The Wellerby Mansion

A 'one-shot' stand alone roleplay for the General Roleplaying section

How it Works

Setting

Modern day

The house is a well known haunt, has its own website on the internet and is the subject of much speculation. The characters are taking part in a television reality show, but it is set up like Big Brother where there are no actual cameramen etc in the house with you. The character that lasts the longest in the house will win a lot of money.

Eliminations

No, this isn't referring to how the characters will go to the bathroom in the roleplay. All or at the least most of the characters in this roleplay meet their deaths. Polls will be posted in the Roleplaying Discussion Forum to allow the readers and participants of the roleplay to pick what order the characters go out in. Its up to the roleplayers to meet their untimely ends with style.

Participants

1. Laura Anne MuSatach - Freelance Investigative Paranormal Journalist. "It's all bunk!" Out to prove that all spooks, ghoulies and other ethereal creepy crawly voo doo children are nothing but the result of overactive imaginations of nincompoops. Graduated with a degree in journalism from Northwestern, has been published in the NY Times, the Washington Post and is constantly mis-quoted by the National Enquirer. Never married, no kids and just quit smoking.
2. Sara Slesser - An art-school undergraduate. Moved cross-country from Montana to attend New York City's prestigious Pratt Institute. Finding it difficult balancing her school work and a part-time job, and with no chance of receiving financial support from her family, she needs a lot of cash – and fast.
3. Parsideon Denix
4. Alison Fallon - Wiccan High Priestess from Salem, Massachusetts. Hyper-sensitive to paranormal activity, believes that she can help dispel the negative energy within the house and help the trapped spirits within pass on to the other side.
5. Kelly Perris - Ruthless corporate executive, former Chippendale's boy, two failed marriages, one overtly rebellious teenage daughter, likes cheesy kung-fu movies and women...as long as they aren't more powerful than him.
6. Takashi Koji - A depressed youth from Japan, he came to American looking for something new and fresh to wake him up. Rather, he became what people today classify as "emo" and mostly keeps to himself. Anti-social to a fault, he really does not enjoy being around other people.

The Wellerby Mansion

This will be information that your characters may or may not know, but is certainly widely available knowledge to anyone with access to Google.

Built in 1926 in the town of Springfield, __, by Mr. Thomas Wellerby, the mansion is four stories tall, plus an attic and basement. The house boasts a two story library that extends up from the first floor into the second but can only be accessed on the first floor and from Mr. Wellerby's old office on the second floor.

A central staircase winds up through the house, terminating in a circular 'tower' room that is level with the attic, but separate. There is also an old elevator, with room for one person, or two if they squeeze, next to the library on the first floor.

Floor by floor

• Basement - The basement is accessible from the kitchens on the first floor of the mansion. A wide staircase leads down. Whatever the basement was used for previously - storage mostly - it now holds the office and work area of the Springfield Restoration Society which holds the deed to the property. There is also a large wine cellar in the basement.
• First Floor - Entry hall with main staircase, great room with large fireplace, library, sunroom, kitchens (dumb waiter up to master suite on fourth floor) and laundry (laundry chute which comes down from the fourth floor), mudroom, dining room, and a parlor.
• Second Floor - Office, second floor of library (accessible through office), ballroom
• Third Floor - Master suite (sitting room w/ fireplace, bedroom, bathroom), four guest suites (small versions of master suite), and other bedrooms
• Fourth Floor - Servants quarters, butler's rooms (w/ fireplace), linen storage, etc. Access to attic via narrow staircase off of hallway
• Attic - Storage - dusty collections, mirrors, old furniture, paintings, and other items awaiting cataloguing.

The house was most recently owned by William Wellerby, Thomas' son. He was a miser, and died in 2001 at the age of 79. He willed the property to the Springfield Historical Society as he had no heirs. Since taking over ownership six years ago, the SHS has made slow progress in making sense of the mess William left behind him. They have been continually hampered by employees quitting, or just plain refusing to work in the house anymore.

Strange things have been seen and experienced, and most chalk it up to the restless spirit of Elizabeth Katherine Wellerby, William Wellerby's sister. Born two years before William, she died at the age of 17 in the house. She was found hanging from the bannister near the top of the main staircase. The family hushed it up and no record of any criminal investigation was found.

The family butler's name was Samuel St. John and he came to America from England in 1920, though from exactly where is not certain.

Thomas' wife was Isobel Wellerby, a woman from a fine Southern family. She was known for throwing wonderful social events at the mansion.

Thomas Wellerby made his money before the stock market crash in 1929, having already re-invested the bulk of his money by that fateful day. The family lived quite well during the entirety of the Depression (and its rumored that Thomas furthered his income during Prohibition by financing liquor smuggling and perhaps even owned a speakeasy). He was known for a sharp tongue and was a shrewd businessman.