A Midnight Masquerade — IC

[ratwizard]

"More blood," Renault says quietly to the others, beckoning them to follow. "Looks like somebody was moving through here." He steps toward the double-doors carefully before shoving them open.

[Scratcherclaw]

Jacques' eyes widen as he looks down the blood-spattered corridor. Well whoever is responsible for this, it's not a hungry vampire, he thinks as he begins following Renault further into the manse. No way one of us would waste all of this.

[Fialova]

Renault, Jacques

[SHOW]

The doors open into a large, ornately-decorated bedroom. There are books and tables, most of which seem well-organized and in pristine condition, and two fireplaces on either side of the room. A large four-post bed sits in the center, neatly made and looking to be adorned in the finest silk sheets. The rugs covering the wooden ground are also of apparent high quality, likely imported from Crescent Bluff.

All of the decor is secondary to the image that lays before you, however. On the floor, to the right side of the room, is the corpse of a very well-dressed man whom any would recognize as Marcel Dupuis. He lays on his back, legs straight, as if he were sleeping peacefully. His torso is split down the center with his chest cavity partially open, like an autopsy, with blood pooled underneath him. Over this ghastly wound can be found his hands folded neatly together and, clasped within them, a single blood-soaked red rose.

In addition to the cut on his chest, the man's face his been cut into a chelsea smile and his nick slit, both sources of more blood. His clothing appears to have been partially removed before the cut on the torso, rather than being cut as well, suggesting that the chest wound may have occurred post-mortem. All in all it is an incredibly ghastly scene, much worse than anything visible on the servant who fell down the stairs.

Map

[SHOW]

[Scratcherclaw]

Gazing into the room, Jacques finds himself admiring the fine decor throughout the bedroom. His admiration comes to an abrupt stop as his eyes lay upon the mangled corpse of his gracious host. "By the Goddess..." he mutters and he steps into the room, approaching the body. Though his skin is already pale, it seems to grow paler as he examines the grizzly scene. His eyes turn towards his brother's and words momentarily fail to escape his lips.

Finally, he utters, "What kind of monster would do such a thing? And why the rose?"

Mechanics

[SHOW]

History to see if he remembers hearing of any historic murders with a red rose: 3(1d20) +1 = 4 nevermind

[ratwizard]

Renault's blood runs cold as the doors swing open. "Goddess deliver us," he breathes. He looks back down the corridor anxiously. "Monsieur," the Father calls out to the other man. "You'll want to see this."

He steps into the room, carefully treading around the blood stains as well as he can. "This is utterly profane."

[Namelessjake]

Évrard follows the others up the bedroom, surprised by the grisly scene that awaits him. "I'd say at least he's with the Goddess now, but I can't imagine he went painlessly," he says, seeing the corpse. He was normally fairly unfazed by death - having killed several men himself - but there was something different about a death in battle, it felt somehow more natural that this.

"This doesn't bode well for his sister. I'm going to follow the rest of the blood. There's not much we can do for him now," Évrard says, stepping back out into the corridor and continuing down it.

[Fialova]

[sblock=Jacques, Renault]Once inside the room you can see that it is lined in bookshelves and seating areas to likely read said books. Some of the books are knocked over on the ground near one of the bookshelves, and there is an assortment of uneaten food sitting out at one of the tables lining the edge of the room. Another book is set on one of the end tables near a seating area, open but faced down as if it was being read and set down temporarily.[/sblock]
[sblock=Jacques]You do not recall anything relating to roses and murder.[/sblock]
[sblock=Évrard]Following the hallway, and the bloody footsteps, you find that it once more splits into another T intersection like it had done so prior. You see more doors lining the far edge of the wall, though no other blood appears to be on the handles of these. The footsteps seem to pass them entirely, moving further down the hallway in a straight line.[/sblock]
[sblock=Map][/sblock]

[Namelessjake]

Seeing that the blood continues down the hallway, Évrard looks back towards the bedroom the other two men were investigating. Not wanting to be cut off from the group, especially when there was potentially a murderer on the loose, he weighs up returning for a moment. Instead he decides to at least figure out where the footsteps lead before regrouping with the others. He continues further down the corridor, following the bloody trail.

