#elsewhere

Zara has checked out her Widow's Walk. It turns out it really IS perfect for being forlorn, lost, and full of angst! If one wishes. Unfortunately the summer weather is insanely hot.

Which is why she is in the basement

Damp and cool. And dark.

And Oddly, the basement might be one area that much thought wasn't put into, at least not by Earl. This means it is either very likely sparse, or ... a trove of sluagh delights.

...Zara is a SLUAGH.

The basement is unfinished - brick and stone, and somehow already cloaked in cobwebs. A wooden door leads to a root cellar.

1122 is testing the cobwebs for quality.

....is that a tunnel?

A SECRET Tunnel?

Secret, secret, secret, secret tunnel!

1122, a born adventurer, goes to the tunnel, and taps 'SECRET TUNNEL' Excitedly.

"Through the darkness, aye."

'The Darky dark darkness' he taps in agreement 'where's it go?'

"I suspect Home. But there are multiple options for what may qualify as such...."

'Should we check? Explore the great semi-known?'

A gummy grin!

The tunnel is not easy to get into, it is secret, but also has a small portcullis blocking the way, if only one were small like a spider, or able to squirm... but alas we may never see the other side now.

Oh wait.

1122 climbs through and taps 'Want to squirm or shall I pull this lever?'

"Pah!" Zara squirms!

To be fair, the lever might be a bit hard for one small spider to move anyway. Besides, it feels GOOD to squirm, the release of tension, the sweet dislocation of shoulders, and the ooozing ... ooozing is a highly under rated experience.

Not everyone appreciates the delightfully squishy squelchy noises.

Delicate and elegant can be a squish squelch. As she comes through and reforms, she sees the secret tunnel has a more natural look, but still shaped enough that one can expect to walk by a walled off section and hear "For the love of God, Montresor!” while the smell of wine fills the air.

Well, THAT little wine cellar is bricked over, skeleton merrily mouldering.

Really, with Earl's love of Poe she would not be surprised if he contributed there. Zara and 1122 see there is more than one turn off. Yes, one of them leads to another section of the House proper though which room, well, only one way to be sure. Another path of the tunnel heads in a different direction though.

1122 taps to the one that goes to the house 'Has to be a ground level room. Kitchen?'

"Likely."

'Shall we confirm, or try the other tunnel?' 1122 observes "Needs more deadly traps either way.'

"Other tunnel, nu? Home shalt be home, I wish to explore."

1122 almost whoops 'like old times'

And the two explore the tunnel that leads away from the house.

(Perception plus Alertness)

/roll 7

"I'm not that much a fuddy duddy."

1122 taps teases 'Tzip says otherwise'. Water, She hears water! Zara realizes this might be close to, or even UNDER her River.

And, she realizes, something has wormed its way through.

"Feh. Tzip is a madwoman." She sniffs.

Yes, there is a chimera scuttling ahead. It's about the size of a small dog!

"Puppy!"

1122 taps 'Careful, this is how it starts. I heard of one troll in Rivervale who ended up getting TWO dogs, a cat, a couple of horses, and a boyfriend... she became a hoarder'

His information maybe a bit off. Tzip isn't the most FACTUAL informant.

The chimera looks up, and swells and unswells, kenning her back. Then... it's eyes begin to glow.

She raises an eyebrow.

The lights of the eyes flicker on and off, flicker on and off, flicker on and... and Zara realizes she really should give the little puppy some treats. Glamour, or dross! Yes, that would be good. Give it some glamour!

(WP roll )

/roll 6

Zara is about to put some glamour into the pretty puppy only at the last minute , as she is stroking it's delightfully squishy skin, to realize what it just did! It must do this to survive, influence others to give their glamour up!