NSWRPF Archive Into the Twilight: The Haunted Mansion RPG

Moving towards the Graveyard

Seth shivered. He shivered again. He shouldn't be shivering in a dream, and he knew it. What was happening? Why the blazes was he dreaming about a graveyard? This was getting scary. It was also getting ridiculous. He didn't like riddles. Especially not ones posed by his subconscious.

He strode over to one of the tombstones, where Ktala had apparently just shouted something into the chilly air out of frustration. Seth couldn't make out exactly what she said, though.

"Need any help?" he asked cheerfully, glancing down at the grave. He didn't get this. There was absolutely no chance of him being any assistance at all in this particular puzzle, but he offered a hand anyway, because that's just the sort of thing that was gentlemanly in this situation. Though, as this was all a dream, it really didn't matter too much at all. He wandered around, deciding to inspect Grave 18 while he waited.

Ghostly_Host, Ktala, others

 

Ktala

Some strolled over to where she stood, after just yelling at the group that they could use some hlep.

"Need any help?" he asked cheerfully, glancing down at the grave.

Ktala looked up and grinned. "YES!" she said with a grin. "I can do some riddles and stuff..but this one...ack!" She shook her head and frowned. "If you can just help with reading the tombstones, that would help ALOT."

She grinned. "Besides, it beats standing around at the door, freezing."

With a shrug of her shoulders, she moved the brush to read what was on the next set of graves. She looked up at him. "Uh..who are you, by the way?" she asked with a grin.

She murmored over the poem again:

[Master William H. Gracey
1985-1945

Gracey stands under this tomb
Watching men who've met their doom
Here he pierces, through the gloom
His manor always holds soom room

If you wish to enter here
Let this riddle make it clear
Follow the numbers of ones death year
Their last initials shall unlock your fears ]


Gracie
Xesh

It wasnt looking too promosing at the moment.


Ghostly_Host, Winged_Jedi, others

 

OOC: Anybody from the "Integral group" still around? We're behind the mansion...

Anyone...?

 

A Note From Your Pathetic GM

-To the Three Types of People that could be reading this:

1.) Lurkers: Please Join! We would love to have more active players in this game, and I assure you, your Host can take special care to intigrate you. Please send sheets to the Ghostly Host, and come on board!

2.) Those who have run off: Come Back! There is still so much to do and so little time to do it in! We would love to keep you on board, and I assure a good game. You have not missed too much, just come on back and start posting!

3.) Active Players: I love you all and keep it up! This game is designed to run on one player if need be. If your group has suddenly become inactive, strike it out on your own! The mansion and her riddles are all the same, and there is no advantage to staying in a group besides maybe having things finish faster. So Dubya, head off to the shed if you so wish. Ktala, keep on chopping away at that riddle.

---

[color=blue][b][u]Grave 21[/u][/b]

Grave 21 was a traditional, rounded off rectangular grave. On its top was a picture of a large cross on it. On the middle, a simple:

[i]RIP[/i] was on it

[b][u]Grave 22[/u][/b]

Grave 22 was also of the traditional style. On it was a poem:

[i]Here Lies
Good Old Fred
A great big rock fell on his head[/i]

No date was given

[b][u]Grave 18[/u][/b]

Grave 18 was a large obelesk, of black marble. On it was a raised relief of a woman's face. Below it said...

[i]Dear Sweet Leota
Beloved by all
In regions beyond now
But having a ball [/i] [/color]

[hr]
[color=green][b]IC: The Ghostly Host[/b]
[i]Location: Omnipresent / Invisible[/i]

The Ghostly Host looked upon the two active groups of people. Ktala and Seth were poking through the graveyard, seemingly without a clue. Sooner or later, they would have to go through all the number combinations. Gracie's riddle wasn't that hard was it.

He looked on with great interest.

At the same time, through the miracle of being what he was, he was watching the group behind the mansion. At first, they possessed alot of promise. But they seemed to have stalled out upon meeting Mister Stone. How.... unfortunate.

