Investigating Moonsedge

Under construction. Coming back to edit later! - Nalver/Ross

[Moonsedge, Bramble and Dirge]

A tall black iron lamppost sits at the intersection of Bramble Street and Dirge Row. A weathered sign once hung from chains beneath the post's outstretched arm, but rust has eaten through them. The sign lies in a dying bed of ornamental brambles, devoured by rot. Tall, greying buildings with broken windows like gouged eyes stare down on the crossing blindly, not a hint of light within. Obvious paths: north, east, south, west

The sign's words are smudged and the wood is on the verge of becoming mulch. Mushrooms have begun to sprout from its underside.

[Moonsedge, Guard Tower]

Racks of weapons, rusted to the point of uselessness, occupy the lower story of the watchtower. Though blunted by corrosion, the deteriorating blades were obviously once of impressive make. Stone steps climb in a spiral toward the tower's top, proceeding behind a curved wall adorned with a large crimson banner embroidered with a rising charcoal crescent moon with a briar sprig before it. Obvious exits: up, out

On the weapon racks: Misc [1]: some deteriorating blades

The blades are pocked and pitted with corrosion, having been left to the damp for too long to be salvageable. One fine weapon is fused to its scabbard by a thick layer of rust.

[Moonsedge, Ash and Dirge]

A retaining wall along the intersection holds back the earthen beds of several overgrown mountain ash trees that loom over the road. The trees' branches are denuded of leaves but heavy with snow and clusters of berries, each as rich a red as a droplet of freshly spilled blood. Graven into the retaining wall is a bas-relief of robed figures leading a procession. The sign of a nearby inn creaks in the breeze. Obvious paths: east, south, west

The sign features a horned ram opposite a black bird with spread wings and blood on its beak. The blood appears a more recent addition.

[Moonsedge, Dirge Row] Hooded figures stand along the streetside, carved beautifully from lustrous dark grey stone. One statue is taller than the rest, robes draping her oddly elongated limbs. The facades of the surrounding buildings are ostentatiously ornate, featuring bas-relief thorns and grotesque faces, each more comedically hideous than the last. Dirge Row bends away from the encroaching walls of the city, turning toward the southeast. Obvious paths: southeast, west

statue: There is the suggestion of femininity to the shape of the statue's hips and chest, but its face is a featureless void beneath the curve of its carved robes. The creature's limbs are long and thin, stretched like a shadow's. She wears a ring bearing countless keys from a chain at her waist.

[Moonsedge, Scarlet Road] At the bend of the road sits a shrine in an overgrown bed of wolfsbane, the purple blossoms drooping mournfully over the stone carving. The effigy, a half-dome of white marble encasing a woman with wild locks and an athletic build, has tokens and offerings heaped before it, from ribbons to golden coins. Overhead, a gargoyle on the walls watches the offerings with dispassionate eyes. Obvious paths: north, west

effigy: The woman depicted in marble wears breeches and a loose tunic that does little to hide her athletic physique. She holds a sharpened spike overhead in a pose that could be either threatening or protective.

[Moonsedge, Gem Shop] Paintings of fanciful trinkets and ostentatious adornments line the walls of the store, likely a mirror to the jewelry that once lined beds of black velvet near to the windows. Not a trace of gold glistens within the looted shop. Even the inlay on the counter has been pried free. You also see a shifting portal and an emperor penguin. Obvious exits: out

In the Common language, it reads:

NO SILVER HERE

OUT OF STOCK

[Moonsedge, Ash and Scarlet] Mountain ash trees lean over the roadside, heavy with clusters of bright red berries. They shadow the wreckage of a cleric's shop set back from the street, protected from prying eyes by high hedges. Heavy doors of elm bear the scars of axe blows and the windows are shattered, but a barricade on the other side blocks entry. Obvious paths: north, east, south, west

Store: The windows are shattered, but a heavy barricade of furnishings blocks entry into the locked store. Within, the shelves are denuded of holy symbols, racks of blessed weapons are bare, and a decanter of holy water is empty.

