" I can give you all an edge on the enemy's attack (1d4 add on to saving throws), if one appears. Just before we open the portal I will give you resistance so stay within reach." Ollezall smiles at Syd's 'god in the sky' (I am definitely going Rambo cleric, all my spells are combat magic of various uses). "I uh, of course still have healing potions and healing spells, but try not to die; I can't revive you with magic this time, and I doubt I'll have time to conduct any emergency medicine in the heat of battle. Our druid might be a good backup; where did he go to? " 

Syd nods to Cerlinde, "I think we're ready, boss."

•ok!  Let’s gather everything and meet in the front hall by the door.  We will say goodbye to our hosts.  Hopefully we will be able to return soon…”. 

once everyone is ready, she casts mage armor on herself and then will say the word “liberty”-  prepared to face a battle, or a peaceful library, or anything in between..

Ollezall takes a minute to touch each party member on the shoulder in turn and cast resistance.

As Cerlinde says the word, Ollezall raises his shield and says " they drew first blood..."

The party heads downstairs and passes through the kitchen and dining room to bid farewell (for now?) to Cumin, Coriander, Fed, the faerie dragons, and the cats.  Cumin and Coriander express dismay that their new friends have to go so soon, but are mildly reassured with the knowledge that people should be returning to study Fistandia's collection.  They share a hearty laugh with Syd over the collection of "literature" that he has pilfered.  Similarly, the faerie dragons make a game effort at convincing the party to stay, but are very excited at the prospect of a number of new, interesting people visiting the mansion.  As the party would expect, they break out in a giggling fit while discussing in Draconic the various pranks they might play on these unsuspecting newcomers.  They ask Cerlinde to keep their presence a secret so as to not jeopardize their ability to mess with future guests.  Fed makes what you interpret to be magnanimous gestures to the party, bowing his chair back and waving his tentacles slowly in farewell.  He appears to be trying especially to attract the attention of Ollezall, who so kindly fed him the remains from the lower level.  Finally, all of the cats in the mansion have gathered here and are fixated on Mohdrak, weaving through his legs, meowing and purring.  Cumin and Coriander thank him for his assistance in the kitchen.

(If anyone wants to RP any of these interactions, feel free!)

With all requisite adieus bidden, the party makes the short trip down the hall to the front door.  After making preparations for battle, Cerlinde holds forth the book toward the location they recall the portal previously appearing and solemnly intones, "Liberty".  After the last syllable escapes her lips, the same pair of shimmering, translucent, oak doors appear and slowly swing open.  Through the portal, the party first see a bloody streak across the floor, then hear a sharp exclamation in a familiar voice, "HOLD!  Come no closer, show your hands!"  Accompanying the command is the sound of a few more individuals hastily getting to their feet and knocking over chairs and papers.  Looking up through the portal, Cassandra awaits you, wand raised menacingly.  In the next moment, you hear the door of the room fly open and a cackle as Drusilla rushes in.

Cerlinde stops and shows her hands to Cassandra, leaning her staff against a shoulder..briefly looking at the blood on the floor before meeting the wizard’s gaze.  “It’s ok, it is us..  is  he..Matraus… ok?  He fled as we entered, and we saw something was with him and heard the scream, but then we were trapped inside..  ”

(Edit forgot to post my goodbyes!-  Cerlinde is sad to leave all their friends in the mansion, she promises to keep the faerie dragons  secret.  She  ensures Fed is well fed, and instructs Cumin and Coriander to ensure fed gets enough to eat.   .   “If any bad people come in here Fed can help protect the place, I hope.  With any luck, I’ll be back regularly- there’s still books upstairs I need to study.   You’ve made this place a wonderful home away from home for us- I hope to be able see you soon!”   

Syd steps through the portal, "Hey Carrie, Dru.... have we been gone long? Time runs differently in that plane... Gross, who bled all over the floor?"

Mohdrak rose back to his hooves and held the cat out in front of him. Its fluffy black coat blended nicely with his own, nearly making the cat look like an extension of the minotaur. Two green dots peered out from the black fur and met the minotaur's gaze without a hint of fear. They seemed to mirror Mohdrak's own green eyes. Like they were destined to meet. 

'I've only known you for half a day but if anything were to happen to you, I will tear down the foundations of this world, descend into the afterworld and make whoever rules it tremble at my hooves before joining you.'

Mohdrak put the cat on his shoulder where it briefly pawed at the curvature of his horn before curling up in a ball of fluff.

'I'm going to call you Nyxie.'

Nyxie the cat has joined team Mohdrak!