The Ghostly Host eagerly watched the two teams progress. [/color]

[hr]
[color=red][u][b]Peoples Positions so far [/b] [/u] [/color]
[u]At The Door Folks[/u]
Penguinator
DVC
Emme
LSA

[u]In the GraveYard[/u]
Ktala
Morkai
Winged

[u]Behind the Mansion[/u]
Dubya
Integral
Spiff
BSSL
Vigilance

[u]Other Unaccounted For Players[/u]
Vassago
*Insert your name here if not mentioned*

 

IC Spiff:

"Well, Mr. Stone, would you like to help us? Man, what I wouldn't give to have Ray Stantz, Egon Spengler, Winston Zeddimore, and Peter Venkman here right about now. Only if you don't help, though."

I headed toward the shed after saying that. This ghost was going to be useless, I could tell.

TAG: Ghostly Host, Integral's group

 

OOC: Okay then. As I_H, er, I mean, Ghostly_Host suggested... I shall try to go out on my own.




IC: as Scotty
Behind the Mansion

He straightened out his Sharks hockey jersey and headed up toward this `Stone` ghost. "Be brave, be brave, be brave..." he repeated to himself.

He stopped just outside of arms reach of the ghost and couldn't go any closer...out of fear. "Uh," Scotty studdered as the ghost looked at him. "I can't believe this... Are you real?" He slowly reached out with an extended index finger. He wondered if this thing was actually tangible.

TAG: Ghost at back door, anybody else behind the mansion...

 

Ktala

Ktala spent the next 30 mintues looking back, scribbling small notes, as she checked out the graves

She knew Gracey was the first grave. So that was a G. But who was next? She looked at how the graves were arranged.

The Graveyard was arranged in five rows of ten headstones, for a total of fifty. They are arranged in rows, with the first grave at the top left corner of the yard. The numbers count up until 10, then 11 starts the new row, and it continues in a likewise manor.

Her first choice wasnt making sense, as she ran thru it. And some graves had nothing on the stones. She carefully marked those off of her tiny map of sorts. It was COLD. And she wanted in. NOW!

She sat, looking from the paper to the graves. She then growled. "It cant be that...." she muttered.

Gracey died...1945. She had tried the five. That didnt make sense. So far, she had checked out:

#5 - nada
#9 - 1902
#21 - more nada
#22 - No date.
#18 - well..no date, but it was interesting. She recognized the name Leota. Right now, she wished she had her crystal ball to help them out.

She looked back up at the graveyard again.

"Shoot me."

She turned, and began counting as she walked, near the middle of the last row of graves. Single digits had not worked at all. They made no sense. So, now she tried double digits.

Gracey was 1945. So she headed for grave #45.

If this didnt work, she was gonna break into the house. ANYTHING, to get out of the spooky outside. She munched on a cookie as she walked.




TAG: Imp_Hammer, or Ghost Host...

 

OOC: There is no I_H here, foolish ones

---

[color=purple][b]IC: Jack Stone[/b]
[i]Location: The Back Door[/i]

Jack listened as Spiff asked if he was going to help. But before he could give an answer, the man walked off to the shed, seemingly in quite a huff. The simple gardener was more than a bit confused by such peculiar antics. After all, didn't the boy know he was bound by cryptic rules of time and space. It was more difficult for a ghost to be useful then most people realized.

Something else caught the grizzeled ghosts eye as another young man came up to him, seeming extremely afraid.

[i]Uh," Scotty studdered as the ghost looked at him. "I can't believe this... Are you real?"[/i]

The man stuck out his finger in an effort to touch the ghost...

"A course I'm real sonny." The gardener said, flashing his gnarled teeth in his version of a smile. "An be careful were ya put that thin." he said, motioning to the finger. "Some of me parts are a bit ticklish. Dun be afeared, no one ever said we ghosts have to be scary. A course, we aren't really your traditional, run-o-teh-mill spooks, this much is true."

[b]TAG: Dubya [/b][/color]

[hr]
[color=blue][u]The Shed - Exterior[/u]

The path to the shed was more like a dirt path really, snaking through the tall and unkept grass. As you approach the shed itself, you see it to be a small, tin plated thing, looking well constructed, but definitely worn down by the elements. It is rusting a bit here and there, and has a hole or two corroded into it. The wooden door to it lies partially ajar, open to anyone who wishes to enter it.

