Alev follows Skip and he's shocked by the sight of the skeleton. Scared that there might be more traps around, he decides to not touch anything and takes some steps back. "...I'm starting to think this monster in the basement thing is the least disturbing thing this family has going for." He says, fear in his voice. "What in the name of...?"

“What? What’s wrong Alev?” Skip asks as he whirls round at the sound of Alev exclaiming

The letter reads:

My most pathetic servant,

     I am not a Messiah sent to you by the Dark Powers of this land. I have not come to lead you on a path to immortality. However many souls have blood on your hidden altar, however many visitors you have tortured in your dungeon, know that you are not the ones who brought me to this beautiful land. You are but worms arriving in my earth.

You say that you are cursed, your fortunes spent. You abandoned love for madness, took solace in the bosom of another woman, and sired a stillborn son. Cursed by darkness? Of that I have no doubt. Save you from your wretchedness? I think not. I much prefer you as you are.

Your Dread Lord and Master,

Strahd von Zarovich

Quote from TheFoxofFinch >>

“What? What’s wrong Alev?” Skip asks as he whirls round at the sound of Alev exclaiming

"What's wrong?" Alev ask back in disbelief. He points at the skeleton. "Is that supposed to be normal? Does any normal family has the corpse of someone killed by darts just lying around? I mean, I wouldn't know, but it doesn't sound normal to me."

He sighs and recomposes himself, then tries to act like it didn't scare him. If Skip doesn't care, neither will he. "...Well, whatever. We are searching for a monster and werewolves, not... Whatever this is. What did that piece of paper say, anyway?"

“It said, well, not a whole lot really. Without context it’s kinda meaningless. Some Dread Lord replying to his servant. You ever hear the name Strahd Von Zarovich?” The gnome asks as he hands him the letter to see what Alev makes of it. 
“Ok, I suppose a skeleton lying across a chest in a hidden room isn’t exactly normal, but what has been since we set off? Spooky mist, werewolves, gates that open and close by themselves, these kids.......”

"Never heard of him." Alev replies, reading the letter. "He doesn't seem friendly, but then again these rich nobles almost never are. Honestly, the only weird thing on this letter is this whole nonsense about dark powers and curses and stuff, 'cause I would totally buy this type of scumbag writing a letter to a servant with this much vitriol..."

He hands over the letter back to Skip and wipes his hand in mocking disgust. "Better to ask Lucan to see if he can make tails or heads of it, he seems like the type who would know. But if you ask me, I think this all sounds like some weird evil cult, and the family here might be involved. I doubt the kids know anything important, but if we find any living adults here they better be ready to answer some questions."

A disappointed Rudick abandoned his search of the servant room half-way into examining one of the footlockers. And though he heard Skip's calling out on finding something interesting and grisly, he scoffed, thinking it to be a victim of the monster, but neither it or the child they seek. For that, he presumed, they would need to climb higher. And so he did, hardly glancing into any of the other opened rooms on his way up to the next level.

"Unless you found the way down to the basement-" He barked back more than loud enough to be heard in the other rooms. "Hurry on up, if you so would. I'm headed ahead." With that, its on to the next level for the Orc.

The second floor is cleared. You can move to the third floor if you want.

You climb to the 3rd floor, and come to a dusty balcony with a suit of black armor standing against one wall, draped in cobwebs. Oil lamps are mounted on the oak paneled wall, which are carved with woodland scenes of trees, falling leaves, and tiny critters. Unlike the previous floors, this floor is dusty and unkept. The wood is worn and splintered, and dust coats everything.

Sergei, on hearing his comrade's exclamation, came to that room and saw the foul hidden room. Noticing the books, revulsion battled with curiosity, and in the end he grabbed one of the books and started leafing through it while still holding the lantern in his other hand. He ascended the stairs to the 3rd floor with the others, still examining the book, hoping to learn more about this strange house and its occupants.

The book is bound in human hide. The book's contents contain mad ramblings and sickening rituals of debauchery. It also contains several rituals to summon demons. The process of summoning requires several steps that churn your stomach, but you gather that much of the book is delusional scribbles. You believe that most of it is fake, but it sickens you to think that someone could have fallen this far to write this.

Upon reaching the third floor, Thadalas notices different doors to check. Seeing the set of double doors on the right side of the black armor, Thadalas will go check to see what's behind those doors.

Sergei happens to actually know quite a bit about summoning demons, having successfully done so himself, so he easily recognizes the false nature of the book. He tosses the book down at the top of the stairs and says,

"I don't think the people that live here are very nice. That book is full of evil trash. I greatly fear what we might encounter in the basement, if we ever find it. We may want to consider removing the children from this place before they are corrupted by their elders."

"You should read the letter we found, "evil trash" is exactly what I would call it." Alev says to Sergei, but he isn't paying him that much attention.

He inspects the walls and the armor, hoping to find anything that could lead them to the secret basement.

Perception: 14

"As if leaving them here was to be an option." Rudick stated gruffly while looking around in confusion. "Strange though... Either the servants that were supposed to be hear abandoned their job ages ago, or..." He trails off there to ponder the rest. Noting Thadalas went for the double doors on the right, Rudick decided to go with the doors to the left of the stairs. Specifically the far left for peek inside there.

Skip heads for the single door across the hallway, adjacent to the door Rudick is checking. He opens it and peers Inside

As the party begins to spread through the room, twin embers of crimson light flicker to life in the statues visor. With a squeal of rusted metal, it springs towards Alev, cold fingers seeking warm flesh.

Roll Initiative.

Animated Armor Initiative: 2

((For combat, I will be using block initiative. I will take the average initiative from the party and the average initiative of the enemies and compare them. Which ever one is higher goes first all at once. This eliminates some of the time waiting for people to take those turn in combat))

initiative: 7

Sergei is going to stand as far back away from that thing as he can and steel his resolve, Alright Sergei, you knew that it would come to this, sooner or later. Let's see what you can do.

Extending his hand and making a slashing motion, Sergei mutters a phrase in a malicious-sounding tongue (infernal) as he does so, and an arc of black fire jumps out of the air where he slashed his hand, leaping out at the suit of armor. (casting eldritch blast)

 Attack: 11 Damage: 1

Initiative: 13

Rudick Initiative: 14.

Alerted by the presence of an animated object, Lucan draws his Light crossbow and ready to support his companion from the back.

Initiative check 5