn on the rest of these poor people. You hear those crows? The more of ‘em you hear… the closer you are to one of you turning on the rest! Ahaha~! So far? I counted three..”

“CAWWWWW”

Her eyes widened in mild shock before resuming that ominous smile of hers. “Four now! Teehee~! You better watch your backs.” She turned her head back to Luke, leaning closer to him, whispering. “Imagine attacking your girlfriend.” Her eyebrows raised in amusement as she took a bite out of her sandwich. “That won’t be good now would it?” She asked aloud, peddling ahead of Luke and showing him into the next room.

The Bloody Room -> The Store Room (I) Shizuka
For Shizuka, she would enter what looked like a storage room. There all kinds of things stored in here! It was crowded and clustered but she could certainly rummage through everything. She’d find feather boas, and planks and jewelry, weird toys. This castle must have belonged to some absolute freaks. If she searched and searched, she’d find some lovely sticks of dynamite and a lighter that was good for three uses. There were three sticks and a fuse. There were no other doors in this room so if she wanted to keep exploring, she’d have to go back the way she came and try somewhere else.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}{Spoiler}{Dynamite}Gain+ Dynamite

Instead of attacking, you can throw this through a connecting door in an adjacent room. Everyone must make a speed roll to avoid the explosion.

5+ no damage
0-4 Take 20 points of physical damage

The Bloody Room -> The Game Room (E) Luke
Upon entering Luke’s Room, he’d see a massive Bear pelt in the middle of the room. There were checker boards, chess boards and their respective pieces strewn about. Figurines and Chinese Checkers as well as a pool table and a dart board. Antlers decorated this room and there was a fire going. A cozy fire roaring. This room was beautifully decorated and well lit. It was comfortable.

..At least it was for a moment.

The Entire house would hear whispers. They started out like whispers at first. Just like the ones they heard upon entering. It starts like a whisper, but then sudden shrieking. It was soul rending and menacing. It felt like it assaulted your mind and soul in every respect. It was like someone was screaming in your mind. It was awful.

Everyone must make a Sanity Roll & Roll above a 4 to avoid taking mental damage. (Luke & Shizuka roll 4d3)
1-3 takes 5 mental damage (Knowledge or Sanity; your choice.)
0 takes 10 mental damage

---

Wycliff
The Dining Room (O)

For every step the blonde would take, he would hear a loud wooden tapping. One step Tap! Another. Tap! ..And another? Tap! Tap! It was the sound of wood lightly hitting the wooden floor and if Wycliff cared to look behind him, there would be a chair behind him. If he took another step, the chair was just that much closer. The more Wycliff moved through this castle, he’d hear that same sound every single time. No matter what.

W-Was… That chair following him?

If he turned and walked backwards, he’d see the chair happily follow along. The chair was indeed alive and seemed to have found a friend in the blonde carrying a golden fork. It would hop up and down eagerly and happily clamor around the shinigami as it followed him into the next room.

The blonde with mask in tow would find himself in a room that felt a lot better than the last room. That dining room was full of bad vibes it seemed. This place was cozy. He could somewhat relax in here. The furnishing of this room was made to relax in and just put your feet up and crack open a good novel or two. This was the Library. It was a well lit and there was a fire blazing already. Wycliff would feel much smarter in this room.

Knowledge would fill his mind and something would draw him to the books. A large black one in particular. If he chose to open it, he’d read things about this house. Things that were incredibly vital and important. He’d read that with more crows and crow sounds he heard, awful, terrible things will happen. As if on cue, Wycliff would hear that telltale “CAWWWW” that he heard in the dining room. Only this one was distant; like it was coming from the floor beneath him. If he kept on reading, he’d also learn that one of the people he’d entered this house with was going to kill the others. Eventually the people he’d even come to trust would betray him.

“Get out.”

Each page after the first few he’d flip would read those same words over and over until the color of the ink turned a familiar crimson color. The color of blood. The book even began to reek of the coppery smell.

There was plenty to this room aside from just books though…

In a chair off to the far corner was a pair of skeletons. It was.. unnerving. Creepy. The moving chair would move far, far, FAR away from those skeletons and hide behind Wycliff. It was a Mother and child, still embracing. Upon closer inspection, they were holding on to something… but what?

Gain +5 Knowledge
Lose +5 in either Knowledge or Sanity

You need to make 2 Sanity Rolls. The first one is for the skeletons. Beat a 5+ to get an item. The Second is for the shriek below

The Entire house would hear whispers. They started out like whispers at first. Just like the ones they heard upon entering. It starts like a whisper, but then sudden shrieking. It was soul rending and menacing. It felt like it assaulted your mind and soul in every respect. It was like someone was screaming in your mind. It was awful.

Everyone must make a Sanity Roll & Roll above a 4 to avoid taking mental damage. (You roll 5d3)
1-3 takes 5 mental damage (Knowledge or Sanity; your choice.)
0 takes 10 mental damage

Edit: Wycliff has received an item

Gain+ Axe
You roll 1 additional die when attacking with Might. You cannot use another weapon while using this one.

