Winchester House
From Gothpoodle
Contents |
Aspects
- MYSTERY HOUSE (Threat)
History
When Sarah Winchester fell ill after the death of her husband, she was approached by the ghost of a power occultist who had been an early student of Kemmler's before his master killed him when he tried to enact the Darkhallow ritual on his own. Calling himself 'Herr Geist', he made a number of promises to her, including contact with the spirit of her husband, eternal life, and the return of her husband and child from death. She agreed and they became joined. She moved West, to avoid suspicion from her family, and settled in San Jose and began building a house to Herr Geist's specifications, beginning in 1884. It would take 39 (3x13) years to complete the project but she died, unexpectedly, on the 38th, leaving the project undone. For 50 years, he was unable to find another suitable vessel and was caught in a battle of wills with Sarah's ghost, who resented years of unkept promises and lies.
In the 70s, Gideon Kindle begins to try and unravel the secrets of the house. He is clever enough and well-funded enough to discover the name of Herr Geist and is able to dominate him into turning over his copies of the Kemmler texts (which he'd hidden in the demense) and teaching him Kemmlerian necromancy. Sarah is trapped in a wine bottle in order to keep her from interfering. The German ghost is infuriated by his defeat but the respite from Sarah's efforts allows him to strengthen his position and prepare for a new host. He has also guided restorations to complete the house so that it is ready to channel the energy of the ritual to the seance room when the Darkhallow is enacted. He just needs to join with a sorcerer in order to cast it.
Current Events
Gail has determined that there is a great secret to the house and has deciphered enough of it to feel she can access the demense so that she can explore and get the rest of the clues. She takes the flashlight tour and slips away. Geist leads her to the hidden cellar, where she finds Gideon's ritual accoutrements still in place, and enacts the ritual to cross over. She takes note of Sarah in the bottle (and leaves it out) but doesn't release her. Herr Geist greets her and lures her with his hospitality. He can't join with her unless she is near death, but he is laying the ground work while he arranges for an "accident". It is currently a cat-and-mouse game, Gail wary but intrigued by his promises of power, and Geist trying not to overplay his hand such that she's not agree to the joining.
Purpose
The house is an elaborate trap to capture spirits for the Darkhallow ritual, to allow the apotheosis of its enactor, Herr Geist joined with his host Sarah Winchester.
Notes
The house is split between two worlds: half of it is physical and the other is the demense of its true owner (a powerful ghost who was, in life, a disciple of Kemmler). Walking between the two halves can be done with magic but if one has unlocked the puzzle of the house's layout, it is said that walking between them is trivial, just a matter of traversing it the right way after which the odd architectural quirks (staircases to nowhere, doors to walls or open air, windows into other rooms) will allow passage to the spiritual half of the house. The demense side of the house can sometimes be spotted in mirrors and heard through shadows, which is why there are few mirrors in the house and it is generally very well lit.
Winchester Investments LLC was purchased by the Kindle Investment Group in 1980 and Gideon was a regular visitor.
