Nif investigates the room for anything that may seem hidden or disguised. Once he is done, he will open the chest and search inside it.

Investigation: 13

Vondal, Karl and Nif immediately go to work looking around the room.

Karl doesn't find any kind of traps on the desk. He does find various papers and notes stacked neatly on the surface. Giving a quick glance over them, he finds most are lists of ingredients — like shopping lists — all signed by Lord Albrek. The last is a letter addressed to Lord Albrek and stamped with some kind of symbol that looks like a black spider.

At the foot of the bed is a sturdy, unlocked wooden chest. It contains fists-full of gold and silver coins, a silk pouch, and two scrolls.

Before Karl and Nif can analyze their finds any further than that, Vondal gives a whoop of excitement. He has discovered a secret door in the northeast corner of the room behind one of the scarlet drapes. Looking through the door, he finds himself at the bottom of a set of stairs which appear to climb up to a dead end.

"Knew it. Looks like the way up is closed as well tho'. But probably still how wizard man could come and go as pleased from Manor, maybe." Vondal comments on while staring up into the stairway. "Wait.. if way is shut already. Hm... Unless-...." Vondal trails off into a fit murmurs and much beard tugging, leaving the others plenty of time to go back to examining their findings. 

"This Glasstaff is swift one, I give that. I say... we wait here. Catch our breathes finally. Maybe catch him off guard too when he returns." He says, gently patting a wound still need in proper caring for. "Should check out, uhm.. Forgot word. But other room. See what he was working on. May give more clues." If none object to a short rest, the gold dwarf opens up his healer's kit, and start at least bandaging the deeper cuts from the bugbears from before. 

Nif agrees to stay for a quick breath. He will more closely examine the contents of the chest, find the pouch and coins of particular interest. He will then read the scrolls to try and determine their purpose. If he can't decipher them, he will call over Zander, "These seem to lie within your skill set." he says as he shows the scrolls to the magic user.

(@All: That's 2 out of 4. Waiting on word on if we get through the short rest unimpeded before rolling an hit die. Speaking of word..)

"Er... to be honest, not really. I'm no wizard, I just woke up one day and realized 'Hey look I can set everything on fire.' I was kicked out of the house shortly afterwards. I'll take a look at them anyways, I guess."

And so, Zander does just that.

Karl looks more closely at the papers. The lists are written orders to apothecaries and alchemists in nearby settlements. The letter reads,

Lord Albrek,

My spies in Neverwinter tell me that strangers are due to arrive in Phandalin. They could be working for the dwarves. Capture them if you can, kill them if you must, but don’t allow them to upset our plans. See that any dwarven maps in their possession are delivered to me with haste. I’m counting on you, Iarno. Don’t disappoint me.

Nif counts the coins, finding 180 sp and 130 gp. In the silk pouch are five carnelians, two peridots, and one pearl. He looks at the scrolls, but finds them illegible. When he shows them to Zander, the sorcerer understands that one is a scroll of charm person, but he cannot make out the other.

OOC: Are Karl and Zander OK with taking a short rest?

(Zander's good with a rest)

Zander also concentrates for a little bit, and magic courses through his body, making him look refreshed.

(Sorcery points to regain slot)

As per usual, Nif will divide the coins and hand them out. (45 sp and 32 gp).

He will then settle down for a rest, going over his equipment and doing some basic stretches to remain limber.

Once the group is ready to go, unless they can see a way down the secret passage, Nif will lead the way out of the room and to the north of the original chamber.

Vondal thanks Nif for the coin, but pockets it without really counting things up. For he trusted Nif, or at least well enough when it came to coin. Food rations, on the other hand.... He shook his head as his thoughts returned back to days prior at the camp. Once wounds were seen to all that remained was to rest and wait the hour, eating, drinking, and keeping relatively quiet watch for the man of the hour.

"Droop. Remind me. Have you seen Glasstaff? Or heard him... described? His appearance." Once he had the information, he nods solemnly as attention shifts back to the secret path. "This may sound crewl, but what I wouldn't give for a few caltrops right now." He jests as he takes one last look in the adjacent room, and checks the desk for anything of interest. Perhaps even more notes on just what the man had been up to with the redbrand besides /apparently/ acting as some sort of go between the red brand the black spider.

(@All: Reserving his reaction to the news about Iarno for when its confirmed it is told)

Hit Die(if able to rest in peace): 

OOC: Go ahead and hit the short rest button and use any hit dice you'd like.

This shows the stairwell Vondal discovered behind the hidden door in the northeast corner of the room:

(If Vondal is asking about food, Nif still has some dried beef in his pack from the cave.)

If Vondal was indeed asking for food, Nif will dig into his pack and pull a few strips of beef jerky and hand them to anyone who wants some whilst they take a rest.

Droop shakes her head. "I have never seen him. And the bugbears did not describe him."

OOC: Everyone, please roll a straight intelligence check.

Vondal steps back into the workshop and begins looking around. The books and notes scattered around the room appear to be focused on alchemy and are of little interest to the monk. He does find one book that catches his eye because it is written in Dwarvish. It is the journal of someone named Urmon.

(@Zip: Vondal didn't ask. He just remembered about back at camp, and how Nif was stashing some away out of worry)

Intelligence of the Monk: 4.

Brain Engage: 4

Rogue Cunning: 8

Even though Vondal didn't ask, Nif thinking he heard Karl's stomach rumble will still offer some jerky around the group. Whether people take it or not, he will gnaw on a piece.

As they are gnawing on jerky, Zander and Nif quietly comment on the letter that Karl found. Nif says the name sounds familiar, to which Zander sucks in a breath and says he remembers Sildar saying he was in Pandalin looking for an Iarno Albrek.

(@Zip: Safe to say he kept the pouch of jewels he found on his person for now, yah?)

"That's unfortunate. But I cannot say it is surprising." Vondal grins sheepishly. He passes along some the remaining breakfast bacon to Droop should she hungry enough, if not some biscuits if more the vegematables type.

While not expecting to uncover much from reading the text, the book and name has part-time scholar curious enough to ask for his brothers to hold long enough for him to MOSTLY read over the first 5 pages to 10 pages. No matter what he finds however, the book is promptly stowed in his backpack to look into further later. After all, it wasn't often such texts could be found outside of major populous or dwarven run kingdoms.  Once satisfied he asks for one last detour back into the side room to strip the red-brand of any "red cloaks" if they hadn't already done so before letting Nif lead the pack into the main chamber. It is then he tries to re-establish communication with the apparently one-eyed creature hidden within a mental question.