Unfortunately the portal appears as an opaque, shimmering golden pool, vertical in front of them. You can't see through it.

"Looks like we would have to just risk it." Irmiel bit her lip thinking. "Nobody knows what awaits on the other side, it had to be centuries since the portal was activated last time. We might straight up end in that scary beast domain - who knows! But by all the gods it's interesting!"

Probably the best way would be to send Osrik first but if the portal led to another plane it would not help... She called familiar to her side anyway. "Guess there is only one way to learn - go through the portal ourselves. Stallock, would you wait here or go with us?" Irmiel was ready to step inside.

He sits at the floor while Kris tell about their findings. Her words made him consider if the magic he used, what so many people called nature magic, was divine or arcane in nature. The druids had their gods, deities such as Silvanus and Mielikki, but didn’t receive spells by praying to them. At the same time their craft was less of a scientific system like that of most arcanists.

“Nature and mortality are not that synonymous.” He said to his friend. “There is a fair share of immortal creatures and phenomena on the natural word. The easiest example would be the gods themselves. The very magic of nature mitigates mortality, and not only through healing. Master druids, at certain point, simply start to age at a tenth of the speed of any living being because of their proximity with nature.” Maybe that was the reason why the elders of the circle didn’t look that elderly to his eyes. “On this sense destruction is not a byproduct of nature, but a an easily noticeable part of nature. A way for life to give space to itself, to renovate itself.”

Renovate. The word made he think about resting. A short break would return the energy he spent using Wild Shape. He was about to suggest that when Sistri started declaiming the poem. Llwyd thought they should have first thought about how to block the senses of the drow in the ring before revealing the information he wished, but in the decided he decided to keep his silence. If the poem was an incantation then interrupting it could have catastrophic effects.

“Wouldn’t it be better to send your familiar in first then see through its eyes what is on the other side?” He asked before Stallock could give his answer.

Stallock comes down the stairs from above, his eyes on the glowing portal. "I suppose that is up to you. I must admit, this...." he motions to the vertical golden pool, "...is fascinating and you've all caught my interest with your quest. You can decide to go through and that my job is complete, or, if you're inclined, I think I'd like to accompany you. But if this is where my job ends, I won't be staying here. Most assuredly a force, or more, of Drow are headed here. I'll not stay here by myself."

"I thought about it," shook her head Irmiel in response to Llwyd's suggestion. "But this is the case when negative result will be inconclusive and positive gives very little. With portals the only way to know what is on the other side is to go through them. Preferably, with precautions. In this case, I can walk in first and send Osrik back if everything is fine. Or that pebble Kris threw before."

She looked at Stallock. "Personally, I will feel safer if you go with us. Though, you have to truly think about it. Right now we do not know what is up there and, frankly, how fast we could get back.  Danger aside, there can be problem with payment if it takes too long? Unless you want to join for the share of probable but not guaranteed treasure. Would you?"

Irmiel sent a brief curious thought to surprisingly quiet Belaern (she thought he would be more excited about opened portal). "Any ideas where the portal leads?" 

(Know I've had limited posts... Sistri was standing in the midst of the circle when she started to say the poem. Not sure if that matters. Post #796)

(it did not. Presumably you moved out of the way when things started happening?) 

Stallock shrugs, "Those things are true as soon as you step outside your door. Life is danger. To crave safety is to crave an end to living. These things don't bother me. As for payment, if I am to join your crew properly, then, I suppose a share instead of a fee sits fine with me."  He glances at the other, "Assuming of course Irmiel speaks for everyone here.."

Meanwhile, in Irmiel's mind, the ring answers her question smugly, "Yes, I do know."  A mental grin tells her he doesn't plan on enlightening her.   "Just....keep an eye to the shadows. The bare patch on the ground guarantees that your supposition that the portal hasn't been opened recently is entirely wrong. We'd wondered where the Shadovar had gone. Now we know.  Though how they learned the poem I've no idea." 

At least the soul of Belaern did not sound scared. And if shadovar could go somewhere - so could the group. "Looks like shadovar beat us to the portal. Drow were on their tail but came too late." She could not help but to send a smirk in Belaern's direction. "So, we might expect to run into the common enemy, so, let's keep our eyes open." 

"Well, if everyone agrees to Stallock's new contract, let's go?" Should there be no objection, Irmiel with Osrik on her shoulder, stepped through the ring.

