You manage to find several useable items among the weapons & armour;
Armour;
The armour stand where Boyd currently stands (to the south) contains a suit of studded leather
The armour stands to the east of the room both contain breastplates; one is in good condition, and the other is dented and battered but seems serviceable.
Weapons;
Multiple swords and daggers hang from the racks; 5 daggers, 5 shortswords, and a pair of scimitars
Most of the ranged weapons seem to be in poor condition and unusable, except for a crossbow, light. You also find several quivers of arrows and bolts but they are damp and covered in moss.
Most of the polearms seem to be fractured and splintered, though you find a halberd in excellent condition; the head appears silvered and the shaft has a leaf-patterned silver filigree.
You search your memories of where you may have seen, or heard, about the symbol before. Recently, you recall hearing rumours in Celene of a group causing trouble around the Azure Sea that flew the symbol; you know they stylised themselves as the Scarlet Brotherhood. It is believed that they are more connected than your common thugs. Perhaps they are linked with Sedgewick's crew - the Sanguine Cabal.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
"Well, if there was any doubt of the connection between Sedgewick'sSanguine Cabal and the Scarlet Brotherhood down south Monmurg-way, the sigil on this shield would seem to remove them, wouldn't you say, Boyd?" Nikita seems thoughtful.
"A deadly enemy to make. And yet, somehow, it seems like the least of our worries. Any other exits here or are we headed back the way we came?"
NikitaPerception to look for other doors or passageways/hatches/trapdoors: 23 ThumbtackPerception (same): 13
Boyd nods. "Hoped never to tangle with their lot again." He looks around the room. "Just our luck. Looks like a dead end. Guess we have to head out the fire way and see who won upstairs..."
You scan the room and the passageway from which you came. At first, you believe your search is fruitless, that is until you spot tiny grooves in the wall opposite the door to the makeshift armoury, near the sconce.
It strikes you then, it couldn't be something as simple as merely turning the sconce on the wall. Sure enough, you find that the sconce is able to be moved, albeit very slowly. It creaks and grows as you move it and you are able to tell that it has not likely been used in many years.
After the sconce has been fully turned you hear a scraping sound, followed by the smell of stagnant air. The wall partially parts to reveal a passage beyond, however, it seems like it is lodged on something. The gap it leaves might be wide enough to squeeze through (with a dexterity check) or alternatively, it might be widened (with a strength check). The water level in the passage beyond is the same as within the passageway you currently stand.
Nikita gives the grizzled man a lopsided grin as he speaks of a dead end. "Don't be so sure."
She turns the sconce on the opposite wall of the hallway and part of the wall grudgingly slides open with a scraping sound, only to become stuck partway. ((See spoiler for Nikita'sPerception check above.)) She pulls out her crowbar. "Do you want to help me wedge this open further, Boyd?" She tries to use leverage with the crowbar to widen the narrowest part of the opening and helps Boyd (or anyone else) who tries to open it fully.
With a mighty heft, and the help of a crowbar, Boyd manages to widen the secret gap in the wall. Beyond the passageway rises up into pitch blackness. You get the sense that this area of the basement has not been touched for years. The stench of rotten wood and stagnant water assails your nostrils. Large fungi partially obscure the corridor, they look other-worldly and toxic.
The walls of the newly revealed section of the basement look ancient, as though they were built centuries ago. Similarly to before, flora creeps along the floor, walls, and ceiling and the stonework is cracked and uneven.
"Intriguing," Asha's voice wafts through the air. "I never knew this area existed... I wonder what secrets it holds."
The Sagacitas bounds up the passageway and into the darkness beyond.
((Please excuse the photoshop skills or lack thereof!))
Nikita then hears Asha's words with a shiver and tries to reach out telepathically to the Sagacitas who already bounded in. What do you see over there?
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Meresaa once more retrieves her little glowing cubes from the previous hallway and tosses them an appropriate distance into this new, dark corridor.
With the cubes thusly flung, she takes a long, hard look at the fungi, hoping to discern if they are similarly animated as the previous topiaries were (or if they're a type that releases harmful spores into the air or just dangerous to touch, etc.).
Meresaa sends her glowing cubes to illuminate the immediate area. They reveal a large room with several crates and boxes piled high to the south. Directly in front of the party sits a large desk, worn through time, scrolls covering its top along with an empty candleholder. Everything is caked in dust and cobwebs, it is clear that the area has not been used in some time.
