Session 7

The session opens with the party in the waiting room of the manor. The keeper has just left to fetch his master, Lord Label.

Theodore glances around the room to see if anything stands out. He notices a bookshelf close to the fireplace that seems like it's placed at a weird angle, as if something might be behind it. He makes a mental note.

Gimli fort looks deeper, looking at the ground near the bookshelf to see if there are any marks on the floor. He does not find any.

Phillip eventually returns, saying that his master is in the room ahead. Una notices that the door opposite to the room the party was in was ajar. Una then breaks off from the group and slips into the room while the rest of the group follows Phillip.

Una slips into the room and notices that it is a small kitchen area with a fire pit. It smells like they were making a stew. There are barrels full of various ingredients and a hallway at the top of the room leading into a small dining area. Una locks eyes with a snake-headed man who is seated at the table and buttering some bread.

Combat begins. Una darts back out into the main hall to rejoin with the rest of the group.

Lord Label is a tall, well-dressed man. He is dressed in noble attire, in what is a gothic count look. He has a haggard face. He awaits the party in the dining room of the manor. The table is set, and he expresses hope that the group stays for dinner.

As he speaks, the group hears Una run into the group with heavy footsteps, barging through the door. Theo asks what is going on. Una responds that she got lost and found Silas. Label does not have a visible reaction.

Label notes that Silas is also here as a guest. He welcomes people of many different lives. Sensing the tension, he doesn't seem pleased that there may be a fight. Una is on guard, Pete looks down; Athtar suggests that if the group is to do anything, they should take it outside.

Label asks what brought the group here. Athtar responds that they were tracking something. Label seems to know something about what Athtar is leading the conversation to.

Eventually, Label says that he wasn't expecting guests, and if he had more time, he could have prepared. Pete cuts in and says that we are not his guests. We're his puppets. Label asks if the group is denying his hospitality as he flashes a wicked grin. Pete replies no. Label smiles and leaves. Pete feels like he dodged a bullet. The room Label heads into seems like it might be the tower the group saw outside.

Theo asks Una to lead him to Silas, but Silas walks in through the door opposite to the one Label left. He takes a seat at the table and kicks his legs up. He plays with a knife in his hand. He mentions that the group was on the train, and remarks that it was a pain in the ass.

Theo proposes a temporary truce and Silas agrees. Athtar notes that they do have bigger problems right now.

Theo speaks to Silas to ask about the other residents. He mentions the lady has mostly kept to her room. They then ask about the host. Silas seems reluctant to offer information and wants some in exchange. Athtar bites and asks what he's looking for. He asks why the party is here. Athtar responds saying that they are tracking something and came into the manor to stay out of the rain.

Silas then mentions it's in his best interest to leave before the party does since the party isn't primarily after him.

Theo, Gimli, Athtar, and Una eat in silence. Pete stares at Silas while spinning his gun. Silas leaves, and once he does, Pete stops spinning his weapon and follows.

They decide to head back to the waiting room and move the bookshelf. It's not particularly heavy, but it is awkward to move due to the books. There is nothing behind the bookshelf, but Theo opts to investigate around the area. As he looks, he noticed a small hole between the floor and the wall that appeared to have a grate between it. He spots a pair of eyes in the darkness, but the moment he sees them, they scurry away.

Theo gets down and tries to use a torch to light the room. There's not much space, but it's enough to see that there's some kind of underground tunnel. He returns to the bookshelf and returns to the dining room.

Pete continues through the halls and looks through the servant rooms in the hall, but finds no sign of Silas. There are two beds in each room, but none of them appear to be used. He opts to search but finds no sign of Silas.

Pete returns to the dining room, and Gimli steals Pete's serving. He then tries to steal from Una's bowl as she moves across the table. Unfortunately, he spills it all over himself. Una remarks he's ruined dinner for both of them.

She then heads back to the kitchen through the hall on the left. She sees Pete sprinting toward her, but she turns down to the kitchen and meets Silas. Pete follows. Una asks him to serve another one for her.

Pete, now having clarity, leaves.

Theo sneakily gets Athtar's attention and then asks Phillip where they'd be staying the night. He responds that there are rooms on the second floor.

Gimli, Athtar, and Theo head out, and Theo tells them about the peephole and the eyes he saw. Pete interrupts, mentioning that his quarry with Silas was told in confidence, and that he should not reveal that in front of his target again.

Athtar then asks what direction the tunnel appeared to go. Knowing it goes north/south. That indicates it could be connected to the room Label went into. Athtar also suggests that there might be peepholes elsewhere, and suggests checking their rooms as he doesn't trust the place.

The group heads upstairs and investigates the rooms.

Theo and Athtar investigate one of the rooms. Pete investigates another, Una and Gimli take another where Gimli is trying to apologize, but Una doesn't acknowledge. Gimli takes this as a sign that she forgives him.

The rooms are made for guests, so they're sparsely decorated. Athtar and Theo don't find anything. Pete finds a peephole with a pair of eyes inside the wall which dart away when he moves at them.

Theo and Athtar leave to check on Una. Una finds a peephole and reports it. Athtar mentions that they didn't find anything but could use a second opinion. Una heads in to assist while Theo checks on Pete, who also reports a peephole that is a little higher up.

Una finds a fake wall and a peephole which she reports. The group decides what to do with their new knowledge. Una and Gimli vote to not go in, but Athtar, Pete, and Theo want to explore. So the group opts to head into the tunnels.

The group heads in and collectively stealths. The spiral begins to take a steeper shift down, and after a while of traversing down, they find a ladder, which they follow.

They arrive at the bottom of what appears like a dead end, but Una notices that there's an indent in the wall which would make the blockage a fake wall. That leads the group downstairs and into one of the rooms by the servant rooms.

Pete seems insistent on cutting across the dining room to the tower, but Athtar says that there's a risk of being found out. Una suggests going back up the secret passageway to their rooms. Una also mentions she wants no association to Pete's vendetta.

Theo heads out to the hall and searches for something in the wall. Una notices that one of the candle-holders on the wall is slightly ajar and has clear dust in what appears to be the shape of a hand.

She pulls it and it reveals a fake door. Behind the door is a long drop, but it appears to reveal tunnels with branching paths. She also sees some pale grey flesh skitter through the tunnels.

The group debates how to get down there without breaking any bones or being found out. They agree to all head down together as they'd be found out regardless if they go down.

The group heads down and are beneath the manor. Gimli recalls knowledge on the rocks but is unsure how old the place is.

Athtar scouts ahead, and Gimli spots a tripwire. Una disarms it. She then unfortunately gets stuck in a smaller corridor, and a group of spiders approaches Una. Eventually they catch up to her