[hr]

[u]Grave 45[/u]

Grave 45 is a grey stone slab, looking quite natural at first, but definitely carved that way for effect upon examination. On the cut side of the stone, the following inscription

[i]John Ruskie

Too good to be gone

1909-1931[/i] [/color]

 

Ktala

By the time she had finished her small snack, Ktala had made it to Grave 45. She looked up briefly, for the folks who had been helping her...and then looked back down at the grave

Grave 45 is a grey stone slab, looking quite natural at first, but definitely carved that way for effect upon examination. On the cut side of the stone, the following inscription

[John Ruskie
Too good to be gone
1909-1931

Hmm...Okay. If this one was to work, lets see what she had.

G,R
Last date...1931. She looked over, and sighed. "At least all this walking is keeping me warm..." she muttered to herself, as she began to head for grave number 31. If that letter fell into place, then she would have a good idea that she was on the right path.

She began to jog over to grave 31. If one of the others was nearby, she yell at him to tell her what it said. Beats walking all over the place.

It was probably a good thing most didnt understand klingon, as she began to mutter a few words while staring at the others who were just sitting there.


TAG:Ghost Host

 

IC: Tyler

Tyler zoned more than he had thought. He jolted awake, to see Scotty approaching Jack, "the ghost", and asking if he was real.

As quickly as he could, which is to say, not quick at all, given Tyler's bad back, two bad legs, and hefty frame, Tyler lept to his feet, and tried to run after Scotty. He knew there was no way he'd reach him in time, so he yelled out to Scotty instead.

"Don't do it. I've got a bad feeling about this!" He yelled, but it was too late. The "ghost" turned to Scotty and told him to be careful, mentioning that he was ticklish.

This raised Tyler's curiosity a bit more, making him wonder what was going on here. Had he been so wrong in his "man behind the curtain" theory? It seemed impossible, but, then again, so did being sucked through your computer. And that had happened, so why not something else wacky?

Tyler finally reached Scotty and the "ghost", and was a bit winded. He put his hands on his knees and attempted to catch his breath. He turned to Scotty first.

"This is crazy. I've got a bad, bad feeling. Something is not right here."

Then, he turned to face the "ghost".

"You, can you tell me how to get in the mansion?"

Tag: Dubya, G_H

 

IC: as Scotty
Behind the Mansion

While listening to this ghost, Scotty turned to see an Avalanche jersey heading toward him. "Tyler?"

You, Tyler said to the ghost, can you tell me how to get in the mansion?

"Why not just use something to break it down?" Scotty hesitated. He suddenly found himself...more at ease. Knowing this ghost wasn't going to hurt him, he didn't feel quite as scared. "Is there an axe laying around? We could do, ya know, sort of a `Here's Johnny` type of thing."

TAG: Tyler, Jack Stone...

 

Grave 31

Grave 31 was a small little thing, as if it was one of a child. It had intricate sculpting around its edges, making it almost ornate in nature. On it, in cursive, the following inscription

Abscome A. Applebee

A peach of a gal
A honey of a lady

1910-1939

TAG: The Ktala Group?

---

[color=purple][b]IC: Jack Stone [/b]
[i]Location: At the Back Door [/i]

Jack turned now fully from the door and looked at the two curious humans that were hanging around there. The rest of the group they came with hung idly by, and the guy that had went off to the shed hadn't came back yet.

One of the guys came hustling over, and asked Jack if he knew a way to get into the mansion.

"Ah yeah mate, I gotta get that crazy ol' bat's spade. Then she'll let us in. Someone's gone off ta check the shef. Perhaps you should go look around there as well."

The man who had wanted to touch the ghost spoke up...

[i]"Why not just use something to break it down?" he hesitated."Is there an axe laying around? We could do, ya know, sort of a `Here's Johnny` type of thing."[/i]

"Ahh... probably not the best idea" Jack said, looking a bit uneasy. "Master Ravenwood dunna take to kindly ta vandals. Yeah..." the ghost said, looking around.

[b]TAG: The Integral Group [/b]
[/color]

 

IC: as Scotty
Behind the mansion

Scotty turned to look in the direction of the shed. "Well, let's check there then." He glanced at Tyler, and asked what happened to Spiff?"

Scotty remembers seeing Spiff head in that direction, probably to find a spade. He never came back. Scotty swallowed hard and headed down the dirt path.

TAG: Tyler, Stone, Spiff...

 

IC Spiff:

I opened the shed door carefully, wincing in anticipation of the creak that was sure to come. Then, I walked into the shed, my pulse racing in my temples. I would never do this normally, like a character from a horror movie, but so far, these ghosts had been rather comical and not in the least scary, so it seemed likely that the trend would continue.