"Gods,"Asha's voice rings out, "how long has this stuff been down here?"
Nikita - Images flood your mind of boundless treasures and rivers of coins. The Sagacitas darts back to you, one of its many tentacles seems to be grasping a golden tiara.
Everything about the room speaks of its age. It looks like this was a secret staging ground or storage area. Most of the crates and boxes have degraded but you are pretty sure you make out a worn coat of arms on some of them;
Thumbtack
Thumbtack senses no threats in the immediate area.
At a guess, the mushrooms are poisonous. Though they do not seem to be releasing spores like the smaller variety. You know that fungi such as these should be treated with care and direct contact with skin avoided. However, if properly harvested, powerful poisons might be able to be brewed.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Somehow feeling compelled to speak in hushed tones here, Nikita lets the others know what she and Thumbtack can sense (spoilers above).
"Everyone, does this emblazoned coat of arms seem familiar to any of you? There is enough here that we may wish to take some time to investigate. If undisturbed for so long, including by the Sanguine Cabal, there may be clues here to the presence of the portal. Thumbtack senses no threats."
At the Sagacitas, she thinks: Careful new friend, there are some old, old things here. Some may have dangerous properties or magic.
If the group decides to spend at least ten minutes in this room, Nikita first tries place the coat of arms. She then takes her spell book out of her pack, casting Detect Magic as a ritual around the room, including the scrolls and other things on or in the desk, as well as the tiara that the Sagacitas holds.
You managed to recognise the coat of arms on the crates; it is the symbol of the Kingdom of Aerdy. The kingdom was the prelude to the Great Kingdom, changing its name after the Battle of a Fortnight’s Length in which Aerdy defeated the Kingdom of Nyrond and consolidated its position in the east before moving westwards. At its height, the Great Kingdom spanned most of the continent but now exists, much reduced in size, to the east.
It would seem that you have stumbled upon a secret cache/hideaway that Aerdy had utilised; likely as a base of operations within the west, given Saltmarsh's access to the Azure Sea. Given that the Kingdom of Aerdy predates the Common Year (CY) calendar currently being used, it is not hard for you to discern that this particular area of Prospect was built several hundred years ago.
ALL - As Nikita casts Detect Magic there is a burst of colour as brightly coloured dust-like particles appear to rain from the basement ceiling. Your eyes are initially blinded in the otherwise dank and dark basement. The Sagacitas jumps happily and attempts to catch the dust in its tentacles as it falls. The light brightly illuminates the entirety of the room you currently stand within (see below).
To the immediate area south, hidden behind the crates and boxes, you notice the familiar sheen of gold; hundreds and thousands of gold coins glitter in the light of the magical dust. Long-perished goods seem to have been stacked against the east side of the room; mushrooms, similar to those from before, grow out of the torn and degrading sacks. Tattered wall hangings contain the same coat of arms as the crates, though they are worn and fading.
ALL - Please make Perception checks with disadvantage.
Though you do not sense magic emanating from the tiara itself, you do get a read of magic all around you (it is erratic and does not appear to be from any single school). It appears as though this area is wildly amplifying your spell; the glittering dust being a 'side effect'.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Nikita can't help breathing with wonder.
"This coat of arms is that of Aerdy, an ancient kingdom that still exists today thousands of leagues to the east across the Azure sea, known as 'The Great Kingdom', but at one time covered most of these lands. This cache likely predates the current Kingdom of Keoland, which currently lays a (sometimes questioned) claim to Saltmarsh. Many hundreds of years old this. Perhaps a secret base of operations for Aerdy, once."
"What's more, something in this area is... magnifying my magic in some wildly uncontrollable way. I will not cast any more spells here as I do not know what will happen. But I sensed pervasive magic which I could not identify all around us when I cast Detect Magic just now."
Nikita looks around, wary and on edge. Anyone with the resources to secure a room like this would not do so lightly. There may be traps, mundane or magical. She eyes the huge crossbow at the southeast end of the room and readies herself to dodge out of the way.
"Be very very careful in here. It seems a likely place for hazards and traps."
Boyd whistles a low-pitched toot of appreciation for the formidable pile of gold ahead of them.
"Wow. A scrap of paper in a cookie told me I'd find great riches among friends, but I didn't believe it." He pinches his arm. "Serves me right..."he mutters.
Suddenly a grin splits his face. "Heh! Imagine that these stupid sanguine brothers were sitting right on top of this hoard this whole time! Er... no offense, Asha." He looks around, awaiting the ghost's wrath.
