Bees looks for hidden doors and spots an indentation in the wall to the north. Judging by the layout they've traveled so far, he surmises this secret door might lead back to the flooded room. 

Threnody pulls the heavy steel mask down from the altar. It clatters to the ground. Then she joins Bees at the body. She searches the man for any identification and finds a pendant with the skull symbol of Bhaal.

Liatris examines the dead man. From the rate of decomposition, she believes he's been dead for about two days. 

Where to next?

"Do you really mean that, Liatris?" She looks askance at the elf. "You always cloak yourself in mystery and pragmatism, but something tells me that beneath all that cold hard logic, you might actually care."

She nods grimly at Bees, the determination on her face mirroring his. Out of the corner of her eye, she notices Samosh pondering the dead body. "Just checking it for identification."

Threnody's first instinct is to shatter the pendant beneath the hilt of her blade, but she thinks better of it. "This could be handy in a pinch." She says, pulling the thong around her neck and regarding the Bhaalite symbol with revulsion. "If we need to convince anyone that we're on their side, this could help maintain the ruse. If we can figure out how many are actually part of this cult, that is. "

"A traitor? Or perhaps they murder one another for sport from time to time." She frowns at the bloated corpse, bobbing up and down in the fetid waters around her shins. "In any case, I think it's time we doubled back to the junction. Time to pay Myrkul and Bane a visit..."

If there are no objections, she begins marching back to the crossroads, her spear thrust out before her and always at the ready. 

Bees spots the secret passageway and says, "I found a door over here, but I think it just leads us back to the first flooded room we came across." He then follows Threnody back to the junction. He asks the Teifling, "Enie Menie Minie Moe?"

"Yes, I do." Liatris replied frankly to the tiefling. Yet after maybe a moment or two of letting the words sink in, her eyes briefly and only slightly widen as if struck by a sudden epiphany. "But to clarify, I was speaking moreso from the perspective of, mmn... if our lives continued upon its original course from my current understand. However, I shall acknowledge that with perhaps the exception of Kaster, and to a lesser extent yourself, I've not had the time or desire to run a proper background check upon 'Bees' and Samash, so my earlier assessment as only an initial assessment, and not a forgone conclusion." She explained at the earliest opportunity.

"Could go either way with the cult. But, the fact it has been down here for two days raises more questions." The 'elf' later chimed in on matters with the corpse. But having saw no signs of the dead being likely to rise on a whim, she was content to continue follow along back to the crossroads, suggesting but to go with the eastern (right side of map) door next once there, if but to expedite things.

Threnody gives Liatris another sidelong glance, but remains silent, mulling the elf's words. Liatris had a point - the conspiracy and conscription that had drawn the group together was more happenstance than inclination. The manner in which Wendyl had absconded at the first opportunity was proof that not all could be relied upon to be stalwart on their mission. She had begun developing feelings of affection for them, but how much did she really know about her companions yet?

"Catch a tyrant by the toe." She says to Bees, completing the children's rhyme and moving to the eastward door, where the ominous visage of Bane bearing gauntlet and chain was depicted. In the event that it is locked, she helps him unfasten it.

((Threnody has Thieves' Tools proficiency from her background, and will give Bees' the Help action whenever we reach a locked door/chest/etc.))

The eastern door opens readily. There is another dark corridor heading east. This corridor is also dark and unlit but there seems to be a hint of light at the end where the corridor opens into a large room. Everyone please make Stealth checks if you'd like to proceed quietly. Also, same marching order as before? 

Stealth: 20

Bees snuffs his torch and proceeds down the hall first. Careful of his footing. He doesn't intend to blunder into any more bloated floating corpses anytime soon. (Perception: 18)

Threnody follows 15 ft or so behind Bees, maintaining the order established earlier. She winces with each step she takes, her chainmail jingling like sleigh bells at Midwinter Festival. Her large black cloak is drawn closer to muffle the clinking of metal rings, but to no avail. 

"Baldur's blundering bollocks, get your act together, will you?" She hisses and rolls her eyes at her own ineptitude. She mouths a shame-faced apology at her maladroit attempts at a surreptitious approach, and continues down the tunnel, grumbling under breath.

Stealth: 2 (with disadvantage due to heavy armour)
Perception: 11

Samosh Stealth check 11

Samosh takes extra care to check the rear for unwanted surprises while not pressing on those in front. He has complete confidence in his friends abilities.

Liatris fares little better than Threnody in the keeping silent part. As the "scales" of her armor shifted just a tinge too noisily in the otherwise dank and quiet abode, her mind even briefly drifts back to blue prints left at her apartment: unfinished but alluding to plans to alleviate the very problem of the day. Yet if anyone looked to her, she appeared no less serene than usual, having perhaps even expected no other outcome, but gave the effort a good 'ol scholar's try all the same.

Only the snuffing of Bees' light source ahead of the group elicited a fleeting frown. But with at least a measure of light somewhere hinted further ahead, any quiet word of worry or inquiry was held in check as the group proceeded down the corridor. For now, at least.

(OOC: Unless Kester has different plans, same order as before)

Stealth: 8. (w/ Disadvantage from Scale Armor, see game log, if need be to confirm)

Kaster has no plans, same as before is fine...  But despite the stereotype of halflings being dextrous and stealthy, Kaster's clomping around does nothing but add to the groups unstealthiness...

Stealth:  5

The corridor ends in a large room that is partially illuminated. The eastern part of this room is unlit, flooded, and braced with floor-to-ceiling wooden beams. Rough-hewn steps rise out of the murky water to the western portion of the room, which is dry and lit by two torches in sconces that flank a stone altar. Shackled to the wall behind the altar is a sickly man in a loincloth with a burlap sack over his head. An alcove in the north wall contains a freestanding suit of plate armor missing its helm.

