[IC] An Audience with the Lady of Blood

[Eireleen]

Night came swiftly in the Valley of Nattheim, and its darkness encompassed all there was. The trek had to be made in the late hour of night, when the moon hung highest in the sky. The full moon poured its light down the walls of the long valley, illuminating the mansion that stood before the three.

It had walls of stone, and gates of wrought iron. Long vines, both red and green in color, snaked along the surface of the estate's outer wall, thickening around the gate itself. The vines held it shut, entwined around its bars. But as the three approached, inexplicably, those vines suddenly stirred, as though of their own volition, receding and leaving the iron gate bare. Then, it opened inwards, with a horrid creak. An invitation to the vampire's manor.

There were no caws or hoots of birds and owls on this night. Even the wind had died down to nothing. The estate was deathly silent, with only the footsteps of the guildsmen and the sound of running water, like a crackling stream. Beyond the gate was a vast courtyard, paved with cobbled stone, at the center of which was a fountain of blood.

The red nectar spouted and pooled into the stone bowl, like flowing poison. Structures in the likeness of aqueducts channeled it back and around the edges of the garden, into the basins of numerous flowers. And there, the flowers drank from the darkened soil, their normally white petals having become a deep shade of red. They seemed to open themselves to take in the moonlight, casting a red glow over the walls and ground.

This was the domain of the Lady of Red Flowers. The red petals encircled the entire garden, like a ring of death. The cobblestone paths led through the dark green grass and around the fountain of blood to the other side of the garden, where a large set of double doors stood, like guardians set into the wall.

One of the doors was only slightly creaked open, inward. An entrance to the building. It was dark inside, far too dark to see what lay within through such a small opening. But the path was there - the vampire's invitation

[Throndir]

Though there was no wind in the courtyard which the trio stood upon, Annia couldn't help but shiver. Not from the cold, but rather from the eerie and almost haunting atmosphere of the location. More than once she had the thought of puling her greatsword from its sheath, but every time the thought crossed her mind, she shook the idea realizing that drawing a sword, especially on a diplomatic mission might not be the very best of ideas. Knights should always try to do their best to proper etiquette after all, especially in the presence of nobility. Though, as Annia thought about it more, she was unsure whether or not the Lady of Red Flowers could possibly fit in her Temple's idea of what 'nobility' was.

She turned towards Saendal and Tsunkai. The former, she had known previously, sharing an adventure down into tombs, while the latter she had only just met right before starting the mission. The company was unique to say the least, though it was probably expected from a guild such as Galas'nor. A tiefling and a dark elf would make strange compatriots for a regular paladin, but Annia had been tempered by the guild as well as her previous experiences. And though there was still a part of her that would indeed look upon the so-called evil races with suspicion, she was more than willing to be more open, as her mentor was. Besides, she thought, the journey to the Valley of Nattheim was made more pleasant with the company.

The sound of running water splashing caught Annia's attention as she stared intently at the fountain of blood that was at the center of the courtyard. Giving another glance to her two companions, she focused instead on the fountain of blood, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"That's one strange fountain. Never seen anything like it." Annia said wonderingly.

[spoiler]Close the distance between her and the fountain, then examine it.
[blockquote]Search 1d20+1 : 17 + 1, total 18[/blockquote]

Annia'll continue to think about what she knows about vampires and the lady of blood.
Knowledge (religion): Taking 20: 21
Knowledge (nobility and royalty): Taking 20: 21[/spoiler]

[Emperor Wilbers]

There was a nip in the air and Saendal could feel the moon's energy shine down upon his face. The humid air stuffed his nose and made it slightly difficult to breathe easily. The stone building loomed over the visitors as they approached the ominous mansion. The visitors hoped as to not encroach the vampires, but seeing as the door stood slightly ajar they were welcomed in. Saendal has had too many encounters with vampires in the past. They are a peculiar and intriguing race of beings, but they are extremely dangerous and he knew it. He would gladly take his time to enter the premises.

[Burdenking]

All of the normally off putting scenario and the atmosphere, though well conceived, was wasted on Tsunkai. With out any way to see, almost all of the environment was just nothing to her. All that Tsunkai was aware of was the sound of water falling and the heavy smell of copper in the air.  When she heard Annia mention something about a fountain, and looked towards her by following where her voice came from " what do you mean?" She asked, a little confused " is the water an odd color? There is a strong smell of copper in the air." She said, though the last one was more of just a statement for the air.

She hadn't heard much from their third member of the group, but after a while she determine he was a man with a cloak and may have been a bit old. She assumed he was magister, mostly by how she usually associated robes and cloaks with mages. She hasn't spoken much herself, so she didn't think ether knew what she really could do, though she never really did make a connection between cloths and occupation, so her ninja like clothing probably gave her away.

