RECORDING 7: THE THIRD WEEK.

[foundationmods]

A third week in this place begins, with less of your number among you. The final week completely covered by everyone's rations, though with proper meting out, you'll be able to make it stretch until after week 4. It seems as if everyone will have to go without a few meals here and there..

To make things worse, when you wake up - it's clear the Miasma has gotten thicker. Everyone, save those still protected either by their powers or items they brought with them, is now even more deeply affected by the curse. Arguments will be flaring up more, along with negative thoughts and feelings...and even more worrying Is that any magic that touches the house itself will corrode over time. If a barrier is put in place and touches the floor, walls, or ceiling, in half a day it will be completely consumed by the miasma and fizzle out. Spells or seals will also corrode, and even personal healing abilities have been halved.

The Temperature has dropped, just a bit - down to the mid to low 60's. Strange, isn't it? As before,the rooms have changed, so hopefully you kept anything essential in the static area.

25 of your number still remain.

...What new horrors await you this week?


WARNING: Some investigations of new areas will contain traps that may be harmful or even lethal.
MIASMA LEVEL: 2
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Comments

investigationnnn

[foundationmods]

[The fireplace is currently unlit, but there is wood and kindling nearby if he wants to make a fire for whatever reason. The kindling seems to be pages from an old newspaper, though it's crumpled up and unreadable currently. Also, he would need a means to light the fire, as there are no matches by the fireplace.

There is also s set of fireplace tools hanging nearby: a poker, a rake, and a shovel.

On the mantle over the fireplace is a few stuffed birds. A pheasant, a quail, and some kind of small brown bird.

There's also the bearskin rug on the floor near the fireplace.]

[accrowed]

[ Maybe lighting fires is part of an abstract, complicated puzzle, you never know!! ... it's more likely that someone here just wants to set a fire but, like, it's fine. It's Fine. He'll abstain from becoming a firestarter for now and save it for later. He'll save the tools for a bit too.

Mostly 'cause there's other stuff to check. For one—is the fireplace big enough for a person to fit in? And if he gently feels along the inside of the wall/under the mantle, will he feel anything unusual or will it just be like. Soot and stone?

Checking out the birds and rug can come in a minute! ]

mandee said I can appear here so a wild fyre appears hewwo

[noneforall]

[You won't need a minute if there's another person in the house!!

Subete has taken to wandering around new areas of the house with his shield up, because he had it up for Jackfruitgate anywho, what's a little more. That, and it would be foolish to let down his guard literally or figuratively given everything, and also traps. Anyway, he's going to waltz in because that's what he does.]

... Haha. I was about to mistake you for part of the fireplace. I'm not helping you if you get stuck in there.

[You know what, bird time. Are these like the horror taxonomy googly-eyed birds or Real Birds With Real Faces, inquiring minds need to know. He probably won't handle them, but he'll take a closer look. His bird knowledge is uhhhh let's call it city-grade.]

wild fyres just what we need owo

[accrowed]

[ Wow, how... actually, that's helpful. Thanks Subete, even though he barely knows you beyond classifying you as "that shield ho" in his head. Only less rudely, so more accurately it's "that shield guy."

He glances over to Subete briefly. If there's a trap in wait this is clearly the perfect time to get him...!! He's distracted! ]

You know, I can't even argue I wouldn't fit right in. There's so much game here I'm half-surprised we haven't seen a human head. [ Rude you wouldn't help him, tho. ]

[noneforall]

Do you really want to be saying that without checking the whole place?

[He is probably over here checking out the game, so thanks for cursing him with that.

He doesn't really seem put off, though, so shield guy is just going to keep shuffling along and possibly get facehugged by a raccoon, I don't know what's happening in the other thread yet.

Hope a shrunken head falls on Crow, though.]

hewwo pwesident

[foundationmods]

[These are Real Birds with Real Faces, whoever had these birds taxidermied paid the big bucks to have them done well.

