Silver Insanity

(( Continued from here. ))

Shadow's path upwards takes him past complicated machinery and several layers of backdrop scenery just waiting to be lowered into place. Several black-outfitted stage hands cower in the rafters as the scent-trail of corruption arcs down behind the stage, looping past tarp-covered piles of props meant for some production either long past or yet planned.

And, eventually, that path dead-ends at an unassuming masonry wall between one of those tarp-covered piles and a painted panel, leaned casually against the wall and depicting a skull-encrusted bookcase.

(( Going from posted character listings, Cynthea should be about as fast as Shadow, and thus able to keep up. ))

Cynthea glares at Shadow as she chases him through backstage maze. "Who are you and where do you think you're going?"

Shadow glares at the blank wall as if force of Will would break it and reveal the continuing scent trail. He turns as Cynthea arrives, calming himself. "I am Shadow of Preservation and I'm trying to catch the killer. It fled this way but..." He points at the stone wall. "The scent trail ends there."

"Hm." She looks Shadow over for a moment. "I am not entirely convinced I should believe you - but for now, let us see if you have a point. If someone went through here, there must be some form of doorway..." And she starts to examine the offending wall.

(( OOC: It seems to me that this should be a matter of Focus; if her +5 isn't enough, I'm willing to spend a fate point - either bumping that to +7 (likely by invoking What Would Aunt Fiona Do?), or, alternatively, invoking her stunt to allow a subtle spell as an Adept of the Infinite Stair - which, if I'm interpreting it right, is a power with a domain over doors, be they hidden or not. ))

Normally I'd rule that +5 is enough, but that some advantage could be gained by spending a fate point to find the hidden door more quickly. However, in this case, you've got people trying to catch up, so I'm going to remove the 'find the door more quickly' option - and adjust timing as necessary so that you won't end up late to where you were going as a result of the delay.

After some searching, a switch is found hidden behind the painted panel, and a doorway swings open; on the far side is a vaguely-triangular rough-hewn chamber, perhaps a remnant of the original foundation carved out for the opera house. An empty hammock floats to one side of the room, above a sturdy-looking sea chest; scuff marks on the floor indicate that chest has been dragged into its current position. On the other side of the room, one wall is covered with writhing, angry scribbles that - combined with the wall's rough surface - seem to offer the illusion of a slightly-warped conjuring circle floating about a half-foot out into the waters of the room. No-one is present, but the stench of corruption Shadow was following wafts strongly from the chamber.