Sure, lets go back downstairs and try that concealed door that was left open. Oh Professor, was any of this stuff magical? Or the clothes for that matter? Karl produces the jewelery for examination if Rokannon seems inclined to do so.
The northwest door leads into a well-stocked wine cellar, complete with a magical system to regulate the temperature and humidity. Other doors lead out of this room that end in a kitchen in one direction, and more storerooms in another. The food in storage is not very old, though judging by the light dust covering everything, nothing has been disturbed in these rooms for several weeks. You also find the doorway that led from the entry chamber to the northeast.
During your searches, you realize that many of the spices in the kitchen are from the far off land of Tian. These would fetch several hundred gold pieces if they were sold in Lepidstadt.
Another doorway leads to the east, and you enter to find many of these doors ajar, including several cleverly hidden doorways that you might have had trouble finding if they were not already open.
Professor Rokannon concentrates on Detect Magic on the jewelry and in the various other areas upstairs.
Downstairs, he will examine the Library first followed by the Smoking Room. He also Detects Magic in those areas as well.
Probably best to make sure that nothing comes creeping up behind us when we press on...
Karl examines the trophy room and billiard room, but decides to leave the jewelry behind. In the trophy room, he pokes about at the taxidermy with his greatsword, wary of magically animated claws, horns and teeth. For the billiards, he checks in and under and around the table, and any racks along the walls, as well as the floors of both rooms, lifting rugs when possible to check for trap doors.
Sure, it's a fortune, and more than I ever saw in grandfather's croft... still doesn't make it right to thieve it, although spoils of battle are a different story. We'll see what other surprises this place holds.
"I would have to agree with Sir Bertholdt. It truly feels as if this place has been abandoned."
Library:
Shelves crammed with books line the walls of this room. A comfortable leather chair sits in the room’s center. Nearly half of the library is taken up by books on physical sciences, engineering being the most popular topic. Many of these books would be excellent references for general engineering questions.
Smoking Room:
Two leather chairs sit in the center of this room. On the west wall, a number of tobacco jars are filled with various exotic tobacco mixtures. Above the jars, nearly two dozen pipes rest on a velvet-covered shelf, among them are a calabash set with six small jets and a long churchwarden with a gold toothguard.
Trophy Room:
The trophy room is quite full of stuffed animals ranging from a standing grizzly bear to a tiny brightly-colored frog. While interesting and varied, the animals are relatively mundane, and you do not find anything truly unusual.
Billiard Room:
The table occupies most of this room, though the score checker seems to be extremely well-made out of mahogany and brass.
-----
Moving on, you move through the dining room to discover a hallway leading out the rear of the manor house and to a narrow bridge that crosses another section of the river. The noise of the waterfall is much louder now as it is less than a hundred feet away from the doorway.
The building on the other side of the bridge has partially collapsed, and judging from the burns on the roof and walls, it seems like an explosion of some kind was to blame.
Professor Rokannon explores about the main building, paying especial attention to the Library and Smoking rooms. He lingered lovingly amongst the special volumes and pipes there, but resisted the opportunity to loot; at least for now. He opened his senses to the detection of enchantments, but to no avail.
"I can detect nothing of enchantments here but the animated footstool. I frankly would like to explore across the bridge now. How say you all?"
Karl nods, As you say, professor. He makes his way across the bridge, and waits at the far side for the others to join him.
"This place is fantastic," Morbury observes.
"Sounds perfect, Professor," Morbury responds as he follows Karl across.
Professor Rokannon walks over the bridge, stopping and examining various construction elements on the way.
This large workshop is crammed with alchemical equipment, but an explosion of some kind has ripped away the western wall, leaving a large gap in the floor and wall open, now wreathed with scaffolding. It looks as if a stone bridge once connected this building with another on the western side of the gorge, but only a slender rope bridge now hangs between the two.
Professor Rokannon peers sharply at the floor near the western exit leading to the rope bridge.
"Wait now!" He called out to his companions.
He points at a section of the floor.
