Dobin attempts to ignore the strange mirror image, and moves up to where the chest is located.
Parfin will simply guard the door, examining his weapon as if it had some unseen defect that could explain what had happened in the other room.
As Kwin uses his bow to examine the southern wall, he notices that is seems to pass through the wall at a certain point. Dobin decides to walk toward the chest in an attempt to claim it, he passes through the painting and finds himself standing on staircase which descends into the ground!
Rose finds nothing additional interesting in examining the northern mural.
Kwin raises his eyebrows in surprise. "A way further down? Excellent! But before we plunge down, shall we finish exploring this level? As I recall, we have a couple of doors by where we discovered the gnolls to check. Also, we have a corridor that split off by the gargoyle's lair, plus some doors on the other side of the flame pit room."
I put green bars on the Roll20 map by the places I indicated.
"Well done, Dobin."
"So, let's circle back to that side passage and see where it goes."
I moved Kwin's icon to the place I'm referring to.
"Let's try these doors first. Always best not to leave potential foes behind us."
We'll do our standard checks, magic/poison/traps/locks, starting with the door on the north side of the passage.
Standing in a surprised stillness, a sheepish grin on his face, he replies.
"In truth I just wanted to see what might be in the chest. Never imagined that there was anything behind it!"
Miette checks out the door, it is not trapped but it is locked. Again she sets out to pick the lock...
The door clicks open and Kwin's detect magic pings an aura immediately. After concentrating he is able to discern a magical aura of conjuration on the eastern door . Directly west of the door is a an open pit 20' deep. Otherwise the room is empty.
Maybe the pit will come to attack us. Parfin doesn't seem sure of himself at this point in time.
Kwin raises an eyebrow at Parfin's suggestion. "I am aware of a magical item that is referred to as a 'portable hole'. For all intents and purposes, it is just a piece of black cloth until you lay it on the ground. Then it becomes an actual hole in the ground that you can store things in. The pit may be like that, only malicious, moving under us to make us fall. Let's keep an eye on it."
Terrific. Parfin was hoping his was simply making a joke out of the situation. Now he's worried about a moving pit.
So, do we dare try to cross it?
Rose and Miette check out the pit. It is 20' deep and there is a small recess at the bottom of the pit and it looks like there may be something in there. Rose also notices that the section of ceiling directly above the pit has a seam in it which roughly corresponds to the length and width of the pit's opening.
"Huh. Interesting. Dobin, Parfin, would you come with me a moment?"
Kwin will lead them back out to where the slain gargoyle's carcass is. "Let's grab this and throw it into that pit. See if it triggers whatever that seam is that Rose found."
So the idea is to stand back from the pit five or ten feet, and pitch the gargoyle in to see what happens.
"Sounds good to me too. Better a dead gargoyle than one of us!"
He helps heft the creature up and toss it down into the pit.
Rose cracks her whip a few times at the ceiling, but there is no obvious effect. Because of the seam, size and shape, she suspects that section of the ceiling could come out. After a brief conversation with Kwin, the pair conclude that it would likely weigh over a thousand pounds at least.
Miette beings to investigate what she can see of the seam and says, "It's really hard to tell, but it could definately be rigged to release somehow. See those scratches in the ceiling around the seam?" She points to the ceiling.
In an attempt to trigger something, the group collects the rocky remains of the gargoyle and tosses it down into the pit! Nothing of seems to happen, however.
Hmm. So that didn't seem to trigger anything. Should we try another place?
With that, Kwin will cast detect magic and detect poison on the door in this room to the east.
"Well, that door has magic aura to it. Conjuration, which could mean a lot of different things. Bringing into existence harmful substances like acid; summoning creatures, clouds or swarms of insects; teleporting people or objects in or out... I am sorry if that is too vague to be helpful."
Jericho stands ready with his glaive, confused by all the arcana being displayed and discussed.
The moment Rose touches the door, she vanishes in a blue-grey puff of smoke!
A split second later, Rose reappears just above the pit! Then the cruel forces of gravity do their thing on the startled halfling!
At the bottom of the pit, Rose can clearly see an iron button in the shape of a gargoyle's face inside the small recessed area she could see standing above.
Dobin un-coils his rope and throws it down towards the halfling.
"Here Rose, catch!"
Once Rose is up safely, Kwin will say "Maybe the button triggers the ceiling, or maybe it lets us go through the door without going into the pit. We should try to press it. I don't think I can summon a creature that I could order to push it." He considers and then says "I can cast a spell that would grow Jericho to the size of an ogre, and his gear along with him. I would estimate that he could reach the button with the haft of his halberd from up here."
Either idea would work, though I prefer not to risk Jericho in any way. The summoned creature would be best. Or, perhaps, we could throw a projectile at the button? Is it large enough to be a target?
Jericho looks up nervously at the ceiling and at Kwin at hearing the plan.
"I can work on a spell that will let me summon a creature I can command. Perhaps a small elemental. It may take a little while for me to work out, though, unless I can find or purchase a scroll that will advance me studies. Why don't we try an arrow at the button though? I might have a spell that would help..."
If Kwin can see the button from the top of the pit and if he thinks he can depress it with an arrow shot, he'll use his bonded object casting to cast True Strike and fire an arrow at the button.
As a precaution, he'll ask Parfin "As I take this shot, could you stand behind me with a hand around my belt? Then the exact moment I release the arrow, jerk me back away from the side of the pit?"
Miette pipes up once Rose has been lifted up, "I can climb down the rope and look at the button. Maybe I can disable it? Or at least learn more about how it works."
Kwin is able to detect a very faint abjuration aura on the button as well, when he is standing at the top looking down at the area where the button is.
Miette is able to easily climb down Dobin's rope and sets to looking at the button.
After studying it for several minutes, she says "Well, it's very interesting. Complicated really. There are two parts here." Miette points up at the ceiling as she yells up to be heard, "The first part activates that lovely thing. Which would drop it on my head. The second part releases a magical effect of some kind. I've managed to disable the falling block part. You want me to press the button and see what happens now?"
Miette pushes the button with a very anti-climatic 'click.' She immediately looks up to see if the massive stone block is going to fall on her, and after breathing a sigh of relief says, "See? Knew it all along!" She then quickly scrambles back up the rope!
"So, shall we try the door again?"
Kwin will cast detect magic on the door again. Can he tell any difference in the conjuration aura?
The aura appears to be gone!
The door appears safe from additional traps, Rose and Miette open it and cautiously enter the next room. It is very damp in this room, there is a large pool of deep water. It is probably 25 or 30' deep. Something at the bottom glints off of the light.
"Looks like someone is going to get wet!", the big warrior grins when he sees the pool.
I could, but I'd have to remove all of this to do it safely.
Jericho smiles, "Only water I know how to swim is in a trough."
"I only dog paddle. Parfin, we can cover you while you swim."
Parfin sighs and takes off his armor and equipment and prepares to go into the water. Tie a rope around me and hand me a dagger.
Parfin swims down and is able to find a golden skull with gems for eyes when he examines the glinting area. He grabs the skull and swims back up with it!
Parfin will dry off as best he can and put his equipment back on. So, is it valuable? It looks valuable.