Velspira had went ahead, forward into the building and through the hallway. It didn't seem like this place was some creepy and haunted house, turning her head to nod to Shandi, "When ya can," she says, turning her head back to look down the hallway.
I'll keep my eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary. He moves in, bow in one hand, blade in the other.
[dice=perception] 1d20+5
"Ha, I knew I'd be able to unlock it, was there any doubt?" she says with a grin. It felt nice to come up on top, watching as the horse girl stepped through haphazardly, changing her tone of one more hushed, "Watch it will ya, don't wanna cause a scene here."
[dice=Stealth]1d20+4
[dice=Perception]1d20+1
Velspira dances silently down the central corridor.
Blaze nods reluctantly. She doesn't like letting her small, fragile herd-mates go in first, but she had to admit that she wasn't built for stealth, especially in these two-leg homes. She waits by the door, listening intently for any sign that they'd been heard.
Blaze nods reluctantly. She doesn't like letting her small, fragile herd-mates go in first, but she had to admit that she wasn't built for stealth, especially in these two-leg homes. She waits by the door, listening intently for any sign that they'd been heard.
[dice=perception]1d20+3
Blaze notices little or nothing. The manor seems to be bedded down for the night.
slight noise, upstairs. We may have little time. Or, should quickly head that way. He whispers in as few words as he can to the others.
Shandi nods to Velspira, pronounces the words of the spell and tiefling literally disappears.
Velspira peaks into the first room on the left as she quietly slinks down the corridor.
In this chamber, there are four simple beds and an equal number of wooden trunks.
Two of the beds are occupied by slumbering forms. In fact, one snores quite loudly.
Craning her head around the door, Blaze is surprised to see and hear the sleepers. She would have assumed that the bedrooms would be upstairs, like they were at Ismark's. She wondered where the other two people were, but didn't voice the question. She motioned at the invisible goat girl to close the door, and move down the hall to the next door.
Padded chairs and couches line the walls of this cozy, carpeted den. The room reeks of pipe smoke, and mounted on the east wall is the head of an angry brown bear.
Velspira closes the door, heading towards the next closest room. The help as it was, was no interest to them. Who needed the common folk to get in trouble or at the least get in the way. It wasn't at all to her interest as she went to the next room and peered around. A den on of some sort, entering inside and peering around.
It was odd to see the door close by itself, and then the next door open, seemingly of its own volition. As she moved forward as softly as she could, she whispered to Shandi, "How long will she stay like that? Could you make us all invisible?" Her herd didn't have such magic, and she could see how helpful it could be.
A chandelier of wrought iron fitted with wax candles hangs above a polished wooden dining table. Around the table are several high back chairs. A tea service and a pleasant arrangement of flowers decorate the table. A serving table stands in one corner of the room.
About an hour. No, only one so far. Or two. But not all of us. Eventually I will be able to do all of us... But not now. Shandi answers in short, quiet, chopped phrases, clearly not thinking about Blaze's question, but trying to hear what's going on there.
"What we looking for again?" Velspira whispers to her compatriots, not sure exactly what was needed for her to look for. She was at the moment their little parties best little sneak thief for the time being, the Tiefling pressing forward as she looks back towards the front entrance and then to her compatriots.
Blaze started when the invisible tiefling spoke to them. Her mane stood up, and took a few seconds to soften again. The centaur looked to Shandi and Darrien for confirmation, and whispered, "We're looking for proof that the burgomaster is up to no good. Right?" Looking to the humans again, she said, "Um, what would that proof look like?"
Anything from some documents to bags of gold or dead brides in the basement.
"What we looking for again?" Velspira whispers to her compatriots, not sure exactly what was needed for her to look for. She was at the moment their little parties best little sneak thief for the time being, the Tiefling pressing forward as she looks back towards the front entrance and then to her compatriots.
Rolling her eyes and taking a deep breath, Velspira would continue forward, looking around for anything like the strange lady maybe had said, maybe that would be it as she went forward into what she assumed was the foyer. Peering around, she'd make sure no one was watching before she moved forward and went to unlock the front door. It was best they had multiple ways to get out of here if need be, this Barovia place be damned.
Darrien keeps to the shadows near the walls of the halls, bow drawn and eyes trained in the direction he heard the prior noise.
The invisible girl had gotten quiet again, and Blaze wasn't sure where she was. She peeked into one of the now-open doorways, and nearly gasped as she saw a bear lying on the floor! It took a moment for her to realize it was dead, just a skin. Humans are so strange. Imagine using a carcass for decoration.
Moving as softly as possible she moved into the room, and began to look around for anything that might prove their suspicions.
Framed portraits adorn the wall of this grand foyer, which features an impressive staircase with a sculpted railing. Strangely, bundles of twigs are heaped against the walls.
In the far corner, it appears there is a vestibule with cloaks, capes, and boots stored away.
There is one more door just off this foyer.
Shandi waits tensely.
"What a darn weirdo, all them twigs around..." she says to herself quietly, trailing off as she went to check the last unchecked door to her left. She'd peer in, being as quiet as she could about it as the party's resident sneak thief did what she knew best and made her way forward. Frequently she'd look back, eyeing the more stealthier looking party members behind her and to the horse girl that trotted along.
"Keep it down," she whispers to them all.
Blaze didn't see anything in the bear-carpeted room, but she did hear noise upstairs. "I hear something upstairs" she said, just as Velspira told her to keep it down. You're the one talking to yourself, she complained silently in her head.
She hoped they wouldn't need to go upstairs. Stairs weren't her favorite.
