Zyl slowly shrank back down to her usual cute fun size, but with several noticeable slashes across her body from the zombie attack. She looked at Vesta and smiled, "Well they were pretty icky, and they hurt! I'll be okay for a while longer though I think, but a little pick me up wouldn't hurt either!" she smiled playfully.

(she's at half health if that helps)

     Mulligan happily shares his knowledge but seems little interested in helping clean the old shrine and as his only magic is his boots, he's not sharing that either.  Instead Mulligan examines the area - the shrine and the rest of the room - while the others look hoping to find any hidden nooks or crannies or anything of value.  He is a rogue, after all, so pilfering from a shrine or a corpse wouldn't trouble him over much...

Vesta sends arcane energy into the shrine, but it is still covered in filth. What god would send its favor to a disgusting shrine like this? 

After seeing Vesta’s magic having little effect on the filthy shrine, Dara suggests: ”Perhaps a little performance can do the trick?” Then he recites one of the poems he remembers from the plains that always brought him peace, in hopes to appease the god of knowledge.

“I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.”

Performance: 17 + 2 from guidance 

DC 13 Arcana:

While listening to Dara's performance, Celeste's instincts guide her through some tidy up practice. She works on clearing off the shrine of large debris prior to blooming a big flower that resembles a pompom that she uses as a duster to sweep off the dirt, sand and dust. The druid was about to move to respectfully start spit shining the shrine when she'd remember she had water. Using water from her waterskin, and the bottom of her shirt, she washes the unholy things from it. Once satisfied with her work, she blooms a fresh flower and places it on the shrine as an offering.

Arcanna: 11 + Guidance: 4
Casting: Druidcraft

The shrine once again looks (and more importantly, feels) right and favored by Oghma. It glows with white light, and Dara would sense that this light would keep undead creatures, like the zombies, away.

There is nothing else of interest or value in this room - just another exit south of the one in which you entered and leading east. It goes straight for about 35'  before opening to the south a ways in a triangular shaped room. A double door made of green-tinged stone seals off further progression into the catacombs to the south. Facing the double door is a large carving of a grinning skull; one eye socket bears a wide eyeball with a jeweled iris, while the other is an empty divot.

The passage continues to the east another 15' before taking a sharp right turn to the south. A foul stench vaguely emanates from this direction... (updated map!)

     Mulligan is smug as the cleaning was all for naught.  Being lazy does pay off!  After all, all that hard work and they got nothing they didn't already have...

     Traipsing down the hall to the next room Mulligan is likely near the rear, what with his tiny legs being slower than the others.  

Dara watches Celeste's work, relaxed now the shrine of Oghma now cleansed of filth. The light emanating from the shrine feels soothing and welcoming. "The light, it's warm," He comments. "It can keep the undead away. We will be safe here if we want to take a rest."

Vesta glances toward Hollis, who has been strangely quiet during the whole encounter. Then she nods at Dara. "I think Zyl took the worst of it," she says. "I'm not particularly skilled with first aid, but perhaps someone could patch up her wounds?"

Seeing Zyl's wounds, Dara steps forward and gently places his hand over the fairy’s injuries. As he begins to murmur a prayer to Eldath, the words flow in a soothing, melodic rhythm that seems to resonate with the air around them. A soft, golden light emanates from his hands, spreading over Zyl’s wounds, knitting flesh and easing pain. “Sorry I couldn’t do more,” He says softly, “If we have time to rest, you will feel better.”

Healing Word on Zyl for 6

Zyl smiles as Dara provides some healing, fluttering her wings happily. "Oh that's okay! I'm a tough fairy! I'll make it I'm sure!" She giggled. "We can rest later when all these bad things are laid to rest! Right!? Well let's go then!" Zyl will head off down the southern passage toward the double door.

A double door made of green-tinged stone seals off further progression into the catacombs to the south. Facing the double door is a large carving of a grinning skull; one eye socket bears a wide eyeball with a jeweled iris, while the other is an empty divot.

(I think we've lost Hollis-EchoSandwich, so you're down to 5...)

"Well, looks like this might be a use for that eyeball we found," says Vesta. "Who has it?"

(I think Hollis might've had it last actually.) Vesta takes the eyeball from whoever was carrying it, and she places it in the empty eye socket.

When Vesta places the desiccated eye in the divot of the grinning skull, the eyeball pulses with sickly green light again, and the double door swings open to reveal a staircase leading further down to the south.

The bottom of the stairway opens into a 20' wide and 35' long sanctuary with a vaulted ceiling. Stone pews are arranged in orderly rows. Black candles burning green flames occupy niches along the walls. Atop a pulpit at the far end of the hall stands a jagged sculpture of an emaciated hand with one eyeball in its palm. There are passages leading east and west about 25' in. (Map)

DC12 Religion: 

“First aid?” Celeste’s ears twitch to those words. “Oh!” She lifts her hand. “I can totally patch up if still needed.” She smiles. Then she merecats to peer over other’s shoulders to look down the passage.

Religion: 9

     Following behind the rest of the group, short halfling legs and all, Mulligan saunters innocently and sticks a piton under one of the double doors to ensure it stays open.  Looking around to make sure nobody is paying much attention to him, he then examines the jeweled iris and hopefully, perhaps with the help of his thieve's tools, pries it off and quickly shoves it into one of his pouches or a sack, depending how big it is...

     Entering the room, now much behind the others...
Religion:  6
     "Black candles," he says with some concern.  "That's never a good sign, is it?  I mean nobody with sunshine and buttercups on their mind ever buys black candles, do they?"

Religion: 14 (rolled in log)

"Hmm....well I'm not an expert by far, but he looks like that really bad wizard, Vecna. Am I allowed to say that name?" she shuddered. "Gives me the creeps though. Can we go on now? My wings are getting dirty."

(Question - did you take the eyeball with you, or leave it in the stone skull by the door? You did discover a stone pedal on the door’s south side; stepping on it would cause the double door to swing open. Also - anything else in this room? Where to next - east or west passage?)

Vesta takes the eyeball, putting it back in her pack. Who knows if it will come in handy again? She approaches the sculpture. It is truly repulsive, and the black candles with green flames give her the creeps. This cult certainly had all the accoutrements of an evil cult on hand. The sorcerer was just surprised they hadn't encountered any cult members yet, aside from the zombies. This looked some sort of place of dark worship. So where were the worshippers?

Religion - 21

At the mention of Vecna's name, the sorcerer shudders. Although she doesn't recognize the symbol on the sculpture, she has heard of the arch-lich before, of course. Likely most mages have heard his name, whispered as a warning or a tale to frighten initiates. "Oh gods, this must be a cult dedicated to Vecna," she says. "That's just great."