[Moonsedge, Ash Row] Stirred by the breeze, a thin skim of sludge swirls sluggishly in the basin of a black marble fountain. The spouts of the fountain, hoisted aloft by nubile maidens and supple young men adorned with gilt, are choked with opportunistic flora that has dried in time with the water. Across the street, the rear wall of a large manor house is draped in vines that are almost obscenely lush, garish with a growth of crimson flowers. Obvious paths: north, south

Coins wink from the sludge of the fountain, gold and silver and copper.

In the marble fountain: Misc [1]: some coins Total items: 1

The coins are a bit corroded and feature unfamiliar faces on them. Beyond that, they are spattered with muck.

Wall: Beautiful as the vines draping the wall are, they offer little purchase and many thorns. It does not look as if the wall can be scaled, and even if it could, the razor sharp spikes at the top would end that adventure quickly.

[Moonsedge, Smithy] A cadaver hangs from the soot-blackened rafters of the smithy, his flesh ravaged with claw-marks and bites as if wild animals have been at the body. The forge has been cold long enough to have a silvery coating of dust over it, and the leather of the nearby bellows is torn to shreds. Weapon blades of iron and steel lie in a pile on the ground, fused together by rust. Obvious exits: out

forge: Droplets of metallic silver gleam from near the mouth of the forge, looking more recent than the other spillage from their level of tarnish.

[Moonsedge, Bramble Street] All that remains of a once-prosperous alchemist's shop is a pile of charred wreckage. A gleaming steel sign protrudes from the ruins, its edges catching the moonlight. The glass of broken vials and beakers litters the destruction, shining like a reflected constellation of stars from the collapsed pile of stone and wood. Obvious paths: north, south, west

shop: The shop must have once been quite large, judging from the pile of rubble left behind. Stones from the walls and ceiling are burned, some by a blaze hot enough to have melted the rock and left behind chunks that look more like spent candles than bricks.

Sign: In the Common language, it reads: West's Alchemy

[Moonsedge, Umbral Road] A cemetery stretches along the side of the road, banks of rolling green grass concealing crooked headstones and plinths. The largest of the memorials is a mausoleum of alabaster etched with a bas-relief of a surpassingly beautiful woman in a flowing gown. Businesses seem to give the cemetery wide berth, though from the look of their shuttered windows and boarded doors, they are as dead as the graveyard's occupants. Obvious paths: east

Mausoleum: A heavy sealed door guards the mausoleum. The woman etched into the face toward the street is preternaturally lovely. Her gown flows like a cloud around her form.

[Moonsedge, Ash and Umbral] Vibrantly colorful to the point of being lurid, the collapsed remnant of a fortuneteller's tent drape over the cobblestones of the intersection. Sitting upright before the spill of fabric and broken furnishings and oddly untouched, a crystal ball is aglow with refracted moonlight. Several embossed fortune cards flap in the stiff breeze, painted with elaborate figures and scenes. Obvious paths: north, west

tent: The riotous colors of the tent have been muted with dirt from trampling boots.

Crystal ball: The ball is miraculously unharmed, with not a scratch on the crystal surface. Staring into its depths, the warped shapes and colors of the surroundings meld into a watery image of fangs and lightless eyes.

[Moonsedge, Nimbus Bridge] Near the zenith of the bridge, a black covered coach stands abandoned, the leads cut and one of its wheels badly bent. The vehicle's windows are shattered, and the doors are savaged with claw marks. One of the coach's doors is open toward the bridge's safety wall, where a pile of moldy luggage lies. Obvious paths: north, up

coach: Glass litters the interior of the coach. The fine fabrics within are stained with dark dried blood.

[Moonsedge, Widow's Bluff] Stretching out over the deep ravine, the finger of land teeters precipitously over a drop of hundreds of feet. Grasses grow doggedly up to and over the land's edge, their roots poking out of the underside of the thin lip of stone and earth. A single boulder sits atop the bluff like a rocky crown. Obvious paths: east

boulder: The words "I'll be with you soon" are engraved into the rock of the boulder in an uneven hand.