1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3

[Wycliff]

It seemed that this dinning hall didn't just have a mask for him, as Ludwig left leaving him alone another came to his side. Well he wasn't exactly sure to call it someone else given that it was a chair. From behind the mask he watched as it hopped towards him acting as if it was alive and it wanted to be his friend. Wycliff kept silent as he simply allowed the chair to follow him, he wasn't sure what made this chair special or why it wanted to follow him but he wasn't too worried about it. After all the whispers told him that he should trust the chair and allow it to follow him.

Wycliff opened and smiled at the sight of the new room. While not as large as that dinning hall that he had acquired his mask it was more inviting. This was a library, a place where one could learn, study and understand. Yet as he was looking around this room a voice called to him from a book, a simple book that whispered into his ears and called him to read it. Slowly he made his way to the book, the moment he touched it his body jerked in an inhuman like motion as his hands forced open the book and his eyes were glued to the words on the pages.

He didn't want to, however his body read everything in the book, each word, each letter was etched into his memory as he feverishly read it. His mind was so occupied with reading the book that the cawing of the crows and the unearthly screams weren't even heard by him. As the last page was read and the knowledge of the book forced into his mind Wycliff was able to gain control over himself, dropping the tome as control of his body was returned to him. Even after all of that Wycliff felt better , he felt smarter and he knew something, he knew that one of them would be out to kill the others.

This revelation made it so that him grabbing the golden forks earlier as weapons was a good choice, but he needed something more effective than trying to stab someone in their eyes with a fork. That's when he spotted the skeletons in the corner of the room. His little chair friend hid behind him apparently afraid of the remains of what looked like a mother and a child. Yet his eyes were fixated on what they held, an axe. He smiled as he reached towards the axe, finding that the skeletons had a firm grip on the axe. He pulled on the handle of the axe ripping it from their grasp and causing some bones to fly out. It didn't matter however, he had a weapon now, he had an axe and he was ready to use it if needed.

There was one door that had been closed, the one he didn't come from but the one he would be going into. He was ready to go explore more. The handle of the axe was in hand as the metal blade dragged against the floor as he walked to the door forcing it open with one hand ready to fight what was next. He wasn't sure if his little chair friend was following, but that wasn't his concern at the moment no, he was looking for something, for answers and possibly for someone to plunge his new shiny axe into. `


OOC: Making my rolls so I can see what exactly happens sanity wise First set is for skeletons Second set is for the screams 
wK1CHgtu1-3 1-31-31-31-3

1-31-31-31-31-3
1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3

[Ranth]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Rolls}
Haunt=5
gT0MoWQ91-31-31-31-31-31-31-31-3

Bite = 5 points of physical damage
1-31-31-31-31-3

Catacombs = Do no proceed
1-31-31-31-31-3

Scary noises = not affected
1-31-31-31-31-3

Ranth watched the ghosts depart before letting out a slow, reluctant breath as Rin spoke about doing what needed to be done if the phenomenon that Mandy had spoken of turned one of them against the others. The idea of having Rin as an enemy- whether because she turned on him or vice versa- almost made him physically ill and he offered a silent prayer that if one of their number did indeed fall victim to the powers of this house, that it was someone on one of the upper floors- as selfish as such a wish may have been.

"It won't come to that", he said with a firmness that he hoped sounded more convincing than he felt. Ultimately, they didn't have the luxury of worrying about what may or may not happen to them, there was a 2/8 chance that one of them might fall victim whereas there was a much higher chance of them never making it out of this place alive if they didn't press on with their exploration to try and find the skeleton key that would allow them to escape this hellish mansion.

Attempting to push open the door to the south, Ranth found that the door was firmly stuck and no amount of pushing, pulling or pounding from either Ranth or Rin could make it give way. It was then that a low growl could be heard and suddenly something leaped out of the shadows and bit into Ranth's leg. With a startled cry, Ranth lashed out at the unseen assailant and thankfully it was enough for it to let go and scamper off into the shadows once again. With a grimace, Ranth surveyed the wound that had been left behind and stepped away from the door. It wasn't deep, but a small trickle of blood ran down his leg. "Gah, what the heck was that? Let's try another room!"

With a the faintest hint of a limp, Ranth led the way to through the west door, which brought them into a room with 3 other doors to choose from other than the one they'd just come through. With nothing to differentiate one door from another in terms of signage, Ranth randomly chose the northernmost door and hoped that nothing waited behind it for a chance to take another bite out of him. "Stay behind me your majesty, who knows what's lurking down here", he said bravely before kicking down the door and stepping into the room beyond.1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3

[Ludwig Verrlicht]

HzP5PKPD1-31-31-31-31-3

Just as Ludwig was beginning to relax some he heard the sound of a crow screech out. Glancing over he noticed it on the grandfather clock and if he was honest he found it difficult to turn his gaze away. Those eyes...something wasn’t ok with those eyes. And the fact they just stared at both him and Wycliff only made the entire event more unsettling. Eventually the staring contest ended with Ludwig the winner as the crow flew off the clock and out to the garden but honestly Ludwig was certain they’d meet again. And he wasn’t too keen on that moment coming up again if he was honest. With the moment calmer than prior he’d look over back at the mask and Wycliff. The mask itself was a bit creepy, even for Ludwig so he was only more than happy to allow Wycliff to take it and wear it. Though if he was honest he wasn’t entirely certain why the other decided to keep it on rather than just hold onto it. Still if there was anything Ludwig knew about him it was that this man did his own thing so he really shouldn’t have expected anything different. Especially not when the man in question subsequently decided to steal or take? He wasn’t sure considering they were stuck here but regardless his taking golden forks in an attempt to sell them off really brought down any level of fear/concern Ludwig had currently. And in fact it made things feel like he’d never left the barracks. 