"Is it safe to go in? These glowy dusts aren't going to blow up or something, are they?"
((Bizarrely, I cannot see all of your rolls in DnDB. I can see totals but not the rolls themselves for both Faila and Ermasnietsz. However, please see below based on totals rolled.))
For a fleeting moment, you believe you saw movement from the passage to the West. However, you are not quite sure whether it is just the luminescent dust playing tricks and casting strange shadows.
For a fleeting moment, you believe you saw movement from the passage to the West. This is followed by the creak and cracking of roots, not something you have been unused to hearing since entering Prospect. However, this sound is followed by a metallic scraping. Furthermore, you are certain that you saw the glint of armour reflecting the luminescent dust. Whomever, or whatever, the owner of the armour is, they appear to have retreated back deeper into the passageway.
Whoever that is in the armor already sees us. No point being stealthy. But they are retreating, not attacking...
"I don't know if the glowy dust is going to blow up as you say, Boyd, but there is someone else here. In glinting metallic armor. They just retreated down the passageway to the left. They must already know we are here. I'm thinking leave the treasure alone for now in case it is a guardian."
Nikita calls out successively in Common, Elvish, and Dwarvish down the west passageway (stopping if she gets a response):
"Greetings - guardian? We mean no harm and have stumbled on this ancient place during a search that may be unrelated to this room. I am Nikita Tantsora. May my companions and I speak with you peacefully?"
She balances on the balls of her feet, leaving her rapier and longbow stowed, taking the dodge action from any attack, whether it might come from the western passageway or from the room itself (such as from the apparent giant crossbow/ballista).
Faila and Meresaa's Investigation checks:
You manage to find several useable items among the weapons & armour;
Nikita's History check:
You search your memories of where you may have seen, or heard, about the symbol before. Recently, you recall hearing rumours in Celene of a group causing trouble around the Azure Sea that flew the symbol; you know they stylised themselves as the Scarlet Brotherhood. It is believed that they are more connected than your common thugs. Perhaps they are linked with Sedgewick's crew - the Sanguine Cabal.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
"Well, if there was any doubt of the connection between Sedgewick's Sanguine Cabal and the Scarlet Brotherhood down south Monmurg-way, the sigil on this shield would seem to remove them, wouldn't you say, Boyd?" Nikita seems thoughtful.
"A deadly enemy to make. And yet, somehow, it seems like the least of our worries. Any other exits here or are we headed back the way we came?"
Nikita Perception to look for other doors or passageways/hatches/trapdoors: 23
Thumbtack Perception (same): 13
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(Druid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(Sorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(Monk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(Cleric3/Sorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Boyd nods. "Hoped never to tangle with their lot again." He looks around the room. "Just our luck. Looks like a dead end. Guess we have to head out the fire way and see who won upstairs..."
Nikita Perception check:
You scan the room and the passageway from which you came. At first, you believe your search is fruitless, that is until you spot tiny grooves in the wall opposite the door to the makeshift armoury, near the sconce.
It strikes you then, it couldn't be something as simple as merely turning the sconce on the wall. Sure enough, you find that the sconce is able to be moved, albeit very slowly. It creaks and grows as you move it and you are able to tell that it has not likely been used in many years.
After the sconce has been fully turned you hear a scraping sound, followed by the smell of stagnant air. The wall partially parts to reveal a passage beyond, however, it seems like it is lodged on something. The gap it leaves might be wide enough to squeeze through (with a dexterity check) or alternatively, it might be widened (with a strength check). The water level in the passage beyond is the same as within the passageway you currently stand.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Nikita gives the grizzled man a lopsided grin as he speaks of a dead end. "Don't be so sure."
She turns the sconce on the opposite wall of the hallway and part of the wall grudgingly slides open with a scraping sound, only to become stuck partway. ((See spoiler for Nikita's Perception check above.)) She pulls out her crowbar. "Do you want to help me wedge this open further, Boyd?" She tries to use leverage with the crowbar to widen the narrowest part of the opening and helps Boyd (or anyone else) who tries to open it fully.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(Druid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(Sorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(Monk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(Cleric3/Sorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
"Dunno if this is gonna budge any more, but I'll give it a shot." Boyd grabs hold of the crowbar and throws his weight into cracking the door open.
