RPG The Mansion

[Ellerby]

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Wyatt Bishop sunk down at the large wooden door which refused to budge. It seemed like even if they smashed the wood to pieces, they'd still be stuck there. Left and right he could hear screams and loud crashes. This [i]game[/i] had definitely started. He noticed one woman burst into tears and run up a staircase. Not wanting anyone to separate, Wyatt followed her. Just as the woman reached the top of the stairs she took a sharp right around a corner as Wyatt began to climb.

[b]"Wait! We shouldn't stray to far from each other![/b]" he yelled to her. There was no response and so he continued at a quicker pace up the steps. When he reached the top he was amazed to see an elaborate hallway that stretched nearly 5 rooms down and then turned. Looking to his right where he figured the woman had fled, Wyatt noticed a small door. Along the crack at the bottom of the door he could see roots stretching out from inside the room. When he went to turn the knob a sharp sting stopped him. He glanced at his hand and notice a few small cuts. Looking again at the door knob, he could now see it was covered in small pointed spikes.

[b]"...thorns?"[/b] before Wyatt could make another attempt at opening the weird door he decided he would need some more man power and turned to go back down the stairs for some help. He stopped dead in his tracks as in the corner of his eye he noticed a man at the end of the hallway, staring him down. Wyatt turned to face him, but he was gone.

[color="#696969"][i]Looking for someone?[/i] [/color]Wyatt jumped as the voice was whispered right into his ear. Just as he turned his head to get a clear visual on the spirit, it vanished into smoke reappearing at the end of the hallway. Coughing up some of the smoke, Wyatt marched toward the spirit, still believing it to be a prankster in disguise.

[b]"Did you trap this poor woman in this room? Let her out this instant!"[/b] he yelled commandingly. The Detective, in his long trenchcoat with empty white smokey eyes chuckled softly. As Wyatt moved closer to him, more and more smoke billowed in behind the author silently.

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[color="#696969"][i]You should be more concerned...[/i][/color] the Detective started, he pointed behind Wyatt. [color=#696969][i]About yourself being trapped.[/i][/color] Wyatt looked behind him seeing nothing but pure white smoke blocking his vision. When he turned his head back to where the spirit had been, he vanished into a cloud of even more smoke leaving Wyatt completely surrounded. He fumbled around the thick white for a few minutes, trying to find his bearings.

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He backed up one step too far and stepped backwards onto the top of the staircase. Before he could reach out for a railing to hold onto a dark black arm portruded from the smoke and pushed him the final distance sending the author tumbling towards his death. Part way down his fall, his head slammed into the wall knocking him unconscious and on the following step down his neck was caught on a railing and snapped instantly. His lifeless body rolled down the rest of the staircase and laid limp at the bottom as a warning to all who would dare go upstairs.[/font]

[Sandy]

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There were seven of them left in the dining room where the first ghost had shown itself. All the others had ran out to find another place to die, Elyssa Janovica thought bitterly. After the ghosts started appearing and the true reason behind this gathering had been revealed, Elyssa had no allusions of ever seeing the world outside again.

This was not her first encounter with ghosts by any means. When she was a child, the spirit of her deceased grandmother often visited her bedside, humming the tune of an old lullaby. A hint of a smile rose to Elyssa's lips as she realized that the same song had started playing inside her head now. Maybe her grandmother's ghost was present in this house of horrors as well, although Elyssa doubted the kindly spirit would be comfortable hanging around with these murderous poltergeists.

The poisoned man, Kevin, let out another loud cough, spilling drops of blood and puke on himself. He kept calling out to his fiancée, but she couldn't even look at him anymore, and just sat against the wall covering her face with her hands and crying. It was only a matter of time before the young man would perish, and the young artsy-looking woman couldn't even bring herself to hold his hand.

This reminded Elyssa of the second ghost she ever saw. He had most likely been a soldier who had served in some old war. She was only thirteen at the time, and visiting her cousins in the countryside. She had tried pointing out the soldier standing in the middle of a meadow to her cousins, but they had seen nothing. But Elyssa still remembered the rigid pose, that young, clean-shaven face, those deep sad eyes, and the name he had moaned over and over again. "Sofia! Sofia!" Feeling enormous pity towards the lost soul, the young Elyssa had reached out to touch him, but he had vanished.

The two prostitutes, Jackie and Selina she believed was their names, were seated in the far corner of the dining room, engaged in a low-tone dialogue. Elyssa couldn't tell if they were arguing or planning an escape or what, but she admired those two women for the strength and liveliness they still withheld in the middle of all this. They were survivors by nature, and Elyssa bet that neither of them would go down without a proper fight.

The third ghost that had shown itself to Elyssa had refused to give up either. She was the only ghost Elyssa had ever managed to discuss with. She had been a mother of seven children, who had died in a fire trying to save them all. Even in her prolonged existence, she still searched for that one boy she couldn't find anywhere. Six of the children had made it out, but the woman hadn't been able to leave the seventh behind, even though it had caused the others their mother. The ghost had begged for Elyssa to help her, but all she could do was to encourage her to keep on searching.

Finally, there was the police and the black man, though not the same one Elyssa had mistaken for a servant. Again she couldn't help but to smile dryly: here they were, all in the same mess, and no matter what you looked like and who you used to be, you would end up dead. Inspector Howard, who was guarding the doors for some futile reason, was giving the other man suspicious glances, as if his dark skin made him more likely to just jump up and cut his throat. The black man himself hadn't made any contact to anybody.

The fourth ghost in Elyssa's life had also been a black man. She had stayed late in the Opera House one night after a performance that had gone totally awry, just sipping some wine and winding down, when suddenly the ghost had appeared in her dressing room mirror. Looking behind her, she had seen nothing, but turning back, the man still remained there in the reflection, unblinking. He was wearing ragged overalls and a hammer, so Elyssa deduced he had been a worker who had lost his life during the construction of the Opera House. Not knowing what else to do, Elyssa had nodded at the ghost in the mirror, and it vanished. Elyssa thought that all the ghost had wanted was recognition of his sacrifice.

Holding on to this thought, Elyssa walked to the black man in the dining room.

[b]"I beg your pardon, I don't think we've been introduced. I am Elyssa Janovica. May I ask how you are holding up?"[/b] she asked, as politely as she could in this situation.

[b]"Oh, I don't mind, missus. My name is Daniel Mathis. I apologize, I've just been lost in thought, trying to find reason to all of this."[/b]

[b]"I understand, but given the circumstances, I'm afraid there is no reason to be found in this mansion."[/b] Elyssa gave Daniel an apologetic smile, and he sighed and shrugged his shoulder.

At that moment, the floor of the dining room gave in under them, and all seven of them, along with the table and the chairs, fell down. The shock took Elyssa's breath away, but when she recovered, she saw that they had dropped down one story into a damp cellar. Daniel Mathis scrambled up next to her, and helped her up as well.

[b]"By God, are you alright, missus?"[/b] he asked. Elyssa just nodded, straightening her dress. Surveying the surroundings, she saw the others getting up as well - except the poor inspector, who had been skewered by a splintered piece of wood.

And then another ghost appeared.

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[OMNOMNOMALY]

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[font="Garamond"]Diana glided down the stairs from the nursery and down to the cellar where the group had fallen, staying invisible for the time being. There was panic as they realized that their ranks had yet again been cut down. She stayed invisible, watching mostly with pity as they were whipped up into a frenzy. She felt bad, of course she did, that they had been brought here to die. She didn't like this game and yet it was no secret that many of these people were not the good humans that they seemed to believe they were.

She watched with particular interest, Sara Marcel the young art student, and her fiancé Kevin Andolli. Marcel had retreated from her fiancé after he had contracted the ghostly illness.

[i]'Terrible, simply terrible.'[/i] Diana sighed as she made herself visible to the players.

[b]"Miss Marcel, as a caregiver myself, I am simply appalled at your total lack of empathy for Mr. Andolli. As such, because you are not willing to give help, I feel as though it would be appropriate if you were not able to request help, either."[/b] Diana shook her head as the players stood in stunned silence. Diana placed a finger to her lips.

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Sara's eyes bulged out of her head as she went to speak and no sound came out. Her face filled with horror and she reached up to clasp her hands around her neck.

Kevin's voice rasped out, [b]"What did you do to her?"[/b] Diana looked at him sadly.

[b]"I have made her mute. She is unable to speak nor hear. She will not give help, and so she will not longer be able to ask to receive help. Good luck, Miss Marcel. You'll need it." [/b]Sara was shaking and crying silently. Her mouth moved to form words but not a sound could be heard from her. She looked around to the rest of them in the room for help but they didn't move a muscle.

---

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Elsewhere in the Mansion, Steve Bastion found himself alone in what appeared to have been a grand kitchen at some point. He looked around suspiciously but neither human nor ghost could be seen. He quickly abandoned propriety and began to rifle through pantries and cupboards feverishly, looking for something to eat. He was Steve Bastion, dammit. He would need his strength if he was going to survive. Which he was sure he would. Diana appeared and watched him from a safe distance. She had taken an instant dislike to him, he was a useless lay-about who took advantage of other's hard work. Diana had worked her entire short life and felt great pride in that. He was disgusting, a pitiful excuse for a human.

Diana felt anger bubble up in her as he went through the kitchen. Her kitchen. She had put in so much work in the house and he felt as though he could take whatever he liked? Inexcusable. Most of these people here she didn't feel much anger towards, but this man was a very special case.

[b]"Mr. Bastion I am afraid I am going to have to cut your time here at the Mansion short."[/b] she drifted into the kitchen to confront him.

[b]"Jesus Christ!"[/b] he screamed in surprise, the cans he had collected from the cupboard clattered to the floor noisily. He squinted his eyes as he examined her. She looked harmless enough. [b]"Who are you?"[/b] he furrowed his brow as he looked at her. [b]"What do you mean cut my time short? You're going to let me go?"[/b] he flashed her a dazzling smile.

[b]"I mean it quite literally, sir. You are a good-for-nothing human being who coasts along on other people's hard work. Especially women. You are a disgusting pig. Absolutely reprehensible..." [/b]As Diana looked at him, his body began to lift into the air, as if he was being lifted by the throat. He let out a coughing noise which was stopped by a sudden tightening of the invisible grip around his neck. He was at ceiling height now, his eyes were popping out of his head in terror and lack of oxygen. Diana glided forward, picking up a large and rusty dull knife as she neared him.

[b]"Good-bye Mr. Bastion."[/b] His mouth opened in a silent, choked shout as she began to carve into him. He would be found later with one word carved deeply into his stomach.

[i]'Pig.'[/i][/font]

[Nathan]

[font="Arial"]Angel set the book she had been reading down and stood up. She didnâ??t need to see in order to know what was happening. The Game was in play and every time someone died, she could feel a stirring of power as the echo of their violent death drifted through the hallways of the Mansion. It was an oddly comforting feeling, a reminder that no one could escape the inevitability of death. It was a simple yet powerful truth. No matter what you did, no matter how you struggled, in the endâ?¦ You. Will. Die. No exceptions.

She paused for a moment to smooth the wrinkles out of her dress. Then she glided through the door to the library and down the hall to the stairs leading to the room where the group had fallen to the cellar. As she walked across, her feet making contact as if the floor was still there, her clothing changed to worn sneakers, faded denim jeans and a white t-shirt. It wouldnâ??t do for a lady to allow someone, even if they couldnâ??t see her yet, an improper view of her petticoats.

â??[b]Stop that.[/b]â? A voice said irritably. Angel stopped and turned to face The Butler who was watching her with a look of disapproval.

â??[b]Stop what?[/b]â? She smiled innocently, knowing full well what he was referring to. Even in death, like her, he was unable to let go of what had driven him in life. Behaving as if the floor still existed was like a slap to his sensibilities.

He fixed her with a stare. â??[b]You know what Iâ??m talking about.[/b]â?

â??[b]Worrying over the state of the Mansion is about as useful as my continued studies.[/b]â? She arched an eyebrow. â??[b]Would it help if I pretended to fall like the mortals?[/b]â?

He sighed tiredly. â??[b]Not really.[/b]â?

â??[b]Good. Iâ??d be more worried about the twins if I were you. You know how destructive those two can get if no one supervises their play time.[/b]â? She turned slightly and looked down at the unsuspecting mortals beneath her. â??[b]Now if you donâ??t mind Iâ??d prefer it if you werenâ??t hovering over my shoulder. I have no intention of damaging your precious Mansion so you donâ??t need to keep an eye out.[/b]â?

â??[b]Iâ??ll hold you to that.[/b]â? He retorted and then the feeling of his presence faded, telling her he had left for the moment.

She floated down gently, eyeing each one of the frightened mortals in turn. It was time to put her power into play, and to thin the ranks even further. She considered for a moment and then smiled.

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Evelynne couldn't say what drove her to hunt for a way down into the cellar when she realized what had happened to the others. She should have been looking for a way to escape. She didnâ??t owe anyone here a thing. But if she ran, like she had last year, he would never forgive her. Hell, she still couldnâ??t forgive herself for being too afraid of heights to approach the ledge when her boyfriend had slipped. If only she had grabbed his hand and helped him, he wouldnâ??t have fallen to his death.

She shook the feelings aside and ran down the stairs. Voices drifted up to her, angry and harsh along with the sounds of someone trying to force a door open.

â??[b]Itâ??s no good; it must be locked on the other side.[/b]â? It was an older manâ??s voice and he sounded bitterly disappointed. â??[b]Weâ??ll have to look for another way.[/b]â?

