Pasquale drops a wooden chest sealed with a puzzle lock.

Pasquale drops weird shelving unit.

Pasquale drops A pile of worked lumber.

The parlour of Malespero Tower has been set up for the coming game. The couches, chairs and many of the paintings have been moved into other rooms, leaving a wide open space in the center of the grand chamber. Inside this space a wooden room has been built especially for the game. A cluttered shelving unit occupies one side of this timber space, it has it's own roof made of drilled timber, a pile of shaped timbers is stacked against one of the temporary walls and a chest sits against the other side. In the center of the temporary room is a single chair on which Pasquale Malespero has seated himself in preparation. "Come inside this room." he gestures for everyone to come over to where he is sitting. "We will start shortly." he lifts one side of his mouth. "I hope nobody is afraid of the dark."

Mabelle steps into the parlor, curoius. She is without her usual entourage for she thought they might get in the way. "I glow in the dark", Mabelle comments with a smug smile before standing precisely in the center of the room.

"Do you really glow in the dark, my lady Mabelle --" Neilda asks, interest snagged in yet another wild direction, and she continues into the room and toward Pasquale seated in the room-within-a-room. "-- afraid of the dark, Lord Pasquale? Never."

Cupcake, a cookie girl have been dismissed.

Caspian pops into the parlor with a grin, offering a bow, a wave, and a bright smile to the familiar faces. He looked as he always did, armor cared for with the odd bit of jewelry flashing. "Its good to see you all! thank you for letting me join in the games!" though at Pasquale's words he breaks into a chuckle, "oh? hmmm, maybe we wont be seeing eachother for long then."

3 First Legion Centurions, 3 Setarcan Royal Shields arrive, following Patrizio.

Mabelle curves her lips a moment at Neilda, "I'm as bleak as they come", lies. But she braves a wink toward Caspian, "Champion". Someone's in a good mood.

"There's no reason to fear the dark." A tease to the voice that issues forth from Patrizio Pravus, as he arrives - late, as if in homage to his cousin Sebastian - before the guards are given a gesture that they ought hang back and not make a menace of themselves. "It just challenges us to bear light. Or find those who bring it with." A nod, by the prince, to the others who are present.

"Perhaps you wont need to solve the first puzzle then." Pasquale replies to Mabelle. "I recommend you all take a good look at the shelves over there." he gestures towards the shelves. "Because the first part of your escape will likely be found there." he looks to each of them, checking everyone who should be inside the temporary timber room actually is and then casts a nod to one of the servants lurking nearby. A few moments later a wooden panel is maneuvered into the last remaining gap casting the entire space into utter darkness. "Your answer." he says from his place in the center of the room. "Will be found through heat."

Caspian checks perception at hard. Caspian fails.

Neilda checks perception at hard. Botch! Neilda fails completely.

Patrizio checks perception at hard. Patrizio is successful.

Mabelle checks perception at hard. Botch! Mabelle fails completely.

As the lights go out, Mabelle blinks twice to try to adjust to the darkness, "Well goodness. Heat", she begins to move about in the dark and might accidentally step on Patrizio's foot. Whoopsie. "I saw cookies".

A sound in the dark as, indeed, there's that brief pressure on his foot - the advantage, perhaps, to how Patrizio is oft wearing armour or at least things that somewhat emulate it. "Cookies would be a thing to see in the dark," he quips in return. "Sounds like you're looking for fresh ones, that they still have heat."

Caspian blinks as the room is plunged into Darkness. "oh! you werent joking!" he gives a laugh then, "Apologies in advance if i run into anyone!" arms out , he moves toward the shelves.. or at least what he hopes was the shelves. "heat huh? i dont know if cookies would help with heat.. oh thats a fair point! fresh cookies would be good right now." he flashes a smirk, "lets face it, they are good anytime. but maybe there is a flint and tinder on the shelf? or would that be to on the nose"

Neilda's distracted, again, and barely takes a glance toward the shelving unit before it all goes dark. "Cookies and wine, I think. There was something shiny --" or so she thinks, tapping a finger against her chin, eyes narrowed into a thoughtful squint. She sticks her free hand out, taking small, shuffling steps toward the shelves.

Neilda checks perception at normal. Neilda is successful.

Caspian checks perception at normal. Caspian fails.

After slowly making her way over to the shelves, Neilda starts to pass a hand - palm down - over the various sections. Slowly, by feel, in the dark until she finds a warm spot on one section. A little more exploration provides Neilda with a round panel set beneath -- "It's like a puzzle piece, and, it can be turned."

