Falshen snatches up the keys and rejoins his companions. "We may not have long before the Watch arrives, but at least we have aggressors to point to when they do. We're just helping out a clearly upstanding family in obvious trouble, right friends?" With a grim grin, he knocks a new arrow on his bow, pointedly ignoring the arrows protruding from the thugs' corpses.
Falshen snatches up the keys and rejoins his companions. "We may not have long before the Watch arrives, but at least we have aggressors to point to when they do. We're just helping out a clearly upstanding family in obvious trouble, right friends?" With a grim grin, he knocks a new arrow on his bow, pointedly ignoring the arrows protruding from the thugs' corpses.
"Yes, and if holder of Golorr Stone is here, only natural that we 'protect' him from this trouble as well, kahah!" not one to miss an opportunity, Akai chimes in with his support.
Irma nods in agreement and lifts his shield at the ready, "Let us go forward and check the rest of the manor. If there are no locked doors on this floor then maybe the keys work upstairs." Irma leads the way heading up the stairs to the second floor and stands at the base of the stairs looking around for a door that the group has not confirmed yet.
Gregor is going to send his spider under each of the doors an relay their contents to Irma. He will start with the large double doors, then the single door closest to the party, then the single furthest from the party. The spider will be instructed to head into each of the rooms behind the doors until Gregor is fairly certain that he has seen the whole room.
Scuttling quickly under doors and over floors while the party waits quietly at the foot of the stairs, Gregor’s eight-legged friend discovers the following:
North of the great hall is the family library. The walls are lined with bookshelves, including sliding wooden ladders mounted on rails to allow easy access to the higher shelves.In one corner stands an iron lectern with a closed, locked, leather-bound tome resting on it. Two padded chairs face a large fireplace. One has a wolf skin draped over it. Adjacent to the library is a study. Velvet armchairs, small statues of naked men on pedestals, and tall mahogany bookshelves are arranged neatly around the room. A large mahogany desk occupies one corner.
West of the great hall are two more rooms. The smaller room to the north is a comfortable den. The heads of various beasts are mounted on the walls and gleaming suits of armor stand at attention in the corners. Bearskin rugs and overstuffed chairs fill the room. In the middle of the room, resting on a table, is a cage containing a hooded falcon; the bird paces restlessly, bobbing its hooded head. The larger room to the south is a luxuriously furnished parlor, containing dainty chairs, a chaise longue, a wine cabinet, and a range of oversized portraits.
All of these rooms are unoccupied, save for two more dead Guards in Gralhund livery on the floor of the parlor.
The spider, manifesting at the top of the stairs, within 30 feet of where Gregor stands at the bottom but just out of sight of the party, has a fleeting glimpse of a carpeted foyer before its senses go black - the familiar has been killed, and will require a Find Familiar spell to be summoned again.
Any party member with a Passive Perception greater than 15 hears a faint "thunk" noise at the moment the spider is removed from the material plane.
Jerking at the noise, Falshen draws back ever so slightly on his bowstring, the tip of the nocked arrow drifting toward the direction of the stairs without actually pointing at anything. Glancing at Gregor, he mutters "Trouble?"
Gregor manifests an illusory spider as directed. "An expensive annoyance," he growls to Falshen as he casts, "I suspect a crossbow awaits us in the near future."
Irma advances up the stair, the illusory spider scampering up ahead of him, while the remainder of the party remain below.
Coming to the top of the stair, the paladin has just a moment to glance around and see that he stands in a foyer with a door on his right (north) and a hall on his left (south) when a crossbow bolt flies at him from his left side!
Irma heals himself using Lay on Hands for 4+ health (11/15 pool available). Health 28/28
Falshen snatches up the keys and rejoins his companions. "We may not have long before the Watch arrives, but at least we have aggressors to point to when they do. We're just helping out a clearly upstanding family in obvious trouble, right friends?" With a grim grin, he knocks a new arrow on his bow, pointedly ignoring the arrows protruding from the thugs' corpses.
