Book the Second, Chapter the Third: A Plague of Vanishings

[Mr. Handy]

"Those spiderwebs would ignite rather well," says Henry, "but I don't know that we should risk it. The fire could spread quickly."

[SunlessNick]

"I think you should close the door, Lord Dunwich," says William. "I cannot imagine the web of a normal spider being strong enough to impede a man's strength - we may have found another recipient of Miss Ravenscroft's stolen concoctions."

[Mr. Handy]

Henry nods and shuts the door again.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

The Frenchman's preternatural light reveals, within the peculiar structure, what seems to be a horse no larger than a lady's lap dog, quite docile in behavior. Nothing else out of the ordinary is seen within the room, nor is there an obvious way to reach what must be, from consideration of the size of the room and its location, another, smaller room to the west of what seems to be only a solid wall. (The same might be said of the webbed room, from the brief glimpse of it revealed when it was open to view; it must also be connected, to another room of no great size in the selfsame direction.)

[jp1885]

"Poor creature, yesno? Mayhap the spinner of webs opposite is a large beast - 'twas a sensible thing to close that door!"

Nodding his thanks to Vincent, Lepus mutters soothing noises to the tiny horse, stroking it's miniature mane if it allows.

"'tis clear the source of such alchemy is close at hand, else how wouldst this horse be brought hence?"

Leaving the creature to it's own devices, he inspects the wall that separates the room from whatever lies beyond. If he cannot find any secret portals by wit alone, he will cast Banish Vermin to see if anything comes in or our of the wall (taking care not to alarm the horse).

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Despite careful inspection of the wall which must, so logic dictates, conceal another, hidden room, neither intuition not intelligence reveals any manner, overt or secretive, in which such might be reached. It is as if said chamber is deliberately made inaccessible. The strength of the masonry work, indeed, is more than is commonly found in interior walls, as if to prevent entry until the final trumpet of doomsday is blown.

[Mr. Handy]

"I wonder, would that incantation work on the spider?" Henry asks Lepus.

[SunlessNick]

"Whether it does or not, we should kill the thing rather than risk it escaping elsewhere in the house," says William, readying his pistol.

[jp1885]

"Aye, 'tis worth a try."

Lepus cracks open the door to the cobwebbed chamber and directs the spell hence, hoping that the others are ready.

OOC:   Victoria, does the way to these rooms lead from/through the mad woman's chamber, or is there a corridor that bypasses it?

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Spoiler:

I am making use of this map of the top floor of Highdark Hall, although not every room will be exactly as labelled, to avoid too many spoilers.



I think you will have to left click the image and "open in new tab" to see the entire thing.

You can see that the room with the tiny horse and the webbed room (both labelled "monster confinement" here) can be reached without entering the madwoman's confinement. I will also change the plan a bit, so that the horse room is connected directly to what is labelled the occult library -- although that will not be what it is -- and the webbed room is connected directly to what is labelled the pornographic library; again, that will not be accurate. There will also not be doors, hidden or obvious, leading to these last two rooms, nor from what is labelled the laboratory, which is indeed Miss Ravenscroft's workshop, accessible, at least for now, only by the secret stairs indicated.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

The arcane spell used to cause normal vermin to vacate a room has an evident effect on the chamber of webs; all manner of flies, fleas, ants, mice, and such small brutes are observed to flee from the place as if in abject terror, if such sensibility can be ascribed to these tiny creatures; be that as it may, it may be observed that it has no such effect on what must be a further inhabitant, as yet unseen, which produces a sound as of many large hooves dropping upon the floor. There are also the scattered bones of small beasts visible here and there in those parts of the room lit from without.

[Mr. Handy]

"That's no spider," says Henry, "it's an enlarged beast! We should get a look at it and see what kind, preferably from a safe distance. A mirror should allow us to see the thing without venturing into the room, with some light to aid us. If that is a giant horse in there, perhaps the tiny horse could calm it down. There must be at least one horse missing from the stables, then. Perhaps two. We should find out which horses are missing."

[Rooter]

"I will check with ze stable master." Vincent hurries off.

[SunlessNick]

"Something still made those webs," says William. (Were any spiders among the fleeing vermin that he could see?)

[jp1885]

Lepus steps back as the various creatures scuttle and scurry away, occasionally offering his apologies for disturbing them.

"Mayhap it be horses, mayhap a spider, or mayhap it be the sound of a giant cat's claws 'pon a hard floor. Old Lepus advises caution, so he does, lest we break the heart of the fine young lady by slaying that which lies therein."

As if to prove his point, he retreats back into the room containing the tiny horse and inspects the floor, walls and ceiling for any hidden handles, hatches, levers or latches.

"How didst thou get here little horse?" he mutters.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

"That's no spider," says Henry, "it's an enlarged beast! We should get a look at it and see what kind, preferably from a safe distance. A mirror should allow us to see the thing without venturing into the room, with some light to aid us. If that is a giant horse in there, perhaps the tiny horse could calm it down. There must be at least one horse missing from the stables, then. Perhaps two. We should find out which horses are missing."

As if to emulate the action of bold Perseus when confronted by the Gorgon, Doctor North peers cautiously into the webbed room via a mirror. The dimness of the room, the distortion of the reflection, and the apparent stealthiness of what dwells within combine to render an exact image impossible to obtain; however, one can observe a number of dark, hairy limbs, moving slowly back and forth, attached to a round, bulky body, no head yet visible.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

"I will check with ze stable master." Vincent hurries off.

The Frenchman is able to quickly obtain the information that, indeed, a single steed has gone missing, the groom being questioned of the opinion that Master Harold -- his whereabouts, it will be recalled, as of yet undetermined -- has gone off with it, despite his lameness, the beast being of a particularly gentle nature, and thus appropriate for the use of one so afflicted.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

"Something still made those webs," says William. (Were any spiders among the fleeing vermin that he could see?)

The bold man of arms, nerves unshaken by these extraordinary sights, calmly notes the lack of spiders amongst the creatures sent away; a most curious observation, given their ubiquity in all households.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Lepus steps back as the various creatures scuttle and scurry away, occasionally offering his apologies for disturbing them.

"Mayhap it be horses, mayhap a spider, or mayhap it be the sound of a giant cat's claws 'pon a hard floor. Old Lepus advises caution, so he does, lest we break the heart of the fine young lady by slaying that which lies therein."

As if to prove his point, he retreats back into the room containing the tiny horse and inspects the floor, walls and ceiling for any hidden handles, hatches, levers or latches.

"How didst thou get here little horse?" he mutters.

A careful search fails to reveal anything other than the locked door, now unlatched, through which the adventurers first entered.

[Mr. Handy]

"That's a giant spider, all right," says Henry, shutting the door quietly. "Hairy legs, bulky body. Even in the darkness, I can tell. We could try to burn it out, but again that would be risky. Otherwise, I suggest we avoid it."