Tarphrex follows the armored woman, peering around her to see what lay ahead.
Discerption of E8:
The words are in a language none of you know. The man (both in statue form and in "ghostly figure" can best be described as lavish. The room appears to otherwise be empty, with dust covering the floor as it does in the hallway you stand in.
Loth cautiously moves into the room, quietly, seeing if the ghost acknowledges his presence.
@Loth: It does not. Since you're watching it to see if it is watching you, you notice that it seems to fuzz for a brief moment and its entire posture shifts. It seems to be gesturing while it talks, but after no more than a few sentences, it fuzzes again and moves back to another posture. It only takes you a moment to realize that it is repeating movements exactly.
Razkiv raises his shield and moves to follow Loth.
@Razkiv: You easily notice the same things I informed Loth of.
@Dol: Open it. I DARE you.
Zenaida pokes her head into the room, seeing the haunt play out. "Huh, interesting. Doesn't look like there's much in there though, so we should probably leave it alone."
@Zenaida: You notice all the same things I've mentioned.
@Dol: YOU FOOL!! I HAVE YOU NOW!!
Zenaida follows a few steps behind, leaving room for one of the resident trap experts to get through. The only way Zenaida finds traps is by stepping on them.
Tarphrex follows close behind Zenaida, peering around her hip. When she looks down at him questioningly, he realizes he should be doing something, so he moves in to assist Loth.
"Friend Dol, be careful! Tarphrex and Loth, Loth and Tarphrex, search search search!"
Amused by the kobold's antics, Loth starts searching for traps.
@Dol: Nothing pings as magical.
@Zenaida: You step on no traps.
@Loth and Tarphrex: You find no traps, even with the assistance. There are, however, two things you do discover.
1) The various surgical tools here are quite unique and well made. All told, probably worth at least 100 gp.
2) The other is a strange metallic object stuck onto one of the side tables. It doesn't seem to be useful in any sort of medical capacity and is obviously of different craftsmanship of the surgical tools. It appears to be a silver and gold seven-pointed star; one surface is studded with nodules and blades, and the other features a thin, curved handle.
Tarphrex glances over the seemingly normal (and scary) surgical tools, but is drawn to the odd star-like object. He doesn't touch it, but he studies it for a bit.
Loth simply picks it up. "Knowing how this place has been so far, this could be some sort of key. I propose we take it with us."
”Key? Loth has found big locks!”
@Tarphrex: You can determine nothing additional about the object.
"Well, remember the magic wall of fake coins? Same idea here, some sort of really elaborate mechanism. I've seen a few back when my family was still in the merchant business! Maybe there's a wall in here somewhere with some sort of indent that this star fits perfectly, and then it'll activate all sorts of gears and open up into a secret secret room. The best place to hide a secret room is inside another secret room, after all. Love those things..."
Loth trails off a bit before his mind jumps back into focus. "Next door, then?"
Raz moves to the South door and this area has been empty, but something broke that woman's mind, and it is likely still back here.
Tarphrex walks over to the assortment of bones and tentatively pokes one.
"I'd say you're probably right, Loth." Zenaida studies the star-shaped object for a bit, then shrugs. Just as she's about to follow the dwarves, she freezes. "Uh-oh. Don't poke the bones, Tarphrex, we've already encountered undead down here."
The kobold backs away before taking his eyes from the pile of bones. "Tarphrex knows. If bones move, want them to move now, not when friends look other way."
He raises a talon in an Aha! movement. Making sure his friends are farther away than he is, he says, "Mrtvi se morajo vrniti v svoj počitek," as he reaches toward the bones and 'tears' some... thing... away from the pile of bones.
He frowns at the miss and tries again a couple of times before giving up.
@Loth: Just move your piece to it if you'd like
@Dol: There isn't one listed, but it would make sense that they would function as masterwork tools. I'm going to say: "+2 to Heal checks having to do with surgery". (I know that's a little vague, but they wouldn't give a bonus to curing a disease, so anything you can justify it for.)
@Razkiv: I see you and Loth are both there. So look for your details at the bottom of the post.
