Erven remains silent, watching as the name of the spirit is uncovered and the true appearance of her face appears.  While everyone else seems to be enjoying the moment, he holds his hand near his sword hilt, jaw his clenched.  “Right.  Lady Hallwinter.”  He says quietly.  He turns back to the passage that he found, moving slowly and quietly toward to fork, listening and looking down either passage.  

Chanell hesitates and then nods her head slowly. “Yes,” she starts tentatively. “I remember… a group of people moved down here a few months ago, though my memory is a bit foggy. I don’t remember what they’ve been doing since then, but something about them doesn’t sit right with me.”

She turns to look at each member of the party one by one, her face beaming with joy and gratitude. As she does, you that she begins to fade. “Truly, thank you all for what you’ve done. You’ll never understand how grateful I am for you.” She points to her shield. “Take my shield as a token of my appreciation. It’s enchanted to be extra durable, and I’m sure it will serve you as well as it has served me.” Just before she fades away completely, her voice echoes faintly through the chamber, “May Lathander’s light be upon you.” With that, she disappears from sight, finally finding the rest that she so desired for centuries. 

((Everyone gains a point of inspiration! The shield also acts as a +1 Shield, and it’s emblazoned with the Hallwinter family crest))

As Erven scouts out the tunnel, the passage to the left becomes smaller and smaller until it’s not more than a crawl space. You assume it leads to the first chamber you entered. The tunnel to the right slops downward until it reaches a chamber filled with filthy water. The stone seems slick with moisture, and the scent of death and decay hangs heavy in the air.

The young dark-haired man has a clear look of relief as the gracious ghost disappears, quickly returning to his more cheeky cheerful self. "Looks good on you." He says as he quickly picks up the shield and holds it on front of the highborn half-elf. "Keep it safe now or Lady Hallwinter might return to haunt you." He says with a grin, leaving the shield with the half-elf for now. He then follows the others through the secret passage, again offering to carry Kevori as the group reaches the chamber filled with filthy water.

Perception to spot threats lurking in the filthy water: 15


Meanwhile the tiny unseen figure again flies ahead to scout for threats.

Stealth: 27
Perception: 6

Kit's perplexed gaze follows Jack until she breaks it with a confused shake of her head. For a moment she considers returning the shield to its rightful place in the tomb but instead wraps it in a blanket from her bedroll to cover the coat of arms. After strapping it to her pack she hurries after the others...

Khessa raises her hand one last time in the barbaric salute that does not involve contact, while Chanell dissolves to finally complete her mortal existence. She furtively wipes a tear of emotion from her blue eyes.

'You have been freed, Chanell...' the blonde arcane warrior thinks 'I hope others will be too. And before they are... in your state'.

And so, with a bizarre mixture of relief and apprehension, of hope and worry, the tall adventuress sets off again, always maintaining from Erven a distance that allows her not to give him away... but also to reach him in a hurry in case of necessity.

As Erven checked both passageways Ketangu decides he need not check for tracks anymore and follows Erven. He would be right behind Erven.

Stealth 

24 rolled in game log. 

Perception

14 rolled in game log

Erven creeps forward to the area of fetid water, looking across to see where the passage might go.  He’s moving slowly and quietly, his hand on his shortsword of warning.  He stops and listens for any sound of movement.  At the edge of the water, if he hears nothing, he bring the pole back out of his pack and cause it to extend, testing how deep the water goes.  

While waiting for the intrepid scarred elf to diligently check the murky waters ahead, the young dark-haired man turns to quietly address the platinum-scaled dragonborn. "Oh, and I happened to find this just laying around, must have been forgotten down here ages and ages ago, maybe you can figure out what it says?" He says quietly and hands the draconic sorcerer a scroll covered in mystical runes and phrases. "If you find any use for it then please keep it, I've admittedly never been much of a reader myself."

As Jack gives Mud a scroll inscribed with mysterious runes, Ketangu and Erven sneak forward, weapons at the ready. They creep down the tunnel, and suddenly have the urge to vomit, as a foul stench rises from the murky sewage that fills most of this large chamber. 

Three four-foot-tall burbling masses slink through the muck, their bodies grey and sludge-like, but as they watch, both scouts think that the look of the ooze-like creatures is very strange. They do not seem to notice the party. Yet, anyway.

As you assess the situation, you notice that the length of filthy water and trash that covers the floor is about one foot deep, so you could walk in it, but those among you who are shorter, aka Tabitha, would have some difficulty moving.

What do you do?

"Well I wouldn't set my foot in that stinky water, particularly as it already holds some quite unhealthy-looking occupants, no offense Ketangu my friend. They are not relatives of yours are they?" The young dark-haied man says with a worried look. "I could probably give each of you a lift over the water so we won't disturb the locals in whatever they are spending their time doing." He then suggests, looking around at the others for more thoughts.

"You are very kind, Jack and not that it doesn't tempt me to be able to take advantage, for once, of such courtesy..." Khessa muses aloud, winking "But this solution could create problems for us in the event of a retreat. We wouldn't be able to retreat quickly and safely, if we leave this threat behind us. Usually, oozes are not very fast... and they are not dangerous, from range... We could simply take them down from range, employing fire and move tactics. We hit from range and retreat. Repeatedly. Unless they are unusual oozes, we should be able to take them all down without them even touching us".

