Grim Deed Part 6

Meanwhile, in the lounge of Manor Umbergloom...

It was a setup. The cards. The tempting smiles. Coy information. All in the frame of a woman - a vampire. And now set on fire, having fled and thoroughly discouraged!

'Giles, fetch more wine already!' A familiar voice calls out from one of the endlessly long hallways, the voice bouncing off from wherever the vampire ran off. A glass shatters.

Then the silence returns, the cards and chips in disarray, and there is still part of the carpet on fire. But the party had been told that a way to the basement could be found from the garden; or the butler from upstairs might also know the way.

<OOC> Aelwyn says, "Feel free to do any talking, investigating, shenanigans, etc. ._."

<OOC> Culix says, "I'll check the room for any more secret doors."

<OOC> Skyler will give a lookie-loo too

<OOC> Aelwyn says, "Roll for it!"

GAME: Culix rolls perception: (15)+13: 28

GAME: Skyler rolls perception: (15)+11: 26

<OOC> Carver would like to track the vampire, to at least determine where they went.

"One of the few pieces of advice my father ever gave: never trust a woman in that much makeup that doesn't give you the price up front." Skyler says with a sad shake of his head, as he begins to poke around the room consideringly, "Ooo! A hat!" And out of cupboard that the swashbuckler is rifling through he pulls out a hat, giving it a considering sniff.

Culix, for her part, finds a crossbow and after a brief examination she tosses it aside. "Hey, if they aren't smart enough to only bring what they need in their purse, it's just a perk of the profession." Culix retorts to Sky then as she's rummaging. "Alright, looks like there's no more secret passages. She went up, right? Butler's up there, too, supposedly although that's according to her. We could kill two birds with one stone, or walk into an ambush that way. Then again, she mentioned the garden too, so that could be a load of shite an' all." she suggests.

<OOC> Aelwyn says, "Sure, roll for it!"

<OOC> Aelwyn says, "Mostly audio cues, since she went through the wall."

Carver crushes the fire under a boot heel, frowning. At Culix explaining the two most likely options, she turns back. "Sure. Fine. Upstairs, innit?" She checks her equipment very quickly and then wipes the hand the vampire touched one last time on her trousers. "Let's get to it then."

Not especially afearing an ambush! "Just be careful, we shoul' be fine."

<OOC> Carver doesn't think survival works with that in mind.

<OOC> Culix says, "I think Survival is always for following tracks, even indoors."

GAME: Carver rolls survival+6: (8)+22+6: 36

"Well, I don't think that I was expecting a vampire, but I shouldn't be surprised, either. Gods no, least we didn't get caught with out literal pants down. Good reminder not to play cards with strange ladies in strange manors." Reithak mused. "So, we tracking them down I take it? Or focusing on finding that deed?"

"I mean, we're being paid to get the deed." Skyler says slowly, consideringly, even as he turns the hat over in his hands, lightly beating on the top of it to knock out any spiders inside it and shake loose any dust. He turns the hat over, peering inside as he picks his little floating torch from around his head and holds it inside to get a good look at it. He holds it up consideringly, then, and lets his ioun torch float.

Which is why it shouldn't be any surprise that he puts the hat on. It's a fancy, dainty little thing, with a bit of webbing that he pulls down as he cocks it at a jaunty angle, and then brightly looks at the rest of the group. "There! Dashing!" He grins, and cocks his head, "I mean, I'd say garden, but it might rain and I don't want to ruin my hat." He purses his lips, "It's new."

Culix nods in vague agreement with both points. "True, but maybe she'll be less coy about information with a dagger at her throat. I would have felt bad about smashing up mindless puppets, but a bloodsucker? Not gonna lose sleep over that. Let's not give her too long to regroup then." she says. That impromptu stake she made from the abused chair is still tucked into her belt, but she keeps a dagger in hand as she approaches the door leading back to the Foyer.

While the group is discussing, the door to the lounge opens. It is one of those faceless servants, who stops and turns their head to look at them. Then they lean over, grab the broom and dust pan, and steps in to get started on cleaning out those burn marks.

<OOC> Skyler says, "... does he look like he's going to prevent us from leaving the room?"

<OOC> Aelwyn says, "It looks like they are more interested in cleaning than in you. ._."

Carver nods at Reithak, pausing briefly to inspect a flake of soot, before following the others. Upstairs, of that she seems certain. Skyler's new hat does not even draw a smile out of her. Instead, anxiously, she runs a finger across the red feathers of her fletching. Back through the strange hidden tunnel and turning to the stairs.

The party return to the lobby and quickly make their way along the luxuriously posh stairs. None of the staff move to intercede with them; simply turn their heads to note their passing. It felt, despite all attempts and near-attempts to burn it, the Manor stood its usual ground.

Reaching the end of the stairs, the group is faced with a different kind of obstacle. Darkness. Desolation. Cobwebs. Peeling wallpaper. It didn't take a ranger to see the footsteps on the floor. All the dozens and dozens of them.

There is a large plain door to the right, smaller one straight ahead, and one at the very end of the corridor.

