First Derry was startled by the ladies song, then again by Nocuts' suggestion on wrapping her in the carpet again. But Crow was right, she was much too loud for safety.

"No, we won't wrap her up, that is cruel. But silence her - put the gag in again. And tie her hands!"

*Assuming he and Noctus, maybe others, gether underwraps.*

"I don't want to waste a sleep spell on her. We can not leave her here. Nor can we bring her with. But it would only be a quick run back to the front of the building and we can pass her out through the tunnel. Then we return here. Acceptable?"

Peter watched the woman dance and sing with surprise, and then pity. If she was ensorcelled, it was from a mighty spellcaster indeed to so trap a mind and leave the body unharmed. No, it was more likely the woman had come unhinged at whatever had managed to turn the others to stone. Peter had seen it too often in the aftermath of battle, when a mind had endured too much. It was a harsh thing to bind and gag her again, but it was likely for the best, so that they may get her to safety, and to help.

I agree, Derry,” the cleric said at last,” she can only bring herself and us to harm if we leave her like this.”

With the others, he helped to hold and bind her gently, all the while trying to soothe her with as gentle speech as a war priest could muster.

"Ahh so we squirrel her away like a nut in the larder eh?" Makes sense to me. That is assuming we can get her through the tunnel.

Ela simply nodded a little bit when it was pointed out that she was unharmed. Inwardly she knew that had nothing to do with her Sylvan blood but with the fact that she stayed out of the fray, attacking with small bolts from a distance while the rest dove in and fought with the creatures.

When the creatures disappeared into more streaks of oily residue in the grass she frowned and walked over sticking the tip of her boot into one of them. “I wish they would stop doing that… it is disconcerting to have something so awful simply vanish once it is done with you.”

As she was busy inspecting the oil her fellow adventurers made the mistake of freeing the hostage. Turning her head sharply as the woman began to leap about clumsily singing some ridiculous song about being a teapot. Her frown deepened and she set her green eyes at the house, watching it to see if the shouting was bringing down any further vile creatures that would no doubt fade to oil as well.

In her scan of the building her eye fell upon Crow, who with a single moment of eye contact asked her into the shadows with him. The others seemed to be getting the screaming woman under control again and so she nodded and moved to step into the darkness with Crow.

“Well what do you think Crow? This is a nice mess we have gotten ourselves into… thoughts on how to get out?” It was easier talking to just him than the whole group. They had spent so much time together before joining up with the others, and there was an easy understanding between them both, even if she suspected his feelings ran a bit deeper than hers when it came to their relationship.

As Derry and the others regained control of the poor woman, Derry continued to scan his surrounding for signs of danger. In doing so, his gaze crossed over some of the mess left behind when the bugbears melted.

It seemed odd. The melting seemed odd. It was unexpected when the kobolds had melted, but not really odd. After all, they were dealing with powerful magic. But the bugbears were simply odd. Illusions typically did not need to eat. He glanced over at the table that had been covered with the half-devoured cake. (Assuming it is still there) Yes, the cake was still there. Still a mess. Clearly half of it had been eaten. And the consumed cake had melted away with the bugbear that had consumed it. Golems did not eat. At least he didn't think they did, golems being a bit beyond his area of knowledge at the moment. What sort of magical creature still needed to eat? Or at least was individual enough to enjoy the act? Were there real bugbears somewhere that were mimicing the actions of these brutes?

Something very odd was going on around here. He almost laughed at himself for that thought as he looked around at the reddish dome covering everything. Yes, clearly something odd was afoot!

But still, the bugbears didn't seem to play by any of the rules he knew.

Crow moved into the shadows of the night and was pleased as Ela joined him.

“Well what do you think Crow? This is a nice mess we have gotten ourselves into… thoughts on how to get out?”

Cracking a sardonic grin Crow turned to her.

“We could always leave”

Her brow rose and she tilted her head to the side slightly while she looked at him. For a moment her look was blank, then under her veil her mouth twitched into a slight smile.

"You would forgoe all the skirted delights Noctus is certain you would recieve if we manage to save the princess?"

His sardonic smile becoming more playful with her words he replied as such

"Of course without hesitation, after all what are human women to me when I have you as my friend."

She ticked her eyes to him and nodded slightly. "Friend... Well... at any rate. I'm not going to run off. No matter how much this place bothers me. The red light, the silence, the way everything we run into turns insane or into piles of slime... we have to get into that building. But it is a fortress. I don't suppose you happen to have a dragon in your pocket that we could use to crush the walls?"

