| Details for A Study in Sanguine |
| Summary: | In which an exercise in checking over old evidence collection leads to a bloody conclusion… although not in the conventional fashion! |
| Date: | 1939-02-06 |
| Location: | Willis Manor Ruins and Mausoleum |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
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* NPCs Run by Myst *
The Ruin of the Willis Manor stands still. The bones of the house are still erect, although most of the features of the manse are well destroyed, making up the rubble that dominates the inside of the house. Paint marks areas of interest. The place where the bodies of Nancy, James and Evelyn were recovered. The place where Shelley lay, mysteriously left alive after an otherwise murderous rampage. The grass has been cut, around the house, to prevent it from catching - But only two features of this one expansive estate remain in any kind of usable state. The first is the fence that rings the Manor. And the second? The private musoleum - Catacombs, from the estates previous noble inhabitants. Sealed for centuries, since the last owners, the last written will of Abram Willis had requested burial within. His family has joined him, bodies placed in private chambers, and then sealed in again. It was almost touching.
It's nothing that wasn't all in the report. Dusk was drawing near, when the most inconsequential of details might become noticed - Then the sun's dying rays catch a piece of shattered glass, and shine a spear or light at the crypt door. Revealing that the covering stone is angled, slightly, ajar. Shoddy, shoddy workmanship by the wizards responsible for the burial.
Hugh frowns, and draws his wand, coming in at a slight angle. so;s not to be directly visible from the doorway.
There's no further hints. Aside from the disturbance at the entrance to the underground that could be… Well, anything. Four bodies have been carried through this portal recently. It's only natural that the dust be disturbed. There's no noises from down there that he can hear. So any investigation would rely on that age-old-monster, Gut.
Hugh pads closer, and then standing to one side of the door, pushes the door open.
Assuming nothing happens, he yells out, "Lumos Maxima", and flicks his wand around the door to hurt the light deeper into the catacombs.
The heavy stone… Moves. Easily. The featherweight charm shouldn't have lasted that long. And the dense, dank dustiness of the crypt doesn't feel the same either. Not like a hollow hole for storing corpses. This feels like a recently turned grave. Walls, floors and ceilings made of stone. Twelve large steps lead to the first 'level' of the catacombs. A dozen rooms line the corridor, all with doors wide open, each containing a stone plinth for a body to lay upon, and shelves for their affects. Mercifully, they're empty - Although the torches that flank the corridor are unlit. The sort of thing one puts out, when they leave. The first ante-chamber is down another flight of stairs, and it's at the top of them the ball of light stops. Revealing heavy disturbance to the dust on the stone, from the recent activity here. No life, though. A wizarding tomb is denied even insects, thanks to the wards and restrictions here.
Dim noises, up ahead. Voices? Someone might still be in here. And whoever they were, they had no legal place here.
Hugh keeps his wand prepared, and scurries down the steps. No calling out of his identity. That's for the constables. An Auror is alone, and bereft of such nicities. Again, he keeps his approach indirect, not straight towards the stairs. Once down he scoops the orb back up, and tosses it down the next flight of stairs. He has no intention of being the one outlined against light.
"Father… Please, no…" The voice of the young woman reverberates through the catacombs. "I'm sure it's beenmisplaced. There's no way that the Auror-" The sound of a slap comes next, the nature of the hollow rooms and hallways making the source almost impossible to determine. The soft cry of pain doesn't last long, it fades out swiftly. The next voice is of a much older man. "No matter. We had no use for her. As effective as the Auror might have been as a mental cudgeon; I am more concerned for your ring, Narelle, my darling. Not that there is any use for our names, anymore. Abram will suffice to keep any intruders suitably entertained. Have you found the core?"
Rasping."No, Father." Another male voice. "There's no evidence of it. The girl mentioned something about Ollivander. Considering the Amplifier's existence, it makes sense that something survived the fire." Deeper, but younger. An adult, definitely. "The rest of the book perhaps."
A soft bell chimes, when Hugh crosses into the Antechamber. "We have company. Find the book - Or at least, the man who helped Abram build the Amplifier. If there's any doubt in your minds as to whether or not he's telling the truth, burn it to the ground again - But do not kill him. I will not be left with a useless device because you're unable to question an old man." As Hugh steps deeper into the catacombs, he'd find an chamber that's nearly a hundred square meters. An underground 'chapel', in the musoleum of a long dead noble line. Complete with bench seats for those who would be in attendance, and a small stone pagola for worship. Although the real concern comes from the door on the far side. A door that slams shut, the moment the voice stops.
