Khelbluen Zapping Hand Attack: 11 Damage: 9 (lightning)

Round 2

But the few surviving snakes move frantically and avoid even Khelbluen's hand, while the electricity dissipates in the water with no effect.

Now Spira and Gaer are up for Round 2!

Combat Stats (those interested can peek):

Round 2

Spira tries to contribute from a distance with her Crossbow, while Gaer persists with his silver magic blade.

Spira Crossbow Attack: 14 Damage: 10 (piercing)
Gaer Sixefsag Attack: 8 Damage: 9 (magical slashing)

Round 2

The magic blade misses, but Spira, who had time to aim carefully, pierces several snakes, and the few remaining ones decide they've had enough and scatter, ceasing to be a threat.

Gratz! Combat won! You can act outside of rounds now.

Now that the snakes have been taken care of, Roxana moves towards the carved face on the south wall to take a closer look at it. (OOC - I presume they are all still singing?) 

Yes, the faces are still singing happily, indifferent to the reptilian massacre that has just been committed.

Roxana approaches... the phenomenon she is witnessing reminds her of something from her past: when, in the dungeon of Kilth Harpell, the wall sculptures began to scream to warn of intruders... Here too, the mouths, though carved, are undoubtedly speaking—only, instead of shouting threats, alarms, or warnings, they are singing jovial tavern songs.

Gaer examines the room, perhaps searching for loot, perhaps for traces... while Anita joins Roxana in curiously examining the singing faces (and, unconsciously, begins tapping the rhythm on the floor with her foot).

"An interesting idea for a party hall" the ex-Zhentarim finally comments.

"...But there doesn't seem to be anything else interesting" Gaer concludes.

"So shall we continue on to the new exit?" Darvin is already heading in that direction, his shield ready to defend the party from whatever might await them beyond. Aidwyn awaits the others' response, but has already silently moved to the front of the line with the ex-sergeant.

"Nothing interesting to take you mean," Roxana says teasingly to Gaer as she keeps her focus on the face that she's nearest to. "I'm still curious though how this works. Surely it would be a fine idea for a party if only one of these sang at a time. But all of them just seems... excessive."  She examines the face where she is at to see if there is any indication of something that might control it or adjust what it is doing. A button, a level, a discolored section somewhere on it or near it...  (Investigation: 15) 

Roxana checks carefully, but finds no indication of anything that might influence the face's behavior.

Meanwhile, Gaer approaches and winks: "Of course I meant 'interesting to take!' I was thinking of raising funds to help your family's farm... or at least to celebrate properly once we get out of here!"

"Maybe they can be influenced by talking?" Anita speculates. She then attempts to begin some familiar tavern songs, to see if the faces will imitate her and begin singing the same song as her, but the attempt fails: the faces continue singing independently.

Roxana sighs as even Anita's attempt fails. "Perhaps there is a magic word or something, but I guess without more clues we should just move on."  She looks to the passage to the north. "Shall we continue that way?" 

Roxana's suggestion is promptly followed, with Aidwyn and Darvin taking the lead. After just 15', however, the corridor ends in a new room. This room contains numerous stuffed creatures, now broken due to long immersion in water. It's possible to recognize what must have been a bear and a chimera, but most other creatures are so ruined as to be unrecognizable. Some parts are even missing!

Roxana notices that, apparently, the missing parts have been eaten, judging by the bite marks.

The only opening must have once been closed by wooden doors, of which the hinges remain, with a few remains of broken wood attached. Part of the ceiling has collapsed, so this area is now in communication with the upper Level.

While, on the doorstep, Aidwyn and Darvin don't seem to have noticed anything anomalous, Roxana instead sees disturbing shapes hidden among the rot! Shapes that look like decomposed humanoids... perhaps undead lurking! They haven't attacked yet, but... they seem to be hiding as if to ambush anyone who might get too close.

"Watch out you two," Roxana warns. "I see humanoid shapes beneath the water. Perhaps undead. Maybe we should retreat. Unless someone really thinks there's something worth investigating in here?" She steps back a step to give Aidwyn and Darvin some room to move back as well. 

Darvin stands ready to defend the threshold, should the enemies he's been warned about approach. He takes a moment to look at Spira, as if trusting her instincts: will it be worth risking an attack to investigate here? Or not?

Anita, meanwhile, bites her lip nervously, torn between her curiosity to explore and her reluctance to seek out another encounter. "What do you think, Rash?" she murmurs.

Neither Spira nor Rash seem to recommend a confrontation with the room's occupants.

Aidwyn then suggests: "Ok, let's retrace our steps. Shall we explore the northern branch?" [[ OOC: She is essentially suggesting exploring '1?' ]]

"That sounds like a good plan to me," Roxana tells Aidwyn. 

The party retraces its steps, always keeping an eye on the room which is now known to be 'occupied' - but no event complicates the change of path.

The new branch leads within a few turns to a room that used to have a reinforced metal door, but it has been shattered, so access is now free. The room measures 10' by 20', and the 5'-wide entrance opens into the south wall, 5' from the west wall.

Inside are several chests, which have been broken or opened.

Among the chests wanders a creature of vaguely humanoid shape, but with four large tentacles for legs, and with slimy and translucent skin and warped arms resembling those of deep-sea oddities.

Upon seeing the party, Four Tentacles distorts its facial features into a malevolent grin and is about to lunge at the visitors brandishing a trident!

Time to roll for initiative...

Rolling for NPCs/Monsters:

Four Tentacles: 12

Aidwyn: 23
Darvin: 16
Anita: 4
Gaer: 15
Khelbluen: 18
Mival: 14
Dawnborn: 4
Unseen Warrior: 3

(Roxana Initiative: 12)

Rolling missing initiatives:

Spira: 20
Rash: 19