@Gentlemanvaultboy
'I see...' She looked up at him with a newfound respect. 'But I'm guessing you can't explain the way this place just appeared like it did?' She headed over to a nearby door, noticing that it had been left slightly ajar. After peering tentatively inside, she beckoned the others over. 'What is that?' She asked, her voice barely a whisper now as she stood squinting into the darkness.

@WeepingHollows

Claudia stared down her ferocious adversary, unflinching, even as the male revealed his fangs. She knew not who he was, only that he meant harm towards her newest companions. She roared again, her tail popping wildly behind her as she reared back ready to lunge at him and sink her teeth into his flesh.

@Rusalka

Knowing what sort of damage the both of them could do to each other, he took a few steps back and drew back his lips more. Okay, so this is how we're gonna do it eh? Doubling over, he felt his body start to morph and urged it onward until pain shrouded his vision and all he could was blackness.
A few seconds later, he reopened his eyes in his 'new form' and sprung to his paws, his muzzle stretched out and a grey tail swishing between his legs. Facing down his opponent once again, a light breeze ruffled his black fur as his yellow eyes glowed. A wolf. He locked eyes and pinned his ears to the back of his head, shifting his weight to a stronger lead. Come at me. Smirking, he dropped his head and opened his mouth a little.

@WeepingHollows

~Hahaha! I knew you would show yourself, beast!~

Claudia laughed with delight on the inside now that the lycan had shifted towards his animal form. Her tail, like a whip it lashed back and forth, her ears pinned back, her powerful maw open in a hiss to display her own set of sharp, vicious teeth. Her claws dug into the marble floor, the hairs on her back standing erect. Slowly, Claudia stalked forward, eyes locked with her kill.

~And now...you're all mine!~

Suddenly she pounced on the male wolf with a deafening screech, her sharp claws, like razor blades tearing into his hide. She clawed him and bit at him, not once giving quarter to the wolf.

"No, but I can't deny that it exists." The Baron said. He want to look in the crack in the door, but then Miss Claudia stiffened, growled, and darted off around the corner. He didn't hear anything else, but then he roared at something. As curious as he was he took a step back and a peek. Then battle was joined.

"Oh my." He said, pressing himself up against the wall. "Miss is it urgent? Let me rephrase, is it more or less urgent than a wolf in the house?" He peeked back round the corner. There in the dark, lit mostly by the light of the lantern in the hallway now, the two animals faced off. He wondered if he was responsible, not only for the animal but the pervading darkness? "I may have been mistaken before, Detective, there was certainly a wolf in those woods. Did we leave the door open?"

@Gentlemanvaultboy@Rusalka@WeepingHollows
'A wolf?!' She took a few steps back and followed the Baron's gaze. 'Ah. Hang on a moment-' Cautiously, she began to approach the chaotic battle. Tensing up a little and slightly afraid of what was going to happen next, she stood in front of the two animals, waiting for an opportune moment to intervene.

Panting heavily, he swings around and bites the panther's leg, sinking his teeth into the muscle and pulling her off him. Throwing the cat away from him, he tried to stand tall and raised his hackles again at the two other figures. Great. Just perfect. Huffing to himself, he lowered his body to the floor and prepared for the next attack.

@Amithea@Gentlemanvaultboy@Rusalka

The Baron whipped off his glove, the strange substance blowing off his hand going green in the gathering dark. He pointed his hand at the wolf, fingers splayed and outstretched as even more began to pour out. He inwardly thanked the animal for tossing Miss Claudia clear. The substance began to concentrate and bulge in three places, stretching and squishing until they had ripped themselves faces.

"I'll give you an opening." He said. "Haunt Sign: Hounds of the Wild Hunt." The three concentrated balls of the substance shot off his hand toward the wolf, each one growing and elongating. As they flew their faces got sharper, gaining distinct mouths and teeth. Their eyes narrows. They grew ears. Front paws emerged that batted at the air in front of them, dragging them forward even faster. By the time they flew past Serene each had taken the shape of a ghostly green hound, their back-halves replaced with long and traditionally ghostly tails.

