Anja flings open the door and stands aside, giving a clear shot to Shan-yu, her longsword in hand.
The door opens up to the inside, and Anja is staring into a dark room. When someone brings light closer, you can see it's a small one, 10 feet by 15.
There's two mannequins there, a door that leads north, and nothing else.
"I'm not liking all these mannequins lying around. What is this, a castle or a department store? These freaks make me nervous," Terry babbles on.
Anja lets the door close, and opens up the other one, taking the same precautions.
The door opens up to the inside, and Anja is staring into a dark room. When someone brings light closer, you can see it's a small one, 10 feet by 15.
There's two mannequins there, a door that leads south, and nothing else.
"Hm. House looked bigger from the outside. Secret door that we missed?"
"Now now Skit they don't even have eyes. Still they are rather unsettling aren't they. There's no magic to them so I don't believe them to be constructs. I wonder if they're solid wax or if something lies within."
Valeeran enters the room and take a look at the closest of the wax figures. Looking closely at it he tries to determine if its completely made of wax or perhaps something covered in wax. Though curious he won't go as far as to damage the wax.
When Anja asks about the possibility of a secret door he immediately changes gears and enthusiastically begins a search for such a door.
"Do you think there might be? I couldn't say why but I've always found them so fascinating. Like unwrapping an unexpected gift or some such. Always adventure to be found behind them." he says as he methodically searches the room.
Terry slaps his arms, hmming. "Anyone else feel a draft?"
"Okay, I'm sure of it now. These figures - whatever they are - are moving. These ones in here were in a different position a second ago. I'm about to start lopping off arms if they don't stop being so sneaky! Just MOVE or DON'T MOVE!"
---
---
As Shan-yu enters the room to try and fidget open the secret door, scalding steam comes out of tiny holes in the ceiling.
The door opens up to another room (D4), which Shan-yu and Anja rush into to escape the steam, which stops about 20 seconds after Shan-yu and Anja leave the room.
Poorly maintained furniture crowds this dusty, unfinished space. Two beds, one covered in priceless silks hopelessly stained in blood and filth, occupy most of the western side while a wardrobe and tool bench fill the remainder.
There are no mannequins in this room.
"Ahgh! Effing steam, really?" She brushes off in the next room. "Well, good thing Terry was protected from that, with that magic... and not being in the same room, and all."
When the others do join Anja and Shan-yu after the steam subsides, Anja hands her wand to Terry. "Here. Wand me, please. I think there's going to be violence today."
Anja starts looking through the tools on the workbench for some clue of what work goes on in here. "Y'all look for another secret door, maybe?"
Terry moves into the steamy room after it finishes firing (I updated the map) and looks around. Is the secret door still open from Anja and Shan-Yu moving through it?
The sudden blast of steam startles Valeeran from his inspection of the western side of the room. His concerns are quickly relieved when he hears his companions grumbling about their steam bath.
"I suppose that wasn't exactly unexpected. I wonder what set it off. He walks to the doorway and looks up at the ceiling to try and spot the steam vents and then looks at the ceiling in the larger room to see if there are any there or in the small room to the south.
PERCEPTION
Anja reaches under the bed and pulls out a lockbox, then gets to looking for a hammer and chisel on the tool bench to open it up.
Terry looks over Anja's shoulder curiously, but can offer no help on lockpicking matters.
Anja closes the drawer she was digging through and leans on the workbench with her arms folded while Shan-yu works on the lock. "Y'all do a lot of breaking and entering at that monk-house?"
Terry grins as he watches Shan-yu work. "Good to know there's more to you then a quiver of arrows and a serious expression," he quips.
The lockbox remains closed.
As far as I'm concerned, you can T20.
Will you take 20? If yes, read the spoiler below.
|
The monk is surprised by the difficulty of the lock, but eventually works it open. . He then marvels at the treasure found within, "Look here, it contained 31 platinum pieces, 104 gold pieces, six lapis lazuli stones worth 120 about gold each, three potions, and a set of marvelous pigments. Strange that whoever owned these would just leave these here."
Valeeran continues to inspect the small room from the doorway. "Perhaps it only goes off when the occupied by the same number of people as there are mannequins. Let's see shall we?" he says to no one in particular. Putting Skitter down the elf takes a step into the room.
"'Zat real money, or some storykin crap?" She regards them and Shan-yu's words for a moment. "Think it's Sonorae's? Is this where they killed her? That'd explain the ruined luxury sheets."
"Valeeran finished playing with the trap? We should look for another secret door here or try finding one from the foyer."
Anja starts searching the room for another secret door.
---
Valeeran enters the room, and stays a bit long to investigate. He is scalded by the same hot steam as the others.
---
Anja starts looking for the same opening, and finds it in the northern wall.
Three statues, more stylized and exaggerated than the rest of the gallery, flank the far ends of this chamber. Each depicts an attractive, middle-aged Varisian woman in a different emotional state—carefree, worried, and distraught. A pair of double doors provides the only visible entry or exit from this chamber.
Anja looks closer at these statues.
She then stands at the doors, and looks back to check that everyone is ready.
The statues are made of wax.
Anja pokes one of the statues firmly in the chest. "How about you lot? Are y'all ready to talk? We're looking for Marzalee. Is she through here?"
"That's more like it! You talking, yet? If not, blink three times for 'no'."
Terry coughs uncomfortably and backs out of the room without saying a word. He glances at one mannequin, then the other, fear rising in his chest. "I...I..." he says, trying to speak to his friends, but he's not able to finish his thought before trailing off again.
"Gah!" the elf calls out as a burst of steam pours down on him. Fortunately his arcane protections mean his cry is one of alarm rather than pain. Stepping out of the room but still looking back he shakes his head and focuses on Anja when she calls to him. "Oh...yes quite done I think."
When the next door is discovered the wizards enthusiasm rises once again. "Quite the paranoid owner. One must wonder how guests are received at all." Happily looking about the new room Valeeran becomes anxious when Anja begins accosting the mannequin.
"Say Anja, would you mind not doing that? I'm sure you're damaging the poor thing."
Cocking an eyebrow at Shan-yus odd statement Valeeran looks inquisitively at the barbarian. "I see nothing odd. Are you ok Terry? This all seems most peculiar."
"Those things are dangerous! Keep them away from me!" fear is clearly evident in the halfling's voice - he's calling from the hallway.
"The...waxmen? I really don't see how. Creepy certainly but just wax, though likeable in their own way. Anja would you please stop poking that one." The elf pauses a moment. "I thought perhaps we should try melting them went we first entered the house but now that seems such an abominable idea...though I'm not exactly sure why." he trails off shaking his head.
"Well, I'm not trying to hurt her! Er, 'it'! Just trying to see if they feel anything!" Anja spits back defensively at Valeeran.
"What?! Horns? Back off!" She reaches up to feel her forehead. "Hmph! Do I have a tail, too?"
"Let's just get through this place. Focus! Shan-yu, you going to be able to put an arrow in this b---- if she doesn't want to be reasonable?"
Her grip tightens on her longsword. Her other hand reaches for the doorknob and flings open the door.
After a lot of conversation, Anja tries to open the door just to find it is locked.