1517, Auvergne, France: The Duc d'Auvergne is hosting an elaborate gathering culminating in a masquerade ball in his palace in Vyones, to which he has invited quite a few notable people. Travelers from throughout Europe and North Africa are in attendance to see and be seen. But there are some strange unseen things lurking behind the scenes that may put everyone in danger. Can Story, Elizabeth, Brook, and others attending the party unravel the mysteries and prevent madness from reigning supreme?
This is Classic Doctor Who meets Call of Cthulhu, the sixth of a series of connected adventures set in different eras and locations that includes The Terror Out of Time, The Ninth Planet, The Shadow Over Dunwich, The Brotherhood of Death, and The Horror in the Blackout.
Most servants would gladly accept a gratuity in return for special service. One franc would probably be enough. You may roll Insight if you wish to determine how you think Henri would react.
Gui fumbled in his purse and pulled out three francs which he thrust at Henri. ”For your trouble, Monsieur,” he said, hoping the man would take the hint and leave.
"Oui, Monsieur!" said Henri with a smile as he made the coins disappear in an instant. "If you ever have need of anything else, you need only ask." He walked briskly away down the hall and soon vanished around a corner.
Gui sighed with relief. He thought the man might never leave! He looked around carefully to check there was no one else about then stepped closer to listen at the door, in a casual manner as if loitering but not with an ear to the door in a way that would seem suspicious…
It's a short distance away, around a corner and down a couple of stretches of hall. There are secret passages behind the walls, and there are probably entrances in each room.
There was no reply, and when Gui opened the door, he saw the darkened suite that the ladies used, currently empty except for their mysterious blue box.
Gui crept in quietly, closing the door silently behind him. He glanced around to make sure there was no one else in the room. He wasn’t, for once, planning to take anything but anyone coming into the room would undoubtedly get the wrong idea!
He gazed curiously at the large blue box as he crossed the room. What was it, anyway? It looked like it had a door, but it was only a couple of metres across so it couldn’t be very big inside.
He paused, studying it some more. It wouldn’t hurt to look inside, would it? He reached out and put his hand on the door, then stopped. What if it were trapped? What if he were found here, and accused of being a thief once more? He’d be thrown out for sure, this time. Frowning, he turned away from the box and went to find the entrance to the secret door into the passageway behind the walls…
Gui easily found the hidden catch to open the secret passage, now that he knew for what to look. As he opened it, he heard a jumbled shouting coming from the passage, from the direction of Leonardo's chambers.
If he stuck his head out, he’d be spotted because Gui knew all too well that people were drawn to a hue and cry. At the same time, if the playwright and his family were looking outside, then it was as good a time as any to look in their room.
His mind made up, he slipped through into the secret passage. Looking about to make sure no one else was in here, he carefully moved towards the next room to see what he might find.
Gui frowned. Were they all bedding down? Any decent people would have all left the room and gone to investigate the commotion! Call himself a writer?! He should be out there, experiencing whatever it was making the noise rather than fluffing his pillows and going to sleep!
Gui sighed quietly, and put his eye closer to the peephole, trying to determine whereabouts in the room the family would be bedding down. He might have to go in there among them and didn’t want to be bumping into anyone and waking them up!