Brok opens the door and sees the corridor on the other side winds around for a short distance before ending abruptly. Three doors stand next to one another in succession in the south wall.
As Brok's door swings open, Keil strolls back to investigate. The growing number of doors causes the fetchling's eyes to narrow suspiciously, "Our growing options are unsettling. We should secure our flank." Turning to scan the chamber the party arrived in Keil sneers, "We should clear this passage," his wiry finger points south towards the three new doors, "however these doors cannot be ignored..." Keil glances at the others in the group to fish for opinions then snaps his fingers. "Shade. We have need of your skill. Peek into these two doors. Report what you see." The shadowy man points to the two doors to the north and east within the chamber.
Grezzor listens as Arlok and Malzii digress about the logic of the room they are in, as he tries to remember any tidbits he may have read which could provide insight on the curious images depicted in such a place.
His mind is clearly elsewhere however...
Arlok looks to the kobold.
"Arlok like that thought. Arlok take this place from puny goat, then maybe Arlok get statue."
He then directs his attention to Keil
"Good system. Check all doors. Puny goat minion's been no threat."
On hearing the command from the fetchling, Shade nods in acknowledgement and flits away from you. Passing first through the west door, the shadow spends a couple of moments inside before emerging from the door and moving onward to the north door. After a longer period of time he returns to address Keil.
"First room is empty. No life inside. Second room larger. Puddle of the...liquid..." Here it points to the pool of the foul smelling slime, "on floor. More liquid on floor heading out of room. No life inside."
"Excellent." Dismissing the shadow Keil turns to the rest, "We can search those rooms later, there may yet be something of value within. Now to address those to the west."
The fetchling signals for Brok to follow then slips down the corridor to the three doors and begins his investigations.
"No life within, but there may be unlife" - Grezzor comments, matter of fact, following Keil and using a minor magical detection spell to observe the doors.
Grezzor finds the doors themselves do not radiate any magic, though he realizes the doors also block his detection spell further.
Keil detects no sound coming from any of the doors, which also do not appear trapped or locked.
Methodically, Keil starts with the first door. Testing the handle, he cautiously presses the latch and, baring any surprises, slowly swings open the door.
Keil opens the door revealing an empty room on the other side, a thin layer of dust showing the lack of visitors in a long time.
Using the layer of dust as his only clue to the value of this room, Keil's eyes peer over the floor and along the walls for 'signs' of anything hidden.
Grezzor stands there looking over Keil's shoulder, his curiosity taking the best of the him - "Nothing..." - he seems disappointed.
Brok shuffles in and takes a gander.
(+2 for traps)
Grey moved up next to Malzi and Grezzor and sent his Shadow to Keil.
After a further search both Brok and Keil confirm the room is indeed empty. You also surmise due to the lack of activity here, it would be a relatively safe place to hole up if needed.
With so many eyes looking in on one room and little being said, Keil resides himself to the idea that this chamber has little to offer other than a little bit of shelter. Leaving the others the fetchling slides up to the next door. Again he carefully examines the entry and as before, barring any sign of foulness, he carefully depresses the latch to open the door. Allowing the door to open slowly the shadowy man scans the next room.
Brok checks the next door in line to the east.
(+2 for traps)
The next door in line is not locked or trapped and reveals an empty corridor that runs for about fifty feet or so before ending at another door.
Keil's lips curl into a sneer. Not needing to waste his time on a corridor, at least not now, the fetchling heads to the last of the row of doors, carefully depresses the latch and lets the door swing open.
Keil opens the third and final door here and yet another room is revealed. This room contains what appears to be an operating table of some kind, although the wood is rotten and the table looks like it would collapse at the slightest touch. There is a stone counter built into one of the walls that has several now-rusted surgical instruments set out upon it, including several knives, a saw of some sort and several tongs.
A quick perusal of the room shows nothing else of interest or value.
Again Grezzor scans the room under a spell of magic detection - if nothing calls out to him, he informs his companions.
Grezzor's spell detects no magical auras emanating from the room.
Seeing nothing of interest in the operating room, Brok examines the 50' hall opened behind the second door.
(+2 for traps)
If it appears safe, then he will advance to check the door at the end of the hall.
and check that door for danger.
(+2 for traps)
"Ah, the play room." A sinister grin appears on his blackened face. Snickering to himself, Keil quietly follows Brok down the corridor, checking the goblin's work along the way.
Leaving the surgical room behind the scouts move to the door and, after ensuring the door is safe to open, it reveals a pair of corridors here, one continuing south and also continuing east.