Still at least that was a comfort and so Ludwig could only chuckle, shaking his head before taking a deep breath. Thinking back to what Wycliff had said earlier perhaps Ludwig had been too protective. Wycliff, though not always the smartest person, was in fact a pretty self sufficient individual. Honestly he had to admit he was taking this whole event in strides that Ludwig hadn’t been. He’d kinda been struggling up until this point just finding his way and catching even the little oddities. It was no surprise then that Ludwig felt it necessary to split up given his 3rd seat was capable enough to handle splitting up and currently had already been walking away. With a quick breath Ludwig spoke up to make sure his 3rd seat heard him, “I’m going to go back and investigate the garden as well as the entrance more. It should be safe now with the..thing gone. If you find anything important you know where to find me.”


Ludwig at that moment turned around and headed back to the garden he’d previously been at. Taking a deep breath and actually glancing over the garden he had to admit it was still a sight to see. And with the moon in the sky it was actually fairly scenic. It still held an aura of “This isn’t a safe spot” but that more came with the situation itself. After taking a few second to look around Ludwig decided he needed a means of protecting himself, he wasn’t a very good physical fighter, never even learned how to do more than throw a punch if he was honest. And then as if a lightbulb had spawned above his head he knew the perfect weapon for this situation. A shovel. He remembered back in WW1 they’d been incredibly useful in close quarters, plus they had both utility and offense. It was perfect and given he was in a garden? Oh there was going to be one SOMEWHERE.


Thus started Ludwig’s glorious adventure in seeking something aside from his fists to use. He took the entire walk slow as he wanted to make sure he checked every nook and cranny before moving on. God’s help him if he didn’t find a shovel because he’d be SOL. A few minutes passed however and while Ludwig didn't find a shovel yet he DID manage to find some flowers. Well taken care of and numerous enough that to Ludwig there could only be one option for such pretty flowers. He needed to make a crown of them, white, pink, and even yellow flowers in their own pots sat before him and in a matter of moments he'd managed to finish off his crown. Thankfully since he was alone he wouldn't have to deal with Wycliff making fun of him as he wore it. So without hesitation he placed it upon his head and continued his valiant but seemingly useless quest until he noticed something move in the corner of his eyes. Initially he chose to ignore it thinking that if the thing in question thought he didn’t notice it he might get the drop on it. Especially if it was the same thing Wycliff had punted prior Ludwig was certain that moment of surprised would be exactly what he’d need to do the same.


So his search continued and his little “companion” followed him. Always out the corner of his eye but if Ludwig even nudged his head towards him he’d fail to see it. The most he caught was a couple of beady little eyes. 2 minutes passed and the same thing happened. Then 5, and eventually what seemed like an eternity passed and Ludwig finally snapped his neck back towards the thing following him more out of concern at this point and mild irritation that he was being stalked. And loe and behold upon turning around he found the absolute most adorable little ferret Ludwig had ever seen. In truth he hadn’t even know ferrets COULD be adorable. However when said ferret has a small top hat and a lil bowtie it became the most adorable thing. Out of scenic nowhere Ludwig had the intense urge to pick it up and hold it. However upon seeing it the little dude just ran off.


If there was anything Ludwig was good at, it was being determined. And god help this little ferret because he wasn’t going to lose him before he got at least a small boop to his nose. The game of tag didn’t last long as Ludwig kept up well enough with the ferret since it didn’t really seem too keen on really running away. In fact if Ludwig had been paying attention he’d have realized it was guiding him more than anything, sadly intense desires to boop a snoot override mental capabilities 9/10 times. And now was one of those times. But eventually, eventually he finally managed to catch up and not only that but scoop up the little dork. The ferret didn’t even retaliate instead it just squeaked in a super cute manner and once able wiggled itself out of Ludwig’s grasp to climb up his arm and onto his shoulder. Having accomplished his goal of catching the ferret Ludwig at this point was pretty satisfied and let the little guy be while in the back of his mind he continued to think of names for the guy.


That was when he noticed the shovel. In all it’s basic and rusted glory there it was. Leaning against the wall of the castle with some empty pots next to it. Ludwig practically jumped as he reached out and grabbed it. It was a typical shovel in look and length though the metal end was entirely rusted and the handle was well worn wood. But in all honesty it seemed sturdy enough so whatever he would end up needing to do he was certain the shovel could compensate. At least initially. Now two goals down Ludwig finally started his way back towards the entrance but then the whispers came back. And not just with to speak more mumbo jumbo bullshit no it came back with a vengeance like someone had pissed it off to hell and back. Ludwig quickly dropped the shovel to put his hands around his ears to dampen the sound only to no avail. 


