Some time later Ordrin awakes, a vague sense of unease that they had been in one place too long. Some of the others are stirring, too, or preoccupied with something quietly. The scraggly dwarf pushes himself up onto his knees with little grace and begins his morning prayers. His normally overly loud whispering is inaudible under the constant din of the pounding water from deeper in the cave. Later, after he finishes reassembling his gear and the others are close to ready, Ordrin walks up to Pip and then Riris, giving each a squeeze on the arm and saying "Moradin grant you strength today." At the same time he, too, is filled with a greater vigor.

Aid: +5 to HP and max HP for 8 hours, to Pip and Riris and himself

Pip gathers his gear after they have had their rest.  After Ordrin squuezes his arm he feels stronger.  "Thank you." he says simply and then taps his staff on the ground and casts Mage Armor on himself.

"I am ready to go, lead the way.  Let us finish this so I can see the sun again."

Mixum and Charlotte stay near Odrin to offer assistance in case of danger. 

"I'm sure things are going to be quiet from here on," not even believing it himself.

As final preparations are being made to move out, Gundren approaches the party, citing a need to stick by his brother. Although Nundro had done an adimralable job of showing otherwise the day before, the days under the Drow's care and the fatigue that came with it began to reassert itself that morning. Food and magical healing done before had went a long way in his recovery. But Nundro was clearly no adventurer or fighter like his brother.

So, after a brief discussion, Anton and Riris are convinced, if perhaps grudgingly so by Gundren, to hang back to help with reinforcing the area. Meanwhile, it would be up to Ordrin, Pip, Mixum, and Charlotte to scout out the eastern side of the cave, but with the knowledge that Riris and Anton would reinforce some time later. With the plan thus settled, the quartet are soon marching their way down the eastern tunnel, taking two short flights of stairs and a blind bend before finally entering a new chamber.

A wide rift fills the eastern half of this cavern. A stream pours out of the west wall, then tumbles down into the rift and flows out again to the north. Several ropes are secured to iron stakes along on the western edge of the rift, leading down to the chasm floor. To the immediate east of the river and on the opposite side the rift from them, the trio can just make out the edges of some kind of hallway of worked stone. To the north east, and again across the rift appears to be another passageway. Although this is more rougher around the edges, making it likely made by more natural forces at one point.

Ordrin approaches the chasm, standing about 15 feet back from the edge, and studies both eastern passages for signs of creatures present (sight and sound, though presumably the water is loud) or having traveled through the area recently.

Perception: 13

Investigation: 19

Pip joins Odrin at the edge of the cavern.

"Archimedes, time to do some scouting.  Lets see what's out there."

With that said the tiny owl launches off of Pip's shoulder and flies over the chasm looking down.  He then heads for the natural cavern first and lands on the ground and looks up it.

Meanwhile Pip's eyes have glazed over as he watches through the senses of the screech owl 

Perception 22 ( Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 13 )

To Ordrin: Ordrin is unable to detect any signs or suggestions of creatures having passed through or somehow hidden in either passageway. Best he can tell from the very edges of his dark vision is that both passage suggest they may curve beyond the range of his vision: the northmost one curving northeast, and the southernmost one turning to the south. Ordrin is also hear with far greater clarity the sound of crashing appears to emanate even more loudly from the northmost cave. (The stream is however quiet enough not to impair hearing)

To Pip: Pip uncovers much of the same information as Ordrin, but with a few key differences using Archimedes. During the flight over the chasm, the owl is able to spy at the bottom several excavation tools scattered about an even smaller hole at the bottom just north of the river. As well as a couple of ropes piton in place for ease of access from the western(the group) side of the rift into the bottom. In the tunnel itself, the screech owl is better able to see that the tunnel does indeed continue in a northeasterly direction, before curving back southward out of sight about twenty or so feet further in.

Pip narrates aloud what he sees as he orders Archimedes to go up the northeast tunnel. 

To Pip(and by extension everyone else): Archimedes obeys without complaint, and after only a few seconds of traveling down the curving natural tunnel, sees it open up into a new area. A narrow ledge overlooks a large cavern that houses a surging, seething body of water. The rhythmic booming heard throughout the mines is louder here. At regular intervals, a fresh surge of water funnels into this chamber and slams against the wall just below the ledge. The echo suggests that this cave might be one arm of a much larger cavern to the northeast. The ledge looks moist from the spray of the surf, and the noise level is such that one might risk being deafened while lingering in the area.

Two rough hewn tunnels branch away from the cavern. Both seeming to lead into a south and south easterly direction into parts unknown. Unfortunately, Pip can feel his connection to Archimedes beginning to fray at this point, as it hovered at the very cusp of what their spell's limitations. Without physically moving himself beyond the rift, any further and Archimedes will effectively be reliant on its own instinct or orders to direct its course.