Hugh moves faster now, into the antechamber, yelling, "Bombarda!" towards the door, as he moves to kick the glowing orb towards the expected opening.
The door buckles, as the charm slams into it - The wood shattering, held in place only by the iron lashings that reinforce it. "We're leaving." The raspy voice travels through it. "Abram. Ensure that he shares your tomb." There's the sound of fast movement. For the first time, the dark wizards are fleeing. On the retreat, from a lone auror. One man doing what his two predeccessors have failed to do, with one spell. It must be a proud moment. Another good spell would shatter the door for certain.
The world is darker though, with the light charm having missed the door, bouncing off the wall and richocheting off to the pagola. Lighting that splendidly, yes, but making the light where Hugh is uncomfortably dim.
Hugh yells "Bombada!" Again, as he rolls to one side, against the expected exodus of stupifies through the doorway towards where he would have been standing
Instead. There's nothing. Nothing at all. The doorway is dimly lit, and appears to be a small chamber - Much like the tombs from before. There are doors, but they're so dimly lit it barely matters. What really comes from the room, now littered with bits of door, is the smell that floods outwards. The room stinks. Like bad meat and worse cheese - Like something that's been left to rot. There's the sound from the corner to the left, unseeable save for those who cross the threshold. Like a soft foot, stepping way too heavily on stone. A soft, shuffle. The sound of a rasped, mockery of a breath, drawn over broken teeth, through a ruined nose, and back out a punctured lung. Another shuffle. Whatever it is is approaches the doorway, unseen. And even if it drew nearer, in this horrible dim, who could tell what it is…
The telltale isn't the smell. Or the drawn, sick breath. The telltale within the disgusting room comes from the soft, drawn out moan that rises from the back of the throat of whatever the hell lurks in the room. No words are said.
Necromancy; this feels like an Inferus.
Hugh points towards the shuffling and calls out, firmly, "Confringo." Then turns away, to avoid the 'splash' hitting him in the face.
There's no evidence as to what the creature it. The dim light only shows the humanoid figure as it shuffles into the doorway, and then erupts from within. And as expected, it's gruesome. Bone, blood and gore spraying outward, a liberal coating hitting the auror as the Inferus is dispatched in the easiest way possible. The identity of the figure will never be known, sadly. Unfortunately, the final orders look to be made complete regardless.
Three voices as one can be heard through the catacombs. The shout is loud. "CONFRINGO." The far end of the chapel explodes suddenly, for the briefest moment the end of dusk can be seen through it, as this level of the catacombs and the surface are combined thanks to a massive crater blown from the inside - But then the layer of dirt collapses, and seals the tomb once more Falling stones crasp through the pagola, extinguishing the light. The tomb is destabilised immediately, plunged into darkness there's only the sound of the ground shaking, of heavy cobbles falling from the ceiling… Slippery floor beneath, the remains of the zombie.
Hugh yells "Lumos maxima" again, and throws the orb upwards, moving to one side as he does so.
It reveals ; Well. Blood. Lots of it. Gore, organs, splintered bones and ragged strips of flesh. But more worrying? Half of the chapel has collapsed so far, but stones were falling constantly. More dirt was collapsing in. The Crypt is going to be a wreck soon, it seems, and a few large bits of stone manage toneatly miss Hugh. It's time to leave though. Quickly. Otherwise, the last orders given to the Inferus might come true regardless.
Hugh looks for a reasonably bit stone, which looks like it might be shrunk to make a route out… or one that might be engorged to likewise lever a route out
Hugh can see that that's a REALLY bad idea.
More bits of the ceiling fall in. One large chunk of stone grazes Hugh in a threatening manner,
Hugh points briskly at himself, "Impervius Terrus"
Hugh looks around, and says, "Glacius." Nothing happens.
There's a horrible, horrible sound as the roof finally gives altogether. In one sudden, horrible moment, thousands of tonnes of stone and dirt come down, bringing part of the foundation of the Willis Manor with it - upon the head of the Auror. Only a few last second spells save him from being crushed, the final, desperate use of the shield charm yielding a a small cavity of stones that make an impromptu 'dome', giving Hugh a few square meters of relative safety. Add dirt and dust to the blood and gore that decorates him, now.
Hugh lets out a long sigh of irritation, "Damn. They got away." Thank you captain obvious. Then follows several minutes of wand waving, "Protego Totallum"
He digs his way out eventually.