Rethan nods and steps up near the hole.  "We're adventurer's," he says.  "Who are you?  How'd you end up down there?"

Morph takes out a tiny ball bearing from his bag of holding, and casts Light on it.

Once it is glowing, he leans over, next to Rethan, and drops the ball bearing into the pit.

"Incoming light source."

Morph tries to get a look at whoever is in the hole.

Perception check: 11

"Halleth Garke," he says in a clipped tone. "Betrayed, by my friends. Well...we're certainly no friends now."

Morph can see much better now that the pit is lighted well. A half-elf that looks battered and perhaps also diseased stands at the bottom of the pit shielding his eyes from the lighted ball bearing.

"You don't look so good, why did your friends betray you, is that why you're stuck in this pit?"

"Greedy thieves, the lot of them," Halleth says, spitting the words out. 

"My word! Sir, you look like you could use some assistance." Titus hands a rope to Laniel and he tosses the other end into the pit and descends down to helps the half elf.

 Morph quickly whispers in Titus' ear,

"Are you sure we should be pulling him out? We don't actually know if this fellow is safe."

"Maybe be ready in case he attacks us?"

Morph steps back from the pit, getting in a position behind the others, where he can get a shot off if needed.

Morph directs the bear to stand to the side of where the stranger would emerge from the pit.

At the bottom of the pit, Titus finds a wretched smell of rotting meat. Up close, Halleth is more than just injured, he looks positively unwell. His skin is dry and cracked, some of flaking off in long strips. His clothes are torn and gashes in his torso and arms look like they have only just stopped bleeding.

The half-elf has his head bowed and his nostrils flared. His fingers are clenched into tight fists. "Let's go," he says and begins climbing the rope.

After they climb back into the room, Titus speaks in a soft and soothing tone to the man. 

"Sir, you are unwell, but I may be able to heal you, please be still."

Titus examines his patient and if he senses a disease he will use 5pts of Lay on Hands to heal the disease. 

Titus doesn't get a good look as Halleth stalks around the pit and begins searching the south wall of the room, muttering "Where is it? Where is it?"

The smell of decay has definitely followed Halleth up the rope, however.

Morph waves for the others to keep their little distance for a moment,

Keeping his eyes on the stranger, Morph's eyes flash with golden light. A moment later Halleth also briefly glows with the same light.

Morph watches to see how Halleth reacts.

 Action: Use Healing Light on Halleth: 6 points of healing

The spell washes over Halleth but none of his apparent injuries appear to heal.

Without interacting or approaching Halleth, Morph uses message 4 times, to silently communicate with his friends.

"I have a strong suspicion that this fellow may be undead or the like. We should handle this with care." x 4

(each person can give a short response to Morph silently)

 Rethan responds with a quick, mental, "Understood", holding his staff casually and non-threateningly, but ready to use it at a moment's notice.

Titus uses his divine senses to examine the half elf and responds by letting Morph know what he sees.

"He's right," Titus says as he looks at Halleth through his divine lens. "He reeks of undeath."

Morph waves everyone over to him, as he back away some more from the stranger, who is searching around the pit.

Morph whispers to his friends, Atuan and Titus in particular.

"What are we going to do with...him? He hasn't attacked us, but...undead? What do you two think? Clerics and paladins are usually called in to deal with undead problems...."

Atuan looks Halleth over briefly. "Well, there's not much sense in beating around the bush, is there? Halleth, is it? Friend, my name is Atuan. Would you mind explaining to us why you reek of death and deadly purpose? It would save us all a long while of polite nothings to tease it out of you. Be sure, we mean you no harm, assuming your intentions are noble, though an explanation might be nice if we are to walk the same path together."  

“Why don’t you start by telling us how you came to be trapped here and what you know of this place.” Says Titus tersely, his grip on his weapon tightens as he speaks.

Halleth continues to search the wall for...something. But he answers the questions. "Noble? Noble as revenge can be," he says in a guttural tone. "My friends stole from me, kept what was owed. When I confronted them, they beat me unconscious and threw me in that pit. I can feel them. They went this way. They have my holy symbol, my weapons, my map. I aim to kill them for what they have done. You can help me or stay out of my way...Aha!"

The undead half-elf pushes on a loose brick and with a soft click and a loud squeak of rusty hinges, a hidden door in the wall swings open. Halleth looks over his shoulder with a malicious grin. "I'll have vengeance before the morning."

And then he steps through the door.