He probably won't recognize the birds as anything but 'bird', but they are small and not pigeons or anything.

There are plenty of other animals to check out in the room though! And a few of them are definitely fauna he might recognize even with his city-grade knowledge of animals. There's definitely a raccoon over in one of the corners, for example, laying on a plush dog bed of all things.]

I can't believe they taxiedermied Spice Block

[noneforall]

[Well, that's just what you'd expect from rich folks, so at least they won't have to have those staring at them in the night. You never know what will happen during the week, though!

While I'm here, quick check if there are any windows in the room? I assume they're still showing Forest Purgatory but like, just out of curiosity. He'll also kick up a corner of the bearskin rug real quick to check underneath it, just in case.

All that aside, and assuming the rug isn't magical and about to strangle him for mistreating it, he'll come check out the snug bug raccoon...? Is this one properly taxidermied.]

[foundationmods]

[No windows. You are stuck inside here, it's in the middle of the house.

Underneath the bearskin rug is just wooden flooring. No traps there!

The raccoon looks to be in remarkably good condition. It's curled up on the bed exactly like how a real raccoon would curl up to sleep, and it even has that faint gross odor that wild raccoons usually have. Someone really went all out with this one!

...except, as Subete looks at the raccoon, he'll see it's...moving, slightly? He'll need to get closer/possibly touch it to see what's going on. It might be one of the first animatronic stuffed raccoon!]

[noneforall]

[Did I mention he's a city boy and thus has relatively few direct encounters with wild animals short of zoos and things, but this is either a tanuki or a raccoon and like hell he knows which one. (More likely to be a raccoon because I momentarily forgot they were in California but also rich people.) But things that are moving in this house and that are potentially wild animals and smell gross?? Why would you expect him to handle that.

He's got a handkerchief in his pocket but he's totally not using that either.

What he's going to do is borrow one of the fireplace tools that Crow is presumably not using and use it to lightly prod the raccoon lump. He ain't here for rabies, fam.]

[foundationmods]

[Prodding the raccoon does seem to work! After a couple prods, the raccoon starts to stir. It makes a grumbling noise, and then it lifts it's head to sleepily hiss at Subete.

Yep. Real raccoon.]

[noneforall]

Ha. Good to see something else alive in this house, as long as you aren't full of diseases.

[It's probably full of diseases!

He's actually just speaking aloud because Crow is in the room, he doesn't spend that much time monologuing to random woodland creatures. Supernatural crabs are an exception as of the weekend, okay!! That being said, he's literally just standing here barriering a raccoon, because Subete is a guy who makes good life choices.

He does stop prodding it, though. That's probably a good idea. Hmm.

How fat is this raccoon? Does it look like it's been eating all the food in the house?? Is it to blame for their starvation wages?????]

[foundationmods]

[This raccoon is rather large, and is probably the reason why the kitchen was so bare of food. Someone will have to check the pantry to see if he got in there.

Said raccoon is also going to climb out of his bed and go trundling off to find a hiding spot. He's a bit chunky though so his waddling will take a moment. He can be caught if you want to stop him but otherwise he's leaving the trophy room.]

[noneforall]

Now, hang on a second. I can't have you getting into all our supplies.

[Though, what on earth is he going to do about that, they don't have a pet carrier or anything and it's not like they can shove the raccoon into the fireplace or whatever.......

Well, I guess there is something Subete can do, and that is just. Wham bam thank you ma'am there's a second barrier across the entrance to the trophy room now! Probably better than bubbling a grumpy raccoon, but now they're just stuck in this room with it, so there's that. Why has he become the barrier maiden of the round, why is this a thing.]

This really isn't a long-term solution.

[Are we sure there isn't something or somewhere in this room we can make into raccoon jail. I really have no idea what we're going to do with this thing.]

