The party was spread out around the coach house looking for a way into the grounds of Bloodhaven estate. Varrid and Drovic started up the stairs, while Grunyar continued hammering away at the door in the dining room. Suddenly Arvien screamed as she was attacked from the rear in the stables.
Ralom hied out into the kitchen to see what the ruckus was about. Seglun scurried into Arvien's vacated place next to the green capped hunter. Arvien had attempted a color spray to no effect on the hunter. Baru shoved Arvien out of the way and moved up to attack also. As Grunyar pounded away on the solid door he was gashed from behind as the corpse on the table rose to attack. Drovic continued up the stairs looking for additional enemies. He found three closed doors. Listening at two of the doors Drovic perceived no sounds from inside. Arvien threw magic missiles at the hunter from the cover of the tunnel. Meanwhile Seglun and Baru continued attacking the hunter who touched Seglun, shaking her to the core and then suddenly fled back up a trap door in the ceiling, apparently this was his access to the stables. Ralom headed back to the dining room to assist Grunyar who was taking a beating from the corpse on the table. Seglun quickly followed the hunter up the trap door into an empty room. Baru barreled up the stairs and Drovic opened the door into the Trophy Room and entered. No one found any evidence of the Hunter in the Trophy Room, whose wall were covered by stuffed human and demihuman heads. A werewolf, a goblin and orc and a wererat heads were on display. In the corner where the trap door emerged was a full sized ogre with a raised club. Seeing the display of horror, Seglun fled back down the trap door and into a corner of the kitchen, whimpering. Varrid joined Ralom and Grunyar in attacking the corpse, which collapsed into a heap and turned into the body of a doppleganger, now very familiar to the group.
Upstairs, Baru hurried out to another closed door which led into a study area furnished with divans, chairs and small tables. A few animal trophies were mounted on the walls, heads of deer, water buffalo, and other herd animals. A small shelf held a few books, but Baru found no evidence of the hunter in the study. Arvien summoned a small earth elemental into the upstairs hall to block the hunters escape. Meanwhile Drovic opened another closet door? in the Trophy Room. Inside stood the Hunter in his green cap. He glared at Drovic who threw off the effect. The hunter then opened a secret door in the closet and fled into the hall. Surrounded now by enemies the hunter fell, but did not morph into a doppleganger. He still brandished a nasty looking dagger which had inflicted bleeding damage on its victims.
Varrid listened at the last door in the hallway, inside she could make out weeping sounds. Flinging open the door she found a typical bedroom with a single occupant. A beautiful woman, dressed in a nightgown, knelt at the foot of the bed. Her hands were bound with a silver chain, the end of which was attached to the bedpost. She was weeping uncontrollably.
At the sound of the door opening she quickly looked up, her face contorted with fear. At the sight of Varrid she pleaded, "Please set me free, Bardan has threatened me with vile suggestions of force. He wishes to take my virginity and use my body for horrific purposes. Set me free, please," she begs. Varrid asked her name, which is Allysha, she indicated that she wants to return to her family "Please help me!!"
Ralom enters and she cringes in some fear as he detects evil. Unfortunately for Allysha, the result convinced Ralom that they were dealing with another doppleganger. He questions regarding her response after being released. "I will leave and go back to my family, directly," she replies. Ralom believes that she is telling the truth but doesn't trust her given the evil aura surrounding her. Additional questioning afford no additional or differing response. The chain appears very thin and frail but Allysha cannot apparently escape the bondage.
All this time Grunyar was, weakly, attacking the doors and windows in the dining room, Baru searched the body of the hunter, apparently Bardan, from the description of Allysha. Bardan had the magical dagger, a magical key and a hide shirt covering his hairy torso. Baru took the key down to the coach house tunnel double doorway and put it into the lock. As the key is turned the group heard a grinding sound as something moved inside the door. The doors could then be opened which revealed a stone pathway leading to a long pillared patio with three doors and four large windows that looked out over the lawn.
Seglun crept up to the window and peered in. She saw a large, elegant room decorated with divans, chairs and chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. A musical group is playing formal dancing tunes and dozens of people are dancing and mingling in the room. All the doors and windows on the patio look into the same large room.
Drovic, Grunyar and Ralom evading the guards that periodically patrol, headed west around the building, finding no doors or windows until reaching the southwest corner. There they found a simple room, tastefully decorated with large plants and statuary and a pair of female party guests. A porch on the south was protected by a roof supported by stone columns. Shallow steps led up to double doors, next to which a gowned female figure stood, gazing into the heavens.
East of the Ballroom the rest of the group found a set of windows that showed a large dining room. There was a large table filled with food and murals on the walls of endless fields of grain, orchards and grazing lands filled with cattle, goats and sheep. Bundled stalks of grain filled the corners of the room. A live goat was tethered in one corner and two large dogs wandered, begging food from the dozens of party guests, or stealing food from the table.
Ralom watched until the woman wandered away from the porch toward the main drive. He then crept along the manor house to windows that faced south. At the first set of windows he saw a large room, with guests, whose walls were covered with murals depicting a desert theme. The floor appeared to be covered with a thin layer of soil or sand. There were chairs and white marble tables, potted desert plants and cacti. In one corner was a tethered camel. Ralom shook his head wonderingly and moved to the next set of windows. Again chairs, sofas and party guests were in a room whose walls were painted with murals of a snow covered valley surrounded by a mountain range. Large rocks lined the walls and were stacked in the corners. Many of the rocks seemed to be covered with a white coating. Atop one rock was a mountain goat staring down at the guests.
As the party regrouped at the eastern side of the manor house they found more windows and a door leading into a kitchen. Cooks and servers frantically raced around the room, narrowly avoiding each other as they carried trays of food. Beyond the kitchen was another foyer that looked exactly the same as the foyer on the west side of the manor house. As the party stood outside they heard the bells toll eight. Only four hours left to find the blade and return it to Sodo.
DM's Notes: Experience will not be figured until the current encounter as the Bloodhaven Estate is concluded.
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