Agni turns to the western door and checks for any surprises.
She detects no traps.
Niu looks up the stairs, then back to Agnimitra. "We need this glove from his bedroom, yes? Perhaps we should proceed directly to the third floor to retrieve it before we explore any more on this level?
This last puzzle will get us the key to enter the ballroom, which is apparently where we will need to have a difficult battle. I see no reason to rush to finish this puzzle."
He turns back to the picture. "As a matter of fact, where is the ballroom?"
"The ballroom is on the other side of this door to your east."
"If we need a key to get into the ballroom, then this way seems the next best option," Agnimitra replies, opening the western door.
This room has several overstuffed chairs and a few low tables and cabinets. Sliding doors lead to the east and south, while to the north a glass door opens onto a small semicircular balcony. An origami grasshopper conspicuously sits on the floor in the middle of the room.
Etgar enters, getting to 10 feet from the grasshopper. He pokes it with his spear, fully expecting it to become some heinous beast that will want their toenails, or some such
The origami grasshopper falls over when poked.
Etgar shrugs. Feels safe. He moves over to begin searching the drawers and cabinets for keys.
Two of the cabinets contain cards and dice for games; another is a well-stocked liquor cabinet. The liquor cabinet contains six fine glasses engraved with a detailed image of a snail. The cards and dice are sufficient to form a common gambler’s kit and a deck of harrow cards. Tucked away in an ivory box is another deck of cards.
Niu scans the room with Detect Magic
Niu detects a magical aura emanating from the ivory box. There are approximately 30 auras, the strongest being moderate. Without line of sight, he is unable to determine the school.
Reaching for the box, Niu draws forth the deck to examine.
There are 30 playing cards. The jacks are missing. The school of magic is illusion.
Donovan, curious will move over to pickup the grasshopper. "What does it mean?"
"Well, at least they didn't explode or turn into demons. The Jacks are missing, but that still wouldn't add up to a full deck, not even a pinochle deck."
Niu briefly considers Donovan's question, but distractedly. "It could be the key that solves everything, or it could simply be that Kishokish is messy. He also could have placed it there to make us think it was important."
While still concentrating on the deck, he off-handedly adds. "This key puzzle. 'Completes this house' The queen mentioned that the house only has eight eaves, but is named Nine Eaves. Seems obvious that the key would have a picture of an eave. We didn't count the eaves ourselves. Might be worth a look."
Niu realizes this is a deck of illusions.
"Mr. Painting is this thing your bosses" Donovan holds up the grasshopper. trying to figure out how it was made.
"I would not know."
"I think it is just folded paper, Do you think it is safe to unfold it?"
"I have never seen anything of the such. It is possible this could be the work of the sahkil. It seems innocent enough but I simply do not know."
Tucking the deck into a pocket, Niu muses, "These illusions may be useful, we should also be wary for the missing cards. They may still be around."
Noting Donovan's conversation, he adds. "The grasshopper is not magical, so it is likely not a trap. You are correct that the paper itself could contain a clue. Unfold it, if you so choose."
Donovan does his best to unfold the origami grasshopper.
There is a message inscribed on the paper. It reads “The new Master wants you gone from here. I have little patience."
"That's not creepy at all," Agni mutters as she moves towards the double doors to the south to check them.
The sliding doors do not appear to be trapped.
"Bedroom is probably through here," Agni declares as she slides the doors open.
This elegant library is in shambles. Piles of shredded books are heaped untidily throughout the room. A small desk is scarred by deep grooves across its surface. Several large, umbrella-shaped masses of parchment and torn paper hang from the ceiling. Sliding double doors lead out of this room to the north and south, and a narrow glass door in the west wall leads to a small semicircular balcony. The glass of the door is badly cracked.
Knowledge nature once you have entered the room.
Etgar wanders into the room and looks around.
The large, umbrella-shaped masses of parchment and torn paper hanging from the ceiling are wasp nests.
Afterseveral failed attempts to re-fold the paper Donovan follows Etgar into the next room heads to look out the door.
The semicircular balcony is as small as the one in the drawing room. It looks onto the greenhouse below. The mist that surrounds the road also surrounds this building.
Uh, guys... Etgar points up at the torn paper, stopping in his tracks. Those are wasp nests.
"Well, it is only a balcony. Nothing of interest there, so step back inside and close the door before they begin to swarm inside."
"Let's go around the other way, then. We can always come back to explore the wasp swarms later, if we find a reason we need to explore the library."
Etgar nods in agreement and silently tip-toes back out. He calls out in a harsh whisper. Don! C'mon...quietly.
Donovan follows along like a Steel-clad heavily armed puppy.
Rethinking the situation, Niu retrieves the Deck of Illusions again and flips through it until he finds the two of hearts. "Donovan. Was the door to the balcony open? We might be able to lure the wasps outside and shut the door behind them"
"I did not try it, I'll check." Donovan heads over to open the balcony door.
"No, wait! Let someone quiet do it."
Etgar looks around to his companions, then sighs.
He moves through the room quietly and slowly, trying to get to the balcony door without disturbing the wasps.
With the balcony door open, and everyone safe in the study, Niu will open the doors to the library just a little, draw a card from the deck and throw it into the room.
Whatever image appears will make a lot of appropriate noise. If wasps appear to attack it, the image will respond as if being stung, then run for the balcony and jump off. It will roll to the ground and keep running.
Etgar gets to the balcony. The wasps begin moving about slowly but do not appear disturbed.
The door is jammed. Will need a strength roll.
Niu stands ready to close the door into the study as soon as Etgar comes back. Noting that the elf seems to be struggling, he calls out quietly, "Do you need help? Should Donovan come out?"
Donovan pokes his head in. "do you need me?
Etgar turns slightly to wave away the others, frowning. He turns back to the door and tries to force it.
The door opens.
Sighing in relief to see that Etgar was able to open the balcony door, Niu waves the elf back, preparing to execute his plan with the Deck of Illusions as soon as he is safe behind the door into the study.
Etgar dutifully comes back, his eyes never leaving the wasps above.
The wasps are beginning to show irritation.