[Scratcherclaw]

Curious as to what the dead man's last moments must have been like, Jacques steps over to the end table and examines the cover of the book. Perhaps it's a journal that could shed a bit of insight on these horrors.

[Fialova]

[sblock=Évrard]The hallway continues a ways before reaching yet another T intersection. In all that time, none of the doorways you pass appear to be coated at all with any blood. The steps turn a corner going to your left at the intersection, heading to another set of larger double doors. You do catch a glimpse of a bit of blood on the handle to that door despite the dim lighting that far from you.

Down the other branch of the intersection, continuing straight rather than turning, you do see one other doorway to the left side, though you cannot see anything further. However, from what you can see the blood does not appear to continue in that direction.[/sblock]
[sblock=Jacques]You see that the book open on the table is titled The Mauve Avenger and the Red Rapscallion, which you know to be one of a series of novellas about a fictional masked vigilante clad in purple who fights crime in Imardin's border colonies, especially Chevalle. They are widely considered low art by the educated elite, though that doesn't stop a number of them - your mother among them - keeping them as guilty pleasures.[/sblock]
[sblock=Map][/sblock]

[Scratcherclaw]

"Hm," Jacques mutters as he recognizes the lowbrow book title. "I doubt he'd have been murdered for poor taste in literature, so something far more sinister is at work here," he remarks to his sibling, knowing all too well that many-an-aristocrat possesses the same novel. "We should keep following that trail. I doubt Marcel is going anywhere in his condition." With this, the vampire exits the room, beckoning for his brother as he does so, and continues to follow the other man down the hall.

[Namelessjake]

Évrard hesistates, seeingg that the blood leads through a door and into another room. He waits for a moment beforehand re looking back down the corridor to the bedroom where Renault and Jacques had been investigating the corpose of Marcel.

Seeing Jacques making his way dowm the corridor towards him, Évrard shouts out to him. "The blood continues this way. I fear we may be about to find the second twin," he says to the approaching man.

[ratwizard]

"Sinister indeed," Renault agrees, unable to take his eyes off the grisly scene before him.

Following after his brother, the man hears the voice ahead. Both twins, dead? Who would want this?

Regrouping with the two men, Renault goes to the double doors where the trail seems to lead and opens them once the others are near.

[Fialova]

[sblock=Renault, anyone else who comes to door]As you open the door you see before you a grizzly scene, another corpse strewn about on the ground at your feet. The body is of a man in a fine robe, clearly not a servant but also not appearing to be one of the party-goers either. Their head is turned to the side and you can see that their neck appears to be slit as well, the source of most of the blood. While you cannot yet tell if their torso has also been split, it is clear from their posture that this murder appears to have been made more hastily than the last, as they are not in any sort of posed position like Marcel had been.[/sblock]
[sblock=Everyone]Less than a minute after the door is opened can be heard a loud crashing sound coming from some room in the distance down the yet-unexplored portion of the hallway. The crashing sound is most reminiscent of shattered glass, and is followed immediately by the sound of a woman's screams. This, in turn, is followed seconds later by the sound of a door opening and frantic footsteps can be heard moving further away from the group's current location.[/sblock]
[sblock=Map][/sblock]

[Scratcherclaw]

Jacques steps into the doorway and his eyes widen at the equally-gruesome scene. He can't help but wonder who the man is, however, given his attire. His thoughts are interrupted by the sounds of shattering glass and screams from further down the hall. "Come. The murderer may still be here by the sounds of it." With this, the vampire dashes further down the hallway towards the source of the noise.

[ratwizard]

Renault cringes at the sight of the slain servant, recoiling away. It never gets easier to come across this sort of thing. Before he can investigate too closely, he is taken aback by the noises and screams from further down the hall.

The man gives chase to his fleeting brother, his cane gripped tightly in his white-knuckled hand.