The ghosts hounds sped toward the wolf, aiming to harry the creature and lock down its movement by latching on to any loose bits with their jaws.

"Yo! You unscientific bastards! Quit fighting or I'll shoot my friend into your brain." He drew out a silver bolt and aimed it at the shapeshifters. "Now, how about both of you quit fighting and turn back into humans? I'm sure we can work something out." He sneered at the pair, clearly disgusted. "And by god, put clothes on as soon as you do."
@WeepingHollows@Rusalka

@Amithea@Gentlemanvaultboy@DriveEMOut@WeepingHollows

Claudia was yanked from his back with such a force that sent her skidding across the floor until she collided with a stone statuette of the Goddess Venus. The stone woman fell about her with a crash burying her underneath a small pile of debris. She stood, swaying uneasy and tiredly before the panther fell to the floor with a low, painful growl...and turned back into a nude woman lying on the floor.

~"Ungh....oww...by Hecate, my head..."~

Claudia groaned leaning up with a hand to her forehead. She looked over at the others weakly.

Did they really have to be so meddlesome?

@Rusalka@DriveEMOut@Gentlemanvaultboy
Serene stood dead still, a little shell-shocked. And then she remembered the coat-cupboard.

@Amithea@DriveEMOut@Gentlemanvaultboy@WeepingHollows

The woman staggered to her feet, her head feeling as though it were about to crack open between her eyes. She sighed rubbing the back of her head, still quite indecent before everyone...and well aware. She just had no Puritain views like the rest. ~"Mmmngh....if someone would be so kindest to bring me a vodka and tonic, that would be lovely."~ She spoke tiredly resting in a comfy armchair nearby in the main foyer.

She looked down at her exposed womanliness, a coy glance towards the others as she blushed, ~"And...my clothes, if you don't mind. Hehe, unless you like what you see."~ <3 She purred sensually with a sly wink. Only teasing of course.

@Amithea@Rusalka@DriveEMOut@Gentlemanvaultboy
The ground-shaking impact of the statue hitting the floor sent a shockwave into the floorboards of the stately manor, and the noise reverberated down into the depths of the lower levels. It echoed through stone hallways and bounced off dank, forgotten stairwells until it reached a final chamber. A small room, not far beneath the floor of the room the group resided in, but beneath them all the same.

In the dark of the basement, the sound of rattling chains came drifting up through those same hallways and stairwells. The chains reached the open air and left a moment of silence is their wake.

A few seconds later, a roar of pure anger erupted from the basement. It was the sound of a man's rage, restrained.

In the dark of the basement, a being struggled against its bonds of leather and steel. His cries ringing off the stone walls and piercing the dark, yearning to be free.

Zakk backed down as hounds came our of the boys fingers. Watching the panther turn into a woman, he cocked his head in both confusion and surprise. After hearing another boy's words, he raised his hackles at the hounds one last time before turning tail and running over to his bag, snuffling inside it and pulling out a few spare clothes he kept just in case.
In a blink he was back to his human form again and pulled over a T-shirt and shorts, turning his back on the other figures. Well that was unexpected. Sighing to himself, he cracked some joints and bowed to the others in apology.
However, his head was whipped up again at the sound of someone screaming.
@Horrid@Rusalka@Amithea@Gentlemanvaultboy

@Horrid@WeepingHollows@Amithea@DriveEMOut@Gentlemanvaultboy

After bringing her clothes to her, a burgundy halter top cut just above her navel and a pair of tight fitting blue jeans, and of course her black high heels, the woman dressed. She was enjoying being nude, but she had to show some modesty, albeit reluctant.

She stood crossing the room towards the lycan, a hand perched on her hip, giving him a friendly smile, ~"Well, my dear, you certainly wore me out! Those teeth left quite a mark!"~ He was just lucky she liked it rough. Men weren't as appealing as women to her, but Claudia would admit, she liked what she saw. She guessed rugged, handsome beasts such as him deserved a chance, and why not?

This place was starting to bore her...

~"Though I will say, I never expected a mangy mutt such as you to be the Adonis."~ A frisky, playful giggle she gave circling around him, her eyes intentively upon his muscular frame. ~"Mmm yes, primitive by way of the Neo-Classical. So, beasty, you have a name?"~ Claudia purred tracing the countours of his abdominals through his shirt.

