Damara considers the hole, before looking around for a sturdy tree to tie some rope to( if needed, investigation: 19 ), pulling the length of it from her bag. "The drop does not seem considerable, but the ground may not be even. It is best we avoid any twisted ankles." (Assuming there is one nearby, I'll edit if not) With that she ties the rope off and tosses the other end down the hole.

Damara notices that there is a tree right at the opening of the hole in the ground.

(Excellent)

After tossing the rope down, Damara looks at everybody for a moment before simply walking over and climbing down the rope into the hole. (Again, just in case, Athletics: 14 )

Though he’d been fiddling with it looking down the hole a bit nervous, seeing his companion so casually drop down the hole on her rope, Moneo puts his pen in the inside pocket of his tunic, takes a deep breath, and follows. Assuming it’s dark down below, he then waits for the rest of the group to join, and snaps his fingers, lighting his lantern, giving the group some light. 

Caradoc will keep watch up top until he’s the last one, when he’ll climb down with the others

Aeneas watched Caradoc, realizing he wanted to be last, and so says "Be careful," as he grabs the rope to follow the others.  When he lands at the bottom, he says "Perhaps we should have a system, so that whoever does go first can give a patterned tug or something, signaling that it's safe to follow..."

You all descend the rope into the dark hole. None of you has darkvision, but Moneo's lantern casts an eerie orange glow on the walls around you. You're surrounded on all sides in thick, clay-like dirt. Some of it is dry enough to be crumbly, but most of it is moist enough to maintain its shape. One of the first things you actually notice, though, is the smell. There is a strong scent of earth, of course, but there is something else mixed in with it - it's pungent like rotting flesh. You can see that from the room that you're currently in, which is roughly 30 feet in diameter, there is only one passage. As a group, you decide to cautiously head down the passageway for a little while (time passes differently down here with your adrenaline pumping and the lack of sunlight) as the tunnel turns left and then back right until it opens up into an elbow of sorts.

By now, you all have had time for your eyes to actually adjust to the orange light, and you notice something else that starts in this earthen foyer and leads into the passageway almost like a rug - it appears to be an opaque clear and rough to the touch. Damara kneels down to feel the rug-like material (Survival: 17) and she realizes immediately what she's looking at though she's never seen this in person before: this is the skin of an enormous snake. The skin follows the passage deeper and around another bend.

Damara raises a hand to catch the attention of the others. "Serpent skin. Very large." She says quietly. She pulls one of her axes out, chopping a good sized section of it away and rolling it up to put in her pack. "Continue onward?" She looks back at the others, the bandages on her face shifting as she raises a brow in question.

At the end of the irregular corridor that the party is looking down, you can see the flickering glow of a fire.

Perception Rolls:

• Aeneas: 12
• Caradoc: 5
• Damara: 6
• Moneo: 15

For Moneo and Damara:

 I should also note that where Damara is currently kneeling to feel the snake skin, the cieling is only about 8' above her. Where the rest of you are standing, the cieling is about 18'-20' above you.

“Shhhh.” Moneo whispers. “I hear voices ahead.” As he pauses to let the others go ahead, and crouches down in an attempt to stay quiet 11

Caradoc slings the heavy crossbow and gets his hand crossbow ready. He tries to get low and sneak forward after Moneo... not that it’ll matter much with the light we’re bringing with us.

Stealth 17 

"If there are others down here," Aeneas says quietly, "then we may not need to be concerned with the snake just now."

He also readies his weapons.
Stealth:  11 

Damara shrugs, her bandage-wrapped feet carrying her to the others as she too lowers her profile, greatsword in hand. Stealth: 6

Moneo, Caradoc, and Aeneas all walk forward intentionally and slowly, muting their footsteps. Damara hops down off of the shelf she's on before joining her companions and, in the less than ideal light, she kicks a mangrove root and trips. (DEX save throw: 19) She almost falls on her face, but with a lithe reaction she catches herself with a grunt and the dissonant sound of her weapons hitting and sliding against her armor and each other.

The voices ahead stop.

Damara looks back at the root that caught her foot, then at her companions, and shrugs in a way that seems to clearly and non-verbally communicate 'shit happens'.

Everyone Rolls Initiative:

• Aeneas [AC16]: 6
• Caradoc [AC13]: 13
• Damara [AC16]: 15
• Moneo [AC14]: 12
• Harpies: 12 

Initiative Order:

1. Moneo
2. Damara
3. Aeneas
4. Caradoc
5. Harpies

Round 1, Turn 1 - Beginning of Moneo's Turn

Moneo steps back and readies a vicious insult ((dc 13)) to any threat he sees. 

Aeneas clenches his weapons, prepared.

Moneo is readying an action, so it becomes Damara's turn.