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[h2][color=darkorchid][i][b]Victoria Belmont[/b][/i][/color][/h2][i][b][color=9932cc]Half-Elf, Bard, Level 3[/color][/b][/i]
[color=9932cc][i][b]HP:[/b][/i][/color] 23 / 23	[color=9932cc][i][b]Armor Class:[/b][/i][/color] 15	[color=9932cc][i][b]Conditions:[/b][/i][/color] N/A
[color=9932cc][i][b]Location:[/b][/i][/color] [url=https://i.ibb.co/hWRvhS4/Hay-Barn.jpg]The Hayloft[/url] 
[color=9932cc][i][b]Action:[/b][/i][/color] Prestidigitation, Note of Undeath
[color=9932cc][i][b]Bonus Action:[/b][/i][/color] [color=black]Morty[/color]
[color=9932cc][i][b]Reaction:[/b][/i][/color] N/A 
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[right][img]https://i.ibb.co/KW5Pyxx/Victoria-FC-3-II.png[/img][/right]
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	Victoria gave a moment to herself to check as far as she might be able to perceive, up one side of the street and back down the other one. The feeling of being observed hadn't fully gone away since the walk back from the graveyard, and she was quite alone outside of the Public House. Her group was back in the bar behind her; stalwart yet unthinking undead companion in the loft in front of her. It was quite possible that the magic which animated the formerly living, woodsmoked beast had worn off, as she had not updated it in a while and this was required regularly. In any case, Victoria wanted the day to come to an end so the hayloft was the best option for her. 

	The weather was not favorable to Victoria but not unexpected by any means. Autumn had a funny way of having days which started out comfortable enough, before turning into frigid nightmares (in comparison) as soon as the sun departed. What little wind there was seemed to push the dampness of the surrounding fog into any gaps in her clothing, adding to the discomfort she felt. Getting back indoors was a priority for her just then. The door to the hayloft swung open easily enough, though she only parted it from its closed position just enough to slip inside and shut it firmly back behind her. 

	Victoria was not stupid. Flighty sometimes, foolhardy at others, but not stupid. As soon as she entered, she placed her back to the door and drew her slim bladed sword, giving herself the seconds necessary for her darkvision to acclimate fully to the darker interior of the structure. While Victoria waited, she extended her thoughts to the area around her. A simple mental command for her unassuming thrall to approach, which was left blankly unanswered. So Morty [i]had[/i] un-re-animated in her absence. She made a mental note to keep better track of these things once she had the ability to weave together the more powerful, standard application of animating undead minions to have at her disposal, as that process came with an additional caveat that would make life more interesting than she really wanted, provided that she did not. Satisfied that she was alone in the loft, Victoria resheathed her sword, climbed the ladder, and made her way over to the lump of preserved meat that used to be Morty. 

	First things first - bring her assistant back to activity. She closed her eyes briefly, allowing a single, humming note of necrotic energy to coalesce from the ether around her and permeate the eviscerated, still body of the tusked hog before her. It came to something resembling life and jerkily (jerky-ly?) stood. 

	Second things second - there was a brazier and wood for burning nearby, as Cecily had pointed out earlier that day. She took a moment or two to make a simple arrangement of fuel in the brazier and called upon another of her lesser (but amazingly useful) magics to bring it ablaze. The thought passed through her mind that she really should practice more with her mundane firestarting tools which, for reasons still unknown to her, she still carried in her backpack. 

	As an afterthought, she used the same cantrip to remove the cosmetics from her face, including the death/tears motif she had meticulously applied earlier, and cleaned herself up a bit. Taking a couple of minutes to use Prestidigitation for personal cleanliness was useful, Victoria noted, but it was not the same sort of luxurious experience that a hot water bath could provide. Well, she could experience these little comforts at a later time, she supposed. This would have to do for now. 

	It wasn't very much longer that she heard the door open below on the ground floor. Cautiously, she began to edge toward the end of the loft floor overlooking the ground. A tiny giggle escaped her when she heard that it was no midnight boogeyman but Marita, returning from the Pub. Victoria straightened and made stepped into view above. [color=9932cc]"Still awake,"[/color] she called down, a little smile plainly in view. [color=9932cc]"I'd much rather be getting my rest, but yes, it's [i]probably[/i] best we talk about today."[/color] The last half of that sentence came out with tones much darker, but no less flowery of delivery. Morty emerged from the shadows to stand next to its mistress, silently and mindlessly staring straight ahead with burlap-wrapped eyes. 

	The others arrived, and with them came trivial, mundane questions one might associate with a simple day trip. To Kosara's inquiry, she offered, [color=9932cc]"Cecily mentioned that fresh water was stocked in those barrels over there,"[/color] motioning to the bound, wooden casks to the side. [color=9932cc]"Other amenities too, like a reserved privy in the back. If we acquire some throw pillows and perhaps a staffed kitchen - maybe a nice, clawfoot tub, I might just want to establish a summer home here."[/color] Her voice was colored with dry sarcasm, but the immediately following expression of optimistic consideration gave the impression that she really didn't mind the setup here. [color=9932cc]"At least we have some privacy. So please, let us talk plainly."[/color]