QUIET MOUNDS - STEF HEART

[abardacttofollow]

You find yourself in a stone room that looks like some sort of medieval dungeon. There are (thankfully), no torture instruments, but there is a man strung up here. One large manacle is around his neck, chaining him stiffly to the door. His hands are free, but each foot is manacled to the matching bottom corner of the doorframe. There is a visible lock on each of the three manacles.

It's Stefen, and there's a knife in his chest. Despite that, he's alive, apparently alert, and doesn't look to be in pain, perhaps due to the lulling, sense-dulling music that seems to be coming from nowhere at all—in fact, if you were in pain before you entered, it's gone here. His wound is bleeding, but only a little, and he smiles his usual bright smile at you.

Behind him, but in front of the closed door he's bound to, you can see three double sets of strings running vertically. Where they meet the floor, they are fastened, and then each runs across the floor to the three doors on the opposite wall, then under them.

There is nothing else in this room.

((OOC: Here's how this will work! Since we're doing individual runs, rather than me putting up individual top levels for areas, just jump the post itself, and I'll run everything for you within your one thread. If you're wanting to do a run with someone else, just stay in the same thread together.))

Comments

[abardacttofollow]

He offers it to her. It's a fine lute, though obviously with one broken string, and there is blood on the strings.

[originsong]

It's good to be dedicated to your job. But, if you break, you can't do anything after that... I think, maybe, take some time to rest, if you can.

[abardacttofollow]

"I only need to last out the audience."

[originsong]

I trust you to know your limits, I suppose.

[ ... lute on scale? does that do it ]

[abardacttofollow]

Click. The door unlocks.

[originsong]

[ heads on in! ]

The Gift 2

[abardacttofollow]

The next is a bedroom. It is cozy despite how richly decorated it is, with a canopied bed that has two plush pillows on it, and rich, maroon heavy comforters piled up. Two well-cushioned wood chairs are pulled around a table that has a bottle of wine in it, half empty, the dregs sitting in two cups. A bookcase has a number of gorgeous, hand-bound books, along with sheafs of music on it, writing utensils, and even a few musical instruments on display.

A window is cracked, looking out over a beautiful garden, with peacocks wandering around; you can distantly see a group of women all gathered around and a man with long white hair performing in the middle. The scent of honeysuckle comes through the window. A travelling sack is behind the door you came in through, opened a little as though someone's been living out of it.

Nobody is in here. As before, the cord runs through the room and under a locked door with some sort of weighted platform next to it.

A sign on the door reads: "What is the weight of family? What of love?"

[originsong]

[ oh! is there a way out into the garden or is the window too small to fit out of. ]

[abardacttofollow]

It's too small to fit out of, but you can open it more or call out. Though it's far enough away they may or may not notice.

[originsong]

[ worth a shot tho ]

Hello! Excuse me?

[abardacttofollow]

No answer yet, maybe his singing is drowning it out. You can keep trying though, if you want.

[originsong]

[ seems rude... i'll just take a look at some of these books '^' ]

[abardacttofollow]

The books are mostly historical texts.

[originsong]

[ welp, that's none of my business

anything else in here that's maybe standing out... checks the bookshelf for a hidden doorway!! checks under the table! under the bed?? ]

[abardacttofollow]

No hidden doorway! Under the table is... nothing. Under the bed you find a capped palm-sized tub of something and a lost shoe.

[originsong]

[ hum. takes the shoe out so it can be found more easily later

checks under the pillows?? ]

[abardacttofollow]

Nothing under the pillows.

[originsong]

If there's anything special in here, please come out now.

[ doesn't really expect that to work but w/e. pats down the comforters? checks the wine bottle! ]

[abardacttofollow]

The wine bottle is partially drank but seems to be normal wine.

You encounter a lump under the comforter, like something sticking out.

[originsong]

[ ! a lump! examines! ]

[abardacttofollow]

You pull back the comforter to discover a dangerous-looking, twisted knife stabbed into the mattress.

[originsong]

Oh! That... shouldn't be there, I think...

[ goes to pick it up ]

[abardacttofollow]

As soon as your fingers touch it you can feel it sucking at your life force.

[originsong]

[ WHAT! rude! drops it

okay I think I have magic I can use in this situation. SINGING A HEALING SPELL, AND PICKING IT UP AGAIN. hopefully the two cancel each other out while she puts it on the scale!! ]

[abardacttofollow]

It continues to suck at your energy as you move it there, but I presume that's being replenished by the spell.

Click.