Talion Wisdom Save: 16

"Dammit! This house is ... " he finishes with a strangled sound, then looks around the room, making sure that there's nothing there. "When we get out of here, we should burn this damned place to the ground."

He takes a moment to settle, and checks his friends to make sure that they are over the effects. If not, he tries to rouse them.

Erven wisdom save :  15

Beads of sweat pop out on Erven’s forehead as he sees the images, he closes his eyes, and they are gone.  He stands up from the harp and shakes his head.

Onyx Wisdom 10

Onyx you feel a crushing dread and take the full psychic stab (the rest take 2 points damage) and run to the library. There you crouch behind the desk, frightened, for 10 minutes. All the while you hear whispering and mocking laughter. The other two are able to shake free from it and the four of you are in the empty, eerily silent, conservatory....

Onyx looks up as Talion rouses him.  Eventually coming to his senses, he is still deathly pale, falling into step behind the other man.

Bertolt frowns even as he flinches at the terrible playing of his companions. As it stops though and he sees the strange reaction, he goes to follow after Onyx when he runs out of the room. "What is wrong?"

Talion turns from helping Onyx to answer Bertolt, "What's wrong?!? It this whole damned house that's wrong!" He pauses a moment, realization finally coming to him, "You didn't hear that? See that? The music, the ghosts...those two ... the murderers? None of it?"

He turns briefly back to Onyx and speaks softly, "If you can still hear it, you should stay away from the room", then his attention returns to Bertolt. "Did you?"

Talion gives silent thanks to his patron for the experiences that eventually helped him resist the strange compulsion.

Sho was pushed out of the way by his fellow musicians before he could look into the conservatory. He frowned, thinking at first that they were impatient to search the room, until they sat down numbly in front of their instruments, their joints stiffening as they began to play out-of-tune music ...... broken, sporadic, like a dying man exhaling a choking moan that drifted silently through the air. He would think they all suddenly decided to multiclass into bards if he didn't know better, though with their performance he doubt they'll be able get a single spell out.

"I didn't hear anything..." Sho says slowly, while exchanging looks with Bertolt. The scholar seems concerned as well, after all it was an eerie sight to be seen. "Do you still hear it?"

Talion sighs, and shakes his head, "No...but I think Onyx can. It was horrible. I've seen bloody mayhem before, but this...this was different."

With that he moves back towards the room and nods to Ervan on the way, "Let's check it out while it's quiet" he says.

Talion will help Erven with any perception checks, then investigate the room more thoroughly.

Investigation: 22 (searching for valuables or any hidden compartments, doors, trapdoors etc, as well as the instruments themselves)

Erven is rattled by the events but nods when Talion asks for his help in searching the haunted conservatory.  First he examines the instruments, slowly one by one.  Then he investigates the shelves, the walls, any bookcases and cabinets, slowly moving his way through the room.  

Perception, with Talion’s help :  13

@Talion & @Erven
You both team up to check the room out.  You note with a hint of admiration (Talion more so than Erven) the splendor and opulence of the room itself.  Similar to the level below, everything is well-crafted and cared for.  The chairs are soft and plush and almost beg you to sit in them.  The room is clear of clutter and the floor is parqued and glossy - perfect for dancing!
When you check out the alabaster figurines on the fireplace, you gasp.  What you thought were figurines of dancers were actually dancing skeletons.  They look well-made, though you can't put a price on it just yet.
When you check the instruments, they are also of what you guess to be fine quality.  Not being musicians, you can't be sure but you deduce that you could use them for parts if you wanted to.  Perhaps Bertolt might be able to know more, him being of a musical nature.

No traps or oddities to see, thus nothing to really investigate.  It seems like the drama might be over for now.  [Now where did the paladin go to?  haha]

Talion breathes a sigh of relief, then shakes his head. "After that ... whatever it was ... well, I thought it might be protecting something. This is about the emptiest room so far." He examines the room size, checking that it matches the outline of the explored area so far, not quite willing to believe there is nothing hidden.

