Nightmare Inn

Yaaaaaargh!

Was that...a scream?

It came from the tavern. Probably just some local toughs blowing off steam.

I think we should check it out. Someone might need help.

Leave them be, it's got nothing to do with us.

Don't be so heartless, Raven. I'll go look on my own if you won't.

Dear me... There he goes, sticking his nose where it doesn't belong again. I don't understand him at all.

Urgh...the horror... The horror!

Hey buddy, are you okay? Was that you screaming just now?

Don't stay at that inn...you'll die! In your dreams, over and over...

What did I tell you? It's just some madman. Leave him to his inane fears.

Hey, you two. I hate running a customer down, but you'd better not get involved with that guy. On his way here he stopped off at an inn, and ever since then he's been getting these terrible nightmares. You'd think he'd have outgrown night terrors by now, huh? Go figure.

Shut up! You don't know, man. You haven't seen what I've seen! You wouldn't be laughing if you had. These aren't any ordinary dreams. They're so vivid, I can feel all the pain of dying as if it were real!

Oh? A nightmare vivid enough to feel real, you say? This is getting interesting. You, tell me all the details. Don't leave anything out.

Finally, someone's taking me seriously. It was an inn right here in Ratle. I stayed there one night, and that's when it all began. First, I felt like I was being watched. Then I got a chill that I couldn't shake, no matter where I went.

You sure it wasn't something you ate? I've had some pretty crazy dreams after eating cheese before bed.

Don't be ridiculous! I hadn't eaten or drunk anything out of the ordinary. Besides, I'm not the only one this has happened to! Everyone else who stayed there that night is getting the nightmares as well.

Isn't that something? Sounds like this is more than just mad ramblings after all.

Hey, Raven! Where are you going?

Isn't it obvious? We can't learn any more from this guy. We're going to have to go interview the innkeeper.

Welcome. Will you be staying the night?

Sorry, we're not customers. We'd like to ask you some questions.

We've heard rumors your guests are being assailed by nightmares. Have you any idea why that would be?

What?! N-Nightmares? I have no idea what you're talking about. Dreams are just dreams, you know?

Are you sure about that? We just had a conversation with a man who hasn't been able to sleep since staying here.

Just a coincidence. Doesn't matter where they stay, people are always passing sleepless nights, especially travelers.

Hmm... Let me see your guestbook.

Huh? Hey, you can't just, !

What's this? One of your rooms seems to be left empty an awful lot. No one's stayed in it for at least three days.

......

Can't you just tell us the truth? We might be able to do something to help fix this.

Very well. The truth, then. If you really can help, it's worth it. Just as you said, everyone who stays in a certain room at this inn is haunted thereafter with terrible dreams. The word got around town, and now no one wants to use that room.

Everyone had the dreams? And only from that room? Heh heh, interesting...

Interesting? This is downright creepy. Still, I'll bet there's some explanation, we just have to find it.

Naturally. We should be able to learn more after staying the night here.

When you're ready, come talk to me directly instead of checking in at the front desk. I'll make sure you get the right room, and I won't charge you.

I've prepared the best, uh, 'suite' in the house, just for you. No one else would dare to take it.

Are we really gonna get nightmares? Well, dreams are just dreams, right? They're nothing to worry about.

Don't be so sure. Remember, anything that befalls us here is your responsibility for getting us involved in the first place. I hope you're prepared.

Urgh... Nrgh...what?!

Feinne! No, stop!

Judging by that look on your face, I'd say you passed a restless night, too.

Yeah, I feel like I haven't slept at all. I had this terrible dream...

What kind of dream was it?

I was in the forest, playing with my sister Feinne, but I wasn't me, I was some kind of animal. Then this huge monster appeared and...I couldn't save her. It hurts just to think about it. I tried to fight, but I was so small and weak, there was nothing I could do. In the end, it...I...

A dream about the demise of yourself and those close to you. Lines up with what we've heard.

How about you, Raven? What happened in your dream?

I was on some mountain I'd never seen before, waiting for something. I was attacked by a strange black shadow. I tried to get away, but it gave chase. Then I tripped and went plummeting over the edge. That mountain seemed...familiar, though.

I thought you said you'd never seen it before?

I don't remember ever going there, but it may have been a place from before I lost my memory.

Oh right, you don't remember a lot about your past.

There's one thing all the dreams experienced at this inn have in common. You, I, and the man from the tavern all dreamed about dying. Can this be a coincidence?

You mean someone or something is manipulating our dreams to make us see these things?

That's one possibility. The content of these dreams is too uniform to be random. They could be a curse. If that's the case, there must be some vessel inside this building channeling the spell. We should try to find it.

All right. We'll go over this place for anything that looks suspicious.

Aldo, stop. Don't touch that pot.

Why, is there something wrong with it? It looks just like a regular storage pot to me.

Can't you feel it? There's a malicious aura residing inside that thing.

Heed the voice of the dark one. Ye who reside within this vessel, reveal to us your true form!

What the?! Is this spirit what's been causing the curse?

That's right! If we defeat it, the nightmares should go away.

Sounds good. Let's take this outside!

Did we get it?

Yes. This will lift the curse on the inn, I'm sure of it.

Oh, it's you! What was that racket just now all about?

We just exorcized the thing that was haunting you. I'm disappointed, it was such a low-class spirit. I was hoping for a little more challenge.

Does that mean that room is safe again? Guests can sleep in it without fear?

Yes. That pot in your foyer was the source of the curse. I don't know where you got it, but it had a spirit possessing it.

Is that right? A traveling merchant sold me that pot. I thought the price was too good to be true. He said it was a valuable antique recovered from an abandoned mansion.

Nobles and rich families attract all kinds of enemies. Someone probably tried to use the curse to get rid of them. I'd advise you not to buy objets d'art without confirming their provenance, for your own safety.

Ulp...of course. I'll be more careful from now on. Thank you for all your help.

......

Something wrong, Raven? We solved the problem, didn't we? Why do you look so glum?

I was just thinking. But it's nothing for you to worry about. (That dream...) (Could it have been a memory?) (What does it all mean?) Why am I wasting my time thinking about this? I still have no way of knowing for sure...

Raven, you're talking to yourself again. Everything okay?

I told you, it's nothing. Give me some space. Don't bother getting too chummy with me.