Bloodstone

[PmTick]

Arnold MacMurphy

God she was nagging him again, all Arnold wanted to do was relax in the warmth of the estate after slaving in the fields. He got up and looked at her, I'm going to plant some more turnips.

He left the house and headed straight for his shead, taking with him a flask of whiskey he hid in his inner pocket. Reclining on a stool he kept inside the shed, Arnold took a swig and cursed the estate, "...fucking snobs....never worked a goddamn day in their lives....."

 

[Zircon]

Belly

I looked at the group as I buttoned up my jacket and turned the lapel upwards. The oil lamps were ready. I don’t know what Professor Plum would say about our little excursion outside this late in the night. Mr. Liam and Mr. Alexander seemed eager enough. So too was Detective Lovejoy, albeit unconvincingly so. At last, I put on a pair of rubber galoshes, a brand new invention.

I helped Mlle. Lépine with her coat, as it was still quite chilly outside. Her little mouth pouted at the delay in satisfying her curiosity. She had told me that her father was a Prefect, a Commissioner of Police if you will. I guessed that good traits breed true. Including impatience, as well as an insatiable curiosity.

The lady in the flowing dress smiled at me when I winked. Grinning like a schoolboy, I bowed my head in courtesy. She was also getting ready to join our little excursion. Seeing that she was not dressed for the outdoors, I graciously offered my overcoat to her.

Holding out my overcoat, ‘My Lady, the outside air is a trifle chilly tonight. Please accept this little bit of comfort on my behalf. My name is Belmont Guthrie. But you can call me Belly.’ I hoped that she would accept this gesture as a gust of cold wind swept in when the door opened.

 

[The GrandMage]

Prof. Plum

He finished his drink, and stared at the people getting ready to go out into the night. It was cold, it was dark, and it was wet. Hell, he wouldn't want the groundskeeper going out in this weather. He rolled his eyes. He'd tell the man that himself, but the groundskeeper was as set in his way as some of the snobs that would drop by the place once it was up to speed.

Lord knows he paid all his workers well, especially with all the work they had to do. Maybe later he could afford to hire more people, lessen their work load. He waved at his guests.

"Be careful now, I'm sure the good doctoring student can tell you it's not good to be wandering through puddles on cold nights. I'd join you, but,...I don't beleive in ghosts. Silly superstition if you ask me. Besides, I'm too old to be wandering about at night outside. Have a nice trip."

He turned, and made his way into the Study. Poking at the fire, he added a few logs, working up the flames before sitting down again and patting his lap. He waited for his cat to join him, and stroked its fur as he yawned and closed his eyes.

It was such a comfortable chair.

 

[chewbacca71]

Liam

Liam looks over and sees that one of the woman has decided to join them. He vows to himself to stay close to the woman to protect her if needed. He does not believe in ghosts. But looking at the professor as he dismissed them to go out, Liam knew he was aware of more than he was saying. "Yes, the professor is right. We need to dress warmly outside so as not to catch a chill. Come Belly, show us what you saw." Liam waits for Belly to lead the way.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Zoé Lépine:

Monsieur Guthrie, Belly, helped me with my coat, as the whole group seemed to be willing to go out and investigate. Investigation. The word played under my tongue like a forbidden lust. I secretly wished that this would turn out to be a real challenge, and not only a feu follet... huh... some sort of a will-o'-the-wisp.

We gathered in the entrance hall, getting ready to go outside. I hadn't had the chance to properly introduce myself to all the other guests in the dinning hall, because the whole discussion about the fantôme had quickly taken over. It was an eclectic group. I courteously smiled to each one of them.

"Bonsoir, mes amis. Before we all go out, please just let me introduce myself: My name is Zoé. Zoé Lépine," and with a small curtsy added "Enchantée." I made sure not to include that horrible Lovejoy person in this, though. Qu'imbecile. Here was a detective, someone who had the chance I was being denied by my own father, and wasting it all, a rude loudmouth on top of a drunk. I merely threw an iced glance in his direction mumbling under my breath "Bouffon grisé..."

I really wanted to be at the head of the group, my curiosity demanding satisfaction, but looking over at the young woman that was also coming outside, and smiled when M. Guthrie offered his overcoat to her. I saw her shaking, and it wasn't just because of the late evening chill. I decided to stick by her, hoping that could make her feel more comfortable.

 

[Zircon]

Belly

I smiled at her like I did earlier, hoping that she would reciprocate that with another pretty smile of her own. Her wan demeanour had detracted from her beauty. Her smile earlier had brightened up her face tremendously. It had made her more alluring, and thus I had vowed to extract more smiles from her. I also smiled to Mlle. Lépine as she stood by the Lady, being a rock against the chilly crashing wind.

