Haunting of the MacMurdaugh Hotel
There's no love in that building, never has been, not a single drop. Any space it could have devoted to joy, love, or happiness it filled with horror and secrets instead.The MacMurdaugh Hotel has always been the target of rumor and speculation. Before the Rebuke, before the coming of the Fae, Ghal Pelor belonged to the dwarven nation of Ghal Ankhar. The city was a different place back then. While its gates were open to trade, much of the city was closed off to outsiders. A collection of records from the time suggest the grounds that would one day be home to the MacMurdaugh were owned by a lodge of cultish warrior-fanatics; mercenaries who sold their services to any cause by and who conducted strange blood rites by night. During the early days of Ghal Pelor's independence the city's dockyards were plagued by the brutal work of a serial killer known as the Harbor Master. The Harbor Master would turn out to be a simple tailor from the Lakewatch Vale district and his life would come to a violent end at his home. Constabulary forces followed the clues that led them to the killer's doorstep and surrounded the property but rather than face justice the Harbor Master burnt his home down while still inside. That home lies on the exact spot that the MacMurdaugh's gymnasium now stands. Stories abound that the home was demolished and with it, the remains of any victims that had yet to be found. During the age of the Fae , many of their kind visited Ghal Pelor as they did most of the cities of Tairos. rumors speak of cadre of fae who purchased the harbor warehouse that took over the property. They spent their nights engaged in orgiastic excess, rituals of gratification, and supposedly even the sacrifice of wayward dockworkers. What exactly became of them is unknown, lost like so many other things during the war with the fae, but if rumors are to be believed they all vanished one night during the crescendo of their grandest celebration. After the war, refugees flooded Ghal Pelor from all across Tairos. They brought with them diverse traditions and new beliefs, a cornerstone of what helped make the city so strong today. The property was parcelled up, turned into homes, and filled with families. While stories of ghosts and strange happenings slowed, they were replaced by incidents of domestic violence, murder, and hate. This would remain the case until a particularly powerful fire claimed several parcels of property- the cause of the inferno remains unsolved. Rumors do mention a father who took the lives of his family prior to setting himself aflame within their home but these are just that, rumors. Whatever the cause, these burnt out properties were eventually purchased by the MacMurdaugh family to be converted into a luxury hotel and spa. During the three years it took to construct the MacMurdaugh hotel numerous accidents occured, many of which were fatal. Many gossip rags and sensationalists would like to pin these deaths on spectres of one sort or another but equal blame could easily be placed at the foot of Arthur MacMurdaugh. During construction many corners were cut in order to hit Mr.MacMurdaugh's demanding timelines. Over the three year period it took to build the property eleven workers lost their lives on the job and many others perished under dubious circumstances after hours as well. Of the eleven deaths that can be directly attributed to the construction, the most gruesome occurred early, when four laborers were buried beneath liquid concrete during the pouring of the building's foundation. They drowned within the mix and it took over a day for their bodies to be recovered. Because the foundation pour was already beginning to set, several of their bodies were removed in a ragged state. To this day, blood, flesh, and bone are believed to remain within the foundation of the MacMurdaugh from these laborers. Once opened, the MacMurdaugh Hotel became a destination point for Ghal Pelor's wealthy elite as well as affluent visitors from as far away as Frostmere . It enjoyed considerable fame during its six decades of operation. Strange happenings and insidious rumors remained however. Mysterious deaths, suicides, unexplainable accidents, and other odd happenings continued with regularity. The difference is that under MacMurdaugh's management these events were often squashed. Only the staff truly knew about the dreadful happenings that haunted the hotel during operation, and they were notoriously tight-lipped about it, fearing retaliation by the MacMurdaughs. The hotel's tenure as the crown jewel of the Lakewatch Vale district would come to an end ten years ago. A violent storm arrived with little notice and gave birth to a tornado that ripped the entire district apart, including the MacMurdaugh property. The damage done to the hotel was extensive and the number of fatalities from both guests and staff alike were severe. With the storm came intense flooding as well, causing further damage to the vital structure of the hotel. Arthur MacMurdaugh Junior, the current owner of the property at the time of the disaster was among the victims of the freak storm, seemingly blown out the window of his penthouse and to the streets below. He was hosting a gathering of friends and family within the penthouse at the time and all of them were lost as well. Since then, the property has quickly fallen into disrepair along with the rest of the district. Flooding is frequent, invasion by dangerous predators is at a near constant, and ruthless gangs lurk in the adjoining buildings far from the eye of the constabulary. Few speak of the MacMurdaugh anymore, its glory and grandeur have quickly been forgotten by those outside of Lakewatch Vale. For those that still live within the district, it is anything but forgotten. Its the tallest structure within the Vale and continues to cast its withering shadow over the region. Looters leave the property untouched, vagrants would rather sleep under the open sky than seek shelter within the MacMurdaugh, and the city patrols that do watch over Lakewatch Vale have all but forsaken guarding this area. Strange lights and noises fill the building, mysterious figures are seen roaming the rubble, and hungry beasts are known to nest within. The only known occupants of the MacMurdaugh are the spirits that many claim to have seen haunting the property. The most infamous of these spirits are the Bent-Neck Lady, The Lost One, The Curious Boy, The Songbird, and the dreaded Night Manager. Each of these entities has countless ghost stories associated with them and locals attribute these spectres as being the reason so few ever return from the MacMurdaugh. While all the stories about these ghosts differ from telling to telling, person to person, the one fact that always remains the same is this: never visit at night. The Night Manager is on duty after sundown and every horror associated with the hotel is far worse once darkness sets in.
Bent Neck Lady by MidJourney and Myself
Curious Boy by MidJourney and Myself
The Songbird by MidJourney and Myself
Lost One by MidJourney and Myself
Night Manager by MidJourney and Myself
Historical Basis
There are factual recordings for the numerous deaths and accidents that occured on the property during the years as well the heinous events that took place before its construction. Attributing these events and deaths to ghosts or demons has been the pastime of rumor mills and gossip-hungry tavern goers for years.
Variations & Mutation
It seems like every time a story is told about the MacMurdaugh or one of its ghosts there is a different spin, a different truth, or new addition included. It may be impossible to know what the original version of these stories might be
Cultural Reception
Ghal Pelor has several locations with mysterious and spooky reputations that are often celebrated by the city's youth in the form of bold dares to investigate. The MacMurdaugh is known to those who fancy themselves experts on haunted Ghal Pelor but its dangerous surrounding neighborhood deters most from exploring it. It would certainly be a feather in the cap of anyone looking to boast about their bravery or paranormal knowhow, for many reasons very few have tried and even fewer have returned alive to speak of it. None have returned unchanged by the experience.
In Literature
Smaller publications dedicated to paranormal activity will likely have at least an entry regarding the hotel but no mainstream source has seriously covered the MacMurdaugh haunting. Tablin's Guide to Spectres has the most extensive aggregation of stories regarding the hotel's ghostly denizens but that title is notoriously difficult to find
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