"But if you all prefer the 'peaceful' solution," the blonde arcane warrior lets her blue eyes wander over the faces of the fellow adventurers "it will be fine for me too".

Quote from Painted_Beyond >>

"You are very kind, Jack and not that it doesn't tempt me to be able to take advantage, for once, of such courtesy..." Khessa muses aloud, winking 

 Kit audibly scoffs and rolls her eyes.

Quote from Painted_Beyond >>

"But this solution could create problems for us in the event of a retreat. We wouldn't be able to retreat quickly and safely, if we leave this threat behind us."

 "Or worse, they could follow us. I'd rather not find ourselves cut off and surrounded down here."

Quote from Painted_Beyond >>

Usually, oozes are not very fast... and they are not dangerous, from range... We could simply take them down from range, employing fire and move tactics. We hit from range and retreat. Repeatedly. Unless they are unusual oozes, we should be able to take them all down without them even touching us".

 "That's not a bad plan," Kit concedes through the white handkerchief, which she's now holding over her nose and mouth to help filter the stench, "but why not check out the stone door first? There's no sense in picking a fight and wading through all of this if we don't have to."

Erven backpedals, retracts his pole, and backs up into the previous chamber to discuss in a whisper what he saw.  “I don’t like it.  Looks like an area where bodies are disposed of.”  He turns to Kit and nods, “I feel the same; let’s check the door.  I don’t want to go that way unless we have to.  Agreed?”  he looks around from face to face for agreement, then proceeds to the stone door if all are of like mind.

"Whatever these sludge creatures are they are in no way related to me." he whispers emphatically as he also backtracks. "I also prefer checking to see what is beyond the stone doors. Though if the group decides otherwise then yes Jack, I will take you up on your offer. Can anyone give the doors a push as I couldn't make it budge earlier" 

"All right!" Khessa also seems to welcome the idea of ​​abandoning the putrid waters infested with amoebas "Stone doors then".

Once in front of the doors, the blonde arcane warrior stands in front of them and, if the opening mechanism is obvious, she tries to open them.

Quote from Raccoon_Master >>

 

As you assess the situation, you notice that the length of filthy water and trash that covers the floor is about one foot deep, so you could walk in it, but those among you who are shorter, aka Tabitha, would have some difficulty moving.

 Well then it is a good job that Tabitha has her ring of water walking. She doesn't like water of any depth let alone almost half her height.

Tabitha will ask Lance to help push the stone doors if Khessa needs any assistance opening them (if it is just heavy that is. Any form of intricate locking mechanism and Tabitha will get involved)

The young dark-haired man looks between Khessa and Kit with a slightly amused smile but says nothing, instead giving the scarred elf a nod as he suggests trying another way. It seemed more likely the cultists had went through the stone door after all, so the young dark-haired man quietly follows along, although expecting no less resistance this way.

Mud takes the proffered scroll with a gracious smile. "I can certainly try." He carefully unrolls the scroll and tries his best to decipher what the symbols meant, though he didn't really have high hopes. "To be fair, I don't really know how magic stuff like this works; I just use it."

When the others suggest trying to use the other door before they wade through the sludge and deal with the oozes, Mud was all for the idea. If he could avoid getting filthy and fighting sludge monsters, then he would do so in a heartbeat. Of course, that didn't mean that what was beyond the heavy stone door was necessarily going to be any better, but one could hope, right?

Kit can't help but smirk as the majority of the group supports dealing with the stone door first. She mentally chalks up another point in her favour for a game only she knows she's playing. Hopefully not just her. What's the point if Jack doesn't know he's losing?

Surprisingly, her mood shifts. Yes, Jack hadn't planned to help Lady Hallwinter, at least not right away, but he was the one who had found her name and freed her spirit...

She watches, impressed, as the warrior woman brings her remarkable strength to bear against the door. She's about to offer to help, to prove herself a worthy peer, when the Tabaxi and her clever construct step in.

Shrugging to the others, she places a hand on the hilt of her longsword and waits...

As Kessha and Lance bring their power to bear on the door, it swings open with a screeching creak. Clearly, Tabitha notices, the hinges were not well oiled. Darn cultists and their unhygienic ways, ruining the parties chances at stealth. The groans of multiple creatures are heard from the room beyond, which is connected to the room you are currently in by a 10 foot long hallway.

As you peer in, you see what was once a serene crypt that now lies in ruin. Two chipped stone pillars brace the vaulted ceiling, which is higher than the rest of the areas you have so far explored. Eight tombs are cracked open, and the same number of shambling, reanimated corpses prowl the room. At the center of the room’s back wall is a dirtied and desecrated shrine bearing the image of a blank scroll

As the sound of the opening door fills the chamber, the dessicated, once living husks turn their head, their throats letting out low, husky growls. They begin to shamble towards you with slow, plodding steps, clawed fingers outstretched hungrily

Everyone please respond to the message I’m about to send in the OOC thread