(I'd like to use the hit dice option since the potential is much greater: 3)

Alerian agrees after tending to his wounds. Life in the wilds granted a certain rugged stoicism for pain. "Normally, I'd rather use my bow but it seems we are low on options at the moment. I'll share the front with you, priest."

(EDIT: Hit Dice why have you failed me?! In reality, I rolled about the samr as the houserule for recovery.)

Quote from Auberginian >>

*So my normal house rule for healing after a short rest is you get 1/4 of your Max HP back, I don't like the spending Hit Die rule, I think it is dumb. However, this isn't my table and we aren't using house rules so if any of you wish to expend a Hit Die for healing you may do so now. Also if there is any magical healing going to be done let me know that as well.*

What do you want to do now?

*Okay, so apparently there was some confusion and it was on my part. I only mentioned my normal house rule as a qualifier because I am not very familiar with the standard rule on short rests. However, we are NOT using my house rules so if any of you wish to take your Hit Die for healing during this short rest please just make the roll. Now Ivanchina, I have no problem with your switching out a spear for a staff. So if you want to update your character's equipment list then go ahead.

At this point I am waiting for a decision from Lebenha about what she wants to do during the short rest.

P.S. My parents are in town this week so please bear with me if I am a little slow to respond and post.

Quote from Auberginian >>

*Okay, so apparently there was some confusion and it was on my part. I only mentioned my normal house rule as a qualifier because I am not very familiar with the standard rule on short rests. However, we are NOT using my house rules so if any of you wish to take your Hit Die for healing during this short rest please just make the roll. Now Ivanchina, I have no problem with your switching out a spear for a staff. So if you want to update your character's equipment list then go ahead.

At this point I am waiting for a decision from Lebenha about what she wants to do during the short rest.

P.S. My parents are in town this week so please bear with me if I am a little slow to respond and post.

maximum health, ready to go ahead

Lebenha sees if his friend is ok before tending her own wound. She takes some clothes from one of the dead, clean it throughtfully with water and then uses it to bandage her wound. It's not perfect, but it's functional.

[OOC: Using HD to recover: 3 ]

"I should take the lead my brave warriors " she says " so I can see if there are any traps ahead. "

[OOC: Once we are ready Leb will take point, using Stealth and Perception looking for traps or enemies I don't know if you want to roll both on your side but in case you want me to roll and to speed up things: Stealth: 22

Perception 18 ]

I spent my hit die as well, and Asgar's still back up to full HP ;)

Quote from TiSaei >>

I spent my hit die as well, and Asgar's still back up to full HP ;)

The four of you enter the tower with Lebenha leading the way, your eyes take a moment to adjust to the dim interior. Before you is a richly decorated sitting room. Several lush tapestries line the walls. The the left is a large hearth ornately carved to resemble a dragon's head. Straight a head of you are a pair of curving staircases that lead to the next floor. Several bodies lie on the floor in various states of decay. All of them appear to be twisted into almost unnatural shapes, their faces permanently etched into masks of terror and agony.

What do you want to do?

"Well, it seems that we just underestimated this assassin's activity, Leb, do you know them? They are from the village? We have to find him, rapidly, I don't know if this could be the Wizard's work, or someone else...and moreover, I am also worried about the possibility that this...is related to the relic we are hired to looking for"

Thieven, meanwhile wants to look at them closely to have a better examination, ready to act if necessary 

(ooc): does they look similar to Poffer's rest? I supposed yes

Are there any other furnishments we could examinate?

[OOC: Does Leb recognizes any of them?]

"Seeing this we could have let those bandits enter this place... " says Leb as she goes to the stairs and check them for traps and tries to listen something on the other side of the stairs.

[Perception: 7 ]

Alerian nudges a couple of the corpses, staying ready to jump if needed.

(Swords out, Perception 11)

The corpses on the floor appear to have a similarly grey skin as old Poffer did but they are in further states of decay. They appear to have been extremely dried out, and when Alarien nudges one with his boot a part of the corpse crumbles to dust. Lebenha doesn't recognize any of them but something about them does seem familiar but she can't put her finger on it. There are several pieces of furniture in the room, a couple of sofas, a chez-lounge, a few high backed chairs, a pair of ottomans, several tables and a few free standing sconces. All of which are very dusty but otherwise in very good shape. There are four very ornately woven tapestries on the wall and the floor is covered with thick carpets.