My new galoshes were working out pretty good as the little group trudged on the soggy ground. The lamp swaying in my hand, casting long shadows on the shiny blades of grass. The Northern Star was obscured by the thick clouds. It has been my guiding star since I left Port Sweetenham. The gnarled roots of the oak spread out like witches’ fingers in all directions. The wind must have been beyond gale force to be able to uproot such a mighty tree with such deep roots.

I walked towards where the ghost was last seen bending over to look at something that the upturned roots had revealed. The huge hole and the earth sticking to the roots made going a bit slow. The swaying dim light from the lamp did not help matter either.

A crunch was heard when I tried to step over a huge root. Peering into the semi-darkness, I was shocked to see that I had crumbled a leg bone protruding out the soft overturned earth. Leaping out the pit, my lamp slipped from my fingers and dropped in the pit where the bones were.

The flickering light of the lamp reflected off a bauble before dying in the wind.

‘Mr. Liam…Mr. Alexander…Detective…Mlle. Lépine…could someone pass the light of your lamp over here please?’ I was eager to know what was made the light reflect so brightly.

 

[Khadgar]

Alexander Grey

Alexander ran over and passed his lamp to Belly, he had apparently found something. thrusting the light foreward he watched Belly as he looked into the light.

 

[chewbacca71]

Liam

Liam noticed that small pile of bones when Belly's light had reflected off it and also noticed what looked like a small gem of some sort. After Alexander passed Belly his light, Liam looked to see what he could do. He noticed that the gem seemed to be trapped under one of the roots of the tree. Liam got into the pit with Belly. He grasped the root of the tree with both hands. With a mighty heave and a flex of well muscled arms, the root was pulled all the way up and the treasure was unearthed. Liam picked up the object and gave it to Belly to hold. Wiping his hands on his pants, Liam climbed out of the pit.

 

[Shaq]

Detective Lovejoy

Lovejoy had been walking behind the group ever since they left the mansion. After a hearty meal and warm liquor in him he felt as though his brain had the blood to begin working again. As he walks with the others Lovejoy wonders what Prof. Plum plans on doing while they investigate on his land.

Turning his attention to those who accompany him outside Lovejoy notices how serious they are. "Perhaps Belly does not jest after all." Lovejoy thinks curiously. "But can they truly believe in spooks and spirits in this day and age!?" he thinks with a slight laugh.

Suddenly a bright light grabs his attention. Peering over madam Lepine and Alexander Grey Lovejoy sees Liam descend into some sort of pit and return with an object in his hands. Watching him hand the object to Belly Lovejoy gets a sudden cold chill. Immediately he gets the strange feeling that the group is being watched so he turns around only to see nothing but the lights of manor.

 

[Firesprite]

Deep in the forest a ghostly form flickers through the trees

 

[chewbacca71]

Liam

"Well Belly, what is it? I could tell it was a bauble of some sort, but no details could I see in the poor light. What is it that was buried within these bones, under the tree? "

 

[Lady Talia]

Talia

I wrappe my cloak around me tighter and peeped around Belly fora better look at the tree. This was all very intriguing but the 'bones' sent chills up my spine and I hadn't even seen them yet.

We would look a very comic group, venturing outside at this time of night just to stare at some bones beneath an uprooted tree instead of being inside in bed, warm and safe.

This said I stil wasn't about to move anywhere. Hell no! This was right out of one of my mystery books, an apparition and now bones? Blimey!

And I wondered at the interest Belly continued to administer in my direstion. It's a good thing I didn't get flattered.

 

[Zircon]

Belly

The crunch of torn roots and ancient bones made a loud noise in the silence of the night. Everyone, including myself, were holding our breaths, as Mr. Liam unearthed the now brightly shining stone. It was a ring. Mr. Liam had unceremoniously deposited it in my hands.

Using my shirt tail as a wipe-cloth, I cleaned the ring of dirt and mud. I cringed when I pulled shards of bone off it.

‘It’s a ring, Mr. Liam. A very nice one now that the mud is off it. A huge ruby set in intricately-wrought silver. Truly, Mr. Liam, this is no mere bauble. The craftsmanship that has gone into its creation is exquisite.’ I held up the ring for the rest to see. The light from the lamps all now focused on my palm.

‘I wonder though why is it here in the first place. Buried with its owner beside this prominent tree on the grounds. If the wind had not uprooted it, we might not have known of its existence. Well, anyone here care to guess as its origins, and the gruesome find that the storm has unearthed? Detective? Mlle. Lépine? Anyone?’

Suddenly the hairs at the back of my neck stood up as if a chill of an unworldly origin descended upon the dark woods shy of the grounds. As the others kept looking at the ring, I glanced to where the light from lamps cannot penetrate the gloom. A source of light flitted through the trees, surreal and quite unnerving. The corporeal being was still around it seemed.

‘The Ruby on this ring is finely cut, which is why it reflected the dim light so brightly. Hahaha! I think we should call it Blood-Stone or something of some sort, on the account of its prominent stone color…’

 

[Khadgar]

Alexander Grey

Alexander looked at the bones with interest. and the ruby, this person was obviously well off to have a gem like this.

