Persuasion: 17

The portraits ease up with their disapproving glances and you are now able to progress through the room.

Area E19

This elegant sitting room has two divans and a low table with a silver tray upon it. Doors lead out to the east and west.

Area E20

Long shadows envelop this enormous, round room. Dim light shines through narrow windows high on the walls. A set of narrow stairs circles the room, ascending to a landing 60 feet above. A wooden door stands at the tower’s base.

Area E21 Research Chamber 

This lofty room rises 30 feet. The rounded walls are lined with orderly bookshelves and desks. A long table contains several esoteric devices, including intricate clocks and astrological models. A long flight of stairs descends to the north, while two short flights lead up to a platform to the south, ten feet higher than this room and supporting an enormous circular device forged from brass. Standing inside this room is a kindly-looking old lady who looks relieved at your arrival. "I need your help! I've managed to regain control of myself after Colulus was killed, but I need your assistance to help shut down the Dream Gate that he forced me to open! Without your help, I will be unable to close the gate and keep the nightmare creatures from the Dimension of Dreams from pouring in!"

Shi leans over to one of her lights. "What do you think?" She nods thoughtfully. "Mhmm, mhmm...what about you?" she leans over to another light.

Insight: 22

Yeah, she's lying. 

Morticia:9
Greydon:12
Mrs. Pedipalp:8

Mallet initiative: 16

In the previous room, she grabs the silver tray on the table and looks at it as she walks into the stairs room. As she does so, she looks around for anything that might be a Dream Gate.

Perception: 16

Mallet, you look into the silver tray and see the back of your head instead of the front. Can you give me a Wisdom Save.

Here's the result of your Perception check, as it's big enough for any of you to see without rolling.

E22. Dream Gate

An array of machinery lines the walls of the tower’s highest level, a balcony 10 feet above the research room floor. A metal hoop 10 feet in diameter hovers vertically here, a foot above the floor. Several wires connect the hoop to the machinery. Within the hoop is a roiling surface of swirling black and gray, from which issues a chill wind and faint, distant screaming. 

"I agree," Shi says to the third light. "We know at least three souls in which a deception of this nature led to their deaths. I do not believe her."

Init: 6

WIS save: 11

"Who are you talking to, dearie?" Pedipalp asks Shi, since she's talking to floating orbs.

"Spirits," Shi replies simply, beginning to introduce the various floating blue balls. "This is Katie, who just wanted to take a peek at the Scriptorium. This is Veska, she's very experienced when it comes to evaluating people's genuineness, and she insisted on being here when speaking with all potential allies. She replaced Torven, who was mostly watching out of academic curiosity and was very interested in the portrait hall. He wanted to have a longer conversation with the pictures, but there wasn't time. This is Lahuna, she is very interested in this Dream Gate of yours, she has quite a bit of experience confronting nightmares. And this is Kieran, he knows almost all the spirits very well, so he makes an excellent advisor when comparing experiences. He's a people person," Shi confides.

"That's...very nice. Are you going to help with the Dream Gate now?"

"That's the Dream Gate?" Mallet says, pointing at the hoop. "Wow. How does it work? And how can we help? We're no experts, after all... And yes, Colulus was very aggressive, what was that about? They were controlling you?"

She's slowly moving in the general direction of whichever staircase up to the balcony that is farthest from Ms. Pedipalp. Also looking around for any oddness, anyone hiding, any traps.

Perception: 22

Mallet doesn't see any traps, however she does see a complex set of machinery that presumably controls the Dream Gate.

"The Dream Gate works by creating a one way portal to the Dimension of Dreams that can be used to bring in subjects for interview and analysis. To disable the Dream Gate, you must rotate the hoop until the gate closes." 

Shi, can you give me another Insight check?

Insight: 20

Shi

Shi leans over to the spirit ball she introduced as Veska. "Yes. Yes, I know. Very well. Lahuna, stop it. Oh. Well, good point." She straightens and looks at Ms. Pedipalp. "That is not how you close the Dream Gate, and you know that." In the meantime, the orb introduced as Katie zooms over and hides behind Corinne.

(d6 BI to Corinne)

Greydon observes quietly from the back. This was the most outgoing Shi has been with her blue balls since they've grouped together. It was interesting to see how she interacted, consulted and introduced each one. A small smile rested on their face as Shi effortlessly sees through the old woman.

Mrs. Pedipalp sighs, before straightening up a bit and smiling evilly. "Fine. The helpless old woman bit was getting old anyway."

Suddenly, she goes on the offensive, casting Color Spray, which should get everyone except Mallet based off of where she said she was going!

30

the vampire watches as the creepy stranger and her compatriots discuss opening a portal?!

when the woman attacks, Corinne leaps into action, little blue orb resting on her quickly healing, porcelain shoulder
Corinne initiative: 13

Mallet(16),Greydon(12),Morticia(9),Corinne(9),Mrs. Pedipalp(8)(55),ShiBLINDED(6)