Mabelle tilts her head a moment in the blackout, "Can you.. turn it?"

Caspian feels along the shelves, knocking some things around and making little noises and yelps as he generally makes a mess. "You know.. i never realized how much i relied on my eyes.. byt the powers this is crazy and i.." he stopped, touching something that felt.. crumbly? gooey? "Oh! Cookies!" he cackled and picked one up, popping it in his mouth and then realizing that he really was taking a gamble on that. fortunately.. it poaid off. "Cookies arent warm.. so... maybe your puzzle piece Lady Nielda?"

Patrizio sounds, from the lack of rattle of his gear, as if he's holding still in the spot he's currently occupying, before his voice is heard. "Slowly, though. Let's see if there's anything else perceptible when you do so, my lady."

Neilda nods, and she follows through on Patrizio's suggestion -- rotating that panel slowly.

Turning the panel must rotate a latern or similar device within the cubby because when Neilda turns it a gleam of light gleam through a couple of slits in the side. They brighten for a bit and then dim again.

Unfortunately the angle that the light is coming out does little to light your surroundings. If you want to see anything but a bit of shelving you will need to find a way to direct the light back into the room.

Mabelle squints a moment when the light dims and then steps toward the shelf, "Oh right. Wait", she picks up the mirror from the shelf and offers at to Neilda, "Try this".

Caspian looks to the slits as they brighten for a moment, "ahah well done!" then they dim again and he frowns slightly. He doesnt see what mabelle is giving Neilda due to the dark, "Huh? try what? who are you talking to?"

"Perhaps keep turning it," speaks up Patrizio from where he's standing, that soft sound of him drawing closer, but mindfully as if he himself is worried about trodding on toes, "See if it helps to keep the light going while we're reflecting light about the room."

The mirror fits into the space besides the light source almost as if it was designed for it. Maybe it was. Once its set inside you can swivel the mirror to illuminate the wooden room in general. Its dim but you should be able to see what you are doing now.

Pasquale is little more than a shadowy shape on his chair. "And thus was the first problem resolved." he gestures towards the walls and ceilings. "Everything you need to get out is already here and brute force the only route forbidden to you."

Neilda turns the panel slowly, pausing once the light is at its brightest. "Lady Mabelle -- the hand mirror. We can certainly reflect the light from here to there with such. That's brilliant. I'll continue to rotate this panel if you're willing to catch the light in the mirror."

If you keep turning the circular panel on the shelves the light starts to reduce until its gone entirely before regaining its strength as you continue to turn it.

A passage of breath from Patrizio before he's considering what's visible now that there's light from the mirror. "You didn't say that Arvum Fire's prohibited," points out the prince, though it's clear he's not about to avail himself of such a solution. Not in closed surrounds, at any rate. But his attention shifts to the various wooden items, and... a consideration. "How are these things related, pray tell?"

Pasquale chuckles softly at Patrizio's answer. "I believe setting the room on fire counts as brute force Patrizio."

Mabelle admits, "I dont think the light is strong enough to try to torch the timber nor is there anything coming out of those wholes. Maybe the chain on the chest to climb up but... I think we need to either light the timber or open the chest".

Caspian gives a soft sigh, "Ah well.. there goes my idea to run my head into the wall repeatedly until i broke out. What a shame." he follows the beam of light created by Mabelle and neilda. "Right so.. we can search now with the light yes? so.. that should help." he looks to mabelle and nods, "yes.. doubt we could light the torch with it."

Neilda leaves the reflected light panel at its brightest, next peering over the various items in the cubbyholes of the shelving unit. After a search, she'll move onto the stack of lumber and inspect the pieces.

"Or the other lumber perhaps fits into the holes." Patrizio's nodding along with Mabelle's assertion of it, and there's that brief point in the low light to the other pile of lumber that's waiting.

Mabelle squints at Patrizio, "That will just block out the light. So the puzzle it is".

Neilda checks perception and investigation at hard. Neilda is successful.

Caspian cocks his head to the side, looking at the strange puzzle box, "hmm.. the dials symbols must mean something. maybe relating to some old story?"

Patrizio nods to Mabelle, then to Caspian, before he muses to Neilda, "Have you any thoughts, my lady, on what the story might be that would serve as combination?"

Mabelle concurs with Caspian, "Looks like a song of sort", she reaches into the box and collects the pieces within it.

Mabelle takes A collection of metal and wooden rods from a wooden chest sealed with a puzzle lock.

Mabelle puts A collection of metal and wooden rods in a wooden chest sealed with a puzzle lock.

