Active The Elder Tales [CYOA]
- Thread starter Jeroth
- Start date
The old building felt timeless as the four of them stood in the tiny hallway. Their voices simultaneouly breaking the unnerving silence in the building.
“Weird.”
“Creepy.”
“Eerie.”
“Whatever. Let’s finish this investigation and get our money. Pete, you’re with me on the right. Drew and Jasper, you’re on the left. Let’s get started.”
With their backs facing each other, they began their investigation
Richard moved to the first door, taking a deep breath as his hand wrapped around the doorknob covered in a thin-layer of dust. Twisting it and pushing, the door refused to budge, drawing out a frustrated grunt from Richard. Pete smirked as he pushed his shoulder against the door, causing the door to be thrust open.
It seemed like a standard living room. A couch, a radio, stuffed chairs and shelves laden with gewgaws. For a haunted house, it seemed bizarre with the massive amounts of crosses, images of the Virgin and other Catholic religious artifacts. The most unnerving part of this was a painting of… something. It was abstract and strange - the only two words that could feasibly describe it. The more that the two stared at it, the more a primal fear grew inside of them - a fear of the unknown.
Shaking their heads, they continued to the next door.
As the old mahogany door was pushed open, a rotting smell filled the air. Coughing and gagging, they found the dining room with a long mahogany table, a built-in sideboard and seven chairs. Three places are set and unused with scraps of rotting rice soup being the source of the foul smell.
“YOU GUYS FIND ANYTHING?”
“JUST CATHOLIC IMAGERY AND A STRANGE PAINTING SO FAR!”
"AND SOME DISGUSTING SOUP!"
Finally, the last room on the right would be the kitchen. An icebox, wood-fed stove and oven, a meager larder with some foodstuffs that were still edible, such as canned soup and meat, rice kernels, several pastas, and a few bottles of homemade wine. The produce that did not spoil seemed to have been eaten by rats, judging by the spoor left behind.
Drew and Jasper opened the first door on the left as it appeared to be a storage room. Boxes, old junk, a rusted water tank and old bicycles. The most eye-catching part of the room was a boarded-up cupboard on the right side of the room.
“Maybe we should open it up?”
“Let’s keep investigating first…”
Leaving the room, they moved to the second as the rotting smell had begun to fill the air from the other side of the house.
“YOU GUYS FIND ANYTHING?”
“JUST CATHOLIC IMAGERY AND A STRANGE PAINTING SO FAR!”
"AND SOME DISGUSTING SOUP!"
The second room on the left was another storage room, mostly filled with broken furniture and other items that could be broken up to burn in a wood stove.
Finally, the last room on the left was the mud room. Overcoats, galoshes, hats and umbrellas hung here along with bags of coal. A door leading outside was here, but it was secured with three bolts and two locks.
A door opened from behind them as their hearts skipped a beat.
“Find anything interesting?”
Giving a relaxed sigh, Drew and Jasper turned to see it was just Pete and Richard.
“Well, there was a cupboard that was boarded up, but that was about it.”
“Huh. Well, want to check that out or should we investigate the basement or upstairs?”
- Go investigate the cupboard together.
- Investigate upstairs with everyone.
- Investigate the basement with everyone.
- Explore in Pairs
- Custom
“Weird.”
“Creepy.”
“Eerie.”
“Whatever. Let’s finish this investigation and get our money. Pete, you’re with me on the right. Drew and Jasper, you’re on the left. Let’s get started.”
With their backs facing each other, they began their investigation
- - -
It seemed like a standard living room. A couch, a radio, stuffed chairs and shelves laden with gewgaws. For a haunted house, it seemed bizarre with the massive amounts of crosses, images of the Virgin and other Catholic religious artifacts. The most unnerving part of this was a painting of… something. It was abstract and strange - the only two words that could feasibly describe it. The more that the two stared at it, the more a primal fear grew inside of them - a fear of the unknown.
