((Warning: Some blood and gore present. Two more posts to accompany this one by the end of the House Mavanix storyline scheduled to end around mid-July.))
Present day...
"I doubt there'€™s anything even worthwhile still here,"€ the gruff highlander stated with a slight grunt as he entered the abandoned Mavanix Mansion ruins. Two other men followed him inside, a roegadyn seawolf, and a lalafell plainsfolk. The mansion had no doubt seen better days since it was attacked moons ago, resulting in the death of the then patriarch Cartius. Since the attack, the family only used the mansion as a meeting place and nothing else. It had become a haven for thieves, most of the artwork and furniture having been stolen and likely sold on the black market.
"€œI'€™m sure we can find something useful," the lalafell thief said cheerfully as the group examined the damaged lobby. "€œOh! How about those paintings?"
The three glanced up at the several paintings mounted on the lobby walls. It was somewhat bizarre that they hadn'€™t been stolen yet. Each one was titled. The first was titled "€œThe Igniter."€ The second was labeled "€œThe Exalter."€ The third was named "The Inquisitor." The fourth, being the only female painting, was "€œThe Sybil." The fifth was titled "€œThe Guardian." Clearly, the paintings were those of the past house patriarchs and matriarch.
The roegadyn shuddered slightly. "They give m'€™ the creeps. Maybe that's why nobody has bothered tryin' to steal '€˜em yet."€Â
"Help lift me up so I can reach them," the highlander ordered the roegadyn. The accomplice moved over to his ally and helped lift him up. "€œA little higher..."
The lalafell watched quietly, crossing his arms as the two reached for the first painting. Something quickly caught his eye though and the small thief'€™s jaw dropped. Descending the stairs slowly was a faint blue apparition. Glancing up to one of the portraits labeled "The Inquisitor," the lalafell instantly realized that it was the same man depicted in that painting. His shaggy beard, haggard old face, and expensive warrior-like gear matched the painting perfectly. The small thief began to shake as the terror began to sink in.
"€œG-g-guys! It'€™s a g-g-gh..."
"Stop your bickering," the highlander yelled to the lalafell before losing his footing and falling, taking the roegadyn to the floor with him. "€œOof! Damn it!"
The ghostly figure continued to gradually approach the thieves, the lalafell shaking quite visibly now. The other two thieves glanced up, finally taking notice to the approaching figure and quickly rising to their feet. The highlander grunted faintly. "Hmph. What kind of trickery is this? Some kind of illusion to keep people out of the house? Well, I ain'€™t dumb enough to fall for it!"€Â
The buff highlander remained motionless at the approaching apparition, the roegadyn taking several steps back himself. The lalafell was already starting to very slowly creep in the direction of the mansion door. The highlander grinned confidently as the "ghost"€™ came face-to-face with him. "€œWhat are you two oafs scared of? It ain'€™t even real. It'€™s just some--"
The man's words were instantly cut off as the vengeful spirit skewered a sword through the highlander'€™s torso. His two cohorts gasped in shock, the spirit twisting the sword maliciously as a devilish smile crossed the ghostly old man'€™s lips. The highlander simply gurgled up some blood before collapsing to the floor as the phantom removed the bloodied ghost blade from him.
The lalafell quickly burst for the door, the roegadyn hurrying after him. The mansion doors instantly slammed shut just as the lalafell made it outside. The roegadyn wasn't fortunate enough to make it in time, locked inside the mansion. He pounded on the doors, pushing and pulling the handle to no end. He quickly turned around to notice the wickedly smiling ghost coming toward him. Without a second thought, the thief dashed away and up the stairs to the second floor, not even noticing the figures in the paintings slowly turning their heads to follow the man'€™s motions. He ended up in a large empty chamber, several dried up blood stains on the walls around him. Quickly, the roegadyn dashed into the west room, looking back to ensure the creature wasn'€™t gaining on him.
The new chamber, an assembly room of some sort, had a balcony on the far west side. The thief sighed in relief as he approached it. The door leading outside seemed jammed though. After a moment of panicked attempts to pry it open, the man noticed a window just to the left of the door. It was open. He wasted no time in starting to climb out of it. Then his world came to an abrupt stop. A sheering pain shot through him as he realized what had just happened. The glass window had come down on him with incredible force, chopping the man in two complete halves. His upper body fell onto the patio as his lower body remained inside the assembly room. His sight began to rapidly blur as death took hold, the last thing he saw being his own blood poured out around him and the tall, slender, red-haired woman wearing an elegant black dress, a devilish yet seductive smile on the ghostly matriarch's face.
