"Cherias, I love this. Ah, this is a good day in Korvosa." The elf fairly skips about in the murk. She nods to Abby. "Discretion is a good idea--we can save the smashing of things to bits for later."
"We've tried this several times, and invariably someone gets impatient and runs through the front door causing problems. I don't like the front door, I believe we should find another way."
Seren ponders.
"With some invisibility and maybe a scroll or two, we could move the whole party quietly to another entrance and go in that way? Perhaps a second story window or a back servants entrance?"
"Scrolls of vanish, and a rope, but there still needs to be some scouting of the entrance," says Melianthe.
"However, I'm sure that our ocarina playing friend went through the front door. If we go through that way, we'll find out what he found out, although we shall be ready."
Scouting, you circle the manor grounds. There is a smaller building in the southwest corner, perhaps a guest house, but the entire area is surrounded by the high hedge. You do not find any other entrances.
Since we are back here let us investigate this guest house. I doubt it holds our query but I would like be able to eliminate it as a source of threat.
Absinthe cautiously approaches the hedge - - and provided she finds nothing to be careful of, clambers up onto the hedge, doing her best to mould her profile to that of the shrubbery as much as she can - - and freezes for a moment while she looks over the ground, alert for more danger -
Absinthe climbs the hedge and takes a look around the inner gardens. No one is within, nor does she hear any alarms. The gardens are immaculately arranged and manicured, designed for entertaining guests, including a gazebo and small pond.
Everything is still and silent in the foggy air.
Up and over. Segang encourage. And secure a rope.
You are able to climb the hedge and enter the gardens. Still no one moves within, and it remains silent.
Cautiously, Cherias speaks a soft prayer, and scans the area for any auras of the Unliving he might be able to find.
Cherias senses no undead presences in the gardens, and the walls of the manor appear to be thick enough to block the spell.
"Abby, check the main building, find a window or somethibg. I'll check the guest house."
Seren sneaks over and assesses the door.
Perception Take 20 = 29
-Posted with Wayfinder
Without saying a word Segang follows Seren towards the guest house but stays back a good 10'
Seren stealthily approaches the guest house. A glance through the windows shows the interior dark and empty of inhabitants. It does not appear to have been used recently. The door is unlocked.
Segang nods encouragingly to Seren as if saying "enter".
Melianthe casts Mage Armor, follows Seren, and then casts Detect Magic while standing a bit behind the shadow wizard.
Meanwhile, Absinthe ghosts around the main building, seeking points of entry. As she approaches her target, she quietly draws her scimitar - and blinks once. When her eyes open again, there is a little extra shimmer to her eyes...
Seren nods at Segang and moves in, leaving the door open for the barbarian.
"Let's not enter until Abby's back with us... getting separated was disastrous in the sewers," Cherias whispers very quietly.
Saying nothing Segang moves to the door of the smaller house and peers inside. Once there he will ask very quietly Where did Abby go? I thought we had agreed to check this smaller guest house first?
The guest house is empty of inhabitants.
"Let's search it...er...once Abby returns." Melianthe peers in and scans again with Detect Magic.
"There's no one here and we can see Abby," Seren whispers as he enters and looks around.
Take 20 (Total 29) to search for trap doors or some other secret entrance.
The guest house an open living area on the first floor, with a coat and water closet. Upstairs has four mostly-identical bedrooms. Other than expensive-looking furniture, you find nothing of interest.
On the other side of the gardens, Absinthe searches along the manor walls. She finds no traps or magic, but locates a side door in the south-west corner, along the western hedge.
"Well, nothing here. Let's try that side door."
"What excellent sight you have, to have seen what one was coming to report," Absinthe says as she appears out of the shadows, right behind Cherias. "One has found no traps, neither mundane nor magical. It is an oddity."
Anxious to get on with the investigation Segang motions the party to move towards the side door in the south-west corner. Any spell prep should be done now. he says quietly.
"Who wants to be unseen?" says Melianthe with a smile. "Other than that..." she pulls out her wand.
"I'm no expert on the subject, but for some reason, 'abandoned mansion, strange nocturnal musical appointment' makes me think of the undead. Cherias, what do we have to stop such a foe, if that is the case?"
"My positive energy bursts will help with that, and the form of light that I have discovered I can assume."
Seren will cast mage armor and invisibility on himself before Segang opens the door.
Does Segang want enlarge either now or possibly later?
You move into the manor and into a day room which holds a divan, padded chairs and a small table with a gilded hookah. The room is otherwise unremarkable, but the for a pungent stink of death.
The opposite door, which stands open, leads to the foyer and great hall. Rounding the corner, you are treated to a massacre scene.
Upon the marble floor and heaped in the corners lie more than a dozen corpses, each clad in garish outfits of sequined velvet, revealing silk and colorful feathers. Masks of all shapes and sizes -- each competed with the last in terms of elaborateness -- adorn the dead. In several cases, though, these fanciful facades have fallen away, revealing flesh covered in nauseating facial tumors. Most horrifyingly, upon a blood-slick space cleared at the center of the hall sway three couples, jerking like hellish dancers, all obviously dead.
Cherias gasps as he sees this macabre display, and puts a hand to his mouth, trying to control his gag reflex. "By the gods..." he groans softly.
Segang's face takes on a look of saddened determination. What has happened here? he says as he prepares to defend against a possible undead attack.
Melianthe moves her mouth and pulls out a scroll of Web. "I say I immobilize them and then we burn them," she says carefully.
"Wait, let me see." Cherias casts Detect Undead again and scans the entire room.
Seren will sneak forward invisible and move to the north behind those chairs.
If he has time Segang will ready his spear to take attacks of opportunity as the enemies approach.
Absinthe, who followed at the back of the group, melts into the shadows in the corners of the room and continues to observe, her eyes two barely visible gleams in the shadows.
Shortly after you enter the room, the corpses cease dancing and begin to shuffle in your direction.