V2 - The Haunted Mansion
Four miles east of Saltmarsh, off the old coastal road, stands an eerie looking house. Built by an aged and sinister alchemist as a residence , it has ever been a blight on the otherwise picturesque town of Saltmarsh. The massive structure sits atop a large hill casting dark, forbidding shadows upon the surrounding countryside. Those traveling upon the road speak of feeling as if the house glares angrily at them as they pass by. When it was inhabited the locals avoided the house and the many mysterious lights and sounds, a tradition which has continued through it's twenty-year vacancy since the alchemist disappeared without a trace leaving it silent and slowly sinking into disrepair. Now dilapidated and long abandoned, the house hangs over the cliff-side like an ancient gargoyle perched above its prey--looming and ready for the kill. The once sturdy stone wall encircling the entire grounds has slowly yielded, over the years, to erosion, and the southern portion drowned beneath the waves and it's fragments mingled with portions of the cliff face that were unable to bear its weight. Along the crumbled edge, the front door gapes like a hungry maw, ready to swallow the ocean below it.
A few years ago, passing ships and travelers along the road started reporting the return of blood curdling screams and other-worldly lights emanating from it. Its reputation grew darker and more forbidding, aided as so many stories are by embellishments from rumors and hearsay. Eager to avoid unnecessary trouble, the townsfolk do their best not to speak of it nor acknowledge its existence. More recently, dwarves commuting to the nearby mining site complain of horrible shrieks, eerie lights, and fearsome ghosts accosting them along the road near the manor. The situation has deteriorated to the point they will only pass by when the sun is high. This restriction has created a thorn for Manistrad Copperlocks since it disrupts the mining schedule. Manistrad has appealed to the town council on many occasions, but they have claimed that it's beyond their border and therefore not an issue for council attention.
As you are brought before the council, Manistrad is exhorting the council to do something regarding the house. Capt Eliander Fireborn sees your approach, quickly sizes up your equipment and proposes to send you as a no cost exploration option.
Two story manor with a stone wall that surrounds the back of the house.
Visibly you can see broken windows and where the roof collapsed.
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