Kris has to handle it to Stallock.  They guy has been through quite the ordeal and just keeps rearing to go.  "I'd love to have you along, Stallock.  And I think a share is a wonderful idea!"  It was easier to say for Kris, perhaps, given that money had never been a chief concern of hers.  Adventure and danger would be payment enough for her.  Kris, too, prepares to enter the portal.

“You think the distance between here and the inside of the portal may be longer that the reach of the telepathy between you and your familiar?” Now that he said it out loud the possibility seemed more than possible. “I could see that happening.” Simply put, there was no way to be sure it was not the case.  “When it comes to having Stallock with us, well, did you guys see what he made to that displacer beast? The only ones that could have a problem with him being with are our enemies.” And he had the impression that it wouldn’t take long before meeting with some of those. The satyr then turned to the human. “I don’t understand much about money but I am fine with sharing as much as necessary. If you want, later, we can even introduce you to Charlie, the founder of our company and the responsible for the paperwork – contracts, licenses, this kind of thing.” Saying so Llwyd turned to Irmiel. “I trust on your abilities. I know you are capable. But the idea of sending you alone first… It feels like we are using you as bait. So, I am going for the scouting too.”

And so he did, following Irmiel as she entered the aureate gateway.

With agreement met, Stallock smiles an awkward smile, and nods to the group, "Thank you for letting me join you." 

Then, as a group, they move through the golden shimmering field. 

Moving through it is no subtle feeling. More, it feels like your bodies are grabbed, and then flung at incredibly speeds. The world around you is a blur of motion, color, and chaos. But only for the briefest of moments, which ends with you stumbling forward awkwardly into a dimly lit room.  Glancing around as a group, you see an eight foot tall, five foot wide archway carved into the wall behind you, that you've just emerged from.  Its borders are lit with a diffuse purple glow, highlighting the magical ruins across its surface.  The glowing light from the portal is the only light in this otherwise dark room.  You're in a room that feels distinctly underground for the lack of any sort of natural light coming in to it, along with a lack of windows. The room is split level. The raised half that you are currently in is connected to a lower half of the room, with broad stairs that span the entire width of the room leading down the eight or so feet in height change. Ancient cracked stone pillars line each side of the hallway every fifteen feet. What appears to be a cone shaped creature with a giant mouth at it's top, and four arms sticking out around the jaws appears to be made of solid stone, and partially embedded in the wall.  Across from it you see a weird slug like creature with four arms on the ground, also solid stone and partially cracked.  These two 'statues' are clearly old, covered in years of grime, while other bodies litter the floor and are far more recent. 

Five dead jackals lay about the room, decorated with burns, cuts and patches of black shrivelled flesh that clearly spelled their deaths. Splatters of blood and pools of fluids lay across the floor. Near the jackals you note discarded scimitars, a crossbow, some fragments of clothing along with belts and sheaths.  As if someone had changed clothes and equipment all about the bodies. You also see a dead Shadovar body. The pale, black hair skinned woman is wearing black stained leathers and has a spiked chain laying about her. A door at the far end of the room lays ajar. From the smell in the room, you'd figure this battle occurred a couple of days ago, and nothing seems to have been much disturbed since. 

"Ooh!" Irmiel was looking around at the more than bleak surroundings with the expression of a child walking in the candy store. "There is another plane! Or something like this?" She finally focused on the statues. "Do hope these things are not made after the most common fauna in this realm." (until proved otherwise she wanted to be "another realm", otherwise, what's the point?) "And it seems our shadovar friends indeed passed through. Well, at least it will be easy to follow. Even if not pleasant."

She began to walk downstairs while sending Osrik ahead to check the exit.

This building appears to be a structure, built from massive stone blocks that fit together perfectly. Though large cracks reach through the walls, ceiling and floors. The architecture does appear quite alien, unlike any the group is familiar with or has seen before. Many fine details that seem to have somehow survived the test of time with only minimal damage. The stone its made from is an odd one, brownish orange and as hard as marble. 

Irmiel moves across the room, stepping past pools of blood and ichor, and looks through the door that appears to be made of some sort of heavy wood, smooth with age and use. Her sharp eyes peek into the pitch dark of the next room.  The room looks like it may have originally been an office. Though the shelves are now dust and any books that may have been upon them look like nothing more than the faintest tatters decaying on the floor. A large wooden desk is broken down into a partial pile in the corner. There are two other wooden doors here, both ajar, but she'll need to continue into the room and to take a good look through them, and the rest of the party is still in the previous room, lit by the cold glow of the glowing archway on the wall. 