Though this screaming only lasted a short while Ludwig was certain that he had lost at least some of his hearing. If he ever found whoever or whatever kept screeching at him he was going to find a frying pan and knock their ass unconscious. This was getting old and his hearing depended on it stopping sooner than later. When he was certain things had quieted down Ludwig glanced around then picked up his shovel again. A quick check to Silas, his dapper companion, to make sure he was safe and sound and Ludwig quickly began to make is way to the entrance.


In all honesty with his shovel in hand, a companion on his shoulder, and some knowledge of the area, the entrance anyway, Ludwig pretty quickly walked through it and into the ballroom. Noticing the door had already been opened he assumed that another must have come this way so he was certain this area had to be safe also. Well as safe as anywhere in this house could be. So he pretty much continued to walk on until he found yet another door this one was also open. However if there was ever a word to describe it then it would be dilapidated. Collapsed upon itself and just wrecked. Ludwig wasn’t really certain this was the best room to be in, let alone go through. At least the ballroom and the entrance weren’t really over the top in terms of what was going on but not this place. This room just made him concerned that he’d be killed by something from above. Still...others had gone through so he may as well press on, if it hadn’t given up on them then he would be fine so with slower and more cautious steps Ludwig would enter the collapsed room. Eyes scanning over what he could see just in case something would need some shovel slapping.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats}
Strength- 50

Speed- 50

Sanity- 50

Knwoledge- 45 (-5 for bad rolls.)

SPOILER: Click to show

{Dapper Companion- Silas}

1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3

[Deleted]

Sorry for bad post

ctbhn8F71-31-31-31-3

”Ooooh I like this room.”

”I have to agree. It’s rather well furnished.”

Yeah, it’s nice. he thoughts to himself as he stepped into the game room. His eyes dropped down to the floor to get a look at the bear pelt that was set up as something like a rug. Strolling around the room, with curious and interested eyes, Luke took in the sights as he looked around. His now slender fingers slid across the tips of a few chess pieces as he looked around, inspiration and excitement building up inside of him. ”You’ve been thinking about the shop again, haven’t you?” Windstärke suddenly asked, causing Luke to blink a few times. Yeah...something like this was how I imagined it looking.

For awhile Luke had been thinking of...differentiating things a little when it came to work. When he wasn’t out on jobs for UE’s clients or patrolling the city looking for monsters, he had been taking the time to look at properties for sale in Karakura. He’d been looking to set up something like a shop, where people who needed help could go. The massiveness and corporate feel of Uzaki’s had a tendency to make people anxious and nervous. Plus if Luke distanced himself, at least on the surface, from UE a little bit he felt it could really do some good. This game room just so happened to spark those thoughts again.

However, as Luke looked around he became aware of something in the back of his mind. He blinked, for a moment, before he became aware of what was about to happen. With the speed of thought, Luke erected a mental wall just in time when he began to hear his screeching. Blocking Jäger out was successful as the whispers turned into sudden wailing that caused Luke to grab at his head. Grinding his teeth together, Luke waited the sounds out until they were finally over. Sheepishly lowering his hands he shook his head a little, looking at the doors around him for a moment. ”You find anything, Shizuka?” Luke hollered, approaching the western door to see what was on the other side.

1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3

[Deleted]

Haunt Score: 4

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}{Spoiler}{Upper Floor Map}

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}{Spoiler}{Ground Floor Map}

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}{Spoiler}{Basement Floor Map}

Ludwig
The Collapsed Room -> The Abandoned Room (O)


Silas would curl up around Ludwig’s next, feeling quite happy to have a companion. He’d then hear a voice. It was unclear as to where it was coming from. Whether it was the ferret or the spirits of this house that lingered about was anyones guess. It was all Ludwig was going to hear for the next minute or so as he made his way to the Collapsed room. “This place is kinda cursed. I mean, look what it did to me.” He could look around but there was no one there. Just Ludwig, his ferret and his shovel. “I was here with a bunch of my friends once back in ’87.” So he wasn't the only one in this mess? This has been going on for years!

The voice in Ludwig's mind sounded mournful, saddened and deeply troubled. It was the result of being in this place. The outcome of what was to happen if things took a turn for the worse. "It was fun at first, exploring with them and everything but then Hannah went insane after all those crows went crazy. Ran a spear through my guts and watch as I bled out as she laughed. I've never seen her look that way before. It was like that other guy she was with was controlling her. I don't know how to explain it. It was like she was possessed or something!" The voice said distressed.

Nope! Still no one around! Ludwig would find making his way through the castle was easy so far but that was thanks to his companions who’d explored quite a bit. Maybe he could get his hands on some loot. Ludwig would find himself on autopilot and in a trance for the moment as he moved. He’d arrived in the Collapsed Room but there was nothing special about it. It was empty and there were just a lot of whispers. The same voice from earlier would speak again for a final time. “Watch your back, man. One of your friends is gonna turn as soon as that haunt starts. If they keep finding crows, you’ll be in big trouble. Do whatcha can to get out of this place. Good luck, Ludwig.”

When he snapped out of it, he’d find himself in a room with a taller, handsome male with teal hair and a bright smile and a bushy tailed fox with several tails. The same fox he’d seen from when he woke up. “Hiya!” The male chirped at Ludwig excitedly, grinning at the sight of a new face and waving. “Did you get stuck in here too!? I’ve never seen you before! Aha!” He was as happy as a clam despite being in the creepiest castle in the world. Ludwig could see three other doorways, waiting to be explored or he could make more new friends!

