Elsara accepts the invitation, offering to stay the night with Runt if she feels uncomfortable. She pops the Alarm at the door and windows to give them a heads up if someone enters unannounced.

Runt wants to grow closer to what she considers her new family. She is not good at talking to people but she will try.

I want to ask, how do you feel about this house?

"I don't know, it's a little strange." Elsara replies. "So far, Lord Vladimir seems nice enough. I let Miss Darkwing know where we are, so they know about where we are now. I'm pretty sure that staff he has is from a witch, rather than a druid, but I guess it's a fine difference not everyone can pick up on." She sits crossed-legged on the floor. "Are you feeling alright here? We could always head out if you'd rather. I could conjure my little home away from home again."

dont know why, but I feel uncomfortable. I thought I could be used to in civilization but maybe not yet. Runt seems to ponder for a minute His staff is from a witch?

Elsara nods. "Yep, at least that's what I can work out from what Lord Vladimir was saying." She'll then give an explanation of what she knows.

Runt listens intently to Elsara's I do not want be alone in this house

Later that night, Elsara and Runt are awakened by the sound of the door to their room slowly opening. ((And before you ask, there was no mechanism to lock the doors))

Elsara, interrupted form her trance by her alarm spell, hops to her feet. She glances in the direction of the door, with her hands ready to weave a spell to draw whomever it is towards her, and away from Runt. She isn't one to start a fight, but she will get into one to keep her friends safe.

Perception: 17

The door opened and Lord Vladimir was on the other side. He looks just as surprised to see Elsara as she is to see him. A bit flustered, he clears his throat and says, "Apologies. Did I wake you? I was... walking down the hall to see if everything was fine... I saw your room empty and wondered where you were."

Totally needing an insight check before replying.

Insight: 2

Edit: Yup, that's expected.

"Oh, we just wanted to slumber party." Elsara tells Lord Vladimir. "It's nice of you to check on us, but wouldn't it be polite to knock before entering a lady's bedchambers?"

Vladimir comments, "That is splendid. I am pleased to see everything is in order. I will be leaving you to it now. Goodnight." He leaves and the door creaks close again. He ignored Elsara's question.

Elsara gives it a few seconds before letting out a giggle, "I think he has a crush on you." She tells Runt.

Quote from Mehmen >>

Devarus opens his mouth to speak, hesitates for a second, then shook his head. He then looks one more time down the halls before making a gesture, asking if Val to let him inside. Whether its inside the room or not, Devarus answers the elf, if albeit more tense if continuing the conversation in the hall. "Honestly, I don't know. Part of why I asked. My mother... I'm not sure if I mentioned this before you all, but she's something of a ranger of a sort. So, before coming here I asked her about this area, and she warned me against getting this deep into this particular forest. Something about the... uh... the dangers increasing greatly beyond a certain point. So, the fact that his rather nobleman seeming fellow -- our host, to be more exact -- is living here is most peculiar, to say the least." He expressed.

"From what little I saw of him directly, he didn't strike me as some eccentric researcher type or hunter... so.. why stay here? Even if this place is reminiscent of our..... -his- ancestral home, it's... still peculiar. I'd wager he's an exile or something else, but I need more to be certain." He admits.

 (I assume Val either missed this due to updates, or had no answers at this point. So for what it's worth, Dev loosely suggested Val go check on the noble just in case there was more going on. Loosely, because after the last time this happened Val nearly got shredded, he wouldn't push the suggestion much, and return to his room shortly to rest.)

(Sorry yes I missed this... and had a complicated week. ) 

"I understand" says Val when Devarus speak about her mother's warnings " I am afraid that this is too far from my home and I hadn't heard about this forest before, still I share your concerns about our host. This place seems more appropiate at the center of a great city than here, in the deep of the forest. How do you suggest that we could learn more of this place or him?" 

(*Insert previous mentioning of scouting via wild shape.. Also sorry to hear that... Unless it was the good kind of complicated.)

Devarus is however quick to add after the suggestion, "But, I would understand if you are hesitant to make such an exploration after what happened the last time. Thankfully, I do not believe we should need to worry of some mutated monster like last time. In fact, I even saw a rodent earlier in the hall." He said a bit chipperly. "Not to underestimate the efforts of the staff to eliminate such invasions. But, it is a most fortuitous sign for an elf of your particular talents, I would think. And while it alone might not be of much help, if you decide to accept this mission, then... here--"

Devarus pulls out a rather simply designed signal whistle and offer it to Val. "In case you have no magical means of reaching out for us. I will remain awake and keep my door cracked until you return... Alternatively, if you think it best we confer with Lady Elsara, then I'll leave that to you... as unfortunately, this sort of thing is a little outside my wheelhouse." He said, smiling ruefully.

Val smiles to Devarus, moved by his concern. 

"I will do it gladly" he says "And now that I have this whitler I know that you could come and find me if another mutant thing tries to kill me! " he winks " At least this house doesn't seems like a maze... " with that Valwaryn form srinks and he turns himself into a little mouse. After jumping into Dev's boots he starts his exploration trying to locate the room of the noble they came looking for. 

Val, give me a Perception or Investigation check. It's to determine how long it takes to find the room of the noble. The other one didn't call for a check because you weren't looking for a specific room and also you weren't on a time limit.

(Sure! Perception  8 )

Val walks down the halls. As he is walking down the hall, he notices various rat holes in the walls. Looks like this place has a rat problem. Going up the stairs, Val finds himself in a hallway similar to the one they were staying in. Except there were less doors on this floor and they were further spaced, indicating that whatever was behind them took up more space than the bedrooms. Next to the stair Val climbed up from, is another suit of armor. It's safe to assume it's one of those animated armors standing guard. At the end of the hallway is noble's door. In rat form, he can almost smell the perfume so he knows it's the guy. The door is closed and can't be opened in rat form though there is, unsurprisingly, a rat hole next to the door.