(Just for prosperity's sake: 10.)

"Hm?... Ah, I see." Rudick emits, looking to the patch of earth, then back to the others. "My... thanks. And though tempting... I think not. Not yet, at least. I would rather not be lured into a distraction or trap if this level yet contains the heart of this house. We continue our investigation of this floor." Rudick affirms as he looks ahead to the larger chamber. "Even if this 'place' is confident of seeing to our end regardless, it does not mean it won't hide its weakness." He then makes his way forward, leaping over the patch of avoided earth if sidestepping it did not seem possible, and continue towards the larger chamber.

A 4' diameter well shaft with a 3' high stone lip descends 30' into a water filled cystern. A wooden bucket hangs from a rope and pulley mechanism bolted to the cross beans of the well. 5 side rooms connected to the chamber appear to be rooms. Each contains a wood framed bed with a moldy straw mattress mattress and a wooden chest. Each chest is secured with a rusty iron padlock that can be picked with a thieves tool check with DC of 15. On the right of where you entered the chamber, you see a flight of stairs leading upwards before turning out of sight.

Sergei is focused on finding an exit or something so he’s not really impressed with this room. He’d like to move on and not mess with anything.

Alev had been distracted, and so didn't noticed the patch until he heard the others talking about it. Not thinking it that important, he says nothing.

Instead, his attention is grabbed when he sees the chests. "Do you think that these contain something? Or could it be a trap, like that armor?" He asks to the rest of the group, pointing to one of them. "I mean... If they happened to contain something valuable, wouldn't it be worth the risk? I know this house is haunted and trying to kill us, but there could be gems inside or something!"

He stands there and stares at it longingly, hoping against hope that Skip or anyone else might be as curious as him and decide to try to open it, as he can't do it himself.

"Gems would be a stretch, and the same goes for any riches. But, worth a look all the same, if only to yet discover more clues to undermine this corrupted construction." Rudick looks askance to Sergei. "Regardless of our trepidation. Until this half-plate turns against me, I won't assume absolutely everything in this nightmare wants our hide. That said-..." He turns his attention to the chest. "Don't exactly have the right tools for this, least I break something more than just a lock... What about the rest of you?" He asked more or less unaware of Skip's full prowess, having been in other places at the time of his previous roguish endeavors.

“Alright, alright, let’s me sleep or Skip have a little looksee at these locks”

skip steps up to the first chest, pulling a small wallet of picks and rakes out of a gold in his cloak, and begins to work at the lock

13

Leann nods and steps to the bottom of the stairs, keeping watch there as the chests are looked into. "Can't say I like it that these stairs go up, but suppose we best check it out, might lead somewhere else in the place, that we can go downward again."

8
21
6

7

16

You manage to open all but the last chest. You insert your pick, but you turn in the wrong way on accident. You hear you pick snap in two as you try to open the lock

In the chests, you find a few personal items. In addition you find:

• You 11 gold and 60 silver in a pouch made of human skin.
• 3 moss agates in a folded piece of black cloth.
• Ivory hair brush with silver brushes.
• 1 silver short sword.

When the chest opens, Alev pounces at the sight of what he distinguishes to be stones or gems under the black cloth. He grabs the three moss agates and holds them while making excited little chittering sounds. 

While he inspects the agates, he glances at the coins and the sword. "...Is that made of silver?" He asks, his hands still busy with the agates.

Leann glances over from her position at the stairs. Seeing the silver sword she would speak up. "Silvered weapons could be useful, can someone use a short sword?"

Sergei says,

”I have no use for that thing, but it seems others in the party will want it.”

"I don't know how to use swords, and I'm more of a "Throw fire at it till it dies" kinda guy anyways" Alev says. "But someone should definitely bring it along. Silver weapons are what kills werewolves, after all. Someone should grab it."

He looks at the gold and silver greedily, but he's squicked out by the human skin, so he lets the others grab it instead. "...All I know is that these pretty stones are coming with me!" He declares, referring to the agates he's still holding. He will then keep them in his backpack, hoping that the rest of the team will be more interested on the money and the sword anyways. Hopefully these are not cursed or anything like that...

Rudick scoffs. "Anyone with half a brain knows to put the pointy bit in your foes, and not yourself." He said, then sighed and shook his head. "Skip? You should keep hold of the sword, coin, and brush for now. And we'll sort out the business of the gems-..." The Orc turns on Alev, giving him a pointed look. "Later. For now, we focus on survival and arming ourselves." One last look is given to the chest that thwated Skip. Though he half a mind to try his heavy handed approach, if only out of revenge, he simply shook his head and carried on to the unexplored stairs to the north of them. 

Sergei follows, eager to be moving on. He disapproves of the looting, half worried that there could be unintended supernatural consequences, but he keeps it to himself. He gives everything a once-over with his eldritch-enhanced vision, of course

(keeping detect magic up continually)

Heeding Rudicks advice regarding the silver short sword, Skip finds a way to fasten it to himself. He slips the coin pouch and brush into his small pack. 
“I’ve heard of a ‘Kings Coin Purse’ before, never thought to find one so literal. Alev, look after these baubles for now?” He asks, handing the gems to his companion. He looks at the last chest, annoyed that it defeated him, and broke a pick. ‘Need to replace that when I can’

Alev cowers a little under Rudick's pointed look, his feathers ruffling. He's instantly relieved when Skip lets him hold on to them for now, though. "...Thanks." He says to the gnome.

"Alright, let's go!" He exclaims, and follows the others to the stairs.

Leann nods as the others get things sorted out. As the group moves to the stairs she asks, "So do we send a scout up first or just all go up as a group?"

Rudick shook his head. "Under normal, uh... condition, I would say yes... But these aren't normal conditions. We already lost one companion when they either decided to do the same without telling any of us, or the house took them quietly when they deviated too far from the rest." He grumbled for a moment, but never pauses in step on his way to whatever other room/chamber awaited them. "Best we stick together while we're here as much as we can."

You walk up the stairs and come to a room with a wooden table that has 4 chairs. It's stands at the east end of this room. To the west are for alcoves containing moldy straw pallets. Across the way, you can see another staircase heading upwards.