The Secret of Wickwillow Manor

[EmulatonStromenkiin he/him]

On 4/6/2023 at 11:43 PM, Voidus said:

Whisper, back to the mirror to help support it, scanned the space with calculating gray eyes. There was nothing new, no more information for her to learn by looking at it a second time, but it helped as she considered the options available to them, trying to shut out the screeches of the creatures on the other side. Trying to optimize a way to escape.

"We don't need to break through the ceiling. Or the floor." Vivi suggested. "It's a manor. Maybe we can use it's decorations to climb up or down. Use the curtains as a rope, if nobody has a real one with them. One goes first and take the rope with them, then the others can use it for support."

A good plan, better than leaving a giant hole that they could be followed through. And one that Vivi and Whisper herself were most likely to be able to complete, the others would have much more difficulty on the small hand and footholds available on the outside. She also approved of the lack of needing to be caught in a time bubble for it.

Cobalt glanced towards the window speculatively, still recovering from the strain of holding the creatures back he takes a moment to recatch his breath before replying.

"The exterior... has not been attempted before. It may work, and possibly expedite things quite a bit. But it would be risky if they could catch some of us while we were still climbing." The Steward mused, before locking his eyes to the young thief Willow. "You are a Radiant? Do you perhaps have a Blade? That would do for creating a vertical passage I think."

Whisper flinched internally at the question, one she had been hoping nobody would think to ask. She gave a slight shake of the head, gesturing emptily with her hand and hoping that it would simply be assumed she was not sufficiently advanced in Oaths.

"I have some knives that should help," Malsam said, looking out the window. "The outside is covered in carvings and irregular brickwork, sh there's plenty of space to wedge them. Plus the windowsill extends about six inches out from the wall."

[Ashbringer he/him]

Byron hesitated. Normally he'd consider the window a nice option, especially if he was in a hurry. But this place... it reminded him of too many places. The dark places before he arrived here. He liked escaping, sure, but so much of what he knew was to just wait. Wait and see. Wait for them to lose interest. Wait to learn what it was you were about to do.

"The window would be faster, but... places like this work on rules. If it's bigger on the inside than the outside, and we go outside, then we might find ourselves in a place we do not want to be," he objected, grimacing. "Maybe we don't want to be here either. And maybe breaking a wall is breaking the rules too. But... it makes me nervous."

The more he thought about it, the more the logic appealed to him. If they were fast they could close the window before the monsters could follow. If they weren't, well, then they wouldn't have time to break through a wall.

But that part of him still wanted to curl up into a ball and burn cadmium until everything just went away.

Byron walked over to the mirror, stopping right before the edge of his bubble hit Willow, Cobalt, and Vivi. "I can hold it. Or at least help. I can't break down walls, and I'm going to be burning cadmium anyway... might as well use it for something."

[+Sorana she/her]

And that easily it was decided. Vivi's eyes rested on Willow for another moment, something about the way she shook her head and presented an empty hand was odd, as if she was trying to tell them that she wasn't advanced enough to have a blade, but wasn't really sure herself? Whatever it was, she wasn't going to puzzle it out by staring at her. Instead she shot her a bright smile. "Wish me luck." she asked her and finally let got of the mirror, careful to stay outside of Byron's bubble.

"Here." she gestured towards the best way to place his hands on the rim of the mirror. "Thank you for taking over."

Then she walked over to the window and set her backpack down. Willow's, no her knife in hand she climbed onto a windowsill and cut one of the curtain's off. It fell to the ground and she follwed it with an easy jump, landing softly on her feet. Despite the slight craziness of the general idea of climbing around the outside of a magical manor, she was excited. She loved the prospect of the challenge, the idea of doing something slightly mad.

With a smile on her face she cut the thick curtain into strips and then knotted them together to improvise a rope. Additionally the others might be able to use the knows as additional foot holds, if her knots held. She gave them a glance and then offered her improvised rope to the room. "Could someone test the knots?" she asked. "Maybe pull them a bit tighter?" Quickly she placed it on the ground and stepped over to the window, opened it. She picked up her backpack and slung it over her shoulder again, this time using it's additional straps to secure it around her hip and chest. Then she hopped onto the windowsill again and leaned outside, took a closer look at the decorations. She should be able to do that. They weren't large, but the were large enough to provide good spots for her hands and feet. Folling the pattern she looked up, tried to come up with a good way she could follow on her way to the next floor. Byron was right she noticed. Looking at the place from outside it appeared to be smaller somehow. A real magical manor.

