Seeing his companions distract the kenku, and Triäsa manage to catch a glimpse, Pardot simply backs up towards the door with Ludolf, not wanting to cause trouble, but looking around to see if he can glimpse anything from Triäsa's reaction.

Triäsa would really like to get a closer look at the switch.  She watches Crinkle closely, trying to stay out of the kenku's sight while the others back away.  As she's not expecting the woman would leave the room, if there is an opening she will try to get to the switch and press it to see what it does.  (Stealth: 13, if needed again) 

Crinkle roll: 20

"What are you doing!" Crinkle yells as she swings her staff down blocking Triäsa's access to the switch. "Leave.... Now! Last warning. I will not tolerate your intrusions into my life one second longer." You see an air of determination and anger swirl around the bird.

"Don't you touch her!" Ludolf bursts out at the kenku as she blocks Triäsa's way with her staff.
Intimidate to make Crinkle stand down: 11
Ludolf is quite suspicious of Crinkle by now and tries to determine if she has something to hide.
Insight: 15

Crinkle's eyes just narrow at Ludolf as her gaze darts back to meet his. "Leave. Now." She seems resolute in her intentions and it does not appear she will be swayed at this point. At the rising tension Gailby cries out, "Stop yelling at Auntie Crinkle she didn't do anything wrong. You all barged in here like big meanies and started poking around in all of her stuff." 

Behind you you hear a shuffling in the hallway as Gailby then cries out, "Oh Daddy thank goodness you are awake!" Ebder appears to have recovered from his bout of madness. He appears weak and his voice shakes as the old cook speaks, "What is the meaning of all this yelling and chaos. We have enough trouble down here without you lot adding to it." 

Fembris also decides to speak up, "Quite sorry for the mess Ebder but things are getting worse. Everyone upstairs is acting very very odd, the walls are bleeding and Crinkle is acting a bit odd. Glad you are feeling better though!"

Ludolf -- Crinkle is definitely trying to hide something I don't think that is too hard to determine. To what end or why is anyone's guess. 

(FYI I don't remember all the NPCs speech colors, except Fembris of course, don't read too much into it. Just too lazy at the moment to go back and look. Going to have to take better notes in the future)

can i join? please? or is it too late

The tabaxi falls into your arms and nearly starts weeping on your shoulder. "I just can't stay in here any longer. I miss my family, my friends. Things just keep getting worse with all the singing and chanting. I've seen people do terrible things because of this song... If I... we... stay here we are just going to die.... I know it..." She looks up at you and into your eyes pleadingly, "My name is K'Tulah. Will you help me escape?"

come i'll help you escape 'walks to distought tabaxi' 

Hearing the child Ludolf becomes silent in a loss for words and leaves the room.

Triäsa is now a bit annoyed at the kenku, but tries to remain calm. "Excellent timing Ebder. Perhaps you could take Gailby to another room for a moment?" 

She then turns to stare down Crinkle. "Now, we have tried to be patient and considerate, but we are here on official Candlekeep Investigative Agency business."  Here she looks to Fembris for support in her assertion.  "Stand aside so we can take a quick look around," she says firmly.

(Intimidation: 18)

Crinkle snaps her eyes at Triäsa "I will do no such thing if you don't leave now I am going to force you to go. I don't want to resort to violence but you are leaving me little choice here. My room is private I have comitted no crime and you have no reason to root through my personal space." Her resolve has hardened it seems she will not willingly give in to your requests. 

Ebder just shakes his head, "Do you have any evidence that Crinkle has done any wrong? I have known the ol' bird my whole life, she's spent more time with Gailby than anyone other than me and if she says you have no reason to be here then I trust her." He does move to Gailby's side and puts a protective, fatherly arm around her.

Pardot steps forward slowly and says, "I don't think it's so much that we know of something she's done wrong. No offense." He adds specifically to the Kenku, "It's just that everyone is on edge here and anything that seems out of place needs to be checked. The glowing crack in the wall caught our eye." Pausing for a second to look around he continues, "There probably is no connection of course, but what could it hurt for us to check? We're only doing our job as well."

"You're job is to invade my privacy without cause?" Crinkle scoffs at Pardot's request. "There is nothing here that will be of any help to you. The bugs get into all sorts of cracks and crevices there is no great mystery here. Now go and leave me to my home and do something productive with your time." She looks at Fembris, "Didn't that one say the walls are bleeding? That seems much more interesting. And besides, unless you have a directive from the Great Reader you have no business in my corner of the world."

"And there is an odd switch there that I think we should look at." Triäsa adds. "I am not accusing you Crinkle.  But given the dire curse we have here - that originated somehow down here - we cannot just let it go."

She hopes her words might sway the kenku, but is afraid at this point the other woman is clearly entrenched.  (Persuasion: 24)  She also starting to wonder if maybe she knows more than she's letting on. (Insight: 3)

"Daventry, perhaps you have ways of hitting that switch to see what happens?"

"A switch?" Pardot says, now understanding what Triäsa was reaching for. "Bugs in cracks can certainly happen. Though why did you not tell us of that switch? Again, It's likely not connected. But if the walls bleed, and are alive with bugs and switches, we really should know all we can to get to the bottom of this." Saying this he takes a deep breath and looks closely to see if he can get any read on the Kenku as the switch is mentioned. Insight 27

Crinkle is unmoved by Triäsa words in fact she says nothing and stares daggers at all of you as she defiantly guards the wall. Triäsa beyond the obvious you note nothing more regard her behavior. 

Pardot -- as the switch is mentioned you see the Kenku shift uncomfortable in front of it in a subtle attempt to hide the crack. She clearly does not want you to see or mess with it.

"I understand that this is your private quarters, and we do not want to intrude. So, please, just tell us what the switch is so we can be on our way to deal with the other issues." Pardot says, continuing to keep an eye on her and her answer ((same insight?))

Realizing Triäsa and Pardot don't relent in their investigation Ludolf stops just outside the room, hearing Triäsa mention a switch.
With determined steps he enters the room again and uses his mind over matter to resolutely turn the switch, ready to face the consequences. 

Pardot finishes speaking but before Crinkle has a chance to respond the power of Ludolf's mind flicks the switch that has caused such drama. A creaking sound is heard to the west of Triäsa as a panel of the wall slowly falls away to reveal a small, 5x5 ft room full of shiny objects. Before you have a chance to examine the contents any further you hear Crinkle cry out. "NO, NO, NO!!! WHY HAVE YOU DONE THIS!" 

You feel a strange sensation wash over you. It is the feeling of the song when it invades your mind but this feeling is slightly different. It doesn't want you to sing.... or at least that isn't all it wants you to do. It wants you to fight, destroy each other... He commands it... Shemshine commands you fight.

Charisma Checks DC15:

• • Triäsa 7
  • Pardot 16
  • Daventry 17
  • Gailby 17
  • Ebder 17
  • Crinkle 17
  • Fembris 6
  • Ludolf: 22
  Initiative
• • Triäsa 22
  • Pardot 5
  • Daventry 20
  • Gailby 18
  • Ebder 8
  • Crinkle 6
  • Fembris 2
  • Ludolf 22

   Map

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