Razi listens to Jim's theories.  "I guess that makes sense."

"Magic, then?  Is this entire house some sort of illusion?" Razi asks when he sees Caine's failed experiment with the window.

Not wanting the group to separate, he will hurry to join the others in the conservatory.  He will move to investigate the harpsichord.

Seeing the dog hiding under the harpsichord, Jim carefully approaches and kneels down in front of it. Then he slowly and carefully reaches out an empty hand so that the dog can sniff him.

"Hey there boy. What are you doing in here all by yourself?" Jim says soothingly. "You must be scared getting yourself trapped in here all, no way out. No food, no water."

(Animal Handling: 9)

Razi is moved by sympathy for the poor beast.  He will back up a bit and speak softly to the animal, encouraging it to come out.  He will try and provide help to Jim in coaxing out the dog.

(With Razi's help: 12)

Caine watches Jim and Razi for a moment with the dog before speaking.

"Careful there," Caine says. "This place definitely has some bad mojo going on. Don't want to lose a hand to a dire wolf disguised as a poodle."

He walks the edges of the room looking for any more secret doors or panels, pushing and pounding the walls as he goes.

Perception: 21  

Nelyna crouches down beside Jim and Razi as they try to coax the dog out from under the harpsichord.

"Oh you poor thing!" she says, saddened by how obviously frightened the poor animal has become. No wonder it's terrified if it's been trapped in this house of horrors, she thinks. At the same time she realizes that Caine is right; so far many things have not been as they seemed in this house. It's entirely possible the dog is just another illusion.

Jim doesn't take his eyes off the dog, but responds back to Cain, "Sure you could possibly disguise a dire woof as a poodle, but how would you get it to act scared?"

"Has anyone got food fit for a dog?"  Razi looks through his pack for a ration.  "This is barely people food... but here - have a sniff.  You can have it if you like," he says to the scrawny beast.

@DM - Did Caine find anything when he searched the room (post #408 above), also almost forgot - was there anything in the chest when he opened it (post #391 above)?

"Never seen a dog pass up anything resembling food. Seen them eat some pretty disgusting things in the Field Ward. I'm sure rations will suit it just fine. But I didn't check the kitchen that carefully either," Caine says. "Might be something down there."

He gives the room one last look. If his search didn't reveal anything, he goes back out into the hallway, making sure the lamps are all lit, and looks to see if there are any more doors they haven't checked on this floor yet.

Nelyna extends her hand gingerly to the dog, allowing it to sniff her. After the dog gets a chance to get her scent, she slowly extends her hand to try and stroke the dog's head. 

"There, it's all right," she says soothingly. "You're safe with us now."

"Let me see the little guy, I have some food I kept from the dinner party he can have."

animal handling 21

As everyone is making a fuss over the dog, he decides to see if there's a collar on the dog.

Upon seeing the name Lancelot, Jim thinks for a moment about whether the name might come from somewhere he might remember from history.

(History: 13)