(RNGesus has blessed us, indeed)

Callie does her part in investigating the treasure hoard. She pays special attention to the lion emblem, but on seeing the frog statuette, Callie mutters, "What an odd thing to make..."

History 20

You recall information from when Gundren explained the job to you and the town you should meet him in-- and you remember that there is a presence of a merchant company known as the 'Lionshields' and that they have a costermonger somewhere in Phandalin. You know from your own experience that the Lionshields are run from the city of Yartar over a hundred miles to the east, but they export over to Phandalin on occasion.

The frog has no cultural or religious significance to it, but you can tell that it probably came from a traveler who wasn't a local given it's quality, and with that high a roll + your Noble background you price it at around 40 gold pieces.

"These crates came from the Lionshield merchant company, they're a ways from home, though. as for this..." Callie gestures towards the frog statuette,  "it's about what you'd expect: not special beyond the craftsmanship. We should be able to pawn this off for a healthy sum of gold, unless someone wants to keep it."

"Are these the crates Gundren was taking? The first goblin we questioned said that Klarg smashed up their wagon. It would make sense that these crates were on it, no?

Oh, Sildar! We should go get him and bring him through. He'll be able to answer that question. In the meantime..."

Grum thinks back to the part of the wall in the last cavern that can release the water from the pools. He has a theory that the bottom of a pool that is drainable would be a great place to hide treasure, if not by the goblins, but any previous occupants of the caverns. Without warning to others in the group, he takes a run and dives in to the top pool, swimming to the bottom and trying to see what he can find. 

Perception: 25 

(I like your style)

In the pool to the right, behind the waterfall is a dagger stuck in the wall, wedged into the stone. It looks much stronger than regular daggers given that it's driven into the wall, but other than that it looks like a regular dagger.

Does it look like it might pull bits of the wall with it (i.e. dangerously to Grum's health) if Grum pulls it out?

Grum pulls it gently and gives it a wiggle just to see how well jammed in it is. 

As you wiggle it it comes loose a bit and you look quickly at the wall to see if it made any changes, but nothing really happens. As you pull it out a bit you see that the part where the blade was embedded in the wall has a deep blue coloration to it.

(The part of the blade, as opposed to the wall is blue?)

Grum will resurface and ask <Squelch> for a bit of Guidance for a minute or so. 

(Oh yeah mb, about 75% from the tip of the dagger it turns blue. When/if you pull it out make a dexterity check)

(Is it OK to assume <Squelch> would cast guidance? I wouldn't ever want to presume another player's actions, but I don't see why he wouldn't use a cantrip. I'm about to go to bed and rather than wait another 12 hours for time differences, to resolve a DEX check, I figure it'll let others continue.) 

(Real quick make a standard Intelligence check)

Intelligence: 6

(Not Dex?) 

You don't really understand why the dagger's there, suggesting caution moving forward.

(Just to see if you would know generally this dagger's meaning in regards to the wall, and if you succeeded I would allow you to just take it knowing why it's there)

Grum returns to the surface and explains the situation to the rest of the group. "We may wish to investigate the rest of the wall down there, to see if we can work out why it's in the wall. In fact, it may even be worth releasing the water to see if we can get to it more easily. I presume the flood gate is precisely that - to flood the passage we came in by. If we stand out of the way, we should be able to release the water safely."

And with that, Grum sits on a rock out of the way and proceeds to wring the water out of his clothes. 

(OOC: Squelch will cast guidance whenever needed (within reason), as long as he has enough warning. Within reason means always when life / death is on the line, and when the party needs it for non-trivial situations. He doesn't think its right to ask the powers of life and death for constant, trivial blessings. Default to assuming he will for now - because we don't do it for everything. )

Assuming same INT 19 check for explaining the situation

You know that this dagger is not integral to the structure, and that given it's length it isn't connected to anything. You could probably pull it out without issue, but make a dexterity check anyway.

Dexterity check: 5 plus guidance: 2

You grab the hilt and gently tug at it, shifting it up and down until it becomes loose enough to pull out. It takes a bit of strength, but eventually it comes out with a bit of force sendingyou into the pool. You don't knock any of the stones loose and you climb out, blade in hand. Upon closer inspection the blade is made of a well tempered metal and has a symbol near the tip where the steel meets the blue edge. (Unless you understand draconic it's foreign to you)

<Squelch> hands it to the group, then starts drying his clothes and feathers. <Grum's voice> "Sildar! We should go get him and bring him through."

"Ooh, nice find! But, yes, you're right Squelch. Let's get Sildar back here, see if he can make anything of the hoard." Callie heads back towards where they left Sildar, heedless of any danger now that the goblins have been cleared out.