((I really just want one of those 'Holes' from Roger Rabbit, I think it would come in handy here...))

With Ela's reply Crow knew, whether in jest or reality, there would be no leaving this strange castle and so resigned himself to such.

“No, no dragon, or at least nothing THAT big of course" Crow smiled a mischivous smile
"However Ela if you say it must be for us to continue, then so it shall. As such I will move closer to recon the entranceway while you cover me with your bow. Perhaps by then the rest of our group will have dealt with the singing crazy”

A smile to tell her all was good the thief moved quietly towards the castles rear entrance.

Peter, Derry and Noctus work towards Rachel to lead her away to the hole and the safety of the other side. The lady does not require bonds though as she is willing to be lead away without protest, happily singing a song about being our Guest. She is clearly mad, driven that way by spell or by the situation she found herself.

The two men who helped you dig the tunnel are there and they recognize Rachel. Seeing a familiar face seems to calm the Head Servant greatly, she becomes lucid enough to say to you “Please save our Princess. Her true love awaits but it is not her father that wishes to give away the bride.” After that she lapses into unconsciousness and speaks no more.

The party regroups and continues onward. The back doorway is blocked as firmly as the front so you work your way through the stone statues and abandoned party tables to the side doorway.

The doorway to the kitchen is not covered by a portcullis, in fact it is partially open. There is a slot above the door where the portcullis should have fallen, but the barrier seems to have jammed in its place. The doorway is a simple oak door, bound in iron with a latch on the inside to secure it. The reason the door remains open, is the latch is pulled across so it prevents the door from closing completely.

You have found a way into the building.

With an open door leading into a kitchen Crow moved quickly to the forefront of the party to check it and the surrounding frame for traps and to make sure the way was clear..(If it is)
With a look over his shoulder he moved away from the door, glancing and speaking in a whisper to the others at the same time.

“It appears clear”

(If it is not, I will attempt to disarm or remove trap.)

As Crow moves forward to inspect the door for traps, Derry kept an eye on their surroundings. If they could get in, the bad guys could get out. In fact, they had gotten out already. Twice, at least. And that raised a question, had the front door been unlocked for the kobolds and then locked up again after their waxlike foes had exited?

Still, as he surveyed their surrounding while the thief utilized his criticl skills, an open door into the kitchen didn't sound so bad. Unless, of course, more wax like beasties were enjoying the preperations for the feast in there as well.

Noctus watched as the party's "unowned residence guide" checked the doorway for traps. "So far we have found wax monsters and singing crackpots, I can hardly wait to see what pops up next." he said to no one in particular.

Healing magics never ceased to amaze Brandr. One moment he was bleeding to death, the next he was standing on his feet, still hurting, but otherwise ok. The divine powers Peter poured into the northener's body made him tingle inside and he felt like scratching the already closed wounds. With a rare smile, the ranger nodded his thanks to the Warder. As he knelt to better clean his weapons on the red grass, Brandr noticed the bugbears dissolve like the kobolds had a short while earlier. Though he wasn't totally surprised by the disappearance of the bodies for the second time, the mountain of a man caught himself wondering at the fate of creatures.

There was not much to what he knew about magic and for certainty, Brandr had never witnessed arcane power as great as the one at work here at the mansion. Prayers of the priests were another thing altogether and a lot easier for him to accept and understand. The work of sorcerers made him feel, if not frightened then uneasy.

Sheathing his sword, but keeping the axe at hand, the captive of the bugbears caught the barbarian's attention. Despite having just been stuffed inside a sack and the next item on a monstrous menu, the lady was singing and dancing like crazy. And it didn't take anyone long to understand that it was exactly what she was - out of her mind. Shaking his mind in disgust, not at the mad woman herself, but at the evil powers that had most probably made her so, Brandr wondered again about the bugbears.

It was fairly obvious the creatures had been real and not some figment of his and his companions' imagination. There was a lot of his own blood drying on the ground and on his clothes to prove that. But yet, they appeared to be some kind of creations of magic. Still not understanding the nature of the monsters, Brandr wondered if something made totally of magical energies could have a mind of its own. Would such a thing feel hunger, pain, anger… Shaking the blonde-haired head again, the ranger followed his companions to the front of the huge house.

Peter, Derry and Noctus made sure the mad woman got safely outside the dome before getting back to the rest of their group. Brandr felt like saying "I told you so", but the thought disappeared as quickly as it came when they rounded the corner to the last possible entrance into the "king's castle". What awaited the little group surely took them all by surprise: The door was open. It was too easy… way too easy.