To the Manor borne… (everyone)

[BoyBlunder78]

Dr Douglas walks towards the door, holding the lantern up reaches out and turns the door handle.

[Philulhu]

The room to the left had some shelves built into the walls which suggested it was a storeroom but it obviously hadn’t been used in some time as all the shelves were bare. In the far left corner was an archway leading to the turret room, with what looked like the start of a spiral staircase.

[Snapper]

"Before we head upstairs, shall we check every room on the ground floor? That seems more methodical." Ascot indicates back towards the lobby.

As he heads back, Ascot is trying to make sense of the scene. "Is there some archaic Scottish tradition where at some point you remove people's bones from their coffins and store them in catacombs or something? I've been to Paris, I know they have lots of bones in catacombs. Ugh."

[Philulhu]

To the right from the lobby was a spiral staircase leading upwards. There were footprints in the dust on the stairs heading in both directions.

Beyond the stairs was a kitchen. A heavy wooden table looked to have been dragged into the middle of the room, leaving drag marks in the dust, suggesting that the room had also been searched recently.

[BoyBlunder78]

"True, dont want to miss any sort of evidence."

[Mr. Handy]

"Not that I ken," says Bonnie. "Once someone's buried, they're supposed to stay buried. Of course, Alex MacMorn had some strange ideas, and his descendants may share them."

[Snapper]

Ascot looks about the kitchen for anything strange, aside from the table being moved. The manor has been abandoned so long, he would be surprised to find anything in the kitchen at all.

[Philulhu]

Other than the table, the only furniture in the room was a large wooden dresser. All the doors were open and nothing was inside. In the sizeable fireplace, there was a large stove. Again, its door stood open and there was nothing inside.

[BoyBlunder78]

"strikes me as odd that everything is all ooen, looters nustve had a dield day over the years," observes Dr Douglas.

[Snapper]

"It's as if somebody else was searching this room desperately for something. What would you hope to find in a manor abandoned for over a century?"

"Well, let's keep going. I'd be happy just to satisfy myself if there's a family of leopards or pythons or the like living here."

"And let's not forget Mr Price, who's paying our bills, and wants us to disprove the rumours of the other-worldly. Although I'm pretty happy that ghosts don't kill sheep and store them in trees to eat later."

Ascot will continue the search of the ground floor.

[Joajackson]

"It's as if somebody else was searching this room desperately for something. What would you hope to find in a manor abandoned for over a century?"

"Well, let's keep going. I'd be happy just to satisfy myself if there's a family of leopards or pythons or the like living here."

"And let's not forget Mr Price, who's paying our bills, and wants us to disprove the rumours of the other-worldly. Although I'm pretty happy that ghosts don't kill sheep and store them in trees to eat later."

Ascot will continue the search of the ground floor.

The Father Ó Shaban following the group with certain nervousness spoke some strange ideas.

"Forgiveness for ze strrange zeory, sir Ascot, but ze sarcopaghi have made me rremember ze famous book, yes? Ze Bram Strocker book, zree women of ze eating demon kind, yes. Eaters of blood, and capable to make a men sleep with only zeory eyes."

[Mr. Handy]

"Ah, ye mean vampires," says Bonnie. "I enjoyed Bram Stoker's Dracula, but I ken it isna real. Anyway, those coffins dinna contain their native soil."

[BoyBlunder78]

Dr Douglas follows Ascot holding the lantern up.lets stick together winking at Bonnie "Theres no garlic in here."

[Mr. Handy]

Bonnie nods and follows as well.

[Snapper]

Ascot looks fractionally uncomfortable. "That's going to be your battle, Father, if we find something out of a Bram Stoker novel. Have the cross and bible and holy water ready."

"To be honest though, I've yet to meet anything that walks on two legs or four, crawls or slithers that can't be shot and killed."

"I have to add, if we do find vampires, Mr Price will be most displeased."

Resolutely, Ascot keeps searching.

[Philulhu]

With just three rooms on the ground floor, the search did not take long. They found nothing of interest, apart from the two spiral staircases that lead to the upper floors. The first was just off the small entrance hall with footprints in the dust on the steps, and the second was in the far corner of the storeroom, which appeared undisturbed.

[Mr. Handy]

"Let's try the stairs to the turret first," says Bonnie.

[Snapper]

"Sounds as good a plan as any, ja? The turret it is." Ascot heads back to the storeroom with the staircase leading upwards.

[Joajackson]

"Sounds as good a plan as any, ja? The turret it is." Ascot heads back to the storeroom with the staircase leading upwards.

"Forgiveness Sir Ascot, but if we arre doing ze hunting of a family of bumas as we arre bresuming, shouldnt we try to speak up our presence going upwards, yes? Ze debredator kind could ambush ze man going up, but a strong noise make keep zem retreated."

[BoyBlunder78]

"With all this stoor about any large animal prints will be clearly seen, plus at the moment we've yet to seen any faeces."[/b] Dr Douglas mentions, blushing slightly at Bonnie mumbling an apology at the vulgarity of the end of his comment.