The southward corridor branches off to both east and west, along with a door further along in the west wall, before continuing past the fetchling's vision.
The eastward corridor has a door in the south wall. Also a pair of alcoves in the north wall break the monotony before it looks to open into a chamber of some kind.
Grezzor follows on Keil's toes, as silent as he can.
Brok pads silently south to the first intersection and peers around the corner to see what he can see.
(+2 for traps)
As Brok moves down the hall, Keil quietly makes for the first door he sees . In the back of his mind, he loathes himself for having left the first chamber with unsearched doors. What mysteries had they left behind? What treasures remain unclaimed? The nagging thoughts deliciously plague him. Now the last thing he wants to do is walk past a door without first checking it.
.
.
You also detect movement coming from the northeast corner, where a large nest of wood scraps, ripped cloth, and other assorted rubbish is scattered in a pile. You guess it is a rat nest, but you also pick up a couple of humanoid forms sprawled in front of the nest and twitching slightly as well.
So far none of the rats have noticed your presence.
Grezzor continues in the wake of Keil.
Turning, the sudden appearance of Grezzor causes Keil to jump, albeit only a fraction of an inch, Damned these goblins are quiet! The look of irritation on the fetchling's face is a clear sign of his envy. Brushing this aside Keil whispers, "Something stirs behind this door. We should wait for the others before opening it."
Brok creeps back up the hall to where Keil and Grezzor are checking the door in the hall.
In a whisper he tells the pair.
"Big room around that corner with a rat swarm and possibly other enemies. They'll hear us if we make much noise."
"We'll need to guard this hallway if we think we'll get into a fight that makes any noise."
"Use orcs or not-dead shadow thing to watch hall and stop rats from attacking us by surprise."
"Something stirs behind this door. We should wait for the others before opening it."
The goblin nods in agreement.
"Big room around that corner with a rat swarm and possibly other enemies. They'll hear us if we make much noise."
"We'll need to guard this hallway if we think we'll get into a fight that makes any noise."
"Use orcs or not-dead shadow thing to watch hall and stop rats from attacking us by surprise."
"If we can approach silently, I may be able to burn them before they can react" - Grezzor whispers back.
"Other enemies in that room maybe. Peoples laying on the floor with the rats. Better to burn them as they come around the corner if they hear us. Brok suggests in a low voice.
"Shade, look into that room. Report what you see." Grey says quietly to the shadow.
Keil frowns at Brok's idea, "Burning has it's drawbacks. The magicians like their scrolls untouched by fire." As shade enters the other room the shadowy man ponders, "An ambush holds appeal." A curt grin spreads across his face as Keil chuckles his acceptance of the goblin's plan, "Get everyone in place, then we'll make some noise."
The undead servant nods in acquiescence to Praetor's command and flies off to follow his instructions. Brok, still standing at the entrance to the chamber, sees the shadow fly past him and into the room.
The goblin can see while the humanoid figures laying on the ground do not react to the shadow's presence, the same cannot be said for the rats. Brok can count a dozen large rats, plus an additional larger one, that scatter in all directions as the shadow approaches their nest, fleeing into various cracks along the walls and out of sight.
Soon the chamber is empty of the rats. The shadow returns to its master and hisses, "Many...ratssss...two unliving...bodies."
"Kill the rats." Grey said.
"Me?" - Grezzor inquires.
"Think he's talking to shadow not-dead thing." Brok says to his fellow goblin.
Shade replies to Praetor, confirming Brok's supposition. "The rats fled when I approached them." It replies in an unconcerned tone. "They fled away from me and out of my sight."
Grey nodded. "Good enough."
Grey cast Guidance on Brok and Keil. "Lead us in."
While the rats seem intimidated by the shadey not-dead, Brok checks the corpses in the rat room.
(+2 for traps)
Keil draws his sword then falls in behind the toughs, no sense is depriving them of some fun.
As you all approach the chamber you see that the rats have indeed vacated their nest, but as you draw closer to the nest, you see the corpses begin to stir...
One thing you recognize is the sign these zombies show the same signs of disease as the ones you faced earlier. Of interes is the fact both zombies are missing their left hands, and are both wearing tattered white robes.
Unable to, or perhaps unwilling to close the distance to engage the stirring zombies, Keil non-the-less advances into the room. Brandishing his sword before him, he readies himself for a chance to strike at the creatures should either of them make it past the warriors in front of him.