Lana looked at Rel with surprise. "You mean the master of the house kept his future coffin in his own bedroom? Oh... You mean he was a vampire?! Why would he need the bed here at all?" The conclusion was a bit contradictory. "Let's open the lid and see!"
If no one stopped her, Lana walked to the coffin and tried to open it up.
Once he felt the room wasn't posing any immediate danger of assaulting statues and smothering rugs, Tex enters and starts rummaging everywhere asking for Rel's guidance (Investigation: 17). "Yeah, they must have disposed of the crate, perhaps in a fire place or that brazier outside?"
The large jewels on the bed stand catch his eye first and he tries to spot whether they seem real and which variety they would be. Then, he slightly moves every portrait with the flat end of his spear to see if something is hidden behind, while he continues commenting, "Or there really is another way out of this mansion. Though, what really puzzles me, if there is no other way out, why would they go to such length to hide their tracks, like that crate. Did they know they were followed?"
Afterwards, he turns to the bookcase and checks if it is attached to the wall or if it can be moved, "We really should have found some tracks of these people going through this mansion."
Lastly, he will look under the bed for a chest or a crate. "They went through this house as if they were ghosts. The whole bloody house feels haunted to me for it's worth."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Sorry, I'm beginning to enter a vacation period and while I will try to check-in at least daily, I cannot promise that I will always be able to do so. From September 1, I should be back to normal.
Rel provides Guidance as needed, sharing Tex's puzzlement.
To Lana, she answers: "Yes the Briarwoods were vampires, I believe? Or at least one of them was. From the portrait we saw earlier," (post 687), "I'd say the husband looks to be one. Perhaps he slept in the coffin and the wife on the bed."
When everyone is done inspecting the rest of the room, Rel switches her father's divine Guidance to herself and investigates the enchanted organ at a distance with her Mage Hand to see whether there is anything more to it.
You open the crate, the hinges creek as you do so. Looking inside you find nothing.
Tex,
Upon inspection of pretty much everything, you do find a small opening behind the book case. Asking Lizzyfor aid with the task you are able to pull the bookshelf from the wall, revealing a stair case leading down.
Rel,
Sending your Mage Hand towards the organ nothing seems to happen. You have it play a few off key notes but the organ continues to play on within missing a note.
“I think I found something,” says Tex on finding the staircase. With Lizzy’s help, he tries to move the books enough to get a look inside the hole to judge the size of it and how deep down it goes and if there is any light. “Could the crate have been carried down this way?”
Sorry, I'm beginning to enter a vacation period and while I will try to check-in at least daily, I cannot promise that I will always be able to do so. From September 1, I should be back to normal.
"Even if not, its content surely could." Lanan left the empty coffin (with disappointing "pfft") and joined Tex near the stairs. "Anyway, looks like we found the entrance to the true lair. Strange place for the secret entrance to the underground but those people here are nothing if not weird. So, now we have two of them. Let's check this one?"
If not stopped, she would step in and follow the stairs down a bit ahead of others (for safety).
Zane, while still concentrating on casting, says, "Hold on, let the silence finish first. It started to play when we came in, it might do something else when we leave that way."
Once the Silence finishes casting he will do one more scan of the main hallway and close the doors, then motion that he's ready to follow others down the stairs.
As soon as Tex receives Zane’s sign, he and Lizzy follow Lana down the stairs. He counts the steps while going down and tries to get an estimate on how deep they descend.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Sorry, I'm beginning to enter a vacation period and while I will try to check-in at least daily, I cannot promise that I will always be able to do so. From September 1, I should be back to normal.
Lana, you head down the stairs with Tex and Bellamy close behind. Taking about ten steps before coming to a switchback that heads down another ten, arriving at the bottom of the stairs that appear to lead nowhere. A dead end.
"Must be another door somewhere around. And judging by the height, we simply got down to the first floor." Lana sighed in disappointment and began her search for another secret door and a way to open it.
Tex, too, expects some lever or other mechanism to open a passage. He helps Lana with the investigation.
