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[h2][color=darkorchid][i][b]Victoria Belmont[/b][/i][/color][/h2][i][b][color=9932cc]Half-Elf, Bard, Level 5[/color][/b][/i]
[color=9932cc][i][b]HP:[/b][/i][/color] 33 / 33	[color=9932cc][i][b]Armor Class:[/b][/i][/color] 16	[color=9932cc][i][b]Conditions:[/b][/i][/color] N/A
[color=9932cc][i][b]Location:[/b][/i][/color] Rose River Vineyard (Tasting Room)
[color=9932cc][i][b]Action:[/b][/i][/color] N/A
[color=9932cc][i][b]Bonus Action:[/b][/i][/color] [i][color=dimgray]Familiar Stuff[/color][/i]
[color=9932cc][i][b]Reaction:[/b][/i][/color] N/A
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[right][img]https://i.ibb.co/84xS62pB/Victoria-Alt-7-ss.png[/img][/right]
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	[color=9932cc]"Oh my,"[/color] began Victoria, her attention diverting from the table's contents in front of her and over to her Tiefling colleague, who had brought out her own summoned companion. Just in that moment, she didn't quite recall seeing Kosara summon up this little guy since ...ever. [color=9932cc]"Good idea. I had forgotten about that."[/color] In the fight which liberated little Chauncey, Victoria had dispatched and temporarily reanimated several rats in a blatant ploy to overwhelm Chauncey's former master and hoped that the little guy didn't bear a grudge. But as it looked, the summoned rat didn't seem to care about her presence in the least. Maybe it wasn't aware. Maybe that was for the best. 

	Off in the distance, a spirit in the form of a black, generally diurnal bird fought against colder air to rise to a decent gliding height. It had been given a set of instructions and was bound to follow them on behalf of its Mistress. The first thing that it did was, when it had achieved enough elevation, was bank in the direction of the Coach House and, when within shouting distance, let loose with two sets of three short [i]CAW[/i]s, and turned in the direction of the Estate House. It dove low, as best a Raven might in the darkness, its purpose only to get within communication distance with Victoria. 

	Inspecting what she could about the setup on the table, Victoria was curious to see that Kosara's summon had returned, and rather quickly. She froze for a moment, aware of what command her associate had given it. Someone was coming. They had to wrap up quickly. Still, she hesitated, getting a flood of sensory information to her mind without having bid for it. It was unexpected, yet ironically [i]familiar[/i] all at once. But the information that she was able to translate from the mental connection was unclear at first, focusing in the direction of the main road leading off of the Vineyard, and the agreed upon signal of urgency she had communicated to it before she sent it off into the night. [color=9932cc]"Baronfjord needs help,"[/color] she said rather directly. 

 	It was at this exact moment that Annick found her way into the doorway, which gave Victoria a startle. At least it wasn't Cecily who walked in on them while they were being ever-so-slightly dishonest, but her message was clear enough: [color=darkgray][b]"Cecily and her group are coming this way now. Kathryn is trying to stall. It's embarrassing, but it's working. She sent me in here to fetch the both of you."[/b][/color] The older woman made a gesture as it say [i]WRAP IT UP[/i], and moved to keep her own vigil at the door with it pulled nearly closed. 

	In her haste, and without the best of ethic or consideration, Victoria opened the journal to a spot somewhere in the middle and lay the grape bunch pendant, fancy stick, and as yet unread paper inside. The dirt, she left there. Graveyard soil was useful in many circumstances, but this was not a time to give this specific dirt a harder look. With Annick present, Victoria reiterated her point from just a moment ago. [color=9932cc]"Baronfjord is in some kind of trouble."[/color] She then elaborated, [color=9932cc]"I don't know what kind. My Familiar will have already given Morty a signal and he should be on the way now."[/color] She intended to leave the building outright, and in fact probably needed to in order to prevent her thrall from wandering off or getting its control usurped by whatever power had this place. At least so that it could find her readily. She looked to Kosara, not knowing whether she wished to come with or continue the investigation quietly here, either one of which would have made tactical sense to the Bard. [color=9932cc]"How do you wish to proceed?"[/color] Either way, Victoria was off. 

	Back in the Coach House, Morty's nonexistent senses of reason and initiative failed to spark. It was capable of understanding and fulfilling the standing orders given to it, and while it did not have the [i]desire[/i] to, persay, its unflinching loyalty birthed of a lack of sapience and animation by necromentic energies did well to compel it to action. Its mistress had handed off Ritual books and some arcane supplies to it, and the walking foodstuff clutched her slim, silvered sword within its sheath with its mouth. It was to move as directly as it could while avoiding obstacles with these belongings to Victoria, where she might be as best equipped for trouble as she might, regardless of what it might be. In truth, though, Morty was stymied by simple, enraging physics. Being as it was a solid creature, it was unable to move through solid objects, itself. The doors were closed. If Morty had the capacity to feel stupid, it might have happened just then. If Morty was skeletal and had opposable thumbs, this might not have been an issue. But there it stood, in front of a closed door, held back from fulfilling its standing orders because of a lack of foresight.