[accrowed]

[ staring from across the room

did you just lock him in here

with

a rabid animal ]

[foundationmods]

[Rude crow, he's not rabid! But he does bump into the barrier and make a noise. Then he paws at the barrier, like he wants to get out. He sees freedom but he can't reach it :(]

[foundationmods]

[A person can climb into the fireplace itself, yes! But it looks like it hasn't been cleaned in a while. Touching the inside will get his hands sooty. Beneath the soot is stone, though. It's definitely a stone fireplace.

If he peeks up through the middle, he'll see that the chimney does appear to go up and out of the house. But it is too narrow for a person to climb up, and you don't really want to go outside anyway. They're still in dark forest land.]

[accrowed]

[ Time to send Sissel up through the chimney!! Then Sissel can use their innate cat powers to dodge the invispider and free them all!! The perfect end! Except none of that can or will happen so he just kind of like stops poking his head in the fireplace and claps his hands together.

Why so sooty, fireplace? This better not be like hundred-year-old soot with tons of dangerous bacteria in it. Can soot have bacteria? Whatever, either way.

He briefly acknowledges Subete's presence then moseys along. He'll let Subete take the birds and he'll look at the tools. Don't mind him as he takes out each tool one at a time and checks them over. What are they made out of? ]

[foundationmods]

[They seem to be made out of cast iron! They also appear to have been used. This is definitely a set of tools meant for cleaning that fireplace. They're also pretty hefty, and could make for good defense tools if needed.

Also Mandee's average roll in chat means that Crow will notice some soot markings on the ground near the tools. they look like long...streaks, of some sort? Going from the tools to the fireplace. Hm. How odd.]

[accrowed]

[ Especially against ghosts. Everyone knows ghosts are afraid of iron and salt! (no)

And hm, that's sort of weird considering they were hanging. Also, you don't usually drag the tools like that. Crow crouches down to inspect the soot markings and follow them with his eyes. Presumably, they lead into the fireplace, so...

Let's see what happens if the cautiously feels around the ground in front of and in the fireplace. He's not outright pressing anything down, mostly he's feeling for any stones that could be loose or otherwise feel off. He's so gonna need a shower after this. ]

[foundationmods]

[When he starts feeling around, he'll notice that the soot markings are about the same size and shape as his fingers, if he dragged his fingers across the stone.

But other than those markings, he'll find nothing of use. No secret buttons, no hidden body, nothing. Just lots of ash and soot in the fireplace.]

[accrowed]

[ Curiously, he runs his fingers along the same path! Really just to double-check them. After that, onwards!

If under the mantle don't have a clue and the floor doesn't have a clue, there's only the back wall left. Before he moves on for good and checks something else, he'll give the back wall the same treatment as the floor.

And if it feels safe, he'll bang on with his fist so he can listen to the sound it makes. Does it sound solid or does it sound like there's an empty room back there? ]

[foundationmods]

[There are more of those lines inside, along the back wall. It might be best to not think about how they got there, though.

The fireplace sounds solid! No back rooms hidden there. It's safe to move on to other parts of the room.

Also Subete is talking to a raccoon. That sure is happening.]

[accrowed]

[ subete why

Assuming the raccoon doesn't like, come after him because of Subete's antics, he'll just keep keepin' on!! Since Subete mostly covered the bearskin rug, he'll take the grizzly bear in the corner.

A few questions!! How big is it, is it on a stand, and is the mouth open? ]

[foundationmods]

[It is fukken huge. It's a grizzly, it easily takes up the whole corner. And yes, it's mouth is open.

Actually, there might be something in the mouth...]

[accrowed]

[ there always is

Because Crow isn't yolo enough to stick his hand right in (sadly), he'll... well, if he can just tippy-toe up and inspect the mouth, he'll do that. If he can't he'll drag over some sturdy piece of furniture to give himself a boost.

Does it look like the jaw on this bear's mouth can move/there's any kind of contraption in there or is it decently safe-looking? ]