Str check (Adv for help): 21
Morning - Day #3 - More Than Meets The Eye
With a mighty heft, and the help of a crowbar, Boyd manages to widen the secret gap in the wall. Beyond the passageway rises up into pitch blackness. You get the sense that this area of the basement has not been touched for years. The stench of rotten wood and stagnant water assails your nostrils. Large fungi partially obscure the corridor, they look other-worldly and toxic.
The walls of the newly revealed section of the basement look ancient, as though they were built centuries ago. Similarly to before, flora creeps along the floor, walls, and ceiling and the stonework is cracked and uneven.
"Intriguing," Asha's voice wafts through the air. "I never knew this area existed... I wonder what secrets it holds."
The Sagacitas bounds up the passageway and into the darkness beyond.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Nikita hesitates. "This is either a good idea or a very very bad one. What say you all? Into the darkness or back the way we came?"
She asks someone to provide a light, then she and Thumbtack peer into the darkness, looking and listening for any threats.
Nikita Perception: 8
Thumbtack Perception: 23
Nikita then hears Asha's words with a shiver and tries to reach out telepathically to the Sagacitas who already bounded in. What do you see over there?
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(Druid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(Sorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(Monk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(Cleric3/Sorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Meresaa once more retrieves her little glowing cubes from the previous hallway and tosses them an appropriate distance into this new, dark corridor.
With the cubes thusly flung, she takes a long, hard look at the fungi, hoping to discern if they are similarly animated as the previous topiaries were (or if they're a type that releases harmful spores into the air or just dangerous to touch, etc.).
1d20: 7 + nature (5), investigation (7), or arcana (7+4) - not sure which is preferable for this
Characters currently being ruined on this forum:
Neria Tallfellow (Halfling Rogue) - Curse of the Crimson Throne with Ashen_Age
Meresaa sends her glowing cubes to illuminate the immediate area. They reveal a large room with several crates and boxes piled high to the south. Directly in front of the party sits a large desk, worn through time, scrolls covering its top along with an empty candleholder. Everything is caked in dust and cobwebs, it is clear that the area has not been used in some time.
"Gods," Asha's voice rings out, "how long has this stuff been down here?"
Nikita's/Thumbtack's Perception check:
Nikita
Everything about the room speaks of its age. It looks like this was a secret staging ground or storage area. Most of the crates and boxes have degraded but you are pretty sure you make out a worn coat of arms on some of them;
Thumbtack senses no threats in the immediate area.
Meresaa's Nature check:
At a guess, the mushrooms are poisonous. Though they do not seem to be releasing spores like the smaller variety. You know that fungi such as these should be treated with care and direct contact with skin avoided. However, if properly harvested, powerful poisons might be able to be brewed.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Somehow feeling compelled to speak in hushed tones here, Nikita lets the others know what she and Thumbtack can sense (spoilers above).
"Everyone, does this emblazoned coat of arms seem familiar to any of you? There is enough here that we may wish to take some time to investigate. If undisturbed for so long, including by the Sanguine Cabal, there may be clues here to the presence of the portal. Thumbtack senses no threats."
At the Sagacitas, she thinks: Careful new friend, there are some old, old things here. Some may have dangerous properties or magic.
If the group decides to spend at least ten minutes in this room, Nikita first tries place the coat of arms. She then takes her spell book out of her pack, casting Detect Magic as a ritual around the room, including the scrolls and other things on or in the desk, as well as the tiara that the Sagacitas holds.
History to recall or interpret coat of arms: 16
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(Druid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(Sorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(Monk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(Cleric3/Sorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Nikita's History check:
((Holy Crit!))
You managed to recognise the coat of arms on the crates; it is the symbol of the Kingdom of Aerdy. The kingdom was the prelude to the Great Kingdom, changing its name after the Battle of a Fortnight’s Length in which Aerdy defeated the Kingdom of Nyrond and consolidated its position in the east before moving westwards. At its height, the Great Kingdom spanned most of the continent but now exists, much reduced in size, to the east.
It would seem that you have stumbled upon a secret cache/hideaway that Aerdy had utilised; likely as a base of operations within the west, given Saltmarsh's access to the Azure Sea. Given that the Kingdom of Aerdy predates the Common Year (CY) calendar currently being used, it is not hard for you to discern that this particular area of Prospect was built several hundred years ago.
ALL - As Nikita casts Detect Magic there is a burst of colour as brightly coloured dust-like particles appear to rain from the basement ceiling. Your eyes are initially blinded in the otherwise dank and dark basement. The Sagacitas jumps happily and attempts to catch the dust in its tentacles as it falls. The light brightly illuminates the entirety of the room you currently stand within (see below).