Some of the footprints on the floor look distinctly not-vampire, or indeed, not-human.

GAME: Culix rolls stealth+3: (7)+19+3: 29

GAME: Carver rolls stealth: (1)+24: 25 (EPIC FAIL)

GAME: Skyler rolls stealth: (20)+4: 24

GAME: Culix rolls perception+1: (14)+13+1: 28

GAME: Reithak rolls stealth: (11)+12: 23

When they ascend into the darkness at the top of the stairs, Culix smirks under her mask. "This is more like it." and then tugs her hood up. She steps into the shadow, and her form seems to melt into it, the lines between her form and the shade blurring into one as she prowls forwards, dagger still in hand. She sees well in the dark, even better than most goblins, shadow-touched as she is, and she keeps a keen eye peeled for any signs of tripwires or pressure plates. In a whisper, she asks carver, "Which tracks are our vamp?"

GAME: Carver rolls survival: (4)+22: 26

For someone so... flamboyant?... Skyler does a remarkably good job with stealth. He seems to have an almost supernatural understanding of which floorboards are creaky and which aren't, holding his sword hilt over his shoulder to keep it from rattling. Being undoubtably the least stealthy of the group, he's content to remain in the background, following the lead of the rangers and rogues and other sneaky types. He even goes so far as to pluck his ioun stone from the ceiling so there isn't a cheerful bright little moon circling his head.

He does helpfully point at the various tracks, especially the non-human looking ones, and mouths a question. Sheets are of linen? Shits full of killin'? It's hard to tell in the gloom.

Carver leans in, using a point of her finger to guide Culix's eyes. It brings not the attention to footsteps. The vampire would not leave any in her gaseous form, but instead a flake of ash here, what looks like singed carpet there until about halfway through the hallway. Where it mysteriously disappeared. Slipped back through floorboards? Maybe? Difficult to be sure.

Reithak was doing their best to not be immediately obvious heading upstairs in the manor, but there was only so much to be done given their size and choice of bright white attire. At least they managed to get upstairs without too much trouble.

"I don't need to be good at looking at footprints to know that doesn't look like a person. Might be more stuff up here that's dangerous, too."

The doors, unsurprisingly, were locked. However, even a tricky expensive lock such as these do not seem to pose much of a challenge to Culix, who deftly opens...

... the door to the master bedroom. And it is _covered_ with parchments, books, bookshelves, something that was once a desk and now nothing but a bin of scattered thoughts, several suitcases. The whole thing. It is clear the servants do not visit this floor frequently.

Except for that one person in the middle, going through the books on the shelf and muttering by himself. They were wearing shabby and drab suit with leather armour on top, covered in dust. What was striking about the tall man though, was the various scars, stitches and even a literal bolt sticking out of the side of their neck; he was surely a veteran of dozens of injuries.

A helmet laid on the floor by his steel toed dress shoes; also shaped vaguely like a tophat. More books, folders and papers are drawn out of the bookshelf, then put back in.

<OOC> Aelwyn says, "He hasn't noticed you people. ._."

<OOC> Skyler says, "I'm gunna hit him with a tanglefoot bag"

Culix nods once in acknowledgement of Carver's words, but then holds up her hand for a moment, and points to the door right ahead. She taps her ear. Hears something there. She sneaks up to the door, and then sheaths her dager and takes out a set of picks. She swiftly opens up the door, and slowly pushes it open as she draws her dagger again... and sees another oddball, not the vampire she was expecting. Could this be the butler she mentioned?

<OOC> Aelwyn says, "Feel free to throw. ._."

GAME: Skyler rolls ranged: (9)+10: 19

<OOC> Aelwyn says, "Yup, hits!"

GAME: Aelwyn rolls 1: (3)+1: 4

<OOC> Aelwyn says, "He is now covered in whatever you have put in that bag and not particularly happy about it."

<OOC> Aelwyn says, "Also stuck. ._."

Slowly sliding in beside/behind/above Culix, Skyler's lips purse considering before his hand darts into his jacket, pulling out a small bag, like a tiny coin purse for the most ickle, twee little creature ever. He squints, takes a step slightly to the left, and then throws the bag in an sideways toss that, in another world and another time, would look like he's ripping a beyblade.

It hits, exploding in a mess of alchemical substances that put a whole new meaning to the word sticky. Skyler straightens up, beaming, and makes a ta-da gesture to the rest of the party.

Carver isn't even looking. Once it was determined that the man did not match her expected target, her attention wandered back to the hallway where she last saw the tracks before their mysterious disappearance. She's deep in thought, no doubt wondering exactly where the Lady Blythe might have slipped to.

"-and GODS BE CURSED AND PLANES BE DAMNED!" The bolt-neck man shouts and drops the papers he was holding, "ONE TIME, JUST ONE TIME!" He attempts to move and turn around, looking at the party. "Oh." He looked like a very scruffy, balding middle aged man with a particularly annoyed expression. "The hells are you doing here?"