The final door reveals a parlor with a fine array of furnishings and draperies. This room has an overall feminine touch.
It looked like they would have to take the stairs. "Velspira," she whispered to the invisible goat girl, hoping she was facing the right direaction, "you first up the stairs. Then Shandi and Darrien. I'll come last."
She hated sending the two-legs up first, but she was too noisy and clumsy on the stairs. She needed to give them a chance to get up silently. After all, I'm only a few seconds behind them if they run into danger.
The Tiefling would roll her eyes, moving up the stairs and so on, making sure she made mental notes for things potential places for valuables and so on. Where they could potentially sell off something like such if she was going to steal something wasn't entirely known. This whole place she didn't have any idea who was who to trust here. No fence, no nothing. Velspira only wished she was one them types in the gang that did that kind of work as she went up the stairs.
Shandi says in a whisper, let's not rush. We can attract attention. The mansion is not that big, we will have time for any of her cries for help.
The Tiefling would roll her eyes, moving up the stairs and so on, making sure she made mental notes for things potential places for valuables and so on. Where they could potentially sell off something like such if she was going to steal something wasn't entirely known. This whole place she didn't have any idea who was who to trust here. No fence, no nothing. Velspira only wished she was one them types in the gang that did that kind of work as she went up the stairs.
Blaze waited with growing concern at the bottom of the stairs. What was taking the goat girl so long? Did she require help? The centaur hadn't heard anything, but could imagine all sort of silent trouble the teifling could have found herself in.
The door opens with a slight creak.
Velspira, in her invisible form, is perhaps astounded to see eyes.
SO MANY EYES.
The eyes are not of living beings. The room is full of pretty little dolls, each with powder white skin and auburn hair. Many are dressed in beautiful, frilly dresses. Many more are plainly dressed.
Some of the dolls fill a long bookshelf and others are arranged in neat rows on wall-mounted shelves. Still others are piled atop the bed and a heavy wooden chest.
What's most odd is that all of the dolls, apart from their clothing, look the same.
They all look like Irina Kolyana.
A large man is asleep in the bed. He hasn't noticed that his door has opened.
Velspira opens the door and... promptly closes it in a similar slow manner, a smile forming on her face as she slowly made her way back to her compatriots at the door, taking a deep breath, "Little dolls... and they all look like Ireena... huh? They're all in the first room on the right... I don't know how to think about that. Someone sleeping in there too," she says before heading back and picking the door on the left instead of the one to the right. Another breath would be taken, psyching herself up for the next door as she slowly opened it.
"Little dolls?" Blaze asks, confused. As the invisible tiefling vanishes again, the centaur decides to risk a little noise, and see for herself. She tip-hoofs up the stairs, and peeks into the door that Velspira described.
It's a good thing she was warned about what she would see, or she would have gasped, or even shouted. This was beyond creepy - it was fundamentally wrong in a way that made her tail swish and her ears flatten against her head.
She reaches in an quietly takes the closest doll, then closes the door behind her.
Blaze sallys forth, seeing for herself the vast collection of dolls arranged neatly around a snoring man.
Velspira opens the first door on the left. Light issues from this room, and at least one dark shape stirs within.
Shandi tiptoes after the centaur. She could and I can.
Velspira slowly sees the very awake person still in the room, keeping things paced and closing it just as slowly as she had when she had opened it, "Man in the room, stay back. He's still awake," she whispers to her companions before creeping forward once more down the hall. Being invisible meant that it was a lot easier to hide around in plain sight in the dark, but her compatriots less so as she slowly cracked open the next door.
There is growling coming from the room. A dog? Perhaps more than one.
No matter. An invisible Velspira closes the door. You could swear you hear a male voice utter "Quiet, Enzo, and you too my little Hilda. All is well."
Impatient, Blaze waits at the top of the hallway with the doll, which she puts into one of the pockets of her leather vest. Not sure if the invisible Velspira can see her or not, she twirls her finger in a "hurry up" gesture.
This handsomely appointed room contains a canopied bed, a low bookshelf, and a full-length mirror in a wooden frame on the wall across from the door. Set into the north wall is an arched window of leaded glass. Nothing here seems unusual.
Once again you hear stirring from the study. A dog whines, and its owner shushes it.
Hearing the repeated dog-noise from the room, Blaze stands right by the door, weapon reversed in her hand, ready to bonk anybody who decides to come out to investigate. Hopefully hard enough to make them be quiet, but not hard enough to kill them.
Shandie just stands there and doesn't move. She tries not to breathe much. All the alcohol had finally gone out of her head.
Velspira would enter inside this room, exploring around as she parts the door enough for someone to enter. Finally, a room upstairs that didn't have anyone there. The dog's whine panicked her for a few moments before she continued on, searching around the room. It would be clear to her compatriots that she had entered inside of this one; it was safe here and that you could enter if you wanted, but the danger was still ever present for all of them.
Velspira would enter inside this room, exploring around as she parts the door enough for someone to enter. Finally, a room upstairs that didn't have anyone there. The dog's whine panicked her for a few moments before she continued on, searching around the room. It would be clear to her compatriots that she had entered inside of this one; it was safe here and that you could enter if you wanted, but the danger was still ever present for all of them.
[dice=Perception for the book room]1d20+1
A quick perusal of the books indicates that the collection includes collections of Barovian fables and tomes about mythology, heraldry, and other innoccuous subjects. You get the feeling that this bedroom belongs to a child, though no one is present here.
Blaze sees a door open, but can see nothing else as the goat girl is still invisible. She remains by the door with the dogs inside, ready to bop anything that comes out of the room.