[Fialova]

[sblock=Jacques]As you rush forward you come across another T intersection to the hallway, having passed many other doors on the way here. The way straight ends at a dead end, but the way to your right continues onward. You can see that down this branch there is another set of double doors similar to the ones leading to where you found Marcel, though unlike those these seem to be wide open. You can hear the sounds of another door opening and more footsteps in the distance, past your line of sight.[/sblock]
[sblock=Renault]You are slower to run down the hall than your brother, who had a head start on you, and can see that he comes to another intersection in the hallway. Though you cannot see round the corner, you do hear more footsteps and the sound of another door opening further in the distance.[/sblock]
[sblock=Map][/sblock]

[Namelessjake]

As the others race down the corridor, Évrard weighs up leaving them to it and investigating the second corpse. Well he's not going anywhere anytime soon, he decides looking at the dead man on the floor in front of him, before taking off after the others towards the source of the noise.

[Scratcherclaw]

As he comes across the intersection, Jacques' eyes move between each of the paths that lie ahead. Ignoring the dead end, he embarks down the longer hallway, stopping by the opened doors to peer into the room. Someone must have left here in a hurry.

[ratwizard]

Renault continues to hoof his way toward his brother, peering over his shoulder in the room.

[Fialova]

[sblock=Évrard]As you race after the others you begin to lag behind some, noticing the other two are a bit faster than you are. One of the men, the younger-looking one, stops to look in an open doorway off to your left, which you catch a slight glimpse of part of on your way towards them. It appears to be another large room like the one Marcel had been found in, though from what you can see so far it appears empty and lacking in a gruesome crime scene.[/sblock]
[sblock=Jacques]As you stop briefly at the open doorway you notice that one of the windows to your left appears to be shattered at the ground, coming inwards, as if someone or something had crashed into the room from outside. You do not see any signs of blood or debris apart from wood and glass from the window itself. Renault rushes past you, seeming to stop at yet another intersection in the hallway.[/sblock]
[sblock=Renault]You get a brief glimpse of the room as you rush past, though it seems empty and otherwise unremarkable apart from its size as you do. As you pass your brother you come upon yet another T intersection, with an apparent dead end off to the left and a closed door. To the right, however, you find the opposite side of the debris pile from earlier, and an open doorway leading to the room you'd seen through the window onto the balcony. You can hear panting coming from this room and very faint footsteps.[/sblock]
[sblock=Map][/sblock]

[Scratcherclaw]

Could this have been their mode of entry? I certainly would have preferred something easier. A door, maybe. Spotting nothing else of interest in the room, Jacques continues down the hallway in hopes of finding the source of the footsteps.

[Namelessjake]

Seeing he is slightly slower than the others, Évrard decides to not stop and look into the other room, instead he tries to keep pace with the younger of the two men leading the charge.

[ratwizard]

"This way," Renault says quietly, approaching the right-hand door before throwing it open with force.

[Fialova]

As Renault pauses to throw the partially-opened door all the way open, the others manage to catch up. Stepping into the room it appears to be a throne room of sorts, with a large ornate chair in the back and a series of suits of armor lining the walls like one might find in the grand halls of royalty or nobility of the south. Finely embroidered rugs cover the floor, green in color, likely coming from artisans in Crescent Bluff or one of the cities surrounding Lake Al-Farsa.

In the middle of the room you see standing a man in all black with light blond hair. A glint of light is visible in his hands, reflecting off the torches you all carry with you. At his feet appears to be a body slightly writhing on the ground, and you can see that there appears to be blood pouring from somewhere on it.

The man turns slowly shortly after you enter, and you get a better look at his attire. He wears all black with roses embroidered at various spots in silver thread. He wears a mask like the party-goers, plain white, also features a rose covering one of his eyes. He is also partially covered in blood, and in his hand - the source of the earlier glint - is a large ornate knife that he is wiping blood from with a handkerchief.

"Remember me now?" he asks Jacques, his voice sounding more ominous to the younger man than it did earlier. "Better hurry, she's not long for this world," his words sounding amused and taunting. Before you are able to respond there is puff of darkness that shrouds the man, followed by the familiar sound of shattered glass. When the smoky substance dissipates one of the nearby windows is broken and the man is nowhere to be seen.

