Njall and the rest of the Skullbreakers are extremely interested in Tavar's ritual and willingly offer to trade some appropriate items in exhange.
"Not everything is stupid enough to be fooled by it, but it all helps."
Rituals traded and equipment bought and bartered, the group make ready to move on. Njall goes to the entrance with you.
"If you get out, come back to us. Look out for Mogahdam."
Njall has spoken nothing but truth. As the party enter, you can see that the once imposing stonework has been battered by some huge force. Great blocks of stone line the hallway and from above, and around, the cracked walls creak ominously.
Barel thanks Njall, before heading into the hallway. He then turns his practiced eye toward the stonework, trying to discern if the creaking is a result of old-age, or some more ominous cause. He also just looks around to see what he can see.
Lynore looks on as Barel makes his examination.
Baldrech's cursory examination isn't entirely reassuring, but he's fairly certain that as long as the group avoid making a loud noise the walls will hold. He is more confident that there is nothing to be seen and heard here apart from themselves.
"I find this place unsettling," Lanthair whispers, although his countenance is as stoic as ever.
Thom scans the area with his arcane senses, trying to pick up anything unusual.
Thom's expertise tells him that although this hallway was once riddled with traps for the unwary, they have been destroyed. The arcane power has been stripped away.
"So, do we want to check the hallway, or head off to the right?" Arishat asks quietly. "While it seems like we need to go right to get further in, I can't see why anyone would build a passage to nowhere." After a pause for contemplation, she adds cheerfully, "Except as a trap. We've got some like that back home."
Barel sighs, and then says "Lets fully explore this hall before moving on. You never know what we will miss and we don't want surprises on the way out...if we make it out, or come back out this way."
Barel then begins working his way through the hall, staying generally in the center of the hallway, all while looking for more interesting stonework or hidden passages--
The hallway's purpose is easily explained once Barel manouveres his way around the fallen ceiling slabs. Set in the back wall is the familiar gloating face of the Devourer, its mouth opening into nothingness.
"Hold up, everyone."
Thom stretches out his arcane senses and concentrates on the Devourer face, seeing if there are any lingering arcane effects.
Formerly the home of a deadly trap, the gaping maw now mocks Thom's efforts to find any danger within it.
"I wonder if this is the end of another teleporter. They do seem to like using them. We could block it with some of these ceiling slabs. That would stop anyone getting behind us."
"Well, if this was a teleport circle at one point, it is just a decorative motif now."
Barel looks and gestures to the next room. "Doors to Nowhere, since we are now here?"
The sound of creaking stonework continues as the group make their way towards the next area on Njall's map. A maze of narrow corridors greet the party, but access is simple enough. Thom recognises that the gently swinging doors between the passages would once have been magically hidden, but that as the power was stripped from the tomb, they have become visible and thus harmless. The entire party has no difficulty at all in seeing and avoiding the treacherous pit traps dotted irregularly about the chamber.
"This is unnerving. Does it feel too easy to any of you?"
"Ummm, Lanthair...we just got here."
"I agree, it does feel too easy. Where are the guards and traps, the Skullbreakers gave us warning for a reason."
"Waiting around the corner ready to yell BOO!"
perception = Looking for moving shadows, invisible footsteps and the like.
Nothing but a slight breeze disturbs the place. It ripples through the chamber, causing the doors to swing slightly. It may be Tavar's imagination, but he could almost believe he can hear mocking laughter coming from the fabric of the walls.
Arishat sniffs disdainfully at the walls. "Lynore, do you want to take the lead? Keep your eye out for traps. Barel and I will follow you, then Thom and Tavar. Lanthair, can you keep alert for anything approaching from behind us?" She glances at a pit. "Wonder if there's any of their previous guests have left remains in these."
Arishat sees bones in the pits, but a casual glance suggests that anything of value has long gone.
Barel likes the idea of Lynore going first, but is willing to step right with her if she wants.
"Let's head on to the other hallway marked on the map. Maybe there is something there, or maybe it is as deserted as these rooms? Either way, we need to find out!"
"Didn't think we'd have to play hide-and-seek in here." Arishat mutters something in Goblin under her breath. "Yes, we might as well keep going."
Lynore nods and steps into the lead, casually scanning the areas ahead for danger.
Stepping easily through the swinging doors and bypassing the pits, Lynore leads the way into another seemingly deserted hallway. As far as she can see this one finishes in a dead end. The small breeze follows the party, twitching at faces and hands and carrying the unpleasant laughter with it.
Disturbed by the apparant absence of enemies, Thom's senses offer little of help.
Barel keeps his eyes wide open for any interesting details.
Arishat looks around. "Definitely a tunnel."
Barel, Lanthair and Arishat all find anomalies in the stonework which strongly suggest a hidden trap door at the end of the hallway. Lynore is certain this isn't trapped, but it will take some effort to open.
Barel is likely the strongest one here, and flexes his muscles to try to prove it. He promptly induces a hernia before bowing his head in shame...perhaps he will get another shot at this in a few moments.
Arishat attempts to encourage and assist Barel. "Put your tail into it..."
Lanthair tries to assist as well.
Barel's efforts are not enough, but with the help of his friends, the stone moves grudgingly aside. Rank air pours from the newly revealed passageway which leads down into darkness.
Lynore proceeds with caution.
Thom swallows a lump in his throat, "Umm, Lynore do you need some light here?"