"Why not?" Khessa agrees "Let's start".

[[ OOC: @DM: Does the blonde arcane warrior find any potentially interesting reading, before having to leave to continue the mission? ]]

Naero 

Spid-ero jumps into action like any speed daemon spider would, his eight legs carrying him along the floor quicker than most humanoids. Making a straight line to the first door on the right he attempts to crawl under the door and take a peek at the rooms inhabitants. If he can, he remains under the door itself so as to not be trod upon.

Perception(?) 25

((EPIC! Nat 1 on his first attempt. 🤣))

Luckily, this room doesn't have a whole lot in it (or does it?!)

Just a heap of filthy blankets and a bucket. The lock on the outside isn't locked, it hangs open.

Khessa tries to move and examine filthy blankets and buckets, just in case there might be some clues about the prisoners yet to be found.

The blonde arcane warrior meanwhile suggests to Naero: "So far, so good... Next door, my friend?"

Naero

"Apologies, seems I'm still getting used to my tiny size" Nareo addresses those nearby the first door, his tiny spidey voice carrying up from the floor. "Next door" he agrees with Khessa. 

Eight legs working as one, Spid-ero runs to the next portal and between floor and door.

Perception 19

Khessa finds a small notebook in the blankets absolutely filled with cramped writing about extraplanar intersections, planar conjunctions, and similar esoterica. On the front is the name "Eldon Keyward".

Under the next door, Spider-o sees two hulking, red-furred, apelike creatures stalk around the room. Hundreds of names are etched into metal plates set into the walls of this room, many scratched over and unreadable.

"Hey, look!" Khessa quickly shares with the others what she has found - completely unexpectedly (who and why would wrap a precious book in a dirty blanket!?) "This book belonged to Eldon Keyword! The highly respected, and highly knowledgeable, scholar who specializes in the Outer Planes! One of the swifts we are looking for!"

"Unfortunately," the blonde arcane warrior sighs, putting the precious tome back into her backpack "finding his book without him is not exactly a good sign. I really hope they haven't eliminated the poor guy..."

The tall adventuress grits her teeth in determination, still hoping to save the scholar, as she awaits the outcome of 'Spiderlef' Naero's reconnaissance. If he comes back to report, she advises: "Should we leave this door for a later time? The writings inside may be useful - but they are unlikely to help us free the missing prisoners. So, if there are no other exits, we might as well skip it for now and come back later..."

Tristan:

”Sounds reasonable,” says Tristan from the back of the party.  He tries to remain relatively quiet, but he is now concerned that there may be creatures down here other than cultists, and they may or may not be deserving of summary execution by drowning…

"As you will."  He takes a moment and looks at the door to see if there's a simple method to securing it closed.  Maybe a latch like on the prisoner doors?  No need to leave something behind them that could follow . . ..

(No latch on the door...those other latches seem like they were added)

Since everyone is expressing their agreement to skip this door for now, Khessa waits for Naero to pass under the next door.

[[ OOC: If Ozus instead proposes to kill the creature, that's fine too, we can try, no problem... But the proposal wasn't made InCharacter, so for now Khessa doesn't know what Ozus is thinking ]]

"Hold on..." Ozus considers the unopened door for a moment.

Not looking up at the others, he says "I think we can take them. Me and one other person. I can create a darkness that can't be seen through. Not a problem for me..."

He glances at the group, his eyes shining like a cat's in the dark. "but whoever goes with me would be blinded as well."

Tristan:

”Do we know they are foes?” asks Tristan, “I would hate to attack innocent creatures.  We also don’t know if they can see in the dark.”

Larry shakes his head.  "All I know is that we're told they are in there.  Friend.  Foe.  Innocent bystander.  After the clockwork guy, I have to admit all three are possible."

Ozus shakes his head. "It's a magic darkness. Even those typically able to see without light will see nothing. And the clockwork guy was clearly not a threat. I'd rather not have an unknown between me and the exit."

Naero 

With having seen the creatures for himself, Naero chimes in with his thoughts; "I am happy to talk to them and gauge their reaction. I can then relay that back to the group. Fair?"

If everyone agrees, he will scurry back under the door and find a safe place,  perhaps on the ceiling or between a crack in the wall, from which to announce himself.

"Hello friends. Tell me, do you like ale or mead?" he speaks as loudly as his tiny form allows. A simple question, but one that would enable him to perceive their intent. Once he gathers the information he will remove himself from the room and relay what he saw to the group.

Khessa muses: "A menacing-looking creature, alone and in an unlocked room... All of which indicates that he is an ally or servant of the Cultists, in my opinion. But if we really want to be sure that he is not an 'innocent', we can actually let Naero speak to him. Ozus can stand ready to cast his magical darkness. I will keep Anator with me - I still won't be able to see, but since he can, he can at least direct my shots in the right direction - while the enemy won't even have that chance."

(OOC: for anything to be able to see in darkness they'll need devil's sight, blindsense, or tremorsense. Darkvision cant see in magical darkness.)