Still holding on to the window she turned to the others and extended a hand towards the rope. It was time to finally get moving.

[EmulatonStromenkiin he/him]

On 4/13/2023 at 0:28 AM, Sorana said:

And that easily it was decided. Vivi's eyes rested on Willow for another moment, something about the way she shook her head and presented an empty hand was odd, as if she was trying to tell them that she wasn't advanced enough to have a blade, but wasn't really sure herself? Whatever it was, she wasn't going to puzzle it out by staring at her. Instead she shot her a bright smile. "Wish me luck." she asked her and finally let got of the mirror, careful to stay outside of Byron's bubble.

"Here." she gestured towards the best way to place his hands on the rim of the mirror. "Thank you for taking over."

Then she walked over to the window and set her backpack down. Willow's, no her knife in hand she climbed onto a windowsill and cut one of the curtain's off. It fell to the ground and she follwed it with an easy jump, landing softly on her feet. Despite the slight craziness of the general idea of climbing around the outside of a magical manor, she was excited. She loved the prospect of the challenge, the idea of doing something slightly mad.

With a smile on her face she cut the thick curtain into strips and then knotted them together to improvise a rope. Additionally the others might be able to use the knows as additional foot holds, if her knots held. She gave them a glance and then offered her improvised rope to the room. "Could someone test the knots?" she asked. "Maybe pull them a bit tighter?" Quickly she placed it on the ground and stepped over to the window, opened it. She picked up her backpack and slung it over her shoulder again, this time using it's additional straps to secure it around her hip and chest. Then she hopped onto the windowsill again and leaned outside, took a closer look at the decorations. She should be able to do that. They weren't large, but the were large enough to provide good spots for her hands and feet. Folling the pattern she looked up, tried to come up with a good way she could follow on her way to the next floor. Byron was right she noticed. Looking at the place from outside it appeared to be smaller somehow. A real magical manor.

Still holding on to the window she turned to the others and extended a hand towards the rope. It was time to finally get moving.

Malsam stepped up wordlessly and tested the knots, retying two of them that a flash of pewter had loosened. "Looks good to me," she said. "Don't fall, cousin."

[Koloss17 She/They]

Perses stopped storing tin. The crew had come up with a plan. 
 

Getting up, almost groggily, Perses inquired. “What’s the plan? Sorry, I was storing.”

Reaching out, careful not to expend much, he checked the surroundings. The creatures were still there. Of course they were.

[EmulatonStromenkiin he/him]

3 hours ago, Koloss17 said:

Perses stopped storing tin. The crew had come up with a plan. 
 

Getting up, almost groggily, Perses inquired. “What’s the plan? Sorry, I was storing.”

Reaching out, careful not to expend much, he checked the surroundings. The creatures were still there. Of course they were.

"Vivi is going to climb up a floor on the outside, carrying a rope to tie down for the rest of us," Malsam replied. "Will you be able to climb up?"

[Koloss17 She/They]

1 hour ago, EmulatonStromenkiin said:

"Vivi is going to climb up a floor on the outside, carrying a rope to tie down for the rest of us," Malsam replied. "Will you be able to climb up?"

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

Perses had some balance stores up, and he rarely used them, anyway. He wasn’t the strongest, but he could climb a rope.

”How long was I out?”

The maddening thing about storing senses is that if you store all of them, or even most of them, your sense of time is nonexistent. It is a maddening experience, but a necessary one.

[EmulatonStromenkiin he/him]

4 hours ago, Koloss17 said:

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

Perses had some balance stores up, and he rarely used them, anyway. He wasn’t the strongest, but he could climb a rope.

”How long was I out?”

The maddening thing about storing senses is that if you store all of them, or even most of them, your sense of time is nonexistent. It is a maddening experience, but a necessary one.

"Good. You were only out for about ten or fifteen minutes."

[Koloss17 She/They]

On 4/14/2023 at 8:14 PM, EmulatonStromenkiin said:

"Good. You were only out for about ten or fifteen minutes."