â??[b]I donâ??t think there is another way out.[/b]â? It was a womanâ??s voice this time, sharp with anger and fear. â??[b]What cellar has two exits?[/b]â?

â??[b]You forget your history miss. It wasnâ??t uncommon for older mansions like this to have a secondary path in from the gardens for staff.[/b]â? He sounded slightly amused. â??[b]After all in the good old days it just wasnâ??t proper for the servants to mingle with the gentry.[/b]â?

â??[b]Fine, Mr. Mathis. I suggest you keep trying while I look for another way out.[/b]â?

Evelynne continued running down the stairs and nearly ran into the door at the bottom, the lighting was so dim. Frantically she looked about for a means to open the door when a tug on the door knob yielded no results. There didnâ??t seem to be any type of lock. Just what was keeping the door barred?

She ran her hands along the frame until she encountered a series of latches. She ignored the sudden voices asking who was there as she undid the latches as quickly as possible in the dim light. Then with a tiny cry of triumph she yanked the door open.

Five sets of eyes were staring in her direction and she froze for a moment when she caught sight of the dead man. She took a deep breath. â??[b]What are you all waiting for? Letâ??s get the hell out of here![/b]â?

An older black man grasped her arm and smiled gratefully. â??[b]Thank goodness you came,[/b]â? he turned and went over to help to Kevin who was still obviously quite sick. â??[b]Iâ??ll help this one, I donâ??t think he can make it on his own.[/b]â?

Kevin struggled weakly. â??[b]Please help Sara.[/b]â?

â??[b]Let the little coward help herself.[/b]â? Jacqueline said before leaving to head up the stairs. A moment later Elyssa followed.

â??[b]What are they talking about?[/b]â? Evelynne asked Mathis. She looked to Sara who in spite of looking terrified and miserable hadnâ??t said a word.

â??[b]One of the spirits here cursed her for not helping this fellow here. She canâ??t talk and she canâ??t hear us.[/b]â? He shrugged apologetically as he started helping Kevin up the stairs.

â??[b]Please,[/b]â? Kevin managed. â??[b]Itâ??s not her fault, sheâ??s just frightened.[/b]â?

â??[b]Donâ??t worry; Iâ??ll come back for her, okay?[/b]â? Mathis soothed him.

â??[b]Iâ??ll do it[/b].â? Evelynne heard herself say, already moving towards the terrified woman. If she really was just too frightened to act, she of all people had no right to judge her. She approached her carefully, avoiding any sudden movements.

â??[b]I know you canâ??t hear me.[/b]â? she said as gently as possible, holding her hands out. â??[b]But Iâ??m going to help you, okay?[/b]â? She smiled as kindly as she could manage in an attempt to reassure her.

Sara hesitated and then took her hands, letting her pull her closer. And then she clung to her, shaking with fear and her inability to say a thing. Evelynne just held on tightly. â??[b]Itâ??s alright, I wonâ??t leave you behind.[/b]â? She started up the stairs with her.

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[i][b]GHOST: [/b]This card grants the bearer the ability to move through solid objects. How long it lasts or how often they can do so depends on their current level of alertness.[/i]

Just how big was this damn cellar? Selina grimaced at the taste of dirt and grime in the air as she made her way through the rows of shelves that had once held food. The fool probably didnâ??t know what he was talking about. There wasnâ??t a second entrance. She started to turn back and halted in fright. A young woman in sneakers, worn jeans and a white t-shirt suddenly appeared before her.

â??[b]Get away from me.[/b]â? She stammered fearfully, taking several steps back.

â??[b]I thought you wanted to find the other entrance.[/b]â? Angel gave her a puzzled look. â??[b]Itâ??s right behind you.[/b]â?

Startled, Selina looked behind but she couldnâ??t make out a door in the darkness. She looked back to the ghost that had appeared before her.

â??[b]Itâ??s covered up,[/b]â? Angel explained.â? [b]Youâ??d need tools to pry the boards loose.[/b]â?

â??[b]I see.[/b]â? Selina started to move to the side to go around Angel and rejoin the others but a ghostly arm came up, blocking her way.

â??[b]You misunderstand, I intend to help you.[/b]â? Angel touched the womanâ??s arm briefly, ignoring her sudden intake of breath as the cold power washed over her. â??[b]There now you can simply walk through the door as if it wasnâ??t there.[/b]â?

â??[b]Why would you do that?[/b]â? She asked suspiciously.

â??[b]What makes you think all of us here are the same?[/b]â? Angel countered and then frowned slightly when Selina started back towards the group.

â??[b]It wonâ??t do you any good to go through that door; itâ??s locked on the other side. Youâ??ll need a tool from the shed to break it with.[/b]â?

Selina stopped. â??[b]How do I know youâ??re telling me the truth?[/b]â?

Angel smiled and then faded from view, her words fading to a gentle whisper. â??[b]You donâ??t. Youâ??ll have to find out.[/b]â?

Selina stood there for a long moment and then reached over to touch a shelf, willing her arm to go through it. To her surprise it did. â??[b]So she was telling me the truth after all.[/b]â?

She turned and headed for where the ghost had said there was a door and placed her hand on the wood, letting it slide through. A moment later she could tell there was an opening on the other side. Selina pulled her arm back and then talking a deep breath, plunged through to the other side. It was nearly completely dark but tiny flickers of light from what had to be the storm still raging outside was coming in from cracks further down what appeared to be a long hallway. Encouraged she hurried towards what appeared to be a set of double doors. Giddy at the thought of finally being out of the hateful mansion she didnâ??t even bother to try and open then, she ran through them as if they didnâ??t exist.

Any other time the howling wind, flashes of lightning and boom of thunder would have given her pause, making her want to bolt for cover. This time Selina just stood there and took it in, feeling an enormous sense of relief. Behind her was the mansion, to the right was an old tool shed, just like the ghost had said. To the left was a path leading towards the front of the mansion and she found herself walking up it without giving it a second thought. She should have gotten the tools and helped the others but what was the point? That horrible apparition that had greeted them had said only one would survive. With this new power sheâ??d been given, it would be her.

Selina started running when the gates came in view. She sobbed with relief. Thank god it was finally over. Once again she focused on the power the ghost had given her and then ran through the gates, or rather tried to. Halfway through an invisible force slammed into her, locking her in place. Mocking laughter echoed through the storm and the voice of the ghost came from behind her.

â??[b]I knew a whore like you would be unable to resist the temptation to abandon the others.[/b]â? Ice cold fingers brushed along Selinaâ??s cheek and she shuddered, tears running down her face.

â??[b]No, please. I didnâ??t mean it.[/b]â? She begged.

â??[b]It doesnâ??t matter.[/b]â? Angel said coldly. â??[b]We all must pay the price for our actions.[/b]â? She withdrew her hand and in doing so, her power.

Selinaâ??s body jerked and she gave off a horrible little choking gasp as she was impaled from the inside out on the wrought iron bars of the gate.

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[Shy]

[indent][b][font="book antiqua"][size=5]Chapter Three: The Gardens[/size][/font][/b][hr]30[/hr][/indent]
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Rin and Len laughed mercilessly as they watched Charlotte struggled with the monster that they had summoned from within Charlotteâ??s psyche. Battered and defeated the young woman lay mercilessly at the bottom of the mansionâ??s rear staircase as she was being beaten within an inch of her life.

â??[b]Isnâ??t it lovely, Brother?[/b]â? Rin asked with a mischievous grin, â??[b]To think we could have been doing this all along instead of wasting our time with these other boring ghostsâ?¦[/b]â?

Charlotte cried for help as the beast slashed the poor girl across the face with her jagged fingernails. It was not that the creature had overpowered Charlotte, she was merely too frightened to fight back.

â??[b]Youâ??ve been a very naughty girl![/b]â? Len shouted with delight, â??[b]And as much as weâ??d like to see the other guests punish you, I donâ??t think any of those boring adults would--[/b]â?

Suddenly and without warning Charlotteâ??s monstrous doppleganger dissipated into a harmless puff of smoke. As the vapor began to clear the Gravedigger appeared, standing between Charlotte and the Twins.

â??[b]Your champions have fallen, and I am here to collect our your end of the deal.[/b]â?

â??[b]Thatâ??s not fair! We only just got started.[/b]â?

â??[b]Yeah! Weâ??re having fun and weâ??re not going anywhere![/b]â?

The Gravedigger had grown tired of these children, and the way they were turning his game into something much lessâ?¦ civil. The beautiful Miss Hamilton was helpless against the power of these two spirits, and to him that seemed most unjust. As menacing as the Rosengard ghosts were, it seemed to the old man that these mortals should be much more worried about one another, where at least they stood a fighting chance.

He raised his shovel slightly above his head and suddenly the two childrenâ??s eyes began to illuminate with a fiery glow. The Twins cried in agony as they collapsed to the blood-stained floor.

â??[b]Donâ??t waste my time, children. I have other matters to attend to.[/b]â? The room began to shake as he spoke.

Charlotte attempted to wipe some of the blood from her face as she slowly rose to her feet. She braced herself against the stairs railing as she watched the three spirits converse, entirely unsure of what to make of the scene happening before her.

â??[b]....thank you, sir.... whoever you are, thank you....[/b]â?

The Gravedigger turned his head towards Miss Hamilton. Even without the use of eyes, the specterâ??s gaunt face somehow managed to show total and utter contempt for Charlotte. A door suddenly opened, one that led out onto the mansionâ??s dark and labyrinthine gardens.

He uttered a single word as he pointed his shovel towards the girl: â??[b]Run.[/b]â?

[Ellerby]

[font="Tahoma"][center][IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/nifty_fifty/mansion%20cards/edwardharries2.jpg[/IMG][/center]

Edward Nelson was just on his way back to the main dining room to tell the others about Cindy Grey, when he heard a loud gun shot. He clasped his hand over his back pocket where he had kept his pistol only to find it'd been snatched. He pivoted and ran back to where Cindy Grey had passed, only to find Harriet's limp body falling to the ground with Edward's pistol in hand.

[b]"No!" [/b]he yelled, running to her side. [i]How could she do such a thing?![/i] With a single shot to the temple, she'd taken her own life. Edward shut her eye lids and grabbed a nearby curtain that was already detached from it's rail. He laid it over top of the young girl's body. [b]"May you rest in peace, young one."[/b]

Edward stood up, wiping the sweat from his forehead. [i]I should tell the others.[/i] He turned to head back to the dining room when the smell of tobacco filled his nose. He was never one to smoke himself so he had no craving to smoke, but he'd grown up around parents that smoked all the time so he was used to the smell. The Detective watched from a distance.

[color="#696969"][i]I like how professionally you've dealt with these deaths, Mr. Nelson.[/i][/color] the Detective thought to himself. [color="#696969"][i]I'll grant you my protection so you may continue to be the caretaker of this game.[/i][/color]

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[center][i]SHIELD CARD: This card protects the character from ALL Power Cards for the remainder of the round.[/i][/center]

For a moment, white smoke completely surrounded Edward but it immediately seeped right into his skin. He was filled with whole new burst of energy and refreshment. Feeling completely renewed, he decided it'd be best if he just looked for another way out of the mansion, instead of constantly checking back with the others. He walked off in the opposite direction of the dining room, not realizing the entire room had now collapsed.

[color="#696969"]Elsewhere, the Detective appeared over the corpse of the Author he'd killed. He collected the smoke he'd left hovering the corpse and vanished as quickly as he'd arrived. [i]I'll be needing this for later.[/i][/font][/color]

[ExcelExcel]

OOC: OMG I'm so sorry! Inu had to go to the hospital so I had to take him.

[color="#0000FF"]
The Drowned Lady looked on from her poolhouse perch, watching the game as it played out. So many people, and only outfor themselves. Many of the players of this game had met fitting ends, she bore no sympathy for them. A rustling sound came to her, and she cocked her head to peer out into the rainy gloom. Approaching her was a horribly batted woman, and from the extent of her wounds, she'd been viciously attacked. Charlotte Hamilton staggered through the gargens, the roses rustling as she brushed against them, unable to remain steady on her feet. A faint emotion came to her then, seeing the bloody mess Charlotte had become. Was it pity? Mercy? Or something she couldn't remember the name of? It had been many years since her death, and her emotions had died with her.

Dying with a broken heart had a tendancy to do that, or so she assumed. The Lady's vengeful nature subsided, at least for the moment. Turning where she stood, she looked to the piano, and it rumbled and reverberated with the ghost taking control of it. The warped and decimated black wreck straightened up, its form returning to it's grand and majestic state. The obsidian polish spread across the surface, and the ivory keys brightened, the grime coating them disappearing. It would remain this way, until else the Lady saw fit.[/color]

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Charlotte stumbled around, not having a single clue where she was going. Ahead of her, the broken shamble of a building loomed. Her eyes widened when she saw the figure pass in front of a broken pane of glass. Charlotte froze, she'd already had an encounter of the ghostly kind... What other nightmares lurked within this terrible place?

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

Miles Shaw had sat down, in order to take in his situation. Horrible, monstrous creatures lurked behind every corner. The spirits here within this mansion were vengul, and he knew all too well that they had every reason to be angry. He'd heard of this manor, and of the tragedy that had taken place here. Many of the people who had died here had once been good people, and then their lives stolen from them all brutally. Many of the spirits he had seen already showed the marks of their deaths.

