Jack rejoins the party and has some bread and cheese, despite Cala’s warning not to spoil his dinner (and ignoring Orev’s encouragement that yes he should eat; he was going to eat anyway, so no one tolD him what to do!).
The party travels to the pavilion, a Very Large (house-sized! whoa!) open-air gazebo. Everyone’s wrapping up their day of trade etc., and the party meets the Jenkins family - Walter, Gilly, Dani, and their dog Shuck - coming from the Druskenvald’s home. Orev is super good at talking with people. They learn the Jenkins family was assigned to the house three years ago by Mayor Summerton, when the house was dedicated to the Druskenvalds.
[Q: Why was the house dedicated to/set aside for the Druskenvalds?]
Walt and Walt shake hands hell yeah! Gilly mentions being surprised that the Druskenvalds ended up showing at all. The subject of previous house residents seems to cause discomfort in the Jenkins family. The Jenkins rarely leave the estate, and grow food their themselves. The Druskenvalds do sound like night people, and Walt-not-undead makes a little joke ooOoOO. Cala is able to approach the dog; Orev is not. Shuck is, according to Dani, much better than Wisp the cat, and protects her. Shuck and Wisp both came with the house. Dani has concerns about ghosts, and is hoping to get a ghost-based book from the bookshop.
Gilly: "You know children and their imaginations. Their fits of interest.” Orev: "I know how children can be." Jack (clearly fucking around): "Oh, do you have children?"
The Jenkins family walks off, and though Dani doesn’t look back, Shuck sure does.
As the party approaches the Druskenvald estate, an old man appears ranting about death, doom, pain, the Crooked Man, the Crooked House, the Crooked Queen, death, annihilation, and btw can you spare a copper? Old Man does a lot of pointing. Jack tries to calm Old Man down. Jack gives Old Man a copper to get a drink at the inn; Orev gives Old Man a gold piece for who knows what reason, he’s helping. Orev shares what he’s heard of the Crooked Man with the party - that he takes a myriad of forms, that he has a rebirth every century or so - thinking it a myth.
A bit of info gleaned from a local (most are adamently Not Helpful and don’t wish to speak of these things): The estate was previously inhabited by the Lockwoods. Eustace Lockwood killed his family and the servants. Orev cannot talk like a human, and as they leave, Jack repeats back, “We’re sorry for your loss?” For a moment, Jack seems to show something like… fondness? Then covers it quickly.
They approach the estate and— Well this house that looked well-maintained from a distance is suddenly Very Spooky, huh! A very tall and toothy man-figure greets them, and Jack kind of. Takes Orev to the side. Jack asking whether Orev remembers anything at all from before, because he’s realizing that though he thought Orev simply doesn’t know his own identity, it’s becoming clear he doesn’t remember anything. Orev is not particularly reassuring, but yes he does have magic.
Jack: “I need to know what you remember. I thought this was a joke. [+illegible]” Orev: “Does it matter?” Jack: “It matters to me.”
Orev can tell that Jack is distressed, maybe a little scared.
Orev: “I remember enough to get myself through anything. We’re fine.” Jack: “You don’t remember the Druskenvalds?”
Orev absolutely does not remember anything about the Druskenvalds pre-train. Jack notes that Orev is a warlock and asks if Orev knows who his patron is. Orev would like to know how Jack knows this! Jack like, ‘because the spells??’ Orev does not catch this not-quite-truth. Jack is concerned that Orev doesn’t recall his own patron.
Orev (lying through his birdman-teeth): “I know who my patron is.” Jack (relieved, not seeing the lie): “That’s something.”
Meanwhile, Cala and Walt and The Toothy Figure have been standing awkwardly. Walt offered Toothy Figure his book, Toothy Figure flipped though it, and tosses it back to Walt as Jack and Orev finally rejoin the party. (The Toothy Figure and the house itself may be getting pretty sick of their shit, oh no ah dear how sad!) Tells them the Druskenvalds are waiting inside. Seems off his game. But does say something something about all of them returning from whence they came in blood and fire, cool cool cool.
The party enters the house and is met with creepy goddamn portraits, including one with all of them sans teeth, which definitely isn’t weird at all! Orev fails a check and finds a tooth on the ground, which seems strange, but Jack thinks being a bird and having teeth is stranger really. While they argue about teeth, Orev has a sense of deja vu.
The party moves to a gallery room. A bloodstone is taken, a marble peacock is fought (and absolutely, beautifully destroyed by Jack’s final sneak attack) (Orev both turned on and a little uneasy because Jack was that a pointed killing of a bird hold on??). Also there was a ghost or something. Whatever, Jack’s got a nice and presumably decently valuable stone now!
