The Haunted Keep

**Heading to Our New Haunted Mansion**

We head out the next day after making anti-spooky spell preparations to our new Keep outside of town.....

Groundskeeper= Half Elf named **Sionedell** (sp?); We send Turnip in with a note to ask her to come out so we can introduce ourselves; She comes out, when we tell her why we are there, she gets pretty concerned, has a pendant with some flowers interwoven with her necklace (these flowers grow in the Yami forest= Yami flowers) that she clutches when she gets nervous, she seems a little befuddled, and also talks to herself/to someone we cannot see? She thinks it would be a good idea for protection that we should also wear these flowers! Sera remembers that there used to be El Yath Lenor Elves that lived in these lands, they cultivated such flowers in their surroundings and was a symbol of their time; these elves were a fragment of a much larger elven empire that dates back much further and they were the last remnants of this empire.

Fable creates her little (not little) magical forcefield around the entire property= Warded Area

Beautiful well kept garden with prominent Yami flowers, a half-buried sign near the door, atop the door frame says "The Retreat"; Sera props the sign up next to the door, it is in Elvish script. She invites us in the house, goats are being kept inside; We think both Brexx and Bart have been "Got" and begin having visions; We head directly for the basement after urging from Akibeko.

We lock/barricade Sionodell out of the basement as we descend- Akibeko leading the charge; there appears to be areas where perhaps prisoners were kept in the past?? Bart soon to follow and sees in the far corner a tarp covering a well? with glints of symbols upon it, appears to be padlocked and bolted to the floor. Fable uses Mage Hand to pull the tarp off- square well with cap on top w/ runic symbols on it, the more mundane locks are attached to the floor.- if they are tampered with though, they trigger the spell on the top- it is a protection/warding spell with high level Blight spell that is triggered. Brexx offers to dispel magic, which he does....then Bart picks the locks. Chains fall away, banging on the doors upstairs...

Akibeko finds a fulcrum point and something like a crowbar to attempt to push it off, he manages it. There is a ladder down, we send Turnip down, there is a circle of Elven statues all facing this direction staring with hollowed eyes, as he goes further there is stuff that hasn't aged well, a scuffed area at far wall- perhaps a trap door or hidden door.

Akibeko helps Bart down, dangling him-- he sees horns on the elven statues.... Turnip pecks on one of the statues; Bart descends completely and stands & hears in Elvish "Cormanthie Shall Rise" & the eyes of the main statue starts to glow

**The Keep - ALTERNATE NOTES**

We approach the half-elf groundskeeper. She isn't certainly happy about having new landlords. Not in a malicious way, more in a regretful way. When asked about the Elven spirits, she zoned out. She wears a necklace of ornate Yami flowers.

She tries to offer us Yami flower necklaces and bracelets.  We are all wary. Historically, the flowers denote favor and fortune.

Fable casts a ritual to protect us and the fortress from divination magic. Akibeko and Bart argue about whether to go to the gardens or the basement.

VISION: Brexx sees a half burned and wounded dwarven figure in a window. He swears he recognizes them, then zones out and forgets.

We all follow the woman into the keep. The ground floor is used for housing animals, storage, and living space.

VISION: A grandfather figure with a horrible would. Enters the room, looks at the woman and says, " I guess that's a matter of opinion." Then Bart zones out.

Akibeko demands the basement . Now.

Brexx tries to cast a spell.

VISION: Brexx sees someone from his hometown who tries to disuade him from casting. He says that

Brexx got them all killed. "THEY" came for them.

Brexx yells at the top of his lungs, "IT'S NOT MY FAULT!"

Sera shakes him awake and demands he cast detect evil. But it won't work becasue of the divination protection spell.

Akibeko charges down stairs followed by Bart. Bart stops and lets the others catch up. Sera blocks the door to stop the woman following.

In the corner of the room is a pad locked and bolted well. With sigils. The party catches up. The taped well is eminating magic. Fable mage hands the tarp off the well revealing a runic capped square well with locks attached to the floor.

VISION: Bart is confronted by a dead person. And talks about "Giving his will away"

Fable slaps Bart. He casts Unseen Servant. Sera and Fable read the runes. The first is a protection spell and a blight spell if tampered with.

Brexx dispells the magic on the lock. Akibeko starts putting torches in sconces. Off to the right is a workshop area. There are tools on the ground. There are cells.

Akibeko finds some perserved tools and uses a prybar to open the cap stone. Fable sends Turnip the Owl into the hole. the sweet owl is met by hollow Eyed Elven Statues staring at where we would enter the room.

Bart starts to go down and the ladder begins to crumble. Bart pokes his head down and observes the statues. Bart jumps down and one of the statues says in Elvish a name (Comanthee) and the eyes begin to glow.