Death House

[VAN]

Van smiles at the gnomes happy to lead the group.

"Thank you my friends, I accept the task but since we are rebels and not royals you two are my advisors. I will not order you to do anything, just suggest. This is how things should always go. People have voice, not only the leader. I will not be blind from power as Kings and nobbles do. No, I will try to be different and lead wisely. Now, I think the shutters are broken so I will also be the first to enter the house. Not because I'm the leader but because I'm brave and I want us all out of here as soon as possible."

Van steps inside scimitars at hands and looks around, he makes a slight grimace of disgust at the animals killed.

"Only an aristocrat would have killed and displayed the animals as trophies. If someone cannot be proud of doing anything important just do these little tricks. Silly people."

[ewancummins]

GNORRIC follows his leader.
If there is no further sign of hostility from the two royalists, he lets the matter drop, having made his point.
The ugly little gnome creeps about in the house, checking for clues, looking for drawers , panels, vents, and so on to open. He excercises caution, taking his time. Always wary of traps. The group is in no rush, at least not right now and so far as he can see.

[Ken of Ghastria]

Vorj also steps in, axe at the ready. "Do any of you hear anything?" he whispers.

He takes a couple of steps toward the oak table by the hearth, looking to see if there's been any recent activity or whether the area is covered in dust.

[steveflam]

BHunder is happy Van accepts and with whathe has said.

He keeps an eye out for trouble and listens for any signs of a monster the children spoke of. He wonders where the parents might be.

[VAN]

Van notes indeed that there are no cries and no strange sounds.

"Vorj is right, I'm more leaned to believe that there is no monster at all in here and no parents otherwise we would have heard cries, sounds of battle or at least something!"

[alhoon]

Vorj also steps in, axe at the ready. "Do any of you hear anything?" he whispers.

He takes a couple of steps toward the oak table by the hearth, looking to see if there's been any recent activity or whether the area is covered in dust.

There's no dust Vorj can see in the pale light of Burdur's holy symbol. No signs of age. The ceiling is at 10' height. Yet, none of them can listen anything. No monster, no parents, no baby brother. Perhaps the monster killed the parents, perhaps nothing of the sort happened.
Thunder can be heard in the distance. The rain turns to storm and cold drafts get from the shattered panels. The thick, impenetrable mist rolls wildly in the wind, but doesn't dissipate nor it enters the house. Tendrils of mist driven towards the house by the wind dissipate almost immediately, like gray colorless fingers that rot and fall off.

In the main hall:
A wide hall runs the width of the house, with a black marble fireplace at one end and a sweeping, red marble staircase at the other. Mounted on the wall above the fireplace is a longsword with a windmill cameo worked into the hilt. The wood-paneled walls are ornately sculpted with images of vines, flowers, nymphs, and satyrs. The decorative paneling follows the staircase as it circles upward to the second floor.
A cloakroom has several black cloaks hanging from hooks on the walls. A top hat sits on a
high shelf. The cloaks are black, not especially thick but could keep the dust out of one's clothes when riding. And since the group is wet from the road, they could be used to rub some water out clothes and armor.

The fireplaces are clean and can be lit as they have firewood next to them. The oil lamps that adorn most of the rooms (except the cloak closet) have some oil left in them to illuminate the place, but it would hold for a few hours.

Vorj and Gnorric notice...

VIEW CONTENT:

Serpents and skulls are inconspicuously woven into the wall designs, carefully hidden that require sharp eyes and investigation to notice amidst the otherwise peaceful ornaments.

In the den (room 3), Gnorric that inspects the cabins and drawers finds one of the cabinets in the den to be locked but it's a common lock he has seen (and opened) many times. A quick routine check didn't show any traps. The other is unlocked and contains a deck of playing cards and the small posh glasses for wine that rich people use. There are different kinds of glasses, presumably going with different wines and drinks.
While the royalist bossy captive is busy looking at wallpapers, Gnorric unlocks the locked cabinet. The lock falls easy to his trained hands. Inside Gnorric finds a pistol and a musket, along with bullets ... and a small gunpowder horn that he estimates it holds enough powder for 10-12 shots.

