Derrikoth sheathes his weapon, replacing it with a torch that he lights with a smidgen of dragon's breath. He walks over to the glowing archway, looking for a moment before walking through.

"No need to focus on the history of giants, it's all drivel anyways. Let's see what these savages were so eager to protect, that one of the lesser dragons was here."

"Bold of you to call giants savages while our giant ally is right here."

Nirzeg chortles. "She has you there, Blue. She certainly has you there, much as I'd like to say otherwise. But 'fore this maybe involves into another pissing contest, perhaps we focus ont he problems at hand, hm?" He suggested, giving the two a sly look as he wandered further into the hall. "Now on the subject of missing weapons, for those that give a shit about progress, it seems the maybe obvious answer would be to either A, have our good friend Bigger Blue go knocking on those ice doors. Which seems a rather dumbass idea for the next part, what with the whole--"

He rolls his wrist in gesturing to it all. "Offering things for Captain Ahab's favor, which we kind of need if'n we're gonna solve this whole mess. B, You, big guy--" He points up to Harshnag. "Could try and replace the offering with that axe of yours. But I'm pretty sure the answer there is gonna be a no. So, that leaves us with C,  going for the glowing archway and hope it isn't something bad." Having said all that, Nirzeg makes his choice fairly clear by heading towards the glowing archway. Right before crossing the threshold however, assuming he even makes it so far, he plops down on his tuckus to begin ritual casting Detect Magic.

Derrikoth scoffs, "I was referring to the barbarian savages that attacked us. I suppose their stone allies would be savages as well, though."

The dim light in the room comes from a glowing mist that fills the archway. When Derrikoth tries to enter the churning mist, all he feels is the cold stone wall on the other side.

The archway is 40 feet wide and 40 feet tall, and is situated between the niches on the wall (which contain ice-covered sconces made of iron). Six different runes are carved into the arch, each one inlaid with mithral.

Arcana: 21

Lydia can tell that these runes are magical. She thinks that perhaps she has seen one of them before, but then upon further consideration, they just don’t look familiar at all. 

Harshnag looks curiously at the runes, but doesn’t say anything at the moment. 

"These runes are magical. I have absolutely no idea what they are, but they are magical and so I will leave our unfriendly green friend to do his detection."

"Bah! We'll leave that for later. Let's just figure out the doors we can open."

Derrikoth will march to the northern door, pulling a portable ram from Josephus's saddle bags. He'll brace himself, swinging the blunt object at the frozen door.

Strength: 24

Derrikoth has managed to make a very small dent in the thick ice sheet that seals the granite doors shut.

“Perdon, mi amigo,” says Rasa. “But I believe I have just the tool for this. You will want to, ah, stand back. Further,” he says to Derrikoth, until he and everyone else are a side distance.

With that, the Aarakocra conjures a blazing fireball! The fire magic strikes in a blossom of heat and steam,  instantly evaporating the ice that was caked on the northern granite double doors.

”I can repeat for the other set of doors, if you wish...?” He says casually. 

Derrikoth puts his portable ram away, crossing his arms and doing his best to not look too miffed.

"Well, I suppose. It seems to be rather effective, good job."

"And now is the time for brute strength, no?" Rasa says to Derrikoth, genuflecting deferentially to the dragonborn. "After you, my friend." 

The 30-foot granite doors stand imposing, and a little wet, but unimpeded by ice. 

Derrikoth grunts, breaking out the ram again and giving the doors a solid wham.

Strength: 15

Strength: 24

Nirzeg eventually comes out of his meditation.. ritual casting... whatever it was he was doing at that point,  to come over and check out the racket. He then looks between Harshnag and the Dragonborn.. then back to Harshnag... then back to Dragonborn... and then shrugged, and with a hand at his hip, kept on watching until the work was done. "Safe to assume you going first as well, Dragon Blue? Once you're done, 'n all that."

With considerable effort, Derrikoth is able to push the set of double doors open. 

The doors open into another frozen part of the temple. Frost covers the floors, walls, and ceilings in this area. To your right is a set of giant-sized stairs that appear to lead up to another level. 