15 minutes. It always felt like an eternity, but never gave quite enough. Perses usually stored one at a time, but with a crew this large, and a mission this tinmind intensive, he felt the need to store everything.

“Do we have any idea what will happen if we leave the confines of the mansion? Will we even be able to get back in?”

[Ashbringer he/him]

Byron nodded to Vivi and grabbed the mirror. It didn't feel like anything was pushing on it, not now. But that could change quickly.

Well, not too quickly.

He waited until Vivi and Willow were halfway for the window before flaring his cadmium, turning one second into ten. The figures in front of him blurred into motion, but he got the gist of things. Byron was good at that. And hopefully the things in the room behind weren't so great at breaking things at a tenth the rate.

Still, to him any attack would be as fast as normal. So he flipped a dagger into one palm and pressed himself against the mirror. They'd figure out a plan.

Right?

[+Sorana she/her]

“Do we have any idea what will happen if we leave the confines of the mansion? Will we even be able to get back in?” Perses question followed her outside as she shot a quick grin at Malsam. "I won't." At least she hoped that she wouldn't end this adventure by falling out of a window. That seemed to be an awful embarrassing way to go. Especially because it had been her own idea. She slung the rope around her waist to prevent it from dangling around her feet while she climbed and then took a deep breath. She could do this. She had to do this.

Vivi held on to the windowframe with her hands, her left foot searching for a foothold and then she shifted her weight, clung to the outer wall of the manison like a spider. Carefully she looked up again, tried to make out the route she had chosen, her way along the larger decorations and swirls. When she saw her next handhold she lifted her left hand, grabbed a piece of stone, shot a quick glance downwards to see where her left foot would have to go and pulled. For a moment her heart seemed to stop in her chest, and she saw herself falling down, disappearing - her foot reached a nice swirl and she was standing again on both feet. Taking her time so continued to climb towards the window above the one where she had started, it wasn't far, but there was this part right underneath the next window where decorations had been used much more sparingly and she paused several times in order to ensure that her hands and feet were placed securely on the wall.

Her hands reached the windowsill and she felt a thrill when she moved her right foot up, and then pushed herself towards the next window, excited that she had made it, that she climbed along the wall of a - the stone beneath her left foothold gave way, fell in cumbling pieces downwards and Vivi yelped in surprise, clung to the windowsill, while her foot scraped along the wall. Nothing. Breathing wuickly she felt her heart starting a wild race, her arms shaking a little from the wild fear that rushed through her. There was nothing there she could use and without her foot, she was lost, she was going to fall. There was no way, she could get onto that windowsill standing only on one leg, and she was already shifting, slowly moving over to the side, her whole position was based on her standing on both feet so that she would have her arms free to pull herself up.

Her brother had been right, she was nothing but a child, nothing but an overconfident - Vivi grit her teeth and shoved her fear away, forced her arms and legs to calm. She could stand solely on her right foot, if she moved her balance point a little to the right side. She wasn't going to fall. Not immediatly at least. Looking upwards she moved her left foot over to her right one and slowly changed her position until she was free to go to the side using her right foot. Good. And now she had to move upwards, reach the window from the side, using the rich decorations that framed its sie and top. Vivi paused for a moment, took a few calming breaths and then pulled herself the last inches upwards until she finally, finally reached the next window.

Only - it was closed. With a curse she leaned her forehead against the window rested for a heartbeat and then glanced into the room. The part she was able to make out looked empty, at least that part of her plan had worked. She pushed against the window, careful to stay where she was, but it didn't budge at all. No surprise. She would have a hard time to break through a window if she threw her whole mass into the blow and used a tool of some sorts. There was no way she would be able to break one open if she had to balance on a windowsill.

With a sigh she pulled her feet up until she was standing fully upon the windowsill and then untied the rope. She slug it over one of the larger swirls above the window and then knotted it tightly around the swirl, used her body weight to ensure that the knot was tight and solid. It should work. Then she let it fall downwards, unable to suppress her sigh of relief when it stayed it place and didn't fall to the ground.

"The window is closed and I'm not strong enough to break it open." she shouted downwards. "Can maybe someone come up who can do that?"

[Voidus]

Still supporting the mirror, Whisper tracked Vivi out the corner of her eye, carefully measuring distance to the window as the girl left through it, then glancing up to the roof, estimating how high it would be to the windows on the next floor. She needed to be ready in case there was an alarm raised, information called out, or if Vivi fell. A single leap back would take her to the window, and Whisper's jump height should easily take her from there up to the next floor.

