Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh

Quote from Tybard >>

Murmuring for Procan's guidance, Seri steps carefully near (but not onto) the upward stairway, driftwood shield still held up and coral-hafted trident still in hand, to inspect it for any traps, hazards or rotten planks, as she might aboard a derelict vessel at sea.

Seri's Perception / Search action plus Guidance:  19 + 4 = 23
(If it must be an Investigation / Study action, it would be 13 + 4 = 17.)

 You see serviceable stairs showing signs of use but nothing treacherous or trapped.  The upper floor so far as you can see is a landing at the top of the stairs.

What is the situation with the three npcs?  I think Cook was bringing them with, if so the messenger speaks, "This is the way we take to signal Sigurd's crew from the upper floor."

The sound of rain continues outside occasional thunder, it is a constant background noise in what would otherwise be a very quiet place you think.

Quote from HunterOrien >>

What is the situation with the three npcs?  I think Cook was bringing them with, if so the messenger speaks, "This is the way we take to signal Sigurd's crew from the upper floor."

 
((Cook pushed the one around through the lower caverns figuring if they were first through all doors and such they would trigger any traps.  I didn't state I was doing such upstairs, nor anything about the other NPCs.  As far as I am concerned they are all tied up (after being well searched and all) and probably locked in the Danger room?))

     Cook grimaces but otherwise says nothing as he starts piling the giant centipede carcasses into a corner, dragging the twitching lengths of them out of the way one by one. He pauses briefly to eye the mess of ichor, crushed shells, and scattered innards coating the floor. Then he shrugs. Given the state of the house already, worrying over splatter seems a bit pointless.

     “What’s a carbon footprint?” he eventually asks Brynn offhandedly. The question’s clearly been rattling around in his skull for a minute or two while he stacked bug corpses.

     “I thought maybe it was one of them technical terms of yours,” he admits. “On account… Well, yeah, but I can’t for the life of me figure what it’s got to do with bugs.”

     “Keep an eye out for the runner,” Cook warns the others as he wipes his hands off on his trousers. Truth be told, he doesn’t sound especially concerned. Four of the creatures hadn’t amounted to much. The last one’s probably curled up hiding somewhere dark, hoping the world forgets about it. Cook can respect that instinct.

     “We clearing the ground floor before heading up?” he asks Seri as she starts examining the stairs.

     To Cook, it likely doesn’t matter overmuch either way. He figures the real danger was below ground all along. Smugglers wouldn’t want anything too deadly nesting directly above their own hideout if they could help it.

     Still. Best to be sure.

     Cook moves to continue onward, content to take the lead, or at least stay close behind if Seri or one of the others decides to move more cautiously, checking for traps and hidden nastiness.

     Not his preferred style, perhaps but he’s capable of patience. In small doses.

"If we're going to check the entire house we'll need to go up there. We should try and catch that last one if we can," Darixa says, though she already fears it may be too late. She's ready to keep moving but is clearly waiting for others to take the lead. 

Seri would have brought at least the messenger along since in her eyes, she wants to provide him (and all of them) a chance at redemption.

"The stairs appear safe if we go single file, though this entire house has the feel of a ship the Wave Father's tempest has already dealt a death blow but it does not know it yet.  Still floating listlessly before it sinks to the bottom.  But if this is the path used to signal the ship..."

As Darixa wishes to follow the fleeing centipede, Seri cautiously takes the lead up the stairs, hoping Cook backs her up.  Murmuring for Procan's guidance, she attempts to step where she sees existing boot prints on the boards.  Ripple perches on her shoulder watchfully.

With Darixa’s prompting and Seri’s assessment, Cook heads up to find the other half of the now dead centipede…

Along the north wall of this area, a staircase descends to the ground floor of the rear of the house. The treads appear to be used.

Another staircase along the east wall climbs to the upper level. This stair has mostly collapsed — only the lowest six steps are still intact, and there is no easy access to the hole in the ceiling to where the staircase used to lead. A heap of rotten timber lies in the northeast corner.

a very cold draft is coming down from the attic…