"Look, do you really think it's a good idea to barge into someone's home?" Jim insists.  "We're strangers around these parts and we wouldn't want to be caught unaware by a vampire, a wolf or some other creature in the night. We barely survived our little encounter with that lunatic in the woods.

I'm all for protecting the innocent, but perhaps we should try to get some of the town's people to join us?"

Caine glances back at Jim, and gestures at the kids.

"We were invited," Caine says. "And this looks as good as any place to recover from the journey here."

He moves to a window and looks out on the street and the quiet neighbouring homes with their boarded up doors and windows.

"You can see what help you can find, but it's not exactly Virgin's Square out there," Caine adds. "I don't think there are any townspeople."

Razi continues to gently press the children, concerned about what the boy had been about they say.  They're... murderers?... vampires?... werewolves?... something worse?

"Don't worry.  You can tell us.  We were called here to lift the curse on these lands.  If your parents are in trouble, maybe we can help them too?"  Persuasion?:  9

He continues up toward the house, ushering the kids inside and using his hammer's light to take a look around the entryway.  

follows everyone into the house, listens for any noise coming from the basement

 From just outside the house, Jim attempts to peer in through the doorway, past Caine and Sleet, "Okay so what are you seeing in there? Any sign of their parents?"

"No one's answering," Caine says.

If it's dark inside, Caine will take one of the oil lanterns from the portico and light it and bring it in with them.

"Anyone home," he calls loudly. Then turns back to Jim. "Are those kids sure their parents are here?"

He pushes through the foyer and opens the doors to the main hall and calls again to see if anyone is home.

As the children's parents don't respond to Caine, Nelyna thinks of what the boy had been about to say. She wonders if he had been about to say They're dead. With a feeling of dread, she follows Caine inside the foyer. She creates a small ball of Light at the tip of her wand to illuminate the dark space ahead of them.

psst...

"Ask the children about the sword."

Caine looks around the room and lets his gaze linger over the mural carvings on the walls. 

Perception - for any secret nooks, doors, etc in the walls: 16  

Is the staircase the only other visible way out of the room (the staircase and the doorway they just came through)?

Nelyna looks behind her. The children are still standing outside with Jim. They make no move to enter the house.

"Maybe you should stay outside with them, Jim," Nelyna suggests. "We'll see if we can find their parents."

Nelyna examines the walls with her wandlight and frowns as she notices the pattern of skulls and serpents. What kind of house was this? She thinks about calling out to see if anyone is home but thinks better of it.

Jim nods his head, "Alright, I'll keep an eye on these innocent children here, whilst you all go traipsing around their family home. At least if I see their parents coming from the tavern I can explain what's going on."

Jim then turns his attention to the kids, crouching down to their level.

"So, when was it that you last saw your parents?"

"I am heading toward the basement, if you here screaming, it's probably just me, spiders like to live in basements.  Please ask about the sword while I am down there."

Nelyna walks over to the sword and examines it more closely. Trained in magic, she doesn't know much about weapons, but this one looks rather nice from what she can tell. She ignores the weapon for the moment and using her light she begins to look around the 1st floor. She approaches one of the closed doors and, glancing back at the men to make sure they are prepared in case something is on the other side, she gently pushes it open.

 "Maybe ask the kids about the sword AND the basement."