[sblock=The Man in the Rose Motif][/sblock]
[sblock=Map][/sblock]

[ratwizard]

Renault stares in stupor at the sight before him, unable to react before the murderer makes his daring escape. He looks at the dying woman before him, his heart pounding in his chest.

"What did he mean, Jacques? Do you know who that was?"

He doesn't wait for an answer, rushing forward to the writhing, bleeding body before him. Goddess, grant me your aid, he prays, taking a deep breath before using pressure to try and staunch the flow of blood. "Can you see him from the window?" he asks the other two in a panic.

Deep within his mind, he feels the wolf howls stir up around him, begging him to howl back. Heat, tightening of muscles, and an intense wave of nausea flow over him in waves, but his anxiety and adrenaline allow him to suppress the thoughts for now.

[sblock=Mechanics]Heal check to stabilize the dying Marcella: 9(1d20) +7 = 16[/sblock]

[Scratcherclaw]

Jacques gazes on, mouth agape, as he looks upon the scene, unable to decide which is worse: the grizzly murder attempt or the fact that he had danced with the murderer. His racing thoughts are interrupted as Renault asks him the question he'd knew was coming.

Attempting to shake himself back to reality, the vampire remarks, "He seems to think so. We had danced earlier and he claimed we'd met prior, but I have no recollection of who he is!" He shakes his head and buries his face in his hands, muttering, "Goddess... I danced with a murderer!"

Once more, he's brought back to Ganoltir by his brother's words. Following his instruction, he looks out the shattered window for signs of his dance partner/murderer.

[sblock=Mechanics]Perception to look for Mr Murder: 8(1d20) +4 = 12[/sblock]

[Namelessjake]

"By the Goddess," Évrard mutters as the scene unfolds before them.

"It would appear you did. Even if everyone here was still alive then, this wouldn't be his first time. You don't start out with something this grand. You graduate to it," he says in reply to Jacques.

He rushes to the broken window with Jacques to look for the murderer.

[sblock=Mechanics]Perception Check: 18(1d20) +6 = 24[/sblock]

[Fialova]

[sblock=Renault]As you bend down to tend to the woman's wounds you find that the bulk of the blood loss appears to be coming from two puncture wounds on her neck. She seems to be struggling to breath, and is unable to talk to you at this point despite her occasional attempt to do so. You are able to use some cloth from her dress to stop the bleeding somewhat, but without real medical attention it seems unlikely that she will survive the evening.[/sblock]
[sblock=Jacques, Évrard]The gardens behind the estate, though expansive and open, are quite dark this evening. The moon is not visible in the sky, and none of the lamps that dot the yard appear to have been lit. Your torchlight affords you a view a short ways out the window, but past that you are unable to see much, and certainly not the black-garbed man who leaped through not moments ago.[/sblock]
[sblock=Évrard]The lack of moonlight through the window strikes you as odd, as you remember there being a near-full moon earlier in the evening when leaving to come to the event. Regardless of if the moon is visible from this angle or not, you'd expect the city to be much more visible given the current lunar phase.[/sblock]

[Scratcherclaw]

With a sigh, Jacques withdraws from the window. "I don't see any sign of that lunatic," he says, shaking his head as he frowns. Strange the lamps go unlit on such a night as this, though... Gazing upon the bloodied body of his gracious host, he begins to feel the subtle hints of a hunger, breathing deeply til it subsides.

Looking upon his sibling, he says, "You're hardly a doctor, Renault. We need to fetch one at once."

[Namelessjake]

"Me neither, " Évrard says affirming Jacques' statement.

"Strange there's no moonlight though. Was it not nearly a full moon tonight? Évrard asks.

"The doctor treating the servant girl may be able to help. I'll go fetch him. Hopefully he's stabilised the servant, Évrard says, making for the door to run back to the stair case the group had originally entered the mansion's upper rooms through.

[ratwizard]

Renault does his best to help the dying woman, but he knows it is futile without proper medical treatment. "A full moon indeed," he confirms to the man behind him.

