CQ hands the heavy crossbow, and ammunition to Einnob, who inspects it all, especially the three silvered bolts. She folds up her light crossbow and sticks it in her pack, and hangs the heavy crossbow outside her pack. She then jams the extra bolts into the bolt quiver. The dwarf nods at CQ and heads back up the stairs.
You all continue up the stairs until you get to the second floor. Unlit oil lamps are mounted on the walls of this elegant hall. Hanging above the mantelpiece is a longsword with a windmill cameo worked into the hilt.
Standing suits of armor flank wooden doors in the east and west walls. Each suit of armor clutches a spear and has a visored helm shaped like a wolf's head. The doors between them are carved with images of dancing youths.
The red marble staircase continues its upward spiral to a third floor, a cold draft whispering down from above.
Einnob strides forward and kicks over the closest suit of armour. It crashes to the ground in a cacophony of clanging metal. Then there is silence. Nothing seems to have noticed.
The dwarf notices you all staring at her.
"What? Thought it might have been animated armour. That's a thing, you know!"
CQ checks the first door on the right. The simple door is unadorned and plain. After studying it carefully there is nothing about it that worries CQ or that appears unusual. She opens the door.
This undecorated bedroom contains a pair of beds with straw-stuffed mattresses. At the foot of each bed is a closed foot locker. A door to the left appears to lead to a closet.
In the right-hand corner stands a small wooden door, a metal button set into the wall beside it, which CQ expects is the dumb waiter. A basket full of unwashed laundry appears to have been left beside it.
CQ opens the closet door and sees tidy servants’ uniforms hang from hooks. There is nothing else in here.
Asha enters the room to check the chests.
Danu casts produce flame cantrip which she leaves as a flame hovering above her palm to give some light. She keeps an eye out. Einnob eyes the other suits of wolf-helmet armour as if she's thinking about knocking those over too.
CQ checks the laundry basket and dumb waiter. Curiosity has the better of her so she presses the button and hears the tinkling of a small bell down below.
Asha pauses her investigation of the chests and smiles at CQ. "I've been curious about that dumb waiter! That tinkling bell answers one of my questions."
Einnob yells out from the hallway - "Is another question 'Can we stuff Danu into the dumb waiter and send her up to the next two floors to check it out?' Because I've been wondering the same. Ain't no one else gonna fit in there!"
Asha is pretty sure there is nothing sinister about the footlockers and they appear to be unlocked, so she opens them up - both empty.
CQ checks the washing basket. It contains a man's laundry, including fine suits, tunics, neckties, pants, and stockings. However, a single, much-smaller woman's slip appears to have been mixed in with the rest.
CQ wonders if the slip in the otherwise male basket of washing belongs to the nanny, Klara.
Einnob yells out from the upper hallway where she is still eyeing the suits of armour, "North or south doors next? These are double doors so might be important rooms!"
After calls of "whatever!", Einnob decides she is closest to the north door, so will go investigate that one. Einnob's investigation comprises a dwarven armoured boot into the middle of the two doors, which smash open noisily.
Red velvet drapes cover the windows of this room. An exquisite mahogany desk and a matching high-back chair face the entrance and the fireplace, above which hangs a framed picture of a windmill perched atop a rocky crag. Situated in corners of the room are two overstuffed chairs.
Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves line the south wall. A rolling wooden ladder allows one to more easily reach the high shelves.
Einnob takes two strides into the room and glares about, as daring anything to leap out at her. Nothing does.
Asha moves further into the room and spends some time having a look around. (Rolls a 19 for perception).
Danu yells "Asha can you please take a closer look at that painting for me while you are in there?"
Asha notes the desk has several items resting atop it: an oil lamp, a jar of ink, a quill pen, a tinderbox, a hand-written note, and a letter kit containing a red wax candle, four blank sheets of parchment, and a wooden seal bearing the Durst family’s insignia (which you are starting realise is the windmill). The desk has a single desk drawer.
She moves to the painting, which does not have any insignia or other images hidden within. Nor are there any hidden safes or hidey holes behind it.
Then Asha looks along the bookcases and her attention is attracted to a book. Or rather a book that does not appear to be a book, but more of a lever which activates.. something?
Einnob picks a book and opens it up. No pictures, so she puts it back. She does not underestimate the value of books but thinks they're for pencil-necked wizards and sages to use.
Asha moves back to the desk and opens the drawer which reveals papers. These turn out to be receipts for daggers, candles, and incense. Asha's attention is drawn to the hand-written note on the desk and reads it.
