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Post by Justine-Juliette de Vair on Oct 1, 2020 18:11:52 GMT
Justine pulled her hand away from the long like it burned her. “It feels like it’s alive. It feels like woe waiting to come.” She shook her head, trying no clear it.
“Aurelion is married to Lockhart’s sister. I knew that family was poisonous through and through.” She thought of the empty-headed lustful boy she had given to Juliette and then she shuddered, trying not to recall what had come after. As she turned back toward Silvia and the troll she looked for any clue as to what the thing could mean.
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Post by Silvia Raizer on Oct 1, 2020 18:19:08 GMT
"If they're rotten to the core, we'll see them destroyed," Silvia whispered. She took a closer look at the crossbow, and the scourge.
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Post by The Forgotten God on Oct 1, 2020 18:20:44 GMT
There’s nothing to explain what it’s doing there, the trip looks like a hunting trophy. After a moment of stillness both women feel an unexplainable draft coming from somewhere else.
The crossbow has a half dozen wickedly serrated bolts in a case next to it but it doesn’t look exceptional in any way. The scourge has six thin chains coming off it, each tipped with a barb like piece that looks like it could be changed with other, similar ones in a box below. It’s clearly a weapon built for torture.
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Post by Justine-Juliette de Vair on Oct 1, 2020 20:03:37 GMT
Justine looked at the scourge as well and shivered again. “This place is raising more questions than it’s answering. Where’s the draft coming from?” She held up a biT of paper to see which direction it moved in as she walked around the room.
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Post by Silvia Raizer on Oct 1, 2020 20:06:06 GMT
"I think we should move on quickly," Silvia said. "I doubt any of this is useful to you. Well, except for that scourge if you're feeling especially vengeful today." She grinned to show that she wasn't serious. "Shall we move on?"
She moved close to the door and kept low as she checked for anyone passing the room.
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Post by The Forgotten God on Oct 1, 2020 20:22:41 GMT
The paper moved slightly upward. The draft clearly comes from below. Silvia didn’t even hear servants on the far side of the house. They can search in peace for the source of the draft or move out now down the hall to another room.
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Post by Justine-Juliette de Vair on Oct 1, 2020 21:06:37 GMT
“Silvia!” She said, barely noticing that her companion had moved away. “I think there’s a hidden room or something underneath here. Aren’t you curious? There’s probably more of this...ritual stuff.”
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Post by Silvia Raizer on Oct 1, 2020 21:28:54 GMT
"Yes, probably," Silvia agreed. "There would have to be a hidden room if there's a cult. You think the hidden room is accessible from this room? Let's search the floor in case there's a trapdoor."
She eased herself onto the floor and began looking for a trapdoor.
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Post by Justine-Juliette de Vair on Oct 1, 2020 22:00:06 GMT
Justine helped her, searching the other side from Silvia.
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Post by The Forgotten God on Oct 1, 2020 22:12:33 GMT
It takes about five minutes and they have to work quietly, but Silvia finds the lever for the trapdoor behind the scourge. They’ll need to move the troll to open it successfully and it feels like it weight eighty or ninety pounds.
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Post by Justine-Juliette de Vair on Oct 1, 2020 22:57:19 GMT
“Help me,” Justine said as she began to push the troll forward off the little door.
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Post by The Forgotten God on Oct 1, 2020 23:03:47 GMT
The troll moves without too much trouble, revealing a very small trapdoor. It’s only about two and a half feet on a side and they can barely see a very dim light shining from around the corners.
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Post by Justine-Juliette de Vair on Oct 1, 2020 23:05:57 GMT
Justine pulled it slowly open and tried to peer down into the light. She held a finger to her lips for Silvia to be silent. She didn’t really need to but she did.
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Post by The Forgotten God on Oct 2, 2020 0:27:27 GMT
The trapdoor spring open faster than she expected as the weight comes off, making a short but audible clink. They don’t hear anyone respond to it for now. There’s a ladder that goes down about eight or nine feet and ends on ground that looks like some sort of black sand or coal powder. The light flickering from out of their vision is bluish in color and has an irregular pattern like fire would. There’s also a faint odor of salt but stronger than the sea breeze outside.
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Post by Justine-Juliette de Vair on Oct 2, 2020 13:13:02 GMT
Justine peered into the depths. “I’ll go first.” She felt a burning need to descend, even as she worried the black sand was somehow gunpowder. From here it could be anything. As she began to descend she thought about the mask. The salt smell, strong as it was...she looked down and around as she climbed, feeling trepidation in her every limb
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