Quote from T0dd0>>

”does anyone have a lockpick? This cabinet is locked.”

"No, sorry." Alev answers. "You should go and ask Skip, I'm sure he could open that lock no problem."

"Yes, I might be able to open it. During my time as a spy in my tribe, I've grown quite proficient in lock picks." Thadalas says, as he brandishes his Thieves' Tools. He'll use the tools to attempt to unlock the cabinet.

Dex Check: 15

Your lock picking skills are a bit rusty, but you manage to open the lock to the cabinet. It holds a heavy crossbow, a light crossbow, a hand crossbow, and 20 bolts for each weapon.

Thadalas nods, as he ganders upon the hand crossbow. "Ah, finally something I can use." he says, as he takes the hand crossbow and a quiver of bolts. "There's a light crossbow and heavy crossbow here if anyone needs it." he calls out to the others.

“I’ll hold on to the light one. Ranged option would be handy in most cases.”

Lucan takes the light crossbow and the quiver of bolts.

The last room you haven't explored on the 1st floor is that little closet. Inside, he closet is filled with fine coats hanging from racks. Above, a shelf holds many hats.

The 1st floor is cleared. You can now move to the second floor if you like.

Thadalas will traverse up the spiral stairway to investigate the second floor.

Sergei's going to go up to the 2nd floor, as well. He shows no interest in the crossbows.

Rudick shuddered despite himself, the cold having gotten better of the Orc, if only for a moment. It seemed foolish after the fact, and yet he put away warhammer again to begin lighting the lanterns, knowing those below would need it. "Someone bring up the heavy one for me." He called, assuming he heard any chatter about the weapon. And if not, it would not change the Orc's eventual examining of the armor sets, and wondering if any might fit his particular frame.

An unlikely scenario, but he held out the hope secretly as passed through the hall. Held onto the hope tighter still, if any appear to be made of long sought after plate. But beyond a look, he never touches any before making his way to the painting. By the time the others make it to the top, assuming nothing untoward happened to the Orc, the hallway is fully lit, and Rudick can be seen staring intently at it. "Seems the child is sore spot for the Lady of this home... Feh. Nobles." He would say upon hearing them climb, but without looking back.

Thadalas takes note of the family portrait, and ganders closely after Rudick pointed out the dissociation the woman has with the baby. "Humans, am I right?" he says jokingly, trying to see what sort of reaction he can get out of Rudick.

Skip, finding nothing of interest, and missing out on that sweet little hand crossbow, flows up the stairs with the rest of the party. 

Alev stares at the leftover crossbow for a moment in doubt before he decides to grab it. "Eh, you never know..." He says as he takes the heavy crossbow and the bolts. "I might need it later."

If he hears Rudick, he grabs the heavy crossbow for him and will give it to the orc as soon as he ask for it, but he's the one holding onto it for the time being.

Then, he goes up the stairway with the rest of the group.

Rudick just grunts, not really seeming to get the joke. He does thank Alev in a curt nod upon passed along the heavy crossbow, and spends a moment get that situated on his person. After which however, he went to to pop open the right hand down, half eager yet to find either nursery or monster at the wrong place and the wrong time. Because his hammer arm was yet itching to working out building frustration...

Upon seeing Rudick go to the door on the right, Thadalas will go to the door on the left to investigate further.

Sergei is disturbed that they didn’t find a way into the basement on the ground floor. He has a growing sense of unease in this house, as if all is not as it seems. He goes into the left room on the second floor, determined to look about more closely.

Skip, seeing that two of the rooms are being investigated already, heads for the double doors, cracks one open and slides in

perception 11

Rudick,  several an undecorated bedroom contains a pair of beds with straw stuffed mattresses. At the foot of each bed is an empty footlockerr. Tidy servants uniforms hang from hooks in the adjoining closet to the left. A dumbwaiter is on the wall to the right with a small golden button next to it.

Sergei, gossamer drapes cover the windows of this elegantly appointed hall, which has a brass plated chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Upholstered chairs line the walls, and stained glass wall hangings depicting beautiful men, women, and children singing and playing instruments. A harpsichord with a bench rests in the northwest corner. Near the fireplace is a large standing harp. Alabaster figurines of well dressed dancers adorn the mantlepiece. Close inspection of them reveals that several are carvings of well dressed skeletons.

Skip, you open the double doors on the right and reveal a library. Red velvet drapes cover the windows of this room. An exquisite mahogany desk and a matching high back chair face the entrance and the fireplace, above which hangs a framed picture of a windmill perched a top a rocky crag. Situated in corners of the room are to overstuffed chairs. Floor to ceiling bookshelves line the south wall. A rolling wooden ladder allows one to more easily reach the high shelves.

The desk has several items resting top it. They include an oil lamp, a jar of ink, a quill pen, tinderbox, and a letter kit containing a red wax candle, four blank sheets of parchment, and a wooden seal bearing the Durst family's insignia, a windmill.The desk drawer is empty except for an iron key. The bookshelves hold hundreds of books covering topics including history, warfare, and alchemy. There are also several shelves containing 1st addition collected works of poetry and fiction. While you are inspecting the book shelves, you notice a red covered book with a blank spine that doesn't match the books around it. Curious, you reach out and pull on the book. You hear a grinding noise from behind the bookcase as it swings open to reveal a secret room. 

This small room is packed with bookshelves holding books that are bound in human flesh. A heavy wooden chest with clawed iron feet stands against the south wall, i's lid half closed. Sticking out of the chest is a skeleton in leather armor. Close inspection reveals that the skeleton belongs to a human who triggered a poisoned dart trap. 3 darts are stuck in the dead adventurer's armor and ribcage. 

Clutched in the skeletons left hand is a letter bearing the seal of a man's profile. Inside the chest, there are 3 blank books with black leather covers, 3 rolled up scrolls, the deed to the house, the deed to a windmill, and a signed will.

Sergei would be fascinated by this room, having read about high society, musical instruments and such. He had been instructed on basic musical theory but had not had opportunity to practice on instruments fancier than a flute. He would not be able to resist strumming the harp softly to hear its tone.

He would be fascinated by the fine artwork and then jolted back into the sinister reality of his surroundings when he sees the skeletons. How strange to have the alabaster figurines commissioned to be skeletons. What does that say about this place, the people who live here...?

Fascinated by the collection of books, Lucan takes as many books as he can brought, everything that can give him any clue of this strange land.

”I can’t wait to read all this. We need as much information about this land.” Says Lucan to his friends while he grab as many book as he can and put it on his luggage.

He also takes the scroll and the book and tries to see if it contain spells or something useful.

Arcana check 23

Skip, moving the skeleton out of the way, takes the letter out of its bony hand. He reaches in to the chest and removes all the items, laying them out on the floor. [i]’Hmmmm, those kids can have the will and deeds I suppose’[/i] he thinks, making a note of the windmills location using the quill, ink and paper from the desk [i]’May need checking out later’[/i]
He nips back to the desk and pockets the iron key, and the tinderbox before calling out “some in’eresting stuff in here guys, an’ some grisly stuff an’all”

as he waits for the others to arrive, the gnome opens the letter from the skeletons hand and reads it