[Moonsedge Castle, Ward] An imposing statue of white marble stands to the side of the flagstone path proceeding through the castle ward. It depicts a man of powerful build, armored in chainmail, as he menaces a huge striking serpent with a blade. The eyes of the man have been gouged out, and chunks of white stone litter the surrounding grasses. Nearby lies a bent pickaxe that appears to have been the vandal's weapon of choice. Obvious paths: northeast, west

The man depicted in the statue once had regal features, but his face is twisted by the cracks emanating from the crags where his eyes once were. He stands with his sword raised, ready to vanquish the striking serpent before him. His carved cloak is etched with the emblem of a shield.

[Moonsedge Castle, Well] A covered well sits at the intersection of two flagstone paths, one winding toward the castle entrance in the east and the other dwindling as it meanders northward. The sounds of flowing water echo up from below, crisply musical. A number of pottery jugs rest next to the well, consumed by the high grasses during the flora's unfettered growth. Obvious paths: southeast, southwest, northwest

rope: The rope ends in a neat slice, and its bucket is lost in the depths below. The length of hemp sways in the breeze.

[Moonsedge Castle, Ward] To the northwest, the flagstones grow scarcer before giving way entirely to a narrow dirt trail that proceeds under an arch of sweetbriar into the gardens. The paved walkway continues eastward, bending closer to the castle. A wagon nearby is unattended, its bed full of grey and decomposing vegetation, though whether the refuse began as weeds or flesh plants for the garden is unclear. Obvious paths: east, west, northwest

In the wooden wagon: Misc [1]: some decomposing vegetation Total items: 1 The vision fades and your surroundings come back into focus.

vegetation: The plants are very dead.

[Moonsedge Castle, Gardens] The shadow of a lone yew tree stretches long and dark over the resplendence of the overrun garden's flowers, its boughs still white with trapped snowfall. Old and wide-bodied, the tree has an immense trunk that is thick and ungainly, gnarled from long years of growth. A thin path proceeds underneath the conifer's drooping, scratching branches, winding northeastward. Obvious paths: northeast, south

tree: The tree's gnarled trunk is thick and unlovely. A crevice in its bole is large enough to embrace a full-grown halfling. Someone has carved a smiling face on the other side of the trunk in an attempt to leaven its gloomy appearance, but growth has made the smile lopsided and unpleasant.

[Moonsedge Castle, Gardens] In a silent copse at the garden's edge, sheltered by the bend of the castle wall, there sits a single grave. The briar roses heaped onto the mound of earth are fresh, dew frozen onto their dazzlingly red petals like a dusting of diamonds. A single spent candle sits before the headstone, the sweetness of its beeswax almost lost in the perfume of the neighboring verdure. Obvious paths: southwest

Headstone: There appears to be something written on it..

In the Common language, it reads: Here she lies, my life's love and my love's life. Always shall we sing our songs, in night or day, in life or death.

[Moonsedge Castle, Ward] A pair of heavy stone doors is set into the ground at a slight angle, guarding the entrance to a vault or storeroom beneath the castle. Heavy beams hold the doors shut, secured by thick silver nails. The path proceeds past the blockaded entrance, passing a spray of dried blood on the wall nearby. Obvious paths: southeast, northwest

a spray of dried blood:. The gout of dried blood is several feet from top to bottom. No sign of its owner exists in the neighboring grasses nor are they stained with any sanguine leavings.

[Moonsedge Castle, Training Yard] A line of archery targets stands near to the castle walls, the painted bullseyes pocked with holes from past successes. Lying abandoned in the high grasses, a bow with a broken bowstring sits as a remnant of a time before the yard fell into disuse. Its wood is silvered and splintered from exposure and neglect. Obvious paths: east

a wooden bow: The bow is warped and its bowstring is snapped. Its wood bears a small enchanter's mark that has started to fade from the onslaught of the sun and weather.

[Moonsedge Castle, Pond] A decorative pond stretches along the front of the castle, the water cold and murky. Rising gently over the waters, a bridge of dark, rough-hewn stones arcs to the northeastern shore, where the flagstone path toward the castle entrance continues. Around the shores of the pond, the grasses grow thick, competing with hardy reeds for space. Obvious paths: northeast, west

a dark stone bridge: A patch of blinded lilies grows in the dark shadows beneath the bridge, the deadly flowers possessed of warning hues: vibrant oranges and lurid pinks.