---

Ranth & Rin
The Underground Lake (E)

Rin looked at Ranth with uncertainty for a solid minute. The Empress had much to say and looked as though she wanted to say it all but words would fail her. They were nice words to hear but having Ranth as an enemy made her incredibly nervous. Unsettled almost. She truly deep down in her heart wanted to believe that neither of them was going to betray the others but it didn’t hurt to be prepared for the worst. He seemed sure of himself… Perhaps indulging in a bit of cautious optimism wouldn’t be so bad, ne~?

The door in the other end of the catacombs were stuck. It was a stupid door and every other door had to open! Rin angrily tried the door, pulling on it and pushing on it. This tally, manly body had to be good for more than collecting the spiderwebs ands dust atop the ceiling. When the growl came around she stood very still, trying to hear what it was and where it was coming from. Rin was more than ready to beat the bloody hell out of whatever was crawling around down here. At the sound of Ranth’s pained cry she spun to him and shone her flashlight on him and then his leg. They were bite marks. The kind that resembled a snake bite. Two noticeable holes with blood trickling down. This room wasn’t safe and so she’d quickly move out of the room, keeping close to him in the event he might need help moving. Though it didn’t seem like any of what just happened would stop him. “Very well, my heroic lieutenant! Press onwards.” She’d smirk amusedly as he moved on courageously, not caring for what was on the other side of the door he was going though, limp and all.

The next room was pitch black but they could hear the sounds of water running. It was kind of like a cavern and when Rin shone her flashlight throughout the room, they’d see a lake of sorts and a door to their left which was easily accessible if they skirted around the lake. The waters were still for a moment and Rin eyed it skeptically. It was brief but she could see gentle ripples in the water. Hurriedly, Rin shone her light ahead and saw nothing before whipping around. “Ranth!” She called out for him to turn as she settled into a defensive stance.

When he turned, he’d see a man in old ragged clothing, staring long and hard at the pair. It was a groundskeeper of this castle. He was running straight for Ranth and then raised his shovel, ready to strike. Rin moved, prepared to slam her fist into his solar plexus but just as she thought her fist would connect, he was gone. Disappeared entirely. All the pair would see were muddy footprints in the ground. “What..” She asked spinning around, shining her light everywhere before looking to Ranth with confusion.

Make a Knowledge roll. (6d3)

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}+4 You find an item.
-3 The groundskeeper reappears and strikes Ranth in the face with the shovel. You must defend & roll your might
CdWkPWuo1-31-31-31-3

---

Luke
The Operating Room (E)

The first thing to hit Luke’s nose was the smell. The smell of blood an the quickly after, the brightness of this room. It was also another well lit room. There were pools of blood and medical instruments strewn everywhere. Some body parts here and there but nothing that was going to come out and kill him. It wasn’t Frankenstein’s lab after all. Just a normal, run of the mill operating laboratory. Totally normally. Every wonderful house had one.

Then he’d hear giggling. The sound of “Nadezhda” cycling back would make its way to his ears and he’d see that she stopped just outside of the doorway, not entering for a while. She was taking a bite out of her sandwich, staring at the female bount giggling. The girl looked as though she knew something he didn’t. Something sinister and something that was coming for him. He wouldn’t know what hit him and that thought alone would cause her laughter to grow more insidious and louder. Suddenly, the girl would stop and she slowly took one hand off the handle of her bye and waved, raising an eyebrow. “See ya.”

Those words would be the last thing Luke heard just before he felt the floor give out under him. Those words and the sight of “Nadezhda’s” sinister, twisted face, waving him goodbye before disappearing entirely from his side. Luke was on a slide. A slide to somewhere in this god forsaken house. He’d quickly find that he could control it. He wouldn’t know where he was going but it wasn’t hard to figure out that if he didn’t control this thing properly, he was going to get himself hurt.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}Make a Might roll (5d3)
5+ you can go into any explored room on the ground floor
0-4 you fall into the basement and take -5 pts of damage.

---

Wycliff
The Statuary Corridor (E)

This was more than just a room. This was a hallway. A creepy hallway that had burgundy carpet laid out for Wycliff like he was some kind of star. Even worse? There were eight display cases; four on either side of this corridor. In it were statues. Not just any statues, but statues of familiar faces. Wycliff would see one statue having his face; his real face from his real male body. He’d see Ludwig, Ranth, Luke, Shizuka, Rin, Asuka and Hibiki. Everyone he knew and others he didn’t. Still it was clear that this house was set for them. Other statue heads lay broken on the floor. Some shards and pieces of the heads red.

They were the faces of all kinds of people. Perhaps the ones that were dead were shattered and the ones that were red were the traitors. That would mean that at some point, one of these heads were gonna change. Maybe when the haunt started Wycliff would have much more insight to what might happen. As of now, it would be difficult to tell. The only thing he could tell for certain was that there was only death in the end for everyone that stayed in this house; innocent & traitor.