He jerked up, and found he was alone in the second floor hallway, slumped up against the wall. His daughter had vanished, not that he faulted her either. Standing, he took in a deep breath and walked cautiously down the hall, in order to find her. Even if he was to die here in this dark and evil tainted place, he would save his little girl. Then, and only then, would it be possible for him to try to repent for all his crimes against her and her mother. Anna... how sweet of a woman she had been, and forced to do all those things because he couldn't hold a job because of his alchohol abuse.

"Diana... Please hold on, I'll save you... Daddy's coming...Daddy will save you..." A single, sorrowed tear feel down his face, fear of being unable to help her and failing her once again far too much for him to comprehend at the moment. To his ears, came a beautiful melody, and one played on a piano. It seemed ominous, as the selection being played was one of infamy, being it was Moonlight Sonata. He followed the music, and came to a broken stairwell, the stairs had long since given away from age. A dim glow lit up the stairs, and they rose to reform. He took a hastened step back, and fell onto his backside. The stairs stopped glowing, and they were as if they had never fallen. The music grew in volume and intensity, calling him. Gingerly placing his foot onto the top stair, he breathed in releif that it didn't collapse under his feet. Perhaps it was foolish, but he ventured down the stairs bravely. Maybe his daughter was playing?

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[i]TRUTH CARD: This card reveals the owner of one character to all players.[/i][/center]
Jacqueline brushed her clothes off from the fall, and her stomach lurched on seeing the inspector. She darted for the nearest doorway, and began to vomit profusely. Death here was not pleasant... so many others had died already, and she might be next. She stood, moving away from the others. Her eyes were glazed over, thinking about her demise. The sounds of a piano came to her, and she smiled. Such a beautiful peice.... Maybe it was a beacon of somekind... Maybe... Maybe it was a way to survive!

She ran as fast as she could, her high heels breaking and causing her to stumble in the darkness. She fell foreward into the bottom of the starcase leading upwards, knocking her for a loop and breaking her glasses. But this didn't stop her. She ran up the stairs, leaving behind her broken glasses. Nearly blind, she plowed right into someone, and screamed.

"Jacqueline! It's just me!" the figure said, and Jacqueline took in a breath and placed her hand over her racing heart. Miles held out his hand, and helped her up. "You hear the piano, too?"

"Yes... I thought it might be another rule or safe zone in this game of souls or whatever they called it..."

"I doubt it... I think... I think it's Diana... I taught her how to play that song..." Miles looked away from the young woman before him, unable to meet her eyes. "I... it was the only good thing I ever did for her."

"Then let's go! Maybe we have a better chance together!"

"Agreed, little lady." Together, they opened a nearby massive door leading outside into the rain. Lightning flashed across the sky, revealing rose bush after rose bush. Cautiously, they walked the ancient cobbled path though the thorned flowers, the music seemingly guiding them through the maze like mass of plants. Ahead loomed the ruined poolhouse, where they Lady lied in wait, bekoning the mortals to her.

It wasn't long before they spotted Charlotte rooted to the spot in fear of what lied within the desecrated poolhouse. She stared into the dark windows as if she stared into the abyss itself. "Charlotte!" Miles called. "Charlotte!"

Turning her head, she seemed to come back to reality. The other two could plainly see she'd been through the ringer, she was baddly beaten, bruised, and battered. Blood stained her tattered clothes, and she seemed distant.

"Charlotte!" Jacquelin called, rushing to her. Charlotte's demeanor was changed, she seemed to rock on her feet, swaying with the wind. Suddenly, she fell to her knees, her eyes glassy. Blood loss had taken its toll, as well as the exahustion and fatigue of shock and the brutal attack on her. She slipped away into a peaceful slumber in Jaqueline's arms.

[color="#0000FF"]

The Lady had watched this, and her eyebrows twitched. [i]How unexpected...And so kind to an opponent...[/i] The piano played its tune again, and she moved to sit at it to await her company...[/color]

"There's someone inside there..." Miles said, his attention drawn to the female form sitting at the piano, illuminated only by the random bolts of lightning. As if to cue them inside, a bolt blasted down from the heavens, seemingly a sign of retribution. Grabbing Jaqueline, they picked up Charlotte, and fled into the poolhouse and the music coming from it.

On entering, the candelabras lit up with the flames of candles, illuminating the building in it's entirety. They could plainly see a woman who appeared to have just come inside from the pouring rain. There was about a foot of filthy water in the bottom of the pool itself, water dripping into it from the broken sunlights. She sat at the piano in a dress that ruffled slightly as she moved, her black dress clinging tightly to her body.

"Miss?" Miles ventured closer, his eyes locked on her backside. "Diana?"

[color="#0000FF"]The music didn't stop, though the woman stood and slowly rotated to face them. Miles took a shuddering breath, and Jaqueline slumped to the floor, terrified. The pale, greyish blue skinned woman looked deep into them, unafraid to kill them as she had done so to others so foolish as to enter into her territory. The air around her shimmered like water in a sunlit pond, and she moved to the sleeping Charlotte. Her face was unreadable, though she seemed deep in thought. The water in the pool rippled, and there was an audible splash.

[i]"I will not harm you... at least not yet."[/i] she spoke, her voice barely more than a gentle whisper. [i]"I wish to help you save your daughter... A parent should never outlive their child."[/i] She glided over to the two before her now, and stopped mere feet from them. Her hollow, white eyes remained unchanged, though her greyish face turned to Charlotte lying on the poolhouse floor. "Showing such kindness, I cannot help but be merciful for now... I will bestow you with my power to flood the rooms within the mansion, Miles Shaw. And to you, Jaqueline Masey, I can only promise not to take your life as I did Cindy Grey. Continue to show kindness, and I shall not revoke my promise." The Lady moved away from them now, never turning away. She pointed into the mansion, and spoke once more. "[i]Go, now. Take her to the doctor Alicia Mills. She may be able to help Charlotte. Do not make me regret my kindness, or you will pay for it dearly."[/i] [/color]

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[Shy]

[indent][b][font="book antiqua"][size=5]The Truth Card[/size][/font][/b][hr]30[/hr]
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Byron and the Gravedigger watched from afar as Miles Shaw bravely reentered the mansion in hopes of finding Dr. Mills. He had little interest in helping Charlottte Hamilton, but he knew better than to contradict the orders of a vengeful spirit. Near the moonlit pond Jacqueline rocked Charlotte gently to comfort her, softly humming a tune.

"[b]Of all the champions selected for this evening, yours might puzzle me the most.[/b]" The Gravedigger said, "[b]I'm curious to know, Byron, why did you select Jacqueline Masey? Her only sin was her profession, and even that she is able to justify in her own mind. Of all the remaining players, Masey is the one that lacks the capacity to take another human life. She is weak.[/b]"

"[b]Weak? I don't know about that. She...[/b]" Byron paused for a moment as he stared at the two young women intently, "[b]...reminds me of myself.[/b]"

"[b]It will take more than familiarity to survive until the next round.[/b]"

"[b]You might be right, Gravedigger, but anything can happen. Maybe we'll both surprise you.[/b]"[/indent]

[Sandy]

[i][color="#008000"]The rain had stopped, and the dark clouds gave way for moonlight to illuminate the gardens where the Green Lady walked. Once the plantings and the hedge maze had been lush and vibrant with life, but now they were overgrown, suffocated by weeds and infested by worms and slugs. There was nobody to take care of her precious garden anymore, and the thought of that made the Green Lady let out a bonechilling howl.

With a flick of a hand she made long briars of blood-red roses grow from the rotting ground, but as fast as they had appeared, they withered away. Just like those pitiful mortal souls that had been chosen to enter the mansion: dead as soon as they blossomed.[/color][/i]

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Kevin Andolli was somewhere between feverish sleep and reality. He remembered the sensation of falling, and being helped out of a cellar, but the next thing he knew, he was lying on a couch that stunk like hell. Something rattled next to his ear, but his head felt too heavy to move. He was hot and cold at the same time, and saliva filled his mouth as if he was about to puke. But he had emptied the contents of his stomach long ago.

The black man, Daniel, was sitting next to him.

"[b]Hey...[/b]" the man said when he noticed that Kevin was awake again. "[b]How are you feeling?[/b]"

"[b]Worse than the time I lost two hundred grands in poker, heh[/b]", he said feebly.

"[b]You a gambler, then?[/b]"

"[b]Yeah. Should've quit that a looong time ago. Would be a rich man if I had, y'know.[/b]"

"[b]Yes, sure you would[/b]", Daniel replied with a big smile on his face. "[b]Listen, your girl's in the other room. Do you want me to go get her?[/b]"

"[b]Nah...[/b]" Kevin declined. "[b]She can't stand the sight of me. Let's leave her in peace.[/b]"

"[b]I have to say I find her reaction odd to say the least. Do you not love each other?[/b]"

"[b]Love is one hell of a complex thing, Mathis, a man of your age should know that. I... I haven't been the best possible man for her. She would do well with another.[/b]"

"[b]Don't say that. As deep a **** as we are in, you two have each other, at least. Me... I lost my Elayne exactly a year ago. I thought she just caught a bad cold, but the next morning I came to see her in the hospital, she was dead. That nurse...[/b]"

Kevin stopped listening. Suddenly all the aching and nausea had ceased, just like that. He stood up, and aside from a little lightheadedness, he felt perfectly healthy. Daniel Mathis just stared at him in awe.

Kevin jumped up the couch. He had to tell Sara!

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Sara Marcel sat huddled in the corner of a room that once was a library. Only empty shelfs with a few rotting bookcovers remained of once an extensive collection of literature from all over the world. The journalist, Evelynne, sat in an armchair on the other side of the room near the entrance, frantically scribbling something to her notebook. Sara gave yet another look to the small door to the reading chamber in which Kevin was, then quickly looked away.

"[b]Will you stop that?![/b]" Sara snapped at the other woman. "[b]Please? What's the use? It's not like you will live to make an article out of this.[/b]"

"[b]Who knows?[/b]" Evelynne Decoeur answered with a sheepish smile on her face. "[b]Besides, I might not live through this night, but maybe somebody will find this notebook and find out the truth of what happened here.[/b]"

"[b]As if anybody will believe it. Ghosts playing a game with our lives... I'll be damned if I believe it myself![/b]" Then Sara buried her face on her hands once again. "[b]I just want Kevin back. My Kevin, not that sickly sack of meat dying in the other room. I want him to be strong again, to protect me from all of this![/b]"

At that moment the main doors to the library crashed open, and on the doorway stood the sweaty and wild-eyed Diana Ross. She was carrying a large rusted shovel.

"[b]What did you do to my Jimmy?![/b]" the woman shouted. "[b]Where is my baby, you bitches?![/b]"

Evelynne stood up and backed away, but Sara could do nothing but sit and stare the frenzied woman straight in the eyes that were filled with chaos.

"[b]You're hiding something, you little cunt! Give me back my Baby Jimmy![/b]" Diana screamed, raising the shovel.

Sara opened her mouth, but then from the corner of her eye she saw Kevin enter the library, with all the signs of the poisoning gone. Kevin looked at her and smiled. That image was Sara's very last as Diana's shovel cracked open her skull.

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[OMNOMNOMALY]

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In the old library, Diana Ross was facing down the journalist, Evelynne. Ms. Ross was out of her mind with rage, wielding the freshly bloodied shovel as she advanced towards Evelynne. Kevin Andolli watched from the doorway in horror as his fiancee Sara Marcel crumpled to the ground, a deep crimson gash blooming on her forehead, her unseeing eyes frozen permanently in a mixture of horror as well as relief. Just a few paces behind Kevin, stood Daniel, watching with horror as this banshee-like woman brandished a weapon at another guest, having killed another just moments before.

[b]"Diana!"[/b] He called out to her, his voice filled with urgency. Diana tore her eyes off of Evelynne, spinning around to turn and face Kevin and Daniel.

[b]"Diana, calm down. It's okay. We're going to help you, alright?"[/b] She replied with a venomous snarl.

[b]"Help me? How will you help me? We're all trapped here, all of us! We'll die! I was tricked, I need to leave!"[/b] She bellowed across the room at the two men.

[b]"We won't make it out unless we work together, Diana..."[/b] Without warning, Evelynne had flung herself onto the other woman's exposed back, trying desperately to wrestle the shovel away, lest she thin out their ranks even more.

[b]"Wench! Horrible evil woman, get off me! You're trying to stop me from leaving, it won't work!"[/b] She flailed violently but Evelynne clung on determinedly, holding Diana's arms down so she couldn't swing the shovel back. Kevin quickly ran up to aid Evelynne in restraining Diana. He ripped the shovel from her hands, tossing it as far away from them as possible and holding down her arms with his.

[b]"Miss Diana, please! We're all on the same team here, we've all been tricked... Do you want us to find your father? That's what we'll do, we'll get him, he can help."[/b] She laughed shrilly.

[b]"My father?"[/b] she repeated back to him incredulously. Kevin stared into her eyes, looking for a spark, a hint of acknowledgement, sanity, anything. But there was nothing, only piercing seemingly empty eyes gazing back at him. [b]"I want my BABY."[/b] She stood still for a moment, and then abruptly head-butted Kevin in the face. He relaxed his grip on her momentarily in surprise and she took advantage of this to break free of both his grasp and Evelynne's. She raced from the library, shoving Daniel Mathis out of her way as she did so, frantically looking for any escape. They watched her as she ran, genuinely disappointed that she had gone without them being able to help her. It seemed as though she was beyond help.