Investigation (with guidance): 24
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Sorry, I'm beginning to enter a vacation period and while I will try to check-in at least daily, I cannot promise that I will always be able to do so. From September 1, I should be back to normal.
The surroundings proved to be too alien to Lana, she did not find anything extraordinary around (8). All she could hope for is Tex's power of observation, since he was searching for magic anyway.
Zane stays at the top of the stairs and keeps staring at the piano. In the full silence here he goes and grabs an end of it and tries to shift it away from the wall, just to see what's behind it.
He'll also try to open it up somehow, lifting the top off or anything else like that. He'll use his grappling hook as a can opener if needed.
You poke and prod at the walls and almost instantly find a hidden door. Pushing it open it leads into the sitting rooms with the hole that leads down
Zane
Easy enough you can pull the organ away from the wall, all the while it continues to play. You do not see anything behind the wall. Prying off the sides of the organ (as the top is made of pipes) you find nothing out of the ordinary with the organ. It would be easy to tell that whatever is happening with it is indeed a magical enchantment as Texhad stated and nothing further.
Lana entered the - now familiar - room after Tex, looked around, returned to the stairs and called up to others. "We are in the carpet room, you can get down."
"So... Looks like that hole is the real and only entrance after all, as strange as it sounds. Can it be that your vampires simply left the house? Maybe the tunnels below lead to another house? And everything here and before was nothing but a facade and a way to slow down the pursuit? Do we want to be the one? The pursuit, I mean."
Lana looked at Rel with surprise. "You mean the master of the house kept his future coffin in his own bedroom? Oh... You mean he was a vampire?! Why would he need the bed here at all?" The conclusion was a bit contradictory. "Let's open the lid and see!"
If no one stopped her, Lana walked to the coffin and tried to open it up.
(If there are any objections, she will stop)
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
Once he felt the room wasn't posing any immediate danger of assaulting statues and smothering rugs, Tex enters and starts rummaging everywhere asking for Rel's guidance (Investigation: 17). "Yeah, they must have disposed of the crate, perhaps in a fire place or that brazier outside?"
The large jewels on the bed stand catch his eye first and he tries to spot whether they seem real and which variety they would be. Then, he slightly moves every portrait with the flat end of his spear to see if something is hidden behind, while he continues commenting, "Or there really is another way out of this mansion. Though, what really puzzles me, if there is no other way out, why would they go to such length to hide their tracks, like that crate. Did they know they were followed?"
Afterwards, he turns to the bookcase and checks if it is attached to the wall or if it can be moved, "We really should have found some tracks of these people going through this mansion."
Lastly, he will look under the bed for a chest or a crate. "They went through this house as if they were ghosts. The whole bloody house feels haunted to me for it's worth."
Sorry, I'm beginning to enter a vacation period and while I will try to check-in at least daily, I cannot promise that I will always be able to do so. From September 1, I should be back to normal.
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus ||
Rel provides Guidance as needed, sharing Tex's puzzlement.
To Lana, she answers: "Yes the Briarwoods were vampires, I believe? Or at least one of them was. From the portrait we saw earlier," (post 687), "I'd say the husband looks to be one. Perhaps he slept in the coffin and the wife on the bed."
When everyone is done inspecting the rest of the room, Rel switches her father's divine Guidance to herself and investigates the enchanted organ at a distance with her Mage Hand to see whether there is anything more to it.
Rel's Investigation plus Guidance: 16 + 4 = 20 (dirty) to inspect the enchanted organ with her Mage Hand.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Lana,
You open the crate, the hinges creek as you do so. Looking inside you find nothing.
Tex,
Upon inspection of pretty much everything, you do find a small opening behind the book case. Asking Lizzy for aid with the task you are able to pull the bookshelf from the wall, revealing a stair case leading down.
Rel,
Sending your Mage Hand towards the organ nothing seems to happen. You have it play a few off key notes but the organ continues to play on within missing a note.
Zane came in at one point and looked around as well. "I'm just going to silence the organ. You have 10 minutes."