From the moment Wycliff and his pet chair entered the room, they’d feel that unsettling, nervous feel. Some heads on the ground stared at Wycliff and they had all kinds of expressions. The ones in red were eerily gleeful or blank and the others that weren’t shattered beyond believe looked as if they were full of despair and sorrow. It was easy to have a shiver run up your spine being in here. As he progressed more and more, he’d see a telephone at the other end of the hall. It was ringing.

He could try to ignore it but what good would that do? It was a normal ring at first but then it got louder and louder with each ring. It wouldn’t stop! Maybe he should pick it up?! Perhaps there was someone useful at the end of that line. Regardless of his feelings, Wycliff would feel compelled to answer it. At the other end of the line was the voice of a sweet little granny.

Roll 2d3

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}Roll 2 dice

4 = gain 1 sanity : The old granny tells you that you were always her favorite.
3 = gain 1 knowledge : The old granny tells you that she is always watching out for you.
1-2 = 1 die mental damage : "GIMME A KISS SWEETUMS"
0 = 2 die physical damage: "Bad children must be punished!"

1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

1FoVGnXL1-31-31-31-3

Children were just such a nightmare. Shizuka didn't want to have anything more to do with this Nadezhda thing than he had to. He wasn't going to enjoy spending the rest of his time with her if this continued, but luckily for him, she seemed to want to follow Luke. That also made him uneasy, but at least she wasn't going to be a nuisance anymore. Shizuka sighed. The scariest thing in this entire house had to be a fucking child. What a disaster. Well, that, and his separation from his girlfriend. Shizuka was not a fan of having to leave Luke alone. He felt this overwhelming need to protect her for whatever reason that wasn't going away.

But they had to. If this was what his precious Luke wanted, then alright. It'll have to do. Shizuka went his own separate way and looked inside what seemed to be a storage room. This little place was full of everything. Actually, it was full of a lot of weird things that the Fullbringer didn't really want to think about. Well, to be honest, some of them looked fun. Some of them looked like things he'd love to get his hands on so that he could use them on Luke. For whatever reason, he knew she'd like it. But that would have to be for another time. What really caught his eyes was the sticks of dynamite and lighter. If he was going to be able to protect himself without the use of his powers, these would come in handy. He picked them up and fit them in his pockets.

Suddenly, Shizuka found himself covering his ears. The shrieking and screaming was unbearable. It felt like his head was going to explode for the few moments that he heard it. These sounds were familiar and yet so foreign to him. Was this some kind of Hollow? No, probably not. He hadn't seen a Hollow this entire time. Something about this house made it feel so disconnected from the world outside, and not just because it made him have a penis. There was something else. Something awful. And these screams were just making it worse. Shizuka stood up straight and shook off the mild pain. After leaving the storage room, he'd pass through the bloody room again with intentions to keep moving to the game room.



Strength - 50
Speed - 50
Knowledge - 50
Sanity - 45

SPOILER: Click to show

{Gains}

• Dynamite: Instead of attacking, you can throw this through a connecting door in an adjacent room. Everyone must make a speed roll to avoid the explosion. | 5+ no damage. 0-4 Take 20 points of physical damage

1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3

[Wycliff]

So many faces, in this hallway there were so many faces on statues some he knew, he could see his own, Ludwigs, Ranth's. One that was familiar of a former vice captain of squad four, Wycliff hadn't personally met that shingami, but he was in that squad around the same time as that vice captain, at least for a while till the man up and vanished. Other faces weren't so easy to tell, there were at least three he didn't recognize, one belonged to a blonde woman he had to guess in her early twenties, another was that of a woman with long green hair and a silly smile on her face. It seemed peaceful and friendly, but who knows. The last one..... wasn't really a face, more like a stupid red helmet where a face should have been.



Upon seeing that statue that's when the rigging started to happen, a phone nearby in the middle of the hall started to ring. He looked over at his chair buddy who was just looking at the phone. “What, ya not going to answer?” He looked at the chair waiting for it to answer the phone, it would be rude to not answer the phone. Eventually as the fifth and six ring rang he knew that the chair wouldn't pick up the phone so he had to do it himself. With a sigh he walked over and answered it a shrill voice came over the phone and screamed. "GIMME A KISS SWEETUMS". Without a second thought Wycliff slammed the phone down and looked back at his chair friend angry that he didn't answer the phone. He raised his axe up ready to slam it into his new best friend, but then an idea came across his mind. There was something more deserving of being axed. He turned back to the statue of the silly helmet and proceeded to swing his axe into it over and over and over again until the statue broke.



With his little stress ball broken and out of the way and another doorway ahead of him Wycliff pressed forward with his chair friend following him. Upon oppening the new door he found himself back in the room that he started this whole adventure in, with no one else in sight he decided that going up would be useful, after all if something was going on then having the high ground would be the best thing to do. Climbing the stairs for him was easy, his chair friend however had some issues. He waited at the top of the stairs as his little buddy sorta hopped carefully up the stairs, falling over a few times and having to start over from the beginning again and again. However eventually it managed to get up. With two ways to go Wycliff watched as the chair started to go left leading him to another empty room with three doorways. He looked at all three for a moment before sitting down on his chair buddy and spoke. “Well hop to it, go and pick a room.” There he would sit on his ally as it hopped over to one of the three unopened doors. Him riding his noble steed.

