Session Three

***As you pass back into the main hall, you see that Linnae is still propped up against the wall where you had left her when you went to search the other rooms, though something is clearly different and clearly wrong. Her eyes are wide, staring unblinkingly up into the air, and there is an unnatural stillness to her, her face locked into an expression of terror.***

## The Party

* Alyssandra, the Human Paladin/Warlock.
* Dakira, the Dragonborn Bard.
* Kalil, the Half-Elf Sea Sorcerer.
* Mirarook, the Half-Orc Monk.
* Tansy, the Tiefling Light Cleric.

## A Brush with Death

The party regrouped in the main hall, and found the mysterious woman where they had left her, however they quickly picked up that something was wrong. A quick examination revealed that she was dead. No cause could be determined.

Tansy was the most shaken up by this death, and declared that the party should stick together from now on, which the others said would be wise. Kalil encouraged the party to get a move on, a sentiment that Alyssandra repeated, and the party went on to explore the rest of the rooms.

## Exploring the Unkempt

### The Storage Room

Tansy lead the way into the next room, a storage room filled with cobwebs, rotting blankets, moldy soaps, and dust. While the others turned away from the seemingly empty room, Tansy remained to search through the room. Her searching disturbed a broom, which proceeded to attack her.

The battle was hard fought, with the broom taking down Tansy in two hits. Fortunately Alyssandra grabbed her body and dragged her out of harm's way, allowing her to recover while the others fought on. In the end, Dakira landed the killing blow, and in the aftermath the party decided to move to the master suite to recover.

### A Rest, a Dream

Mirarook and Dakira offered to alternate watches while the others rested, but Alyssandra stepped in to tell everyone that as her bird did not need to sleep and could awaken her if there was trouble, Merletta could take watch so that everyone could sleep. With that decided, the party settled in, though as they slept each of them had strange dreams, and were woken early by Kalil's outburst following his nightmare.

Upon waking, Dakira follows an urge and discovers the purpose of the magic black book.

### Nursemaid's Suite

As the party examined this room, the mirror quickly drew their attention when they noticed it was not reflecting the room, but a cleaned and orderly vision of the room. In this reflection, instead of themselves, they saw a tired young woman in a servant's uniform staring out into the room before she walked away from the mirror, walking beyond the boundary of what the mirror was able to view. Alyssandra promptly smashed the mirror, which revealed a small dark room beyond it which was hidden again as the glass repaired itself.

While the others were distracted by the mirror, Tansy opened a door and found a nursery that was empty except for a small crib with something inside it, though it was obscured by a translucent black cloth draped over the crib. She called Alyssandra over to help investigate. The room grew colder as they approached and examined the crib, and when Alyssandra pulled back the sheet and lifted the bundle inside the crib, she found it was nothing but blankets.

As this was happening, Dakira smashed the mirror again, allowing another view into the space behind the mirror and those gathered at the mirror could see stairs leading upwards before the mirror reformed again. Dakira decided to attempt to outpace the mirror, smashing the mirror again and attempting to rush through before the house's power could repair it. Dakira managed to make it through, but tripped over the mirror as it was reforming, sending her sprawling to the floor and slamming into the wall on the opposite side. This wall then slid out of the way, revealing the balcony, and also sending the dead body of the mysterious woman falling onto Dakira. Dakira left through the newly opened doorway and re-entered the room with the others.

As Dakira explained what she saw, Alyssandra approached the mirror and pressed against it, triggering the secret door mechanism on this side. This revealed a stairwell, as well as the opened door directly ahead, through which the party could see the balcony, the spiral staircase, and the strange woman's body.

Deciding they had nowhere to go but up, the party made their way up into the attic.

## Into the Attic

### The Entry

The party emerged from the cobwebbed stairwell and found themselves in the abandoned attic of the house. From there they could see a number of closed doors leading off to other rooms, including the one closest to them which had a large padlock on the door. The sound of scratching coming from the other side of the door made many in the party wary of opening it, but the realization that they had no key for the lock made it a moot point.

As the party discussed trying to smash the lock or even the door, Alyssandra asked Merletta to fly back downstairs to see if she could find a key. The raven did so, returning a short time later with the key, which Alyssandra used to unlock the door, and the party went inside.

### The Children's Room

Entering, the party found many things of note. A toy box with flaking paint depicting windmills on grassy hills. A dollhouse that was a perfect replica of the house they were standing in, down to the smallest detail. Two child-sized beds. A window that had been bricked shut. Many scratch marks on the inside of the door. Two small skeletons in the middle of the room, wearing the tattered remains of familiar clothes.

Upon inspecting the dollhouse to try to find a way into the basement the party was interrupted by the sudden appearance of two ghostly children. The boy and girl were identical to the children found in many portraits inside the house, as well as the children the party had encountered outside. Having many questions, the party began trying to get answers from the children.

The children, mainly Rose, answer their questions as best they can. She told the party about "the parties" that their parents would throw for their friends in the basement, "more interesting" books from the hidden library, the monster in the basement, and about the baby brother that the illusionary versions of the children had mentioned outside. Though Rose freely gave information about "the parties" and the monster, she was somewhat hesitant to talk about the books and library as "they were supposed to be secret," and on the topic of baby Walter and Miss Cyntia she seemed uncomfortable and uncertain, adding that they weren't supposed to talk about these things because "it makes Mommy mad."

During this questioning, Mirarook and Tansy began to gather the children's bones, having promised the children they would not leave them alone again, and Alyssandra suggesting attempting to lay them to rest.

## Things Gained

* A key to unlock the children's room in the attic.
* A makeshift sack full of the bones of children.
* A wariness of brooms.

## Developments

The party had their second combat encounter, and experienced a party member being downed for the first time.

The party took their first long rest.

The party discovered their second (and third) secret doors.

The party met the ghosts of Rose and Thorn, and convinced them to explain some of what's going on.