Rasz nods in agreement. "I agree. Besides, I'm sure that there is much more that we have to learn about this manor. I'll follow you all up."

Marik pass a moment in silence to study the runes, before nodding.

"Yes...upstairs..."


Marik guide Rani back to the ladder and disembark. The cat leap through the trapdoor first, and the elf follow behind.

The group ascends the stairs back to the tap room to find it in much better condition than when they left - all the remaining dishes are cleaned, the few tables that were not ruined are right side up and have a chair or two slid under them, windows have been washed and blinds opened... not exactly prefect but definitely more presentable.



This message was last edited by the GM at 17:47, Tue 12 Jan 2021.

Filimena begins looking for a way up, but glances back at Disanz. "We've encountered such... stone work before. How did you come by this house, by the way. You said you bought it? From whom?"

OOC: I'm slightly confused by the map. All the stairs seem to be heading down?

Marik eyes widen as he reach the top and see the new condition of the tap room.

"Can...illusions...do that?" he thinks for himself. Rani and him did some work but he certainly don't remember washing the windows and doing all the dishes. Did Disanz do that?

He's about to ask the dwarf the question but sees Filimena talking to him. He decide to go take a quick look in the pantry and the kitchen.

OOC: Marik rolled a 16 for Perception in case that was necessary.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:37, Thu 02 Apr 2020.

Disanz looks confounded at Filimena but nods, "As I said I purchased it from the City. The place had been abandoned for sometime and had rumors of being haunted. The previous owner ... a fellow named Lif Silverlake I believe ... lost whatever claim he had here due to owing the city over a year of back payments."

OOC: The stairs in the NE corner lead UP to the second floor but can only be accessed from outside

In the the pantry and the kitchen Marik finds little of note as it would appear that whatever food or drink that might have survived has long since been taken.

Marik returns...

"I...I'll see...if I can...reach second floor...with Rani" he says. "Disanz...did you clean the windows?...Or did they?" he ask, nodding toward the "bartender".
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:37, Fri 03 Apr 2020.

OOC: This seems unlikely, but in the time that Filimena has spent in Titans Gate, might she have heard anything about a Lif Silverlake? She would have a spent a lot of time alone in taverns and such, so there is a chance she might just have happened to overhear something, assuming it's a big enough story.

Rolled an 18 on history:

12:20, Today: Filimena the Gentle rolled 18 using 1d20+3 ((15)).

"Certainly wasn't me. I don't do windows." Disanz says with a bit of a grin

OOC: Filimena recalls hearing talk around The Scoundrel and Dirk about a tavern keeper  named Lif who went missing a few years back, no one knows where he went or why just he'd left his tavern and never returned.

Filimena follows behind Marik, walking towards the door to get to the stairs on the outside of the building. Before leaving, however, a thought occurs to her. She hesitates for just a moment, feeling foolish. “Lif?” she says, turning back and looking back into the room and the bar.

Raszire, following Filimena outside in order to access the second floor, notices her hesitation.

"Is everything alright, Filimena? You seem distracted." he says.

Filimena turns to the dragonborn. "Disanz said this place used to belong to somebody named Lif Silverlake. It's just, I swear I've heard of a tavern keeper named Lif who went missing a few years back, and... I know you said before this all seems an illusion to you, but..." She pauses, scanning the room once more for movement. "Lif? Is that you?"

A rag sitting on the bar lifts in the the air and waves at Filimena. All can make out the outline of finger tips under the rag.

Filimena glances back at Raszire, as if to ask, Did you see what I just saw? She looks back at the bar and gulps. “Nice place you have here. We uh... we just moved in! Pleased to uh... make you acquaintance. But uh... we were wondering about downstairs?” Filimena feels sheepish. She should not be this nervous. Half of the time there are actual voices representing a long-dead civilisation shouting riddles into her head.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:16, Sat 11 Apr 2020.

Marik looks at Filimena, then at "Lif", then at Filimena back again, increasingly confused. Is that a ghost or a illusion, or someone playing the part of a ghost as a illusion...? Raszire told him it was a illusion and he trust the dragonborn to say the truth, but he can't help but feel there is a real spirit here. Maybe a spirit using illusion magic to manifest itself? Is that even possible? Better to not take any chances and treat it with respect.

"Oh...also...I good with...repairs...carpentry, I think is the word...I can help with the stairs outside. Allow me...take a look." he says, while bowing the head a bit and signal Rani to slowly back out toward the doorway as he waits to see the reaction.



OOC: Sorry for the delay!