CQ decides Asha has enough support to activate the book/level, and heads off to the double doors to the south. As she approaches she can hear the faint sound of a harpsichord playing from beyond the doors. CQ then decides she doesn't have enough support and does a yell/whisper to the others.
Asha, who was about to activate the book/lever, hears CQ and motions for everyone to follow her to see what's happening. They too can hear the harpsichord as they approach the south doors.
Danu follows quietly, thinking to herself 'evil harpsichords often seem to equal vampires....'
"Get your silver bolts ready" CQ urges Einnob. The dwarf grunts and hefts out the heavy crossbow and loads a silver bolt into it.
CQ says "Maybe we should do the secret lever first." Einnob scowls.
Danu steps to the door and concentrates to see if she can detect life. (Rolls a 16 nature skill check). There's nothing, nothing she can make sense of.
'Is a vampire better than a creepy harpsichord playing itself?' Danu wonders...
Everyone heads back into the library. Asha studies the lever that looks like a book, looks around the floor in front of the lever/book to see if there is a trap door, but (rolls an 11 on perception) finds nothing. She looks at everyone behind her and asks if anyone wants to activate it. Einnob pushes her way forward and then pulls the book towards her.
A part of the bookcase swings open, revealing a blank wooden wall behind it. Everyone can see a small panel made of dark wood behind it, built into the wall at approximately chest level. A small hollow niche, jagged and irregular, lies at the panel's centre and emanates a faint amber glow.
On inspection it appears something should be placed into the niche, something irregular and jagged. A key but not something that looks like a key.
Thinking there might be something in the library that would be a key, CQ looked around. Nothing seemed to be the right shape until her gaze fell on her own amber shard around her neck. She tried inserting it, and it was close but not quite right. She did notice the amber glow precisely matched the amber colour of her shard. So maybe another similar, but different, amber shard?
"Probably not going to keep the key in the same location as the lock," said Einnob. "Might be on a body or in a chest or lockbox or something."
*follows Einnob
CQ hands the heavy crossbow, and ammunition to Einnob, who inspects it all, especially the three silvered bolts. She folds up her light crossbow and sticks it in her pack, and hangs the heavy crossbow outside her pack. She then jams the extra bolts into the bolt quiver. The dwarf nods at CQ and heads back up the stairs.
Danu heads up the stairs behind CQ and Einnob making sure to keep an eye over her shoulder.
You all continue up the stairs until you get to the second floor. Unlit oil lamps are mounted on the walls of this elegant hall. Hanging above the mantelpiece is a longsword with a windmill cameo worked into the hilt.
Standing suits of armor flank wooden doors in the east and west walls. Each suit of armor clutches a spear and has a visored helm shaped like a wolf's head. The doors between them are carved with images of dancing youths.
The red marble staircase continues its upward spiral to a third floor, a cold draft whispering down from above.
(Danu is behind CQ and the others follow after)
Einnob strides forward and kicks over the closest suit of armour. It crashes to the ground in a cacophony of clanging metal. Then there is silence. Nothing seems to have noticed.
The dwarf notices you all staring at her.
"What? Thought it might have been animated armour. That's a thing, you know!"
(from chat)
CQ checks the first door on the right. The simple door is unadorned and plain. After studying it carefully there is nothing about it that worries CQ or that appears unusual. She opens the door.
This undecorated bedroom contains a pair of beds with straw-stuffed mattresses. At the foot of each bed is a closed foot locker. A door to the left appears to lead to a closet.
In the right-hand corner stands a small wooden door, a metal button set into the wall beside it, which CQ expects is the dumb waiter. A basket full of unwashed laundry appears to have been left beside it.
(from chat)
CQ opens the closet door and sees tidy servants’ uniforms hang from hooks. There is nothing else in here.
Asha enters the room to check the chests.
Danu casts produce flame cantrip which she leaves as a flame hovering above her palm to give some light. She keeps an eye out. Einnob eyes the other suits of wolf-helmet armour as if she's thinking about knocking those over too.
(from chat)
CQ checks the laundry basket and dumb waiter. Curiosity has the better of her so she presses the button and hears the tinkling of a small bell down below.
Asha pauses her investigation of the chests and smiles at CQ. "I've been curious about that dumb waiter! That tinkling bell answers one of my questions."