But as always, something had to go and ruin her fun.

~"Ugh! What now?"~ She sighed, her seductive festures souring into a grimace at the painful laments echoing throughout the hall.

When the wolf shifted forms The Baron hastily snapped his fingers. The hounds, still in flight, began to waver as their sharp forms lost all cohesion, diffusing into streams of a gently wafting green mist that impacted the newcomer with all the force of a dry fart.

"I'll assume that you're actually cool then?" He called to the werewolf. Werewolves. How exiting. Then he looked over at Jack, smiling. "How did you know he was a wolf man? You simply must inform me, was their some sign?" But even this was interrupted as a scream that shook the wall fixtures started echoing through the house. The Baron twirled in place a few time, looking ever which way, before dropping to the floor and pressing his ear to the ground. "Below." He said, popping back up. "Miss, while you're digging around in the closet fetch an elephant gun."

He looked down the hallway. "Cellar, cellar, cellar, where would you put a cellar door? AHA! Miss Claudia, did you spot a kitchen on your way to the bath?"

@Rusalka@WeepingHollows@Amithea@DriveEMOut

@Horrid@WeepingHollows@Amithea@DriveEMOut@Gentlemanvaultboy

~"Why yes, I did, O' Baron."~ Claudia answered crossing her arms, perturbed still by all that went on. She would just have to entreat her indulgences later. ~"Down the hall to the right near the dining room. I did not see a cellar unfortunately. There must be another way to the basement."~

@Rusalka@Gentlemanvaultboy@WeepingHollows@Amithea
Another terrifying shout of muffled anger filled the walls and floor before ceasing to give way to the eerie silence of the stale air passing through the manor. The rummaging of the assorted party members through various parts of the property must have triggered some sort of mechanism hidden in the stone and woodwork, and set something to rumbling.

A bookcase on the far side of room, which had definitely been present the entire time the party had been exploring, swung open slowly with a crack and a creak. Beyond was a stairwell down into a smooth stone hallway. Torches sprung to life with warm flame, lighting the way down the bare hallway before ending in a half-spiral staircase.

Tired howling like that of a grief-stricken spirit echoed from within, sounding to be getting weak. Whatever was down there, it wasn't far and it wasn't giving up.

The light of the torches ended at the threshold to the thing's holding chamber. In the low light of the flame, a faint glint of steel could be seen through the dark, shining from the wall opposite the hulking figure that was strapped to the wall. The form struggled in the dark, chains rattling and straps tensing with the struggle.

Zakk stood shocked briefly at the woman's actions before shaking it off, huffing about being called a mutt and rubbing claw marks on his shoulder. He then pulled out a pad and pen and, Aafter scribbling something down, he held it up to the figures, smiling lightly.
Zakk
Was all it read.
He then stood silently, listening to their conversation with a vaguely confused look on his face. Celluar...Kitchen? Shaking his head, he moved his gaze downwards and tried to listen for any other sounds like the screaming.

@WeepingHollows

Claudia ignored the ruckus for the time being, glancing at the note with the lycan's name written on it, Zakk.

A mute. How charming~

~"Oh my, so our dog has a bite but no bark, hmm?"~ Claudia teased with a light chuckle. ~"Zakk, what a cute name for a little pet. Would that be short for Zachary or Zacharia? Ah, never mind."~ She approached Zakk presenting her hand, Claudia DeFeren. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Zakky Boy. Sorry for the hostility earlier, but I can't have some hungry wolf devouring my darling companions, now can I? Of course, if you ever want to...play rough with me again, just ask sweetie."~ A sly, sensual smile crossed her lips.

@Horrid

~"Now then, about...that...basement..."~

The commotion downstairs must've triggered something below, because as Clsudia turned to the others, the bookshelf was swung wide open, the passage into the dark revealed. ~"My word."~ She hummed raising an eyebrow. ~"This is quite interesting. Would anyone care to go first?"~

The painful shrieks and guttural growls echoed from beyond the veil of black. Whoever or whatever, they were incensed to their mere presence.