Death House

[alhoon]

Van opens the door to an undecorated bedroom which contains a pair of beds with straw-stuffed mattresses. At the foot of each bed is a footlocker, that proves to be empty. There's a door that seems to lead to a build-in closet which contains tidy servants’ uniforms which hang from hooks.
The room again seems free of dust and signs of age. And again eerily still; sterilized, devoid of personal affects or items. As if recently made in preparation for someone to come (hence the made beds and lack of dust) that never came.

[Ken of Ghastria]

"It's like a giant dollhouse," says Vorj. "All for show." He walks over to the built-in closet and knocks against its back wall, checking to see whether there are any hollow areas.

[alhoon]

Pale light from Burdur's spell illuminates the dark room as Van and Vorj's search. Their efforts don't turn up anything interesting. The chests are empty.

There is of course the rigged dumbwaiter; a reminder of the techies they lost in the mists. Whatever their misgivings and at times trying demeanor, they were very skilled at what they did. Was it perhaps the reason the mists took them away to some unknown fate?

The southern doors under the main door remain closed and Burdur's light doesn't penetrate far the gloom of the floor upstairs.

[kintire]

Kimber stares uneasily into the gloom, trying to avoid looking too closely at the decoration. the deserted house was spooky before, but the discovery of the forbidden books has her jumpy.

As Vorj speaks she glances at him and looks around again.

"Yes. All so neat, those weirdly placed traps... never used, and never intended to be used. Its a trap..."

[VAN]

Van looks around and sighs as spots the dumbwaiter reminding his gnome friends.

"This whole house seems like a trap not only this room...the lack of personal items is disturbing, like somebody has left this house but still cared to clean it carefully before leaving. We need to keep searching if we want to find a way back home, just I'm not sure what we are searching for...."

Van goes near the bed at the right and with his sword checks the matress piercing it.

[alhoon]

Nothing out of the ordinary seems to be contained in the straw mats.

[VAN]

"Let me check the wardropbe as well Vorj, maybe another pair of eyes will help."

Van gets near the wardrobe and begins tapping it slightly insight and at the walls around it.

[Ken of Ghastria]

Vorj nods as Van steps over to the closet.

The southern doors under the main door remain closed and Burdur's light doesn't penetrate far the gloom of the floor upstairs.

"I'll check these other doors," he says, walking over to the southern doors. He tests the handle to see whether it's locked. If it isn't, he opens it, axe at the ready.

[alhoon]

Van's effort are unfortunately fruitless.

Vorj, followed by Burdur enters what appears to be a conservatory.
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 depict 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 mantelpiece.

It is not a surprise that close inspection of them reveals that several figurines are carvings of well-dressed skeletons.

[Ken of Ghastria]

It is not a surprise that close inspection of them reveals that several figurines are carvings of well-dressed skeletons.

"The attempts at intimidation are almost laughable at this point," Vorj mumbles. After Van opens the drapes, he walks over to the harpsichord and looks for music notes or other written copy. If there are none visible, he checks to see if there's a compartment in the bench.

"Kimber or Burdur, can one of you check the fireplace, please?" he says as he searches. "I wouldn't be surprised if there's a secret passage in one of these rooms."

[alhoon]

Burdur, after a cursory check of the fireplace, turns to the Paladin "Nope. And I'm a dwarf. I know such things."

[kintire]

Kimber maintains her watch while the rest search, looking slowly around as if expecting attack from any direction, even those that seem impossible like walls.

"There could be secret doors anywhere in this house. Maybe we should sweep the open places, and then search for more secret ways?"

She looks uncertain

"Or maybe not. Maybe we shouldn't leave places behind us?" She shivers "or maybe there is no right choice..."

[VAN]

"We may search the floor for eminent attacks just to put our mind at ease, but for what we saw till now I doubt that we will find enemies behind closed doors. They would have listened to us by now and attacked. No, this house is different, there are traps hidden in secret rooms or masked in armor, I doubt we will find anyone living in here...But as I said we can do as you said and clear this floor and then search for secret rooms hoping to find clues to escape. Burdur can help us in that, as a dwarf he knows stone's properties better than anyone."

[Ken of Ghastria]

"I doubt our foes are hiding in secret rooms, waiting for us to discover them," says Vorj. "Then have all the advantages. Why hide? I'm not against continuing to explore this floor, but I believe we'll find more answers upstairs. Or perhaps the basement."

[VAN]

"We haven't found a basement entrance yet, maybe there is a secret door leading there from ground floor. Anyway I suggest we go upstairs first and then search for secret rooms as you said."

Van heads towards the stairs and to the 3rd floor.