@Zenaida: Good instincts.
@Tarphrex: A 10 on the attack roll will, in fact, hit a non-moving pile of bones. Each of your three zaps hits a pile, but the energy passes through harmlessly.
And you do know that disrupt undead would have affected them if they were actually undead, even before they animate.
@Loth and Razkiv: As you approach the doors to the south, they seem to disintegrate, turning to dust and revealing a completely different set of doors behind them. These doors are made of stone but bear no handles. An indented outline of a seven-pointed star, its shape covered by hollows and slits, graces the spot where handles should be. The object in your hand looks like it would fit just right.
Tarphrex looks at Zenaida and nods decisively. Nothing to see here!
Loth will, of course, place the key in the wall. That said, before he does so, he'll call Tarphrex to take a look.
An excited little kobold scurries over, happy to help. He looks over the apparent handle in Loth’s hand and the door, looking for anything untoward that might threaten them.
Well, those bones obviously aren't undead. Better to be safe than sorry. Zenaida follows Loth and Tarphrex, sword in hand.
Careful examination shows only that these doors fit remarkably well in their frame. Not even the smallest seam exists between door and floor or frame. They fit so perfectly, it could only have been done by master Dwarven craftsmen, or by magic (which is much the same thing).
Would you like to insert the key now?
An unusually large goblin sits in one corner. It stares at Loth as the door opens, eyes wide, sharp teeth on display in a grimace that might pass for a smile. It says nothing, just stares with intensity.
Tarphrex moves up alongside Loth and peeks into the room. Seeing the goblin, he smiles (displaying a similar array of teeth) and waves.
"Tarphrex sees someone here already! Maybe door not locked so long after all?" The kobold does seem a bit uncertain of this last statement.
"Uh, hello there! How are you?" Loth says carefully, hand close to his dagger.
The creature says a single word, translated by Dol from Goblin. Besides it's mouth, it does not move, twitch, or otherwise stir. Simply stays sitting, cross-legged, on the floor, staring at you.
Zenaida looks at the creature warily. "Wow, that's the biggest goblin I've ever seen. We going to fight him, or what?"
”Maybe is magic picture like other room? Tarphrex has idea, will come back.”
Tarphrex steps back out of sight of the creature, not wanting to offend, then casts a spell of detection before stepping back to where he can scan the room for auras, especially the “illusionary” super-sized goblin.
"What manor of beast are you? Was it you who corrupted that mage?"
Smoke begins to rise from the dwarf's empty right hand.
@Zenaida: No response to your words from the big gobbo.
@Tarphrex: I presume your "spell of detection" is in fact detect magic....
If yes, then you get the following info over the next few rounds:
Yes, there is magic.
The fire pit, the candles in the two corners, and the door frame itself all detect as magic. The inhabitant does not detect as magic, but if it is an illusion spell, it wouldn't.
That's two rounds of info, you can concentrate further from there.
@Razkiv: You get the only real answer or reaction from this thing.
"I am the Great Malfeshnekor. Lieutenant of the Army's of Greed."
Tarphrex mutters to himself in another language, "Ognjišče, sveče, okvir vrat, ne bitje"
Loth glances at the rest of his party, recognising the name. "Maybe we should... excuse ourselves, then?"
Zenaida slumps with relief. "I didn't want to be the one to say it, but yes. I will be far more useful once the shadow's damage to my strength is healed." She glances at Tarphrex, Dol, and Razkiv. "I imagine our spellcasters would like to come to this fight with their full complement of spells, as well."
@Loth & Zenaida: "No. Food. No harm." It then speaks in a language none of your recognize, still showing little to no emotion.
@Loth: You may not have gotten the spoiler, but I won't call foul if you just think this thing is creepy and don't trust it.
Loth absolutely thinks it's super creepy and would rather just leave. Just in case, he offers it some of his trail rations. "Food."
Zenaida frowns, keeping her hand on her sword hilt. "It doesn't sound like he's lying, but this is the being who drove Lyrie mad. She was way too far gone to lie about anything. And according to Orik, she was perfectly sane when they first arrived at Thistletop."