Diana the ghost's voice rang in Kevin's ear as he stood there in the old library. [b]"I am very sorry for your loss, Mr. Andolli. But you have shown great strength in the many faces of adversity, and so I grant you my power. You may render an opponent deaf and silent, if you will it. Please use it wisely..."[/b]

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*********

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Diana watched Charlotte, Jacqueline and Miles with pleasure from afar as they re-entered the Mansion. They were behaving how human beings should act - with compassion, empathy and solidarity. No man or woman was being left behind, despite the ragged state that the Twins had left Miss Hamilton in, and that she had most certainly become a liability to each of them. She plodded alongside Jacqueline, weak though uncomplaining.

[b]"You know, I didn't mean to kill Mr. Mathis' wife..."[/b] she said as they walked along. Jacqueline looked over at her but said nothing, feeling as though Charlotte had just been waiting to get this out, and needed to talk to feel better.

[b]"It did seem that she just had a bad cold... but when we treated her with the antibiotics, she had an allergic reaction... and by the time that we got the antihistamines to open up her airways again, it was too late.. she was too weak. There's no way either of them could have known about the allergy. And the Doctor ordered me to do it... I had a bad feeling, but what could I do? I'm just a nurse. I'm so sorry... Mr. Mathis refused to speak to me after... but could you blame him?"[/b] tears started forming in her eyes. Jacqueline's face softened as she looked at her companion, who seemed so emotionally defeated.

[b]"Charlotte, it's not your fault. These things happen... medicine will keep on making strides forward, but it's not perfect... you're not perfect. No one is."[/b] Tears were flowing freely down Charlotte's face now.

[b]"I've tried to push it away, tried to forget it... that is my fault. I deserve the burden of guilt..."[/b] Jacqueline shook her head.

[b]"It's a survival tactic. We all have them, different ways of coping. We couldn't go day to day without them."[/b] she squeezed Charlotte's shoulder in comfort. Miles was silent, leading the group, listening thoughtfully.

They made their way through the house slowly and cautiously, each footstep more tentative than the last, each creak seemed to make the whole house shudder. The entire house was enveloped in what seemed to be it's own pocket of silence. Sound seemed almost out of place in this mausoleum of what had once been a grand estate. Down the long hallway, they passed through the kitchen, shielding their eyes from the unfortunate corpse of Steve Bastion. Jacqueline looked as though she wanted to throw up, but managed to hold herself together. After the kitchen came the large foyer, where they picked their way around the fallen chandelier and stood at the bottom of the steps leading to the upstairs portion of the Mansion. Diana continued to trail along behind them from a distance for a time, enjoying the simple human interaction. They headed up the steps to continue looking for Dr. Alicia Mills. As they neared the top, Elyssa Janovica appeared from a hallway on their right.

[b]â??Ah, hello. I was beginning to wonder where everyone had gone. Are you all alright?â? [/b]

[b]â??Weâ??re alright, weâ??re just looking for the Doctor, Alicia Mills. Have you seen her?â?[/b] Miles replied.

[b]â??Iâ??m afraid not, there are an awful lot of rooms up here, I havenâ??t gotten through all of them just yet.â? [/b]Elyssa said. As she neared them, she leaned lightly on the railing. Without warning, a loud crack rang out. Elyssaâ??s face froze in surprise as she tumbled past the rotten railing and to her death on the floor of the foyer.

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She served as a reminder that the house did not want them there any more than they wanted to be there.[/font] Edited August 18, 2010 by Anomaly

[Heaven's Cloud]

Byron stood in the library watching the game unfold. The people in the room, the people in the game meant nothing to him; their deaths did not sorrow him nor bring him joy.

He watched Diana Ross, still suffering from the GLOOM that he had cast upon her earlier, head-butt Kevin Andolli and break free from his grip. As she darted from the room Byron moved to intercept her. He was still a specter, invisible and intangible to all. She passed through him none the wiser, but Byron had taken something from her.

Byron removed her afflicted status, now any sense of despondency she felt was her own, not an artificial, mystical ailment.

Funny, while Byron felt no pity or sorrow for these people, he was interested. How would their deaths play out? Would they be quick and merciful, or would they suffer as he had? Perhaps he should spur things along, after all, the games climax couldnâ??t be too far away!

Byron spoke so that those left in the library, Daniel Mathis, Evelyn Decoeur and Kevin Andolli, would hear his strained words.

[indent][i] And the deaf tyranny of Fate,
The ruling principle of Hate,
Which for its pleasure doth create
The things it may annihilate,
Refus'd thee even the boon to die.[/i][/indent]

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[center][i]FATE CARD: If one of the two characters is not killed within FIVE posts both characters are killed. If one character is revived both are revived.[/i][/center]

******

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Diana Ross sprinted down the stairs taking them two at a time. She felt remarkably alive. A few moments ago she was on the brink of despair but now, well now she was terrified, confused and enraged. What had possessed her to act the way she just had?

This house, it has to be the house! It is possessed by ghosts or witches, or ghosts of witches. As crazy as the thought was, she latched on to it. In that moment she knew that if she left the mansion she would be safe.

She kept running, darting left and right through rooms, past the moth eaten furniture and the molded bases boards. She ran through a large dining room into a kitchen and found herself face to face with an open doorway leading out doors.

Diana stepped into the cold, damp night air. The storm had subsided and wind whistled gently through the trees. Diana walked quickly away from the open kitchen door, towards what she believed to be freedom. The kitchen door slammed shut behind her.

She turned and her pulse quickened. Clouds rolled in the twilight, uncovering the Cheshire grin of a waning moon. Diana began to shiver. The moonlight revealed that she hadnâ??t escaped the confine of the mansion. Instead she was now trapped in a massive courtyard.

Overhead something screeched. The sound of beating wings descended on Diana Ross.

[Shy]

[indent][b][font="book antiqua"][size=5]The Creation Card[/size][/font][/b][hr]30[/hr]
The Gravedigger looked out over the grounds of Rosengard as he buried the body of Sara Marcel. The sky was beginning to clear, revealing the harvest moon above. There would be many more bodies to bury this night, but there would also be new champions selected to play the game as well. He pitied the poor soul that would be the first to cross Belle.

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Diana Ross shivered as she stepped into the Mansion's courtyard. Although the rain had finally stopped everything was still soaked, and a chill emanated from the cobblestone grounds. In the center was an enormous fountain, over twenty feet tall, which had clearly fallen into disrepair over the years. Moss covered every inch of the structure, and thick flower-covered vines wrapped around it in a spiral. Scattered across the grounds were colorful bird and feathers, and Diana picked one of them up from the grounds: It was beautiful. For a moment she thought of the husband and child she had abandoned so recently; she wondered if they missed her, or if she would ever see them again.

"[b]I'm sorry....[/b]" she said as she dropped the feather to the ground. She took a step out towards the garden when an unfamiliar voice called out to her from above.

"[b]I'm sorry.[/b]" It said. Diana looked up to discover a monstrous figure standing on top of the fountain. It was clearly a woman in some ways; she had a beautiful face and shapely feminine curves, but in others this beast was wholly unrecognizable. Two enormous feathered wings protruded from the creature's back, and in the place of it's hands and feet were large, razor-sharp talons. It flapped its wings as it took to the skies, mimicking Diana once more, "[b]I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry![/b]"

[IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/nifty_fifty/mansion%20cards/creationcard.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/nifty_fifty/mansion%20cards/belle.jpg[/IMG]
[i]CREATION CARD: Introduce a new champion into the game.[/i]

Name: [b]Belle[/b]
Age: [b]Unknown[/b]
Species: [b]Harpy[/b]

Belle dove towards Diana, and the young girl was too startled to move. Belle slashed one of her talons clear across Diana's face, and knocking the young woman to the ground. The beast let out a maniacal laughter, pleased with the pain that it had just caused. Mrs. Ross began to crawl back towards the mansion, but the harpy would never allow that. Belle grabbed Diana by her leg and began dragging her out towards the gardens. She was nowhere near through playing with her prey.[/indent]

[Gavin]

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In life the Butler had always been a quiet man, described as prompt in action and silent in motion. He spoke only as necessary to relay the wishes of the Mistress and her family to the remainder of the Manorâ??s staff, none of whom he couldâ??ve called friends but certainly there was an amiable working relationship to be had.

However life had been life and now, teeth gritted, the Butler fought to maintain a hold on his rapidly blossoming fury at the damage being wrought to the Manor by either the careless actions of the guests or the machinations of his fellow spirits. He watched as the merest hint of satisfaction played upon his lips as the opera singer plummeted to her death having stressed a particularly rotten piece of the railing. Ironic that a trained singer should have such a ghastly pitched shriek in relinquishing her mortal coil.

Slowly his form shifted into view in front of the remaining living guests, two women and a man, each of whom stepped back several paces to avoid a similar fate as had befallen Kevin Andoli when he had come into contact with the Gravedigger. A variety of emotions played on their faces, fear, intrigue, even outright hostility. Clearing his throat he smiled genially at them and for a moment at least they seemed to relax. Excellent. The Butler flourished his arm in a nominal bow as by way of introduction.

[b]â??Honoured guests of the Manor Rosengard, I am the Butler and I am at your service.â?[/b]

The dark-skinned man he recalled as Shaw opened and closed his mouth several times before finally speaking, as if he had been structuring his response.

[b]â??You are not here to kill us then ?â?[/b]

The Butler released a mirthful laugh, he supposed that was probably the most obvious and astute question to begin the conversation with, even if it hadnâ??t been asked particularly politely.

[b]â??I have little interest in this game the others in the Manor are playing, rest assured that so long as you conduct yourself in an appropriate manner in my presence you have nothing to fear.â?[/b]

[b]â??Appropriate manner ?â?[/b]

The nurse seemed to have found her voice and joined in the conversation. Locking eyes with her the Butler raised the index finger of his gloved hand.

[b]â??Indeed madam. You are all guests here and though the Manor may have fallen into a lesser state since that terrible night I expect you to conduct yourselves as etiquette dictates when in the dwelling of your betters.â?[/b]

He paused, clearing his throat again, a small cloud of dust seemingly flowing from his lungs.

[b]â??I have tended Rosengard for decades, as my father did before me and his father did before him. As such I have developed an understandable attachment to this home and wish to prevent you all from furthering the damage Mother Nature has seen to inflict. Though I cannot guarantee your safety from the other spirits, as I said, if you behave yourselves in my presence I shall do you no harm.â?[/b]

Miles temper seemed to get the better of him for a moment.

[b]â??Prevent us from damaging it ? Itâ??s those lunatics you call the other spirits who are destroying this place trying to kill us! Why donâ??t you do anything to stop them ?â?[/b]

[b]â??Mind your manners my good man. I do not stop them for my own reasons, not least of which being there are more of them than myself alone.â?[/b]

Finally joining the conversation Jacqueline Masey attempt to sway it in a different direction.

[b]â??Mrâ?¦uhâ?¦Butler, weâ??re looking for one of the other people here, Alicia Mills, a doctor, can you help us ?â?[/b]

Presenting a small frown the Butler shook his head.

[b]â??I am afraid not my dear, while yes I do know where she is, I cannot lead you to her.â?[/b]

Crestfallen Jacqueline pursued the subject.

[b]â??But why ? You said you would help us.â?[/b]

[b]â??Iâ??m afraid the good doctor hasâ?¦sealed herself off from all thatâ??s going on. She has had the aid of another here in the Manor for what purpose I donâ??t care to fathom and thus you will be unable to reach her, Iâ??m sorry. For the moment however she is quite safe,â?[/b]

Silence reigned between them for several moments as the three mortals processed what the poltergeist had told them. Inclining his head as if listening to a distant sound the Butler spoke again.

[b]â??Iâ??m afraid I must take my leave now, something else requires me attention. Iâ??m sure if you stick together youâ??ll all have a better chance of survival than alone, I wish you all luck as Iâ??m afraid youâ??ll most certainly need it.â?[/b]

Fading back out of sight the Butler ignored their cries for him to stay longer and explain exactly what had occurred. Something new had occurred, he could feel it in his bones. Passing through the walls of the mansion he found himself looking upon the library and its occupants and watched Byronâ??s intrigue unfold wordlessly.

Byron had visited Rosengard often, and the Butler had found him to be a repugnant little man of obsession. Likely this latest scheme was one in a litany intended to lift him from his malaise.

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1
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Cradling his loveâ??s broken body, Kevin Andolli wept fierce tears of grief. It wasnâ??t fair, this wasnâ??t how it was supposed to be. They were supposed to have had a future together, this one last big score and it his hedonistic days would be behind him and then, then they couldâ??ve lived happily together until old age separate them finally, surrounded by friends, family and all manner of good things.

The old professor was saying something, probably trying to comfort him but there was nothing to be heard beyond the sound of his own sobbing in his ears. Even as Saraâ??s blood collected around his legs he continued to brush the stray hairs from his face and whisper soothingly to her, despite what Diana had done she was still so beautiful to him. He felt a pair of strong hands on tugging on his shoulders and turned to see Mathisâ??s face frank with sympathy and understanding.

[b]â??I know it hurts, God knows it hurts worse than anything in the world but we canâ??t stop here son, we need to move on. You heard that ghost, the two of you are living on borrowed time as it is.â?[/b]

Turning to look at Evelynne, Kevin was shocked to see the open fear in her eyes as she looked at him. For a moment he thought it was just the tears in his eyes blurring his vision but even wiping them away left the expression remaining on the journalistâ??s face. Her lips quivered for a moment before she burst into a pained sobbing and raised her hand to cover he face.