TAG: Ghostly_Host, Integral's Group

 

IC: Tyler

The "ghost" told him to get the spade, and Scotty seemed to agree with the idea. Tyler let out a long sigh and ran his hands through his hair.

"All right. Let's go," was his response.

Tyler followed Scotty down a dirt path, and coming from that direction, heard a creaking ... the shed. Spiff must already be there. Tyler picked up the pace, jogging past Scotty, getting to the shed as Spiff walked into it.

Tyler called out to Spiff ... "Spiff ... you find a spade?"

Tag: Scotty, Spiff, G_H

 

IC Spiff:

"Not yet," I shouted back. "Maybe you guys want to come in with me and make this search go faster?"

I was sure they were going to accept. Anything to get out of this crazy situation.

TAG: DarthIntegral's group, Ghostly_Host

 

Shed - Interior

The Interior of the shed was one of those curiously creepy mixes of dirt and clean that one rarely finds. Everything looked pretty neat and clean on the left shelves and walls, with hammers, hoes, rakes, and shovels all hung up neat and orderly, a thick carpet of dust covering any place that it could. Where the spade should have been, a noticibly open spot, with a light imprint of the instrument still present on the wall. The neatness of the walls were, however, thrown into sharp contrast by the mess on the floor. A large confluence of leaves and brush had moved its way into the shed, coating the ground in their rubble. Other noticible items on the floor was an open bag of fertilizer, some spilling out onto the floor, an overturned terracotta pot, with some of its less lucky comrades smashed into fragments around it, and what looked like two rolled up hoses cluttering up the far right corner. A large spiderweb takes up the far upper left corner of the ceilling.

On the counter to the right, a large toolbox sits, unopened. And next to it, some very old papers of some kind. To the left of the counter, along the right wall, hangs what looks like a leather harness for some beast of burden. All the trappings of a fully used and functional work shed seemed to be present inside.

 

Ktala

Ktala looked around. It seemed that her other friends had grown tired. She sighed. She didnt blame them, but she continued to plonder on. She read the next grave stone.

Grave 31

Grave 31 was a small little thing, as if it was one of a child. It had intricate sculpting around its edges, making it almost ornate in nature. On it, in cursive, the following inscription


[Abscome A. Applebee
A peach of a gal
A honey of a lady
1910-1939 ]

Hmm. hehe. She liked the epitaphs. She looked at her now very scratchy piece of paper.
G,R..A hey..this seemed to make some sense. She looked at the letters so far. "It had better NOT be grave.." she muttered to herself. She looked at the next date.

1939.

She sighed, as she turned, and walked, heading for grave #39. Some others had walked by..heading for a rather rickety looking shed. No thanks, she thought to herself, thinking of the stories of the mansion. Starting to hum, she walked over to the grave.



TAG: Ghost Host, Others with Ktala?? (Any left?!)

 

IC Spiff:

I thought it would be a good idea to check out the papers, see if I could make some kind of sense of what was going on around here. After that, I would look inside the toolbox. I shouted out to Integral and everyone else around the shed. "You guys coming in or not?"

TAG: Ghostly_Host, Integral's group

 

IC: as Scotty
The Shed behind the Mansion

Scotty stepped in cautiously. He noticed the spider webs on the ceiling and shuddered. Looking over the rack of the usual shed tools, he saw the noticably empty spot where the spade should have been. Scotty walked up closer to it and touched the empty hook. "Great," he said as he turned back to Integral and Spiff, "it's not here. Now what do we do?"

TAG: Spiff and Integral...

 

Following Ktala

Seth couldn't work this out. He liked these kind of puzzles, he just wasn't very good at them. Generally he looked at the answers or cheated in some other way, and then convinced himself that he would have got there eventually anyway. Except this time, there wasn't any answer page, just rows and rows of gravestones, and he didn't really have a clue what to do. Perhaps his lucky number would help him out.

"Er," he called out to Ktala, who was busy checking out graves with some semblance of purpose, "I'm just going to wander. So call me if you need help. Yeah."

Not that he would be much help, but there you go. He peered at grave number 22, trying to read the inscription.

Tag: Ghostly_host, Ktala

 

IC: Tyler

Tyler entered the shed behind Scotty, and watched as he looked around for the spade.

