Quillary-spider shakes her body back and forth and scratches out in the dust/dirt in Common, “bring?” Then taps the mirror.

At the words "...break the mirror..." Jorin takes a step towards it as a wave of glee washes over his face, but then pauses as Spider-Quillary bobs back and forth.  Once she writes her question in the dust, Jorin says, "Ah, yes.  It may be easier for me to carry this, rather than you, like a Skulk lantern."

Jorin goes over to the mirror and picks it up to test the weight.  Athletics: 18

Hildigrim takes the dress and the bottle wine, not showing the least amount of care for what the others might think. He then goes over to check the dresser, looking for traps and then picking the lock if needed.

Investigation: 21

If it is trapped, sleight of hand to spring the trap: 15

If it is not (or if he disarmed the trap), he then checks to see if it is locked. If it is, thieves' tools: 13

Jorin will be able to move the mirror around, and carry it down the stairs. But unless he is taking it to a specific location, it will be impractical to carry it around all the time.

Drusk will check out the bed. Investigation: 8  Drusk isn't entirely convinced, but he thinks it is a bed.

(If Pascal or Jorin wish, they can check the bed while the others are busy.)

Hildigrim finds another handheld mirror among the other knick-knacks in the dresser.

He also finds a small journal. Highlights of the recent entries follow:

Hildigrim reads the selected entries to the others with mounting worry before pocketing the journal. "Would anyone like this mirror?" he asks.

Pascal will check the bed! He’ll also take the mirror if Hildi doesn’t want it.

Pascal now has a hand mirror. (Hildigrim already had one.)

Pascal perception roll: 10  (OOC: Not great, but we will go with it.)

Drusk had pulled off the sheets, checked under the bed, and under the mattress without finding anything.

Pascal notices that there is still a pillow on the bed, and checks under it. He finds a book (all can look at the "spoiler"): 

After Seren reads the fly leaf inscription and the journal entries, she is staring wearily at the broken harp on the windowsill. She comments on how Andras wrote about the songstress often, perhaps a brewing love interest cut short by the horrors that occurred.

Jorin frowns at the journal entry. "So, the townsfolk have all been turned into these creatures of shadow?  It is good that we are here, to cut their threads, no soul should be forced to dangle between this world and the next." 

He fiddles with the large mirror a bit more before sighing and leaving it be.  He cross the room with Pascal and will Help him with checking the bed.

OoC - edit - I have to remember to refresh the page before I post! 

Quote from Guiltysparc >>

He fiddles with the large mirror a bit more before sighing and leaving it be.  He cross the room with Pascal and will Help him with checking the bed.

(OOC: Now I feel better. A 10 is bit too low, but I can justify that with a bit of Help. Surprising how difficult it can be to look under a pillow.)

Quillary-spider is going to try an Intelligence ability check boosted by Nature/Religion (+2) to see if she knows more about these skulks, to supplement what Seren has told us. If they dwell in the space between life and death, and are of the Shadowfell (opposite-ish of the Feywild) there's a chance she knows something. Nature/Religion: 10

OOC > Mostly I want to read the narrative section of the MM on Skulks. Can I?

Quote from Mingofaust >>

OOC > Mostly I want to read the narrative section of the MM on Skulks. Can I?

OOC: Hold off please. While unlikely, there might be something spoiled by reading more at this time... Skulks are in MToF, not the MM.

Quillary remembers more, prompted by Hildigrim's theories:

After killing a person in the material world, a skulk sometimes takes up a silent imitation of that person’s life. In extreme cases, skulks have invaded villages, killed all the occupants, and turned the places into seeming ghost towns, where flavorless food is prepared daily, colorless clothes are hung up to dry, and livestock is shifted from pen to pen until it starves.

Quillary-spider will scuttle over to the bed, and take Jorin's palm in two appendages, then will spell letters in Common into it with a third appendage.

"D - E - A - D" and she bobs.

Then, "G - O - N - E"

Then she pauses, and follows with, "R - E - P - L - A - C - E - D"

Jorin nods at the spidery miming, "Aye, as good as dead they are.  Their lives gone and replaced by this cruel mockery of existence.  All the more reason we make haste with our blades and free them of it."

The party checks out the other rooms on the upper floor. Most are filled with their occupant's possessions, but nothing of value or interest. The party can get a half dozen half-length mirrors from these rooms, if necessary. Another room is clear, and appears to be a guest/visitor's room that wasn't being used.

The party arrives at the last room on this floor. There is a plaque on the door that reads: "Andras – Apothecary. Enter Freely". (You can sense Seren tensing up as she reads the plaque.)

Hildigrim grabbed the book (of course).

"Perhaps you should wait out here," the halfling says to Seren. After a quick glance at the others, he readies his mirror and opens the door (looking at the room in the reflection).

Jorin puts a large hand on Seren's shoulder in a comforting gesture, "Hildi is right, best you not see what may be in there." He then moves in position behind Hildigrim, sets his face for business, and readies his axes.

Quillary-spider shrugs at Jorin’s mis-comprehension, and goes along with the rest. When the door is opened, she will climb over the door jamb on the ceiling and into the room. 

Pascal is walking backwards with his mirror! Ain’t risking no voodoo!

Quote from DirtyDogP >>

After a quick glance at the others, he readies his mirror and opens the door (looking at the room in the reflection).

The door is locked (but not trapped).