Lebenha when you get to the stairs there is a 6th corpse but this one isn't desiccated like the others. He is lying on the floor in a way that looks like he may have fallen backwards off the stairs and you notice four strange char marks on his chest. Also you notice every third stair has four gemstones inset in the riser. The bottom most set of gems are black but all the rest you can see are red.

Thieven during your closer examination of the bodies you find that one of the men is wearing a silver pendant in the shape of a club (the playing card suit) while a second man nearby has a silver ring with the same emblem etched into it. 

 

"Look at these silvered jewels guys, there is a sort of embleme on it, perhaps, there is another organization looking for our assassin or...the relic, sure, they didn't find a peaceful end but found the killer, i will take these little things, maybe someone in town can recognize them"

(ooc): Thieven can recognize the emblem and/or the organization? On  another hand, you mentioned that most of the furnitures are covered in dust, is there a sign of recent activity here? Tracks?  Trails not covered in dust..any piece of furniture that could be moved..if i had to roll for something I am ready

"Leb...those redstones doesn't excite me, it seems that they just blaze at that body, dont step on gemmed riser please, maybe we can try to safely activate them"

(ooc) something came in my mind, late I know but, we miss a player? I remember Arenabait wanted to play a wizard...maybe he turns undead and now is the villain :D

"I was thinking the very same thing. Don't know how but it seems that the one who got the jewels may activate some kind of trap. I do not see any mechanical device, and taking into account the naure of the former owner and the scorched body here I suspect a magic trap. I am not sure how to deactivate such a thing so I suggest to leave it as it's be and be careful not to setp on the wrong ones." 

(ooc: sorry for the delayed posting - brother visiting and a national holiday, but I'll try and pick up my tablet more often  ☺️)

"Let's bring back the jewellery with the emblems, and see if anyone recognises them. I would suggest that we also make sure to lay these folks in the ground, all properly and such, but it looks like we would be needing sweepers and not shovels, and I'm not much of a cleaner... Would you object if we were to just leave the bodies like we found them? I'll ask Bahamut for forgiveness later, just to please the old bastard a bit...! And Lebenha, you may be right about us just avoiding the gems, if we wan't to take a look further up, but just in case you need to disable them anyway, please be careful and keep your mind focused!"

[Asgar takes Lebenha's hand and casts Guidance on her.]

"Ok then, I don't wonna have other surprises today, I will use a divination gift, if arcane magic is active here, we will aware of it.."

Thieven close his eyes looking inside himself for concentration, his breaths slows and suddenly when he feels he is ready, he  re-opens his eyes, a hint of blue arcane energy shine in his iris

[Thieven cast Detect Magic]

Alerian takes note of the stairs and examines the body. "Looks like this sad raider thought to climb the stairs and was met by a trap from these inset jewels. See how they are about level with a person's torso? Maybe Asgar can proceed first with shield at the front, or we can use the dead body as a makeshift shield. I don't think he would mind."

Taking another glance at the dessicated corpses, Alerian notes, "Anyone know the significance of their jewelrys' emblems?"

(What check is needed for knowledge of the Club emblems?)

First to answer Barlow, there isn't a roll you can make to determine any information about those emblems because knowledge skills are gated, which means when I design an adventure I predetermine what the passive knowledge score needs to be to know a fact and if anyone in the party has that score I give them the information. This is why I have said not to do a die roll unless I ask for one because so much of my games are based on gates. I do this so that the flow of information remains consistent. So now with that said this is what has been determined by the party so far:

Thieven, through the use of your Detect Magic you are able to determine that the red gemstones are enchanted with some sort of invocation magic, however you are not fluent enough in the arcane arts to identify the exact spell. Also there is nothing else in this chamber that radiates any magical energy.

Asgar & Lebenha, you both recognize the emblems belonging to a notorious group of rogues and scoundrels that operate in the northern cities known as the Club of Knaves.

Lebenha, you are under the effect of Asgar's Guidance cantrip, so please let me know what skill you wish for it to enhance and what you wish to do.