Filimena nods as the elf heads outside. Then, deciding she ought to be a bit more specific in her question to Lif, she turns back to the bar and asks, “Did you know about the portal downstairs? Where does it lead?”

The rag waves back and forth, as though trying to signal a negative response.

[Private to Filimena the Gentle:
_Up the ^stairs
_Find the ghost
Undo the haunting
_Tread ^careful
Seek the fiend
Save _yourself]

As he get closer to the door Marik can feel the wet before seeing it, the light clouds  started releasing a slight mist of rain at some point while the group was downstairs.

Raszire is extremely curious as to how Filimena seems to be communicating with the specter. Bewildered, he can't fight the urge to follow Marik to the upper floor, but he's nervous to leave Fil alone with a ghost and Disanz.

"Fil, I'm going to aide Marik in clearing the upper floor. Be safe and cautious, and please call for us should you need any assistance." he says.

With that, he follows Marik out the main entrance, nervously looking back over his shoulder along the way.

Filimena shudders violently, feeling for a moment like the Voices are whispering right in her ear, their breath tickling the back of her neck. She tears herself away from the bar and follows briskly after Raszire, trying to catch sight of Marik. "Careful. I think there's something upstairs. A fiend maybe."

"A...fiend?" respond the elf, now much more worried. "I'll go check" Seeing the ghost doesn't seem to object, he signal Rani to go further outside. He feels the humidity and take a deep breath. He loves the fresh, wet scent of a new rain, even if if won't be long before the odors of the city mix in.

Once outside, he makes Rani walk about thirty feet, in order to have a good view of the bulding front, the turret and the balconies. Without stairs, he'll have to find another way to get to the second balcony. He weight his options. He takes a moment to evaluate the height, then the state of the wood planks. It's old but it should hold.

"Seems like it's time to go back to old habits", he thinks. He secure the bags on the saddle, making sure they are well closed and attached, and then mutter something in Rani's ears, pointing the turret and then the balcony. The panther crouch, digging her claws in the damp earth.

And then bolts forward.

[Language unknown: "Rat ec , comsa. Ol ticna wa on."]

After getting some speed, the large cat leaps on the turret like a giant tree, grasping the wooden ledge of a barricaded window before launching herself a second time toward the balcony of the second floor. Filimena and Raz hears a audible THUD as the large cat land on the old wooden planks above them.

Marik hold his breath.


OOC: Rani rolled 21 for a Acrobatics roll.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:41, Fri 17 Apr 2020.

There are two doors leading off the balcony, and all the windows are boarded up.

2nd floor MAP

This message was last edited by the GM at 19:15, Fri 22 May 2020.

Satisfied, Marik glance back at Filimena and Raszire on the ground below.

"Wait...I have something...help climb"

 He undo his bags and gets out a long rope with a grappling hook. He attach the head solidly on one on the columns and proceed to begin to make a serie of large knots to facilitate climbing.


At that moment, Disanz get out of the mansion and look up.


"Um....Master Elf? You do know there are others stairs in the North-east corner of the mansion leading to the second floor, right? You didn't need to do that...and you most certainly don't need these (he points the grappling hook) "


"Other...stairs?" respond a flustered Marik. "Oh...not used..to...so many...we don't need them...back home" . "Filimena, Raszire...I go check and meet you near other stairs.

After untying the hook, Marik and Rani then makes their way toward the door going toward the Den, try to see if it's unlocked.

OOC: I took the liberty of having Disanz repeat the information in the OOC channel
This message was last edited by the player at 02:01, Tue 21 Apr 2020.

Filimena shakes her head, halfway between amusement and surprise. "Right. Hold on while I walk." She points towards the stairs and begins shuffling towards it.

Making her way to the second floor, she stops before the entrance to examine the door.

OOC: Better safe then sorry. Check for traps?

21:37, Today: Filimena the Gentle rolled 16 using 1d20+3+d4, rerolling ones with rolls of 10,3.  Perception, with Guidance.

I forgot I had Guidance!

Filimina finds no traps just a locked door at the top of the stair.

Meanwhile Marik and Rani move through a den filled with what was once nice furniture but has been turned into little more than debris and various refuse that vagrants have left behind. The common room beyond is in a similar sad state. A door to the left seems to be the obvious exit, while a door across from the den seems to leads to another room.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:40, Wed 22 Apr 2020.

Marik will test the door to see if it can be unlocked from the inside. Otherwise, I would dislike to make a quick perception check to see if I can locate a key somewhere.


OOC: Marik roll 14 for a Perception check if necessary.