Stallack approaches the dead Shadovar and examines the body.   "Maybe two days old? Killed by blows from these discarded scimitars, as well as Jackal bites." 

"Ow!" Kris moans as she stubs her tow on a stone statue.  She whispers a word to conjure light on her rapier.  The black blade emits a pale purplish glow, casting the gruesome scene in vivid detail.  "Ew," she manages, before casting her luck charm and inspecting the bodies for anything valuable.

Perception: 18 plus 4 guidance

Llwyd was not sure what to expect travelling through that portal, but he definitely did not expect to feel like being throwed by giant hands. After the gold shimmer the darkness of a room awaited for them. Thanking Silvanus for not being sickened he took in the sight and smell of the surroundings. The first thing to notice was the stench of death and soon, together with the others, he found the remnants of battle.

“I don’t know, Irmiel. Those jackals seem like the kind of beast we find in our world.” Said the satyr trying to decide if the dead Shandovar was a sign that whatever enemies they found on that place would not be beyond their abilities or that even the common animals there were far beyond their strength. “Found something on her?” He asked to Stallock. “Either way, it is not only about the Netherese we have to worry about.” The words made something click on his head and he started to look around for any sign of the portal they came from. If it closed, they wouldn’t need to worry about the drow, although a way to return home could prove difficult to find. At least without a long, dangerous walk – the kind of thing that pretty much summarized their travels.

Notes: Can Llwyd see any sign of the portal the party came from and did Stallock find something on the Shadovar body maybe a 300gp diamond?

Value is in the eye of the beholder, but Kris sees only poorly maintained weapons, cheap leather scabbards and belts, and everything is covered in ick. She supposes the group might be able to collect and haul all this trash somewhere, but....to her nothing here looks particularly valuable. 

Llwyd meanwhile turns his attention to the portal. Upon touching the stone wall that fills the glowing archway, his hand only meets firm resistance. Pressing into it also does nothing. The magical glow around the gateway seems to indicate this thing as magical, the glyphs and carvings similar to those on the floor on the far side. However it appears not to be open to allow them to return. 

Stallock stands up from the body. "No, nothing but this spiked chain, her armor, and basic clothes."

Sistri takes a moment to collect herself after the abrupt and rather jarring travel through the portal.  Seeing Kris create a light, she reaches for her pack and draws out a torch.  She lights it so that she can take her own look about the place.  "One shadovar dead, but the rest must have prevailed."  She starts to take a look around at whatever was left behind or anything of interest. (Perception: 18)  

"Where do we head to next?" she asks the group, seeing Llwyd pushing on the stone inside the gateway. "Do you suppose the portal activates the same way to go out?" she suggests.  "Not that I'm ready to go back yet."

He nodded to Stallock and relief took hold of his body as he touched the stone. The portal was gone and with it a considerable danger. Or at least Llwyd hoped as much. Sistri’s words brought him back to reality, to the question that remained in front of them. A more immediate problem that led the eyes of the satyr towards Imriel’s familiar. Maybe I should call my on, he considered. Two scouts would be better than one, but the ritual would take time and consume the energy he remaining energy he had to wild shape.

“To be honest I hadn’t even thought about using it to get back. My worry was with the drow patrols possibly using it to get here, literally on our backs.” He was no tactician but the idea of standing between Shadovar and dark elves seemed terrible. “Good news is that there is no portal anymore so the drow will the poem they do not have, meaning we should be safe enough to worry about what is ahead of us without getting ambushed from behind.” He then turned his head to Irmiel. “I think we take the door and we will need him ahead again.” The druid pointed to the owl. “Sorry for not being able to help with it.”

"There is no portal on that side," Irmiel wanted to be precise on the matter. "One side portals is not something unheard of. Though, if shadovar came through two days ago and it did not work when we came, we indeed might be safe. But give me a minute here." It took a bit longer than a minute but others were checking the bodies anyway so she risked it and tried to study the place of the supposed way back. (Detect Magic as ritual to check that corridor behind the disappeared portal)

Once something was found (or confirmed to be absent) she was ready to go. (Osrik continued his scouting duties)