Artan trusts Salastor as far as he can throw him. And his strength score is 9.... Seeing him trying to sneak off down the eastern tunnel (assuming Artan sees that seeing as he has 23 passive perception and talked to him) he is highly suspicious (insight 19) "What is down that tunnel that you were more happy to go down? Your sudden change here makes me more certain this is a trap. I think you should go first. Followed extremely closely by one of us in case you try anything funny."

Kordia gives Salastor the side eye as she looks into the soon, not smokey room.        [passive int] Investigation: 14

Sending a message psychically to her 3 linked companions.

 "Thank you for your help, Salastor.  If only you had spoken up before 'those monsters' attacked Flax (and decided 'the prisoners' were a meal.)  If only you had walked forward and spoken up -- they could have gone home to their loved ones instead of feeding the rats and undead that are moving up behind us.  Perhaps you can go talk to THEM about leaving us in peace and going somewhere else now?   How about it, Salastor?   Care to ACTUALLY do something this time?"

"I...I have been forbidden from interfering! If you wish to see the master and gain the patronage of the Green One, you must do it yourself. You must have the drive and hunger to complete these tasks so you may gain powers even the gods will envy." he starts getting a little preachy, then trails off, mumbling something about eternal paradise to himself

Kordia stares deep into the chamber beyond, and as the smoke clears, she sees about what she expected. An alchemists lab, furnished with birch shelves of ingredients and birch tables upon which sit test tubes and bubbling cauldrons filled with strange liquids. As for obvious threats and living creatures, there are none. That you can see at least.

Quote from Arthuropodd >>

Ember casts Cure Wounds on herself.  And spends a sorcery pt to increase the spell to 11.

Then tries the door, with a foot about a foot back, as a brake.  

 Ember glares at Salastor for muscling in and opening the door.  Then looks at the others.

"Come on guys.  Let's go meet the master and get this over with.  Either we kill him, listen to an explaination or something else.  Which includes him trying to kill us.  At this point, I'm not particuluarly sure which I prefer, but it's a final decision."

And with that she enters the door.

Kordia shrugs.  "You heard the Lady... move your butts!"       Kordia will slip into the room and veer along the right wall (as much as she can with the tables, shelves, etc.)

She will look about for any sign of her equipment, pack, etc.  -- she had a sudden 'fear' that the smoke was the mage burning her stuff!

 {game log} ->  Investigation:  (5+4) = 9   +   Psi-Bolstered Knack = 7 ===> 16  

As you enter the room, nothing you see surprises you. Along one wall there are rows of lockers, each bursting to the brim with stuff. On the other side are shelves upon shelves of ingredients. Besides many alchemical stations, the place also boasts many other kinds of work tables, including a forge and blacksmiths anvil, as well as what appears to be an autopsy table. On the far wall sista singular wooden door (who can tell me what the door is made of?)

No one is in the room besides you guys

Kordia will pass on what she sees to her linked companions and whisper it to those not linked.  "All clear as much as I can tell.   Definitely a lab for a mage or alchemist or artificer."

{game log}  Investigation:  14+4 = 18

She will move over and look through the "...rows of lockers, each bursting to the brim with stuff."  in the hopes she stumbles upon her backpack and other gear.

Beshlog will go ahead and do some careful poking around... a mage's lab is always bound to be full of fascinating things!

Investigation: 25 (18+7)

Artan will go and look at the door on the far side to try and listen to anything past it. Perception: 18

Flax will similarly be rifling through the lockers for anything useful. 

"People, I've got healing.  It'll take me 10 min to cast, so be ready for it."  Ember starts chanting.

14 HP healing (each) to 6 people from Prayer of Healing..

That is useful to Artan 

Kordia sighs as the healing energies seep into her body and covers her in a wave of 'aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh'.   

(( she was only down 8 pts... but.... HEALED ))

Kordia gives a short bow and thanks to Ember.

It looks like Beshlog was already at full health. But he thanks Ember anyway.

Ember goes back and locks the door to the corridor (if it hasn't been already).  

"Y'know, I'm agreeing with Kordia that we should barricade the door.  Who's with me?"

"On one condition. We barricade it in such a way that we can still easily get out. We don't want to trap ourselves in here if the creatures following have some way of avoiding physical barriers."

Kordia nods.  "What they said."  She looks about for something that screams 'moveable barricade'.

Are the lab benches movable?  Does the door open in or out?

In the lockers, you find…a bunch of different lab material and tools! All sorts of stuff. Very exciting. Oh yeah, you also find Kordia and Flax’s gear.

You try to move the benches, and they can be pushed from their spot. The door opens towards the inside of the lab, so you could easily block it with the benches.

Beshlog investigates the anvil and feels the familiar cold steel of the anvil, in addition to being a powerful mage, his master was also a crafter, and taught Beshlog how to smith before the Goliath set out on his own. He also notices that some of the cauldrons are filled with strange liquids, some with wafting scents of sweets and perfume, others smelling of foul things like dung and blood.

Beshlog smiles.

"Ladies, gentlemen... I think I may have found some potions," he says with a smile. "Let's bottle some of this stuff up and take it with us to figure out what it is later."