"Oh, that manor. I thought it was someone's home we would break into." The purple-skinned tiefling says with clear relief. "I've read about the Arcanum Indexus. Quite an extrordinary object, don't imagine it would be dangerous though, but I wonder why it would be kept in Dapplewing's manor?" He ponders aloud. "I'll see about a plan for the manor, we could possibly even make an inconspicuous day visit there to scout out the premacies before our daring heist." He says with a grin, almost suprised over how little it troubled him now to break university regulations. "Do you think you can get more out of the professor, like where in the manor we could expect to find the book and what kind of security measures, if any, we should expect at our manor visit?" He asks Mae and  Larine.

Mae shrugged. "I really have no idea why the book is there, and honestly at this point I think the less I know the better." She gave a quick look at Larine before going on. "I don't really want to see the professor again if I don't have to, at least not until we have the book. I'm sure if there was something exceptionally dangerous he would have told me though. And he knows we aren't the most...magically adept yet, so I doubt he would send me on an errand I couldn't possibly complete. Right?"

"Well, if this mysterious professor is tutoring you, won't you see him soon again whether you want it or not?" Malvyn asks with a quizzical look. "And why do you suppose he expects you to help him. SImply because you are a student?"

Guardok listens as Mal and Mae discuss the Professor and the Manor, not really having much to contribute to either aspect of the discussion.

He clears his throat and interjects, "I am not sure why Mae has been asked, but I hope there were no threats involved? Also, I will confess that I have not that much experience in breaking and entering. What about the rest of you?".

"I mean, will we need any equipment? And how can we go about getting it without it looking suspicious? Or should we just blag our way in maybe?".

"I will do some research on the manor and what security it holds by night. When I know more about that we can discuss what equipmnet might be needed, but I'm not sure anything is needed really if we go about it the right way. One possibility could be to simply hide somewhere inside during the day while it is open and find the book once everybody has left." Malvyn suggests. "Did the professor say anything about any urgency or do we have the time we need for this?"

Mae began to get more and more apprehensive and worked up as the questions came in, until a few tears watered out of her eyes. "I don't know! I don't know!" She sniffled and wiped off her face a bit. "I'm sorry, that's just what he told me. I don't know when to go, or what's there, or why beyond getting the book. You don't have to help. I can do it myself if I need to. I'm sorry, I don't have all the answers!" She broke down and began to cry a bit.

Larine approaches Mae, putting and arm around her shoulder. "Mae, I'm sure we'll figure it out. It shouldn't be too hard. Right?" 

The purple-skinned tiefling gives Guardok an awkward look as he scratches his neck. "Sorry...um...was trying to be helpful." He says, then going awkwardly silent for a while. "I can try to talk to this professor if that would make you feel better. I'll go and see what I can find out." He says after a while, leaving to find Mina Lee first, trying to recall if she could be found at the Firejolt cafe at this hour.

Guardok smiles reassuringly up at Mae.

"It is a bit overwhelming, isn't it. Perhaps let's just take it one step at a time. We'll leave Mal do what he is best at and go from there. These dolls have me intrigued enough now without the book anyway", he says with a chuckle.

"And perhaps my gymnastics will come in useful, running up a bannister like it is a balance beam or something", he adds excitedly.

(OOC: Ready to move off this scene now, although not really got anything specific for Guardok to be doing)

Mae nodded a bit and took a few hard breaths. "Yes, okay, sorry. Let me know what you find out. I'd like to get it done as soon as we can though. Sorry." She turned to Larine and gestured toward her room.

(We can definitely move along as much as you wish!)

Malvyn would know that the Firejolt Cafe closes before now. (I'm saying it in the evening.) Mina might be at the Strixhaven Star, but it would be random chance. She isn't often there this late. Tomorrow after class she would definitely be at the cafe. 

You would still be able to get to the Biblioplex for a couple more hours if you wanted to get a start on looking up information. (Choose one of the topics you would want to look into and roll an Investigation Check.  

(OOC - If anyone else wants to try something or go to Help Malvyn they can.) 

Malvyn would head for the Biblioplex then, welcoming any who would want to join him, including Mei who had typically been his research partner.
He would start by researching Captain Dapplewing's manor about history, layout, security and why the dolls and the book was there.

Investigation: 18 Another roll if help is provided: 18 + Student dice: 4

Having got pretty bored researching when they got back from their trip to see Disyn, Guardok doesn't accompany Mal.

