Look, a map! No guarantees going forward... and it's kinda big... or not, I can see it when I'm editing, but not when I save it... grr. Let me try a jpg instead of a png... nope... okay, it looks like it's burping on the URL not being https... maybe? But I don't have a cert for my own site. Grr. Don't wanna use Imgur if I don't have to. Okay, trying to install a (free) SSL cert from my domain provider... we can move on and you can just imagine it's awesome.

Edit: Fixed! It was the SSL cert.

OOC > I'm going assume, this once, that "Jorin jumps down" actually means "Jorin carefully climbs down the rope to stand on the slippery platform." Just this once. :)

Jorin climbs down to stand next to Hildigrim and Drusk, and everyone balances carefully on the wet platform. There is not room for a fourth. Hildigrim's small size is all that allows the three of you to stand there.

Quote from Mingofaust >>

you can see a set of platforms making a crude staircase to the stone floor ten feet further down.

 Drusk carefully steps onto the next platform, to make room on the previous one. He will continue down the makeshift staircase, but stop on the last platform before the stone floor.

Drusk steps down carefully, making room on the top platform for Vanja, if she cares to descend. Nothing untoward happens to Drusk.

EDIT: From where he is now standing, Drusk can see that the hallway is short, and ends in open arches both north and south. The grinning skull is on the wall right in front of him.

OoC - I actually debated having Jorin leap down vs using the rope and, given the slippery nature of the platform, I believe he would have used the rope, and also, 10 feet is kind of far to jump.

"Hildy, why don't you take lead and check the passages for traps.  I will be right behind you, ready to show any would-be attack the smile of my axe."

Hildigrim jumps a little at Jorin's words. He had been lost in thought, gazing at the carvings. "Certainly," he says, attempting to sound alert and not at all distracted. He hops down the stairs, light as ever on his big, hairy feet. On the floor, he looks back and forth, mumbles something to himself, then turns left to head north, walking slowly and looking around carefully.

Investigation: 19

Quote from Mingofaust >>

The grinning skull is on the wall right in front of him.

 Drusk checks if there is anything odd about the grinning skull. Perception: 7 (Or if Investigation, one less.)

Jorin will follow Hildigrim, staying about 5 feet behind him but doing his best to walk in about the same line as him.

Hildigrim steps careful foot into the dim hallway (Investigation 19)... and nothing happens. The light from Jorin's axe behind him throws some wild shadows, bringing the carved faces into jumping relief, grinning and gnashing. Pulling himself from them, Hildigrim scans the floors and walls while he turns north and approaches the open archway. Jorin follows, and together they see a dirty, filthy hallway stretching northward into darkness. At the limits of what you can see without stepping through the archway, there are two torches in sconces across from each other on the wall.

Meanwhile, Drusk follows but approaches the grinning skull across from the stairs. He looks at it carefully, and notices that it appears to be set into a large panel that (Investigation 20)... is a secret door.

A quick glance to the south with his dark vision shows Drusk that the open archway there leads to a... room? He can dimly make out what might be a sarcophagus in the middle of the large space.

Vanja shimmies down the rope and begins to navigate the platforms.

OOC > The Investigation(Int) rolls have assured you that this short hallway is free of traps, and Drusk found a secret door. For the map, I'm overlapping the light spell in Jorin's hands and Drusk's dark vision, assuming some whispered communication or hand signals on Drusk's part. If it becomes important I will be more specific. The orange marks what you saw/found in the text above.

D will join H and J for now. After the northern room is secured, we can decide whether to try the secret door or the south room.

"Agreed, " Jorin says quietly, "Let us work our way through this north passage and then double back to the south room, leaving the secret room for last."

Jorin walks up to the threshold of the next room and peers in, using the light from his axe.

Perception: 12

Looking through the archway, Jorin sees the hallway extend into darkness. Drusk shades his eyes from the glare of the axe and peers ahead, seeing the hallway extending even further beyond the unlit torches to the limits of his vision.

The hallway is at least 60' long.

Hildigrim continues northward.

Jorin starts patting down his gear, "Where..." he says, then starts rummaging through his pack, "Uhg, I hate small things...ah, there it is." and pulls a bit of flint from the depths of his pack.  He strikes it against one of the unlit torches, then uses that one to light the second torch. 

"We will leave this one for the return trip." He says with a smile, gesturing to the second torch still in its sconce.  He stows his non-glowing axe and proceeds behind Hildigrim holding the torch in one hand, and the glowing axe in the other, "A little bit more light would be nice, also if we come across a larger room or have to fight, I can toss this into the middle of the darkness."

Hildigrim, if you are continuing to look for traps, please make a new Investigation(Int) roll for the hallway up to the torch sconces. If you're not... let me know that, too.

(If Drusk isn't busy with something else, use Guidance on your trap checks.)

Go ahead and use guidance, Drusk has left the secret door behind and is paying attention to what everyone else is doing. 

Investigation: 26

Guidance: 4

Hildigrim halts abruptly. He bends over a little to look more closely at the floor, and then his eyes scan the walls to the left and right. Pointing just ahead of his feet, he says over his shoulder, "Pressure plates." His finger then rises to point at the left wall. "Holes there." He twists to look back at Jorin. "Could be projectiles, gas ... maybe even snakes. We can jump over the plates, but I should be able to disable them." He stares blankly at Jorin for a second, then nods and leans over to go to work. "Let's try that first."

Thieves' tools: 10

Can I assume guidance? 4