Unable to maintain eye contact with her, Kevin returned to looking at his fiancéeâ??s face, her eyes now closed and the expression on her face softened in death. Stroking her cheek he felt the grief well up again and threaten to overwhelm him, biting his lip he felt the wet metallic tang of blood but persisted until the feeling was pushed back down into the pit of his stomach. Gently laying Sara on the ground and crossing her hands, he stood up and vainly attempted to brush the blood from his trousers and after a moment laughed at the ridiculousness of whatâ??d heâ??d attempted.

Yes, the ghost had been right, so long as the two of them were alive they were both dancing a knife edge of mutual destructionâ?¦yesâ?¦there was only one thing to be doneâ?¦one of them had to die now.

Slowly he walked over to the great lectern dominating edge of the grand library, dust covered it like a sheet and he absently ran his fingers along the top edge exposing the ancient timber in four long lines. Certainly thereâ??d be one here. He opened the drawers mechanically, searching carefully for his prize until at last he felt cold steel beneath his fingers. Withdrawing the long, thin blade of the letter-opener Kevin walked dispassionately back to where Mathis was attempting to comfort Evelynne in her distress, the naked blade visible in his hand.

The moment the Daniel saw the knife he moved to intercede himself between Andolli and Decouer, the blank, unfazed and unflinching look in the younger man told him all he needed to know of Kevinâ??s intention. Daniel raised his hands placatingly and took another step backwards to shield the girl now cowering behind him.

[b]â??Look son, come on now, you donâ??t want to do this. Just â??cause that ghost said it doesnâ??t make it true, we shouldnâ??t start killing ourselves to appease them.â?[/b]

Nothing. Not an iota of change, even recognition seemed apparent on the manâ??s face as he lurched closer and closer.

[b]â??This isnâ??t what sheâ??d want! Sara wouldnâ??t want you to do this, she called you her protector, she knew you were a good man!â?[/b]

It was there, just the briefest flicker in his face, the slightest hesitation in his step. Daniel breathed a sigh of relief as the knife Kevin lowered the knife in his hand to his side, completely unprepared for the swift hook that came from the other and caught him in the jaw. Stars blossomed before Mathisâ??s eyes as he felt himself topple to the ground, darkness consuming his world.

Left without anyone to stop the madman, Evelynne brought her legs up to her chest and looked away at the ground, unable to look him in the face. Within three breaths he was on top of her, leaning down, she met his emotionless eyes and let out a squeak of terror before screwing them shut and awaiting the inevitable even as tears streamed down her face. His left hand which had floored the old professor brushed her hair for a moment.

[b]â??Iâ??m sorry.â?[/b]

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With that Kevin plunged the letter opener deep into his own neck, arterial spray drenching Evelynneâ??s face as she recoiled backwards in horror and disbelief. The gambler fell to his knees with a small satisfied smile on his face even as precious lifeâ??s blood pooled around him. Wiping away the crimson liquid from her face Evelynne crawled over to him, attempting to brace his fall backwards and laying him on the carpet. His eyes seemed to unfocus and she leaned in as his lips moved slowly.

[size=1][b]â??See you soon Saraâ?¦â?[/b][/size]

Slowly Mathis regained a sense of his surroundings, even as pain welled up in his jaw from where the young gambler had hit him. A cold chill ran through his spine as his forced himself to rise, prepared to see the man standing over the slain body of the journalist, instead he found the girl pounding furiously at the manâ??s chest, the blade dug in his own throat as he lay assuredly dead on the floor. She was hysterical, blood soaking her fingers.

[b]â??I didnâ??t ask you to! I would never have asked you to do something like that! You stupid selfish bastard!![/b]â?

Her voice was hoarse from crying and shouting as Daniel managed to draw himself up alongside her. Evidently Kevin had committed suicide rather than kill the girl, he wouldnâ??t push the subject, it wasnâ??t his business what had happened between the two of them while heâ??d been unconscious. Instead he cradled the sobbing girl in his arms as she turned and hugged against him fiercely for support.

[hr]
1
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The Butler whoâ??d watched the event unfold quietly swept across to the young woman in the dark-skinned manâ??s embrace, it had been an extraordinarily noble thing the younger man had done. A worthy death. A gentlemanâ??s death. The woman was still hysterical, no doubt mad with guilt over what she had just witnessed. Touching her once on the head the old ghost let his voice rise a fraction to the tone of a command.

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[b]â??Sleep little one.â?[/b]

Daniel felt the girl stiffen in his arms and for a moment feared the worst, however with a cursory evaluation he found her eyes had shut and the tears stopped but she still breathing and her pulse has slowed to a more normal pace. He looked around, certain this was the action of another spirit. Shaking Evelynne gently he found no reaction, a further, harder shake still yielded no result. Finally he apologised and slapped her face, her white skin blotched red where he had struck her but she remained firmly unconscious to the world.

Daniel cursed quietly as he found himself alone in a room with two bodies and what might as well have been a third in his care.[/size][/font][/indent]

[Sandy]

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"AAAAAAHHHH!!!"

Alicia Mills screamed from the bottom of her lungs. She had been screaming and crying and tearing down the briars until her hands bled for what seemed like hours. But nobody had come, not a single living person or a ghost. She had been forgotten in this solitary room.

The smell of the roses that had been so bittersweet at first now itched her nostrils and made her sick. She felt like she didn't even care if she would die as soon as she stepped out of the room, she just wanted out.

"Please... Whoever did this to me... Make the vines go away... please..." she sobbed.

Out of a sudden a pale green specter appeared in front of her. It was the spirit of an elderly woman wearing a loose, flowing robe that intertwined with her long hair. Alicia gasped as she looked the spirit in the eyes, for they were nothing but watery holes from which tears flowed like small rivers.

[color="#008000"][i]The Green Lady howled and embraced the doctor.

"If you wish so, go. But you will not be safe out there", she warned. "Take the rose briars with you, and use them whenever danger lurks near. But I'm afraid the other ghosts are craftier than you, and they will undoubtedly kill you as soon as they get a chance. Go now, you're free."[/i][/color]

As Alicia watched, the briars withered away, leaving only dirt and some dried petals on the floor of the small chamber. Carefully she opened the cracked door and stepped out.

She found herself on a corridor in one of the upper floors, with many doors on both walls. She ignored all of them and walked down the corridor. After turning from a corner, she came to an opening in the end of the corridor. The remains of double doors were scattered on the floor of the opening, but beyond them she saw the master bedroom with a majestic canopy bed. Shadows of the night covered details from her, so she had to walk into the room to see better.

There was a definite lump on the bed under the ragged sheets. Alicia felt tension rising as she approached the bed. Outside the broken windows ominous clouds rolled in the sky and the night wind made the curtains on the canopy flutter.

Alicia grabbed the sheets with shaking hands, and pulled them, revealing a skeleton lying in the middle of the bed.

[color="#008000"]"NNNOOOOO!!!!"[/color]

Alicia flinched as she heard the cry and saw the pale green ghost flying towards her from the corridor. The ghost didn't stop until it hit the skeleton and vanished into it. It appeared that the doctor had found the corpse that had belonged to the spirit. Edited August 21, 2010 by Sandy

[Heaven's Cloud]

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Belle perched on the old oak tree, preening her feathers with practiced care. She remembered when the old oak tree that she had lighted upon was sapling.

There were oak trees in the forest where she had grown, but they were a smaller variety, shadowed by the enormous fir and pine trees that were more suited to grow beneath the shadow of Mt. Olympus. She remembered her youth, flying and hunting with lammergeyers, golden eagles and small falcons. She could recall stalking stags and goats and the occasional human, and then swooping down upon her pray from above. The stagsâ?¦she remembered the stags and how their entrails tasted, so different from the deer that she feasted upon now.

Memories of her youth also carried memories of her capture. She had taken a small child and feasted upon its brains. The following day people had poured from the town with torches and roused her nest. Screaming and startled she tried to take flight but they brought her to the ground with a volley of arrows. The people caged her and set her on top of a pyre. She remembered bellowing in fear.

Then a man and his soldiers took her and her cage off the fire, much to her captorsâ?? dismay. They man put her on a boat and brought her to this place while it was still being constructed.

For decades she lived in an atrium, her shackles confining her to a small area. She could still take flight, but her days of soaring amongst the clouds were over. Her keepers fed her live deer and goat and she was content enough.

Then something changed. Her confines began to deteriorate. Her keepers rarely brought her food, and when they did they would bring her humans. Eventually the food stopped coming altogether. Belle grew hungry and panicked. For the first time in nearly a century she tested her shackles. The once mighty chains had corroded over the years and with a little struggle she was able to break free.

Though free of the atrium, Belle found it impossible to wander off of the grounds of the manor. She often tried to fly away, towards the forests and mountains she could see in the distance, but she always simply circled the manor. It called to her, compelling her back to its grounds. Fortunately there was food; rabbits, squirrels, and deer all seemed abundant enough.

And, of course, there was the occasional human. Belle watched the small one struggle below her as she cleaned her feathers. She was waiting for her to lose a little more blood before she struck again. When she saw the girl slip and fall in the moss below she knew it was time.

Belle leapt from the tree. Spreading her wings wide she glided over her prey and then dropped upon her, pinning an arm and a leg with each of her razor sharp talons. The girl screamed and kicked, Belle looked into her preyâ??s hate filled eyes and hissed, and then she dug her face into the girlâ??s stomach. She feasted on her blood and entrails, tearing the flesh apart with her teeth.

She took a few more mouthfuls and hopped away from her prey. She knew the human was still alive. Her prey had stopped screaming but was still breathing in a haggard fashion. Belle wanted to gorge herself upon the human, but she also wanted to hear it scream as she cracked open her skull. Perhaps it would wake once more before it died.

***

Edward Nelson watched in horror from the kitchen door as the monster dug its face into the womanâ??s stomach. Though he felt invigorated, as if he could get the better of any man, he knew that he didnâ??t want to startle the creature while it was feeding. That would be suicide. Still, could he stand and do nothing?

The monster hopped off of the girl and he watched it flutter up onto the low branches of an enormous oak tree. Edward looked back at the woman. She was still alive, but her insides had been torn asunder. She was dying, but she was dying slowly, painfully. It was too much for the old man to take.

He grabbed a butcher knife off of the kitchen counter. It was old, and the blade was loose, but it would do the job.

Edward walked into the courtyard to Diana. She had woken and was trying to scream, but her vocal chords had failed her. Edward looked down on her, the terror in her eyes was haunting. Tears stung his eyes and flowed down his cheeks.

[b]Girl, girlâ?¦Iâ??m sorry, I donâ??t have long. Thatâ?¦that thing is gonna come back and feed again. You donâ??t, you donâ??t want to be awake for that do you?[/b]

Edward saw the resignation fill Diana Rossâ?? eyes. She grasped his free hand weakly, and he squeezed hers trying to bring her a little comfort. Diana nodded her head slightly and Edward plunged the chef knife into her temple violently. Tears flowed freely from his eyes onto the young womanâ??s cheek.

Behind him the monster landed and screamed.

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***

Belle was furious. She had not finished playing with her meal before it had perished. Something had killed it, but Belle hadnâ??t seen or heard anything. One moment the human was breathing, the next it was dead, a large piece of metal protruding from its brain.

She screamed in confusion and turned in circles hoping to find what killed her prey. A door opened and closed but she saw no one go through it.
She screamed once more, and turned back to the corpse. [i]No need to let so much meat go to waste[/i], Belle thought as she cracked Dianaâ??s skull and began feasting on her brains. Edited August 23, 2010 by Heaven's Cloud

[Ellerby]

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The three watched in horror as The Butler, a seemingly neutral spirit, vanished into thin air. While his calm demeanor was a bit disturbing, it was a comfort to know not all the spirits were complete psycho paths. Miles took off his hat and brushed off some dust before placing it back on his head. He pushed his glasses to the top of his nose before speaking.

[b]"Well, we best be moving on then. No telling what insanity will show its face next."[/b] he half joked. The two women nodded in agreement and continued to walk down the hallway at the top of the stairs. The blood of the author splattered the walls on the side of the stair case, and a broken railing ahead reminded them of Elyssa's devastating fall. They walked past in silence, paying their respect. On the first door on the right, Charlotte noticed something strange.

[b]"Look here."[/b] she said, pointing to a slightly open door. Dirt littered the bottom of the door frame and a clump of withered flower petals sat nearby. Miles stepped forward and pushed the door open the rest of the way.

[b]"That's strange."[/b] he said, looking in the room. "There's dirt everywhere. And the wood and wallpaper looks split in various places, like something grew out of it."

[b]"Maybe this used to be a gardening room and nature has just taken over. Let's go." [/b] Jacqueline urged.

[b]"That would make sense... if there were still roots here."[/b] Miles said, intrigued by the strange appearance of the room. [b]"But it's as if they grew into the entire room and then just sucked themselves right back into the earth. And normally gardening tools are kept in the basement or outside separate from the house. Especially in a big mansion like this."[/b] Miles picked up one of the petals off the floor and it crumbled away in his hand. [b]"I think this might've been the doing of another one of those spirits."[/b]

[b]"Well standing here examining it doesn't get us anywhere. We need to find the Doctor."[/b] Jacqueline reminded Miles while he stared into the room with fascination.

