Rose smirked at that. "Aye, tiptoe through the tulips with our booted feet."

Audin grabs an EP and glares at it in his hand a long hard moment, as if either memorizing what it looks like or waiting for it to disapear before putting it away. Pats Grundy on the head “I will be back for you later.” He summons forth his Pact Weapon (A cold dark black rapier with silver vines at the hilt) before following the others out and to the stairs. In a whisper “Clearly we need to make for the basement, but I want to take a look at this picture first if no one objects. I don’t know if she is the key, but I can’t help but feel that may be important.”

He is on alert for anything out of place (other of course than a haunted mansion in a demi plane swamp).

Perception 5

Stealth 7

If we go to the painting with no issues he will check it, around it, and observe what’s depicted in detail. Investigation 20

//OOC: Sorry guys, trying to not fall off the face of the earth. Work has hit some snags, on call out of town till the month is over. Will try to check in as often as possible, but if we get in a spot I am holding it up feel free to cut me out of it, I understand.//

Down the stairs, you come to a small room with two doors. One of which leads to the dining room.

Sorry everyone. I'm finding it harder and harder to get time to post. I have a lot of things to do that are getting in the way of my D&D games. I will not be able to post for a while.

- DungeonLord58

// No worries, we know how busy life can get. In the meantime...//

Grimm, looks at the options before her... "Back the way we came or somewhere new?" asking the others. "Or should we just do odds & evens... odd to the dining room, even to door number two."  18

 Rose eyed the dice Grimm had pulled out. "That looks like an 18, so I guess we're going to hit door number two."

Audin takes a glance at it, looks at both the doors, and nods slowly, trying to in his mind map the layout of what little he has seen and what might lie that direction. 

"Door number two it is... Audin, would you do the honors of checking for traps and what not? I don't trust anything in this place."

Audin gives an amiable nod “Sound like a well thought out concern.” He moves to the door and gives it a cautious once over. 

Investigation 8

if that should instead be perception, -1. If someone steps forward to help and grants advantage the second roll is 23

// OOC Grimm would  help, but she's not proficient in either of those skills. //

"This long room is paneled with wood that has been painted dark green. There is a large hearth on one wall with ornately carved wooden mantel. A long patterned rug stretches across the room, and a number of plush chairs are scattered all around. Near the the door where you entered are three good sized bookshelves, crammed with tomes and volumes."

There are doors at the north and south ends of the room. There is a third on the west side, but you just entered through that one.

Grimm strolls up to the bookshelves to take a look at the books, not touching any of them, yet, to get an idea of the person reading them. 

Audin also immediately starts investigating the book shelf, looking for anything relevant to their situation. Or interesting. Or that just catches his eye. 

OOC: Audin has the invocation Eyes of the Rune Keeper, allowing him to read all writing, if that becomes relevant. 

Among the books you find,

-The Collected Essays of Lynessa Staltmarsh

-The Occult Arts (volumes 1-10)

-Monsters of Faerün

-The Tale of Garl Glittergold

-Venser's Guide to the Planes Beyond

-Arachnida Arcana (volume 3)

A quick check of the books and case for any wards or traps: Investigation 13 (minus 1 to that if it should be perception.)

Particular attention to the first one, the Saltmarsh Essays. If the books seem fine Audin will pick up that one and do his best to skim it with the party’s approval. 

“Guys? Might have found something.....Don’t remember hearing Gideon’s wife’s name but.....” he shows the title to the rest of the party. 

Whats the approximate size and weight of each book? Good chance Audin may walk off with a couple here.

The books are about the same size and weight of a dictionary.

Grimm responds, "I have no qualms... the owner is trying to imprison us.  I'll be taking that planar book myself - perhaps it could provide insight to our current situation.... So which door should we go through?"

As she is saying this, Grimm calmly grabs "Venser's Guide to the Planes Beyond" and places it in her pack.

You hear the discomforting sound of moaning below your feet.

Rose blinked at the sound. "Did you guys hear that? It sounds like someone's in pain down there. Let's try this door." She said heading to the north door.