ALL - Please make Perception checks with disadvantage.
Nikita's Detect Magic spell:
Though you do not sense magic emanating from the tiara itself, you do get a read of magic all around you (it is erratic and does not appear to be from any single school). It appears as though this area is wildly amplifying your spell; the glittering dust being a 'side effect'.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Ermasnietsz: Perception
InkedBee (Undead_Analyst)
Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts - Jenviel Tsumara: Fallen Aasimar- Monk|Crimson Sands of Time - Navarra Iltazyara: Human- Druid/Warlock| Bleak Prospect - Ermasnietsz: Reborn- Clockwork Soul Sorcerer
Faila Perception: 15
Nikita can't help breathing with wonder.
"This coat of arms is that of Aerdy, an ancient kingdom that still exists today thousands of leagues to the east across the Azure sea, known as 'The Great Kingdom', but at one time covered most of these lands. This cache likely predates the current Kingdom of Keoland, which currently lays a (sometimes questioned) claim to Saltmarsh. Many hundreds of years old this. Perhaps a secret base of operations for Aerdy, once."
"What's more, something in this area is... magnifying my magic in some wildly uncontrollable way. I will not cast any more spells here as I do not know what will happen. But I sensed pervasive magic which I could not identify all around us when I cast Detect Magic just now."
Nikita looks around, wary and on edge. Anyone with the resources to secure a room like this would not do so lightly. There may be traps, mundane or magical. She eyes the huge crossbow at the southeast end of the room and readies herself to dodge out of the way.
"Be very very careful in here. It seems a likely place for hazards and traps."
Nikita Perception (at disadvantage): 6
Thumbtack Perception (straight roll): 10
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(Druid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(Sorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(Monk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(Cleric3/Sorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Boyd whistles a low-pitched toot of appreciation for the formidable pile of gold ahead of them.
"Wow. A scrap of paper in a cookie told me I'd find great riches among friends, but I didn't believe it." He pinches his arm. "Serves me right..." he mutters.
Suddenly a grin splits his face. "Heh! Imagine that these stupid sanguine brothers were sitting right on top of this hoard this whole time! Er... no offense, Asha." He looks around, awaiting the ghost's wrath.
"Is it safe to go in? These glowy dusts aren't going to blow up or something, are they?"
DM Rolls:
RW Stealth: 29
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
((Bizarrely, I cannot see all of your rolls in DnDB. I can see totals but not the rolls themselves for both Faila and Ermasnietsz. However, please see below based on totals rolled.))
Ermasnietsz's Perception check:
For a fleeting moment, you believe you saw movement from the passage to the West. However, you are not quite sure whether it is just the luminescent dust playing tricks and casting strange shadows.
Faila & Nikita's Perception check:
For a fleeting moment, you believe you saw movement from the passage to the West. This is followed by the creak and cracking of roots, not something you have been unused to hearing since entering Prospect. However, this sound is followed by a metallic scraping. Furthermore, you are certain that you saw the glint of armour reflecting the luminescent dust. Whomever, or whatever, the owner of the armour is, they appear to have retreated back deeper into the passageway.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)
Whoever that is in the armor already sees us. No point being stealthy. But they are retreating, not attacking...
"I don't know if the glowy dust is going to blow up as you say, Boyd, but there is someone else here. In glinting metallic armor. They just retreated down the passageway to the left. They must already know we are here. I'm thinking leave the treasure alone for now in case it is a guardian."
Nikita calls out successively in Common, Elvish, and Dwarvish down the west passageway (stopping if she gets a response):
"Greetings - guardian? We mean no harm and have stumbled on this ancient place during a search that may be unrelated to this room. I am Nikita Tantsora. May my companions and I speak with you peacefully?"
She balances on the balls of her feet, leaving her rapier and longbow stowed, taking the dodge action from any attack, whether it might come from the western passageway or from the room itself (such as from the apparent giant crossbow/ballista).
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons | Lyra(Warlock2/Bard4): VitusW's Silverwood Forest
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(Druid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(Sorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(Fighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(Monk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(Cleric3/Sorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Nikita - Please make a Persuasion check with advantage; this comes as you have addressed it in Elvish.
DM - The Call of Strahd (CoS); Feyrealm Campaign, Chapter 0 - Bleak Prospect (BP), Chapter 1 - Destination Unknown (DU)