As he is left alone with his brother, he turns to face him. "Who would want to murder the twins?" The Father shakes his head, disgusted.

Turning back, he inspects the two puncture wounds on the woman's neck.

[sblock=Mechanics]Nature roll to determine iz vamppire mans? 8(1d20) +7 = 15[/sblock]

[Scratcherclaw]

Jacques can't muster much more than a solemn shrug at his brother's question, wholly unsure of the answer himself. "Only a monster could do such a thing," he says plainly, glancing out the shattered window to avoid the gaze of such fresh blood. Though it begs the question: how did a monster get invited to a party such as this?

[Fialova]

[sblock=Évrard]Moving as swiftly as you can down the hallway, you get as far as the room Marcel's corpse was found in before you begin to hear loud sounds coming from down the hallway. Initially it seems just like general noise, but as you draw closer - beginning around the first windows overlooking the balcony - you start to tell that the sounds of shouting and screaming are coming from the direction of the doorway down.[/sblock]
[sblock=Jacques, Renault]As Évrard leaves, you are left alone to tend to the injured woman. There is a light breeze that comes through the window, but it is a decent temperature. It begins to feel slightly warmer over time, however, and not long after the other man rushes out you can hear the faint sounds of commotion coming from past the barricade in the hallway.[/sblock]
[sblock=Renault]From your experience these do seem to be the marks of a vampire's teeth, though the amount of blood on the ground suggest that the man never actually fed on the woman for long, if at all.[/sblock]

[Namelessjake]

Hearing more shouts and screams, Évrard quickens his pace to try and reach the ballroom, and the source of the noise, as quickly as he can. What else could be happening? Surely the murderer wouldn't claim more victims among the crowds of the part. Has there not been enough death for one night?

[ratwizard]

The howls grow louder and more pronounced in the back of Renualt's mind. How... A vampire? Perhaps this is the Moon Lord's undertaking.

He grunts, his mission reminded. Renault decides not to mention the vampire bite to his brother. Most people regard this sort of thing as myth or legend. No, I will tell Fippe, and Fippe only.

The man instead turns to his brother, patiently waiting the third man's return with a doctor. "Do you hear that?" he asks, noticing the commotion elsewhere.

[Scratcherclaw]

Strangely balmy suddenly... the man thinks as the spring breeze blows in through the shattered window. He almost finds himself growing relaxed, though such a sentiment fades as he hears the commotion from down the halls. At his sibling's question, he remarks, "Aye. I don't have a good feeling about it either."

Peeking his head into the hall, he adds, "If we're to investigate, one of us should stay here, lest that monster return to finish the job." And let it not be me. I can hardly resist the smell any longer.

[ratwizard]

Renault nods to his brother. "Go, I'll stay here. It's the least I can do for this poor woman," he says wistfully. "Just be careful."

[Fialova]

[sblock=Évrard, Jacques]As the two of you make your way to the doorway the group initially came through, you can begin to smell smoke. Évrard is first, and a minute or so later Jacques shows up as well, to see the scene below. From the top of the staircase you can see that the doctor is still frantically trying to aid the woman the mid-staircase landing while many people below are in a panic.

To your right, at the area where the buffet tables are, you can see that the building is on fire. Some of the semi-concealed doorways the servants were using to bring food and drink from the kitchen are spewing flames, enough that it is impossible to see past the raging inferno to the room beyond. Some of the buffet and eating tables are aflame as well, and it appears to be spreading across the ballroom at a rather rapid pace.

The party-goers are clustered in two primary groups, one at the stage's doors into more of the state and the other at the main entrance. Both groups appear to be unsuccessfully trying to get through their respective doorways, suggesting they might be locked or otherwise barred. All the while smoke is filling up the room and making both breathing and seeing ever more difficult.[/sblock]
[sblock=Renault]As you wait you can hear the sounds continue to come this direction. Likewise, the warm continues to increase in temperature, now no longer a pleasant warm but getting more towards a balmy unnaturally-warm state.[/sblock]

[Scratcherclaw]

"By the Goddess," Jacques says to the other man, mouth agape as he watches the scene unfold before him. "That monster wasn't satisfied with just the twins. He wants to take everyone with him." And it can be no coincidence that the twins' parents died in a fire...