Culix is as surprised by the tanglefoot bag sailing past her as its target is, and she flinches lest she get caught in the splatter. She sighs and slips out of the shadows, "This shit again... You the butler?" she asks outright. "You know you have a vampire infestation? We're here for the deed, or the vampire, preferably both. And getting pretty tired of this place."

Reithak was a bit caught off guard by the exploding bomb thrown at the first person in the room. More confused by the completely unexpected reaction. "Shit, sorry about that, thought you might be someone else. Sorry about that." Reithak answers. "We're looking for someone and something, that's all. Once we find them, we'll be out of your hair."

"Keep it down, or the next bag is going in your mouth." Skyler threatens, pulling back his coat to show the various bags and places for vials that are on the inside of his leather coat. It's... mostly empty, but there is a dagger5, and a couple bags of things, and the pocket he keeps his ioun torch!

He adds on the heels of Culix, "Might be someone else after the same thing we are. I wouldn't be surprised if that Golem-fucker hired more people and didn't tell us."

The presumed butler turns to look towards Skyler, and slowly his lips curl up in a disgusted sneer. "Fucking amateur hour..." He growls low, "You plan on surviving on that? Been threatened more by the sticky grits from me mum." He gives his hands a futile shake, turning his ire towards Culix and Reithak.

"You and me both." Another futile wave of his hand, and he sniffs and then snorts. "Yeah, me's the butler. Got hired did you?" He eyes the group - at least the visible ones - up and down, before he twists his scarred face as he munches on something. "Doubtful to get off that tramp, so what's this deed then?"

"I will find the bloodsucker," Carver interjects. "If I come to find it, I will give a whistle." She slips back out the door, presumably with the obsession on her mind. Maybe she will get eaten and forfeit her part of the job reward!

Culix nods again, "More of this." she says again, ignoring the jab. "Yes, we were hired. We were told the place was abandoned, obviously it's not. It's full of puppets and mimics and vampires and grumpy old men." she complains, and then offers a nod to Carver as she slips away. Her attention back to the Butler. "Quintin hired us to get the deed. I think the mimic has it. The mimic is in the sewers. The vampire said you know how to get there. And I'm really keen on stabbing something to relieve this building headache, so it's in your best interest if you can direct us to either the vampire or the mimic."

"Yes, we were hired to come here and find the deed to this manor, for Quintin. Really dodgy bloke, given how much has been happening here, and was left out." The egalrin grumbled. "There was a mimic here that supposedly had the deed, and we probably need to get that still, but the more concerning matter is a vampire likely living here."

Skyler sniffs at the butler, shaking his head sadly. "It's not amateur, it's classic." He protests, with an offended expression. Carver's departure is met with a wiggle of his fingers, before he turns back to the group. Nothing more to add, having done his part by getting the butler to stay.

"What are *you* looking for?" Okay, so he *does* have more to add. Sue him.

The butler slowly starts to reach for one of his pockets, attempting to get at one of the vials without getting the sticky stuff all over himself. It seemed like he was extremely used to doing this. "Yeah, see if he had gone and told the whole truth there'd be a whole army of you lot out there, now would it?" He takes another sniff. "Eh, to the hells." Another shake of his arms. "Can't even stay mad at the kid."

The butler then rolls his nose, attempting to remove the itch in it without digging at it with his finger. "Blythe, yeah, she nests there sometime." He jerks his head. "Don't know why, just orders me around and gets drunk on wine and cards before pissing off again." A distasteful expression. "You want at her, just let me bug off back to town first before the bodies pile up." Another sneer. "Want the basement then? Yeah, there's a ladder in a room out there." He jerks his head. "Would show you lot, but," The tar-like being makes the gesture. "Was trying to find the recipe for feeding the damn plants down there, anyway." He takes a moment to consider. "What's the mimic look like?"

<OOC> Skyler says, "Sense motive on him finding a recipe"

<OOC> Aelwyn says, "Go for it!"

GAME: Skyler rolls sense motive: (3)+11: 14

"So you're in a vampire infested mansion with sassy possibly zombified servants... and you're looking for plant food recipes?" Beat. "Seems legit." Skyler's eyebrows rise up, and he adds, "Gardeners I use to talk to always suggested dead fish. Or like earthworms. Their poop makes good fertilizer, according to a witch I know."

He shakes his head, adding to the group, "Do we trust him? Or should we leave him stuck here, go kill the hussy, and then go find the mimic?"

He pointedly doesn't answer the question on what it looks like, though.

"If people are okay with them being here, I'm failing to see why they couldn't just come and do this themselves. Unless they're scared of the vampire or something, can't blame them. Should know that you probably won't have time to leave if we run into them, here. it'll likely go fairly fast all things considered, one way or another." 

"Why do you want to know what it looks like, then?"

Culix shakes her head at Skyler, "Obviously we don't trust him. I don't trust many things, and I trust everything about this place less than most. They're probably man-eating plants or something. Actually that would be a relief, they're probably question-dodging plants." she says then and scratches her cheek. "I say we meet back up with Carver, see if she's tracked the vamp down. If she hasn't, we just go for the mimic."