[b]"You two go on ahead, I'll catch up."[/b] Miles said, taking a step into the room. He got on one knee and began to closely examine all the individual indents in the wood, each one about as thin and as long as wire. Charlotte tapped her foot impatiently.

[b]"We aren't leaving without you, that's how people keep ending up dead, remember?"[/b] she insisted with an irritated tone in her voice. Miles simply ignored her and continued to examine the floor.

[i]Interesting... It seems there really were roots growing here at some point... But where did they go? There's no sign of a human yanking them out. How peculiar... roots that can grow larger and smaller at will.[/i] Suddenly Miles was hit with a burst of inspiration. He took off his hat and took a tiny piece of paper out from the under the fold, then placed it back on his head. He retrieved his favorite designer pen from his pocket -a heavy, golden ink pen with a point so sharp it could pierce steel (or so Miles liked to claim)- from his front pocket and began to furiously write down ideas for a new song. He began with a few lyrics to sing the tune to.

[i]Who would've thought that in this hell-forsaken Mansion, in such a dire situation I would find the inspiration I've been searching years for.[/i]

Jacqueline and Charlotte watched in amazement as the man began writing a song right in front of them, no longer acknowledging their existence. Charlotte huffed and stomped away.

[b]"Fine! We'll find her without you!"[/b] she growled, walking away.

[b]"Charlotte wait!"[/b] Jacqueline yelled, following behind.

Miles filled up the front side of the paper with various lyrics and notes. He looked around the room with wonder, completely dumb founded by the way nature had affected the room. Finally content with what ideas he'd come up with, Miles placed the paper back in his hat and twirled the pen between his fingers as he concluded his thoughts.

[i]I better catch up to those two, I wouldn't want anything to happen. I can't believe I zoned out like that.[/i] Miles placed a hand on the floor behind him for leverage and began to stand to his feet when a loud creak and a shift in the floor beneath halted him.

[i]Oh no...[/i] What Miles had failed to consider about the roots growing into the whole floor and retreating back out was that he was actually on the [i]second[/i] floor. There were no trees or stumps around to even grow into the room. They'd literally come from nowhere and now had weakened the wood all around him.

[i]Which means...[/i] the wood beneath Miles suddenly began to split in the various cracks caused by the roots. Miles felt the floor dip towards the middle and began sliding towards it. He wanted to get up and leap for the door, but any sudden shift of movement would only make the floor collapse quicker. Slowly the wood began to crumble away starting at the center. It all happened so fast that when Miles yelled to the others for help, the wood beneath him had already taken all the pressure it could and gave way. Immediately Miles fell one whole floor, landing flat on his back in a dark and dusty room.

Barely able to move, Miles winced his eyes open. He was in a nearly pitch black room, the only light coming from the whole in the room above him that he'd fallen through. He tried to sit up but just fell back in pain completely unable to move. He'd definitely broken a rib, if not two, and his ankle was twisted.

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[i]At least I survived the fall...[/i] Miles thought too soon though, as on the floor above, the pen he'd been writing with rolled towards the hole in the middle and fell straight down. The heavy designer pen plummeted towards Miles and pierced him in the throat before he could even react. And as if that wasn't enough, the pressure of the pen puncturing his skin had caused it to leak ink straight into his neck. Miles gagged for nearly a minute before slowly fading away to the darkness.

[CaNz]

[center][img]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/nifty_fifty/mansion%20cards/danielmathis.jpg[/img][img]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/nifty_fifty/mansion%20cards/aliciamills.jpg[/img][img]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/nifty_fifty/mansion%20cards/edwardharries2.jpg[/img][b]
[/b][left][font="Garamond"][b]â??That bird woman ate that girl, devoured her flesh!â? [/b]Edward Neilson caught up with Daniel Mathis and Alicia Mills, who had remained well hidden while exploring the gardens.. [b]â??We have to do something about it, the beast is hunting us down!â?
[/b][b]
â??Hold onâ?¦ Diana is dead? We are falling like flies here, that bird lady killed her?â?[/b] Mathis couldnâ??t believe how many people were dying, he wasnâ??t cut out for this kind of stress.
[b]
â??Well...â? [/b]he hesitated, but only for a moment, [b]â??yes, she has sharp claws and the speed of a devil. I tried to help but I was too late.â? [/b]Mathis felt a little off put by the way Neilson answered the question, but he did not find any reason why he would lie, the harpy was preying upon them.

Alicia Mills was silent. The recent incident involving the Spirit of the Green Lady was bad enough, but the upon finding Mathis she realized just how many people had died. Death had not shaken her beforeâ?¦ but being placed on the grim reapers doorstep changes things.

[/font][center][font="Garamond"]============================================================
[/font][/center][font="Garamond"]The Bandit was being eyed cautiously by the gravedigger, as well as a few of the other spirits. There was much to do but it had seemed ass if the bandit had been doing nothing at all. A more careful observer would have seen the opposite, he was watching. The Spirit in particular was Gravedigger himself. He had brought the Harpy to the mansion using an amazing power. The Bandit greatly wanted that power.

His eyes had stolen many things in his time. Safe combination, secrets better left hidden, and even the names of others. This time they would steel a far greater power.[/font]
[center][img]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/nifty_fifty/mansion%20cards/mirrorcard.jpg[/img][img]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/nifty_fifty/mansion%20cards/creationcard.jpg[/img][img]http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/tt278/PandasQ/dopplereffect-1.jpg[/img]
[i]MIRROR CARD: Duplicate the effect of any card in play.[/i][/center]
Name: Mimic
Age:1
Race: Doppelganger [font="Garamond"]
Using the steps he had overseen, the Bandit spawned an abomination of the flesh, draped in cloth that hid skin of gray. The monster peeled of the fabric to reveal the face of the Bandit.

[/font][b][font="Garamond"][color="#8b0000"]â??Quite the trickâ?¦ it seems I have given birth to a thief as talented as myself.â??[/color][/font][/b][font="Garamond"] The bandit marveled a bit at his own handiwork, then got back to business,[/font][font="Garamond"][color="#8b0000"] [b]"If you can steal the form of others, take the look of the recently departed Musician. Afterwords head east to the place most of the residents remainâ?¦ cause as much trouble as you can without revealing yourself.â?[/b] [/color][/font][font="Garamond"]the creature Mimic ripped his face as if he was wearing the cloth that originally covered his body. The exact body shape and size of Miles Shaw (save for a pen in the throat) and headed for the others.[/font]

[center][font="Garamond"]==================================================================
[/font][img]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/nifty_fifty/mansion%20cards/charlottehamilton.jpg[/img] [/center][font="Garamond"]
Charlotte Hamilton approached the group of three, holding a blood tainted chefs blade.[b] â??I found Diana Ross, or what is left of her. the harpy didn't go hungry â? [/b]her sullen eyes showed that she had more to tell, â??[b]I may only be a nurse, but I certain what killed her was this knife.â?
[/b]
Edward felt many eyes come upon him. [b]â?? Iâ?¦ She was gouged by the Harpy! I saw her ripped to shreds!â?[/b]

Hamilton placed the knife in her bag, then took a seat next to Mathis. [b]â??I donâ??t know how or why she was stabbed, but people are being killed, and this place is madness.â?
[/b]
Alicia Spoke, [b]â??is there anyone else alive?â? [/b]

[b]â??I am not sure about Evelynne Decoeur, but I have not heard of herâ?[/b] said Hamelton[b] â??But I was Just with Miles Shaw and Jacqueline Maseyâ?¦ I think she meant to follow me but I wanted to find you quickly Alicia, but instead I stumbled upon Diana Ross first.â?[/b]

The doppelganger disguisedas Miles Shaw approached the group just as his the name of the dead pianist was called out. [b]â??Hello everyoneâ?¦ I assume we are all here?â?
[/b]
Alicia almost cried, [b]â??does it look like we are all here you idiot?â?
[/b]
Hamilton approached him,. [b]â??where did Jacqueline go!? She was with you when I left.â?

[/b]â??[b]Yes, she was, but then she left, I lost track of her and came here.â?[/b] The doppelganger didnâ??t draw attention of the others. Getting lost was easy out here.

[/font][center][img]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/nifty_fifty/mansion%20cards/swipecard.jpg[/img][img]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/nifty_fifty/mansion%20cards/danielmathis.jpg[/img]
[/center][font="Garamond"]While they discussed what their next move should be Daniel Mathis opened the bag Hamilton had with her. He took the bloody knife and closed the purse, not fully knowing what he was going to do with it. He approached the group, blade hidden in an accessible jacket pocket.

The Bandits smile could be seen, then it faded.
[/font][/left][/center] Edited August 30, 2010 by CaNz

[Nathan]

[font="Arial"]Angel took her time as she considered those who were still alive, for now. Bound by the rules of this particular â??gameâ?? she could only choose one and that meant she had to be careful with her choice. There was Charlotte Hamilton, the failed nurse. She liked to believe that she was innocent of any wrong doing, but the harsh reality was far from it. Always in a hurry to be done with her shift, she had a bad habit of not double checking a patientâ??s chart.

It was true that Daniel Mathisâ?? wife had an allergic reaction, but if Charlotte had followed up on her bad feeling and double checked the patientâ??s records, she would have seen it listed there. The doctor was the one who made the mistake, but Charlotte was the one who rushed in a hurry to be done. She knew it not, but her careless attitude had cost many patients their lives.

Then there was Daniel Mathis. On the surface he looked fine, but he couldnâ??t stand students who were smarter than he was. He had, by giving into his ego, deliberately flunked out students, costing them their scholarships. Only a few, but still the act of a man who didnâ??t care that he had screwed over someoneâ??s life.

Jacqueline Masey had no trouble whatsoever using her body to get what she wanted. Her artist skills werenâ??t enough but being a well paid mistress along with a touch of blackmail had always seen her through. She had wrecked several marriages. Angel could see that she thought nothing of what she had done.

And what of the Doctor, Alicia Mills? She was too much of a coward in so many ways, just looking at her made Angel grimace in disgust. Every time she had a chance to do more, to advance and help others, Alicia had run instead, just like she had here. She was always hiding away from harm because she couldnâ??t face her fears.

Edward Nelson didnâ??t concern her. For the moment her power could not touch him and the harpy, Belle, was only following her nature, though she delighted in tormenting her prey. And the Mimicâ?¦ Angel sighed. It was time to make her move. The Gravedigger had been patient so far, and she knew he wouldnâ??t wait on her much longer.

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â??[b]Weâ??re all going to die here.[/b]â? Aliciaâ??s voice was trembling. She had thought that leaving the safety of the room was a good idea, now she wished she had never left.

â??[b]Donâ??t say that.[/b]â? Daniel tried to reassure her though he didnâ??t feel much hope of getting out alive either. â??[b]If we stick together weâ?¦[/b]â?

â??[b]Will what?[/b]â? Charlotte interrupted him harshly. â??[b]Somehow make it out alive?[/b]â? She laughed, a touch of hysteria coloring her words. â??[b]My God youâ??re naïve. Theyâ??re toying with us! Those damn ghosts donâ??t intend to let any of us live.[/b]â?

â??[b]You donâ??t know that! As much as Iâ??d rather leave you here to rot,[/b]â? he sneered slightly. â??[b]Iâ??m not one to give up so easily.[/b]â?

â??[b]Perhaps Iâ??d rather die than allow someone like you to help me.[/b]â? Charlotte shot back angrily. â??[b]Quite frankly Iâ??m sick of you. You have no idea what itâ??s like to work your butt off trying to help others only for people to blame you for things you have no control over.[/b]â?

Daniel started to retort and then stopped himself. â??[b]We donâ??t have time to fight. Whether we like each other or not doesnâ??t matter. Trying to work together is better than going alone.[/b]â?

Alicia timidly stepped forward, resting her arm on Charlotteâ??s shoulder. â??[b]Heâ??s right you know. Please, we have to stick together.[/b]â?

â??[b]Shut up![/b]â? Charlotte shoved Alicia away angrily. â??[b]Youâ??re aâ?¦[/b]â? She gasped in horror as she realized just what she had shoved her towards.

â??[b]No![/b]â? Daniel shouted desperately as he reached to grab Alicia. But he was too far away and could only watch helplessly as the shove sent her over the edge of the huge hole in the floor they had fallen through earlier.

Aliciaâ??s startled scream as she fell was cut short by a sickening crack.

Afraid to look yet unable to stop herself, Charlotte stepped over and looked down, a moment later Daniel joined her. [i]Oh Godâ?¦ He was right! She did kill people.[/i] With a strangled sob she turned and fled, not looking back. She thought she heard Daniel calling after her to stop but she kept running anyway.

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[Shy]

[indent][b][font="book antiqua"][size=5]Chapter Four: The Gravediggerâ??s Secret[/size][/font][/b][hr]50[/hr]
The game continued and two more of Rosengardâ??s spirits had lost their places within it. Gravedigger approached the Green Lady as she saw on a stone bench, nestled between a dangerous overgrowth of rose bushes. She stared down at the Moon, reflected onto a puddle of rainwater that had formed. The lady sighed softly.

â??[b]We had a deal,[/b]â? The Gravedigger announced coldly. He had no interest in repeating the folly of Lin and Ren, â??[b]You must come with me now, as the others have before you.[/b]â?

â??[b]I understand, sir, but I only hoped for a moment to collect myself. After all, Iâ??ve spent lifetimes on these groundsâ?¦..[/b]â?

She traced her finger along the benches various engravings of vines and roses. Her hand came across a pair of initials that had been carved into the side: M.R. She stared at them curiously as she struggled to remember what the letters stood for.