[Moonsedge Castle, Antechamber] Forbidding pillars of charcoal grey marble support a cathedral ceiling that is limned with an elaborate mural of a night sky alive with a fall of bright crimson petals. From the support arches are strung banners bearing the rising moon and briar sprig of the house. Two suits of full plate armor, far too tall and broad to be other than display pieces, stand guard over the grey stone doors leading out into the castle yard. Obvious exits: north

a suit of full plate armor: Like its mate, the suit of armor is a complete set of full plate, from visored helm to sabatons. The helmet sprouts a lush plume of crimson feathers, and the shadows beyond its grated visor are impenetrably dark. A sprig of bramble against a rising moon is emblazoned on the breastplate, and the sigil is repeated on its polished golden spurs. The armor is magnificently adorned with bright gilt tracery that stands out dazzlingly from the dark steel beneath.

[Moonsedge Castle, Grand Hall] Candles gloriously illuminate the polished stone surfaces of the castle's grand hall, a cavernous chamber that proceeds to the east and west. There are dozens adorning a singularly immense chandelier that hangs overhead, a three-tiered confection of gold and ruby. Huge marble floor tiles reflect the honeyed light, save at the center of the room, where jeweled tesserae form a mosaic of the house's briar sprig and rising moon sigil. Ahead, massive double doors open onto a stone passage. Obvious exits: east, south, west

a jeweled mosaic:

Dark grey agates form a rising moon on a bed of vermilion firedrops. A briar sprig shaped from brilliant rubies the hue of fresh-spilled blood is suspended before the luminous moon.

[Moonsedge Castle, Sunroom] A spacious sunroom is sequestered from the grand hall by lush silken curtains that are the color of fresh-spilled blood. Opposite the draperies, a wide stained glass window allows in daylight, the grey and scarlet panels staining the radiance with jeweled colors. Near to a velvet fainting couch, a semicircle of chairs sits facing away from the windows. Obvious exits: north

some lush silken curtains:

Petal patterns are worked into the fabric, barely noticeable save through close inspection.

a dark grey velvet couch

The couch is upholstered in deep grey velvet and looks very comfortable.

[Moonsedge Castle, Backstage - 32461] (u4577211) A vanity with an attached mirror, just one of several along the far wall, sits near the stage door. Several candelabra light the small, immaculately clean space, which smells faintly of powder and greasepaints. Near the back of the chamber, a rack holds several wigs made from real hair. You also see a shifting portal and an emperor penguin. Obvious exits: none

On the vanity: Misc [1]: a parchment script Total items: 1

In the Common language, it reads:

Interview with the Vereri

A Licentious Tale in Three Parts

On the rack: Misc [1]: some colorful wigs Total items: 1

wigs: There are wigs in every natural color, from deepest black to platinum blonde, and several exotic colors like green and purple, too.

[Moonsedge Castle, Service Door - 32333] (u4576056) Crates and barrels of a variety of woods and makes crowd along the walls but leave an open aisle leading up to some reinforced double doors that open out onto the castle ward. Though shut and sealed, the containers offer tantalizing hints of the goods within. A ribbon of incarnadine silk peeks from a slat in one crate, while a distinctive barrel is redolent with odors of honey, vanilla, and cinnamon. You also see a cadaverous tatterdemalion ghast. Obvious exits: south

a portly barrel: The barrel bears the mark of a trading company based in Briarmoon Cove.

crate: Judging from the stamps on the crate, it appears to have originated from Chastonia.

[Moonsedge Castle, Grand Hall - 32333] (u4576056) Starlight creeps through stained glass windows that dominate the eastern wall, the tenuous light reddened by the colored panes. It illuminates a raised dais on which are set tables and seats that watch over the hall. To the north, the high ceilings rise in parallel with a series of steps that climb toward an ostentatious chamber. No less grand is a jeweled archway to the east. Opposite the steps is a smaller, less impressive arch framing the entrance to the kitchens. Obvious exits: north, south, west

a jeweled archway: The archway is abundantly inlaid with jewels in a variety of wintry hues, from white opals to pale chunks of milky rose quartz the color of cherry blossoms. Its keystone is inlaid with a gate sigil in gold.

