Jokbur you notice that the 2' walkway has a pressure plate on it and the other side can find the same thing. Once stepped on it must have put some sort of timer on the portcullis dropping. (And your group had stopped once Quirmydt found the pit)
Stepping carefully around the pressure plate to the other side of the pit seems clear.
Jonas moves in to grab the portcullis and heave with Hermann.
Edmund stays well out of the way of lifting the portcullis.
Jokbur continues to look for a way to release the gate while scanning for threats.
Hermann and Jonas are able to lift the portcullis up about 3 ft working together. However neither one of them can hold onto it alone or hold it up long enough for the other to let go and sneak under. Their arms are definitely straining and they won't be able to hold it for long.
"Brace!" Jonas grunts, hoping someone has something that they can jam underneath it.
Qui looks to Jokbur:
Your axe. It should support the weight of the door.
"I have nothing that will help," Edmund says dejectedly.
Jokbur skeptically wedges the head of the axe against the bottom of the gate and the wall. He pushes the other wood end on the ground toward the wall as much as possible to reach a stable equilibrium.
"Put something on other side."
While the axe will not hold the portcullis, it does release some of the strain of holding it. Edmund and Ariella slip underneath to get to the other side. Hermann nods that he has it while Jonas rolls under just as the axe handle begins to buckle and snaps and the portcullis comes crashing down once again, but this time with everyone together.
Jonas chuckles and picks himself up. "Whew. Well that was fun. Sorry about your axe."
Being all together on this side of the portcullis you decide to push on. Peering around the corner you see it goes 30' to the end of the hallway. At the end of the hall is a bas-relief carving of a left hand.
Qui carefully searches the end.
Something will be hidden here. This malevolent hole in the ground is comprised almost entirely of the unseen. Lets find it.
Perception(aid another to help Jokbur since I am not leading):
"I'd really like to find the way back out. The idea of being trapped down here isn't very appealing."
Ariella grimaces at the thought. "Seconded."
Qui looks to the others:
We got under it before, we can do it again. All we need is something to prop the door on. A statue, a rock, a large piece of metal. I am sure we will find something in this bizarre dungeon of nightmares.
Hermann takes a look into the pit they'd skirted while Jokbur and Qui look for a secret passage.
"We have some time. This seems to be trap central, so I will be somewhat cautious."
Jokbur does a cursory search as he goes, doing a more thorough search at bends, intersections, and portals.
Qui moves with Jokbur also checking.
Take-10 for 19 giving Jokbur a +2.
Clear all the way to the carving of the left hand
Perception:
Qui checks the hand figuring that it will be some type of trigger or release.
Quirmydt checks out the bas-relief and does not notice anything. He doesn't appear to push in or turn
"It seems you put your hand in here I would think. Anyone want to put their left hand in here? I am still a little averse to getting my hand stuck after the glue incident."
Jokbur searches diligently for a secret door or trigger.
Qui looks to the others:
This may sound gruesome, but I can easily get under the portcullis, and can get the hand from one of the dead guards above. I could remove it and we could use it to try to place in this carving.
Even being as small as he is, Quirmydt is just a smidge too big to get through the bars.
Ariella detects magic on the bas-relief.
Ariella detects magic from the hand
Certainly!
Knowledge arcana:
Edmund is not sure of the school the magic is detecting as
Jokbur inserts his left hand in the carving.
He is hoping to pull it out quickly if things go awry.
Jokbur puts his hand on the carving and nothing happens
Edmund takes a closer look at the hand carving. Even though he's unsure what exactly it's supposed to do, he attempts to blindly activate...something.
Use Magic Device:
Edmund puts his left hand on the bas-relief and before he even tries anything he disappears.
Ariella does the same thing Edmund did.
Ariella puts her hand on the bas-relief and she disappears.
Qui looks to the others: Wait here, we cannot leave the two least martial alone. I will get to them and hopefully return. You can follow if you wish.
Qui imitates the cleric and the elderly mage.
Quirmydt puts his left hand on the bas-relief and nothing happens
"This ain't good. Let me try," says Hermann, who then presses his left hand against the bas relief. If that doesn't work, he tries his right hand.
"What did they do that we didn't do?"
Jokbur is agitated.
"I don't like this at all."
Hermann puts his hand on it and nothing happens. A moment later Ariella re-appears and says she and Edmund appeared in another room after 4 seconds in limbo when they pressed their left hand to the carving. She describes it as:
This room has the bas-relief carving of a left hand on each wall, and has no doors at all. There is an intact but rotted table in the center of the room. A skeleton dressed in tattered white robes and holding a scroll of red parchment in its right hand lies beside the table. Its left hand is missing. She and Edmund both appeared by the hand on the south wall. All of the hands detect as magical (Conjuration) and the scroll was magical as well.
Spellcraft to identify scroll:
As Edmund gets close to the bones