Slightly to your left and straight forward, a long hallway that extends northwards into darkness.

Standing in an alcove at the southern end of the hall is a life-size statue of a stone giant. Its arms are lifted up with hands outstretched and palms facing north, towards the opposite end of the darkened hall. 

// If you're staying behind in the main temple area, just let me know. Otherwise I'll assume everyone is following Derrikoth & Nirzeg into this area. Map is updated in Roll20! //

"Curious... and Curiouser... Hmm..." Nirzeg snaps his fingers a few times, eventually de-summoning and re-summoning a very confused Zeek to his side. "You know what to do, my dear catty friend." Zeek lowered his head in defeat. "Oh calm your non-existent tits, you ****'n chuckle ****. I'll be right behind you." Zeek perks up immediately. "By about fifty feet, give or take."

Zeek flops to the ground, bawling as much as a tressym can until Nirzeg gets feed up enough to start nudging him into taking to the air and begin start flying north of the stone giant into the darkened hall with Nirzeg trailing 50ft behind him, striking up torch if necessary.

Your feet crunch loudly on the frost that covers this area. As Nirzeg is still under the effects of the detect magic spell, he perceives an aura of transmutation magic surrounding the statue of the stone giant at the south end of the hall.

The 60-foot-high hall stretches northward into total darkness, though Zeek can make out some features with his darkvision. The hall is inclined at a slight angle, so that the floor at the north end of the hall would be higher than in the south end.

At regular intervals, 30-foot-tall archways spaced along the west and east walls lead to 60-foot-square chambers furnished with frost-covered stone couches that serve as giant beds. Some of these beds have tattered furs atop them. The rooms here appear to be uninhabited. 

(I'll pause halfway up the hall if there's anything you want to respond to).

Swiper immediately begins to search around the area for any shinies! Or anything worth noting for that matter.

Investigation: 12
(if you prefer perception, +8 on the base roll :D)

Nirzeg comes to a stop about thirty foot mark upon noting the incline, mentally bidding Zeek to do the same. Once more his gaze is drawn back to the statue and the magic bound to it. "It has run at us yet... or thrown anything... or moved at all given the Transmutation aura... a trap, perhaps?" He frowned at the question. And after a moment's hesitation, he kneeled down, and with Zeek's aid more closely examined the corridor(hall?) for signs scraping or divets not consistent just the footsteps of whatever giants called the area a barracks. Or at least, not what he expected, using his admittedly limited knowledge of such things.

Investigation: 28(Includes Guidance)

If nothing stands out or if any try to pass him by to head up the slope further, he calls out a "Stop. Somethings... Check the chambers as we go, if you haven't already. Make sure no dumbass tossed the axe under or over the beds." He request as politely as nirzeg can. If his findings turn up empty, he presses further northward, checking into the chambers along the right handside for anything of passing interest, but otherwise focused on the climb.

Rasa elects to go with Swiper and Lydia in their investigation, while Harshnag joins Derrikoth and Nirzeg as they search the sloping hall. Nirzeg can't perceive anything out of the ordinary here, 

Most of these giant-sized rooms are empty, save for the tattered furs that sit on some of the towering stone beds. Nirzeg and Swiper uncover nothing of interest in the first several rooms.

But in one of the rooms to the left, Swiper finds a fissure in the wall. It's far too small for a giant to fit in—about 10 feet high by 5 feet wide—but it looks like it might lead somewhere. Lydia's and Swiper's light illuminates about 40 feet into the tunnel, where it seems to take a turn. Rasa is about to shout something about the fissure to the others, when quite suddenly, every archway along the main hall (both east and west walls) is sealed off!! Walls of stone have appeared out of nowhere, separating the group of adventurers from each other. 

Harshnag, Nirzeg, and Derrikoth are in the hallway. Rasa, Lydia, and Swiper are in one of the side rooms. 

Everyone roll initiative please! Anyone who rolls higher than 15 senses something amiss, and can act right away. After initiative count 15, we will be using side initiative like normal.