Shaking their heads, they continued to the next door.
As the old mahogany door was pushed open, a rotting smell filled the air. Coughing and gagging, they found the dining room with a long mahogany table, a built-in sideboard and seven chairs. Three places are set and unused with scraps of rotting rice soup being the source of the foul smell.
“YOU GUYS FIND ANYTHING?”
“JUST CATHOLIC IMAGERY AND A STRANGE PAINTING SO FAR!”
"AND SOME DISGUSTING SOUP!"
Finally, the last room on the right would be the kitchen. An icebox, wood-fed stove and oven, a meager larder with some foodstuffs that were still edible, such as canned soup and meat, rice kernels, several pastas, and a few bottles of homemade wine. The produce that did not spoil seemed to have been eaten by rats, judging by the spoor left behind.
- - -
Drew and Jasper opened the first door on the left as it appeared to be a storage room. Boxes, old junk, a rusted water tank and old bicycles. The most eye-catching part of the room was a boarded-up cupboard on the right side of the room.
“Maybe we should open it up?”
“Let’s keep investigating first…”
Leaving the room, they moved to the second as the rotting smell had begun to fill the air from the other side of the house.
“YOU GUYS FIND ANYTHING?”
“JUST CATHOLIC IMAGERY AND A STRANGE PAINTING SO FAR!”
"AND SOME DISGUSTING SOUP!"
The second room on the left was another storage room, mostly filled with broken furniture and other items that could be broken up to burn in a wood stove.
Finally, the last room on the left was the mud room. Overcoats, galoshes, hats and umbrellas hung here along with bags of coal. A door leading outside was here, but it was secured with three bolts and two locks.
A door opened from behind them as their hearts skipped a beat.
“Find anything interesting?”
Giving a relaxed sigh, Drew and Jasper turned to see it was just Pete and Richard.
“Well, there was a cupboard that was boarded up, but that was about it.”
“Huh. Well, want to check that out or should we investigate the basement or upstairs?”
- Go investigate the cupboard together.
- Investigate upstairs with everyone.
- Investigate the basement with everyone.
- Explore in Pairs
- Custom
“Let’s go upstairs first.”
The four men slowly made their way up the wooden stairs. Each step creaked loudly as an unnatural feeling. The hair on their necks stood up and a shiver ran down their spines. It felt as though they were being watched as four rooms were on the top floor.
Light filtered in through the boarded up windows as the stained porcelain could be seen immediately on their left at the top of the steps. A foul smell came from the room as towels hung in the room.
Drip. Plop. Drip. Plop. Drip.
The sound of droplets breaking the surface of water echoed throughout the house.
There were three other bedrooms. Splitting into pairs, the investigators searched the rooms of the parents and the children. The parent’s bedroom was ordinary - a double bed with a bookshelf and a view out to the front opposed to the ground floor. Beams of sunlight filled the room as Pete and Richard could see more catholic imagery - rosaries, crosses, bibles.
For Drew and Jasper, they had examined the bedroom of the children. Just two small beds with cowboys, aircrafts and blocks.
THUNK THUNK THUNK.
Loud thumping noises can be heard from the unexplored bedroom.
What do they do?
- Go examine the room
- Go explore the cupboard in the first floor
- Go explore the basement
- Custom Option
The four men slowly made their way up the wooden stairs. Each step creaked loudly as an unnatural feeling. The hair on their necks stood up and a shiver ran down their spines. It felt as though they were being watched as four rooms were on the top floor.
Light filtered in through the boarded up windows as the stained porcelain could be seen immediately on their left at the top of the steps. A foul smell came from the room as towels hung in the room.
Drip. Plop. Drip. Plop. Drip.
The sound of droplets breaking the surface of water echoed throughout the house.
There were three other bedrooms. Splitting into pairs, the investigators searched the rooms of the parents and the children. The parent’s bedroom was ordinary - a double bed with a bookshelf and a view out to the front opposed to the ground floor. Beams of sunlight filled the room as Pete and Richard could see more catholic imagery - rosaries, crosses, bibles.
