That door seemed the usual type you already saw around here, though, a bit more ornate. Come to think of it, should you squint enough, then within the geometrical decore you could see a face. In case the case was not that obvious, the moment Ramious touched the handle, "eyes" lightened up a little with a green light a touch brighter than the one coming from algae.

"Welcome to the Menagerie," the voice was low and had some metal notes in it, but seemed familiar nevertheless, "The worthy can enter and enjoy the display. Prove your worth by naming the greatest wizard of the past and present!" The metal notes stopped bumping from the walls and the corridor became quiet again. Tight shut door was patiently waiting for the answer. 

Ramious steps back, "Uuuug. Are you kidding?"  He looks up at the ceiling...while also rolling his eyes.  "Fine ya twerp. The answer yer lookin for door is Kraptatat..cious..."  He scratches his head and glances back to Alyssa.  "What's his name again? Kerpitaliliang?"

Bernard enjoys riddles.  He's answered two of them already.  That said, Ramious's answer couldn't have been any more perfect.  He snickered by himself off to the side.

Leon just shrugs. "Never did pay attention to the name of the self-indulging want-to-be wizard." He says. "Whomever is the keeper of this place was never much of an interest to me, just the pay for returning the items."

You had to admit, your host was a good sport - no lightning struck Ramious on spot, no pits opened under his feet. Though it did feel as if the temperature dropped a few degrees, but that - and the cold heavy silence - could be just your imagination.

The door remained shut, though.

"Keraptis."

Tired of the games Alyssa did not try to exercise her ability of claver taunting and simply said what was - obviously - expected here. "Pff!" that followed her word(s) could as well be just an echo. The main point was - the door had opened up with a booming "Welcome, guests!" from the door.

"Blackrazor yet remains to be won
Underneath inverted ziggurat.
That garnered, think not that you’re done
For now you’ll find you are caught"

Well, they were definitely in the right place. Alyssa's eyes fell over the room, scanning layer by layer. It'd take a long time for her to fully take in and absorb the truth depth of this place. Keraptis wasn't lying. It truly was a menagerie. The question was, what were they facing, who was the biggest threat, and could they avoid unnecessary bloodshed to get to their destination? The wizard would pull out her spell book and be at the ready.

"Looks like we're heading into the belly of the beast."

"So Ramious, want to help us take the easy way down?" Leon suggests, looking to the big winged tiefling. "Unless someone has a better idea..." He glances to the group in question.

Ramious looks to Leon, "Well.....let's just check things out for a bit first. I'm not too eager to find myself down there...and uh....'caught' as Alyssa said."  He pulls out a javelin from his back sheath.  He bounces it in his hand, getting the weight of it for a moment.  Then.....he takes a couple quick side steps and with a twisting explosion hurls the weapon across the room and into the glass of the top level on the far side with all his might.  

"Um, sure you want to be breaking those walls?" Leon says with a frown. "If the water flows down, and doesn't drain, then you make this a swimming deal..."

"I'm not one for swimming... but I bet something nasty is at each level.  Well at least one nasty thing each level.  Hmm... I hope they are animals...  we can talk to animals." Bugs says.

He moves a little up to the edge of the pool and look in if the water appears clear and unmoving.  If it's all ripple and wavy, then he tries to gaze from a distance.

Perception 8

Looks clear

It was a bit too late for questions - the javelin was in the air. However, with the room's size (easily over a hundred feet) such a light weapon was hardly a threat.

Attack: 13 Damage: 9

The javelin slid from the unscratched glass down, and got lost in the sand covering the reign of containment below.

The water in the upper ring moves very slightly, and inside Bernard can see giant crayfish . Several of them (hard to count with all the moving). Level below (dry one) displays scorpions, and the lower one - hard to tell from your position, but it looks like at least one sea lion.

"So what's in them?" Leon asks Bugs as they are looking at the tanks. After getting the details he nods. "I bet I can get one of them to help us..." He holds up his trident meaningfully. "Should be able to dominate one of those creatures, but why let them out to start with? Just fly down there and through the door, no problem."

Ramious shrugs at the unbroken glass. "Sorry, had to try."  He stands back, waiting to see if Leon can charm a giant crayfish....his sword escapes from its sheath and he holds it ready.

(Leon, if it'd broken the top level, i think the water would have flown down into the 2nd level and perhaps filled up that "desert and sand" style layer that seems to have scorpions in it, but not necessarily flooded the lowest level.) 

Leon just figures all water will, eventually, run downhill. He won't dominate an animal, unless it is useful to the group for him to do so, and he doesn't see any use in doing so at this point. If Ramious is not looking to fly them down, then are there paths to start walking down?

"Well... there are several crayfish like things up top.  Some big scorpions in the middle and I think sea lions further down...  I mean we could chat with them, or at least I can.  I still have that ring that let's me chat with animals."  He gives a shrug...  "if we had some corn and a bunch of butter we could feast but not the case."

Ramious scratches his head, "Corn? You eat crayfish with corn? Or.....is it you just like butter?" 

Ramious glares down into the darkness below with his vision, "Well, I can fly us...just...wasn't wantin to rush into anything."  He squints down below, "Is it just me or do I see some pinprick eyes and something with wings down there?" 

Perception : 18 

If it helps to look down below, he'll take to the air and fly a couple circle around the room so he can look down into the pit. 

Inhaling a breath to herself, Alyssa would chew on her lip and exhale through her nose. Once the discussion continued, she'd eventually try to say something. "If I may, I can offer some..." And Ramious takes off. "Flight... As a group..." She exhales. Nevermind.

Oh, you definitely see someone down there, the (relatively) small space is not empty. And whatever is circling that space, most likely not friendly - there is some roar coming up. The animals - vaguely resembling lions from your position - do have something protruding from their bodies, but not really wings, more like skeletal remains of the wings, like a bat wing would look if someone would cut off the skin between the bones.

Meanwhile, the crayfish began to concentrate on your end. Six of them (unless some are hiding somewhere under the rocks).

And no, there is no path down - rings of water and sand, open on top is all there is.