Best to make sure we keep as many of them alive as we can for as long as we can in here. She said, her internal voice sounding oddly like it was searching to justify something to herself.

As if to prove a point she quickly shifted her gaze to each of the others in the room, similarly mapping the distance from herself to them, the shortest route, and planning for any obstacles that may occur.

A momentary cracking of stone, and then an instant later a crumbling as something was pulled away from the wall. Whisper leapt from the mirror, shifting her attention away from the entrance of the room where the creatures still lurked, screeching in horrific fashion whenever they were confronted with their own reflections. She made sure this time not to let her eyes drift to examine the hostile presence, difficult though that was, instead looking out from the window and up to where the girl had fortunately managed to arrest her own fall.

A relief. She thought. Would be a shame to lose one of them to something so mundane and easily avoidable.

"The window is closed and I'm not strong enough to break it open." she shouted downwards. "Can maybe someone come up who can do that?"

Whisper gave a momentary nod, about to turn to make sure the others could cover the room only to click her tongue when she realized her mistake. Now at the window she couldn't turn back without looking to the creatures once again. Instead she gestured to the wall, a shimmer of Stormlight running along its surface and darkening in colour to form an inky black that began to spell out words.

'Will call down when it is safe. Whoever holds the mirror comes up last. Perses can watch the creatures, they seemed to react to that the least.'

She realized while writing that it was unlikely he would be able to read the words, though perhaps given that they were written in Investiture he could manage. Or perhaps someone would simply read it aloud. Either way, she pushed the thoughts immediately out of mind, putting strength beyond that of merely muscles into her legs, crouching down in the window and then leaping suddenly up.

Mistborn had often described their ability to soar through mists as more like jumping than flying. And sometimes Whisper could almost understand all that had been written about it, the joy of such a thing. The sense of weightlessness as she soared out from the window and up, not quite slowing to a peak before she was already giving a slight pull on the rope Vivi had dropped to nudge herself back towards the windowsill a story higher that the girl now sat at. Carefully timing her trajectory she sailed right past her, into and through the glass pane of the window which predictably shattered into pieces on impact.

She felt an immediate piercing heat as some of the fragments embedded into her legs, a few more scratching her arms as she tucked into a roll to carry her into the room before leaping back to her feet, scanning. Blessedly the space seemed devoid of creatures, though it was much darker than the lower floor had been. But no sounds, no movement. Dropping her stance a little, though no less vigilant for danger, she moved back to the window, giving a slight smirk as she unlocked it from the inside and slid the already shattered window up.

[Ashbringer he/him]

A flurry of motion crossed the boundary of Byron's time bubble in the other room. He tried to ignore it; he wasn't sure if it counted as perceiving them, but they'd definitely notice something was amiss either way. Better to not risk it. He grunted as an impact shook the side of the mirror, but it still held. It didn't feel very strong - his bubble was working. That or they were trying to attack it backwards and were being clumsy, but Byron doubted that's how these things worked.

Another crack - this one to his side, as a bit of wall came loose. Rusts, they were digging through the walls? They'd have to move fast once they got to the next floor before they started digging through the floor. Or ceiling? Byron suddenly realized he'd missed which way that Vivi went...

Crack!

Right. Wall.

"Oh no you rusting don't," Byron grumbled, expanding his bubble until the hole was at the very edge of it. Good luck digging with a deflective shield half in the way. The thing could just move, but that still bought time for them.

He looked away from the hole beginning to shine through to the blackness behind to look at the window. Viv and Willow were through. And something was on the wall... he couldn't... quite... no, there. 

Will call down when it is safe. Whoever holds the mirror comes up last. Perses...

Byron blinked as Willow's message began to fade. He was last to go, he'd gotten that much. And calling down meant going up. He was glad Willow wrote it down instead of trying to yell, he was going too slow to make out anything.

He felt the wall take another impact. Just a little longer.

[EmulatonStromenkiin he/him]

Malsam watched as Willow jumped out the window, followed by the sound of shattering glass. It appeared that Vivi and Willow were through to the next floor. Words appeared on the wall at a gesture from Willow as she exited through the window.

