Boona gawked at the goblin curiously, " Why not dead? Have rock in brain."

"This rock!" sings Ruxithid, "is how I commune with the gods! You will help me find the lost pieces of the obelisk! Together, we shall bring about a metamorphosis of the Material Plane!"

His eyes roll back in his head again as he mutters to himself inaudibly from atop the mezzanine behind the statue.

Fergus:

Astonished by the sight before him, Fergus recovers and says to Boona, "I have heard of this condition, though it is rare.  Crystalline Mind Exposed Total Herniation can result from eating too many shiny mind-altering rocks.  The apothecaries in Waterdeep called it Crystal METH for short."

He then asks Quinn, "Should we scout the side passages and see if we can find our people, or try to deal with Ruxithid first?"

“Let’s look for our people.” Quinn replies to Fergus without taking his eyes off Ruxithid. “The Chosen One has known of us for some time. It can wait for us a little longer.”

Quinn moves west towards the bridge to scout for a Bryony’s family. 

Quinn carefully steps down the short set of stairs and explores a little to the west.

He can see a dim chamber with a couple of filthy cots. On one he sees a gaunt middle-aged human man in farmers' attire. He looks asleep or unconscious, and does not look healthy.

"Pay no mind to the offerings," sings Ruxithid, who is beginning to levitate an inch or two above the stone. "They are not fit. You, however... you have been chosen to gather the pieces of the shattered Netherese obelisk with me. Do you commit to the task of the Overlords? Will you commit to joining our divine quest?"

Jurgen will follow Quinn and back him up.

Boona moves up towards Quinn looking for Bryonys family.

Fergus:

”I will try and distract him while you search for our people,” offers Fergus quietly to his companions.

Stepping boldly forward, he responds to Ruxithud, “Tell me more about this task set before us.  Who are the Overlords, and what form will the remaking of the material plane take  if we can reassemble the great obelisks of old?  Where will our place be in the new order, should we agree to help?  Will we be sent away with the other, more worthy offerings?”

Persuasion to keep him talking and maybe get some info:  21

Boona heads down the opposite stairs....

Perception- 7

Jorzu 

Luckily, the lighting is as dim here as above. Jorzu is able to vanish from sight just prior to Quinn stepping off. He uses the potential distraction to dart to the east. Mid-stride he asks Laiti to do the same (turn invisible and head east). When inside the antechamber they split to scan the room.

Perception 2

Laiti Perception 8

The party begins to step down the stairs and scatter in this disorienting space. Jorzu and Laiti quietly vanish. 

Untethered to the ground, Ruxithud drifts forward a little. He seems distracted by everyone looking around and by his own internal conversations.

"You are not yet offerings... The Overlords! The gods who granted me my awakening, my powers! ...Together we shall find the last shards. We will be reborn! You must go to Talhundereth... You must find... You!" He addresses Quinn. "Stay out of there. Pay attention!" 

"Far to the east... ...YOU!" He shouts at Jurgen. "Look at me when I'm talking. You have been CHOSEN! You must all declare your allegiance to me now, or you will all become offerings. SPEAK!" His eyes roll back in his head and he begins to mutter again.

Quinn can see a second sleeping figure - a human woman. He recognizes neither, although it's hard to see at that distance and in these odd light conditions.

Jorzu gets a glimpse of some furniture - a table? - and other small items to the east.

Boona walks towards the goblin, she wants to see the shiny thing in its head up close.

Fergus:

”My apologies, most magnificent Ruxithid the Chosen.  My companions do not realize the magnitude of your mission.  Please, let me play some relaxing music so that we might all calm down and listen to your wise words,” coaxes Fergus, pulling out his harp and playing some ethereal chords.

Persuasion if needed:  13

Calm Emotions on Ruxithid to make him at worst indifferent to us, DC 15 Charisma.  

Quinn stops in his tracks briefly, but once he hears Fergus doing his thing with his harp, he puts his head down and picks up pace towards the westward corridor. He darts his head left to right quickly assessing the scene.

Perception check: 13

Ruxithid's frustrations begin to simmer on his face, but then he takes a deep sigh. DC15 CHA Save: 3

Quinn scans the full western chamber. He spots a third figure - a gnome in dirty village attire, curled up in the corner. All three look sickly and none more than barely conscious.

"Very nice... very nice..." replies Ruxithid, relaxing a little, warily watching Boona, and drifting a little higher in the air. "But I have little time for this. Here is your first quest: Leave this place, now. Go northeast - 60 miles, past Conyberry, almost to the Starmetal Hills, near the springs of Berun's River - to the abandoned dwarven temple known as Talhundereth. Bring me the obelisk fragment found therein. ...Do you accept?"

Quinn recognizes none of the sick commoners in the west room.

Boona gets closer to the goblin.....possibly accidentally blocking his line of sight to the others......

" Shiny."

" Can touch?"

Fergus:

”We shall have to discuss it, of course,” replies Fergus, continuing to gently strum his harp, “and there is the discussion of proper renumeration, of course—questing is not cheap, after all.”

Bryony tries to hide from the crazy goblin's view. Noting that Quinn is scouting the western room, she heads to the east, unknowingly following an invisible Jorzu and Laiti.

Stealth - 22

Jorzu 

Gnome and sprite divide and conquer. Jorzu scopes north as Laiti splits off and heads south once through the doorway. "Make sure you tell me what you see" reminds Jorzu of his fey charge, telepathically. "Keep an extra eye out for Byrony's family." It doesn't occur to Jorzu that neither of them have actually met Byrony's relatives.