"who is this? it's on Plum's land, and to have a ruby like that, maybe she was a resident. i think we should go see what he knows"

Alexander looked at the people near the tree, and then back at the corpse. who was it?

 

[Shaq]

Detective Lovejoy

Using a magnifying glass Lovejoy peers at the stone. "I have studied gems from all over the world but I can't quite place this one I'm afraid." he says. "But our dear Mr. Grey is correct. We have discovered a corpse upon the gentleman Plum's estate. Moreover, it appears as though some force has led us to these remains and that is a truth I find chilling." he continues.

Then with a grim look Lovejoy glares at the stone and says "We must confront him with this news. Let us see his reaction to the news of the corpse before we question him as to the origin of this stone. What say you all?" he finishes.

 

[chewbacca71]

Liam

"Well, it would not be right to go in and accuse him of anything. But tis his manor and he would be the person to know the people on here the best. With the craftsmanship of that ring, it would be something people would remember seeing. However, why would someone leave it behind with a mouldering corpse? Better to sell it for the value of the gem. Something is not what it seems with this. "

 

[Lady Talia]

Talia

I was quite intrigued at all of this. and never had I actually seen such a beautiful ring!

I spoke up then.

"Perhaps, this belongs to one of his family members whose grave was accidentily covered with this tree. "

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Zoé Lépine:

"Monsieur Guthrie? May I take a look at that ring"

There was something intrigant about that ring. Not so much the ring, the silverwork was superbe, but... maybe it was the light, but it didn't really look like a ruby. I took it in my hands and tried scratching the surface un peu. And that shimmering red overcoat just started to come right off! It was like, dried, crystallized blood, covering the stone.

I asked for more light, as I continued to expose the real stone.

"Funny you should mention that, Monsieur Guthrie" I said as I removed the last of the dirt. It wasn't a ruby at all, it was jasper, extensively dotted with red. "For this really is... a bloodstone."

 

[Shaq]

Detective Lovejoy

Scratching his chin Lovejoy says "You are most correct Mr. Guthrie, things are not as they seem. Questions are plentiful but answers sparse. While I would be remiss to even think of accusing a man who has shown us all such hospitality this evening we must concede that if any of us can answer the questions that plague us it is he."

 

[The GrandMage]

Prof. Plum

The fire crackled in the hearth. Warm, inviting. The old professor dozed in his favorite chair, chin touching his chest, arms on the chair arms. He was silent in his dreamless sleep, his chest barely moving. At the begining, some of the staff that lived in the house, to see to the guests needs after dark, had thought him dead, especially in his old age. He was far older than others, and many considered him living on borrowed time, only to fall over dead any minute now.

Curled up on the old man's lap was the cat, Baxter. The cat also slept, letting out little purrs at odd intervals, basking in the warmth of the fire, and the body of the master. It was peaceful here, dry and warm, a great difference to those outside, where it was cold, wet, with ghosts and dead bodies abounding.

 

[PmTick]

Arnold

Arnold saw the light from a lamp flickering in the distance. He ran toward the light, "Leave the grounds alone you snobs!!! I'm responsible for cleaning everything up and planting the shrubbery!!!"

As he got closer to the group, Arnold saw the remains in the soil. Astonished, his eyes became the size of silver dollars and his jaw dropped. "Mercy!! What is going on here?"

 

[PmTick]

Arnold

As he spoke, the smell of liquor filled the air. He hoped the cold rain dulled the guests' senses enough to ignore the smell of whiskey on his breath. The last thing Arnold needed was his wife discovering his whisky sanctuary.

 

[chewbacca71]

Liam

Liam looks in fascination at the newly cleaned gem. He had never before seen the likes of it. He had never heard of a bloodstone, his schooling taking up all his free time. He asked to see the stone again, just as a man came running up to them . He was complaining that they were destroying the scrubbery. Liam realized that this must be the caretaker. Confirmation of that was made when the whiff of cheap whiskey washed over him from the mans breath. "Mr. Caretaker, what thinks you of this? Look, there is only the remains of an unfortunate person lingering under this overturned tree. Would you happen to know who this might be? We are all curious. "

 

[PmTick]

Arnold shook his head from side to side, "No idea, if you had to unroot the plat it must have been there for awhile."

 

[chewbacca71]

Liam

Liam looked over at the caretaker. "Actually the storm had uprooted this tree, it was pretty much as we found it. I did a little autopsy work on the roots to get to where we needed to, but it was already down. So you have no idea on this eh? Or is it at this point you have no idea? Come see us when you sober up." So saying, Liam turns his back on the caretaker.

"Come all of you, let us go back to the Mansion. This damp night air is not good for our lungs. I dont have enough herbs to cure us if we all get sick. Plus , we have some questions to ask the Professor."