Seeing what there was to be seen and letting the others know he recalls Archimedes back to him and then sends down the southern passage. 

To Pip(and by extension everyone else): Archimedes zips on away at Pip's new orders, and may have done a few aerial tricks while at it, if not well aware much that mucked with Pip's focus. Either which way, the owl makes it no more than 15ft down the worked stone tunnel, before needing dip sharply to the south. Archimedes then finds himself in the northern half of a somewhat familiar cavern, hovering just above a long dried out channel. From there he is able to see more clearly than what you had entering from the once barricaded door in the west the following:

A blast furnace and a mechanical bellows powered by a waterwheel dominate this large chamber. The furnace is cold and dark, but heaps of coal are piled nearby, along with carts full of unrefined ore. The waterwheel sits in a ten-foot-wide channel cut into the floor of the room, but the channel is dry. Passages exit to the west, south, and east. The empty channel exits to the north and east. The bodies of Orcs, Dwarfs, and even one or two humans lay scattered in various places throughout the room. As well as a couple of bugbears and goblins.

Before Archimedes/Pip can examine the room further, Pip finally finds the source of the dimly glowing light from before... staring right back at him! No longer struggling to keep from snickering is none other than a skull hovering just feet off the ground, surrounded by blue flames, a dim orbs of blue light for eyes glaring at Archimedes. "Oh, bugger me! Another one of ya flying rats dare enters the holy sanctum!? DIE YOU!"

Roll Initiative for Archimedes! This will count as both Pip's Turn in the order for the sake of simplicity. If the number is less than what's rolled by the skull, see the spoiler below.

FS Initiative: 6.

Archimedes Initiative 10

In a split second Pip dismisses Archimedes back to his pocket dimension.  Having regained his own senses again as the fey disappears from this plane of existence he looks around at those with him.

"Some sort of flaming skull with many dead bodies."

He tries to recall any knowledge he might of such a thing. Arcana? 11

To Pip: After some consideration Pip's textbook knowledge on the subject would mark the creature as a Flameskull; An undead created from the head of a humanoid spellcaster shortly after he or she had died, and most often made by dark-hearted spellcasters, typically clerics or wizards, through a precise ritual to act as guardians over a hoard, location, or object. But the exact details of the ritual is beyond Pip's personal  knowledge. However, he does know that they are intelligent, retaining their memories of their former life, if sometimes faded, as well as any magical knowledge and ability to cast most spells without the need of somatic or material components.

There were plenty of speculations and theories about said guardians eventually going mad if left alone after a few centuries, as would any other mortal creature left in isolation for too long. Whether this is the case for this particular Flameskull, or if it too had been effected by "The Mire" mentioned by Ordrin's former companion is hard to say without further engagement and study. There's something about the blue flames as well, but....  Pip cannot quite put his finger on it.

Pip looks around at the others.  "Uh so Flameskull thing." he says shuddering as he explains to the others what he knows of the them.  "Lot's of dead bodies also and since we already ran into ghouls it sure wouldn't surprise me that the flameskull isn't the only undead creature in there. We scouted a bit of this area earlier and come to think of it we didn't go that way because we thought there were undead in there.  So we can go back that way or we can try and cross this chasm."

Mixum gulps and says maybe it would be better to cross the chasm then.

"Oh ho ho!" Ordrin says with a smile and a glint in his eyes. "I knew Moradin was guiding me path. I never doubted for a minute. What good fortune, lads! And lass. Today heros we become for we shall cast that evil from this realm! and the gods - the good ones, mind you - will smile down upon us and cradle our souls. Never again shall this fiend pervert the good and the living!" At this Ordrin suddenly falls quiet. He reaches for Firnat's journal and runs his fingers over the leather, vowing to Moradin and to himself that he will avenge his friend.

 Ordrin nods at Mixum's suggestion and gets a closer look at the rope trailing down from the ledge to the cavern floor. He also looks for a similar way up on the other side.

To Ordrin(and anyone examining the Rift): Upon closer examination, the rift appears to be about 20 feet deep. While climbing down using the rope that's there will hardly be an issue with things calm as they are at the moment, climbing up the other side may prove a bit difficult, but certainly possible. Anyone wishing to do so must make two strength(Athletics) checks(DC 10).

(OOC: I'd also need to know if the group is headed the water ledge path or the flameskull path, if choosing to cross the Chasm. Otherwise, the group can backtrack to the other entrance to the Smelter Cavern, as well as the unexplored tunnel all the way back near the entrance, leading towards the east as well.)

"Well,if we are clearing this place out we need to go take care of the flameskull.  Shall we cross the chasm and take care of business?" Pip asks.  "Any way works for me." 

"I say we get it. It'll be expecting us but we have the advantage of righteousness. Does anyone have tools to climb the other side?"