Erven says "If it is ok with you all, I'm going to open this secret door.  Everyone ready?"

(( I think we have two time-streams running at the moment: the one with Sho examining the sword at the end of the rest, and the one where -- several posts back(!) -- Talion opened the secret door a tiny crack for Onyx to fully open while we all stand behind him ))

Quote from WhiteByakko >>

At the end of the brief ritual, magical energies came rushing in from all around in a flash, forming a dazzling, colourful spectrum in front of Sho's eyes. Focusing on the sword, Sho rubbed his aching temples and opened his eyes briefly with a somewhat weary sigh. "It is unquestionably magical... transmutation would be what it had given the blade its power, transforming it, strengthening it from ordinary steel. Enchantment however..." He paused hesitantly and resettled his gaze onto the sword. Enchantment usually comes with mind-altering properties. But he didn't want to say it out-right. "...it depends on how it was used." He continued.

"Let us retrieve the sword out if we want to study it further." He suggested. It was hard to resist the urge to study the sword a bit more. Reaching over and holding onto the hilt, he slowly pulled the sword out, before he puts it onto his lap and examines it more closely.

Strength (??): 15

 You pull the sword free easily, in fact much easier than should be possible.  It feels light in your hands and the balance is incredible.  It thrums with energy as you grab it and a warm radiance swells up through your hand and up your arm.  This disappears as you place it on your lap and break contact but the sword still pulses with energy and you feel the urge to wield it.  Perhaps more time is needed to really understand it but to your eye, it seems like a serviceable weapon, even if you're not proficient with these types of weapons.

@Talion
The door does not open a tiny crack.  As you push it to engage the mechanism, it slides and disappears into the wall, opening up a new room.  The room is small and full of dust and cobwebs.  There are a set of creaky, wooden stairs leading upwards into the gloom.

Talion curses when the door opens before he can get clear, but then curiosity gets the better of him and he glances inside quickly. He breathes out slowly through pursed lips, looking into the gloom, then pulls his head back and moves away from the door.

"Looks like it leads further up..." he says. He looks around grimly,  at the many unexplored doors on the current floor, "...but I think we should explore here before the mist gets it as well."

(( What details could he make out, if any, in the darkness? Stairs up and wall...or something more? ))

"The crying seems to be coming from the door to the south.  Does anyone have a way of lighting these oil lamps?  Should we head to the south and find out what is going on with the crying, or should we look north first?  Onyx, do you wish to try the great sword?"  Erven readies his whip and shield, gets ready to enter one of the doors, (behind Onyx).  

Talion also falls in behind Onyx, again happy to follow where he leads.

Bertolt will take up near the end of the group as they go forward, one hand holding the crossbow while still rather comically holding onto the books he had found in the other room. If it is to much he will quickly stow them away in order to return for them later.

Onyx accepts the greatsword for now.  The others all seemed to prefer finesse over brawn.  He sheaths the longsword and unbuckles his shield.

"I can't use this with my hands full, does anyone else need it?"

Once the shield is handed off (or slung over his back), Onyx takes a moment to consider their options.

"Everything inviting and obvious has been a trap, and a wailing ghost baby does not seem like the kind of thing we should disturb anyway.  It doesn't look like this goes very far.  I'll take a quick look."

Onyx begins to ascend the stairs, greatsword raised over his shoulder.

Erven proceeds after him, readies his whip to give backup and strike with reach.

Talion briefly frowns at Onyx's words, "There are two other doors here, if you want to leave the ... ah ... trap... until last" he finishes with a lopsided grin, and indicating the south door.

If Onyx proceeds up the stairs, Talion will move his chest to near the base of the stairs, glancing around protectively, fearing the mist might try to claim it.

The secret door opens, revealing a flight of stairs leading upwards. Sho glances inside, frowns at the moldy, dusty smell in the small room. He in interested in checking out the other two doors on the floor, however his other two companions seem more keen on exploring further up. As Onyx and Erven marches upstairs, following them he approaches the secret staircase, and watches as Talion protectively dragging the chest closer. Sho glances down at the awaiting mist, and pauses. "Shall we wait for them down here?"

