Not Today, Death!

You reach a wooden door reinforced with iron bands just next to the kitchen. It looks like it leads down into the basement. The door is locked with a heavy lock. But it's nothing to stop your new magical knife. It is easily cut through and the door swings open smoothly despite its heft. Narrow stone steps descend into a bricked cellar. The stairs turn to the left and out of sight but you can hear sounds of someone mumbling beyond. A lantern casts flickering shadows of two forms are cast on the wall at the bend. They look monstrous, but its probably just a trick of perspective.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs reveals the basement of the manor house. It's a large open room of brick walls. Numerous bookshelves, workbenches, casements containing jars and vials, and stacks of books litter the area. A large fireplace sits at the opposite end. In front of it are Crenus Crumble and his servant Mors. It is their shadows which seem to fill the room. Crenus has a large golden book open on a table nearby and his preparing something in a black cauldron over the fire. Smaller bowls and vessels are scattered around the table with the book. Both look up at you in anger as you enter the space.

"You aren't supposed to be here!" Crumble shouts. "Mors, take care of them." Crumble reaches for a vial of something on his table and hands it to him.

The poor servant, who has so far done nothing hostile towards the body, is being assaulted on all sides. He is battered and bruised but still standing. Hermann attempts to denounce the man, and man he is, but the servant doesn't feel denounced as he hasn't done anything particularly denouncement-worthy yet. Salvia's dark tendrils poke and skewer portions of Mors and Crumble who scream out in pain and anger. Kade lands a decisive chop on the beefy guard who grunts as fresh blood squirts from the wound. Winter follows this up with an arrow shaft to the gut.

Mors quickly pours the vial onto his body. A quicksilver fluid like mercury spreads over his body, turning him an animated silver statue. Even more, one of his hands extends and forms a battle axe of hardened silver. He swings at Kade in retaliation, hoping to take a pound of flesh in return.

Crumble cries out as his golden grimoire begins to disintegrate. He turns on the party with fear and desperation and hate burning in his eyes. He holds up a hand. A beam of black anti-light shoots out and he waves his hand at Hermann, Salvia, and Winter.

Kade lands another blow on Mors. The quicksilver coating seems to absorb some of the blow but the large man staggers back even more injured!