[Emperor Wilbers]

"I suppose we should move in now. And a word of caution; Eloquence will win over these brutes, not intimidation," Saendal said as he walked forward to the large wooden door that stood slightly open. He waited at the door for the rest of the group to catch up.

[Eireleen]

The fountain was about two meters wide, the blood pouring upwards from its center into the sky. The dark red spray didn't reflect the moon's light in the same way that water did - in fact, it almost seemed to swallow up its pale glow as it fell into the pool. The thin channels that transferred the blood, four in total, channeled the blood outwards in the cardinal directions to the edge of the garden. They were set into the walkways, through the cobblestone, such that they were stepped over as one walked around it. From the edge of the garden, an unseen mechanism drew them up into the elevated flower beds, into the soil that housed the ring of red flowers surrounding them now.

From beside the door, Saendal could hear the movement within - a loud rustling, like the susurrus of a wide forest disturbed by some large creature. Fallen leaves brushed across the stone, and the settling of some great weight. There was no doubt that something was eagerly awaiting their arrival. Almost as though reacting to their presence, the ring of red flowers seemed to tremble slightly, as though blowing in a wind that wasn't there.

[Throndir]

The fountain was curious, if not strange and macabre, and Annia shuddered at the sight of blood. The life blood of living organisms to be displayed so openly and without regard seemed inexplicably wrong to the paladin. There was no respect in the way that life was presented. And though the sight of the fountain with the red flowers in the garden may have looked to be beautiful, Annia certainly found the sight to be more of an abomination. Even worse, as Annia thought it out further, was where the blood had come from. There was nothing particularly evident to point that it was human blood, but due to the fact that they were dealing with vampires, Annia couldn't help but think that it was indeed blood from some poor fellow, probably from the nearby town of Nattheim. Even if it were from the blood of animals, Annia decided that that too would have been an utter disrespect to the beasts it came from - having their blood simply poured off from a fountain for any visitors of the manor to see.

It was degrading to life, and though Annia did not claim to be a druid, life itself was something more precious. The paladin turned towards Tsunkai, she spoke quietly, but it was hard to hide the tint of sadness and disgust in her voice.

"It's blood." She said. "The fountain is a fountain of blood." Annia clarified as she made her way towards Saendal, nodding and agreeing with the necromancer's suggestion.

[Burdenking]

Tsunkai briefly hesitated in her step, the news unexpected but sadly not by much. She shakes her head and continues " I fear to think of where it all came from." She said rather worriedly, following the foot steps she heard, which she knew were Annia by how they sounded, and joined the grip at the door.

[spoiler]
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+14 : 18 + 14, total 32[/blockquote]
Listen check for inside the manor
[/spoiler]


Tsunkai turned her head so her best ear could be in a better position to catch any noises or sounds that may be within the manor, wanting to be prepared for anything the vampire may have left for their arrival.

[Eireleen]

The wind carried no breath or heartbeat, other than those of herself and her two allies. It was to be expected, of course, as the undead had neither. But she did hear something - the quiet, almost imperceptible sound of a figure leaning back into a chair. The inaudible creaking and settling of wood. And then, there was rustling, much like before, though quieter. Thin vines and leaves gently scraped the ground and walls as they moved across the chamber.

But that was all. There was no greeting, and no call. No doorman, no butler or maid to see them in. It was almost as though it were the estate itself entwining around them, the three guests to a party of ghosts. The rustling settled again, leaving only the sound of blood running like water, as the fountain alone filled the windless, silent night.

[Throndir]

From their journey to the Valley of Nattheim, Annia knew well enough not to question Tsunkai's perception. Though she was blind, through the journey to the village, Annia had realized that the woman wasn't as defenseless as she seemed, from her well postured and sure gait, to her uncanny ability to step over and out of the way of obstacles on the road. At first Annia didn't quite pinpoint how exactly she did it, and in the beginning of their journey together starting from the Guild Hall in Ternadan, she had once thought that perhaps her blindfold actually gave her some sort of magical sight. But as traveling went on, Annia eventually found out it stemmed from Tsunkai's accurate hearing. The knight bided her time waiting for Tsunkai's report.

"Is it safe to enter?"

[Burdenking]

Tsunkai silenced her breathing as she examined each sound, her ears quickly picking up anythings that was out of place in the silence of the area. The sound of rustling, vines moving, and a person sighing as it seemed to relax in a chair was heard to her. She waited a little more for any others sounds, but then she heard Annia's question. Knowing full well she had no chance of accurately deciding weather or not it was or wasn't safe, she estimated the likelihood of an attack or trap. She heard only one person, likely the Lady of Blood herself, which would normally not be evidence for an attack, but vampires were very powerful creatures, so one was enough to make her worry.