With newly acquired friend in tow, the minotaur followed the others back downstairs. He was looking forward to getting back home. He vaguely recalled that time worked differently here and that he probably would not even have been away for a day back in the real world and tempting as it was to be able to fit a week of workout into a single day, nothing beat the real deal. Back at the kitchen he gave a warm goodbye to Cumin and Coriander, complimenting them on their cooking skills and impressive management of the place. To the furry creatures prowling around his calves he gave headpats, though not to many for he did not risk making Nyxie jealous. 

At long last he gave Cerline a nod to show that he was ready to leave. He gently placed Nyxie in his backpack amidst a cozy pile of spare clothes and his bedroll to make sure she would be safe during the whole portal ordeal. He had no way of knowing how an animal would react to sudden transposition and thought it prudent to shield her eyes from it. Mohdrak stepped through the portal and instantly was beholden to a most unusual sight. Well, that was what should have happened. Instead Cerline, who went before him, stopped in her tracks and kept him from going through the shimmering doorway in the fabric of reality. He looked over her shoulder and through the portal. A bloody streak coated the floor and an agitated Cassandra was holding them at wand point. 

'Uhm...' Mohdrak uttered as his eyes moved from the floor to the wand to Cassandra to the wand to the floor to Cassandra again. 'Is this a bad time?'

Cassandra narrowed her eyes and repeated herself, "I said HOLD!  Do not move a step closer.  The last person to return from that place was mauled by an imp and barely survived.  We'd like to prevent any further incidents."  She pauses and gestures with her free hand.  "Harrow, come forth and invoke your deity."

Into your field of view steps a half-orc, clad in chain mail and a white tunic with a red stripe running vertically down the middle.  On his right arm is a well-worn heater shield, also painted in white.  Emblazoned on the shield is a painting of hands bound at the wrist with a red cord.  Off Harrow's belt hangs a mace, while in his left hand he holds forth a holy symbol.  At the sight of Syd, his mouth starts to curl into a snarl, but he takes a deep breath and composes himself.  He looks carefully over the rest of the party, then Harrow closes his eyes and murmurs to himself.  Harrow opens his eyes again, which now emit a soft white glow.  He once again casts his gaze over the party and announces, "There is a celestial among them, an aasimar, but I see no... monsters."  As he concludes, Harrow turns his gaze pointedly toward Syd.

Drusilla steps forward, shaking her head.  There is an edge to her voice, her patience with the ongoing state of things clearly wearing thin.  "Just let them in, Cassandra.  They're clearly more formidable than your dear Matreous, so I imagine they've been able to avoid any supernatural hitchhikers.  Besides, with all of us gathered here, I doubt there's much we can't handle.  The sooner we can get this all cleared up, the sooner I can finally get my study back in order!"

Cassandra lowers her wand and glares at Drusilla.  "Fine.  Come through the portal, hand over that book, and tell me what you've discovered in the time you've spent in this mansion since Matreous was nearly murdered by that imp."  The mood in the room is quite tense.  In addition to the three aforementioned casters, there are two other individuals present:  one of Drusilla's kenku and the apprentice you met so long ago in Cassandra's workshop.

(The portal remains open and stable while any party member is occupying a space that crosses both the study and the mansion.)

Syd cocks an eyebrow at Harrow and grins, "Well somebody has daddy issues.  How long have we been gone?  Anyone have any food?"

Cerlinde says “We are alone, as far as I know.  We were aware that something escaped with Mattreus.  How much time has passed here?   We explored the extradimensional space, there are a few occupants inside there, but they are mostly harmless.  We killed the dangerous creatures within.   We found many rooms, some with books on many subjects, some alchemical and laboratory equipment, and a lot of friendly cats..

When there is time I would love to be allowed to further peruse the books within- there may be answers for some of Haven’s dimensional stability concerns there-  oh and I have the book.”  

 Cerlinde pullls the Joy of extra dimensional spaces from the top of her pack.  

"Oh yeah, I remember that book, the first one we found.  The title's too long, though.  I just think of it as 'The Joy of Ex.S.'"

Ollezall bid everyone farewell, gives cumin and coriander a few leftover rations (' these are for fed if he is well behaved/incase he tries to eat any of you') begins to walk through when he is accosted by the voice. 

In response, Ollezall touches the symbol of his deity, casting light, walks through and declares; " I am Ollezall, cleric healer in the service of Kelemvor. We were tasked to explore this mansion when Matreous became lost therein. We have returned, do not attack".

Ollezall will raise his hands, but begin to prepare word-of-radiance, his body beginning to glow. Ollezall will hold this magic at bay but is prepared to act as a cleric flashbang grenade if things go south. *The last thing I need is some wand happy mage flinging curses first and asking questions later* Ollezall thinks to himself.