[Moonsedge Castle, Throne Room - 32333] (u4576056) Opulent chandeliers adorned with firedrops and duskjewels hang high overhead, casting sharp-edged shards of colored light on the lush velvet runners of the throne room. They climb several sets of decorative steps toward a gilded throne that sits beneath a livid scarlet banner stitched with a briar sprig before a charcoal grey moon. Smaller seats that are no less opulent sit in a crescent, with the elevated throne situated at the zenith. Crossed swords on the wall gleam with fresh polish. Obvious exits: south

a gilded throne:

The throne is comfortably padded and upholstered in carmine silk. Wrought from golvern, it is beautifully adorned with bramble patterns of gilt filigree.

[Moonsedge Castle, Dining Room] Beneath the light of a tiered chandelier hung from the pine-paneled ceiling, a massive bloodwood table hosts an ostentatious banquet on trays of bone and porcelain. Each place setting at the table has heavy golden utensils that are freshly polished and devoid of even a speck of dust. A burled arch in the far wall frames a swinging door through which fleeting glimpses of an immaculate kitchen are visible. Obvious exits: north

a massive bloodwood table: The table is laden with a sumptuous feast. Ortolans drowned in brandy rest on fine porcelain, poached aivren eggs are colorfully specked with fresh saffron, and thinly sliced ki-lin carpaccio sits on one bone platter. The liquid in the crystal goblets at each setting is as red as wine but thicker, and it smells of iron.

[Moonsedge Castle, Larder] Intense cold embitters the air of the expansive larder, a basement dug into the earth beneath the castle and surrounded by imposing walls of black rock. The carcasses hanging from the low ceiling are still but untouched by rot, the subterranean frigidity helping keep decay at bay. One corpse looks to have been bipedal. Several barrels of brined fish in one corner lend a salty aroma that keeps the air sharply fresh. You also see a stone stairwell ascending to the kitchens. Obvious exits: east

a hanging corpse:

The corpse looks to have been an elf in life. His eyes, clouded over in death, are wide with surprise. Other than one side of his neck, which is a ruin crusted in dried blood, he looks to have no other obvious injuries.

[Moonsedge Castle, Wine Cellar] Barrels of wine occupy wrought iron racks that travel from floor to ceiling in the frigid cellar. A silvery layer of dust clings to even the newest barrel, a cask of syrah from Talador. Shelves along the eastern wall are home to glinting bottles of rarer vintages, the glass's colors ranging from deep red to gentle green. Obvious exits: west

a dusty wine cask: The maker's mark on the lid of the cask indicates that the wine was barreled in Talador in 5107.

[Moonsedge Castle, Chapel] Twin candelabra to either side of the jeweled archway illuminate the chapel. Ceiling murals display scenes of winter and snow-swept landscapes, broken into vignettes by an impressive array of high arches. An alcove along the northern wall is given over to an immense organ whose brass pipes occupy the surrounding walls. Between pews, a center aisle lushly carpeted in scarlet and charcoal proceeds eastward and up to a colossal statue of white marble. Obvious exits: east

an immense pipe organ: Tall brass pipes adorn the walls behind and to either side of the organ, varied in heights and widths. The keys are carved from ebony and age-darkened ivory.

a jeweled archway: The archway is abundantly inlaid with jewels in a variety of wintry hues, from white opals to pale chunks of milky rose quartz the color of cherry blossoms. Its keystone is inlaid with a gate sigil in gold.

[Moonsedge Castle, Chapel] Jewels of multifarious hues encrust a sphere suspended from the ceiling, casting a prismatic storm of colors over the cold features of an aged bone statue. The figure stands atop a raised dais draped in black velvet, the pooling spills of which look almost liquid in the radiance. Behind her, a mural on the wall depicts a vast black gate with only shadows beyond. Obvious exits: west

an aged bone statue: Carved from ancient bone that has taken on the rich darkness of age, the statue takes the form of a skeletally thin woman with a severe face. A wealth of curling hair frames her unforgiving features, casting dark shadows over her stern eyes. One hand is held aloft, carrying a set of jeweled keys, while the other is tangled in the folded fabric of her robes.