Einnob yells out from the hallway - "Is another question 'Can we stuff Danu into the dumb waiter and send her up to the next two floors to check it out?' Because I've been wondering the same. Ain't no one else gonna fit in there!"
Asha is pretty sure there is nothing sinister about the footlockers and they appear to be unlocked, so she opens them up - both empty.
CQ checks the washing basket. It contains a man's laundry, including fine suits, tunics, neckties, pants, and stockings. However, a single, much-smaller woman's slip appears to have been mixed in with the rest.
CQ wonders if the slip in the otherwise male basket of washing belongs to the nanny, Klara.
Einnob yells out from the upper hallway where she is still eyeing the suits of armour, "North or south doors next? These are double doors so might be important rooms!"
(from chat)
After calls of "whatever!", Einnob decides she is closest to the north door, so will go investigate that one. Einnob's investigation comprises a dwarven armoured boot into the middle of the two doors, which smash open noisily.
Red velvet drapes cover the windows of this room. An exquisite mahogany desk and a matching high-back chair face the entrance and the fireplace, above which hangs a framed picture of a windmill perched atop a rocky crag. Situated in corners of the room are two overstuffed chairs.
Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves line the south wall. A rolling wooden ladder allows one to more easily reach the high shelves.
Einnob takes two strides into the room and glares about, as daring anything to leap out at her. Nothing does.
(from chat)
Asha moves further into the room and spends some time having a look around. (Rolls a 19 for perception).
Danu yells "Asha can you please take a closer look at that painting for me while you are in there?"
Asha notes the desk has several items resting atop it: an oil lamp, a jar of ink, a quill pen, a tinderbox, a hand-written note, and a letter kit containing a red wax candle, four blank sheets of parchment, and a wooden seal bearing the Durst family’s insignia (which you are starting realise is the windmill). The desk has a single desk drawer.
She moves to the painting, which does not have any insignia or other images hidden within. Nor are there any hidden safes or hidey holes behind it.
Then Asha looks along the bookcases and her attention is attracted to a book. Or rather a book that does not appear to be a book, but more of a lever which activates.. something?
Einnob picks a book and opens it up. No pictures, so she puts it back. She does not underestimate the value of books but thinks they're for pencil-necked wizards and sages to use.
Before you pull that lever, anything behind that painting Asha?
Danu cautiously enters the room keeping an eye on the landing...
Asha moves back to the desk and opens the drawer which reveals papers. These turn out to be receipts for daggers, candles, and incense. Asha's attention is drawn to the hand-written note on the desk and reads it.
(from chat)
CQ decides Asha has enough support to activate the book/level, and heads off to the double doors to the south. As she approaches she can hear the faint sound of a harpsichord playing from beyond the doors. CQ then decides she doesn't have enough support and does a yell/whisper to the others.
Asha, who was about to activate the book/lever, hears CQ and motions for everyone to follow her to see what's happening. They too can hear the harpsichord as they approach the south doors.
(from chat)
Danu follows quietly, thinking to herself 'evil harpsichords often seem to equal vampires....'
"Get your silver bolts ready" CQ urges Einnob. The dwarf grunts and hefts out the heavy crossbow and loads a silver bolt into it.
CQ says "Maybe we should do the secret lever first." Einnob scowls.
Danu steps to the door and concentrates to see if she can detect life. (Rolls a 16 nature skill check). There's nothing, nothing she can make sense of.
'Is a vampire better than a creepy harpsichord playing itself?' Danu wonders...
(from chat)
Everyone heads back into the library. Asha studies the lever that looks like a book, looks around the floor in front of the lever/book to see if there is a trap door, but (rolls an 11 on perception) finds nothing. She looks at everyone behind her and asks if anyone wants to activate it. Einnob pushes her way forward and then pulls the book towards her.
A part of the bookcase swings open, revealing a blank wooden wall behind it. Everyone can see a small panel made of dark wood behind it, built into the wall at approximately chest level. A small hollow niche, jagged and irregular, lies at the panel's centre and emanates a faint amber glow.
On inspection it appears something should be placed into the niche, something irregular and jagged. A key but not something that looks like a key.
(from chat)
Thinking there might be something in the library that would be a key, CQ looked around. Nothing seemed to be the right shape until her gaze fell on her own amber shard around her neck. She tried inserting it, and it was close but not quite right. She did notice the amber glow precisely matched the amber colour of her shard. So maybe another similar, but different, amber shard?
"Probably not going to keep the key in the same location as the lock," said Einnob. "Might be on a body or in a chest or lockbox or something."