Mavis, "The house is so very empty these days. She may be in her quarters on the basement floor, sir." The nursemaid stands and walks over to the mirror. She reaches out and does something, making it swing open with a click, showing stairs leading further upwards. "The basement stairwell is in the attic. I can show you while I take the young ones back to their room."

(You have all ghost related knowledge previously mentioned.)

Xai’Bo looks at the stairway in confusion, he had been certain the secret door in the hallway would lead to the basement.

He wanders back to it and takes a look for the opening mechanism.

Investigation: 3

Even warned Mavis still thinks this is a strange placement of rooms and stairs. Good to confuse enemies that would attack the house, but seems overly impractical for a common household.

'This is quite a strange place for a passage to the children's room and basement,' Mavis comments. He gestures toward the crib and continues, 'Perhaps we can let the children see their younger brother first before we continue. They are asking about young master Walter the entire way here. This is the young master's room, correct?'

Oron will look to Thorn then to the others in the group before quietly saying, trying to not let Thorn hear. "Thorn is dead, and by all accounts, probably so is Rose. Which means, if they are dead, Walter probably is as well. The fact they do not know they are dead, concerns me a little bit." He pauses for a moment to look around then continues on. "I say we finish this up quick and get out of here."

Melantha nods in agreement to what Oron said.
They were curious about Walter, though, as he was the prioritized reason they all entered this house.

"Is young Master Walter sleeping?" they inquired alongside Mavis as they point their hand, palm up, towards the crib covered with a hanging black shroud.  "Also.......why a black shroud?"

There is a slight gap where your fingers fit between the panelling, allowing you to pull the door open. Behind it, another set of stairs leads upwards.

"Our room's in the attic." Rose pipes up. "There's a trapdoor for the basement downstairs too, but it's been jammed for weeks now."

"Not right now. The baby is sleeping, please, do not wake him." answers the nursemaid.

The nursemaid flickers ghostly again. "I... I can't remember." she says, looking lost.

Xai'Bo looks up the staircase to see what he make out at the top, then back over at his companions.

"Looks like there is another way up, maybe we should split up and try them both?", he asks a bit nervous about going up the stairs by himself.

Perception: 19 - what can he see up the staircase?

Oron will volunteer for group A, raising his hand and standing tall. "I'll go with the group heading up the stairs." He makes his way up the stairs and stops next to Xai'Bo. "I got your back my friend. Just don't leave me hanging."

Melantha trots towards the stairs that Xai'Bo and Oron will be climbing up.

"Splitting up doesn't sound like a good idea," they stated, concerned, "...but if we really have to, I'll go with you two."

They turn to look at Mavis, Rule, and Sirron. "So...that will mean for you three to check the other staircase passage. Be careful and watch each other's backs, please." 

Mavis frowns, but eventually nods his head. 

'I much prefer we stay as one group, but splitting up may cover more grounds,' Mavis says. He mulls over the decision for some time as he wait for Ruel and Sirron to voice their own arguments. 'It is possible we can clear whatever is obstructing the path downstairs and opens a quicker passage out the front door if there are more threats.'

He looks toward Madam Maggie, young Lady Rose, and young Master Thorn and asks, 'Where is the jammed trapdoor and what is jamming it? If it is a simple lock or wooden bar, we may be able to cut it quite quickly, but if it is buried by rubbles or locked by magical means, I cannot guarantee the endeavour will fruit many benefits.'

The room above looks like a storage room, packed with old furniture such as chairs, coat racks, standing mirrors, dress mannequins, all loosely draped in dusty white sheets. Near an iron stove, underneath one of the sheets, is an unlocked wooden trunk.

"It's in the wolf room. With all the furs and stuffed dead things." Rose says, then thinks for a moment. "I'm sure it's enchanted. We're not allowed down there and I've never been able to open it even when it worked for other people."

Xai'Bo turns to Oron and Melantha, "It looks like a store room, but may hold some secrets, a passage maybe. Looks like a chest over there too".

He carefully makes his way into the room, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious or dangerous  and if not uses his staff to try and open the chest without going too close.

Stealth: 18
Perception: 9

Ruel nods touched at Melantha's concern and looking across to see Mavis' unease he feels he has to help with his concerns.

Although in turmoil he is beginning to realise that helping can do no more to help any mortal concerns that the children have.

"I will see this done with you Mavis and I agree we must make sure we secure our exit from this house and it may be the best way to protect our comrades is to do so. As well I feel our best weapon against the darkness is knowledge, and some knowledge may give the children peace."

Ruel sets his jaw for he feel the path ahead is fraught and wants not willing to.leave Sirron alone.

Sirron glanced at the others for a moment before nodding ever so slightly even though he wasn't entirely sure about how to feel about splitting up.

"I mean splitting up does have it's benefits but it also comes with it's fair share of risks." Sirron says as he shrugs slightly. "That being said, we should stay vigilant. It would be a shame if someone fell behind, although it wouldn't be..." He scratches the back of his neck slightly as he trails off.

"Mavis, Ruel, I will do what I can to help you with this. If we can find a way to protect our friends... or comrades while simultaneously finding a way to secure our exit then that's wonderful." He hummed softly, motioning towards where the others had been. "Knowledge that can defeat the darkness? I don't know if that'll help the children find peace but if it doesn't then perhaps we might find another way to help them find peace."

'Back downstairs it is,' Mavis says. He prepares himself, hand gripping the hilt of his sheathed blade at the ready, and walks back downstairs with Ruel and Sirron. 

{{Out of curiosity, did we know where the wolf room is? Did we pass it before?}}

The room is still, and though you don't like the look of one dressing mannequin, nothing jumps at you. The chest creaks as you open it, revealing a large, almost person-sized bundle, wrapped in a blood stained sheet.

(You did pass the wolf room earlier.)

Your search for a "wolf room" is short, as you quickly find a striking room with three taxidermied wolves in it. Unlike upstairs, there is no sign of decay on this floor, in this oak-paneled room resembling a hunter's den. Mounted above the fireplace is a stag's head, and po­sitioned around the outskirts of the room are the stuffed wolves. Two padded chairs draped in animal furs face the hearth, with an oak table between them supporting a cask of wine, two carved wooden goblets, a pipe rack, and a candelabrum. A chandelier hangs above a cloth-covered table surrounded by four chairs. Two cabinets stand against the walls, one filled with crossbows and the other with a display of playing cards and wine glasses.

(Roll for Perception.)