"That section of the floor seems to be weak. Observe how it sags, like so, due to the supports having been weakend or removed somehow. Too much weight there could cause it to collapse."
'Ware that floor near the western exit Karl warns, pointing out the sagging surface leading to the rope bridge. We probably don't want to go falling through that... Long way down.
Karl looks around for a way to brace the entrance to the rope bridge, such as wooden planks, or a table top that might fit.
Several heavy wooden planks are stacked in a neat pile against the south wall. Retrieving them and laying them over the sagging floor is quickly accomplished by the group.
The rope bridge is sturdy enough, and the group is quickly across to the building with stained-glass windows. The doors leading into the structure are open, and peering through reveals a room crammed with cabinets full of weird, alchemically-preserved oddities, including a pair of ice mephit wings, several large spiders, parts of a dissected giant slug, and the digestive tracts and proboscises of three stirges.
Uh, Professor... those pickled things over there. Karl indicates the wings, spiders, and probosci from a safe distance with the point of his greatsword. Any chance they're magicked up like the killer footstool that almost took Bertholdt out?
Karl refrains from setting foot across the threshold pending Rokannon's advice.
Professor Rokannon concentrates and opens his senses to Detect Magic.
"Hm. No magic to speak of; looks like they were preserved by alchemical means."
Fair enough. Karl pads forward toward the middle door as quietly as he is able and stops short, listening for any sound coming from the other side.
Professor Rokannon peers about at the contents of the room, and the room and doors.
Karl looks to the others, waiting for them to indicate that they are ready to proceed before trying the door.
"Hm. It appears to be little more than a study; or perhaps a museum of sorts. Nothing else really stands out. I suppose we can move along here."
He takes a draw on his pipe.
Morbury nods in agreement to the Professor. Looking to Karl, "I believe that is our cue, Sir Karl. Let us see what is behind door number one... or two. I confess I've forgotten how many doors we've been through but nevertheless, let us proceed." Securing his sword and shield, he readies for whatever may take them by surprise, if any.
The door opens and you see a stuffed bulette facing the door to this room. Cabinets along the walls contain a partially dissected bugbear, a partially transformed doppelganger, and a complete goblin dog, all preserved in alchemical fluids.
Professor Rokannon nods his agreement with Karl and waves at him; Lead on!
The north door opens to reveal another room filled with weird-looking preserved creatures. From what you can see, many of the creatures are apparently native to desert terrains. Additionally, two elaborately carved and painted sarcophagi are present, one near the west wall, and the other near the east wall. The only thing out of order in this room is a large pile of heavy chains lying on the floor in the center of the room.
The only other exit from this room is an iron spiral stairway in the northern corner of the room leading down.
Noticing the sarcophagi, Morbury concentrates on the one along the west wall before turning his attention to the one along the east.
Karl heads toward the stairway, bow out and arrow nocked, wary for an ambush.
Professor Rokannon approaches the sarcophagoi and the chains. He casts Detect Magic and inspects them with interest.
They're exactly the same... Karl grimaces in consternation as he gestures at the Sarcophagi. Look at those scuffs on the bottom, and that chipped blue tile right there on the staff... How can they be exactly the same?
Narrowing his eyes, "The eastern sarcophagi, gentlemen. Be warned, there resides a great evil within." Morbury double checks the security of his shield and reaffirms his grip on his sword. "Shall we proceed to eliminate what lies within?" He looks to them all, wondering how they wish to proceed.
Karl narrows his eyes and trains his bow on the eastern sarcophagus.
One creature has an average intelligence (~10) while the other is very smart (~18).
You cannot read the thoughts of the average intelligence creature, but the smart creature has a single thought that permeates its mind:
Kill the living!
Disappointed at not discovering something of worth, Professor Rokannon reluctantly withdraws to a far corner.
Seeing them all prepare themselves for the possibility of combat, "Very well, let us find out what evil awaits us." Morbury moves to the eastern sarcophagus carefully, with the intent to remove the lid and face whatever lies within.
Karl moves into position and waits for Morbury to open the sarcophagus, ready to pick one of several arrows based on what may come pouring out of the decorated tomb.