((I had already done one, but...))

Perception: 16

Alev, you notice that to the left of where your are curently, the ground has scuff marks marking its surface. Looking closer, you see an ever so faint outline of a door.

Thadalas smiles widely, and will stow the jewelry box with its contents into his bag. Afterward, Thadalas will regroup with the others in the nursery.

Sergei will cautiously approach the crib with a rising sense of dread. He will not disturb any of it.

“None of this looks right,” he says. “I think we’re being had.”

Nothing was right, ever since he started this mission, hunting a werewolf that was all-but-forgotten at this point.

Suspicious of the crib, Alev directs his attention to the scuff marks on the ground, as he finds the faint outline of what looks like a...

"...Guys!" He caws. "Come look at this. I think it's a door!"

He turns towards Sergei. "Yeah, nothing looks right here. An empty armor almost killed me, for gods' sake!" He points at what he just found. "That door could be a trap, too. But if that's the secret entry to the basement... I mean, we might as well do what we came here for. What do you think?"

Sergei, as you approach, the bundle shifts slightly, and you hear that characteristic newborn grunt (don't know how else to describe it, but it's that groan/moan/snort thing they make all the time).

Rudick, you notice among the berry adornments of the mirror, carved eyes stare out into the room.

The rest of the party eventually files into the room adjacent to the small nursery.

Sergei has a really bad feeling about this. Can he see any part of the baby, or just a bundle?

Please don't be a baby, please don't be a baby, Sergei is chanting to himself in his mind. Because if it is a baby, he's going to be compelled to get closer, to pick it up, to protect it from evil forces in this house. If it's not a baby then he can leave it there, leave it alone, undisturbed.....

Due to him not approaching the crib, Alev does not hear the sounds and thinks that Sergei is either just staying behind for the moment or that he'll be right behind him as he goes into the room.

Lucan accompanies Sergei to see the baby he would like to cast Detect Magic as a ritual by performing an arcane melody with his harp. To see any source of magic in the house.

”Let me perform a bit of arcane note it should reveal anything magical in this room.”

Alev, are you trying to open the secret door, or traveling to a different room? I'm a bit confused on what you want to do. Sorry.

Sergei, for now,  you can just see the bundle. It is dark in the room, and the cobweb-like veil covering the crib obscures your view. You see it wiggle again, and you hear a baby yawn.

Lucan begins playing a tune and pacing around the room as if almost in a trance. After ten minutes, Lucan's eyes open up to the world of magical energy. You are a bit shocked of what you find. This... dimension you are in emits a powerful aura of necromancy. It taints everything you see. The power of death overpowers the power of life here, corrupting the souls of the living. Pushing past that, the house itself reeks of illusion and transmutation magic. Under your spell, you can almost see the walls expanded and contracting as if they are breathing. Moisture on the window panes reminds you of beading saliva. You see eyes staring at you from the borders of the mirror. You sense a malignant intelligence possesses this building, and it senses you.

((Lucan will be out of action for a bit if you want to interact with the baby. You could take a short rest while he does this or something if you guys want.))

Sergei groans inwardly as visual and auditory cues indicate that this is, indeed, a baby. If he didn't check, then he'd probably never be able to forgive himself. He'd always wonder. Therefore, steeling himself for the worst, he reaches into the crib to pick up the baby.

Rudick said nothing, and had not even seemed to notice Alev or the others had said a word. Ever since finally finding the nursery, the Orc just starred at the crib for the longest moment, hammered lowered, and arms almost slack as if in a trance. He only took his eyes off it once noting the eyes, but... soon its back on it again. It's not until Sergei appears to gird himself to pick up the baby that things come back into focus, and all the little and big things come back to him nearly all at once. "Eyes," He murmurs, holding his head. A quick headshake and some grumbling later, and the Orc is back to his grumpy self.

"Do what you will, Wizard." He states, then looks to Alev. "You mentioned... a door? Show it again." He request, and upon having it pointed again again, immediately heads to pop it open, trusting Sergei to handle the child.

Hearing tell of a secret door, Skip will attempt to check the area around it for traps

investigation 17

((OOC: Yes, I was referring to the door Alev found. Sorry for the confusion.))

Alev tries to see for a way to enter the door, not paying attention to the whole rucus about the "baby". "This right here!" He answers to Rudick, bobbing his head. "...But I have yet to open it, so it could be a trap. It might not even be a door... But it sure looks like one!"

He takes a step back as he lets Skip and Rudick work on it. "...Can you open it?" He asks in fearful anticipation.

Sergei, you part the veil and tentatively pick up the bundles. It squirms slightly in your hands. You reach up and loosen its blankets to check on the baby itself, and the bundle is empty. There is no baby in the bundles, but you could have sworn in your life that there was one a few seconds ago. It's just an empty blanket.The

Standing shocked, you just stare at the blanket when suddenly, a screaming apparition bursts out from the wall. The spirit appears to be a women wearing a maid outfit. Her outstretched arms are gray in color and end in claws. Her wailing mouth gapes open unnaturally wide.

Roll initiative.

Skip, noticing the grooves etched in the floor, you reach up and push on one side of the door. The door pivots open and reveals a staircase ascending upwards. Just as you thought, there appears to be no traps.

Specter Initiative: 5

((Lucan can finish his ritual when the combat is over.))

Sergei’s initiative: 20

Sergei will back away into a corner of the room and cast eldritch blast

Attack: 12 Damage: 4

Alev's initiative: 15

As soon as he's sure that there's no traps, Alev starts to walk down the stairs... But the sound of screaming stops him right at his tracks when he's just a few steps in. 

He peeks out from the secret door to see what's happening. "A ghost...? Of course there's a ghost! Sure didn't see that one coming!" He snarks bitterly. 

Not moving from where he is and hoping that the ghost doesn't turn to look at him, he tries to cast a spell to help out Sergei and Lucan with. Draconic words come out from his beak as he extend his hand, but instead of the fire he's familiar with, a skeletal hand materializes out of thin air instead, attempting to grab onto the spectre. "That's new..." Alev mutters to himself. 

(Casting Chill Touch)

Attack: 21 Damage: 1

Rudick Initiative: 19.

Rudick had nodded, and started to raise his hands only to see the doorway pivot open on its own. Confused, it takes him half a second to look down to realize Skip had been the culprit. His lips barely curl upward in a smirk before dropping upon he hears the increasingly familiar blasting of Sergei. Without another word, he marched back to the nursery tense. "What in Gond's name-?!" He spits out, surprised at the sight of the specter. Still, short of their being one too many bodies between him and the specter, the Orc rushes into the confined space to swing his warhammer, hoping -- praying to catch something vital, like when Skip 'slayed' the animated armor.

Action: Attack de Spook!
(One-handed, Lethal)Warhammer - Attack: 8 Damage: 11 of non-magical bludgeoning.

Skip, feeling a little smug having been the one to open the hidden door, jumps at the sudden wailing sound, and whirls, fumbling his weapons back out

initiative 15

if he gets the chance, he will stalk up stealthily to the ghosts flank, and attempt to attack with his rapier and dagger

Attack: 21 Damage: 8

Off hand Attack: 15 Damage: 4

Thadalas' Initiative: 5

Thadalas will move back to ensure he's not within melee range of the apparition. He's quite shocked to now having encountered an animated suit of armor, to now a vengeful spirit. Once he's far back enough, he'll nock an arrow into his shortbow and shoot the ghastly maid.

Attack: 10
Damage: 10
Sneak Attack: 6