SPOILER: Click to show

OOC: rolling to see what happens first 

2|W9HOFp1-3 1-3 

1-3 random roll for room Top room in landing is one, left most room is 2 bottom left room is 3 lets see what the chair picks.

1-3

Rolling to damage the statue 

1-3 1-3 1-3 1-3 1-3 1-3

 lost five Knowledge
Strength - 50

Speed - 50

Knowledge - 60

Sanity - 40

1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3

[Deleted]

09yrJ2HE1-31-31-31-31-31-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

A32b7KpY1-31-31-31-31-31-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3

[Deleted]

Maybe he should have picked the other door. Twisting the handle and pushing the door in front of him open, the first thing that hit him in this new room was the odor. The woman winced, almost immediately, as his nostrils burned and stung when the rancid smells made their way into the small holes on his face. It was a smell he recognized, knew rather well, and couldn’t ever get used to. Despite how often he came across it he could never get used to it. It always sucked when he was having to wash it out of his clothes. Even worse was just trying to get it out of his clothes. There was a reason Luke stopped using a public laundromat. The ”I’m a butcher.” excuse stopped working when people started noticing bullet holes and sword cuts in his clothes.

”Jeez...Luke you think this is where they tucked and taped your dick?”

Jäger would ask as Luke stepped into what he, began to assume, was some kind of operation room. Just what the fuck was this house? This layout and bumfuck randomness with the rooms didn’t make any sense. Uncleaned medical instruments lay about, body parts were strewn about like socks you take off when you get home, and the paint job of blood everywhere really painted the picture of how unkempt this lab had been. What purpose did it have? Stepping inside, Luke aimed to investigate the place a little before moving back into the Game Room and using the other door. As he stepped inside, however, he would suddenly hear Not Nadezhda giggling.

Blinking, Luke turned back towards the doorway to see the apparition of the child just standing here. “See ya.” She suddenly said, causing Luke’s eyes to widen in panic and make an attempt to lunge back through the doorway. But he couldn’t make it. His feet weren’t touching floor. The floor he was standing on had suddenly given out beneath him and he was moving. Moving fast. A slide? He was on a slide?? Letting out a girly scream of freight, Luke watched Nadezhda vanish from sight as he was consumed by the darkness. Grinding his teeth together, he’d suddenly grab the sides of the slide. Grabbing them, though, caused the slide to shake as if it were loose. An idea was born.

”EAT MY SHIT YOU LITTLE BITCH!!”

Luke screamed as he suddenly shook the slide to the left, altering his path entirely before he was suddenly, violently, spat out into a new room. It was like the ceiling of the room opened up before Luke was spat out. Landing with a thud, the woman groaned and gasped as her chest exploded with pleasure from scraping against her clothes. God damn it. Dealing with this shit again? Getting to his feet and looking around, Luke realized he was in a Library. Was he on the ground floor?

[Ranth]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Groundskeeper roll}qKyWF3FH1-31-31-31-31-31-3

Ranth paused for a moment as Rin made her remark. It was a casual comment, a throwaway line and yet it made him hesitate beyond the boundary of the door he'd just opened. Rin couldn't see Ranth's face, but for a moment he would appear to stiffen almost imperceptibly before turning with a bright smile on his face. "Careful your majesty, Kaen might get jealous if he heard you saying such things". With that said, he turned back to the room which appeared to be a cavern of sorts whilst the sound of slow moving water filled the space with an eerie atmosphere. In the dim light, Rin may not have noticed, but the smile Ranth had given her hadn't reached his eyes but that was likely due to their current circumstances... right?

Before anything else could be said, Rin's cry of alarm alerted Ranth to the fact that they didn't seem to be alone in this underground lake and a dim figure came dashing out of the gloom. As the figure came closer at a sprint, Ranth could make out baggy clothing and the frame of a man, but it was the shovel he was carrying that really drew Ranth's eye. Was he going to attack? Was this man a threat to himself and to Rin? Ranth tensed, preparing himself as best he could but then... the figure simply vanished in the blink of an eye. One moment he was barely three paces away, the next... gone without a trace.

"What on earth... You... you did see that, right? There was a man with a shovel running towards us?" His voice rose in pitch, affecting a questioning tone even as he made what should have been a statement of fact as he turned slowly to survey the area. In doing so, Ranth's eyes fell upon a trail of muddy footprints that led all the way up to the point where Ranth had seen the man vanish and a shiver ran down his spine as he wondered if he would have preferred for there to be no physical trace of the mysterious man at all. But as his gaze fell upon the closest set of footprints, Ranth's eyes narrowed as something on the ground caught the light and he carefully walked over to investigate.

Bending down, Ranth realised that there was something half buried in the mud. "Hey, there's something here!" He called over his shoulder as he tentatively dug at the object in order to dig it out to get a better look at what it was. Sadly, it didn't seem to be a key but given the oddities Ranth had come across so far, he'd come to realise that there could be other items hidden within the house that could be almost as useful as the key that would ultimately grant them freedom. At the very least, perhaps one of these mysterious oddities would enable them to find the key in the first place... or ward off the 'Haunt' that Mandy had warned them about.

