Dagonbane

The mansion was pervaded by an unnatural cold that felt like being buried alive in a tomb of ice. Even lighting a fire in the study had no effect on the freezing chill. We decided to investigate some of the rooms and split up into pairs (because that never goes badly). Slobotham and Busty investigated the nursery, finding snowdrifts in the corners. Widdle and Fettle searched the tea room, finding a frozen half eaten sandwich like the Marie Celeste. Meanwhile, Valeria and Holmes went to look at some private areas - the study, of course. What else could you be thinking of?

Valeria heard something scuttling up the chimney and armed herself with a poker from the fireplace. A pale grey thing dropped down the chimney in a cloud of soot and grabbed Valeria’s bosom with a large clawed hand leaving an embarrassing sooty hand print. Holmes’ quick reactions saw it off.

The chill was deepening, so we all grabbed blankets and dressing gowns from the bedrooms to bundle up against the cold and headed down the servants stairs to a cellar under the kitchen. There were crates and supplies, a smashed wine rack, oil lamps, and snow and ice covering every surface except for a tunnel with fresh bare foot prints leading in, with a crisp but feral smell and weird clicking noises to be heard.

Pushing on into the tunnels, we found burn marks surrounding a smashed lantern, and a human figure, badly mauled. One of his arms had been severed arm, and his face was unrecognisable. He had on his person a matchlock pistol, a flask of kerosene, occult spell components, candles, sticks of dynamite (note to self, don’t get these mixed up) and papers identifying him as Sutton.

Suddenly, against all expectations, he grabbed Valeria’s hand. He was alive - barely! In a barely audible voice he told us that we had to destroy the blessed heart soul (at least that’s what it sounded like) - the beast has it - and he warned of ancestors with ice blue eyes, lunacy and cannibalism.

We continued to follow the tunnel to a large chamber filled with broken human bones, smashed bunk beds and mining gear. There four tunnels, so we followed the one where we could feel a draft. Slobotham and Widdle were in the lead and fell through some thin ice into water below, chilling them even further.

The next passage had skeletons hung with sinew hanging from the ceiling as a sort of alarm which we avoided. Up ahead there was a strong slaughterhouse smell, which led into a very cold cavern, with stacks of butchered bodies. There was a creature in the centre with ice blue eyes, feasting on flesh - it was a child! Holmes snuck up and coshed it unconscious.

From here there were four more tunnels. The first tunnel on the left lead to some treasure that Valeria sensed was cursed. The next contained large, ape like creatures that didn’t notice us. The third tunnel was the charm.

We found ourselves in a large cavern with giant icicles like teeth with hunched figures around a stone and ice monolith apparently worshipping a large bone heart with a spiked crown on top! There was a single giant creature in the centre - evidently the beast that we were looking for. We had them by surprise, so Slobotham opened fire with his shotgun at the beast! Holmes attempted to use his trusty cosh, but he slipped on the ice and hit himself in the face, before being knocked out by the beast. Busty was paralysed by fear! Valeria unleashed her mental blast pushing the beast back. Slobotham fired his shotgun again, finally killing the giant beast.

There was fierce fighting against the smaller creatures, with Valeria and Busty knocked down and almost killed. As a last ditch action, Busty ignited the dynamite and threw it at the blessed heart, with the explosion ripping it apart!

It was a close run thing, but we had all survived the horror of the House that December Built (after a fashion) and were able to collect our reward.