[Moonsedge Castle, Library] Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves of dark-stained Ossian pine flank the arched entrance of the library, over which hangs a carved plaque. Several tables sit in a clearing among the looming shelves, cluttered with open tomes and sheaves of paper. The windows are imbued with swirls of carmine color that blunt the brilliance of the moonlight streaming in at the cost of staining it vividly red. Obvious exits: southeast, west

a carved plaque: There appears to be something written on it.

In the Common language, it reads: Silence in the Library

[Moonsedge Castle, Gallery] Near the mouth of the gallery, a portrait in a brilliantly gilded frame looks down at the walkway with a bemused smile on her face. The painting depicts a surpassingly beautiful woman framed against a quay tossed by storms. Drapes have been drawn over the broad picture windows along the hallway, and the light of the torches on the opposite wall makes the eyes of the figure seem to dance with secret amusement. Obvious exits: east, southwest

a gilt-framed portrait:

The redheaded woman depicted in the portrait is clad in a gown appliqued with luminous feathers. She holds a nosegay of purple hyacinth, windflower, and caladium to her nose, the blossoms failing to conceal a hint of a smile quirking her lips. Behind her, an overturned wagon is dashed upon the rocks of the quay by a storm-tossed sea, and a bleak, bearded silhouette is seared into the clouds by a forking bolt of sickly green-white lightning. There appears to be something written on it.

In the Common language, it reads: The Lady Kolita at Charl's Quay, By the painter Estephan

[Moonsedge Castle, Gallery] Among the various portraits and landscapes occupying the northern wall of the gallery, a tastefully framed artwork is given pride of place. The hoarbeam-framed portrait depicts a man with raven locks charging into the fray on horseback, his sturdy mount bloodied from battle. Candlelight makes the flames of warfare in the background seem to flicker and lick at the night sky beyond. Obvious exits: southeast, west

s a portrait framed in hoarbeam: The portrait depicts a dashing, dark-haired man riding into battle on horseback. His horse is a large creature depicted in a way that suggests it has more muscle than sense, with wide-set eyes and a drooping tongue. Heedless of his mount's deficiencies, the man's face is one of determination as his cloak swirls brilliantly behind him. Around his throat is a garland of daffodil, desert candle, and orange lily.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Common language, it reads: The Lord Attam in Battle with Incompetence By the painter Mazut

[Moonsedge Castle, Gallery's End] The gallery comes to an end beneath a gilded arch that is gratuitously decorated with bramble carvings. Alone on the wall beneath it is an ebony-framed portrait that depicts a proud, pale man holding a goblet of wine aloft. Censers of thick, sweet smoke hang from the ceiling near the picture on steel chains, making it look more of a shrine than an art display. Obvious exits: northwest

an ebony-framed portrait:

Framed in ebony darker than deep shadows, the portrait is a sprawling piece that depicts a man with proud, patrician features. His hair, so light a blond as to be nearly silver, falls around his face in lank spills. In one hand, he holds a cup of ruby red wine aloft. The other grips a bouquet of bay leaves, basil, and arborvitae so tightly that the knuckles are white.

[Moonsedge Castle, Quarters] An oversized four-poster bed occupies the far wall of the room, which is appliqued with patterns of falling sweetbriar petals in dark paint. Ghostly veils of lace hang from the bed's curtain rods, making it look as if swathed in pale mist. Near to the door sits a heavily adorned chest with a gilded padlock, its wrought golvern frame taking the form of interlocking brambles. Obvious exits: none

The emperor penguin examines a wrought golvern chest curiously. You see nothing unusual.

[Moonsedge Castle, Atelier] Waxen candle stubs cling to their sockets in a golden candelabrum like destitute lepers, providing the only stable source of light in the dim studio. Covered canvases gather in the shadows of the room, most shrouded in velvet. The burled maple paneling of the floor is coated in a layer of silvery dust. In the room's center, a portrait is limned in shades of ash rose and dusky gold, the feminine figure within turned away from an ornate gilded steel door in the eastern wall. Obvious exits: south, west

a portrait: Raven-dark locks frame the face of the painting's exotic female subject, who is depicted at dusk in an ash-rose velvet ballgown. Hanging from her neck is an ornate golden key dangling from a woven metal chain. One of her hands cradles the key; the other rests upon a leatherbound tome sitting on a table before her. The woman's face is tilted slightly to her left, as if she is trapped in mid-glance at a sealed door in the painting's background.

candelabrum: Though old and scarred, the candelabrum may once have been a fine accoutrement. Impeccable etchings detail a spiral of rosemary sprigs twining about the base.