Talion looks back at the other doors, pursing his lips, then back to Sho, "Our host wants us dead, wherever we are, but there is safety in numbers..." he raises his voice a little, making sure Onyx and Ervan can hear, "A quick look at what's up there, then return. Lets hope there's no more of that armour."

@Onyx
You ascend the stairs cautiously and open the door.  Before you is a dark main room choked with cobwebs.  Directly north of you is an opening to the outside - a balcony.  You notice another door to the south, and an ornate door to the west.  Further west, it looks like there is another set of doors opposite each other.  You think you catch movement here and there but it turns out only to be shadows and cobwebs moving around.........

Erven says to Onyx "Now that we've had a peek, perhaps we should go back down and handle those other doors first.  What do you think?"  He gazes into the dark to see if he can spot anything with his dark vision.

Perception :  18

Onyx takes a long pause at the top of the stairs.  This wasn't what he expected at all.  He casts a wary glance towards Erven, then pauses before speaking.

"Very well then.  You lot pick the door next, and give me a wide berth."

His gauntlets are clenched tightly around the hilt of the greatsword.  The others had a point here - there was unseen danger everywhere.

Quote from callmeLothar >>

Quote from DarthDrizzt >>

"I saw nothing more then you and the others attempting to poorly play a song of some kind." Bertolt says while he moves to examine the instruments with a quickly glance to see if any of them strike his eye as worth taking to perhaps either preserve or play at a later time.

(Gonna guess it would be investigation to see if they are worth anything.)

Investigation: 17

Yeah definitely!
These particular instruments are extremely valuable and are likely worth several thousand GP.  The floor harp has been exquisitely carved and decorated with gold and silver, and the harpsichord wooden finish is clearly masterwork.  Both are much too big to carry around with you but you could probably take the harp strings if you wanted to.

---

 

After everyone is ready, you approach the stairs leading upwards.  You hear the crying again and it's much closer - you would venture to say this is the floor where Walter is.  As you climb the stairs, you notice the feeling of the house changes: it's colder, draftier, nothing is lit and everything is dark; cobwebs drift lazily and whip forth as the wind from your passing hits them.  There is another sound underneath the crying and the stillness, almost like a buzzing that you hear sharply in your ear - though no obvious noise is present.  It's very eerie and it puts all of you on edge.  

Finally, as you climb the stairs to its full height, you look around the room:  those who can see will see two doors visible: one to the north and one to the south.  The dusty balcony has a nice suit of black plate armor standing against one wall, draped in cobwebs - it looks like the ones in the floor below and has a greatsword in its hands.  Oil lamps are mounted on the oak-paneled walls, which are carved with woodland scenes of trees, falling leaves, and tiny critters. 

Again, the sound of a baby crying can be heard, it seems like it is coming from the south......

What does everyone wish to do?

MAP (assume you are at the mouth of the stairs, if you want to tell me your formation that's fine too).

 

 Minus the armor, here’s the room  the oil lamps look serviceable - I think you have the items needed to light if you wanted to  

 

( Big North door? Happy with any. )

(North works for me too.)

If nothing else seen in the upper room with perception -

Erven follows Onyx into the north door, whip ready...

Onyx stops at the double-doors and looks back at his comrades. The double doors to this room have dusty panes of stained glass set into them. Designs in the glass resemble windmills. He nods to them and tries the doors.  They open without an issue.  Looking into the dark room, Onyx and company notice the following: 

The dusty, cobweb-filled master bedroom has burgundy drapes covering the windows. Furnishings include a four-poster bed with embroidered curtains and tattered gossamer veils, a matching pair of empty wardrobes, a vanity with a wood-framed mirror and jewelry box and a padded chair. A rotting bear-skin rug lies on the floor in front of the fireplace, which has a dust-covered portrait of Gustav and Elisabeth Durst hanging above it. A web-filled parlor in the southwest corner contains a table and two chairs.  Resting on the dusty tablecloth is an empty porcelain bowl and a matching jug.  A door facing the foot of the bed has a full-length mirror mounted on it. A door in the parlor leads to an outside balcony, where you can see the mist gathering below, if you look outside. A dumbwaiter in the corner of the west wall has a button on the wall next to it. You assume this will ring the tiny bell in the area below where you originally found the contraption.

MAP