"Yes, and if holder of Golorr Stone is here, only natural that we 'protect' him from this trouble as well, kahah!" not one to miss an opportunity, Akai chimes in with his support.
Irma nods in agreement and lifts his shield at the ready, "Let us go forward and check the rest of the manor. If there are no locked doors on this floor then maybe the keys work upstairs." Irma leads the way heading up the stairs to the second floor and stands at the base of the stairs looking around for a door that the group has not confirmed yet.
Gregor is going to send his spider under each of the doors an relay their contents to Irma. He will start with the large double doors, then the single door closest to the party, then the single furthest from the party. The spider will be instructed to head into each of the rooms behind the doors until Gregor is fairly certain that he has seen the whole room.
Scuttling quickly under doors and over floors while the party waits quietly at the foot of the stairs, Gregor’s eight-legged friend discovers the following:
North of the great hall is the family library. The walls are lined with bookshelves, including sliding wooden ladders mounted on rails to allow easy access to the higher shelves.In one corner stands an iron lectern with a closed, locked, leather-bound tome resting on it. Two padded chairs face a large fireplace. One has a wolf skin draped over it. Adjacent to the library is a study. Velvet armchairs, small statues of naked men on pedestals, and tall mahogany bookshelves are arranged neatly around the room. A large mahogany desk occupies one corner.
West of the great hall are two more rooms. The smaller room to the north is a comfortable den. The heads of various beasts are mounted on the walls and gleaming suits of armor stand at attention in the corners. Bearskin rugs and overstuffed chairs fill the room. In the middle of the room, resting on a table, is a cage containing a hooded falcon; the bird paces restlessly, bobbing its hooded head. The larger room to the south is a luxuriously furnished parlor, containing dainty chairs, a chaise longue, a wine cabinet, and a range of oversized portraits.
All of these rooms are unoccupied, save for two more dead Guards in Gralhund livery on the floor of the parlor.
The DM rolls...20
Recalling the spider, Gregor sends it up the stairs. To expedite this, he will dismiss it and manifest it as far up the stairs as possible.
The DM rolls....9
Gregor, please roll a Perception check for the Spider, at Disadvantage.
Rolling for the cob: 7
The spider, manifesting at the top of the stairs, within 30 feet of where Gregor stands at the bottom but just out of sight of the party, has a fleeting glimpse of a carpeted foyer before its senses go black - the familiar has been killed, and will require a Find Familiar spell to be summoned again.
Any party member with a Passive Perception greater than 15 hears a faint "thunk" noise at the moment the spider is removed from the material plane.
Jerking at the noise, Falshen draws back ever so slightly on his bowstring, the tip of the nocked arrow drifting toward the direction of the stairs without actually pointing at anything. Glancing at Gregor, he mutters "Trouble?"
Irma steps onto the stairway and raises his shield, "Gregor ready your familiar and have it 15 feet in front of me. I'll follow behind it."
Gregor manifests an illusory spider as directed. "An expensive annoyance," he growls to Falshen as he casts, "I suspect a crossbow awaits us in the near future."
Ian readies himself beside Gregor, ready for whatever action that may occur.
Akai stands by the trio, ready to conjure his fire when necessary.
Irma advances up the stair, the illusory spider scampering up ahead of him, while the remainder of the party remain below.
Coming to the top of the stair, the paladin has just a moment to glance around and see that he stands in a foyer with a door on his right (north) and a hall on his left (south) when a crossbow bolt flies at him from his left side!
Attack: 25 Damage: 5
Sneak Attack Damage: 13
The bolt punches through the armor in the paladin's shoulder, inflicting 14 damage (14 / 28 HP).
Everyone, please roll for Initiative and declare your intended action on your first turn.
Irma must call out (a free action) or give some other signal for the rest of the party to act. This may occur before any other action.