Ciprian had entered an octagonal room with the two Sayona. Ovonda was lying upon the pillows unbuttoning her dress while Ultor stood by the door.
The rest of the party was outside the room with Armania and Ursina having cast Greater Invisibility. Gavril took it upon himself to begin a fight with these creatures. He did not appreciated the attempt to Dominate his mind. Accordingly he stepped up and unleashed a full attack on Ultor. He noted that the creature had a gaze attack but ignored it for this interaction.
Ultor responded by slamming the door shut and locking it. Ciprian's voice immediately went up an half an octave asking for the party to enter the room.
Agna moved toward the door and smashed it with his great sword but no damage was seen. Armania confidently attempted to Dimension Step into the chamber but found that it was blocked by some effect.
Inside the room Ovonda crawled over to Ciprian and bit him on the ankle. This caused Ciprian to start bleeding. She then spoke a word and the cloak around her shoulders began to move as subtly, indefinable shapes rippled and flowed, seemingly devouring any light falling upon it. Two gray tentacles emerged from the cloak and attacked Ciprian one of them grabbed him inflicting Constitution damage. Ciprian's voice went up another octave as he now began pleading for help.
Ursina and Erevel spent their rounds attacking the doors and that did the trick as the door was destroyed and they could see the battle inside the room. Gavril immediately entered and attacked Ultor again but was more careful this time with the gaze. For his efforts Gavril was attacked by a bit and claws of Ultor taking damage, bleed and then he was paralyzed even after Ciprian gave him a new attempt to avoid it.
Ciprian tried to dimension door out of the grapple and chamber but he also found that they spell failed. He began the Bardic Performance anew as it was stopped to help Gavril. Agna then strode in and attacked Ultor again avoiding the gaze and Armania saw the two enemies in a line and moved over to cast a lightning bolt, excluding her own party.
Ovonda stayed at Ciprian's feet and again bit and clawed at him. He also felt his constitution lower as the blood from his wounds was absorbed into Ovonda's skin. The Sayona also healed damage at the beginning of their own turns. The grapple continued and Ciprian lost even more Constitution. The invisible Ursina moved into the room to flank Ultor with Agna. She moved without being attacked and was certain the creature could not see her. Avoiding gaze Ursina used her book to good effect on Ultor. Erevel seizing her chance moved in but took an attack as she moved past Ultor and she began bleeding. Again avoiding the gaze she then hit the creature hard.
Gavril stood paralyzed and then Ultor attacked both Erevel and Agna. Agna then began to bleed and Erevel and Gavril took Constitution damage as the creature absorbed their blood. The cloak Ultor was wearing also grew two tentacles which attacked Agna and Erevel but did not get a grip on them. Ciprian attacked Ovonda followed by Agna attacking Ultor both avoiding the gaze. Armania fired magic missiles at Ovonda who followed by attacking Ciprian once again and absorbed more of his blood followed by Constitution damage from the tentacles.
Gavril could finally move and approached as the party surrounded the enemy but he became staggered at the gaze of the Sayona. Ciprian attacked followed by Agna and Armania with magic missiles. Agna was staggered by the gaze and then grappled by the tentacle. Many of the party took more Constitution damage from their bleeds and Ovonda attacked several of them. Agna also was paralyzed as was Ciprian as the Performance ended.
Finally the ministrations of Ursina and Erevel dropped Ovonda who also transformed as her brother had. After the paralysis and staggered conditions had worn off the party set about healing and repairing the Constitution damage. A quick magic search found rings, cloaks, amulets and translucent sleeves or tubes on the arms of the Sayona. The room held no magic only sofas, two iron human sized cages, bloodied pillows and a wardrobe. Gavril checked the wardrobe and finding no trap or lock opened it to find tiny risque outfits and other intimate phallic items. Gavril declined to take anything out of the cabinet although Ciprian was tempted.
The party next had the invisible Armania and Ursina climb the stairs to the third floor to see if there was anything obvious. Hopefully their invisibility would not wear off before they finished scouting. At the top of the stairs was a hallway leading east with two doors on the south and a hall leading north. At the top of the stairs, standing shoulder to shoulder were two armored and armed human looking creatures. They were looking down the stairs but seemed to not notice the pair of adventurers. They looked like they were guarding the area. Other than Lord Avaric the party had not noted anyone with arms and armor, therefore the pair headed back down the stairs.
Now a search of the area began, first the group found a bedroom with wardrobe and table but there was nothing in the wardrobe. Probably not Delmaria's room. Next they opened a door on a carpeted room with a billiards table occupying the center, with cues standing in a rack mounted on a nearby wall. Plush, overstuffed chairs sat in the northeast and northwest corners. A sideboard with rows of glasses rests against the west wall. In the room playing billiards were two humanoids. Ursina immediately began to identify them. Vampires both, with the usual vampire skills.
"Ah, more visitors. Are you here to see Delmaria?" one of the vampires asked.
"Why yes. Do you know where she is?" Ciprian responded.
"No, but we expect to see her at nine. Is that your understanding?" the other vampire responded.
Gavril and Ursina took time to study the room, but there was no magic no magic in the room although some magic showed on the creatures.
"Well, we should probably push on," Ciprian said
"Why not wait and play some game with us? There are card games also available." the first vampire asked.
"No we should really be on our way."
The party left the billiards players to their game and moved around the hallway to the east where they found the hall continue to the north with doors into the original sitting area around the stairs. A final door was noted on the north side of the internal structure. This one was again a bedroom, but there were female dresses and shoes in the wardrobe along with perfumes and jewelry on the table. Gavril opened a door that led to a bath. Just as they were about to leave, Ursina noted that there seemed to be some undiscovered space between the bedrooms and stairway. She then searched and found a secret door which Gavril searched and found no traps or lock. Opening it led to a small chamber with a secret door into the neighboring bedroom.
The group headed back into the hall and discussed where to head next, the third floor or the locked room on the first floor.
DM's Notes: The party earned 12,800 XP for the nights work but it is now approaching 8:30. Only 30 minutes until Delmaria would appear. And where was the musician?
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