Rose subsides. "Alright." she says, relaxing. "You can go inside. The door shouldn't be locked."
If opened, the oaken doors swing open silently into a grand foyer. Hanging on the south wall of the foyer is a shield emblazoned with a coat-of-arms (a stylized golden windmill on a red field), flanked by framed portraits of stony-faced aristocrats. The mahogany-framed double doors exiting the room, from which a steady stream of fog flows under, are set with panes of stained glass.
Xai’Bo walks into the grand foyer and takes a look around the room, looking for other doors than the one with fog streaming under, and more importantly a staircase.
Xai'Bo turns to the others that are in the grand foyer. "The staircase is through the doors. I am willing to go up the stairs to the nursery, but would be good to have some company. It might be best if Rose and Thorn come as well, to look after Walter". He looks unsure about that last comment about Rose and Thorn.
Ruel nods "Our priority should be to make sure the baby is safe. From what Rose says he is on the third floor so that should be our 1st destination." Ruel pauses and takes a slight breath subconsciously moderating his breathing with the fog so close.
"I will go upstairs with you." Ruel states lining up besides Xai'Bo.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Xai'Bo nods back to Ruel. "I will go slightly ahead and quietly take a look around, and then make my way up the staircase". He says a short blessing in Elvish, casting guidance on himself, and slips through the door. He stealthily looks around the next room, looking for the source of the fog and making sure nothing is in there.
Sirron seemed a little hesitant to enter the house but when he saw Ruel and Xai'Bo enter he followed a short distance behind them. "That sounds like a plan, I just hope that when we find Walter he'll be alright. I did not want to say it in front of the children but I have the sinking suspicion that if we do find the baby he might not be among the living anymore. If what Rose said about her mother not seeing him as their sibling was correct then it's a possibility that..." He trailed off and looked down at the floor before slowly shaking his head, although it was a likely possibility he still had the slightest amount of hope that they would find the baby alive.
The long hallway runs the length of the house, with a black marble fireplace at one end and a sweeping, red marble staircase at the other, from which the fog flows down. Mounted on the wall above the fireplace is a longsword with a windmill cameo worked into the hilt. The wood-panelled walls are ornately sculpted with images of vines, flowers, nymphs, and satyrs. The decorative panelling follows the staircase as it circles upwards.
Connected to the hallway is a a cloakroom with several black cloaks hanging from hooks on the walls and a top hat sitting on a high shelf, the hunter's den you saw earlier through the window, and a tidy, well stocked kitchen with a dumbwaiter. It's too small for you to fit inside, but it occurs to you that someone else might be able to.
Xai’Bo pops his head out the door and says to the others, “All safe so far, although the fog appears to be coming from upstairs, not from any basement!”.
He motions for them to come through and then heads up the stairs slowly, hopefully flanked by the others.
After a minute Sirron looked up and walked towards the door, although when he heard that the fog was coming from upstairs he stopped in his tracks if only for a few seconds. "The fog is coming from the upper floor? Could it be possible that it got in through a cracked window or some other possible 'entry' point?" He asked as he followed Xai'Bo, Ruel and Day towards the stairs. He motions for the others to go ahead as he looked back towards the mahogany doors, wondering if the rest of the party had followed them in or if they were still talking with the children.
'Should we close the door?' He asks. 'There is no telling what this fog can do. For all we know, it will trap us in this place. Keeping the door open will provide us a quick escape. I also advise staying together rather than splitting. We can check on young master Walter before confronting or possibly saving the lady of the house from this fog.'
{If none protests, Mavis will cut a length of his hempen rope (1-2 feet) and jam it on the oak door hinges, preventing the door from fully closing and leaving it slightly ajar. He will do the same to the mahogany door.}
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Melantha was walking inside the house beside the children.
Upon hearing that the fog is coming from upstairs and NOT from the basement, they side glance at Rose, as if they were hoping for an explanation for the contrasting report earlier.
Insight Check: 16
Now that they think about it as they draw close to the bottom of the stairs, the green one glances about the Main Hall to see if anything is out of the ordinary.
(Going to assume that the rest of the party has entered the house.)
As you ascend the red marble stairs, you feel a cold draft coming from the third floor. The upper hall is dark, with unlit oil lamps are mounted on the walls, and the doors are carved with dancing youths. Hanging above the mantelpiece is a wood-framed portrait of a family: A mother and father with their two smiling children who you recognise as Rose and Thorn. Cradled in the father's arms is a swaddled baby, which the mother regards with a hint of scorn. Standing suits of armour flank wooden doors in the east and west walls, each suit clutching a spear and wearing a visored helm shaped like a wolf's head. The stairs continue upwards.
You hear an odd clicking noise coming from what looks to be a library.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
The warlock Melantha took Rose's explanation in with "a grain of salt". The suspicion dwindled, however, when they noticed the not-so-pleasant hidden designs on the panels.
They would still be walking about the house with the children. Should all three take to the stairs, Melantha would gaze about the walls and doors with said carvings, looking to see if they too had "hidden meanings".
Melantha glanced at Rose with a blank look.
"We tell her our concerns, then we ask her to stop. Isn't that what civilized people do?"
...poor green one has yet to know about the more severe ways to stop someone from harming others.
Main Character: Melantha(They/She)
Ideal Voice Claim
Rose subsides. "Alright." she says, relaxing. "You can go inside. The door shouldn't be locked."
If opened, the oaken doors swing open silently into a grand foyer. Hanging on the south wall of the foyer is a shield emblazoned with a coat-of-arms (a stylized golden windmill on a red field), flanked by framed portraits of stony-faced aristocrats. The mahogany-framed double doors exiting the room, from which a steady stream of fog flows under, are set with panes of stained glass.
