IC: Ch 7: Into the House

[BenTheRat]

As Richard looks into the bare room, you can see only the bed frame with springs and a dresser. Everything looks normal.

[Priest]

Warren Kaine

Looking away from the picture momentarilly at Sonny's question, "I'm not sure, this picture is wierd"
I look back, "See here...Now what the fucks going on?"

[Silver Priest]

"That room's trying to trick us like it did to Sonny. I don't trust it. Let's go back to the others and decide what should be done." Michael suggests to Richard. It is clear that the house is starting tog et at him. At least he could shoot the demon from before.

[Papa Gateau]

Sonny goes over and looks at the picture "What am I looking for man?

[Priest]

Warren Kaine
I scratch the back of my head, not sure if I want to say this, "This godamn picture it..." I cough, "I know this is gonna sound screwy but...A moment ago, I watched as something climbed in through a window upstairs and shut the door"
I remove my hat and drag my fingers through my hair, grinning sheepishly at Sonny, I continue, "But now the picture looks exactly the same as when we arrived"

"I don't know what the hell is going on but I don't like it. I think we need to regroup and rethink this"

[DrVendetta]

Richard turns to Michael and says "Ok lets head back down stairs"

[Priest]

Warren Kaine
I take a closer look at the picture.

Warren thinking:   This has to be some kind of side-show trickery, wires and switches?

I carefully remove the picture from the wall, looking for small holes in the wall behind it, or wires leading to it etc.

"I don't know how they're doing this, but I will find out"

Spot Hidden,65% (checking picture for tricks)1d100 → [43] = (43) http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4314023/

[BenTheRat]

Warren,you find nothing beyond a regular painting. Make a sanity 1/1d4 check.

[Priest]

Warren Kaine
I turn the picture over and check the back nothing, no wires, no hidden switches, nothing.

Warren thinking:   if theres a trick here i aint seeing it

I look at the others and shrug.

Sanity Roll,48% 1d100 → [3] = (3) http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4314310/ success so -1 sanity now at 47%

[DrVendetta]

Richard walks down the stairs and into the room where the others are, he see's Warren holding the picture from above the mantle in his hands looking at it and ask "Did you find something?"

[BenTheRat]

Richard and Michael walk down the stairs and into the living room. All 5 of you are now in there. Warren is holding the painting from above the fireplace. The clouds must have parted outside as sunlight is now coming in the windows and now instead of a dingy house of horrors where it was difficult to breathe, it now is now a normal home where you can relax and enjoy yourself. The area is brighter, the rooms cleaner, the air lighter. You find yourselves relaxing for the first time since you walked into the house, despite yourself. In fact you start to realize you'd been holding your breath for a long time, waiting for the next shoe to drop.
.

Warren,you do realize it wasn't anything with the picture, probably just a mind game, another trick of this house.

[Priest]

Warren Kaine
Slightly perplexed, an emotion that must be visible across my face, I replace the picture on its hook.

"No, nothing. I guess this house and all the shennanigans last night are starting to get to me."

I turn back to Richard and Michael, "Find anything?" Before we go looking upstairs I think we should finish the downstairs first. Michael, Sonny, where is this door with the locks on that probably leads to a basement?"

[Silver Priest]

Michael shakes his head in frustration. "Nothing really. Apparently the house was making all that racket in an attempt at pulling the same trick it did on Sonny. Thanks for the warning, by the way." He offers a respected nod towards the jazzman.

"The locked door is the last one to the right of the stairs. You all sure you want to head on? I don't know if we can stop this thing on our own, frankly. But I'm not about to let some spook think it can pull one over on me."

[DrVendetta]

Richard says "I agree lets check out the basement, do we have a key for the locks on that door?"

[Priest]

Warren Kaine
Having replaced the picture I look at Michael and raise a quizical eyebrow, "House, pulling stuff? Houses dont 'pull stuff'. Whatever is going on here has a human hand pulling the strings, find the hand, cut the strings"

I start walking towards the door in question, "I aint sure if we have the key, probably not, so either we go wake Jordie or we force the door"

[Occigon]

"To the basement it is, then," says Charles. "Let's leave Jordie working on that book. I'm sure that between us, we can force the door."

[Priest]

Warren Kaine

"I'm still trying to guess what you would keep in the basement that was so all fired important to need locks to keep in or keep out"

Warren thinking:   Maybe if I look long enough at the picture it will show me so we don't need to go down there.

[BenTheRat]

As the 4 of you move onto the door at the end of the hall, Warren stays back to watch the painting.
.

Warren,you see the creature or person from before. he is crawling down the side of the house.

.
As the 4 of you reach the end of the hall, the door has 3 deadbolts on it that are locked from this side. You do not need a key to unlock them. Obviously these locks were designed to keep something on the other side of the door from getting into the main part of the house.
.
The door latch itself is locked as well. It is the same type lock that was on the other door that was locked. It is a small internal door lock with the keyhole directly below the doorknob.
.
Just as you are reaching for the deadbolts you hear a loud crash from upstairs. Pounding and screeching from almost directly above you. All the lights in the house flicker and go out. The windows darken outside and a foul smell swirls down the stairs making you gag and cough.
.

Warren,as you watch the creature in the painting, the noise from upstairs begins. The foul stench invades every part of the house. While the room goes dark, even the light from the windows is blocked. Except for the painting, which is darker but still much clearer than anything else in the room. You see the creature hold out its clawed hand and a ball of fire erupts on it. He holds it up to the wooden slats of the house which immediately burst into flames. In the painting the house is on fire. You smell smoke.

[Priest]

Warren Kaine

Warren thinking:   Aw shit not again.

"Um, Guys I think we'd better get out, the upstairs is on fire."

Ben,is the creature upstairs, or did it come down from there?

[BenTheRat]

Warren,it came down it lit the fire at the base of the house. Right outside the wall of the dining room.