Hearing Silas question before setting out, Mal will take another look at the machines and their workings, wondering if she dumped a considerable amount of ball bearings into the works if it would muck anything up.

Int maybe? 18

There are no "machines" as it were.  There is the big iron maiden, but she doubts ball bearings would be more useful than simply bashing it with that big sledge hammer over there, maybe smashing the glass cylinders that hold some of the gross liquids. You could otherwise go about trashing the gear in the room, its workshop gear. 

She sneaks down the other hallway that ends in a door, and listens quietly. On the other side of door she hears movement.  There's something on the other side moving about.  It sounds like it's close to the ground, and skittering.  Maybe a bunch of tiny skeletons or something?

With a smile on her face, "Badger you want first crack at the room, seems there is something skittering around inside low to the ground, unless my ears deceive me."

If there was any sarcasm there, it went over Badger's head. He looks at Mal with a look of appreciation and starts rambling along excitedly: Excellent! Step one: Identify hazards. Now, what about step two? Assess risks. It seems to be to small and therefore minimal risk, but you can't be too careful. Step three is formulate a plan. I say you open the door, and we prepare to blast anything that might attack us...

Mal places her hand on the door and positions herself so that she can swing it wide and give Badger plenty of room to make his attack.

Waiting for the signal from badger, she opens the door, places her hand on badger's back, shoves him inside and then closes the door quickly.

Errr.....

She will then unsheathe one of her scimitars and once the door is open grabs her other one and then follows Badger's lead once he assess the room.

[OOC: lol, Mal is not one for sarcasm, she most definitely prefers the direct approach.]

Mal slams the door open after giving everyone a moment to prepare.Candles dimly illuminate a cluttered office: A skeletal songbird rasps at you from a filthy cage In one corner. Other furnishing include a wooden writing desk and a tall-backed chair. Anatomical drawings sketched in charcoal hang on the wall behind the desk. Seated in the chair is the shriveled corpse of a humanoid wearing moldy robes and a bronze mask sculpted to look like a frowning visage. Around the figure's neck hangs a black skull-shaped amulet, and a number of severed hands crawl on the desk and floor around him.

He glances up. The hands all stop their skittering about and turn to regard the open door. (even though they have no eyes with which to see, the fingers seem to all position to face forward). 

There are about a dozen hands spread about the room.  The creature looks up and speaks in a language no one recognizes, his voice raspy and crackling, "Tasd garuool matky more son?" 

If you wish to blast him with spells and attacks, go ahead and take your turn.

Next step, review and reassess, says Badger calmly but warily. Nothing is presenting an immediate threat, so Badger adjusts his helm and prepares to Detect Thoughts on the undead humanoid, though he is well aware of Grenk's prejudice against undead and the likelihood that the goliath might attack at any moment...

Badger reaches out to detect the thoughts of the creature behind the desk.  He detects...curiosity, he is wondering who you all are, how you found your way in here, but more...he thinks you clearly must be from outside, and he is hoping that you may have information about the current state of the world outside. He is wondering how the kingdom of Omu is faring, how Chult is doing, if the royalty lives on....

Sickle stares at the sight before them, frozen, tense.  He reaches over slowly and grabs the arm of Grenk, a gentle but firm reminder that they were all here together and to hold for the moment.

Grenk layer eyes upon the undead creature and his sword arm was moving as he began to step forward.  Sickle's grasp on his arm shook him from rushing straight into battle.  This though, didn't distract him from the threat in front and he kept his eyes locked on him for the first threat of danger.

Mal will put her scimitars away and pull out her crossbow and load it. Then will not necessarily aim it at the creature behind the desk but will be ready to fire if the things make any threatening moves.

"Be quick. I believe this area has regular traffic through it and that is assumption our previous battle was unheard," Silas whispers from near the back of the party as he keeps an eyes out while they do what they want to do.

Perception: 18

Badger conveys the creature's thoughts to his companions. It is simply curious about us is all, hoping we can provide information about the world outside. I'm not certain I can communicate with it however. Looking at all the documents and things, Badger is torn between his natural curiosity and his new-found sensitivity to danger, between his desire to consult with a fellow scholar and a little voice telling him to turn and run. For the moment he sticks to his risk management plan: no immediate danger so safe to proceed unless new information dictates otherwise. Holding up one hand, the gnome simply says in Common: Hello! Nice place you've got here. If there is no response he will try Undercommon, Gnomish or Goblin.

With a tense anticipation thick in the air, and the group bristling with weapons ready at hand for any sign of threat, the creature sits back when Badger speaks in Common. He nods to Badger, his undead dried eyes regarding him coldly.  "It is a work of art, a tomb fit for a god.  Or....perhaps a tomb fit for many gods."  He grins, "What place do you come from? What year is it in the world above?  Tell me, for I wish to know."

Badger doesn't immediately reply to the creature's response. He stands silent for a few moments, staring at the undead creature, fingering his crystal orb in one hand, as if calculating something or having a private conversation in his head - or both. Suddenly he snaps his other hand forward, barking out an arcane word, and releasing a spell.

Badger casts Fireball at 3rd level targeting the back of the room (or wherever is most convenient to engulf the creature, the hands, but not Badger or his friends). Damage: 22 fire, DC 16 DEX save for half.

Sickle, on edge, releases Grenk’s arm as the fireball explodes. and his hand flies forward, spewing ice forth from his ring across the room, engulfing the hands and the withered humanoid. He then rolls out of the doorway to hide behind the frame.

Sickle Init: 16

Cone of Cold

(All creatures in a 60 foot cone, CON save DC 17 or 30 cold damage, half on success)

With the others having thrown fire and ice, Grenk moves in to add his holy flame to it.  He traverses the room quickly bringing his shiled to bare and strikes out with two swings.

Initiative 12

Attack: 22 Damage: 5 + 6 fire + 6 radiant

Attack: 16 Damage: 6 + 5 fire + 9 radiant

Initiative: 17

Although I don't know how that works if everyone is going before Badger...

Mal Initiative: 22

Mal will peak around the door of the door and shoot at the creature them will duck back out of the way and drop the crossbow and pull out her scimitars.

Heavy Crossbow: Attack: 20 Damage: 7

Quote from ZorgAlmighty >>

Initiative: 9

Although I don't know how that works if everyone is going before Badger...

 I'm giving you a bonus first turn since you're initiating combat.  So, your fireball happens, then everyone rolls init, including you.