Onto the next room! A parlor with a spirit board, to which Calamus and Orev move. Orev tells Jack to sit. Jack sits at Orev’s right hand, not looking at Orev, though he does have goosebumps. Something about this feels Very Familiar to Orev, and it seems almost like Jack was following a habit.
Cala, Jack, and Orev speak with a spirit that identifies itself as Patrini, oho one of the servants from one of those creepy creepy portraits! They learn that he served the Lockwoods for twenty years and was indeed killed by Eustace. But and also possibly a hag was involved in the death? And also there is a hag in the house, up in the attic. And also it’s mementos time! Patrini tells them to find his son, who still lives.
Jack: “Can I get up now?” Orev: “You may rise.” Calamus (spelling it out with the planchet): “Now kiss.”
Jack will noT be kissing Orev, as he says plainly. Orev tries to order Jack to open the door to the next room. Jack resists the command, though and Orev can tell Jack is actively working to resist the pull of (some kind of) command. Orev goes to the door and opens it himself.
Jack (little shiT!): “Good birdy.”
Orev glares. And they move on to the conservatory! Where Orev tries to… buy… the cup Petunia is holding, because see he definitely collects things like this. Calamus achieves he cup by offering to get Petunia a fresh round of tea.
Now it’s kitchen time! The kitchen is just a mess and there are spirits in the fire and yes Jack unlocks it when Orev suggests maybe the rogue should try that lock (which was not a command but sure sounded like one to Jack oooops).
Jack: “Stop ordering me around!” Orev: “I didn’t…?”
The party takes a short rest, during which Orev realizes Jack is playing with a rabbit’s foot and HOLD ON THAT IS HIS?? It looks really familiar and his focus is honed. Orev asks where Jack got the foot. Jack says it’s been in his pocket this whole time, and in fact has been with him for nine months. Orev orders Jack to give it to him. Jack hesitates, resists, resists, but eventually shoves it into Orev’s hand. Orev now recognizes it as his arcane goddamn focuS.
Orev: “You’ve been using this for nine months?” Jack: “It’s been in my pocket.” Orev: “And how long has your luck been awful.” Jack: (…has… nothing to say to that) Orev: “I’d be interested to know how you came into possession of this. If I’m not mistaken - and I’m not - this is mine.” Jack (sounding furious): “Oh, you recognize a rabbit’s foot. Are you saying you have memories?” Orev: “I’m saying that I recognize it now.”
Jack does not seem pleased at all. Seems to speak with hurt, anger, resentment and he’s not even trying to hide it.
Orev: “Did I give this to you?” Jack: “You never gave me anything.”
The Crooked House
The party travels to the pavilion, a Very Large (house-sized! whoa!) open-air gazebo. Everyone’s wrapping up their day of trade etc., and the party meets the Jenkins family - Walter, Gilly, Dani, and their dog Shuck - coming from the Druskenvald’s home. Orev is super good at talking with people. They learn the Jenkins family was assigned to the house three years ago by Mayor Summerton, when the house was dedicated to the Druskenvalds.
[Q: Why was the house dedicated to/set aside for the Druskenvalds?]
Walt and Walt shake hands hell yeah! Gilly mentions being surprised that the Druskenvalds ended up showing at all. The subject of previous house residents seems to cause discomfort in the Jenkins family. The Jenkins rarely leave the estate, and grow food their themselves. The Druskenvalds do sound like night people, and Walt-not-undead makes a little joke ooOoOO. Cala is able to approach the dog; Orev is not. Shuck is, according to Dani, much better than Wisp the cat, and protects her. Shuck and Wisp both came with the house. Dani has concerns about ghosts, and is hoping to get a ghost-based book from the bookshop.
Gilly: "You know children and their imaginations. Their fits of interest.”
Orev: "I know how children can be."
Jack (clearly fucking around): "Oh, do you have children?"
The Jenkins family walks off, and though Dani doesn’t look back, Shuck sure does.
As the party approaches the Druskenvald estate, an old man appears ranting about death, doom, pain, the Crooked Man, the Crooked House, the Crooked Queen, death, annihilation, and btw can you spare a copper? Old Man does a lot of pointing. Jack tries to calm Old Man down. Jack gives Old Man a copper to get a drink at the inn; Orev gives Old Man a gold piece for who knows what reason, he’s helping. Orev shares what he’s heard of the Crooked Man with the party - that he takes a myriad of forms, that he has a rebirth every century or so - thinking it a myth.
A bit of info gleaned from a local (most are adamently Not Helpful and don’t wish to speak of these things): The estate was previously inhabited by the Lockwoods. Eustace Lockwood killed his family and the servants. Orev cannot talk like a human, and as they leave, Jack repeats back, “We’re sorry for your loss?” For a moment, Jack seems to show something like… fondness? Then covers it quickly.