He is tempted to take some of the figurines. but leaves them alone, and departs the room, returning to the library where he left Onyx. "When everyone is ready, I think it's time to go up the stairs." Then he addresses the larger group, wWhatever is up there, we know it's no Walter. I doubt there's anything living left here."

Before heading towards the stairs, Talion checks the dumb waited to see if it continues up, or only goes down.

(( Ready fo stairs! ))

[the dumb waiter looks like it goes up more. you can make out the bottom of the waiter from where you are, it's about 10 feet up.

Just everyone give me an okay when you're ready, or if you're going to take anything from the room.  You'll have to wait for Onyx for 10 minutes]

Erven is ready to head up the stairs, he goes to Onyx and tries to talk to him, to calm him down.

"I saw nothing more then you and the others attempting to poorly play a song of some kind." Bertolt says while he moves to examine the instruments with a quickly glance to see if any of them strike his eye as worth taking to perhaps either preserve or play at a later time.

(Gonna guess it would be investigation to see if they are worth anything.)

Investigation: 18

Quote from DarthDrizzt >>

"I saw nothing more then you and the others attempting to poorly play a song of some kind." Bertolt says while he moves to examine the instruments with a quickly glance to see if any of them strike his eye as worth taking to perhaps either preserve or play at a later time.

(Gonna guess it would be investigation to see if they are worth anything.)

Investigation: 17

Yeah definitely!
These particular instruments are extremely valuable and are likely worth several thousand GP.  The floor harp has been exquisitely carved and decorated with gold and silver, and the harpsichord wooden finish is clearly masterwork.  Both are much too big to carry around with you but you could probably take the harp strings if you wanted to.

After everyone is ready, you approach the stairs leading upwards.  You hear the crying again and it's much closer - you would venture to say this is the floor where Walter is.  As you climb the stairs, you notice the feeling of the house changes: it's colder, draftier, nothing is lit and everything is dark; cobwebs drift lazily and whip forth as the wind from your passing hits them.  There is another sound underneath the crying and the stillness, almost like a buzzing that you hear sharply in your ear - though no obvious noise is present.  It's very eerie and it puts all of you on edge.  

Finally, as you climb the stairs to its full height, you look around the room:  those who can see will see two doors visible: one to the north and one to the south.  The dusty balcony has a nice suit of black plate armor standing against one wall, draped in cobwebs - it looks like the ones in the floor below and has a greatsword in its hands.  Oil lamps are mounted on the oak-paneled walls, which are carved with woodland scenes of trees, falling leaves, and tiny critters. 

Again, the sound of a baby crying can be heard, it seems like it is coming from the south......

What does everyone wish to do?

MAP (assume you are at the mouth of the stairs, if you want to tell me your formation that's fine too).

(( I assume Ervan was in the lead when moving, and that he has stopped at the top to allow us time to catch up ))

As they move up the stairs, Talion looks around at the changed conditions, "I wonder why this is not maintained like the lower floors. Has our hosts influence decreased up here, perhaps? Though the baby stil cries, despite being dead."

He moves on cautiously, following Ervan, and when the ranger pauses, Talion moves forward to see the room, trying to remain on the stairs if possible. He sees the armour and then grins at Bertolt, nodding in its direction. Moments later a spectral hand appears, and floats into the room. "Better safe than sorry."

He glances at the others for agreement before trying to remove the sword.

Erven pauses at the top, waiting for Onyx to catch up.  If the effects have worn off he will let him lead or Erven will lead if Onyx is still shaken from the conservatory.  "Does anyone have the ability to light those oil lamps?  Flint and steel anyone?"  Erven readies his shield and short sword, and tells Talion to go ahead with the mage hand.  

"Has to have some where to sweep the dirt under." Sho replies, as he waits for Talion to retrieve the weapon from the armor stand.

Bertolt looks as though he would be drooling if he was alone. With quick movements he will undue the strings from the harp, making sure not to damage them. "These instruments are something only a noble could ever hope to have... If we can we must return with a wagon and claim them so that a better home can be found." 

Once his excitement dies down he follows up the stairs, summoning his Mage Hand as Talion does. As he sends it forward he will stay as far back while still being able to control the spectral hand.