"It says, 'Will call down when it is safe. Whoever holds the mirror comes up last. Perses can watch the creatures, they seemed to react to that the least.'" Malsam looked around. "Seems good to me."

Before she could say anything further, there was a cracking sound from of the wall near the door. A few seconds later, a voice called down from the window, "Safe!"

"Well, that's just in time," Malsam muttered. "We need to get going now." She said in a louder voice. "No more than two on the rope at a time, and I'll go just before Byron. Cobalt, you should probably go, then you, Perses."

Edited April 20, 2023 by EmulatonStromenkiin

[+Sorana she/her]

Vivi watched in awe when Willow leaped out of the window and easily covered the distance to the next floor with a single jump. She flew through the window like an arrow, glass exploding all around her in a beautiful rainbow. Vivi turned her head and looked through the shatttered window, watched her expertly getting back to her feet and scanning the room. Willow was nothing short of amazing. Vivi greeted her smirk with a wide grin and waited until she had pushed the window open, before she followed her into the room.

It looked somehow the same. It was no copy, but it was the same style, the same tall rooms, the same kind of windows. Feeling strangely disappointed she walked over to a door, that might lead to another corridor and peaked outside. It was quiet, at least for now. So either all the creatures were downstairs, trying to get to their prey, or those that haunted this floor hadn't noticed them yet. A shivver ran down her back and she quickly closed the door again, decided that it would be better to announce their presence when the others had followed them upstairs.

Instead she took a closer look at the few pieces of furniture, especially at the large closet. It's door creaked and she paused immediatly, strained her ears in a vain attempt to find out if someone had noticed them. On pure instinct she started to burn her copper again, feeling safer with its cloud covering the two of them. Hiding their presence fr the moment. She looked into the closet and was disappointed to find it empty, appart from two lone shirts that were lying in a crumbeled heap in a corner. Forgotten maybe. Or maybe nobody had use for them anymore. She left the door partially open, didn't want to risk another sound and instead toook a look at a small round table with two stools. It's legs were made of metal, swirly, just like most of the decorations and the stools looked very, very fancy and very, very uncomfortable. She brushed her fingers over them, noticed the thin layer of dust that covered them. Just like the closet, they hadn't been used in a while, probably left behind when the widow and her staff had moved to other parts of the castle to avoid the creatures.

Dread settled in her stomach when she realized, that they had left the safer parts, the safer parts where some weird shape changing things had nearly ripped them all apart, that now they were somewhere far more dangerous. Or maybe not. She told herself. Maybe those chairs are as uncomfortable than they look and nobody had wanted to use them. Which didn't quite explain the nearly empty closet, but then, the widow was a single woman. She had no use for so many rooms and tables and closets. Vivi forced herself to kep her steps light and even when she returned to Willow's side, unwilling to show her fear a second time. And yet, she reached for more copper, its cloud offering some kind of safety. Who knew. Better to give it a try with monsters, that hadn't spotted them, yet.

Edited April 26, 2023 by Sorana
typo

[Voidus]

Whisper gave an approving nod as Vivi moved around the room before finally returning to Whispers side. She was cautious, but not so paranoid that she let it freeze her, or avoid looking into potential dangers. That was well. If only all of their other compatriots could be said to fair as well. Whisper had initially been planning to use the others as potential bait for any traps they might find, but so far they had not met with anything of the sort, only creatures.

Cobalt, the Steward, had obviously not explored this deeply into the phenomenon either, which meant his experience was no longer useful. And Vivi and Whisper had, both times now, been the ones to enter and evaluate rooms first. Was it really for the best that they continue to stick together as a group? Or was it time to re-evaluate Vivi's earlier suggestion, make a run for it with the two of them. They were smaller than the others, and likely quieter. They had already proven they could both navigate around the exterior of the estate effectively as well.

The others will take some time to climb up. She wrote, opting to use letters scrawled in the air rather than an audible means of communication. And we are already ahead... perhaps we should remain that way?

She gave a smile, a secret, wicked expression, wordlessly motioning in the direction of the door.

------------------------------------------

 "No more than two on the rope at a time, and I'll go just before Byron. Cobalt, you should probably go, then you, Perses."

