Jack notices no traps in the damp stone basement.

Landrae will descend the ladder following Jack and Elber, loud enough to carry to Jack and Elber, "Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; or close the wall up with our Elvish dead. In peace there's nothing so becomes a man, as modest stillness and humility"

Landare casts Bardic Inspiration on Jack.

Once at the bottom, Landrae stays in the basement area and tries to hide in the recesses, but still see down the corridor

Stealth: 6

"So well thy words become thee, as thy wounds: they smack of honor both."

Kai also descends, draws his scimitar and places himself between Elber and Landrae, moving forward to keep Jack & Elber insight.

Jack will move forward and check to see if indeed the door is locked and listen to see if he can hear anything on the other side.

Perception: 9   

Hmmm didn’t get my +5 on Perception, should actually be a 21

If it is locked I will use my thieves tools: 17

Jack determines that the door is securely padlocked, but this presents no obstacle to the cunning rogue. Within moments Jack has the mechanism disabled.

Kai quietly calls for Jack & Elber's attention and motions them back to Landrae, and whispers, "How think you all we should proceed?  I would recommend Jack to open the door enough to peer in, and if there is anyone within, I shall try to Charm them. "

Landrae will move up with the party. She will hang back and follow the lead of the party whether we go in hard or quiet.

OOC: Did I hear anything on the other side of the door w my perception check?

Jack whispers to Kai “If there truly is some monstrosity in there, can it be charmed? I don’t want to give up the element of surprise and be murdered with an arrow still nocked.”

"I agree with Jack. And the padlock be locked from the outside."

"Does the door open towards or away from us? If it opens into this corridor then I could create a minor illusion of the door in place. If we then open it, we should be able to view the room through the illusion."

@JJ, obviously just say if you don't see that working as I read it.

Duncan is still keeping watch above. PERCEPTION: 16

((Good point about the padlock being on the outside.))

The door opens outward, towards you. All Jack can hear emanating from the adjoining room is a faint bubbling.

Jack will start to open the door just a crack to see if I can see anything (light source, anything alive, etc) while seeing if the door opens quiet enough. I will assume that Duncan is behind me. Then Elber, Kai, and Landrae. I will have my rapier out ready to stab anything aggressive.

Stealth check: 8

Duncan will have been watching for a sign from the group, and as Jack signals him to approach to watch he will go up and be behind Jack waiting to see what he see's through the door.

Landrae casts minor illusion as described, she will assume the door looks the same on both sides, since she can't see the other side, hoping that they haven't got any clearly differentiating markings, like support beams. Her bow is ready with an arrow nocked.

((As noted, if the size/concept isn't viable, just disregard this))

Elber switches to his bow and stands ready.

Through the crack in the door an eerie green light emits, and upon further inspection Jack finds it to be emenating from half a dozen lanterns which are suspended by chains from the ceiling. A strange mechanism on the table in the center if the room pumps liquid through a series of tubes and drips into a small glass bottle. The room is large, perhaps fifty by fifty feet, bug the ceiling is low. A door at the far end if the room leads deeper into the basement. 

Standing before the mechanism is the man from the painting, mumbling and muttering incoherent syllables. His hair and beard have greyed and his robes are frayed and stained, but he holds himself proudly, and several gold rings glitter on his fingers. He does not notice your approach.

(Stealth checks if you want to get any closer)

Duncan hears jack describe this and waits for his (or another) lead

Assuming Jack relays all of that... "I think we should try to sneak up and subdue him. We can't exactly talk our way into having stumbled in here, and trying to rush him with that much glass and glowing liquid makes me nervous of possible outcomes which may be detrimental to our collective health! We can work out anything else once we have this man, presumably Fosa, incapacitated."