The firbolg casts Gust. He will repeatedly cast the cantrip to move the rod closer, should it move. Sweat beads on Barburry's forehead and other sweaty areas as he isn't used to casting so frequently.

You kick up a fresh dust storm in this small tunnel, Barburry, but surely enough, a small metallic rod comes rolling out, bumping into your boot and coming to a stop.

Using his handkerchief, he will pick up the item, holding it for viewing in front of him and Hin. If my Detect Magic is still up, can I see more clearly the type of magic?

"Interesting..." Hin remarks, seeing the rod being held in Barburry's hand. "We should definitely show this to Professor Maz. Great spellcasting, by the way."

(ooc: Is there anything on the rod---such as engravings, or rust---that Hin can see without the use of Detect Magic?)

Donavera Isemist

Vera starts grinding her teeth together when she watches the ink melting like liquid wax under the influence of supernatural heat. To her, the scene seems quite different and ghastly since it reminds her of something spooky.

Charcoal-black puddle of liquid covers the floor. There are bones and corroded metals stuck into it. The bones and metals start moving and create a base of humanoid figure when the black liquid starts oozing. It smells like acid and garbage.

Why is there a hole at the bottom of the wall? She wonders when she finds Zodiac sauntering about the place and sticking his beak into the gap. She falls in a trance like state, again, while trying to see the inside or other side of the gap using the sense of her raven familiar.

Intelligence [Perception] 23

Does disadvantage due to natural darkness apply here? Second Roll 20

You pick the rod up, Barburry. For being a solid piece of metal, it's lighter than you imagined. Your detect magic is just on the verge of ending, but the aura is visible and, it doesn't appear to belong to a single school of magic. Instead, it appears to have a universal aura, meaning it contains a little bit of magic from every school. Looking at it up close Barburry and Hin, there are no engravings on it and it is perfectly clean, no signs of rust. It does however come to a point on one end, and though it's made of metal, it reminds you a little bit of a quill or ink pen.

Vera, you take your raven's sense and do your best to peak under the gap. You're not sure how, but Zodiac did manage to get a quick glimpse under this small gap and on the other side there appears to be a corridor that continue straight ahead for as far as the raven can see.

Vera will formally announce that she's found something at the other side of the wall. "I see an ooze.. er.. a passage through the sense of my familiar."

Laurence looks curiously to Hin and Barburry, as they seem to have returned and found something from the cavern. But turns to Vera as she announces the presence of another finding and replies: “a passage? …I suppose it would make sense to have hidden spaces in ruins.” Sounds like the kind of place for ancient artifacts to be. They turn to one of the archeologists and asks, “excuse me, hello, my name is Laurence, may I ask if you have found passages like these in your time here?”

"Well.. You see, we've not discovered any passages yet." The two archeologists who are standing with Professor Maz and you look at each other and back towards you, Laurence "we've really only explored the main chamber so far. We've made a ton of discoveries in the main chamber itself, so we haven't had the time to explore beyond."

Barburry will present the metal like ink pen to the Professor. His eyes revert as his Detect Magic ends.

"Professor, this is the item Hin and I found. It caused my familiar to poof away when it toyed with it.  I know it looks like a quill or something, but the magic on it was strange, like a mash of many magics."

Hearing about the potential for a passage hidden beyond the wall, Barburry is instantly transfixed.   It's exactly what he had hoped to find in the cave that he searched.  He doesn't have any spells that will help move rock though, so he just stands back and allows the others around to take the lead on that whilst he tries to puzzle out this thing he and Hin found.

Donavera Isemist

Vera eagerly listens to whatever Laurence has to say about the latest discovery. She smiles at the mention of a new item and examines it from a safe distant, not daring to touch something without a clearance from the mentor. "Yes, my friend. Hidden passages in ancient ruins are not unheard of, even though most of the commoners would consider them as rumors. I wish, we get to see some hidden occupiers of these passages too since it will be... awesome?"

She will remove a crowbar from her backpack and put the sharp edge of it into the gap. Her intention is to pry open the door that might lead to the corridor or at least create a larger gap to peep through it.