Present day...
"I doubt there'€™s anything even worthwhile still here,"€ the gruff highlander stated with a slight grunt as he entered the abandoned Mavanix Mansion ruins. Two other men followed him inside, a roegadyn seawolf, and a lalafell plainsfolk. The mansion had no doubt seen better days since it was attacked moons ago, resulting in the death of the then patriarch Cartius. Since the attack, the family only used the mansion as a meeting place and nothing else. It had become a haven for thieves, most of the artwork and furniture having been stolen and likely sold on the black market.
"€œI'€™m sure we can find something useful," the lalafell thief said cheerfully as the group examined the damaged lobby. "€œOh! How about those paintings?"
The three glanced up at the several paintings mounted on the lobby walls. It was somewhat bizarre that they hadn'€™t been stolen yet. Each one was titled. The first was titled "€œThe Igniter."€ The second was labeled "€œThe Exalter."€ The third was named "The Inquisitor." The fourth, being the only female painting, was "€œThe Sybil." The fifth was titled "€œThe Guardian." Clearly, the paintings were those of the past house patriarchs and matriarch.
The roegadyn shuddered slightly. "They give m'€™ the creeps. Maybe that's why nobody has bothered tryin' to steal '€˜em yet."€Â
"Help lift me up so I can reach them," the highlander ordered the roegadyn. The accomplice moved over to his ally and helped lift him up. "€œA little higher..."
The lalafell watched quietly, crossing his arms as the two reached for the first painting. Something quickly caught his eye though and the small thief'€™s jaw dropped. Descending the stairs slowly was a faint blue apparition. Glancing up to one of the portraits labeled "The Inquisitor," the lalafell instantly realized that it was the same man depicted in that painting. His shaggy beard, haggard old face, and expensive warrior-like gear matched the painting perfectly. The small thief began to shake as the terror began to sink in.
"€œG-g-guys! It'€™s a g-g-gh..."
"Stop your bickering," the highlander yelled to the lalafell before losing his footing and falling, taking the roegadyn to the floor with him. "€œOof! Damn it!"
The ghostly figure continued to gradually approach the thieves, the lalafell shaking quite visibly now. The other two thieves glanced up, finally taking notice to the approaching figure and quickly rising to their feet. The highlander grunted faintly. "Hmph. What kind of trickery is this? Some kind of illusion to keep people out of the house? Well, I ain'€™t dumb enough to fall for it!"€Â
The buff highlander remained motionless at the approaching apparition, the roegadyn taking several steps back himself. The lalafell was already starting to very slowly creep in the direction of the mansion door. The highlander grinned confidently as the "ghost"€™ came face-to-face with him. "€œWhat are you two oafs scared of? It ain'€™t even real. It'€™s just some--"
The man's words were instantly cut off as the vengeful spirit skewered a sword through the highlander'€™s torso. His two cohorts gasped in shock, the spirit twisting the sword maliciously as a devilish smile crossed the ghostly old man'€™s lips. The highlander simply gurgled up some blood before collapsing to the floor as the phantom removed the bloodied ghost blade from him.
The lalafell quickly burst for the door, the roegadyn hurrying after him. The mansion doors instantly slammed shut just as the lalafell made it outside. The roegadyn wasn't fortunate enough to make it in time, locked inside the mansion. He pounded on the doors, pushing and pulling the handle to no end. He quickly turned around to notice the wickedly smiling ghost coming toward him. Without a second thought, the thief dashed away and up the stairs to the second floor, not even noticing the figures in the paintings slowly turning their heads to follow the man'€™s motions. He ended up in a large empty chamber, several dried up blood stains on the walls around him. Quickly, the roegadyn dashed into the west room, looking back to ensure the creature wasn'€™t gaining on him.
The new chamber, an assembly room of some sort, had a balcony on the far west side. The thief sighed in relief as he approached it. The door leading outside seemed jammed though. After a moment of panicked attempts to pry it open, the man noticed a window just to the left of the door. It was open. He wasted no time in starting to climb out of it. Then his world came to an abrupt stop. A sheering pain shot through him as he realized what had just happened. The glass window had come down on him with incredible force, chopping the man in two complete halves. His upper body fell onto the patio as his lower body remained inside the assembly room. His sight began to rapidly blur as death took hold, the last thing he saw being his own blood poured out around him and the tall, slender, red-haired woman wearing an elegant black dress, a devilish yet seductive smile on the ghostly matriarch's face.
