The immediate delicate work out of the way, Larry puts his gauntlets back on before reaching down into the space and pulling the items up, one by one.

[ooc}No, I hadn't said anything previously, but I figure he's got to remove the gauntlets that are part of the armor set to have full manual dexterity on his sleight of hand checks.  So, making a point of not touching the find with his bare hands . . ..[/ooc]

Ozus, who has been silent for the majority of the time, seems intrigued at the mention of a lich. "Ascending to a godling status is no small feat. Though I supposing being semi-immortal gives you plenty of time to practice."

He nods when Khessa mentions drowning the cultists. "That does seem to be the best way to end things quickly. I do hope we can search the place thoroughly though, it's possible the cultists have access to knowledge one might find... useful."

The tiefling can't help but chuckle at the sight of the golden harp. "A fiddle of gold against your soul..." He mutters, half-humming a tune.

Khessa is amazed at seeing how easily Larry avoids a trap she did not detect in the least - and how easily he then disarms it! "Not easy to catch you off guard..." she pats him on the shoulder "is it?"

The blonde arcane warrior then recovers the items with her Mage Hand and focuses on their magic auras, if any... She in the meantime agrees with Ozus: "Yes, we will try to gather as much knowledge as possible, before spelling their doom".

[[ OOC: If her Detect Magic spell ended already, she rirual-casts it again. ]]

The harp is solid gold and well made, valued at around 2,500 gp. The papers detail plans to kidnap a Neverwinter aristocrat named Indrina Lamsensettle. The notes include a map of her estate, schedules of her movements, and suggestions that she knows an important secret about Lord Neverember. A scrawl in the margin of a note claims that “her secrets will make a worthy sacrifice.” The strip of bloody cloth seems to be just a strip of bloody cloth.

[[ OOC: OK, since nothing was said about magical auras, I assume Khessa hasn't spotted any. ]]

Khessa passes the harp to the one already carrying the rest of the loot: "It is an object without magical powers, but certainly of great value. I assume it belongs to this aristocratic 'Indrina Lamsensettle' that the papers mention, since she will surely be the same actress Indrina Lamsensettle who is among the kidnapped".

"She knows a secret of Dagult..." the blonde arcane warrior ponders "And 'her secrets will make a worthy sacrifice'... this is not reassuring at all... Umberto, do you by any chance know what sacrifices Vecna ​​likes? Does he appreciate sacrifices of victims who know secrets? Is there a risk that these merciless Cultists have killed poor Indrina?"

Umberto, looking pale again, glances at the papers. I-I'm not sure. I've dedicated my time to Vecna's history and less time to what his current cultists are doing. Obviously an oversight given the current situation...but yes. I believe there is a definite risk, they certainly threatened me enough with death.

Khessa puts a reassuring hand on the scholar's shoulder: "Don't worry, Umberto, we'll act quickly! If Indrina is still alive, we'll make sure she stays that way!"

At that point, more determined than ever, the blonde arcane warrior considers where to look for the next hostages... The third door on the same wall seems the most natural choice to her. She approaches a little then, from a distance, has her trusted Mage Hand open it.

After that, the tall adventuress looks at what's beyond... if the path continues, she gives the party's 'scouts' time to go ahead and explore, if they wish.

((Waiting for a ruling of what's beyond the door to write up Naero's turn, but with full intention of scouting the room if needed))

The door opens into another small room, roughly the size of the grate room. Its stone shelves contain boxes and bags, and crates are piled up around the walls.

Umberto, apparently getting bolder by the moment, starts poking around the room, while Sarcelle sits outside, arms wrapped around her knees.

Well, it's been a short time since Khessa examined the harp, so surely her Detect Magic is still active - she makes good use of it to try to detect magical emanations from the room or from the boxes, bags and crates... Is there anything emanating magic? Or does it all seem... ordinary?

No hits from detect magic...everything seems distinctly un-magical, really.

Khessa comments: "Nothing magical... Are they food supplies? Or tools?"

The blonde arcane warrior begins to open some containers at random to get a general idea of ​​the contents.

"Doesn't really matter.  We're not going to carry them around while we try to find the other victims.  We can check on the way out, maybe, if we care at that point."

Tristan:

Keeping an eye on their rescued prisoners and guarding the rear for any surprises from that direction, Tristan doesn't seem too interested in the supplies.  

Most of the supplies Khessa sees are mundane sundries and broken items, though she spies two bottles sitting on a shelf that say "For Healing Only" written on a paper attached to the bottle.

"Those are not magical," Khessa muses aloud "but still... if they are for healing... let's take them. Maybe they'll prove useful later".

The blonde arcane warrior purs the bottles in her backpack. She is then ready for exploring elsewhere... The nearest new door, for example, if nobody has better ideas...

The tall adventuress had her Mage Hand open the door, as usual, allowing then the scouts to... go and scout!

Naero 

Making sure not to knock the bells as he traverses the room to the other set of stairs. He sneaks to the top and has a quick look around.

Stealth 25

Perception 28

Naero silently moves past the bells, up the stairs, and onto a landing. Crouching low, he gets a great view of the room. Tables and chairs in this crypt are arranged to create a meeting room or mess hall. Water drips from a pipe into a basin in the southeast corner beneath a detailed image of a staring eye gripped in a withered hand. Five robed cultists are in this room, with one bullying the rest.

Teeth of Vecna. Get it right. That's what yeh call me, and you are mere Memories of Vecna. Now, we gotta see what secrets the gnome holds, and the woman in there knows something too. We have to get their secrets for the offering, but Lord Vecna ain't picky on how we go about getting them. I like ta start with the fingernails, see...gets 'em warmed up for what's coming next. Poison's a real lip opener too...promise 'em an antidote once the pain sets in, but we don't even have any. He laughs heartily at this, and the other cultists chuckle with him. They seem to be hanging on every word.

Naero 

Naero slinks back through the bell room and gathers the others. "Seems we've found our cultists, some of them at least" he whispers, "Five in the next room. They speak of harming our new friends in order to obtain secrets. These secrets seem almost like a currency, as if they will garner favour from Vecna. I say we take the room and silence their chatter".