Mabelle concurs with Caspian and Patrizio, "Looks like a song of sort".

Caspian clicks his tongue a moment, "well.. the wolf song is said to keep Destiny asleep.. so maybe the wolf with the broken chain? as for the knight, id say silver but in truth thats just a guess tied to the moon. and for the steed.. maybe a stag?" unless stopped, he fiddles with the dials and checks the latch.

This puzzle lock has three rings that have to be moved into specific locations in order to unlock the puzzle-lock and get into the chest. Each is a central unmovable disk upon which a simple image has been engraved with a moveable rings around it in a darker wood. Each of those turnable rings has three images upon it.
The first disk or dial shows two coins leaning together and is surrounded by a turnable ring decorated with three knights. One in silver, one in copper and another in gold.
The second disk shows a tree surrounded by a ring decorated with three riders. One rides a horse, one a stag and the other a bear.
The third disk shows a wolfs head surrounded by a turnable ring decorated with a golden chain. In one place the chain is broken, in another it is knotted and in another it extends beyond the edge of the disk to thread around the wolfs neck.

When Caspian turns the dial to the broken section of chain there is a subtle click which is repeated each time he picks one of the others. The chest opens to reveal an eclectic variety of rods in both wood and metal. Each rod has a different width, length and basic shape. Some have hexagonal bodies, some are bent in specific ways, one or two actually have keyheads..

"I -- think that this pile of lumber, it's a thing that's meant to be built, but, it's rather hard to tell as yet. The puzzle needs to be solved. Fiddle with the dials, Champion Wild." Neilda offers, thinking about the images on the lid of the chest.

Mabelle asks generally, "What is the logo of House of Solace? They are the silver order. I suppose they ride horses and break chains, if you take the last actions into account?", who's shooting arrows in the dark? this one. But she couldnt do it with lights on either.

Patrizio holds his tongue for a few, but peeks regardless at the rods that are visible, and.. a glance towards the mentioned lumber. With a crease of his brow, while he's - for once - not speaking before his brain is fully in gear.

Caspian nods as mabelle's explanation makes the most sense. "Oh thats a good choice for the knights. better than my guess." as the pieces click looks up and grins, "Oh i think we may have got it!" he gives the chest a tug and lifts the lif back to reveal the contents. he picks up some of the pieces of rods and looks to neilda. "I think you are right.. we build something with these things all together"

The rods are not required for connecting the worked lumber pieces together. For that you will just need to align the pegs and joints and push.

Mabelle defers to Patrizio, "Construction is not my thing"

Pasquale inclines his head towards Caspian when he gets the puzzle so quickly. "Clearly I should have made it harder."

A breath, taken and released, before the prince of Pravus moves to help lift one of the worked pieces. "Gods know I'm good for something," Patrizio says with a wink to Mabelle, having fun with it too. "I'm good for brute force in various fashions, and /not/ simply battering or burning the door down." The latter gets a playful smile to Pasquale as well, before he's shifting to see how to get one of the pegs to slide into the joint. And a glance towards Neilda, as if seeing if there's thought on how best to proceed from there.

"Well done, Champion Caspian!" Neilda will, simply, allow Prince Patrizio to start piecing together the wooden pegs and joints, like a piece of furniture - providing assistance as needed but allowing the Pravus the true pleasure of the build. She's grinning, well and truly entertained, murmuring: "The rods, I think, do not belong to this."

Patrizio checks luck at hard. Patrizio is successful.

Mabelle watches as Patrizio, Neilda and Caspian work, tilting her head as it begins to form, "Are we to escape through the roof?"

"It begs the question. Or perhaps something to be found atop the structure," says Patrizio softly as he's working, that huff of breath now and again while he's moving and working, the faint press of his lips into a thin line as he's concentrating. "And assures me too that I should leave the building of things to my more industrious cousins."

Caspian lets the two who seem to know what they are doing work on the wood and grins, "Well.. maybe we build a battering ram and knock down a wall. though.. i suppose that counts as brute force huh." he chuckles, then holds a cookie out to mabelle, "Cookie?"

"It does." Pasquale advises Caspian. "If you could just get out with an axe it would ruin the point."

Mabelle checks perception at normal. Botch! Mabelle fails completely.

Mabelle is so distracted by Caspian's cookie, that if something was to be seen, she missed it.

"Through the roof," Neilda repeats, thoughtfully, and she stops in her own work to personally assure Patrizio, dropping that thread of thought. "You seem to be doing just fine to me, Your Highness."

