"That's where you're wrong, Skunkbutt.  If you want to turn tail and run crying back to your dorm, you can do it now, and save some time, or do it after we find the Sally Jessy Raphael doll in the Captains Courageous house."  

Weaver's sparkles, normally muted for a nighttime jaunt like this, flare up bright red and purple as she flies in front of Ooby to yell at Grayson.

When the Shadar-kai hears Grayson call Ooboron an oaf, she feels great anger toward the other student. "Grayson!" she exclaims. "What is wrong with you? You must feel very small and insecure inside, bullying others to make yourself feel better."

Elsenia marches over to him, her frowning face getting up close to his. "Ooboron is ten times the student you will ever be," she says.

Ooboron shrinks the moment Grayson calls attention to him. The fact that he has aptly pointed out what the loxodon considers to be one of his greatest faults only causes him to wish he hadn't come all the more. He has always been a bit clumsy. Had it already been so obvious? He takes a step backward and then is completely taken aback when Weaver jumps between them and begins berating Grayson. And then Elsenia comes to his defense as well. Ooboron can't help but smile, feeling a warmth radiate in his chest.

"See? I toldja." Theodore pats Obboron on the knee.

Theodore approaches the building and checks out the exterior door and windows. Are they locked? trapped?

Investigation check 6

Theo looks around, and sees stairs leading up to a porch and a front door

Grayson shoots back angrily "As if I would run and hide? Who do you think you are? An annoying midget, that's who!"

"And the idea of me being weak is laughable! ME!? Grayson Wildemere, one of the best students Strixhaven will ever have walks its halls? Bah!"

"Don't have a good retort to that one do you? Not surprising, considering none of you will ever be material for Silverquill, especially you, you big dumb beast." He says to Ooboron. his friends start to look uneasy, as what Grayson is saying may be taking it a step too far

Weaver pulls out a small set of calipers, a compass, and a wrench, and clutches them in one tightly held fist.  She flies over to Grayson with a furious look on her face, and rests her free hand on his shoulder (making sure to touch his tunic/robes, whatever he's wearing at his shoulder).  She then says to him in a low voice, "Watch yourself, Skunkbutt.  I wouldn't want anything... unfortunate to happen to you in the Captain's house."  While she's doing that, she's using an action for her Magical Tinkering ability, causing a crudely drawn image of Grayson with a skunk's tail and stinky wavy lines over his head to appear on the back of his shirt, with the words "I eat troll dung" appearing beneath.  She then looks over at his friends, and emphasizes "Rivalry is one thing, being cruel is another.  Keep that in mind before you start sneaking around, or else you might accidentally fall into a patch of faerie fire."

If I need to be subtle, here's a Sleight of Hand roll, with inspiration to make sure this goes off: 12

Grayson whirls around, "Fire? Is that a threat?" He turns to his gang "You hear this little thing? She's threatening to burn me! Pathetic." He twirls around and stalks off.

As he walks away, the rest of the party sees that Weaver was successful, to the parties amusement

Ooboron watches the jerks march away and sighs. "I wish I was brave like you guys," he says. "Thanks for sticking up for me." He looks back over at Grayson and frowns. "I wonder why he's such a jerk. What did I ever do to him?"

Quote from DirtyDogP >>

Ooboron watches the jerks march away and sighs. "I wish I was brave like you guys," he says. "Thanks for sticking up for me." He looks back over at Grayson and frowns. "I wonder why he's such a jerk. What did I ever do to him?"

 "He's just upset that we have better character than him."

Elsenia reaches up and pats Ooboron on the shoulder, if she can reach that high. "I think he must be very insecure to act that way," she says. "He's not worth worrying over though. Shall we check out this manor?"

Having completely forgotten about the manor, Ooboron turns to look up at the former home, dark and surrounded by the night. The loxodon swallows. "Why, exactly, do we have to go in there?"

"It's a challenge, Ooby - One, nobody's ever gotten this talking doll out of the house before. B, there's all sorts of cool stuff inside. And 4, we don't want to give Skunkbutt the satisfaction of beating us." 

I imagine Weaver counting on her fingers as she says that last line "One...B...Four..."

The grand entrance to the manor stretches before you. Stairs lead to a nicely furnished porch. The two double doors have a golden door knockers, which sway gently in the evening breeze. The doors have a brass lock set into their oak body, and it seems to be for a very large key.

Two small paths, both with carefully manicured hedges on either side, wrap around the side of the house, and lead off into the darkness. You should get inside the place before campus security happens upon you.

What do you do?

Weaver has learned over the course of the year so far about Theo's talent for sneaking around, so she'll follow his lead.

Theodore crouches near the door and puts a drop of oil on the hinges, then draws forth his slim steel tools. Probing the lock he will try to unlock the doors.

Thieve's Tools (burning Inspiration) 17

As Theo approaches the lock, his keen eyes take in the full grandeur of the mansion. A mahogany roof covers this porch, which is bounded by a low rail and outfitted with fine wicker furniture. Above the double door hangs a sign done in fine calligraphy: “Captain Dapplewing’s Manor.”

With ease, he manages to pick the lock. Despite his lack of magical skills, he more than makes up for it in situations like these, where a little subtlety and precision is required. His nimble fingers dance over the lock, his picks working and twisting, flipping tumblers and disabling mechanisms, until finally, with a little "pop" and a click which only Theo, whose head is pressed against the door, can hear, the doors are unlocked.

Do you enter the building?

Ooboron slowly follows the others up the stairs. He "tiptoes" the best he can, his huge feet causing the wood and supports to creak and groan under his weight. By the time he reaches the top and lets out his held breath, Theo is opening the door. Ooboron thinks it strange the door was left open, but he counts it as a blessing and prepares to follow the other three inside. He is not very excited about this.

Theo opens the door and motions the others to follow. He takes out his pendant and prepares to swing it if light is needed.

He takes a careful look around as he makes way for the others to enter.

Perception check 12