; total 16, 3 raises
Gynnie leaps backwards as a hole opens up beneath her feet. She windmills her arms and manages to keep herself from falling in. But the hole now separates her from the door where the scuffling is coming from.
Abraham starts at the loud noise from above, and moves as quickly as his bulk will allow him towards the steps. All chances for Stealth now gone he screams out
Gynnie winces when she hears Abraham call up to her. But with no other recourse left to her she calls out to the cleric.
"I'm still here, Abe. The floor is damaged. Or trapped. I nearly fell into your laps when this hole opened up. We should get the lantern up here, along with everybody else."
Reifuyu looks to Reiko before rushing off to see where Gynnie is waiting.
Reiko nods and follows her bodyguard.
Rain quickly grabs the torch from the fireplace and follows the others up the steps.
Gynnie sheepishly points out the hole in the floor, and then the door across from it.
"I heard a scuffling noise in there."
Gynnie steadies herself to leap across the gap.
; success
She makes the gap with little difficulty, and then puts her ear to the door.
; Total 11, 1 raise
"Get ready!" she whispers to the others. She then opens the door.
And finds a dog-sized spider thing attacking a disheveled man.
Reiko eyes the gap dubiously. She stays on the far side and readies her sling!
As Gynnie hops across the gap in the floor Rain ready's his bow to fire at whatever might be inside. As he sees the spider Rain releases the arrow to fly past Gynnie.
success
Abraham stays back on firmer ground, and makes a mental note about the new hole in the floor. He's aware that he's more a blunt instrument than an agile warrior, and this is not a battle he should join unless necessary.
As the door opens, the giant spider changes target and lunges for Gynnie. Rain's arrow passes closes enough to her head to ruffle her hair, but passes safely and strikes the spider with a sickening thud. The stricken arachnid is flipped onto its back, eight legs scrabbling weakly at the arrow protruding from its abdomen. After a moment, the thrashing ceases and the spider curls in on itself in death, venomous ichor dripping from the wound to pool around the corpse (and likely dribble into the sitting room below).
Still brandishing his knife, the dishevelled looking man turns toward Gynnie in the doorway.
"Who are ye'?" he asks, somewhat belligerantly considering the party likely just saved his life, "Ad whut are ye' doing in my hoose?"
Reiko waves at the man and favors him with a dazzling smile. "Hi! I'm Reiko, and these are Abraham, Gynnie, Rain, and Reifuyu. We heard about some strange goings-on here at the manor and we came to investigate. We heard somebody bought it recently--that's you, I take it? What's your name?"
"Yes. An introduction would be proper here. Ownership has yet to be determined... though at least one claim to ownership has been eliminated". Abraham nods at the corpse of the poison dripping spider.
"As an official of the Church of Abadar it would be remiss if I didn't take the necessary steps to determine ownership".
Persuasion
WD
Persuasion X
TOTAL: 15 persuasion
Gynnie puts away her dagger with a deft flick of the wrists.
"We're just a curious bunch, Uncle. No need for something drastic," she says while trying to appear unassuming.
; No success
Rain waits silently for the spider to stop moving completely before shouldering his bow and focusing on the old man.
"Like the sneaky one said, just , curious."
Reifuyu moves into the room moving from floor to wall to clear the gap. once on the other side she drives her spear into the dead spider and takes a quick look around the room before waving Reiko in.
success+raise