And he starts concentrating on casting silence, centered at the organ.
“I think I found something,” says Tex on finding the staircase. With Lizzy’s help, he tries to move the books enough to get a look inside the hole to judge the size of it and how deep down it goes and if there is any light. “Could the crate have been carried down this way?”
Athletics: 18 (rolled 16 and Lizzy’s plus two)
Perception: 4 (including guidance)
Sorry, I'm beginning to enter a vacation period and while I will try to check-in at least daily, I cannot promise that I will always be able to do so. From September 1, I should be back to normal.
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus ||
"Even if not, its content surely could." Lanan left the empty coffin (with disappointing "pfft") and joined Tex near the stairs. "Anyway, looks like we found the entrance to the true lair. Strange place for the secret entrance to the underground but those people here are nothing if not weird. So, now we have two of them. Let's check this one?"
If not stopped, she would step in and follow the stairs down a bit ahead of others (for safety).
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
Rel continues bringing up the rear guard, though not before tapping lead scout Lana on the shoulder again for Guidance.
"Agreed. We need to follow up on this hidden passageway before we delve deep under the house. Tread lightly."
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Bellamy drops the books and follows the others down this secret passage.
Zane, while still concentrating on casting, says, "Hold on, let the silence finish first. It started to play when we came in, it might do something else when we leave that way."
Once the Silence finishes casting he will do one more scan of the main hallway and close the doors, then motion that he's ready to follow others down the stairs.
As soon as Tex receives Zane’s sign, he and Lizzy follow Lana down the stairs. He counts the steps while going down and tries to get an estimate on how deep they descend.
Sorry, I'm beginning to enter a vacation period and while I will try to check-in at least daily, I cannot promise that I will always be able to do so. From September 1, I should be back to normal.
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus ||
Lana, you head down the stairs with Tex and Bellamy close behind. Taking about ten steps before coming to a switchback that heads down another ten, arriving at the bottom of the stairs that appear to lead nowhere. A dead end.
"This does not make sense. Why have a secret stairs that lead to a dead end. Let me check if there is some magic at play here" says Bellamy
He will take 10 minutes to ritually cast detect magic.
"Must be another door somewhere around. And judging by the height, we simply got down to the first floor." Lana sighed in disappointment and began her search for another secret door and a way to open it.
(Investigation: 11 with Guidance)
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
Lana, with an 11 you do not find anything further, perhaps with some help you may find something further
Tex, too, expects some lever or other mechanism to open a passage. He helps Lana with the investigation.
Investigation (with guidance): 24
Sorry, I'm beginning to enter a vacation period and while I will try to check-in at least daily, I cannot promise that I will always be able to do so. From September 1, I should be back to normal.
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus ||
The surroundings proved to be too alien to Lana, she did not find anything extraordinary around (8). All she could hope for is Tex's power of observation, since he was searching for magic anyway.
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice
Zane stays at the top of the stairs and keeps staring at the piano. In the full silence here he goes and grabs an end of it and tries to shift it away from the wall, just to see what's behind it.
He'll also try to open it up somehow, lifting the top off or anything else like that. He'll use his grappling hook as a can opener if needed.
Tex
You poke and prod at the walls and almost instantly find a hidden door. Pushing it open it leads into the sitting rooms with the hole that leads down
Zane
Easy enough you can pull the organ away from the wall, all the while it continues to play. You do not see anything behind the wall. Prying off the sides of the organ (as the top is made of pipes) you find nothing out of the ordinary with the organ. It would be easy to tell that whatever is happening with it is indeed a magical enchantment as Tex had stated and nothing further.
Lana entered the - now familiar - room after Tex, looked around, returned to the stairs and called up to others. "We are in the carpet room, you can get down."
"So... Looks like that hole is the real and only entrance after all, as strange as it sounds. Can it be that your vampires simply left the house? Maybe the tunnels below lead to another house? And everything here and before was nothing but a facade and a way to slow down the pursuit? Do we want to be the one? The pursuit, I mean."
Meili Liang Lvl 5 Monk
Dice