(I took one of the sidequests, that's what Dani was doing chatting with Threestrings.)

Investigation: 25

(No problemo! And thanks both of you for letting me know. Damn. Nice roll, Riv!)

After landing lightly on her feet, Lythril addresses the group, "Heelloo folks! I am Lythril, Guardian of Light, Giver of Hugs!" she smiles broadly =)

"Oh sooory, we're trying for the super secret approach are we?" 

Dani has accepted the quest "Pay A Harper Debt" from Threestrings: Deliver a pouch of gold to a female half-drow named Cal’al Claddani, who runs a tavern called the Flagon and the Dragon in Skullport, somewhere deep in Undermountain.

Yawning Portal rumors: Lythril and Raiik, unfortunately, do not pick up any secrets about Undermountain from The Yawning Portal.

What does this button d-? DOES NOT COMPUTE..!: OU812 seems to have forgotten how to switch on his night vision goggles, instead turning on his high beams. Anyone who rolled a stealth check is brightly and clearly illuminated - with the except of Alessandra, who rolled a nat20. 

Wait, what's this? Alessandra, with your investigation roll find in the sand: two iron spikes, an empty wineskin, a dead scarab beetle the size of your hand, a tinderbox, and a pair of pants sized for an adult human next to the skeletal remains of an adventurer. 

Guys, there's words behind this shield: Dani, written in blood on the wall, concealed behind one of the shields, is the following message in Elvish: Beyond the pillar forest, the Mad Mage waits. Casting spells behind magic gates.

Alessandra bowed her head in respect for the skeleton before she pocketed the iron spikes. The rest of the items were fairly useless to her, though, she would keep her findings in plain view for the others to see if anyone wanted any of it. After securing the objects in her bag, and telling everyone her name, she (somehow) managed to stay hidden in the shadows despite OU812's little malfunction. She didn't need the light, but she knew that the dragon did. Well, for the most part.

"Ou, is there a way for you to, ah, dim your lights at all? It's... Very bright."

So uh, were do we go from here? Grianne looks around. I've never been underground before. None of the beasts that raised me were subter...under dwellers.

 After the handshake, Azrael waited his turn on the lift, and made his way down. Once there, he would wait till it stopped, and step off. He came down to the machine apparently malfunctioning apparently, but he had just barely heard the greetings form everyone, as they echoed up the well. Azrael met each of them, shaking their hands, except the ones of whose he knew, and as he had said to Raiik Greetings, as I said before, I am Azrael. It is nice to meet you all. Azrael would scan around, as this is where the corpse of the Troll would be that he had knocked over so long ago, if it was there at all (Invest: 12) Regardless of what he found, Azrael would breathe in, and then out as he made his way 'near' Raiik, but obviously far enough away that he wouldn't give up Raiik's position. Azrael, despite being a caster, preferred to be at the front, so his enemies would know he was there to kill them... and that he wasn't afraid of them in the slightest.

(I assume I can see thanks to High Beams? or no?)

Regardless, Azrael charged a spell into his hand in case of enemy attack, 'Readying' his Fire bolt 

REBOOTING

OU812's high beams suddenly extinguish themselves, putting the room back into darkness again.  After a few short seconds, his nightvision is restored again, and he readies himself for continuing on in the dungeon (Stealth: 15).

(LOL! Az)

As OU812 switches from high beams to night vision, the 40 x 40 room goes dark again. Reminder, unless you have darkvision, there are no light sources down here. Az, unfortunately, your roll reveals nothing else of interest. 

There is only one exit out of this starting room, a path that goes south, and then heads west.

 OU812's head is on a swivel as they creep down the tunnel (Perception: 10), always on the lookout for danger and hidden things.

OU812 slowly presses on. Remember to make some light sources. I've highlighted the ahead you're in and what's in your field of vision below.

At the west end of a 20-foot-wide hall, stairs descend 10 feet to a room lined with pillars (I've marked this with a "2"). Similar staircases descend into the room from 10-foot-wide tunnels leading north, west, and south. 

FEATURES: 

Bas-Reliefs. As you walk towards AREA 2, each 10' section of wall has a 9-foot-high, 4-foot-wide, 3-inch-deep door-shaped recess containing a bas-relief carving of a demon. Each relief depicts a different kind of demon. The carvings on the north wall of the hallway depict (from east to west) a balor, a barlgura, a chasme, a dretch, a glabrezu, a goristro, and a hezrou. The carvings on the south wall depict (from west to east) a marilith, a nalfeshnee, a quasit, a shadow demon, a vrock, and a yochlol. 

Skeleton. A kenku skeleton lies on the floor, one of its thin arms pointing toward a bas-relief of a nalfeshnee demon on the south wall.

Excuse me everyone, but if you don't mind i'm going to take a look ahead of us. Ill be careful. With that said Grianne's form shifts and shimmers and melts into that of a large feline, much much larger than the one she entered the Yawning Portal as. 

Grianne wildshaped into a crag cat. Stealth 27. She moves on ahead to the junction on the map and if she encounters nothing will scout north. Perception 17

I believe there is a rule that you cannot roll lower than your passive perception. So that 11 is a 16

Although she didn't really need it, but wanting to seem inconspicuous, Alessandra takes a moment to light a torch. She follows behind the men as they make their way forth.

Grianne scouts ahead while Alessandra lights a torch.

20
8

You do not see anything at the junction except you hear the scurring of feet heading away from you heading south.

At the junction are pillars. 

FEATURES AT THE JUNCTION: (The area I marked with a "2")

Snake Skeleton. The skeleton of a giant constrictor snake coils up the top half of the northernmost pillar.

Warning. The words “Certain death this way!” are carved in Common on the southeast wall, with an arrow pointing toward the southern exit.

TO RECAP:

- You have the long hallway everyone else is in: this hallway has demon statues on both sides in recesses and the dead kenku.
- The junction (numbered 2) that Grianne is exploring. Something was hiding in there but ran south. From here, you can go south, north, or west.

Grianne will head south towards the scurrying. Intent to not engage but discover.

Everyone but Grianne is in the area in purple that i've circled. Grianne is the blue path heading south.

Grianne: The way south is a long hallway that appears to be a dead end, except there is a tunnel dug that continues on. There is a dead goblin on the floor where the digging begins. It's head is completely smashed in by some blunt force trauma. There is rubble, three pickaxes, and a few shovels in the dead end. It looks like something, or someone, was digging here at the dead end. The tunnel dug is 5' x 5' and meanders further into the darkness.

Raiik looks at the Kenku skeleton and softly closes his eyes for a moment, whispering a quick prayer for it's safe journey to the heavens. He then runs his hand softly over the engraving of the Nalfeshnee and presses on it to see if it triggers anything or if their is anything left in the carving. Invest: 2  Hrmmm... Dusty

Raiik, as your run your hand over the engraving, you can clearly see from this position there is a false door behind the statue leading to the area on the map below it.

Grianne heads back to the group and, dropping her wildshape,  explains what she saw. Something dug a tunnel into the dead end in the southern tunnel way. Did you find something back here ?