"Yeah, that makes sense. Sadly I don't have epic secret door senses..."

"A pity. Then we shall need to do this the hard way."

Smile. "Better get started, then." And on into the castle proper?

Valerica's wing of it, anyway.

Valerica's wing is massive, with numerous nooks and crannies and a winding, complex layout. It's hard to spot anything weird or out of place.

Still, Lace has her brow furrowed after they turn down one hallway, glancing down back the way they came and then ahead of them, her steps slowing.

"Did you see something?"

"More didn't - you guy's architecture is pretty similar to our gothic period, though there's some differences in ornamentation - anyways the rooms don't line up, I think there's a void on the other side of this wall," she pats the corner they just turned. "Too small for a study, too big for pipes, but the right size for a staircase - and..." She tilts her head. "I think the layout's similarly janky on other levels. Given the architectural technology, and the ornamentation, the best place to hide a secret door would be..." She hums. " - If you could get clever with the stonework... There's some ornamental arches in the chapel, and I think one of them's lined up with where I think the void is." The chapel's on this level, on the other side of Lace's proposed staircase.

"The chapel... Yes. That fits. Well spotted."

"Knew that architecture class would come in handy."

"Let's go find a hidden lever, then."

"Alright."

It turns out to be actually a hidden button - a bit of the decoration that clicks when pressed - but once they know where to look it isn't hard to find.

The staircase revealed is dark, narrow, and steep.

"Best let me go first."

She nods and gestures for Elana to go ahead. 

Down the stairs, into the depths of Valerica's depravity.

Carefully, of course.

There's traps, even here - but, going at a snail's pace, knowing Valerica's style...

Elana is able to navigate them.

The stairs go down rather far before they reach a small landing and a (trapped) door.

Promising. And behind the door?

A large study - the door opens to a huge balcony lined with shelves and experimental stations, overlooking a massive, three story area with something glowing an intense, sickly purple in a stone circle at the base.

And above, a beautiful woman poised to jump. She spots Elana come through the door and laughs like bells. She waves a scroll case tauntingly, and drops into the portal.

Elana spits a foul curse.

The portal remains open.

Lace peers around Elana. " - Are we following her?"

"It's a trap but we need that scroll. Damn it."

"And both waiting and leaping now have drawbacks."

"Mm." She moves closer to the portal, notices the soul gems ringing it. "These must be powering it. Ah..." She casts a quick test spell. "I think we have some time before it closes. See if you can find a journal; she would have been taking notes on the process..."

She nods and begins looking through the books for anything that looks like it was written by Valerica. She doesn't know her handwriting - still, she's able to find some possible journal candidates.