Standing before the altar are two grim figures: a powerfully built woman clutching a mace, and an even bigger man wearing a bucket helm. The helmed man is jabbing the prisoner with a spear, causing him to twitch. Both figures are clad in chain mail, and the woman carries a wooden shield with a leering skull painted on it. Despite the group's best efforts, the jangling of armor and the shuffling of feet have alerted the two figures. As the party enters the room, they turn as one to glare at you all.

"Intruders," says the helmed man. "How interesting."

The woman smiles, but her eyes are cold. "Come, Yignath. This will be much more fun than playing with this wretch."

Combat has begun! The water on the map is difficult terrain so movement is halved there. 

Initiative Order
14 - Bees
13 - Samosh
12 - Kaster
12 - Liatris
10 - Kazzira
10 - Yignath
9 - Threnody

Bees, Samosh, Kaster and Liatris are up!

"Quick on the uptake, these ones." Liatris idly comments on as she sloshed her way closer with shield high and ready turn any charge. As she's repositioning herself, nimble fingers find some kind of hidden lever behind the shield, opening up a hidden panel in the face of it. And with a 'Foof!', out flies some kind of vial that shatters in mid-air mere moments away from hitting the bucket helmed one, only to release a sprinkling of some acidic substance upon Yignath and Kazzira. "Mind your positioning. Let them come to us, if they so dare." She tries to quietly warn the others despite knowing her voice was likely to carry nevertheless.

Movement: To 5ft east of southwest most pillar.

Action: Cast (Cantrip)Acid Splash on Yignath & Kazzira. Dex Save(DC 13) or take 1... *sigh*... Acid Damage.

"Oh look, scoundrels beating on a helpless man. That's not gonna do. I think you kids need a nap." Samosh whispers "Like puppies and small children..."

and casts Sleep on the menacing folk (sorry helpless dude) 22 hp worth of knock out.

     Kaster likely has to walk five or ten more feet forward to even see the situation, and does so.  He lets out a hushed expletive when he does and immediately lets go of his holy symbol, allowing it to just dangle from the chain and shine the light it was previously imbued with fully.  His first thought is to heal the chained man and he almost begins a prayer to try and do just that but before he gets too involved in it his tactical mind chirps up - Healing the man will do no good if we're all killed.  Best to save the healing til it is absolutely necessary!  Instead he takes up his crossbow and unleashes a bolt at Yignath.  He'd really rather not attack a woman if he doesn't need to...

Crossbow attack vs Yignath:  21 to hit for 6 damage...

Bees glances back at the group as they proceed down the corridor. "Shhh... Keep quiet!" He says in a loud whisper. Knowing the racket this group is making will likely draw the attention of everyone down here. Frustration and anger creep into the black bearded halflings expression as they move. Every step, another clank. Every clank another wince from the halfling rogue. Bees, first to enter the room, spots the two chainmail wearing foes. 'Yep, those bad guys need to die.' Bees thinks to himself as he sees them torturing a helpless victim.

No need for small talk, no need for explanation. Bees swings his shortbow from his shoulder to his hand in one fluid motion. The second motion draws an arrow from quiver. He debates for a split second. The woman or the man? Bees wouldn't hesitate to strike either, but which appears the bigger threat? 

The debates ends with the tip of his arrow flying at Yignath as he wades through the flooded room heading south to the corridor across from him. 

Attack 17, Damage 8

Bonus action: Hide in the corridor to the south. Stealth 18

Liatris launches a vial of acid at the torturers. Kazzira dodges nimbly out of the way (DEX Save 18) but Yignath takes some acid to the face (DEX Save 6).

Samosh casts a spell to make the torturers sleep. The tortured noble is the first to fall asleep, hanging limply in his chains. Kazzira cracks a huge yawn and starts snoring on her feet.

Kaster shoots Yignath with his crossbow. It finds a weak spot in his armor, the bolt sticking out. Yignath grunts in pain.

Bees' arrow also finds its mark, embedding itself deeply into the armored man. Blood runs from the two arrow wounds. Bees then finds a good place to hide in the corridor to the south.

Kazzira continues to snore. Yignath looks at her with disgust. Then he marches forward to the edge of the dry area and launches his spear at Liatris (21 to hit for 5 damage).

Initiative Order
14 - Bees
13 - Samosh
12 - Kaster
12 - Liatris
10 - Kazzira
10 - Yignath
9 - Threnody

Everyone is up!

Liatris tries to turn aside the spear, but only succeeds in deflecting it in such a way that it still leaves her with a nasty cut across the cheek. But though she winces in pain, her expression swiftly returns to quiet serenity. "A good throw, but not enough. Take him down first." She says as she breaks out a dagger while briefly approaching and flings it at Yignath, before falling back and try to use the nearby pillar as cover.

Movement: 5ft Southwest of current position. 
(Aiming to get within 20ft, so if more movement would be needed, presume she'd spend the movement)

Action: Far Flung Strike at Yignath. 
(Short Range, Thrown, Lethal)Dagger - To Hit: 18 For: 6 piercing damage. 

Movement(Remaining): Fall back to original position(if possible, or as close to it)

Threnody begins marching through the mire, mask around her face, looking like death. Her black cloak drags in the water behind her as she retrieves a javelin from over her shoulder. 

"Leave the woman alive for questioning." The tiefling shouts over the din of battle. In the next instant, her assegai cuts through the darkness, hurtling towards the bucket-headed cultist who is still conscious. 

Movement: As close as she can get to Yignath.
Action: Attack Yignath with a javelin. To hit: 13, Damage 9
Bonus Action: None.

Bees peeks back out and fires another arrow at Bucket Head. He then ducks back into the corridor and attempts to hide.

Attack 23, Damage 10, Sneak attack damage 1

Stealth Nat 20+8=28