Session 89 - Lost In The Manor of Dreams
In-game timeline: Start of session: 1490DR Tarsakh 20. End of session: 1490DR Tarsakh 20
Our "Heroes" wake in the inn in Helms Hold and become aware that Pacino has not returned from the manor house as he was instructed. Derrick is unable to contact him and fears that he has been killed.
The group head down to breakfast and learn that Penny has still not returned and her parents, and Colwyn the bar owner, are all worried about her. Iwee tries to contact her using a Sending spell, but receives no reply. All our "Heroes" are concerned for her safety. So Derrick settles down to a full breakfast.
Once sated, they head into the town towards Graysing Manor. The mists are quite imposing today, especially in the direction they are travelling, and it is not long before they are enveloped in unsettling fog - unable to see very far for very long, and all sound is muffled by the mists.
As they progress slowly and cautiously, their minds are spooked by… visions? Or are they real? They all see horrifying sights that they hope are figments of their imagination, though Karoshi runs off towards what he sees, only to find it dissipates in the mist and he cannot find anything remaining of the sight he saw.
They push on, unnerved, and eventually reach the courtyard of Graysing Manor, which hosts an impressive stone fountain, and an abandoned cart, seemingly overturned in the yard.
As they investigate the upturned cart, they spot movement in the far corner of the courtyard. As the mists slowly thin, they see four giant rats, walking on hind legs and dressed in strange, human, attire - a lab coat, a tweed jacket etc. Before they can take in this strange sight before them, the rats leap towards them and attack!
It becomes apparent that these are no "ordinary" giant rats in jackets. Their attacks cause psychic damage, and our "Heroes" need all their resilience to withstand the sense of fear that is starting to encroach. Jaxii's weapon fails to do as much damage as she had hoped, and Iwee is exposed to the attacks from the rats as they seem able to 'misty step' or similar, towards them.
However, it takes only a few seconds or so for our Heroes to regroup and consolidate their attacks into the sort of effective fighting force that is rarely seen from this party. Karoshi imbues Jaxii's weapon with magic, making it more effective and Iwee hits three of the creatures with a Slow spell, drastically limiting what they can do, and ensuring the party is not swamped by all four creatures at once. Despite Derrick and Jaxii being Baned by one of the creatures, they hack into their somewhat incorporeal bodies, draining them of energy. Derrick switches to using spells to increase the damage done, and before too long all four creatures have dissipated into the mists. Our Heroes are victorious, without too much damage done, and only some of their resources drained.
They hurry towards the open main doors of the Manor House before any more creatures can accost them.
Graysing Manor seems deserted. They cautiously enter the Grand Hall, and check out the various objects that are displayed on pedestals around the hall. Their attention is drawn to one empty pedestal labelled "Eye of Kronos", as well as a golden idol, labelled "Dreamkin Idol" towards the back of the hall, in front of a large tapestry showing the Graysing family tree. This idol seems to be missing three of the pretty stones similar to the one remaining one left in one of its four open hands. Iwee cautiously takes the remaining stone.
They head upstairs and discover paintings of the Graysing family, and a large mirror which seems to contain "Lord" Graysing himself! He seems to be trapped somewhere - in a sort of reflection of the Great Hall - and is unable to escape. After some explanations, they all work out that the Dreamkin Idol is probably in some way responsible for this, and that the entire Manor House is likely to be in some Dream realm! Dracomere Graysing explains that he thinks his children were probably, without his permission, playing with the stones from the Dreamkin Idol when this happened. When asked about the origin of this Idol, he is a little cagey and admits that perhaps it was obtained via nefarious means. He explains that he is a collector of relics.
Our Heroes head into the Manor House to try to find the children, thinking that this would be the quickest way to finding the stones. Choosing a door seemingly at random, Derrick and Iwee head into the room, followed closely by Jaxii, whilst Karoshi remained outside for now.
The room appears to be a grand Ballroom, complete with guests. But the guests are somewhat strange - the dancers seem to be identical people to those party members in the room, albeit dressed in fine gowns. People sitting around the dance floor seem to be people known to those Heroes in the room. Derrick doesn't even stop to look around, but heads out of the door.
And it slowly dawns on the group that the doors are not typical. Going out of the door they came in takes them to a different door, possibly in the same room, possibly in another room. With Karoshi still outside on the landing, the other three progress through multiple doors, separating the group, and Karoshi knows only that they tried to exit the door towards him. In fact the other three are in a completely different room, with its own strange mysteries…