"Aw Ludolf, are you just sad there is no doll for you to play with?" Triäsa teases with a small laugh. 

"Yes, dolls, absolutely..." Ludolf says absentmindedly, seemingly looking at something by the fireplace. "Can you describe again what you saw earlier Klin." Ludolf says, sounding a bit shaken. "I think I may just have seen one of those creatures, but it just disappeared in a shadow." He then turns to the others. "They may only attack when we get separated, perhaps we could set some kind of trap." He suggests but sounding a bit uncertain about the idea himself, not really prepared to let anyone be a bait. After a moment of hesitation he speaks again. "I can be the bait."

"Not exactly what I saw, but I still think we're talking about the same kind of creature." Ludolf comments.

Triäsa says, "I do not like the idea of bait at all. What was it you saw Ludolf, if not the same as Klin?"  She peers around the room as though maybe she could locate the creature. (Perception: 14)

"But... I do not have any other ideas," she says resignedly.  "How exactly would we do this - if we do it.  I mean, from the stories in the book, you could be gone in an instant. I do not see how we manage to reel in the creature once it takes the bait."  

"No, maybe you're right Triäsa, we should go on now." Ludolf says and opens the door to the southwest. "I'm not really sure what I saw Triäsa but it looked like a tall, slim figure with elongated arms. But it also wore a strange black suit with a deep black bowler hat."

"Yes, but there is another sinister implication as well Klin. The reason for this creature having clothes could be that it once was a villager that turned into one of these things." Ludolf says as he looks into the next room.

Talking as you walk to the next room Ludolf carefully opens the door. As it swings you are shown into a fourth and final bedchamber. A double bed sits beneath the windows along the far wall. A fireplace occupies one corner, and a window looks out onto the front yard. This appears to be the master bedroom. There are a few letters strewn about the fireplaces' mantle as well as a black, leather bound journal. There are no creatures, or stuffed animals anywhere is sight.

"Finally some clues to what happened here perhaps." Ludolf says and grabs the black leather bound journal. "The letters, check them!" He says to the others before starting to read.
Investigation if needed: 22

As Klin starts reading aloud Ludolf shakes his head and moves into the next room to be able to read the black leather bound journal.

On the mantle Klin finds a pile of crumpled, half-written letters. While most of the letters are incomplete ramblings they have a common theme pleading for help. There is one letter that is stuffed into a sealed envelope. The seal is a bright red wax embossed with an ornate snowdrop blossom. Opening this letter you find an articulate letter from Mayor Duvezin pleading the mayor of Maerin for help. She warns of creatures hiding the dark, terrorizing and abducting her people. 

Ludolf picks up the journal and starts flipping through it. The journal chronicles the disaster at the mine and the village’s anguish at so many victims. The mayor recounts the rescue efforts in the following days, and how they had to stop the search due to fears of more cave-ins if they attempted to remove any more of the rubble, even with miners still missing. She writes of villagers going missing in the night, of her helplessness, and of stubbornly staying on, determined to find the missing villagers while Tifra (her wife) and their two children, Tavin and Nia, evacuated to Maerin. The last few pages speak of the mayor’s nightmares, of her creeping fear and waking in the night, soaked in sweat, with lingering screams echoing in her ears.

It has gotten very dark out at this point, the rain falls steadily but fortunately there is no snow on the ground. Looking out the window all seems to be very quiet and Edgar confirms to Ludolf as he flies near the window that he has not observed any movement throughout the city. 

Ludolf opens a window and lets Edgar in for the night while telling the others of what he learned from black leather bound journal. "We should try to rest now. I suggest we use this room. Perhaps Daventry and Triäsa wants to use the the double bed. I can take the first watch." He says and moves over to sit by a wall where he can see the window, the door and the fireplace.
Perception with help from Edgar if needed during first watch: 16 
Before settling down Ludolf performs a ritual creating an arcane alarm that will go off if anything should enter the room.

Triäsa immediately follows Ludolf when he moves off into the other room. In a lowered voice she says, "You cannot just wander off Ludolf."  She seems concerned, but then watches quietly as he reads through the journal. 

"It's been a long day," Pardot says. "Exploring in the light would certainly feel safer at least. Wake me when you are tired Ludolf." 

Pardot then lays out his mat in a corner of the room to study his star map a bit before resting for the evening.

"Yeah, we'll just settle down in the creepy haunted house. Sounds great." Daventry grumbles. She looks up at the ceiling of each room, giving each a look for an access point to a potential attic. Each room she alights with her blade, held horizontal over her head as a wide bar of light.

Perception: 8

(If she doesn't see anything amiss, she'll reluctantly settle on the bed indicated by Ludolf.)

What is the watch order for the night? I will also need everyone who is taking watch to give me a perception roll, I think I just need one for Klin and Triäsa .. No reason. I swear... 

Triäsa says, "Perhaps we should take watches in pairs? Maybe Ludolf and Edgar, followed by Klin and Pardot, then Dav and I?"  She looks around, open to any other ideas. If there's room she'll lay next to Daventry on the bed. Otherwise just make a spot on the floor nearby.  

Quietly she says to Daventry, "This feels like we are just lying down in a trap. But I cannot say outside would be better."

(Perception: 9)

Ludolf nods at Triäsa's suggestion and performs another ritual summning an unseen servant to collect the books from the library and bring them to him for some light reading, hoping for some more clues to what has transpired in Vermeillon.