Cobalt gave a sigh, frustrated at the lack of ability to strike back at the creatures, but nodded. A whisper of steel against steel as he resheathed his saber and moved to the window, reaching out to pull on the rope and test it was secured. From the angle of this window it was difficult to entirely see what was happening in the next floor, though it seemed perhaps one of the windows had been broken, based on the sound they had heard.

Lady Warren anticipated some damage to the estate. He reminded himself, though unable to keep from entirely wincing. The box is the most important, so long as we recover that...

"Stay safe." He said, giving a respectful nod to those who would be following him up. "Do not risk agitating them any further, don't look down once you start climbing, just in case."

[Koloss17 She/They]

Perses nodded. Making sure the mirror was as secure as he could detect on his own, he tapped his balancemind.

It was a tinmind he rarely used, as the use was only really needed in small amounts here and there. However, it often gave him an edge in a fight.

Carefully climbing the rope, keeping track of the others, he easily made it up the rope. Then, near the edge of his lifesense, he realized something. 
 

“We’re missing two people. Where did they go?”

Now, Perses began to worry. Though he could figure out who was missing from careful use of Lifesense, he still worried. Weren’t there multiple copperclouds in this group?

Perses could scan the surrounding area, but with the distance needed and the extra energy to break a coppercloud, his stores couldn’t handle it.

Rusts.

@Voidus

Edited April 29, 2023 by Koloss17

[+Sorana she/her]

Quote

Just to make sure: Is Perses already in the same room Vivi and Whisper are? I'm a bit confused who Perses is talking to, as you mention him climbing up the rope, and two people vanishing. As the two people who vanished should be Vivi and Whisper, I'm not quite sure where he is, sorry.

@Koloss17

[Koloss17 She/They]

4 minutes ago, Sorana said:

@Koloss17

Quote

I had assumed that Whisper’s proposition to ditch the group was followed through with before others arrived in the room. I could certainly be wrong, though.

 

[+Sorana she/her]

On 8.5.2023 at 5:11 PM, Koloss17 said:

I had assumed that Whisper’s proposition to ditch the group was followed through with before others arrived in the room. I could certainly be wrong, though.

Quote

Works for me. Then I'll write my post that way, thanks.

 Vivi walked over to the window, her copper a gentle flame in her stomach. She liked it. It was so calm and comfortable. In the weird way that fire was calm. So calm was probably the completely wrong word. Comfortable was probably better. She looked down, but couldn't see someone climbing up and so she turned back to Willow.

The others will take some time to climb up. Willow wrote, used letters scrawled in the air instead of speaking. And we are already ahead... perhaps we should remain that way?

Vivi looked down again and then quickly stepped back from the window. She gave a curt nod and then wrapped the rope another decoration to secure it. Leaving was one thing, letting someone else fall to their death an entirely different one.

"Stay close." She whispered to Willow and fueled her flame with more copper. "I'll try to hide us from their senses." She took a moment to brush her fingers over her rapier, ensured that her backpack sat comfortably on her back and then opened the door again. Her heart beat a load rhythm in her ears and she grit her teeth, forced herself to take a deep breath. Calm. You can do this. You're not alone, you're with someone else.

She looked back at Willow and her eyes moved over the other one for a moment. You're with someone amazing. Dangerously amazing. Willow could probably defeat her in seconds, but Vivi found she didn't mind. In contrast, maybe, maybe she could stay with her. Not in her flat, but maybe they could stay in contact afterwards, meet again. If they got out of this house alive.

With a grin she gestured for Willow to follow her and slipped out into the next hallway. It was silent, eerily so. Vivi stayed close to the door and kept an eye on both directions feeling slightly uneasy. It's silent she told herself. Silence was better than the shrieks of the monsters. The monsters were silent before they attacked. She reminded herself and placed a hand on her rapier, although she wasn't able to see anything apart from an empty hallway.

[Koloss17 She/They]

Perses turned to Cobalt and the others. 
 

“Well, we have creatures from damnation chasing us, and we just lost two members of the group. What do we do now?”

Perses was beginning to feel the dread set in. A group of mismatched strangers, all trying to make their way through a shapeshifting room towards and object that no one actually knows what it looks like or what it does in a room than no one has been able to reach. All the while, being chased by unkillable creatures. To make things worse, they were now a split party.

why did I decide to join in on this mess?

@ZincAboutIt + everyone else