[ewancummins]

GNORRIC examines the pistol, powder, and shot. If he has time, he loads and primes it.
Then he calls the musket to VAN's attention.
"Van, here is a musket for you."
He keeps the pistol handy and stands to block the musket from grabby royalists, just in case Vorj or Kimber attempt to seize it.
( Note that he is not pointing the pistol at anybody or otherwise making threatening moves.)

[kintire]

"I didn't think it possible for a human to have the learning capacity to be

able to speak Gnomish. Alas maybe I was wrong?"

The Half Elf laughs again, apparently in genuine good humour, and makes no reply.

She follows into the house and frowns at the trophies, nodding in agreement with Van, then looking around with growing unease.

"I agree, and usually I would be taking the owner to task. But where is the owner? And this monster? I thought for sure those children were sincere, but no tracks led out that door and the place is so silent..."

She displays no interest in the firearms, but she does take down one of the cloaks and begins to dry herself with it, looking uneasily around

[Ken of Ghastria]

Vorj feels an unpleasant stirring in his spirit as he notes the odd, sinister pattern in the wallpaper. "We shouldn't tarry here," he says, his eyes slowly pulling away from the wall as he addresses the group. "This room is clean, but no signs of habitation. So who has done the cleaning? If the 'monster' is real, then has it killed everyone except the children? Keep your weapons handy."

He doesn't object to Gnorric handing the firearm to Van. In fact, he even nods with approval. "That could come in handy ... if it works."

He holds his greataxe as he steps toward the black marble fireplace, trying to get a better look at the longsword. "Shall we try the staircase?" he says, examining the sword's craftsmanship but not picking it up just yet.

[VAN]

"I really doubt that there is a monster, parents or anyone else in this house otherwise we would have heard something. Indeed is strange that the place is so clean. I'm positive that it's a royalists set up, but I don't understand why. Even if I have never actually understood their way of thinking...Anyway, yes lets take couple lamps and go upstairs we will light them later when we don't have Burdur's light anymore ."

Looking at the musket the fighter studies it for a second and loads it so it will be ready to use.

"I do know how to use it even if it isn't my weapon of choice but will be handy having it."

Before going upstairs Van gets a black cloak and uses it to dry his own one.

[ewancummins]

Gnorric takes a hunting knife from the drawer and places it under his cloak.

[VAN]

As remembering something Van looks back, goes to the fireplace and starts checking it knocking around the wall and passing his finger between the stones as well.

"Do you think it might be a secret room or something here guys?"

[ewancummins]

As remembering something Van looks back, goes to the fireplace and starts checking it knocking around the wall and passing his finger between the stones as well.

"Do you think it might be a secret room or something here guys?"

"Maybe."
GNORRIC examines the fireplace and the wall near it.

[steveflam]

Bhunder helps his brother, looking in and around the fireplace as well.

[alhoon]

The gnomes and Van search the fireplaces in the Den and main room for secrets. They discover nothing. The fireplaces are clean, ready to be used but seem to not have been used recently. Yet, they get the scent of smoke momentarily but it faints quickly; probably a trick of the mind or they got used to the scent and their brains ignore it after a bit.
The gnomes recognize the scent as the smell acrid, wet wood would leave if mixed with sulfur. They don't envy the person sitting by the fireplace when this kind of extremely smoky and possibly hazardous fuel burned nor the person cleaning the fireplace afterwards.

"I'm positive that it's a royalists set up, but I don't understand why. Even if I have never actually understood their way of thinking...Anyway, yes lets take couple lamps and go upstairs we will light them later when we don't have Burdur's light anymore ."

Burdur addressed Van, insulted. "Have some faith to my God human! I can create the light again and again as needed. Or I could drop it and let you bump your way through blindly; you can't see in the shadows. So show more respect.
And get your head straight! A royalist that could pull a trick like the ones we saw, would have way more efficient ways to kill the six of us. Or thirty of us. "

After a pause he adds: "While it's not absolutely compatible with religion... Perhaps we're already dead and this is some kind of purgatory for us before we move to our final destinations. I bet you can all sense that we're being watched; evaluated. The Gods are distant in this god-forsaken hell but something is watching." the dwarf said grimly.