â??[b]You did that,[/b]" The Gravedigger said, â??[b]Do you remember?[/b]â?

The Green Lady folded her arms, â??[b]Did I? Am I 'M.R.?' I mean, [I]was I[/I]?[/b]â?

â??[b]It hardly matters now, but you were the â??M.â?? You came to this place for the first time on the night of your murderâ?¦ you carved this for your lover, so that they would never forget.[/b]â?

â??[b]You must be lying,[/b]â? she said meekly, â??[b]If that's so, how can it be that I donâ??t remember anything?[/b]â?

â??[b]A spiritâ??s memories begin to fade over time. This cannot be helped.[/b]"

The Green Lady folded her arms as if she felt a strong chill. She spoke softer than before, barely a whisper this time,

"[b]Please, what happened to my beloved?[/b]"

"[b]I'm afraid that is not my place to tell,[/b]" The specter replied as he extended his hand towards her, â??[b]Now come with me, dear lady. Your part in this game is not yet finished.[/b]â?[/indent]

[Nathan]

[font="Arial"]â??[b]Youâ??re up to something.[/b]â? A voice from the darkness accused her. Angel smiled sweetly, not taking her attention off of the remaining â??guestsâ??. She recognized The Butlerâ??s voice.

â??[b]Of course I am.[/b]â? Her gaze settled on Edward Nelson. â??[b]I had to settle for a different target earlier, I wonâ??t be denied this time.[/b]â? Her voice was cold.

â??[b]Thatâ??s not very ladylike of you.[/b]â? The Butler chided.

â??[b]You didnâ??t hesitate to deal with the child,[/b]â? She shot back. â??[b]At least this one has lived a long life, unlike the others.[/b]â?

She turned and bowed briefly towards the shadows before heading for Edward Nelson.

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â??[b]Come on,[/b]â? Edward tugged on Danielâ??s sleeve. â??[b]Even I can see from here that the back of the poor womanâ??s head was smashed in. Itâ??s not your fault the other girl got angry and shoved her.[/b]â?

â??[b]How would you know?[/b]â? Daniel pulled free.

â??[b]I saw the whole thing or did you forget I was in the next room?[/b]â?

â??[b]I shouldnâ??t have been so hard on her.[/b]â? Daniel looked in the direction Charlotte had run. He didnâ??t want to go after her, but somehow he knew his dear wife would never forgive him if he didnâ??t.

â??[b]We should go after her.[/b]â?

â??[b]Now youâ??re talking.[/b]â? Edward agreed. â??[b]No way am I letting these damn spirits take us out without a fight![/b]â?

â??[b]And just how do you intend to fight?[/b]â? A femaleâ??s voice echoed through the room. â??[b]You canâ??t even leave this place let alone stop what is happening.[/b]â?

â??[b]Holy Hell.[/b]â? Edward swore, stepping back hastily when a young woman dressed in an old fashioned dress appeared between them and the direction Charlotte had run.

â??[b]Stand aside, specter![/b]â? Daniel tried to sound brave but he couldnâ??t stop shaking, there was something terribly cold about the ghost before them.

Angel smiled. â??[b]I think not.[/b]â? She reached out before Edward could pull back and touched his cheek. â??[b]Your time here is long overdue, old man.[/b]â?

Edward tried to pull away but found he couldnâ??t move. In a flash he aged before her eyes and then his body turned into dust. She ignored Danielâ??s gasp of horror, only turning to him once Edward was dealt with.

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[i]HASTE CARD: (Play this card ONLY before any Death Cards have been played this round.) Kill one character.[/i]

â??[b]Oh my Godâ?¦[/b]â? Daniel choked as he backed away frantically in an attempt to escape.

â??[b]You can stop running,[/b]â? she snapped. â??[b]I donâ??t intend to kill you, at least not yet.[/b]â?

Daniel froze in place. â??[b]I donâ??t understand.[/b]â? He finally stammered.

â??[b]Itâ??s simple really.[/b]â? Angel moved forward until they were only a few feet apart. â??[b]Youâ??ve destroyed promising young minds for daring to be smarter than you are. Do you know what itâ??s like to have your intellect crushed by the very one who is supposed to help it grow?[/b]â? She glared at him.

â??[b]Do you know how that kills someoneâ??s spirit? Makes them despair?[/b]â?

â??[b]Iâ?¦[/b]â?

â??[b]Iâ??m going to show you.[/b]â? Angel reached out before Daniel could pull away and touched his cheek. She ignored his cry of fright as he stumbled backwards and fell. She glared down at him scornfully.

â??[b]Now only Life will set you free. You have become just as undead as the rest of us.[/b]â? She mocked him. â??[b]I also grant you my power to freely move through things as if you were a ghost, so that you wonâ??t miss one little detail of whatâ??s happening to the lives you can't protect.[/b]â?

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[i]UNDEAD CARD: This character is immune to Death Cards for the remainder of the game, but is still subject to the effects of all other cards.
A Life Card may be used to kill this character.[/i]

[i]GHOST: This card grants the bearer the ability to move through solid objects. How long it lasts or how often they can do so depends on their current level of alertness.[/i]

â??[b]You disgust me,[/b]â? Angel said coldly before turning and leaving Daniel sitting there on the floor. It was one of the few memories that were still her own since sheâ??d been trapped in this place.

How she had been held back by a cruel teacher who couldnâ??t accept that a mere woman could be smarter than he was. As much as Angel wanted to kill him, she would have to settle for making him suffer. There were others who needed to die more than he did. She didnâ??t waste any time. The pathetic humans might be fooled by the Mimic but she was not. A moment later she found the creature cozying up to the other remaining humans.

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Angel ignored the frightened and shocked looks from Charlotte, Jacqueline and Evelynne when she appeared before them suddenly and went straight for the Mimic, reaching into his chest. With a swift twist she ripped it's heart right out of it's chest before it could react. As it fell to the floor, blood gushing from the ghastly wound she dropped the heart on the floor and crushed it with her foot.

She smiled as the thing shimmered back into the odd featureless form it had been upon birth. "[b]Let that be a lesson to you ladies. Things are [i]never[/i] what they appear to be.[/b]" Her work finally done, Angel left to return to the library. She needed a good book to calm her nerves.

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[Gavin]

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The Butler glowered darkly as Angel departed, allowing his right hand to clench and unclench. The boy had been a thief, a guttersnipe and a thoroughly mongrel-bred piece of trash, killing him no more amounted to murder than the elimination of rodents when they managed to scurry their way into the Manor. Long, thin fingers like claws, those tiny beady eyes more appropriately found on an animal and that terribly stench of poverty and greed.

He shuddered even thinking about it, no, that child could hardly have been considered human, and such filth could not and should not have been allowed to even enter through the doors, let alone to ply his trade among the other guests. Where the Butler had lacked a boot to crush this rat he had found the chandelier most sufficient. He was not a cruel or malevolent man, certainly not to the extent of some of the others who still roamed the halls but his Mistress had tasked him with the protection of the Manor and he would not shirk that duty, he had not in life and he would not in death.

Quietly he moved to follow Angel down into the room where she and the three women were standing silently around the body of the recently deceased chameleon creature who had taken the appearance of the fallen musician. Without word he bent down and ran his gloved fingers into the moulding carpet, withdrew them and stared at the fresh blood marking his pristine white glove before holding it towards Angel and awaited her response. His fellow spectre said nothing, offering neither apology nor explanation for her actions, but merely holding the Butlerâ??s gaze steadily until he withdrew his hand unsatisfied.

As if snapped out of hypnosis by the presence of the two poltergeists, Jacqueline Masey was the first to break the silence, as she levelled her eyes carefully on the newest arrival.
[b]
â??Mr Butler, I hope youâ??re not here to reveal another one of us as a monster and perform a disembowelling ?â? [/b]

Her tone was hard, the same kind of voice she used to deal with difficult customers but underneath he could sense the twang of fright lurking within the thought, for a moment he allowed a small smile to play upon his lips before answering.

[b]â??My dear girlâ?[/b] he said evenly [b]â??surely you meant to say that I would not reveal one of you for the monsters that you are, because of course you are all in one fashion or another monsters. I know your secrets little girls, we all do, you simply would not be here otherwise.â?[/b]

[b]â??How dare you!â?[/b] She strode the distance between the two and swung forward with an open palm. Gingerly he caught her wrist with blood-soaked fingers and with the merest of twists, snapped the offending limb as though it were a dried winter twig. She fell to her knees screeching in pain as the nurse moved quickly to intervene and treat the injury.

[b]â??Iâ??m afraid not.â?[/b]

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Paling the nurse brought her hands to her ears, unable and unwilling to move lest the unbearable din in her mind grow any louder.

Hoisting the fallen artist to her feet the middle-aged spiritâ??s face cracked into a terribly unfriendly smirk.

[b]â??Little whore, you think I canâ??t see into your black heart, to see all the horrible things youâ??ve done to others for the slightest perceived insult or merely to alleviate your boredom ? How you play artist for the world, for fear they would see the serpent you are when light touches you who spends all her time in the dark ? As I told you before, if you conduct yourself with proper dignity in my presence you have nothing to fear, and that includes the dignity of the spirit my dear which I find in you sorely lacking.â?[/b]

She kicked and screamed, begging the other spirit to intervene to no avail as the Butler dragged her roughly towards the French doors leading out to the garden. Gently twisting the handle he allowed them to open out onto what had once been picturesque, rolling lawns filled offset with winter shrubs and delicate scented flowers. Instead it was now an overgrown mess of foliage, home to all manner of vermin.

Masey continued to struggle against the ghostâ??s iron grip but to no avail, she felt dirt and stones roughly jab against her back as she was hauled further and further away from the Manor in the dead of night. Hot tears rushed down her face as her throat became hoarse, begging anyone to save her from her fate. At last they reached a large oak tree, and beyond the silence she could hear only the terrible ripping of flesh and crunching of bone.

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Releasing his quarry the Butler cast his eyes to the highest unimpeded branch and the ugly mass of feathers and claws that called it home.

[b]â??Here beast!â?[/b] He swept his hand to Masey who recoiled in horror at the sight before her eyes [b]â??Another meal to keep you satisfied, at least until you too offend a greater power than yourself.â?[/b]

The harpy cocked her head, as if unsure what to make of what she saw. Belleâ??s powerful sense of scent gleamed only death from the speaking one, which puzzled her, but the other was ripe and very much alive. Saliva dripped freely from her blood-covered mouth as she dropped the well gnawed femur of her last victim, her pride still stinging at having been robbed of live prey to toy with before finally killing. A joyous screech erupted from her throat as she dove from the branch, pitch coloured wings carrying her towards her prey.

[center][img]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/nifty_fifty/mansion%20cards/jacquelinemasey.jpg[/img][img] http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/nifty_fifty/mansion%20cards/death.jpg [/img] [/center]

Adrenaline finally allowed Jacqueline to draw herself up from the ground, the shadow of the demonic half-human hawk drawing closer and closer to her. She ran, faster than her legs had ever carried her before back towards the Manor, to light and life, stones and jagged rocks cut her feet which had been deprived of shoes during the journey to the harpyâ??s tree but even that pain was nothing before the absolute terror she felt. Closer and closer, she could make out the vague shadows of her compatriots against the windows, willing her to bridge the distance between them before it was too late.

The force of the talons which pierced her back forced her to the ground and drove all the air from her lungs, the agony of her ruined flesh rippled through her evoking an ear-splitting shriek. She felt them dig further and further into her, blood spraying from the entry wounds until finally her world went dark and with a ragged gasp Jacqueline Masey offered her mortal coil to her maker. [/size][/font][/indent] Edited August 30, 2010 by Gavin

[Nathan]

[font="Arial"]â??[b]Thatâ??s one way to deal with them.[/b]â? Angel observed calmly as The Butler returned to The Mansion. â??[b]Itâ??s certainly easier on whatâ??s left of the carpets.[/b]â?

The Butler merely returned her gaze, saying nothing.

â??[b]You know, you donâ??t have to look at me like that.[/b]â? She said softly. â??[b]I wonâ??t apologize for killing that monstrosity, but I am sorry for the damage I caused to the floor.[/b]â? She looked away, not waiting to see if he forgave her actions or not.

Angel continued, â??[b]I acted hastily and did not think to drag that thing outside.[/b]â? She looked back and fixed him with a sharp gaze. â??[b]But thatâ??s not why Iâ??m here.[/b]â?

â??[b]Then why are you?[/b]â? He finally replied to her.

â??[b]Donâ??t you ever wonder about our past? Beyond what few memories we seem to have?[/b]â? She gestured to the house and the surrounding grounds.

â??[b]Whatâ??s your point?[/b]â? The Butler looked skeptical.

Angel sighed inwardly at his lack of emotion in his response. She wasnâ??t certain if he would forgive her for damaging The Mansion, though that wasnâ??t what really concerned her. The building would fall apart without her help and in time that too would be forgotten. No she was more concerned by how it seemed harder and harder to even remember who she really was.

â??[b]What I mean is do you ever wonder if weâ??re really from this place.[/b]â? Angel folded her arms. â??[b]For all we know, we could have been just like them at one point.[/b]â? She indicated the remaining humans.

â??[b]I think I would know if that were the case.[/b]â?

â??[b]Do you really think so?[/b]â? Angel shook her head. â??[b]I canâ??t even remember my real name anymore.[/b]â?

