(I thought there was no more ‘Fog of War’, so there was no more unexplored places. Thought i’d Check.)

Jack goes up the stairs and enters the Kitchen. “Anything in here?” He searches the cabinets and their things for details and clues.

12 invest.

(So Jack is taking the journal, but the key and the map are being left behind? The party is not taking a short rest? The group doesn't want to discuss the situation or make suggestions? That's all fine, but hopefully more of the party will speak up.)

Reverie looks at Jack taking the journal for a moment. "Just a journal? Was there any other things left behind?" (Could I get the key and the map perhaps? And I am so sorry for not being able to be online. This month has been hectic D:)

Trimyrai will head downstairs and go to the ex dining room, to see if there were any clues they overlooked in that room.

Investigation: 4

Quote from Elliethedream >>

(Could I get the key and the map perhaps? And I am so sorry for not being able to be online. This month has been hectic D:)

 (If you ever feel slammed, don't hesitate to mention that you will be away for some days from this campaign. Would like to avoid you deciding to drop it all together. :-)

Reverie has the key and the map, which are described in posts 1987 and 1988.

I figured some players would be interested in looking at the map and figuring out by themselves (like Where's Waldo? or Spot the Difference) what is interesting or odd about it, but if you just want to "skip to the end", you can make an Investigation roll and ask if your character notices anything interesting or odd about it.)

(I will wait a bit longer before resolving Jack's and Trimyrai's searches, to see if the rest of the party comes up with other suggestions or ideas.)

Isk is intrigued by the old map.  As a soldier, he always had an eye for maps and land navigation and, even if he isn't familiar with the area a particular map covers, enjoys looking at them none the less.  Investigation: 9

Jack and Trim encourage the party to go back to the kitchen and the dining room, and go over them thoroughly. The other 3 help out, but during rest pauses Iskander is looking at the map found upstairs. After a long search, nothing new is found.

Through the cracks in the window shutters, you can see it will be dawn soon. You will have time to search one more room exhaustively, but no more than that. (The request was to be done by this morning. Randomly guessing rooms is probably not going to work.)

"The key said 'Spare, Lib 3' on it right?"  Froskan asks.  "That must mean the library.  I believe there were 6 sets of shelves, maybe something in the third one?"

(Map has numbered shelves in the library, with the southwest shelf as number 3.  And conveniently, a black space for a secret room ;) )

Trimyrai: (to the party) "Thats a good deduction, Froskan. We should check it out."

(I didn’t see there was a map or key, just a journal :) )

”why don’t we check that theory out? Maybe there’s a 3rd library, or you’re right.”

Reverie hums, "we can go try. I'd like to check that theory." Then she looks at Iskandar. "Do you see anything on the map?"

The tag on the key was overlooked by most, until Reverie was re-examining the key in front of Froskan. (Iskander looks like he has something to say about the map, but tells Reverie thoughtfully, "There will be time when the mission is over. During lunch.")

Your party remembers that you had left the library door open when you left, but it is closed now. Whatever was skulking about (after the long rest in the kitchen) probably entered the library. You cautiously enter, and head to shelf #3. There are no doors you can find, but you notice that almost all the books on that shelf are fakes (only book spines glued to the shelf). The widest book opens up to reveal a keyhole. The spare key you found upstairs fits in the hole. An opening appears out of what used to be a solid bookshelf. Your group walks in, and there are 20' of stairs down to the east.

At the bottom of the stairs, there is a 10' wide opening to the north. Just before the opening are slop buckets, about 1/8th filled with partially rotting, partially smoked meat. The opening connects to a 30' by 30' basement. At the northern part of the room (20' from the entrance) is a 2' high platform with light spells illuminating another statue of an elf maiden (like the 16 statues on the 1st floor). Next to the platform is a desk, with a cloaked figure seated in front of it (back of the chair is facing you).

Jack whispers to his companions. “This can’t be good.” He draws his Longsword as stealthily and sneaks up on the bad guy (Stealth:7) and suddenly signals to everyone, as if to say ‘Should I Stab him?’ He raises his sword up, and readies to stab at the man if given the word.

(crap. Bad stealth. Don’t screw me over now.)

Trimyrai: (to the party [in a whisper]) "We were sent to investigate and remove dangers, not attack everything we find, lets try talking before fighting."

Reverie frowns as she draws her dagger quietly. "Not yet, Jack," she says in a whisper, "maybe... something to distract him or scared him. Then we can interrogate him." Then, she blinks. "Can anyone bind him first?"

Jack puts away his sword in his magic bag as silent as he can, and pulls out a rope. He starts to whisper ”Should i grab him?” And readies to grapple him given the get go.

Quote from EmperorKarino >>

"lets try talking before fighting."

 (That's good advice in general. I promise there will be encounters in the future where talking is better.)

The party is not surprised, but the 3 creatures do go first... First round of combat in the basement

(Roll for targets: odd-Trim, even-Froskan, low-Isk, high-Reverie = 3)

1. The party was distracted by the figures in the north of the room, so they didn't notice right away the humanoid sized creature in the SE corner, twisted by dark magics, flashing its claws. It directs its one green eye (big as its forehead) at Reverie, who needs to make a DC 12 CON save or take 9 necrotic damage. It then scrambles next to Reverie, ready to claw slash next round.
2. One of the slop buckets was actually a mimic. The "bucket" crawls towards the party, and tries to grab Trimyrai with a pseudopod. Attack: 11 Damage: 7 Trim is fed up with being grappled, and avoids the strike.
3. Jack sees the attack from behind, and turns around just as a gargoyle makes 2 attacks at him. The statue of the elven maid has become hideous, and it charged him. (Think of what the Dr. Who show does with the Weeping Angels.) Bite Attack: 13 Damage: 5, Claw Attack: 11 Damage: 3 The blows are deflected by Jack's armor.
4. The figure at the desk has not moved. Not even an inch.

The entire party can declare what they want to do this round of combat. Jack is furthest north, and is in melee range of the gargoyle. The 1-eyed creature is in melee range of Reverie, and Reverie needs to roll a CON save. If any party member wants to identify the creature, include an Arcana roll (free action for what you can remember). The mimic is in melee range of Trimyrai.

     figure at desk

        gargoyle

         Jack

  Iskander        Reverie creature

Trimyrai    Froskan

mimic

Jack, as per his readied action, since I count this as given the get go, starts to grab the figure and wrap the rope around the figure. “You’re not getting away from me!” (What would I roll to wrap someone in a rope? Athletics?) Then, when the Gargoyle pops into his front blocking him from who he figures has turned people to stone, he draws his sword. “Get out of me way, or I’ll chop ye down to size!” He swings!

Attack: 13 Damage: Unable to parse dice roll.

(can I still try to identify the strange creature after it’s dead, or no?)

(Rope or not, the figure isn't moving... If you want to do anything more fancy than 1 loop around it, I will give the gargoyle advantage on its attacks since you are busy roping instead of defending yourself.

Identifying the strange creature would give you information while combat is going on. After combat, you'll be able to do research at your leisure, and will get a success without a roll.)

(More fancy than one loop, tie him up. I’ll take advantage, Jack is a hardy bud. And Jack wouldn’t know he’s there anyway till he pops up, so it fits.)

(Should I roll Athletics, Slight of Hand, etc.?)