Melody died in the vault. Her body is still possessed by and animated by Erisu. In the vault today are Erisu (as Melody), and five corpses: Eldred Alegar II who died here last week, a soldier named Tom Romer who died here only a little after the war, a vagabond named Andrew Ingerson who died here thirty years ago, a merchant named Donald Gemmon who died here ten years ago, and a thief named Scott Preston who died here four years ago. Erisu can raise these corpses as undead given enough demonic power. Eldred’s despair was a feast for Erisu, which is why the ghosts and creatures are more dangerous now than they’ve been in years.
The vault is an other-worldly, ethereal place, created as a permanent lost corner. The walls, ceiling, and floor appear as stone, but that is an illusion. They are the edges of this pocket world and thus indestructible.
The vault is ten feet wide, ten feet tall, and ten yards deep. There are three rows of columns, two columns each, in the vault. Each column is decorated with faces, vines, and flowers.
The Entrance
The piano swings into the wall—and disappears into it.
You feel a momentary dizziness as the piano pivots around the corner. It stops only halfway around the circle. and the air goes dry and musty.
If they have light: The wall is now ornate stone, and strange faces leer at you mouths agape.
If they’re in darkness: Total inky blackness surrounds you like a cloak. In almost total silence your own breathing echoes like a storm wind.
The vault is entered by playing the chorus to the Courlander family song while bearing the family seal, in the southeast corner of the room and facing that corner. The family crest has a single measure from a melody on it, one popular in the late 1870s and early 1880s. The chorus from that song will send the player and anyone touching the player into the vault. Normally it is played on the piano, but it can be played on any instrument in that corner, or even sung. It’s an easy enough song—an easy Agility roll will do, if they know it (remember that Melody knows it, and so does Melissa, and can help them if convinced).
The song is an obscure tune from the mid-nineteenth century, “I Saw Three Roses”. The Lisport coat of arms contains the first and second lines from the third verse.
Chorus:
I saw three roses on the sidewalk,
Someone left them there, but why?
I saw three roses on the sidewalk,
And everyone slowed down to pass them by.I saw a desert cry in sorrow.
I saw a river rush from stone.
I heard a mountain howl in anguish.
I heard that rushing river moan.Chorus
I saw the ocean burn in anger.
I saw the flames reach for the sky.
And in that boiling sea of anger,
I felt the tender forest sigh.Chorus
When will we learn love from hatred?
Why can’t we tell truth from lies?
How can our children learn to cherish,
What we destroy? What we let die?Chorus
The seal may be found on Meril’s ring, on the missal’s first page and might also be able to be drawn by a character with artistic talent.
If they immediately start playing the tune again after entering, Erisu (as Melody) will tell them not to bother:
“I’ve been trying that for days,” you hear a soft female voice say from the darkness behind you. “I don’t think it works in here.”
The Vault: The Exit
If no one is at the piano and no one and nothing is in the vicinity of the piano, it will flip back around on its own after five minutes, returning to the drawing room. The piano will not flip back to the drawing room while anyone is in the vicinity of the piano.
There is a secret means of returning the piano back into the vault if someone gets stuck in the vault and the piano is in the drawing room. There is a flute which, if played, returns the piano to the vault (the flute could be used to leave if the right melody is played on it). The piano will not return if anyone is in the Drawing Room. (Erisu has found this secret, and plays the piano constantly.)
Normally, however, the piano is the exit in the same manner as it is the entrance, except that the melody is different. If the right melody is played on the keyboard while it is in the vault, then the piano will flip around and whoever is at the bench will back in the drawing room. Only someone on the bench or touching the floor will come through.
Melody didn’t know the exit melody: she had never heard it played.
The exit song is number 250 from the Courlander family missal, “We’re Marching to Zion”. There are 325 songs in the missal; it would take about twenty-eight hours to play them all; if they play them in order it will be twenty hours before they get to number 250. As for the entrance song, playing it successfully is an easy Agility roll for someone who can read music. Remember the group effort rules, if two or more characters have similar musical skill rolls.
The lyrics to “We’re Marching to Zion” are:
Come, we that love the Lord,
And let our joys be known.
Join in a song with sweet accord,
Join in a song with sweet accord.
And thus surround the throne,
And thus surround the throne.Chorus:
We’re marching to Zion,
Beautiful, beautiful Zion;
We’re marching upward to Zion,
The beautiful city of God.Let those refuse to sing
Who never knew our God;
But children of the heavenly King,
But children of the heavenly King
May speak their joys abroad,
May speak their joys abroad.Chorus
The hill of Zion yields
A thousand sacred sweets,
Before we reach the heavenly fields,
Before we reach the heavenly fields,
Or walk the golden streets,
Or walk the golden streets.Chorus
Then let our songs abound,
And every tear be dry;
We’re marching thro’ Immanuel’s ground,
We’re marching thro’ Immanuel’s ground,
To fairer worlds on high,
To fairer worlds on high.Chorus
The trigger is the melody to the chorus.
The Family Treasure
A pile of money and gems surrounds one box. This box has recently been emptied so as to make room for Eldred’s body.
The vault contains 17,215 shillings worth of coins and 4,125 shillings worth of jewelry, including thirteen gold Courlander rings. These rings are worth 150 shillings each and are marked with the Courlander wheel and circle. The family gave such rings to strong allies and heroes.
There is also a magic sword, and of course the magic dagger of Melody/Erisu. Elizabeth Mardel created these magical weapons while at Brigit’s Springs. Both the sword and the dagger bear the Lisport family seal. The sword is a +2 long sword. The dagger is a +1 dagger. The sword exhibits its magical bonus when wielded by someone with the moral code Good (including Ordered and Chaotic Good).
The sword is in a special box carved from maple, and locked. The box was specially designed to hold the sword and the dagger. The key is long gone.
There is also a small box, velvet-lined, with three vials in it. These are the waters Elizabeth drew from the springs at Brigit’s springs. One, marked with the Elvish symbols for “ra” (short for “rael”, or serenity), is a healing spirit of fourth level, which will manifest as restore vitality. Another, marked with the Elvish symbols for “ar” (short for “arlie”, or understanding) is a peace spirit of fourth level, which will manifest as understanding. Finally, there is a vial marked with the Elvish symbols for “ma” (short for “madra” or making), that is an earth spirit of fourth level, which will manifest as clay wheel. A prophet can control which manifestation these spirits take, as normal.
If the characters have been especially honorable and friendly, Meril may offer to loan them the use of the sword when they go on adventures.
The Guardians of the Vault
Erisu has summoned some demon servants to protect himself from anyone who comes into the vault. There are four Crowns of Eyes and one Gargoyle. This cost it 13 demonic power points.
Erisu will keep these creatures hidden until they are needed.
Small blobby creatures jerkily rush around the old statues and piles of treasure. These rust-red craggy creatures rush and jump around you on three bird-like legs, a crown of eyes on stalks around the tops of their heads.
4 Crowns of Eyes (Demon: 2; Survival:6, 9, 12, 14; Move: 20; Attacks: 1; Defense: +6; Damage: 1d4; Special Attack: explosion, grip; Special Defense: eyes, blunt weapons, heat; Magic Resistance: 1)
The crusted stone wall seems to tear itself apart. The gargoyle’s head in the center grunts. Arms pull out of the stone, and legs, and the grey horned creature trails rocks and mortar as it trods toward you.
Gargoyle (Demon: 5; Survival 33; Move: 10/12; Attacks: 2 or weapon; Defense: +8; Damage: 1d6/1d6 or weapon; Special Defense: immune to normal weapons; Magic Resistance: 3)