Instead, he looks to get in touch with his own sources. The Gymnastics club and the Drama club will have members who have been around a while. Someone must know about Dapplewing Manor and the dolls. He doesn't give much thought to asking about the book itself, more about their cover story.

Larine followed Mae back to her room, while the others go their separate ways in search of information. 

Malvyn starts with a look at information on Dapplewing Manor. It's easy enough to find out information about the builder of the place. Captain Raymous Dapplewing was an owlin mage and military veteran who held faculty appointments in both Lorehold and Silverquill Colleges in the earliest days of Strixhaven. Wanting a quiet place to retire in the evenings—and to host lavish dinner-parties-turned-colloquiums—the professor used his significant military pension to build this manor house on campus. Upon his death, he bequeathed the manor to the university, which honored his legacy by giving the house his name and keeping most of its original furnishings in pristine condition.

The house’s upper-floor libraries were converted into offices for esteemed dual-college faculty members, and those faculty members meet here with students on academic matters during the day. In the evenings, the manor is sometimes the site of dinner parties or elegant cocktail hours. You read a bit about Captain Dapplewing's six companions: a one-tusked loxodon, a monocle-wearing orc, a gnome who wore a skunk hairpiece, a drow, a burly human, and a high elf.  It is said they are said to be depicted in a number of works of art within the manor. 

Malvyn is also able to find layouts of the two floors of the manor. There is a reference to an attic but no specific renderings of that. 

Guardok heads out and manages to catch up with Zanther who is doing a bit of cleanup around the gym and checks that various pieces of equipment meet safety requirements. He shares that he's heard that a lot of different items get stuffed into some of the storerooms within the manor. He doesn't really know what that might be exactly though. 

Some of the others there bring up things they have heard of that might protect the manor. Moving statues and flying swords are the things most often mentioned. Someone says they have heard of an automaton butler that tends the dining room and watches the foyer. They aren't quite sure how any of them work, but they do not operate during the daytime.

After speaking with them and even helping them out a bit if he wants, Guardok wanders by the Bow's End in case he might run into any of his Drama Guild acquaintances. There are a few students there that he is familiar with, but not Rubina or Quentillius. He also runs into Malvyn there, meeting up with Aurora after leaving the Biblioplex. He finds that Mina is hanging out there.  

The students have heard about dolls being in the mansion, perhaps stuffed away in that attic. They've evidently been accumulating over the years, not necessarily part of set or anything. One student mentions a doll called Sassy Sally Jane. It was notorious many years ago as it was somehow set to utter rude phases when triggered. The person doesn't recall how it was triggered or what specifically it said. But the faculty eventually got ahold of the doll and shuttered it away. 

Mina Lee adds an interesting tidbit: it is rumored that one faculty member has placed a key inside one of the potted plants on the veranda. She's heard that all the external doors use the same key. 

The two can stay at the Bow's End to talk over their findings or try to ask additional questions if they wish. 

(When ready, they can head back to Dresar Hall and we'll move to the next day.  And that afternoon Malvyn could do further research. And of course Mae would have her tutoring session.) 

Guardok notes all the information he finds, ready to discuss it with not only Mal but Mae as well.

Still at the Bow's End, "Sounds like going for Sassy Sally Jane would be the best cover, but if there are that many dolls there how will we know which is the right one?".

"Oh, Sassy Sally Jane had bright pink hair. Should be obvious which one it is," one of the drama club students says to Guardok. 

"Excellent, thanks", Guardok replies.

"Do you think we should visit Dapplewing Manor during the day tomorrow to have a look around?", he asks Mal.

(OOC: Happy to move on to the next day)

Malvyn is indeed at the Bow's End tavern, ready to share with Guardok about what he had dug up about the manor at the Biblioplex, although there really was not much of interest to their book heist. He is quite relieved to hear from Mina about the hidden key, hoping that would enable them to enter the manor.

"We can do that but knowing what we know now I don't think it's necessary. I suggest we simply take care of it tomorrow night if you and Mae are okay with that. We should try to find that key of course, and once inside we should try to avoid the butler and any other animated security while we look for the book and the doll. I wouldn't be surprised if we need to visit the attic to find them though." The purtple-skinned tifeling says, seeming both worried and strangely excited over the prospect of doing something against university regulations.

(OOC: Yes, happy to move on :-)

Map of the manor that Malvyn was able to get: 

The next day, classes go on as usual. After classes wrap up for the day, both Malvyn and Guardok would have time to look into more information. (At least a fair amount of time until you need to attend to extra-curricular activities.) 

Mae of course still has her tutoring session to attend with Professor Hopplefepple, which she goes to attend to.