For Drew and Jasper, they had examined the bedroom of the children. Just two small beds with cowboys, aircrafts and blocks.
THUNK THUNK THUNK.
Loud thumping noises can be heard from the unexplored bedroom.
What do they do?
- Go examine the room
- Go explore the cupboard in the first floor
- Go explore the basement
- Custom Option
What they said.
“Did you guys hear that?! What was it?"
“Iunno.. But we’re about to find out..”
The group surrounded the threshold of the door as the heavy banging resonated throughout the house. The rhythm of the beats matching their hastened heartbeats. Swallowing heavily, the door was thrown open.
A lone, still bed frame with bare bed springs is the first sight that they see from the hallway. Stepping in, there’s a mahogany dresser on the other side, but that is it. The room is stripped bare. No carpet, no wallpaper.
Rattle. Skrrch. Rattle Rattle.
The lone window opposite of the door rattled as the sound of scratching could be heard. The window is closed shut.
A heavy atmosphere fills the room.
Who would you like to do these actions?
- Examine the Window
- Examine the Bed
- Examine the Dresser
- Keep Watch
- Leave the Room
NOTE: Multiple people can do one action.
“Iunno.. But we’re about to find out..”
The group surrounded the threshold of the door as the heavy banging resonated throughout the house. The rhythm of the beats matching their hastened heartbeats. Swallowing heavily, the door was thrown open.
A lone, still bed frame with bare bed springs is the first sight that they see from the hallway. Stepping in, there’s a mahogany dresser on the other side, but that is it. The room is stripped bare. No carpet, no wallpaper.
Rattle. Skrrch. Rattle Rattle.
The lone window opposite of the door rattled as the sound of scratching could be heard. The window is closed shut.
A heavy atmosphere fills the room.
Who would you like to do these actions?
- Examine the Window
- Examine the Bed
- Examine the Dresser
- Keep Watch
- Leave the Room
NOTE: Multiple people can do one action.
Ye.
Pete felt his heart skip as he took steps towards the window. Each heavy step letting out a low, eerie creak as the thoughts of the unknown peeled away at his sanity.
“It’s probably just a bird, Pete. Or something like that.”
The windowpane rattled again. A bird seemed unlikely as his eyes remained glued to strange glass. Something about it drew him in as if it were a pool of water. How did the oak panels manage to contain such a str-
“PETE! WATCH OUT!”
CRASH! BOOM!
Wind whispered into Pete’s ear as he recalls the last thing he saw: The iron bed frame. In less than a second, his body disappeared into the overgrown grass.
“PETE!”
The first instinct when their polish muscle fell out the window was to run to check on him. It was overridden by fear of the unknown. The iron bed frame had moved without a sound and faster than anyone could expect.
“EVERYONE OUT!”
The bed frame rattled as the wooden doors were slammed on it. The flurry of footsteps against the stairwell echoed throughout the house, matching their panicked heartbeats. The narrow hallway felt tight to them as they made a mad dash towards the front door, throwing it open.
“PETE?!”
“Uugh.. What happened?”
A voice from the grass could be heard as they scrambled to the open patch. It seemed that he had managed to roll from the short fall.
“The bed frame! It moved! It pushed you out the window. I don’t..”
Dick’s eyes had been looking up at the window. The glass was shattered from the person-shaped hole that was made in it. For the sounds of scratching at the window, it seemed that there were no claw marks or any possible way for something to scratch it - at least by normal means.
“Pete, are you okay?”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. Let me just ge-“
Jolts of pain surged through his body as Pete tried to sit up. An unnatural warmth was spread throughout his arms as blood trickled out of the cuts made from the glass.
“No, you aren’t. We need to get you to a Doc’s!”
What does Peter do?
- Ask to be taken to the hospital [This will retire Pete for this Adventure.]
- Push through the pain.