Xai’Bo walks into the grand foyer and takes a look around the room, looking for other doors than the one with fog streaming under, and more importantly a staircase.
”We should make sure the baby is safe first”
There are no other doors, but as you search you catch a glimpse of a hallway through the stained glass with a spiral staircase ascending upwards.
Xai'Bo turns to the others that are in the grand foyer. "The staircase is through the doors. I am willing to go up the stairs to the nursery, but would be good to have some company. It might be best if Rose and Thorn come as well, to look after Walter". He looks unsure about that last comment about Rose and Thorn.
Ruel nods "Our priority should be to make sure the baby is safe. From what Rose says he is on the third floor so that should be our 1st destination." Ruel pauses and takes a slight breath subconsciously moderating his breathing with the fog so close.
"I will go upstairs with you." Ruel states lining up besides Xai'Bo.
(OOC: Is there enough fog to use Mask of the Wild to sneak about?)
(Yes.)
Xai'Bo nods back to Ruel. "I will go slightly ahead and quietly take a look around, and then make my way up the staircase". He says a short blessing in Elvish, casting guidance on himself, and slips through the door. He stealthily looks around the next room, looking for the source of the fog and making sure nothing is in there.
Stealth (with Guidance): 16
Perception: 6
Sirron seemed a little hesitant to enter the house but when he saw Ruel and Xai'Bo enter he followed a short distance behind them. "That sounds like a plan, I just hope that when we find Walter he'll be alright. I did not want to say it in front of the children but I have the sinking suspicion that if we do find the baby he might not be among the living anymore. If what Rose said about her mother not seeing him as their sibling was correct then it's a possibility that..." He trailed off and looked down at the floor before slowly shaking his head, although it was a likely possibility he still had the slightest amount of hope that they would find the baby alive.
“Well, knocking was worth a try.” Day will enter the house following close behind Xai’Bo. If they go upstairs, he will follow.
The long hallway runs the length of the house, with a black marble fireplace at one end and a sweeping, red marble staircase at the other, from which the fog flows down. Mounted on the wall above the fireplace is a longsword with a windmill cameo worked into the hilt. The wood-panelled walls are ornately sculpted with images of vines, flowers, nymphs, and satyrs. The decorative panelling follows the staircase as it circles upwards.
Connected to the hallway is a a cloakroom with several black cloaks hanging from hooks on the walls and a top hat sitting on a high shelf, the hunter's den you saw earlier through the window, and a tidy, well stocked kitchen with a dumbwaiter. It's too small for you to fit inside, but it occurs to you that someone else might be able to.
Xai’Bo pops his head out the door and says to the others, “All safe so far, although the fog appears to be coming from upstairs, not from any basement!”.
He motions for them to come through and then heads up the stairs slowly, hopefully flanked by the others.
After a minute Sirron looked up and walked towards the door, although when he heard that the fog was coming from upstairs he stopped in his tracks if only for a few seconds. "The fog is coming from the upper floor? Could it be possible that it got in through a cracked window or some other possible 'entry' point?" He asked as he followed Xai'Bo, Ruel and Day towards the stairs. He motions for the others to go ahead as he looked back towards the mahogany doors, wondering if the rest of the party had followed them in or if they were still talking with the children.
(Waiting for everyone else to step inside so the party doesn't get too split up...)
Mavis moves to follow the others into the house.
'Should we close the door?' He asks. 'There is no telling what this fog can do. For all we know, it will trap us in this place. Keeping the door open will provide us a quick escape. I also advise staying together rather than splitting. We can check on young master Walter before confronting or possibly saving the lady of the house from this fog.'
{If none protests, Mavis will cut a length of his hempen rope (1-2 feet) and jam it on the oak door hinges, preventing the door from fully closing and leaving it slightly ajar. He will do the same to the mahogany door.}
Melantha was walking inside the house beside the children.
Upon hearing that the fog is coming from upstairs and NOT from the basement, they side glance at Rose, as if they were hoping for an explanation for the contrasting report earlier.
Insight Check: 16
Now that they think about it as they draw close to the bottom of the stairs, the green one glances about the Main Hall to see if anything is out of the ordinary.
Perception Check: 22
Main Character: Melantha(They/She)
Ideal Voice Claim
"The basement stairs only have a door in the attic." Rose says. She sighs. "It's ridiculous, I know."
The excuse seems odd to you, but it's possible.
Serpents and skulls have been inconspicuously woven into the wall designs along the stairwell.
(Going to assume that the rest of the party has entered the house.)
As you ascend the red marble stairs, you feel a cold draft coming from the third floor. The upper hall is dark, with unlit oil lamps are mounted on the walls, and the doors are carved with dancing youths. Hanging above the mantelpiece is a wood-framed portrait of a family: A mother and father with their two smiling children who you recognise as Rose and Thorn. Cradled in the father's arms is a swaddled baby, which the mother regards with a hint of scorn. Standing suits of armour flank wooden doors in the east and west walls, each suit clutching a spear and wearing a visored helm shaped like a wolf's head. The stairs continue upwards.
You hear an odd clicking noise coming from what looks to be a library.
The warlock Melantha took Rose's explanation in with "a grain of salt". The suspicion dwindled, however, when they noticed the not-so-pleasant hidden designs on the panels.
They would still be walking about the house with the children. Should all three take to the stairs, Melantha would gaze about the walls and doors with said carvings, looking to see if they too had "hidden meanings".
Perception Check: 22
Main Character: Melantha(They/She)
Ideal Voice Claim