[Moonsedge Castle, Study] Beneath heavily curtained windows, a writing desk is scattered with letters. Atop it, a heavy brass stamp lies on its side, still caked with grey-swirled crimson wax. Candles burn in nooks and in several clusters on the stone floor but not in sufficient numbers to raise the illumination beyond a wavering golden glow. Obvious exits: east

The stamp is shaped like a rising moon with a bramble sprig positioned before it. Despite its small size, it looks quite heavy, and the metalwork is intricate.

>read let In the Common language, it reads:

My Heart, My Blood,

Do not mourn for me after I am gone. I will be in the lady's embrace and will await you beyond the gates. I hear the cries of the ravens calling me into mysteries beyond imagining.

Ever Yours,

--I.

[Moonsedge Castle, Crypt] Recessed shelves of dust-laden stone stretch along the walls. Skulls beyond count, of a variety of shapes and sizes, rest amid the dust, their empty black sockets staring sightlessly out at the crypt. Spiderwebs form a funeral veil over the lifeless bones, wispy, tattered, and dangling detritus. You also see an ashen patrician vampire. Obvious exits: southeast, west

On the stone shelf: Containers [1]: a fractured skull

The skull is turned slightly to the left so that its eyes do not look out onto the crypt straight on.

[Moonsedge Castle, Crypt] Empty niches stand behind a podium of black stone hoisting a hide-bound tome aloft. The pale, mottled binding of the book is secured by chains that dangle a variety of heavy veil iron padlocks. Footprints mar the dust caking the floor leading up to the podium. You also see a horned basalt grotesque. Obvious exits: northeast, southeast

a pale hide-bound tome

The book is surpassingly old. Cracks have begun to form in the fine hide of its cover. Heavy chains and padlocks of veil iron secure it. There appears to be something written on it. In the Common language, it reads: Secrets of the Unliving Bandur Etrevion, H.S., M.C.L., R.L.N.

[Moonsedge Castle, Crypt] Gilt on an ancient painting gleams from the walls, though time has made the thin metallic layer peel at the edges. Flanked by graves carved into the walls, the mural depicts golden, winged figures soaring above a gate that is blacker than the surrounding shadows. A displaced skull lies on the ground, its empty eye sockets fixed on the artwork. Obvious exits: east, northwest

a broken skull: The skull is missing a chunk of its jaw on the left side.

[Moonsedge Castle, Crypt] The shadows of the square-cut niches are nearly impenetrable, their oppressive darkness concealing all but the faintest hints of the remains within. One skull has its fleshless features turned toward the aisle. Scratch marks around one of its eyes indicate that a creature has made a nest within. Cut into the stone of the floor, steps proceed northward, rising in a slow climb toward a raised dais at the center of the crypt. You also see a flickering mist-wreathed banshee. Obvious exits: north, east, west

a scratched skull: Bits of hay and tattered cloth form a nest within.

[Moonsedge Castle, Crypt] Standing guard over squared niches in the walls, the tall bronze statue of a bearded old man raises his rod over the passageway. Behind him, the wall is etched with an ornate gate with flourishes like wings spreading from it to either side. One niche near the mural once held bones, but they have mostly collapsed into chalky grit. You also see a cadaverous tatterdemalion ghast. Obvious exits: southwest, northwest

a tall bronze statue: Though his face is lined from the passage of years, the old man's posture is erect and his bearing proud. He holds a rod aloft, blinded eyes staring sightlessly as he faces down an unseen f

[Moonsedge Castle, Smith's Tomb] Atop a shallow series of steps is a carved coffin of old, stained marble, its sides etched with hammer and anvil devices. Driven into the coffin at an angle is a rusted sword of once-fine make. Obvious exits: south

read coff In the Common language, it reads:

Here lies Morfell Destrieder,

Of the Lady of Winter, Beloved and Betrayer

Master, Deceiver, and Redeemer