Rowane takes the ring from Huc and begins to look over it.
Rowane determines that it's a magical key, able to bypass some indeterminate arcane warding. In the absence of the wards he can't tell exactly what sort they would be, though.
"Ah, some sort of magical key. This may come in handy later." Rowane places in his chest pocket, hidden safely behind his armor.
Temperance pokes around the room inquisitively. "Hello, birds. Do you speak? Do you sing? I am Temperance." He then wanders to examine the subject matter of the paintings.
The paintings cover a variety of themes; there is one showing Oppara at night from Aroden's View, the city gleaming with the lights of thousands of lanterns; a pair of forest scenes; and the like. Occupying a position of honor is a portrait that it takes you a moment to recognize is of Hunclay himself, looking rather more intact than when you saw him last.
Huc follows the team inside with his big axe shouldered. He assists as Rowane requests, surprised and happy with the man’s business-like, take-charge attitude. ”Nice find, fella,” he remarks with a nod to the little key-thingy.
He gives a few short whistles, commanding Fynn to protect Arien, then moves forward as the team suggests. ”Left it is.”
He nods to the portrait of Hunclay, "You're becomin' a thorn in my ass, wizard."
Huc notices a couple of smudges on the frame surrounding the wizard's portrait, right about where someone would take hold of it if they wanted to move it. Behind the picture is a niche with a small switch, currently set to point at the word "Live." The only other possible position for the switch is labeled "Safe."
"Hey, guys!" Huc calls out, "whatddaya reckon this is?" He shrugs, "Flip it?"
"Live electricity versus something that is safe? I'm not sure. Perhaps so."
Unless someone recommends against it, Huc flips the switch.
After a bit of experimentation, you find that the switch turns the trap just inside the room on and off.
The west door opens to reveal a narrow hallway ending at the outside wall, with doors on the north and south walls.
Huc stalks into the newly-revealed hallway, pausing to search for threats in the hallway itself, then to listen at each door.
The hallway is surprisingly stark, considering the splendor of the entryway, and Huc finds nothing of interest. There is likewise nothing of interest to be heard at either door.
Arien detects no traps on either door.
Huc pauses, giving the crew a chance to group up. Then he readies his axe and throws the northern door open.
Temperance looks up and scoots into the hallway. "Rowane, we have been wool gathering..."
The door flies open, revealing a well-appointed parlor. In its northeast corner, a huge globe of Golarion sits cradled in a polished mahogany stand. Sextants, astrolabes, and paintings of unearthly landscapes are displayed on the walls.
There are no magical auras detectable in the room, nor does Arien find any traps.
Huc moves in, searching the room for any details that might give further insights into Hunclay's life and activities towards the end. If he happens to find anything valuable ... well, that's just a bonus.
Huc notices that the various instruments are mounted so that they can be easily taken down for use.
Temperance spins the globe. "Is Arcadia on here?" he asks no one in particular.
Master Temperance is reasonably sure that there is nothing concealed in the room.
Arien detects nothing concealed.
”Alright, then,” Huc grunts, then heads for the other door.
Rowane follows along, trying to detect magic as he goes along.
With a collective shrug, the party moves on to the next room. The door opens to reveal an obvious dining room--the long oak table in the center is surrounded by matching ornately-carved oak chairs. On each wall hangs a large, framed painting of a desert landscape.
Huc quickly loses interest in the new room, as well. "Hmm. Looks clear," he says with boredom, then hikes his thumb back toward the main room, "Other side?"
Huc makes his way back into the main entry room, to the remaining door, and assists Arien with any checks she makes at it.
To the investigator's surprise, the door is neither trapped nor locked. Once open, the party can see beyond to a kitchen, well stocked with all the accoutrements necessary to prepare gourmet meals. A large cabinet along one wall contains a fine set of silverware and expensive dinnerware, with enough place settings to match the number of chairs in the dining room.
There is a curtained cubby in the northeast corner of the room; it contains two cots and two chests with cheap locks. (Arien figures she could open them blindfolded, with a stick, behind her back. She manages to do so.)
The chests contain inexpensive clothing--it looks like the sort that a servant might wear, one set of women's clothing and one set of men's. There are also a few coppers, a whetstone, and some other bric-a-brac that's not worth much. Nothing in either chest is magical.
As Rowane inspects the silverware, "What are we supposed to be doing here again?"
Temperance's eyes widen. "We are...to...deactivate traps...deal with guardians...appraise...erm...is it near supper time? I could make a lovely roux in these pots...and does anyone have any fallowweed, rosenthistle, lavender hips? Wait, I might have..." He starts to pat down his person, beginning a detailed inspection of the gourmet cookware. "Most people are unaware that you can use this--" he holds up a melon baller, "--to, to make the most sumptuous savory golden beet balls in a gorgon cheese bechamel sauce. 'Gorgonzola', they call it in Cheliax, something to do with the lovely stink of the cheese. Very difficult to milk a gorgon..." He continues to mutter, obsessively, over the cookware, cutlery, mandonlines, stirrers, and every gew-gaw he can touch.
Neither door appears to be trapped, nor are they locked. However, while the eastern door opens easily to reveal the predicted larder, the western door refuses to move despite Arien's best efforts.
Temperance turns like a magnet towards the larder. "Wait, is there anything to eat in there?" He trots to the larder opening.
The larder is well-stocked with staples; Master Temperance gets the idea that Hunclay did not dine as sumptuously by himself as when he was entertaining, and guesses that when he did entertain guests he had the servants purchase more extravagant foodstuffs then.
Temperance shrugs. "One can do wonders with farro, garlic, and salt; all are here. Arien, were you doing something?"
Huc moves over to where Arien struggles with the western door. He gives it a hard shove.
he raises his axe, "Should i break it down? The Lady might nt like it, but then again, there could be threats in there."
The door remains stubbornly fixed in place despite Huc's shove.
Huc shrugs, ”We were hired to clear threats. We’d be half-assin’ it if we left entire rooms unexplored. I doubt this door is a rare family heirloom, but you can bet my hairy ass they will want to know what’s behind it.”
Unless told otherwise by his group mates, he’ll take after the door with his axe, spending as much time as necessary to sunder it. (Unless it proves too resilient for him to break through.)