The sudden door slam and the unmistakable sound of it locking echoing through the room jolt the half-elf’s body out of her seat, heart racing, breath caught in her throat, as darkness descends around her. Her eyes dart to the door, suspicion clouding her gaze as they land on the tiefling. Did he cause this? But just as she is about to confront Nathaniel, an overwhelming feeling of dread washes over her as something materializes above the table. It takes a moment for Nisha to recognise the shape, and she bites her lip, suppressing an involuntary gasp as the skull slowly turns to look at her. Its dark, hollow gaze seems to bore into her very being, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Damn it. This just got a whole lot worse," she thinks, her heartbeat thundering in her ears. Suddenly the giant axe appears like a much better alternative to the scene unfolding in front of her.

Then, to make matters even worse, as if they could get much worse than before, the skull addresses her. Nisha takes a small step back, then steadies herself, trying to maintain some sort of composure. Her mind races, frantically seeking a solution, and she does the only thing she can think of to buy herself some time - a deep, submissive bow. 

“Forgive my intrusion, Revered One, “ the half-elf murmurs, keeping her head bowed and eyes lowered in a display of deference. “She… is currently unavailable…” Her voice wavers as she struggles to suppress the fear clawing at her. “There has been a complication…”

Technically, this is not even a lie. She tries to focus on mustering a convincing explanation.

“There has been an unexpected situation that has put the task at risk, ” she continues with measured hesitance. "I have been entrusted with conveying this unfortunate development to you, to warn you." Nisha slowly lifts her gaze, carefully avoiding direct eye contact with the haunting skull. She pauses, waiting for the reaction.

(not sure if I need Persuasion (10) or Deception at this stage (16))

Laine sees the doors slam shut and Gavyn's attempt at lying. He leans against the wall, ready to wait out whatever this is. "..so.. she probably touched something mm?" he says to no one in particular. 

Nisha, you feel a malevolence pressing in as the skull scrutinizes you. "Explain! What is this unexpected situation." 

The pale winged tiefling desperately tries to think of any way he could help the Nisha, watching the half-elf intently as she tries to decieve this sinister-looking entity in front of her, ready to step forward if she would signal for it, if she decided he could do more good than harm to the situation. Whatever she had done to summon this skull it could hopefully be reversed somehow.

Nisha licks her lips nervously. "The identity of Mistress Vantoss has most likely been compromised. While she is currently undertaking measures to address this pressing issue, it was her directive to inform you immediately and seek further guidance. However, she considers it perilous to expose herself directly at this moment, " she pauses again. 

"I see Vantoss is compromised. I am sending over reinforcements they will be there at the Guild Hall shortly.  Now what is your name and how long have you known Vantoss?" asks the Skull. The malevolence presence eases up slightly. 

Nisha gives an understanding nod, as if that is precisely what she wanted to hear.

"Mistress Vantoss did hint at this possibility, but... Your Reverence, I understand the pressure. However, might I relay her urgent instructions? Dispatching reinforcements in broad daylight could exacerbate the situation. A swift, subtle approach might better serve to contain the issue without drawing more attention. The situation is delicate, and overt actions might put everything at further risk. Can I convey a message from you to aid in calming the situation before any drastic steps are taken?"

This is bad. They have barely scratched the surface of the secrets hidden here, and a group of reinforcements the skull-persona is planning to send over would interrupt any further investigation. Of course, it might not be bad to put a spoke in the wheel of Vantoss by creating tension between her and whoever stood behind the skull as well, but Nisha doesn't want to have to explain herself in front of her companions if she lives to tell the story of this encounter.

"They call me Nasha," she adds very quietly, careful not to glance in the direction she last saw the tiefling. Who "they" are is conveniently irrelevant in this situation. "Forgive me, but I am not at liberty to disclose my acquaintance with Mistress Vantoss," she murmurs, lowering herself even further in a deep and reverent bow.

"Hmm... a more subtle touch. I will send a watcher instead. They know how to be discrete. Treat them well when they arrive and tell Vantoss to contact me immediately! Now is there anything else to report?" asks the skull. You sense a bit of annoyance in the skulls tone.

Kaelen just remains at the door looking out into the grand hall as the door shuts, turning real quick to look at it. He just looks to those who remain in the room and then back out into the grand hall "I'll keep watch you all work on the door."

Nisha nods once more. "Thank you, Your Reverence. Of course, I shall adhere to your command. Might I humbly ask for guidance on confirming their authenticity as your appointed watcher, to avoid any misunderstandings? As for the present moment, that covers all I have to report."