Then there was the odd sound of the vines, which kept moving around. plants, as she knew, could not move or grow so quickly unless magical in creation, were controlled by magic itself, or they were part of a living being. To many things left their future unknown, which caused the Tiefling to quickly scan for anywhere else they could sneak in. Then she remembered their mission , to talk with the Lady of Blood, and sneaking into her home wasn't a good idea.

Tsunkai sighed " there are to many things that i cannot figure out for me to say it's safe, nor an i say it's dangerous. There's someone in there, someone sitting in a chair who just relaxed in it, who seems to be ether bored or tired. other then that and moving vines, i cannot hear anything else living inside." She explained, standing tall and looking to where she though Annia and Saendal was standing. " It is up to one of you to decide, because i cannot."

[Throndir]

"Let's not keep the Lady of... Red Flowers waiting then." Annia said curtly. She was half-inclined to say the Lady of Blood, but she knew her tone would have been filled with disgust at the irreverent treatment of life, so instead she chose to use the lady's proper title. Who knew what unfriendly ears there were at the entrance to the mansion listening to them now. Perhaps even a set of eyes peering at them as they stood right outside the doors. It wasn't good for a potential diplomatic mission to go awry after all, and from what Annia had known about vampires, albeit favored from the temple's point of view, the possibility of conflict was high.

It was true, they were unannounced visitors, but the knight hoped that those living in the mansion would understand the nature of their mission. Pulling her courage, she proceeded to push the doors open.

[spoiler]Open doors, and proceed to do a Search, Spot, and Listen check, for as long as it takes, of the area beyond the doors. Take 20.

Search: 21
Spot: 23
Listen: 23
[/spoiler]

[Eireleen]

The paladin plunged forward into darkness, as the double doors were pushed aside with less force than it seemed like they would have needed. It was almost as though they had intentionally yielded to her entry - leaving only pitch blackness behind them. The darkness seemed to almost pour out into the garden, swallowing up the light of the moon. As though hiding from what lay behind those doors, the moon drifted behind the clouds, casting an ominous shadow over the land.

"Welcome, travelers. You certainly kept me waiting..."

And at that moment, a confident woman's voice echoed throughout the room. Her words flowed through the darkness, through the large antechamber, and towards the three guildsmen. Annia couldn't see anything beyond even the doorway, save for two things - two red lights, shining like rubies in the shadows, far at the other end of the hall. There was only one thing they could be - the vampire's eyes.

They shifted slightly as she rested her head in her hand. "Enjoying the scenery, I presume?" She said, with a hint of pride. Though her visage couldn't be seen, it was easy to imagine a subtle, expectant grin on the woman's face. "I suppose I shall take it as a compliment that my garden held you captivated for so long."

The slithering sound persisted, almost like a horde of snakes crawling across a rainforest floor. It was much louder now, with the door opened, and seemed to emanate both from the woman's throne and from the sides of the hall itself. "State your business." She said, in a suddenly serious tone. "I presume an armored knight does not enter a vampire's domain for a friendly chat."

[Burdenking]

[spoiler]
Listen check for what that slithering sound is
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+14 : 15 + 14, total 29[/blockquote]
[/spoiler]

Tsunkai's listened to the woman speak, unable to see her but could clearly hear where she was from her voice and movements. She kept her ear open for what ever that sound was, preparing for an attack

[Throndir]

Every instinct within the knight cried out in alarm. It was one thing to read about vampires, and though the idea at first seemed so fascinating, Annia more than once had to ignore the cold chill that ran down her spine. Over and over again she kept reminding herself that this was diplomatic, and not an evil to vanquish. Even Jin, the spirit-like being that resided in her katana, attempted to impart soothing thoughts and feelings into the knight, knowing full well of Annia's trepidation.

When the vampire's tone turned from light and almost prideful to deathly serious, Annia picked up the change, and though she had wanted to draw her greatsword, to bring what little satisfaction and safety to her, she knew that such an action would not look to be so friendly.

"T-the armor-" Annia cleared her throat, took a deep breath, and attempted to shake off her trepidation. "The armor is a uniform to my following the ideals of the Order of the Golden Dawn, and a sign of my membership to the Guild of Galas'nor. Likewise the weapons you see are simply to ensure a safe journey to reach your manor and the town of Nattheim." The knight would have curtsied, though she knew such an action would have looked strange and silly for a lady in armor, so instead she bowed as gracefully as she can manage. The very action made her remember her past, back before her brother left his own responsibilities of becoming a knight and leaving them to Annia. During those years of her life her mother would have always drilled her on the proper way a noble should act, especially one from an esteemed family.

"We've come only on the behalf of the townspeople of Nattheim." Annia said as she finished her bow.

[spoiler][blockquote]Dex check, bowing 1d20 : 19, total 19[/blockquote]
[blockquote]Diplomacy 1d20+10 : 11 + 10, total 21[/blockquote]
[/spoiler]