"How long has it been since we have been gone? The mansion beyond defies conventional perception of time. Also, fair warning; poke the chairs before you sit down and bring extra food.... Where is your apprentice Cassandra? This blood suggests a macabre fate."

Ollezall will address Drusilla ; " we um, found a wide variety of literature in the mansion...." Ollezall will pass a copy of Clerical error to Drusilla " would you fill this under S for smut, or C for cleric?" Ollezall will smirk slightly

Mohdrak left the talking to the more learned group members but he casually slid his shield over his left arm and held his right hand at the ready on his morningstar's handle. He did not like all that talk abouts imps and maulings.

(Sorry for the delay, my intention was to post this morning, but work has been unpleasant the past week and a half!  Better late than never, I hope.)

Cerlinde opens her pack and removes the book, but while she does so, she finds that the pack is noticeably lighter than she remembered.  Looking through the pack, Cerlinde finds that all of the academic, arcane, and puzzle books collected during their time in the mansion have vanished.  Assuming she alerts the rest of the party to this finding, they notice that the other items collected, including coin, magic items, and works of erotic fiction, remain in their possession.  It seems that Fistandia had one last safeguard in place to protect the most prized items in her collection.

Cassandra carefully takes the book from Cerlinde.  "It sounds like you had quite an eventful visit.  You were able to find some works that hold promise for addressing the portal problems?  Even if they don't offer the full solution, anything that moves us forward would be of great use.  Drusilla has spoken highly of you, I think I might allow you to join me in conducting further research in this mansion."  While not sounding 100% condescending, two things are clear.  1) Cassandra feels that she has full ownership of this newly found resource, and 2) Cassandra feels that she is doing a great favour by deigning to allow Cerlinde to accompany her back into the mansion.  "As for how long you have been gone, it's been roughly fourteen hours.  It's the middle of the night, if you weren't aware!"

Drusilla wades into the exchange, undaunted by Cassandra's unspoken assertion of ownership.  "Need I remind you, Cassandra, that book belongs to me.  You may use it, as long as I see fit to allow that privilege, but it does not leave this shop and I will determine who else might be permitted to read this volume.  At the moment, I'd say you should be more considerate of these adventurers, as they are the only conscious beings that know how to enter and leave the mansion!"  She turns to Syd, Ollezall, and the others, continuing, "I'm glad to see that your time in the mansion did not dull your sense of humour, my orcish friend.  As for Matreous, we found him with an imp perched above him, grievously wounded, but we were easily able to dispatch that creature before it could finish the job.  Matreous is still recovering.  He was unconscious when we found him and has not yet awoken, so we still have no idea what the mansion holds beyond what you have just told us."  Gesturing to the half-orc, she says, "After Harrow stabilized his condition and moved him to the temple for observation, we started to sift through Matreous' notes further, in anticipation of your return, but without the key text, we weren't able to come to your aid."  Drusilla then accepts the book from Ollezall.  "An interesting note about the chairs and food, you'll have to explain further."  After looking at the cover and flipping through a few pages, she lets out a little gasp and covers her mouth for a moment.  Her hand then drops back to her side, revealing a large grin.  "A woman after my own heart, I see.  I look forward to learning more about this Fistandia.  And for the record, I'm going to file this under F for ... fantasy."  The large grin twists to a wry smile, matching Ollezall's own.  With a wink, she concludes, "My thanks to you Ollezall, cleric healer in the service of Kelemvor."

Harrow nods in acknowledgment of his role thus far.  Perhaps emboldened by this, he volunteers, "My ladies, it may not be my place to offer advice on such things, but it seems to me that a magical matter of this importance should be judged by the full membership of the Mage's Triumvirate.  While I do not doubt that your wisdom would guide you justly in your use of the book and the mansion, the findings could be of tremendous significance to all of Haven."  With this suggestion, Cassandra and Drusilla look at each other, Cassandra with a half-smirk, Drusilla looking defiant.

(Quick explanation re: the passage of time in the mansion, since we didn't fully resolve the apparent glitch with Matreous.  As was described, the mansion was surrounded by an "oppressive indigo miasma", which the party never explored (wisely).  Matreous was not so circumspect in his exploration.  In attempting to navigate his way back to Haven, he wandered off into this fog, where he succumbed to exhaustion, leaving him in a semi-incoherent state.  I tried to convey that state in your interaction with him, but what you didn't get, beyond a quick hint, was that the faerie dragons and homunculi dragged him back into the mansion, where he was passed out for most of his time in the mansion.  This was in post #267.  Between his poor physical condition and addled brain, he didn't realize that he had been unconscious.  Time passes in the mansion at the same rate that it does outside of it.  Sorry for the confusion!)

