Be A Doll

an adventure starring Armando, Bartholomew, and Sadie.
== Setting ==
113 East Martello St., Hwantz Upon Atyme
== Short Episode Description ==
When did this old parchment arrive on the jobs board? Join Armando, Sadie, and Bartholomew as they investigate. Be A Doll is an Adventurous actual play podcast.
== Non Player Characters ==
* Annalisa Pottingham
* Bertrand Cromwell
* Aurora Merryvine
* Jameson Merryvine
* Frenick Merryvine
* Dalen Equus (stable keeper)
* Federico Contenza Bilazno De Medici
* Gideon McCullough
* Patricia Gawkington
*
== Plot Summary ==
The story begins in the Firebreathing Kittens guild hall where Armando leans against a post patiently and eyes a job flier on the board. Not wanting to claim too many jobs for himself, he patiently awaits for another guild member to claim it so that he may join their adventure. Bartholomew spies it as well and makes his way over to the job board. The paper is worn and appears quite old. Sadie joins them and notes that the ink is old as well and this could be a long neglected posting. The flier reads as follows:"Firebreathing Kittens. I am being harassed by some very rude ne'er do-wells who have imposed their presence upon my beloved family estate. I find myself unable to even walk the grounds of my own domicile and have been restricted to a very undesirable living situation. Please help save me from these raffish individuals who impress their unwelcome presence upon my manse! Be a DOLL and provide me with a helping hand. I can provide you with a reward worthy of your aid."They decide to make their way to 113 East Martello Street in Hwantz Upon Atyme to see if they can render aid. When they arrive, the grounds are overgrown and the mansion is in various stages of disrepair. They meet an old man familiar to Bartholomew, Gideon McCullough. Gideon tells them that he is examining the house because he finds it interesting and saw a small crowd of folks go in, so he figured he could poke around as well. He fled when he heard the gargoyles inside making an odd sound and thought better of staying in the area. Upon inspecting the exterior, they find a plaque naming the home "Cromwell Manor." Sadie is curious about this building and, with her background in business dealings, decides they should get clarity on the chain of ownership such that she can potentially invest in the manor and transform it into a money making enterprise. The party heads to the Town Hall in order to learn more about the property records.
At the Town Hall, they meet Annalisa Pottingham, the clerk/notary/record keeper. Sadie and she begin discussing shared interests such as liverwurst sandwiches and fish gelatin. At this, Armando is a little grossed out and invites Bartholomew to the Moon Dollar coffee shop next door. They each order a Blue Fire and Bartholomew purchases a nifty souvenir cup. While in line, Armando meets his cousin, Federico, and the reconnect after many years. During their conversation, Federico shares that he is now mayor of Hwantz Upon Atyme and Armando mentions the Cromwell Manor which brought them to town. Federico tells Bartholomew and Armando about the strange happenings at the manor, how it is haunted, and how the former owner willed the property to a creepy doll. Their interest piqued, Armando and Bartholomew take their coffees to go and return to the town hall. There Sadie learns a bit more about the timeline of when the property was willed to the doll as well as the doll's cute sailor outfit and how it paid a handsome some to her to close the deal. The other two tell her what they heard from the Mayor. Equipped with more knowledge, they return to Cromwell Manor.
At the Manor, they knock on the door. When there is no answer, the go in using the authority of the job flier so as no to be dishonorable. From a far corridor, they can hear a crowd of people. When they follow the sounds, they enter a hallway flanked by paintings representing former residents of Cromwell Manor. One of the paintings portrays Bertrand Cromwell sitting with a marionette doll on his knee and his mother looking at him from a distance with revulsion. Sadie hears a giggle from behind a painting and chooses to dive through it thereby discovering a hidden passageway. As they follow the narrow path, they reach a ladder. The footsteps seem to scurry away above them so they choose to climb the ladder. Open opening the trap door, they take in a picture of a very dusty bedroom, untouched for years. Sadie approaches the four poster bed at one end and quickly moves the curtains aside. There she reveal a desiccated corpse holding what was once a sandwich. Sadie confirms the cause of death isn't poison and they all discover that this is what is left of the former owner, Bertrand. They take the door out to a landing where a suit of armor stands. Knowing this is a haunted mansion, Armando goes on the offensive and quietly, yet thoroughly, takes the armor apart piece by piece with his swordplay. This causes some children to be surprised and awed. The party speaks to the children and they introduce themselves as the Merryvines; Aurora, Jamison, and Frenick. Further conversation reveals that they were former scouts but have recently been hired by a lady named Patricia to sneak around and give the place the appearance of being haunted. The party realizes that the haunting may just be a scam to make money, so they go downstairs toward the sound of a small crowd of people once again.
Once they reach the foyer, the whole house shakes violently and the image of a floating doll floats toward them, demanding that they leave the property and stop harassing him. Rather than fight, the party begins a dialogue with him to tell him they are there to help. He divulges that he was in fact Bertrand and was stuck at the manor forever tied to the form of the doll located within the manor. Someone has been parading people through his home and disrupting his ability to read his books. The party works out a plan where Sadie can take over the manor and manage it in such a way to rent it out but keep his library intact so that he can continue to read in peace. After this is settled, a cacophony is heard from the dining room. There are people trapped inside due to a chandelier falling and blocking the door. The party successfully opens the way back up, but before they can ask about what looks to be a tour group, the whole crowd flees in a panic outside.
Once again, the Firebreathing Kittens save the day!
Category:Episodes