The hallway is dimly lit with flickering candles set into sconces on the walls, casting long (but, fortunately, ordinary) shadows across the rough stone floor. The walls are covered with a dark plaster finish that seems to absorb the light rather than reflect it, giving the impression of a space that is both vast and claustrophobic. The air is stale and musty, as though it has not been disturbed in centuries.

Around the corner you see stairs leading down. They are wide and grand, with ornately carved banisters and steps that are worn smooth from centuries of use. They descend into a deep, inky darkness that seems to swallow up the light from Gerrard's blade, making it impossible to see the bottom. A cold, oppressive air surrounds the stairwell, and a silence that is broken only by the sound of your echoing footsteps.

Two corridors split away on this floor, leading to three more closed doors.

Kei 

Watching as his spell has no effect on the shadows he becomes more anxious. He thinks back to the spell he learnt from the spirits within his cards. Will it even have an effect on Bela? He quickly dismisses the thought as Gerrard banishes the shadows with his new blade.

As they move on, he takes heed of Qivys' words. "Unfortunately it doesn't work like that. The spirits I commune with are those within the cards. In this place I can only rely on my own senses." With that he pauses and listens closely to the sounds around him.

Perception Unable to parse dice roll.

Stepping into the kitchen, Kei can hear occasional movement very distantly through the west door. 

Kei 

He hears it again. He shuffles over and quietly gets the attention of Gerrard "Psst. There's definitely movement this way." He gestures towards the western door. "Might want to take that hallway. Keep our presence here secret for as long as we can." He takes a position behind the valiant noble.

Gerrard:

Nodding, Gerrard moves east past the massive staircase and then turns right down the narrow hallway.  He pauses and listens to the door on the east wall.  If he hears nothing alarming and sees no traps, Gerrard will wait for the others to position themselves, then open the door.

Perception:  11

Gerrard hears nothing but silence. Trying the door, he finds it locked.

Gerrard:

Not wanting to make too much noise, Gerrard doesn’t try to break down the door.  “Locked,” he whispers, heading back up the hallway to the door on the north wall.  He listens, looks for traps, and tries to open this one.

Perception:  10

Gerrard backtracks, and tries a door in the hallway. Also silent, and with no visible traps, he carefully tries it. 

It opens into a large, dark chamber, with a red carpet leading to a black throne made of a dark, polished wood, with intricate carvings of serpents and skulls adorning its arms and backrest. Dozens of ancient painted portraits line two walls of the chamber, depicting solemn-looking human nobles, dressed in elaborate clothing from another era. Their expressions are grim, and their eyes seem to watch you carefully. There is nobody within the silent chamber.

You again notice the coldness of the air, and a musty scent that fills your nostrils. The room is dimly lit, with only a few flickering candles on the walls, creating more eerie shadows that dance on the floor. The red carpet leading to the throne appears to be threadbare and worn, with patches of decay. Cobwebs hang from the ceiling, and the floor is covered in a layer of dust, suggesting a room has not been used in many years. The ancient chamber exudes an aura of age and decay, as if it has been left untouched for centuries. You cannot help but feel a sense of foreboding.

Gerrard:

Stepping into the room with weapons at the ready, Gerrard does a quick search.  He is interested to see if there are any keys or containers that might hold keys around, and he looks at the paintings to see if he recognizes anyone.

Perception as he moves around the room:  6

History on the portraits: 21

Weapon in hand, Qivys moves forward next to Kei.

Peri:

He creeps through behind Gerard and Qivys. "Dustin' must not be one of the Caretaker's duties," he mutters quietly. Curious about the throne and what might be near it, but wary of traps in the floor, Peri climbs the wall and moves along the top corner around the room. He pushes the cobwebs aside as he goes, until he's directly above the throne. He looks for anything of interest: a crown or sceptre, a hidden lever to open a secret door, the sorts of things evil castles are supposed to have according to the stories he's heard. 

11  +6 for Perception, -1 for Investigation

Gerrard recognizes the clothing style in the paintings but not the people. The fashion suggests the nobility of this general region, although several centuries before Gerrard's time.

There are no containers here, nor much of anything else in this sparsely-furnished chamber.

(Perception: 17.) After a careful examination from above, Peri concurs – there are neither traps, nor secret doors, nor loose items, not much else here aside from a throne, a couple of chairs, carpet, and a lot of cobwebs

Gerrard:

When Peri doesn’t find anything in the big room either, Gerrard moves back out to the door on the north wall of the kitchen.  Listening and checking for traps once more, he tries the door to see if it is locked if it is clear of other issues.

Perception:  21

Gerrard backtracks and examines the door from the kitchen. It is unlocked and untrapped. 

Pushing it open, he finds a room with a large colorful carpet over dark hardwood floors, containing several lavish red velvet couches adorned with golden stitching. More antique portraits line the walls, and against one wall stands a large glass case full of dolls. The ceiling, edged with intricate moldings, has a chandelier hanging from it, full of burning candles. A small table sits next to one couch with a crystal decanter and a single glass, filled with a dark liquid. A bookshelf is filled with books. And a large grandfather clock ticks loudly and quickly. 

The soft sound of a singsong voice comes from an open door to your left, like a young child singing quietly to itself.

Gerrard:

Steeling his resolve, Gerrard enters the room and looks around, cautious for any hidden traps or guardians.  He positions himself closest to the open door so if any threat comes from that way, he will be able to attempt to meet it.

Perception:  13

The room is vacant, and while there is some sense of semblance here of an ordinary lounge in an eccentric noble's home, perhaps, this place is also dreamlike, surreal, unsettling, and sends chills down your spine. 

A human toddler, perhaps two years old, runs in from the open doorway to the left, clutching a well-loved rag doll. He turns and looks up at Gerrard with surprise. "Oh goodness!" he lisps. "I wasn't expecting company through the servants' door! Forgive me! Are you here for the feast?"

Peri:

The uncannily well-spoken 'child' sends shivers down Peri's spine. This can't be the Caretaker, so there goes the hope of only facing one monstrosity. He drops fom the ceiling, brushing cobwebs from his coat. "Not company; we're the help. Just here to get things ready for the big event. Place needs some dusting, at the least. Do you know where to find the Caretaker? We're supposed to check in with them."

((Deception, which is definitely Peri's strong suit: 8))

"Caretaker is downstairs making preparations. You may wait for her here," replies the toddler, pointing to the velvet couches. "I will let her know you are waiting."

Hearing a voice Qivys will peak around the corner into the room. 

(While still out in the hall, Boko casts daylight on the butt end of her spear and then wraps a handkerchief around it to cover it so the light is not visible.)

Inside, Boko steps forward, still concentrating on the protective spell on Gerard. “What is your name, little one? And who is this?” she says, pointing to the rag doll.

She looks at the kiss’s feet and tries to see if he is disturbing the dust and cobwebs. 

Perception: 22