Balassar nods in agreement as he follows keeping his weapons at the ready.

The next room - the final room on this floor - has a staircase, a door leading out the back that appears to be barred shut, and a few small piles of trash and other debris on the floor. It looks like this might once have been a kitchen, large enough for people to sit and eat as well. But it's been stripped and left neglected. From the dust on the floor, you don't think either the stairs or the barred door have been used recently.

Rhane:

“Looks like the trapdoor is our entry point,” says Rhane, looking at the disused room beyond.  “Cover me,” he requests as he goes and tries to slowly and quietly open the trap door after.

Sleight of Hand:  21

Alton stands back a few feet from the trapdoor to cover Rhane.

The trapdoor opens; it's not locked or obstructed, but with Rhane's skilled hand it opens silently. 

The second thing you notice is a ladder leading down into the darkness, with perhaps a floor just visible twenty feet or so below. That seems unimportant compared to the first thing you notice, which is a powerful stench of rotting flesh.

Rhane:

”We are certainly on the right track,” says Rhane, moving down carefully, “Let’s keep moving.”

Alton covers his nose as the smell hits him, "Ugh, smells worse than the night of the cabbage harvest." He'll follow behind Rhane.

Balassar just looks at the rest of his companions as he grips his sword and shield tighter “I’ll go first…make sure it safe for you all.” He says taking the lead.

You clamber down the ladder, one after the other, and find yourselves in a dark, damp and empty cellar room. Those with darkvision (i.e. not Alton) can perceive two doors, one in the east wall, one in the west wall, both closed. It's clear that the smell - almost overpowering now - is coming from beyond the east door.

What are you doing for light down here, if anything? You are in a spot of dim light near the hatch leading upwards, but will be in darkness as soon as you move away from it.

Rhane:

Rhane offers to cast Light on an item of Alton’s choosing—preferably one that can be easily covered at need.

Alton pats himself down looking for something, as he left his backpack behind at Balassar's place. He pulls out a gold coin from a pocket and hands it over to Rhane hoping that will work.

Rhane:

”Excellent,” says Rhane, casting the spell on the coin.  He makes the light a warm golden color to match the coin.

”Let’s keep moving,” he says as he heads over to the charnel house door and examines it.

Perception:  24

The east door is closed. It's not locked or trapped. Rhane faintly hears movement coming from behind it; the slow, shuffling steps of a single creature.

Rhane:

Whispering, Rhane says, “A single creature shuffles beyond this doorway.  I shudder to think what it might be given the smell.”

“We move swift. Quiet if we can, but ready to end whatever foul thing waits on the other side.” Balassar moves forward with his drawn scimitar and raises his shield, positioning himself to the right of the door his stance is unwavering - measured, disciplined ready to rush in once the door is open to attack the creature.

“Alton, stay close behind. Rhane, give the word and I’ll take point. If it’s one creature, we deal with it quickly. If it’s worse…” He lets the implication hang in the dank air. Frost curls faintly from his nostrils as he breathes, a calm intensity settling over him like a mantle. “…then we end the worse thing together.”

The door awaits - who's opening it?

Rhane:

Rhane opens the door and pivots out of the way, letting Alton take point.

The view of the next room is grim, though thanks to the smell, not surprising. Corpses. Many corpses, perhaps a dozen strewn about the place and a large pile of many more in one corner of the large room. One corpse is animated, slowly shuffling, and as the door opens, the head jerks in your direction, and Alton would see some of the corpses on the ground twitch. The pile twitches too.

Roll initiative please.

"Oh, that's just gross. Of course there's more than one too." Alton says with some disgust.

Alton's initiative: 22 

Rhane:

Nocking an arrow to his bow, Rhane prepares to support Alton’s tactics at the start of the battle.

Initiative:  13