Strength [Crowbar] 18 (Rolled with advantage from the leverage of crowbar)

At the mention of the metal quill, Hin lights up. As a devout scribe and proud litterateur, nerding out about different types of pens and quills is her forte. "Mind if I take a look?" She asks. She takes the quill and turns it over a few times in her hand, looking at every little detail. She then gets out her bottle of ink and a book of Sylvan poetry, and sits down on the floor. She opens the ink bottle and dips the metal rod in the ink, tip first. Then, opening up the book---with its countless margin notes and annotations---she scribbles a little on the corner of a page, testing the pen out.

"It sent your familiar away? Interesting.." The dragonborn observes the metallic object before Hin grabs hold of it "If it has a mash up of magics inhabiting it, it is likely very old. We've learned that was a common practice during the first and second era, but the methods to do so have been lost. This is definitely worth studying further. You found it, so you are welcomed to study it on your own." Meanwhile, Vera, you jam your crowbar into the gap visible in the wall, and pry. Barburry, you watch as Vera manages to lift this section of the wall a few inches, but it seems to be caught on something. Barburry, Laurence, and Vera, you all hear metal hitting metal. Vera, as you release your pressure on the crowbar, this doorway returns to its original position.

Make an investigation check for me Vera.

Hin, you dip the metal rod in the ink and as you pull it out, the ink instantly runs off the rod, leaving it dry.

Hin

"It looks like a quill, but it doesn't hold ink. Must be something else. A key, maybe?" She starts thinking out loud as she tries to use the metal rod as a quill once more.

DM:

Hin

Laurence is quite impressed by Vera’s practicality, they walk up to the gap as well. They use the brooch to conjure up orbs of light, and sends them into the gap, in an attempt to get a better look inside. To the sound of metal on metal, their ears twitch, “oh, that was not the sound of stone, was it?”

Hin's eyes light up in surprise at the discovery of inked marks showing up on the page. "Oh... I didn't notice it worked. Just needed to work the nib a little." She continues sketching on the corner of the page, albeit absentmindedly. Her thoughts are more directed towards what's happening around her as she doodles. "No, I don't believe it was," she says, in response to Laurence's remark. "Maybe if you all try prying it open, the force will be enough to bend the metal permanently for you to see something inside?" She suggests. After a few minutes of doodling, she smiles warmly at the page, running her finger over the drawing of her as a child, and her parents. "I miss you so much, I wish you were here with me," she sighs, under her breath. "Wait a minute," She stands up abruptly. "This quill seems to have made its own ink!" She practically squeals at this discovery. "Barburry, look! It makes its own ink! And to believe you found this in this cave! I wonder who dropped it? Whose was it? How was it made, how does it work? I'm assuming it's magic. After all, you did say it had a faint magic aura surrounding it? What school of magic was it from? I forgot." She speaks rapidly, with an electrifying manner as she shows Barburry by holding up the book in front of him and scribbling more on the page.

(ooc: whoa long post!)

"Haha! That is something! Imagine the age and stories this pen had written about or signed into history!  Isn't there a spell that could tell us something like that? We should definitely mess arou....I mean experiment and explore this unique find" Barburry is eager to geek out over the pen with Hin, but wants to help with the door problem as well as he turns he turns his attention to the team on the door.  "I can add my bulk and maybe lift up the door to sneak someone through.  If there is metal, perhaps we can figure out how it works from the other side.  Oh OHHH!  What if I push one of the lights from our pendant through and someone sees through their senses to figure out how it works!?  

Thinking about familiars, Barburry winces ever so slightly.  He would really prefer not to conjure Scritches back until he has some sort of apology snack for his little buddy but also wants to help keep a good impression with the team.

Vera: Investigation 18

"No, that most definitely was not the sound of stone, young Laurence" Professor Maz speaks up, taking note of what's going on beyond this pen like object Barburry and Hin have found. Barburry, as you talk about adding more counter weight in the form of yourself to Vera's small crowbar, you all hear a clicking sound, and a jolt as this stone door begins rising up, into the ceiling. Vera, through perhaps dumb luck, or perfect execution while searching the walls around this passage, your hand slid and fit perfectly into a painting of a hand on the wall. As it did, the door began to open. "Well, that is certainly interesting.." The dragonborn speaks up again. The only light in this newly found tunnel appears to be the light you've all created in this main chamber. You all can see that the passage way continue straight ahead and begins sinking deeper into the ground. It eventually bends, cutting your vision from seeing what could be on the other side of this tunnel. "We do have plenty of time. Shall we explore or shall we return early with this magnificent discovery?"