Noting the clusters trying futilely to escape, he adds, "These poor fools are trapped if they keep this up. Perhaps the rear terrace could make for their escape route, if only we could get their attention." A panicking mob doesn't tend to be very privy to listening.

[ratwizard]

Noticing the building warmth, Renault sniffs the air uncomfortably. Is the manor... burning?

[sblock=Mechanics]Insight: Is fire? 20(1d20) +16 = 36[/sblock]

[Fialova]

[sblock=Renault]Is fire[/sblock]

[ratwizard]

Renault groans, smelling the telltale signs of fire. I need to get her out of here, he realizes, looking around him. Pulling down one of the heavy, expensive tapestries, the Father gently shifts the unconscious woman onto it.

Carefully, he takes one of the corners and begins dragging her toward the door, looking back to ensure he's not putting too much strain on her wounds.

"I need help!" he cries to anyone in particular as he goes, tugging the tapestry slowly but surely, through the way he came. "Please, help! Up here!"

[sblock=OOC]I don't know how long this will take in relation to Scratch / Jake's RP, so feel free to stagger me as needed.[/sblock]

[Namelessjake]

"You could be right," Évrard replies, scanning the crowd for any sign of Alicia. "We need to get everyone out of here quickly though, and I don't thnik many of the guests are dressed for climbing out of windows. Either way, upstairs is away from the fire, at least for now. How can we get everyone's attention?"

[Scratcherclaw]

"You're a Navyman, yes?" Jacques asks the man, eyeing his recognizable attire. Strange choice for a ball, but I suppose there's little wrong with pride in one's service. Not waiting for an answer, he adds, "Might you have your pistol with you? A few shots should get everyone's attention. I doubt they can panic more."

[Namelessjake]

"You're probably right about that. Still a masked man firing off a gun is rarely a good thing," Évrard replies. With one hand he pulls down his mask, leaving it hanging from his neck, with the other he unbuttons his jacket and reaching inside, before pulling out his flintlock pistol. He cocks the gun, but hesitates for a second before uncocking it an unloading it."Accidentally shooting someone isn't going to help the situation. The gunpowder alone should do the trick," he says to Jacques, before cocking the gun again once more and firing it into the air, briefly covering the two men in smoke as the gunpowder ignites.

[Fialova]

[sblock=Renault]As you drag the body you find that no one appears to answer your calls for help. Given your earlier trek through this floor, it seems like anyone who'd been up here prior has either fled downstairs or worse by now, though given the nature of the event it is equally likely that most or all staff was already downstairs to begin with.

As you round the corner leading to the hallway to Marcel's room, you can hear in the distance the distinctive sound of a gun being fired from somewhere in the distance, down below.[/sblock]
[sblock=Jacques, Évrard]The shot goes off and the noise of the panic pauses a moment. Many turn to face you, seeming shocked by the sound, though many others continue their attempts to flee. The wise few duck at the sound, some hiding under tables and some placing others - likely strangers - between the source and themselves.[/sblock]

[ratwizard]

Gunfire, Renault realizes, quickening his pace of dragging the heavy tapestry. Perhaps I should be quieter, then. Who knows what sort of violence is amok downstairs.

[Scratcherclaw]

"Well that sort of worked," Jacques says bluntly to the man beside him as they garner the attention of several of the attendees. Eyes glossing over each of them, he steps forward on the stairs' landing and shouts out to those who listen, "If you all want to get out of here alive, come upstairs! There is a terrace overlooking the garden where we might make our escape!" Unless, of course, they'd rather spend their evening being burned alive. It's up to them, really.

[Namelessjake]

"It certainly could have gone worse," Évrard replies to Jacques. He chooses to not add to the man's announcement, not wanting to layer any more confusion on top of the already panicked situation. Instead he scans the crowd looking for his sister, hoping she is wise enough to head their warning.