From the shadows, the pale winged tiefling gives the half-elf a small smile of encouragement while trying to discern what he can from the voice and the image of the sinister skull.

Insight: 16
Perception: 9

Nathaniel discerns not much as the skull lacks the normal facial features and habits that one looks for when trying to get a read on someone. You get the sense that the skull in not be trifled with and that a delay in their plans irks them. 

"Look for the symbol of the eye. The next person to contact me from guild hall better be Vantoss" with that the skull winks out of existence and light returns to the room. The doors unlock and it is as it was before. 

As the darkness fades and the door unlocks, Nisha straightens slowly, her heart pounding so loud in her chest it's the only sound she hears. Her muscles remain tense, the ebbing adrenaline leaving her feeling unsteady. Leaning against the table, she lets out a breath, her hand trembling as she rubs her temple. 'That was close.' Under normal circumstances, she isn't one to be afraid, her emotions normally stemming from a place of anger and insecurity. However, the presence of the skull has unsettled her in ways she can't quite articulate. A fear primal and potent, unlike any she's experienced before, seeping through her bones, unnerving her more than she's willing to admit. Yet, a part of her feels astonished. "I can't believe this worked." Her mind starts to replay the whole encounter as she considers what to do next. Surely, the others must have noticed something was amiss, what would she say?

Suddenly, she remembers the other presence in the room and it causes her to tense slightly, standing a bit taller. Alone with Nathaniel, she avoids looking directly at him, instead clearing her throat. "Well, that was... something, " she manages eventually, her voice quivering a bit, betraying her internal turmoil. Acutely aware of this, Nisha's lips press in a thin line, annoyed at herself. "Did you want something?" the half-elf asks the tiefling to shift the attention to him instead while she regains her composure.

"Oh no, nothing in particular..." The pale winged tiefling says calmly, stepping out of the shadows and over to the half-elf. "...but I think you handled that very well Ms. Nasha, very well. We should set an ambush for that watcher that will be coming here soon, hopefully we will be able to know more as we eventually get the watcher to talk" He suggests, starting to casually walk around the room as he speaks, giving Nisha an encouraging smile. "Hey, a button..."

"Don't!" Nisha's voice comes strong and urgent as the tiefling notices the button, her tone almost an order. She quickly pushes away from the table, prepared to flee the room so she doesn't need to endure another harrowing gaze from the skull entity. "Unless you fancy a chit-chat with that thing as well, " she adds more softly, her eyes darting from the button to Nathaniel's face. After a brief moment, the rogue continues, "An ambush... sounds good. We should tell the others." 

"Oh, I'm sorry, you didn't enjoy that conversation then?" The pale winged tiefling says with a wink and a playful smile as if he wasn't really intending to push the button. "But yes, we should gather the others and prepare oursleves for some company coming this way." He adds in a more serious tone, ready to leave the room and gather the crew for a quick update on current events.

Nisha scoffs and rolls her eyes, albeit a bit half-heartedly as her shoulders relax slightly. She nods and takes a deep breath, focusing on switching from the shaken Nisha to the sly Nisha again. As she walks to the door and opens it, she's somewhat surprised to find the rest of the party standing outside. 'They probably heard at least part of that entertaining conversation,' she thinks to herself, a soft blush creeping to her cheeks. Nonetheless, a small smirk forms on her lips, and she crosses her arms in front of her. 'I've arranged for a new witness,' she announces, glancing at Gavyn, Laine and Kaelen in turn. 'All we have to do is ambush them. Any suggestions?'

"Arranged is one way to put it." he replies dryly. "My general recommendation would be to find or construct a proper place to hide to get the jump on them. I don't think we have enough time to make a trap or anything though."

Gavyn is relieved to see the door open. He considers their impending visitor.

"That stairwell out there would be excellent shelter for a vagabond," he says. "Let them shoo me away when they arrive. Then I will pretend to leave and block the exit at the top of the stairs. Maybe we can get some answers, or at least a step closer to the villains here."

The pale winged tiefling lets out a small chuckle at the half-elf's rolling eyes and then follows her to rejoin with the others, briefly smiling with amusement at the exchange between Nisha and Laine. "You would put yourself in considerate danger." Nathaniel points out to the tortle. "If you don't play your part to perfection they might well decide to dispose of you just to be sure, and we would not be by your side to help you. Might I suggest we simply attack them as they come inside, hiding behind the doors to the left and right from the entrance, making sure we have at least one to interrogate." Tha plae winged tiefling suggests to the others. "You could stand by the wall behind the door and step in to block any retreat as soon as they have entered." He adds, looking at Gavyn with a hopeful smile.