"It's not here," Scotty said. "Now what do we do?"

Tyler pointed at a toolbox sitting in the shed, and then walked towards it as he spoke.

"I wonder if there's anything in that which could prove useful?"

He squatted in front of it and tried to open it. It was locked, or stuck shut, or rusted shut or something.

"Toolbox won't open guys," he said calmly.

He stood up and kicked it, then squatted again, and tried to open it again. Again, nothing. He stood up and kicked it three more times, and tried to open it again. Again, nothing.

"What the heck?" he shouted, in anger and frustration; for the first time since arriving he had lost his cool.

Tyler squatted back down and this time picked the toolbox up and chucked it out of the shed. He heard a loud thud as it hit the ground. He looked at the other two.

"That should have opened it," he said with a chuckle. "But, just in case, can you two find a tool hanging over there that might be able to pry into it? A hammer and a flathead screwdriver, maybe? Or an Axe? ... or maybe a key to the house?"

Tag: Spiff, Scotty, G_H

 

IC: as Scotty
Inside the shed

Scotty flinched when the tool box landed on the ground making a huge crashing noise. He was sure it was open now...

Doing as Tyler had suggested, Scotty headed back over toward the wall where the spade would have been. "What would be useful?" he muttered to himself as he looked across the wall at all the tools.

(ooc: What exactly is hanging up? Is there an axe, or a crowbar, or something?)

TAG: Tyler, Spiff, Ghost_Host...

 

GM's OOC: Apologies for the.... frighteningly long delay

---

[color=blue][u]Grave #39[/u]

The 39th Grave was an elaborate stone cut piece, circling and swirling in an elaborate stone headpiece. The swirling lines twisted and spun, reaching up into the sunlight. Down at the bottom of the piece, a beautiful gold plate:

[i]Reaching and twirling, dancing and whirling
Hands reaching up into the sky
Wanting, meaning, soaring, feeling,
Watching with an endless eye

Mr and Miss Orlin Peck
1850-1927[/i]

[hr]
[u]Grave #22[/u]

The 22nd Grave is a tall stone, fashioned into a cross at the very top. In its center, a hole, perhaps where a gem used to reside? On its front:

[i]Father Ignacio Ortiz

Gone to stand at his master's right hand
In Heaven, above the world, divine

1820-1902[/color]

[hr]
[color=red][u]The Papers in the Shed[/u]

The Papers in the shed seem to look like a schedule of some kind... on it reads:

[i]Tend the Tulips: (Checked)
Sweep the Paths: (Checked)
Trim the outer bushes: (Checked)
Fix the step to the porch: (Checked)
Trim the Grass:
Take out the trash:[/i]

[hr]
[u]The Toolbox[/u]

The toolbox bursts open when it hits the wall, spilling out a vast variety of things found within it. They include a ring of keys, wrenchs of various sizes, and a lone screwdriver.[/color]

[hr]
[color=blue][u]The Wall[/u]

Handing on the wall, one finds the following items:

A Sledgehammer, an axe, a rake, a hoe, an empty space for a spade, a long stick, the reigns for a horse, a hose, and a length of rope[/color]

[hr]

[b]***TAG: Absolutely Everyone***[/b]

 

Ktala

She made her way to the next grave. Number 39.

G,R..A
Well..lets see what's next.

Grave #39

The 39th Grave was an elaborate stone cut piece, circling and swirling in an elaborate stone headpiece. The swirling lines twisted and spun, reaching up into the sunlight. Down at the bottom of the piece, a beautiful gold plate:

[Reaching and twirling, dancing and whirling
Hands reaching up into the sky
Wanting, meaning, soaring, feeling,
Watching with an endless eye
-0-
Mr and Miss Orlin Peck
1850-1927]

Ktala gently touched the tombstone. It was quite beautiful. The most interesting thing she had seen so far. She wished she had her camera with her. *sigh*

G, R, A, P ... This was getting interesting.

"Er,"..Ktala heard, and she looked up. "I'm just going to wander. So call me if you need help. Yeah."

Ktala nodded. "Okay. Not like Im going anywhere just yet." Ktala looked over. The grave in front of her read 1927. She called to Seth, "You're close to grave number 27. Why dont you read that one outloud?" she asked him. "Im getting tired."

Ktala gave a small yawn as she streached.


Tag: Ghostly_host, Winged_Jedi