The Fading 12th - 1503 / Day 1

I take one of the leatherbound notebooks from the chest to use as a notebook. Meanwhile Lowna is reading up on necromancy and summoning in the hidden library. But she quickly learns most notes and writings are bogus. The summonign rituals would never have managed to even have the merest of demons pay us a visit. The desk where we found the childrens drawings contains a key I quickly pocket, might come in handy to open the cabinet in the trophy room. I rush down to check up on Urgoth and try out the key. I first check out the unlocked cabinet which contains a weird deck of playing cards. It doesn't resemble a game I know, I'll show this to the others to figure out if they know what the cards mean. The key unfortunately doesn't fit the locked cabinet, but nothing my lockpick set can't solve. After messing around for a while it opens up, revealing a couple of crossbows. I replace my shortbow withe hand crossbow I just found. The heavy crossbow might come in handy for Iolas.

Now that we're completely done searching the ground and first floor we decide it's time to visit the second floor. Dust and cobwebs everywhere, except on the suit of armor standing ont he landing. I ponder this might be an animated armor seeing there's no dust on it. This apperently is a signal for Urgoth to start attacking the armor which indeed comes to live to fight back. It eventually crumbles on the floor after Dunstan gives it a good smack on the helmet. As we open the first door we see, a woman in a blue dress comes floating towards us shrieking. I order Urgoth to attack it and he does indeed take care of her.
We enter the room and find out it's a pretty standard bedroom, apart from the mirror which has a very thin line around it. It seems there's a secret door hidden behind the mirror. Another door leads out to a balcony and the last door leads into a nursery where we notive a cradle with a black veil. A small bundle, the size of a baby, is lying in it. I think this might be the stillborn son the skeleton letter is referring too.
We go back to the landing, where there are more doors, one to a storage room, containing an animted broom. I quickly close the door again, we've seen enough combat today already. The last set of doors lead into the master bedroom. There's another balcony with a backyard view. Mist is everywhere apart from the garden itself, which is kinda weird. On the vanity I spot a gold and silver box. When I open it up, there's three golden rings and a necklace with a large topaz in it. I'm starting to believe noone is living here anymore so I decide this will provide us with some spending cash during our travels through this country. I also open up the box emant for Dunst. It contains a severed hand on a stylish dish and a small note.

"Family to rest - Beast to death - Alter be blessed"

Next we enter the secret cupboard behind the mirror. It contains a flight of stairs leading up to the attic. The first door, which was locked, leads into another bedroom. This one has two skeletons lying on the floor dressed exactly like Rose and Thorn when we met them in front of the house. What I suspected already becomes more clear by the minute; The Durst family has been dead for quite a while already. I check out the dollhouse as its a striking resemblance of the actual Durst house. As I open the sidewall all of a sudden two ghosts appear from the skeletons. Now it's 100% clear we're looking at Rose and Thorn.
Rose points out a flight of stairs leading down from the attic to the cellar. That's what we've been looking for, although the monster in the cellar which the Rose and Thorn out on the street were talking about might not be our biggest concern right now. Curiously as we are, and based ont he letter we found, we think it would be good to invetigate further, but Rose wants to join by possessing us. Obviously I won't let her. But as Ulf leaves the room, Thorn manages do just exactly that to him. To distract the ghostly kids I open the toychest. There's a weird stuffed unicorn with a label "Is no blinsky, is no fun". No idea what that's about, but I'll take it along. I give another stuffed animal to Ulf, or Thorn, not entirely sure, which settles his emotions somewhat.