Mabelle purses her lips, "What about the box?"

Patrizio checks perception at normal. Patrizio marginally fails.

"Well, everything seems fine until you hit that moment where fire is required," says Patrizio agreeably to Neilda, before he chuckles, and his attention returns to those rods. And then he's turning that attention to the lumber again, before he drops one on his foot or something.

Caspian looks up as mabelle mentions climbing out the roof. "mm... could hop on my shoulders if it was that easy.."

Caspian checks perception at normal. Caspian marginally fails.

Neilda checks perception at normal. Botch! Neilda fails completely.

Mabelle huffs at Caspian, "I would not make a remark about me being on your shoulders, because I'm a lady like that". She then asks, "Where are the rods? I dont believe they arent used for something, what if I climb the stairs?", and she.. climbs. The stairs.

"I'd argue the stairs might be safer than shoulders. We should save that for if we can't reach from the top of the stairs," points out the prince of Pravus when he's considering it. "I think I saw something, but..." That heave of a sigh speaks to Patrizio not being sure /what/, at this point.

The stairs go about three quarters of the way up the wall but there are many places they could be positioned. A person part way up could easily feel the ceiling for clues.

Caspian moves to stand next to the stairs, watching mabelle and positioning to catch in case she fell while looking for clues

Mabelle reaches up in the darkness and feels up the ceiling, before muttering, "There are holes here, about size of .. I can clog them with the tip of my finger (pencils didnt exist!), but the shapres are different".

Caspian reaches into the chest and takes the rods from there, holding some up for mabelle to takes. "Would these fit in there?"

"An excellent suggestion," Neilda encourages.

It takes a bit to find the proper rod but once you have you turn it and get a satisfying click proving that this is the solution. Unfortunately, the moment you take your hand off the rod, it clicks back locked again.

Patrizio makes a sound of agreement. "I think that's the avenue to go," he says, coming over to stand by Neilda as he's peeking up at Mabelle and Caspian and what they're doing with the rods.

Mabelle grunts in frustration and suggests to Neilda, Caspian and Patrizio, "I need all hands on deck here"

"I think you mean on the ceiling," points out the prince of Pravus, but even with that smile, he's mounting the stair to come help.

Neilda follows a step behind, just in case, and she squints up at the ceiling -- "She meant," she murmurs - getting the joke - and laughs.

It turns out that six of the various rods have to be applied at the same time. Once the last one is in place the entire panel comes lose and you can simply slide it back. Light from the parlour floods into the space almost immediately and you can now climb out if you wish. There are even steps on the outside waiting.

"Congratulations." Pasquale tells them.

As soon as things begins to shift and slide, Mabelle loses her grasp and simply lands on her behind. Gracefully.

Neilda says, "That's called falling with style," Neilda opines, offering Mabelle a grin."

Patrizio offers to Mabelle a hand and smiles when she's found her way to a comfortable seat there, before he murmurs, "I believe the appropriate path out of here is ladies first," says he to her, and with an equal dip of his head to Neilda.

Neilda descended the stairs into the parlor proper, grinning, flushed from the pleasure of a small adventure had and conquered.

Pasquale moves to his feet, clears his throat gently, and a couple of servants move the wall panel aside again so that he might simply walk out of the interior. "I hope that was enjoyable."

Caspian follows Neilda out of the box and laughs merrily, "Well! if anything, i learned that the odds of me escaping any type of confinement by myself are NOT good!" he claps his hands and beams to Pasquale "Thank you! that was amazing!"

A press of his palm to his chest, and the dip of his head, and Patrizio's chuckling softly. "It was certainly something that made for an interesting evening," speaks he softly. "Thank you for having me along, my lord. My lady, Messere Master Champion." Dips of that head are given to Pasquale, Neilda, and Caspian in turn.

"It would not have been half as interesting without you Prince Patrizio." Pasquale inclines his head to Caspian. "Or as quick without Caspian's instinctive solution. Take the chest if you want it Caspian."

"That was clever, Pasquale, ever so. Thank you for that diversion. Also, if no one wants those shelves -- I do." Neilda murmurs.

Caspian brightens with a massive smile, "oh?! Truly?! thank you! haha i am going to have so much fun with this!" he picks up the chest and holds it closely. "This is going in the entry room!"

Caspian takes a wooden chest sealed with a puzzle lock.

Pasquale gives the shelves a thoughtful look before giving a slight shrug. "They are yours Neilda. Although I can't guarantee that using the lantern like that for hours at a time won't burn the house down. I'm not exactly famous for my woodworking skills."