Fjolnir's eyes perk at the sight of a tapped cask of ale. "Oh, thanks fellas!" he jovially kicks one of the bandits, "Mighty fine of ya to share." He cranes his head under the tap and drafts several mouthfulls. "Lets poke through this next room, eh?" Stealth 18

i notice people going to the door and interject 

hey lets stack back up on the door encase there are more enemies.

stealth 3 

Stealth to help raise the **** out of the average: 16

You open the door across the hall. This room appears to be a wizard’s workshop. A rat scurries across the floor and takes refuge under a large worktable set up with alembics, retorts, distillation coils, and other alchemical devices, all of it stewing and bubbling away. Bookshelves are crowded with sheaves of parchment and strange-looking tomes.

I investigate everything looking for scrolls and spell books 16 

I search the room for valuables, try to figure out what's in the stew.

Fjolnir investigates the rat. Investigation: 19

"Everything is suspect, damn wizards..."  He looks at Hymir... "Er... present company excluded of course..."

I cast speak to animals as a ritual.

I ask it any good stuff in here?

"Unless I can make alcohol with anything in this room, I have no further interest in this cave let's get out of here before someone else comes."

The rat seems as curious of you as you are it. It also looks hungry and appears to be begging for food.

The books and notes scattered around the room are basic texts on alchemy. Among the books is a tome written in Dwarvish.

Dirk can see that Iarno’s apparatus appears to be set up to brew potions of invisibility. Most of the materials in this room have no value, but three small bottles hold rare reagents: mercury, dragon bile, and powdered nightshade. These are worth 25 gp each to an apothecary or alchemist.

The rat does hang around curiously watching Az Emberi casting the ritual. It doesn't respond to his rat-like squeaks, just continues to stare curiously and wait for food.

Absinthe doesn't think he can make alcohol with anything in this room.

Guys, how long does a potion of invisibility last?  I close and block the southern door. 19 Trying to get a sense if we are alone, listening and looking for disturbances in the room.

Perception 7

To rat "Is anyone invisible in this room?"

"It doesn't understand?  Oi, rat, if you don't understand squeak, how about common...? Roll over and get some of my days ration?"

While Az Emberi is casting his ritual I ritual cast detect magic

Maybe it's nothing, but would you block the other door Absinthe? 10 to investigate my surroundings further, see if there are signs of any recent activity or foot prints.

I stand in front of the doorway taking up as much space as possible. 

Dirk doesn't notice any signs of anyone else present.

The rat all but ignores Az Emberi. You get the feeling it doesn't understand you...

Hymir's detect magic ritual reveals an aura of magic surrounding the rat. Conjuration, perhaps?

The room has well trodden paths that aren't dusty or dirty, but you can't tell how recent.

Absinthe becomes a door.

After my detect magic I investigate again if I can 16 

Again, it's probably nothing... but I don't like it.  I try to grab the rat, and take it into custody, offering it food I we foraged. 14

Arcana 8