Korrik, the former smuggler, wanders obliviously between Ash and Willard's secret conversation.

"Well... I'd say there's something dangerous on the other side,  I suppose."

He'll wander the length of the room and see if he can spot the secret door, and if it is something that could be jammed.

Perception: 5 ((he's not looking to poke around at it or anything to arouse suspicions.))

Ash replies, in common: “So, anything new in the caverns these days?”.

But overlays it with more Thieves’ Cant: “Tell - me - about - it!! - I’m - supposed - to - be - teaching - THESE - idiots. - Hells, - we’ll - get - there - in - the - end”. Then she tries a silly, old, private joke...” What - is - it - they - say? - Smugglers - can - ... - and - Thieves - Cant!”, giving him a wink.

((Just out of interest, what armour and weapons is Willard sporting right now? If any))

((It's molded thermoplastic and pleather, but it looks like real armor! Willard's a real whiz at cosplay!))

((omg that’s hilarious!! X-) lol))

Ben just watches the rest of them chatting and wanders over to the 'danger' door.

"Anyone try heading in here Willard? Get the bug to poke their heads in?"

Korrik, you are not sure if you'd be able to jam the secret door. It's behind the bookshelf and so you don't have a good look at it. 

Willard says back to Ash in cant "ha - ha - ha - ha. I - like - you - already! Oh - they - will - get - it - eventually. Hells - if - I - did - anyone - can!"

((LOLOL ok I had to change Willard! No more cosplay!!! LOLOL I have updated him on the NPC tab and on the map! I couldn't take it anymore! LOL))

Willard is wearing some standard looking leather armor. 

Ben, Willard responds "How long you been out recruiting for, old friend? You remember... the skeletons? Ain't no one going near that room ever again."

"Oh, I remember them but I also know some of the crew aren't that bright. Figure skeletons must be hiding something of value."

He stares at the door for a moment then walks back and says to Kay,

"Look at this..."

And takes him over to a corner away from Willard whispering while pointing at random things around the hidden door,

"Okay. Willard is probably served his purpose? I can get his weapons and we can drop him. Then I can put on his face, magically, and do a quick check of the caverns. What do you think?"

"Sounds like a plan... how hard we dropping him? Seemed pretty casual about our maggoty friend next door. You got any way to snuff that torch? Make it dark and he's not gonna see it coming."

"Skeletons? You think he meant like something in there that killed other people that came down here exploring, and just their bones are left?"

((@Klein, i think Ben's magic eyes would have still been up for a couple of minutes in this room. Anything magic in here or the 'danger' room?))

"I'm no avenging angel and I don't want him coming back as a problem. Whatever is easiest, we can maybe distract the maggots with him later or turn him in for a reward."

He points at a bed and continues,

"Nothing I can do about the torches. Your silence still up? We can get him in it and drop him quietly."

For the last question he does turn to look at the door.

"I haven't the faintest, but I have a bad feeling it might be something to do with that note in the books we found upstairs."

Shaking his head he finishes with,

"Let the other two know the plan. I will distract him."

Moving back over to Willard he'll ask,

"Is it too late for a meal? Is the boss in his office?"

And generally distract him while Kay passes the plan on.

((DM, has it been more than 10 minutes since Kay cast silence?))

"Hmm... If I hadn't silenced the alarm, I could darken the torch, but we could still do it manually... like fill a pot with water and splash it one it. How was the note worded exactly?"

After their whispered conference, Kay will pass on the particulars, urging Ess especially to keep cool.

"Wait, I can easily snuff the torches. Mostly just use prestidigitation for cleaning things and sparks, almost forgot it can do that. Just let me know when you're ready. Also, what do you think a 'hobby' is?"

And,

"It said 'beyond skeletons'. It could mean there's something past the skeletons, I guess? Something unpleasant...?"

((Ben's detect magic was cast a minute or two before the silence. Depends on how long you think we messed around in the dead guy wine cellar.))

Ash is ready to drop this guy. But she makes small talk and jokes with him a bit more to keep him distracted for now. But she glances towards Ben and Korrik for a sign every now and then (dagger behind her back). As far as she knows the plan is to subdue not kill. She bides her time, ready...

((OOC: What the party may have noticed about Ash’s daggers (almost her only belongings) so far... )):

Ben, you detect some magical auras through the east door/wall that is barred. A nice faint orange (Conjuration) as well as a rather dark purple aura (Transmutation). These colors are melded together in a beautiful way. 

Willard responds to Ben "Dinner?! Man, it's almost morning. Breakfast will be in a few hours, why don't you show the new guys the caverns?"

((yes the silence spell is still up in the wine cellar for maybe 2 more minutes. Same with Ben's detect magic. Let's say they are on the same timeframe.))

Ess looks and listens to Kay, nodding and keeping quiet. 

Ben, well done. You recall:

-> in the library upstairs. Inside the third volume of a book lies a piece of parchment torn from a larger sheet, containing a few lines of handwritten text in the Common tongue. Dampness has spoiled it so that only two words are legible: “beyond skeletons.”

** I forgot this.

Willard would've responded to Ben "hahaha, you're right about that. We checked the room before the skeletons were able to attack. Didn't you hear about this? Yeah, nothing but a bunch of crazed skeletons. Seems the nut job alchemist who lived here was just into death magic and was a poor old bastard at that! Ah well, we got a sick base out of it, yeah?"

"Sick indeed!"

He nods in appreciation then continues,

"Willard, would you mind showing you rapier (melee weapon?) to Fuzz? Mine isn't really what she'll be getting when we get her kitted out."

Once he agrees to that(or not) Ben will snap his fingers,

"Oh, and before I forget. As we were coming down there was something strange in cellar there, other than the body.  Odd noise. Shorts can you go show him?"

If Willard heads in there, and Kay hopefully gets him into the silence, Ben will gesture Ash and Ess in before dowsing the torch allowing the beatdown can start.

((I had to go back and re-read. I remember it was something to do with after skeletons!

Poor Willard.))

 ((Persuasion w/adv:12 --> becomes at least a 17

Deception w/adv: 26 becomes at least a 17))

Ben, Willard hands over the sword (it is a scimitar, and that's another reason why I had to ditch that image!) to Ash. "Yeah, sure. Have a feel. Pretty standard issue, but they do the trick. Run a few through with this here blade in fact.

"Hmmm... you know what, there's been a lot of noises in there lately. Thought it was rats. Yeah, c'mon. Shorts, show me where." and Willard will follow Kay into the wine cellar, where there's about 1.5 minutes of silence left.

Ess comes right into the room while the torch is dowsed. (map does not reflect this :) )

"Ok, what's up in here, Shorts?"

Map is updated.

Ash would shadow behind Willard (within 5ft) into the other room, muttering something about noises and old houses...

Once they are within silence, Ash waits for the lights to go out...

((Light goes when everyone is in place!))