Cerlinde recovers quickly from the initial shock of the missing books,  realizing what must have happened, and she’s wise enough to not mention anything about it, or the other acquisitions, in front of this audience.

 “Umm,  yes, well, I would be honored to continue to help study within the space, and I think my… er.  Expertise with regards to the place would prove.. most.. Err.. helpful.   There are books within that may be of use for our purposes in helping Haven, and I can help research them, for the good of the community.  I am glad Matreaus will recover, he seemed a bit… frazzled by the experience when we saw him.”       She’s clearly a bit intimidated by the powerful wizard Cassandra and the librarian Drusilla.  

'Ahh the chair and food; one of the chairs in the dining room is actually a mimic. Freindly enough when he isn't hungry, but he did try to eat Mohdrak... We named him Fed.'

 Continuing on; ' there is a little shop of horrors down a secret passage off one of the libraries. The mimic, and I suspect that imp, are escapees from the lab. There is also a conjuration circle down there, but it does not appear to be automated in any fashion like a trap. We left most things in tact that didn't attack us, but I destroyed some undead hands with extreme prejudice; I make no apologies for that......'.

"And I... learned some spiffy dance moves." Syd demonstrates some faerie-inspired shuffle steps. "You know one of you wizardy types ought to invent some sort of seeing-stone you could hold in your hand to record and share images.  It would be awesome if I could send a moving picture of me dancing to people all over Haven."  Just then, you become aware of the large grandfather clock in the room tick-tocking away.

"Ahem..." Syd clears his throat, "As to the matter of a reward for returning the apprentice and the book, plus a whole new extradimensional space for you to explore...."

Drusilla smiles encouragingly at Cerlinde.  "I think your assistance would be greatly appreciated, Cerlinde.  Your meticulous eye will ensure nothing gets overlooked or... misplaced."  She looks pointedly at Cassandra.  "In any case, a reasonable accounting of the holdings would be worthwhile, especially with the mention of the labs and the conjuration circle.  Imps, undead hands, mimics, this Fistandia had quite the range of interests.  In the face of such threats, we do appreciate you attempting to limit the damage done to the mansion in your exploration."

Cassandra cuts in with, "Speaking of mimics, I'm impressed you managed to fend off one of those, along with the other creatures you mentioned.  Mohdrak, you've been awfully quiet, how did you find the challenges of this mansion?  Have you recovered fully from the attack?  And did you find any signs of our mysterious Fistandia?  Why would she leave such a place unattended?  Perhaps she succumbed to her own experiments.  Or maybe she was separated from it the same way that so many of us were pulled into Haven."  Cassandra then turns to address Syd.  "Well Syd, I can't claim to share your enthusiasm for sharing those particular images with the good people of Haven, but I suppose it could be a useful general enchantment.  Perhaps I'll have Matreous look into it once he's recovered.  In any case, I'm sure your energy and size proved useful in dealing with the creatures you encountered.  As for a reward for your collective endeavour, you are correct in that you did return Matreous, more or less intact, as well as provide access to what appears to be quite a resource for Haven.  I think that I might be able to scrape together a modest reward.  How does 150 gold for each of you sound?  I trust that you likely did not come out of there empty handed, either.  If I recall, you were only carrying a single greatsword during our first encounter."  Cassandra gives him a self-satisfied look, but does not appear to be troubled by their acquisitions.

Finally, Harrow turns again to Syd, with a slightly conflicted look upon his face.  "I don't believe I've ever heard tale of an orc dancing.  I've certainly never seen one do so.  You seem a bit, well, different from most of our, errr, your kind.  Perhaps we could speak at some point in the future."  Addressing the full party,  "And all of you, please know that you have the thanks of Ilmater and of all those at the Temple of All Gods for your service to Haven.  If you have any wounds that need tending to, I would be happy to assist, although it seems as though you have an esteemed acolyte of Kelemvor in your company.  Ollezall, was it?  Perhaps we might see you at the Temple, if you can manage to find any downtime between adventures."

To Harrow "yes, I think that will be my next destination; I am tired from my many ventures, I think a time of reflection is in order."

To Cassandra "150gp sounds like a fair price for the return of an apprentice. Would you like to make an offer for the information pertaining to exiting the mansion? That was not easy information to come by, and even you happen to find this information yourself, it will be without the danger we had to face in securing it. I would think this is something worthy of compensation?"

Persuasion 18