Once the item was uncovered, further exploration of the underground lake would reveal no other hidden items and still no sign of the strange man with the shovel. What they did find however was another door, this one leading to the West. Ranth didn't know how he knew that the door was leading West but with the odd book tucked under his arm, he felt an odd sense of surety swelling within him, and the book seemed to warm slightly in his grip- as though actively imbuing him with the knowledge he required. "Careful, there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to the rooms in this place. I'd half expect to step out into a garden at this rate" Ranth said to Rin as he gripped the handle of the door and pushed it open.1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3·1-3

[Ludwig Verrlicht]

Ludwig smiled as he glanced over at his companion. Silas had already began warming up to him it seemed judging by the way he was curling up next to his neck. It made Ludwig feel more comfortable, even if this room he was in did not. And as if to add to that discomfort he felt he suddenly heard a voice. Stopping in his tracks he glanced around and was surprised that for a voice so close he couldn’t find SOMETHING around. He’d listen patient albeit on edge as he continued to walk, slowly losing track of the room as he walked through it. More of his attention had turned to this odd voice. Once it seemingly finished Ludwig would glance at Silas.

Silas returned the look with his head cocked making his ever present top hat all the more adorable. Ludwig was sort of a sucker for this silly ferret already and damn that top hat for making him easily distracted. However the little questioning voice in the back of his head didn’t allow Ludwig to fully lose himself in his companions charm. But even while the voice was speaking he found his companion’s mouth to never move. His eyes looked like they were trying to speak to him but even if eyes were doors to the soul that didn’t mean language barriers didn’t hurt the message that was trying to be spread. So if his companion had any message to give it was lost upon Ludwig.

Continuing his journey across the room Ludwig listened to the final message of the voice. It’s warning loud and clear. GTFO ASAP. Ludwig for… at least two reasons wanted to get out sooner than later but now armed with this new information that someone was going to start going on a murder spree Ludwig chuckled to himself. A sort of hollow, concerned chuckle as he paled slightly having a good guess at who was probably going to be the murderer if their track record was anything to speak of. Ludwig was certain Wycliff had a high chance considering he was already partially psychopathic with his zanpakuto spirit’s influence. Assuming this place wanted to make spirits the venue of driving someone off the edge he was certain Wycliff would be the easiest of the bunch to manipulate.

He sighed at the thought not terribly happy that he was already picturing this event with his 3rd seat but if nothing else he should at least be prepared for the worst. Silas and his life could depend on it. With a tighter grip on his shovel Ludwig pressed on passed the open door and into yet another room. Almost sinking into his own thoughts when a voice caught his attention first. Looking up Ludwig had to admit if he wasn’t certain this dude was actually a female in any other place but here he’d be pretty damn tempted to do a number of things to the guy. Hell even just looking the guy over it almost seemed like he had an aura of positive emotions spilling out. He smiled a bit at ease until the message in the back of his mind clicked in.

“The Haunt” as it was called. He wasn’t certain what that was let alone what it entailed but being around more people, especially someone who naturally made him want to lower his guard was possibly a dangerous choice for when it started. Especially when that person was someone he didn’t recognize. Looking at their side Ludwig quickly noticed another female, one he’d seen at the beginning of this whole mess. Ludwig merely looked over at her quietly, ignoring Asuka for a moment before the lightbulb went off. Amaya, that was the name they had given. He merely nodded before finally speaking towards Asuka his light smile on his face. “Sorry about ignoring you there. I had sort of lost myself in my own head haha! But yes I did get stuck here also. My name’s Ludwig, it’s nice to meet you. Who would you be? I recognize Amaya but I don’t remember seeing you when the group first woke up at the entrance.”

Ludwig would extend his left hand out for a handshake. Asuka was free to take him up on it or not he really wanted to get a name to put to her face. This way at least he had more of a head count of who all was present in the mansion. In truth he was probably going to be easily remembered himself, the only redhead the group had and to top it off he had a ferret and crown of flowers. The latter of which Ludwig had actually forgotten he was wearing. Once Asuka started speaking Ludwig would listen to her but look around the room, specifically for any doors that may or may not exist. He hadn’t been much on the frontiering aspect of the house but his time to do that would come soon once he spied a door to his right. Having not seen the door on his left he nodded to himself deciding what door he’d be going through next.

Once Asuka was done speaking Ludwig would turn his attention back to her again now that he had a bit more of a plan set in mind. “So how have you both fared in finding the key for this haunted house? I’m sure you can imagine but I’ve made very little progress myself. In fact I even got split up from my initial companion, he wandered off by himself mumbling something as he went. At that point I just walked back towards the beginning. I thought it better to try looking in another direction, seems you both beat me to the punch heh.” As he finished he continued to glance over Asuka. Though he wanted to trust her he also wanted to not be caught by surprise later if he turned on him so a little preemptive information gathering wouldn’t hurt. Besides he was certain the two would go off together to another part of the house leaving him to Silas and his thoughts yet again. And perhaps that door if they intended to move on. For now though once he had a good idea of Asuka’s overall form and any unique accessories he’d just continue smiling softly, leaning on his shovel and occasionally nudging Silas with his cheek gently.