She turned to leave and paused briefly, turning back to face The Butler, â??[b]Anyway, Iâ??m more concerned about what our dear host is up to, and I think you should be too. I canâ??t shake the feeling that weâ??re all being used by him.[/b]â?

Angel waited for a moment to let that sink in and then turned to leave. [/font]

[CaNz]

[font="Garamond"]The Bandit felt the end nearing, it had been a long struggle so far and he was sure their was little left for him to do. One thing he was sure of was that the killing wouldnâ??t stop now, and he was unsure if it ever would. Before the killing began there was one thing he wanted to do. The man-ghost David Mathis had an ability that could benefit the remaining guests.
[/font][center][font="Garamond"]============================================================================[/font]
[/center][font="Garamond"]He found Mathis looking through a wall at the remaining guests[b]. â??[color="#8b0000"]They are all prey you know. [/color]â??[/b]
[b]
â??You, you're not the one who did this to me are you?[/b]â? Mathis was not afraid of The Bandit, but every time one of the spirits showed up, someone died, â??[b]what do you want then.â?[/b]

The Bandit shot him a smiled, [color="#8b0000"][b]�I have given you all you need to help your fellow man. That Bird has plagued this game for too long, and in your current state you have the ability to defeat her. I will lead you to her, but on one condition. Your loyalty, rid yourself of the bond you share with Angle. Denounce that spirit and I will allow you to save the lives of the others.�
[/b][/color]
[b]â??If I do, does this mean I am under your control? Whoâ??s twisted plan will I now be part of, yours?â?[/b][color="#8b0000"]
[b]
â??Donâ??t bother worrying about that, I will take care of the details, just do as I say and youâ??ll have a chance at saving them.â?[/b][/color]
[/font][center][img]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/nifty_fifty/mansion%20cards/danielmathis.jpg[/img][font="Garamond"][img]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/nifty_fifty/mansion%20cards/switchcard.jpg[/img][/font][img]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/nifty_fifty/mansion%20cards/belle.jpg[/img]
[i]SWITCH CARD: Switch the owners of ANY two characters still in play.[/i]

[/center][font="Garamond"][b]â??Fine, I accept.â? [/b]The Bandit let loose an appalling laugh before grasping the back of Daniel Mathisâ?? neck and flying out the room.

[/font][center][font="Garamond"]==========================================================================[/font]
[/center][font="Garamond"]
Belle was enjoying her most recent meal, the corpse of Jacqueline Masey [/font][font="Garamond"]when Mathis emerged from the ground behind her, holding the bloody knife he had previously stolen.

[/font][center][font="Garamond"][img]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/nifty_fifty/mansion%20cards/death.jpg[/img][/font][img]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/nifty_fifty/mansion%20cards/belle.jpg[/img]

[/center][font="Garamond"][b]â??Too many have died because of monsters like you,"[/b] the harpy turned to produce a deafening scream, but became puzzled as to why her efforts produced no sound. She then became very aware of the knife protruding from her throat. Rage filled her now glazing eyes, she reached out to slash the Man who silenced her, but her claws tore no flesh and her muscles broke no bones. The great beast fell to the ground, never to reach the skies again. However the former master of the Harpy pleased with the outcome, as the game would continue on.
[/font][center]
[font="Garamond"]==========================================================================[/font]

[/center][font="Garamond"]The Bandit appeared before the host. [b][color="#8b0000"] â??Everything has to end sometime Gravedigger, when will you let the dead have peace?â?
[/color]
â??Leaving the dead alone has never crossed my mind. I am The Gravedigger after all.â?[/b] With his mind put n place, the Bandit faded off, he couldnâ??t help but think that this game would never truly end, but for now he was satisfied with what he had achieved. [/font] Edited September 8, 2010 by CaNz

[Heaven's Cloud]

Byron materialized in the courtyard. Other spirits gathered there. The one called the Bandit was in a heated conversation with the emotionless Gravedigger. Byron ignored them and walked towards Jacqueline Masey.

He supposed that the corpse would smell quite fowl if he still had a sense of smell. The harpy had fed from the artistâ??s intestines and stomach, exposing her insides to the elements. As he stared at the young womanâ??s face he wondered why he had called her to the mansion. Her only sin was sex and as any self-respecting spirit would tell you, sex itself wasnâ??t really a sin, not unless it was in the context of rape or adultery. No, he had brought her here for another reason

[b]Do want to remember?[/b]

The Gravedigger was behind him, and his voice slid over Byron like cold mud.

[b]I can make you remember if youâ??d like.[/b]

Byron took a second and then whispered his response.

[b]Yesâ?¦[/b]

***

Johnathan Byron stepped out of the carriage and into the cool fall afternoon. Before him stood the Rosengard Estate, a beautiful colonial mansion that was nestled in hundreds of acres of perfectly manicured gardens. It was truly breathtaking.

Byronâ??s benefactor stood behind him. Jason Hamilton was one of the wealthiest merchants in the west. Shipping lanes, spices, rare minerals, tobacco, Hamilton had his hands in all of them.

Hamilton had recently brought Johnathan on as his personal investor and broker. At first Johnathan wondered if Hamilton hadnâ??t made a mistake, he had never been responsible for investments of this magnitude before and had no hands on experience in dealing with large trades. However, Jonathan caught on quick and soon became Hamiltonâ??s star employee.

Things were wonderful for Jonathan, he had a beautiful wife, a daughter that was about to marry an upstanding young man and a new job that was making his family very wealthy. On top of all that Hamilton had brought him to the Rosengard Estate to vacation (and discuss a little business) with Wyatt Rosengard.

Jonathan and Hamilton entered the manor escorted by bellhops and butlers. At the foot of the stairs Wyatt Rosengard greeted them. He was a young man, Jonathan pegged his age at thirty, with a pleasant demeanor and a firm handshake. There was something about Rosengardâ??s eyes, something truly unnerving that bothered him.

The group spent the next several hours wandering the mansion. They visited the gallery, where painting gorgeous enough to make you weep mingled with horrifying sculptures from far away continents, and the atrium, where a terrible harpy was confined in a large habitat. They had dinner in a dining room the size of a hotel, and feasted on fantastic foods with spices unfamiliar to Johnathan. Finally they retired to the library.

Hamilton and Johnathan were seated in club chairs facing a roaring fire. Rosengard poured snifters of brandy and passed them to the gentlemen before he himself sat in a large wing-backed chair.

â??Have you discussed my proposal with your associate?â? asked Rosengard as he swirled his brandy.

â??No, I wanted you to go over the whole process from the beginning. Jonathan here is very detailed oriented, perhaps heâ??ll find yet another opportunity to capitalize on our new endeavor,â? said Hamilton.

Jonathan turned to Rosengard who had begun to speak about a recent trip of his to some far away continent, a place rich with precious stones and minerals. He spoke of the natives there and their bloody customs of rape and sacrifice. He told of how they are able to control and protect their land due to the topography of the area and the thick jungle. And finally he talked about how he would get the natives to allow him to mine their land.

â??You see, their customs are quite unique. They believe that their gods require a special sacrifice; the spark of life, youth, and death all must be present at the same time,â? explained Rosengard.

â??I donâ??t understand,â? replied Jonathan.

â??Neither did I, until I saw it myself. The leader of the tribe brings a child onto the alter, rapes the child, and, at the moment of climax, beheads him or her.â?

â??My God,â? Jonathan said, horrified. â??How are you going to eradicate these monsters and take there land? Didnâ??t you say that it is impossible to move troops into the region?â?

â??Eradicate them? No, no, we have discovered what to trade them. Donâ??t you see? They need children.â?

â??Iâ?¦Iâ?¦no you canâ??t be serious. I wonâ??t be a part of this.â?

Hamilton pleaded with Jonathan, but he was having none of it. Jonathan was about to storm from the manor when Rosengard hit him in the head with the fireplace poker.

Jonathan awoke when he hit the water. He was disoriented. His arms were chained and his feet, his feet seemed to be covered in something. He knew he had to swim had to get out of the water, his breath was running short and the pressure in his ears was unbearable. His struggles were fruitless however. Jonatahan Byron thought of his wife and his daughter right before he gasped in a mouthful of pond water.

***

Byron stared at Jacqueline Masey, a face that looked so much like his long lost daughter. It wasnâ??t his daughter though, the girl wasnâ??t even his granddaughter. Still, his bloodline ran through her, even generations couldnâ??t was that away.

Byron kissed the girls forehead and a faint glow surrounded her. Jacqueline breathed and then coughed as she violently reentered the world.

[center][img] http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/nifty_fifty/mansion%20cards/jacquelinemasey.jpg[/img] [img] http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/nifty_fifty/mansion%20cards/life.jpg[/img][/center] Edited September 15, 2010 by Heaven's Cloud

[OMNOMNOMALY]

[font="Garamond"]Diana watched as the spirits talked in hushed tones amongst themselves, then as Jacqueline Masey was brought back to life. She would never be the same. No one ever was. Always like something had been lost in the shocking transition between life and death and then back to life again. Masey sat still for a moment on the hard stone ground, staring up at the Baron and surrounding ghosts as she caught her breath. She look scared, then confusion washed over her face as she reached down to feel her stomach. The organs were shredded but were back in their right place. They were not perfect, and the wounds had closed to leave long and brutal scars down her torso, but it was workable. It took her many minutes before she could begin to form words.

"...Why..?" she stared up at the Baron, tears pooling in her lashline. She was shaking now.

"Hush now." He tried to comfort her but she cut him off, this time screaming.

"WHY?" She bellowed at him. Jacqueline Masey was alive again and she didn't seem pleased about it.

"Miss Jacqueline I have saved you, you are free to continue on in the gam-"

"Why would you bring me back to this awful place? So I could die in painful terror and agony all over again? Is that it, spirit? Because beyond that I cannot see a single reason why you should want to bring me back into this circus of horror and suffering." The Baron drew back, clearly in shock.

"But you have been given another chance, a chance to-" she cut him off yet again, enraged now.

"A chance to fight amongst other humans brought here for your game, a chance to either watch the rest of them die or to die again? You say we are all bad people, so mayhap it comes as a shock to you that I do not enjoy watching the torture of other people. Other people with families and people they love whom they will never see again..." tears spilled from her eyes, running down her cheeks steadily.

"You have it all wrong. I have given you a second chance because I think you deserve it; not just here but in life itself."

Jacqueline only continued to sob in response. Diana shook her head sadly as she watched the exchange. It seemed that no matter what the Baron told her, the sweet release of death had lured her away from her desire to live. It was clear that she wanted to go back to the painless, empty nothingness. In this case, the girl who had valiantly tried to fight on to survive had left behind this great struggle and in her place was a scared girl who had experienced the same things and simply wanted out, even if it meant death.

Jacqueline Masey finally tried to stand up several minutes later after her sobs had subsided, her mind was racing and she simply wanted to get away from these mad spirits and find somewhere safe to sit and think of her next move. She cringed suddenly, collapsing in pain as her hand shot to her stomach. She was alive but she certainly wasn't fully healed. Diana's heart went out to the girl and she ghosted behind Jacqueline to help her up without being seen. Once she had gotten on her feet, Masey made her way, stumbling, out of the circle of spirits and back into the house.

****

She limped on, making her way past the kitchen, down the main hallway and into foyer. Charlotte was nowhere to be seen.

"I hope she's alright..." Masey thought to herself as she picked her way around the body of the opera singer and the fallen chandelier until she could get to the steps.

Ten agonizing minutes later, Jacqueline had reached the second floor of the Mansion. She sighed with relief before pressing on down the hallway. She had no clear plan in mind but felt a clear voice in her head telling her to keep going. The same voice suddenly called out as she passed a door that looked no different from the many others on either side of the hall.

Curiously but cautiously, Masey turned the handle of the door slowly and pushed it open to reveal what had once been a large and elegant bathroom. Double sinks and marble counters, dirty and small chandeliers with cobwebs hung from above, a large full length mirror lay tipped over and smashed at the far end of the bathroom. She stepped in, still compelled by the voice in her head. The mirrors at face level were all slightly raised from the wall and with a quick tug she found out they were actually cabinets. The first one was empty, same with the second. But the third -

"What do we have here?" a bottle on the middle shelf, the label was worn but legible.

'SLEEP AID' was scrawled across it. Her fingers closed around the bottle tightly, it's weight reassured her it was nearly full. There was still a chance to escape for Jacqueline Masey, before it could all begin again. Diana ghosted out of the girls body, her purpose fulfilled. Diana was not needlessly cruel and if Masey truly desired death, Diana saw no reason why she couldn't seek it in a peaceful, dignifying and pain-free way.

Soon after, Masey was found lying in the bed in one of the upstairs bedrooms. Diana found her with a peaceful expression on her face, and lovingly brushed her fingers over the dead girl's eyes, closing her eye-lids. The real, intact soul Jacqueline Masey had left hours before at the talons of the harpy. Her soul could rest now, complete.

[center][img]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/nifty_fifty/mansion%20cards/jacquelinemasey.jpg[/img][img]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/nifty_fifty/mansion%20cards/death.jpg[/img][/center]


*****

Elsewhere in the Mansion, life flooded back to Wyatt Bishop.

[center][img]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/nifty_fifty/mansion%20cards/wyattbishop.jpg[/img][img]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/nifty_fifty/mansion%20cards/life.jpg[/img][/center]
[/font]

[b]ooc is this good? I don't know, I'm half asleep. But I was very eager to get it done, I apologize profusely for the delay, I will make changes if need be.[/b]