They approach the estate and— Well this house that looked well-maintained from a distance is suddenly Very Spooky, huh! A very tall and toothy man-figure greets them, and Jack kind of. Takes Orev to the side. Jack asking whether Orev remembers anything at all from before, because he’s realizing that though he thought Orev simply doesn’t know his own identity, it’s becoming clear he doesn’t remember anything. Orev is not particularly reassuring, but yes he does have magic.
Jack: “I need to know what you remember. I thought this was a joke. [+illegible]”
Orev: “Does it matter?”
Jack: “It matters to me.”
Orev can tell that Jack is distressed, maybe a little scared.
Orev: “I remember enough to get myself through anything. We’re fine.”
Jack: “You don’t remember the Druskenvalds?”
Orev absolutely does not remember anything about the Druskenvalds pre-train.
Jack notes that Orev is a warlock and asks if Orev knows who his patron is. Orev would like to know how Jack knows this! Jack like, ‘because the spells??’ Orev does not catch this not-quite-truth. Jack is concerned that Orev doesn’t recall his own patron.
Orev (lying through his birdman-teeth): “I know who my patron is.”
Jack (relieved, not seeing the lie): “That’s something.”
Meanwhile, Cala and Walt and The Toothy Figure have been standing awkwardly. Walt offered Toothy Figure his book, Toothy Figure flipped though it, and tosses it back to Walt as Jack and Orev finally rejoin the party. (The Toothy Figure and the house itself may be getting pretty sick of their shit, oh no ah dear how sad!) Tells them the Druskenvalds are waiting inside. Seems off his game. But does say something something about all of them returning from whence they came in blood and fire, cool cool cool.
The party enters the house and is met with creepy goddamn portraits, including one with all of them sans teeth, which definitely isn’t weird at all! Orev fails a check and finds a tooth on the ground, which seems strange, but Jack thinks being a bird and having teeth is stranger really. While they argue about teeth, Orev has a sense of deja vu.
The party moves to a gallery room. A bloodstone is taken, a marble peacock is fought (and absolutely, beautifully destroyed by Jack’s final sneak attack) (Orev both turned on and a little uneasy because Jack was that a pointed killing of a bird hold on??). Also there was a ghost or something. Whatever, Jack’s got a nice and presumably decently valuable stone now!
Onto the next room! A parlor with a spirit board, to which Calamus and Orev move. Orev tells Jack to sit. Jack sits at Orev’s right hand, not looking at Orev, though he does have goosebumps. Something about this feels Very Familiar to Orev, and it seems almost like Jack was following a habit.
Cala, Jack, and Orev speak with a spirit that identifies itself as Patrini, oho one of the servants from one of those creepy creepy portraits! They learn that he served the Lockwoods for twenty years and was indeed killed by Eustace. But and also possibly a hag was involved in the death? And also there is a hag in the house, up in the attic. And also it’s mementos time! Patrini tells them to find his son, who still lives.
Jack: “Can I get up now?”
Orev: “You may rise.”
Calamus (spelling it out with the planchet): “Now kiss.”
Jack will noT be kissing Orev, as he says plainly. Orev tries to order Jack to open the door to the next room. Jack resists the command, though and Orev can tell Jack is actively working to resist the pull of (some kind of) command. Orev goes to the door and opens it himself.
Jack (little shiT!): “Good birdy.”
Orev glares. And they move on to the conservatory! Where Orev tries to… buy… the cup Petunia is holding, because see he definitely collects things like this. Calamus achieves he cup by offering to get Petunia a fresh round of tea.
Now it’s kitchen time! The kitchen is just a mess and there are spirits in the fire and yes Jack unlocks it when Orev suggests maybe the rogue should try that lock (which was not a command but sure sounded like one to Jack oooops).
Jack: “Stop ordering me around!”
Orev: “I didn’t…?”
The party takes a short rest, during which Orev realizes Jack is playing with a rabbit’s foot and HOLD ON THAT IS HIS?? It looks really familiar and his focus is honed. Orev asks where Jack got the foot. Jack says it’s been in his pocket this whole time, and in fact has been with him for nine months. Orev orders Jack to give it to him. Jack hesitates, resists, resists, but eventually shoves it into Orev’s hand. Orev now recognizes it as his arcane goddamn focuS.
Orev: “You’ve been using this for nine months?”
Jack: “It’s been in my pocket.”
Orev: “And how long has your luck been awful.”
Jack: (…has… nothing to say to that)
Orev: “I’d be interested to know how you came into possession of this. If I’m not mistaken - and I’m not - this is mine.”
Jack (sounding furious): “Oh, you recognize a rabbit’s foot. Are you saying you have memories?”
Orev: “I’m saying that I recognize it now.”
Jack does not seem pleased at all. Seems to speak with hurt, anger, resentment and he’s not even trying to hide it.
Orev: “Did I give this to you?”
Jack: “You never gave me anything.”
(Oh. No. :c)