Hera will take the vertebrae and enter the tower.

The closed in space of the tower made Jimmy a little unsteady (he's suffered from claustrophobia ever since a young child), but he didn't want to show weakness in front of his brothers, so he plastered a fake a grin on his face (Deception: 13) and followed Hera into the dank tower (but not before pulling out both rapiers, keeping them at the ready in case something were to jump out of the shadows and attack him.

Before entering the tower, Jeremiah performs a ritual of Detect Magic. (Up for 10 mins, will re-do after unless there are time constraints)

As he steps up to the door, he hears whispers ‘Be careful, danger here...’

Perception: 15

Shiara nods grimly, dark energy swirling around her as she follows the others at the back.

The tower door is made of iron, with no visible handles or hinges. In the middle of the door is a large, embossed symbol — a connected series of lines with eight stick figures set around it. Carved into the lintel above the door is a word: Khazan.

‘Don’t touch the door!’ warns Jeremiah, ‘I’m detecting Evocation magic there, which is usual the kind that hurts if you get it wrong...’

He searches his memory for the name Khazan...

Religion: 16

As hard as you think, you can't remember who this Khazan is. However, you know for a fact the door is indeed trapped. Finally, you can see on the door panel that small figures are embossed on the door with differently positioned arms — either bent up or down at the elbow, or sticking straight out to the side. 

Jeremiah wracks his brains to recognise the symbols...

Arcana: 11

The symbols appear to be..dance moves?

(Assuming that Jeremiah is sharing his findings.)

Hera starts doing the dance on the circle, starting by copying the figure that's in the 11:00 position with both arms up and then following the series of lines.

The door makes an arcane popping sound, and unlocks. As the door opens slowly a crack, then stopping, the smell inside nearly causes you to vomit it is so putrid.

"Didn't think that would work." Hera says as she leads the team into the tower.

Jimmy, once again, fails to stifle his insane giggle, and when Hera begins to dance, he starts singing "Yyyyyyyyy, M..C..A!"

When the door opens a crack, Jimmy will quiet down, and slide up to the door with his back against the outside wall.  Slowly, ever so slowly, he'll reach out and shove the door open more fully, and then peak his head into the doorway (ready to retract it at the first sign of danger).  Perception check to look inside: 22

Shiara smirks and steps inside the tower, unbothered by the scent. She's used to death.

THE FIRST FLOOR

The flagstone floor is strewn with debris and dried blood, and a few old crates stand near the east wall. A torn curtain to the south partially obscures the tower vestibule. The stench is unbearable. It is like someone was massacred in here. Religious books and other paraphernalia litter the floor, ruined, desecrated, and destroyed.

A five-foot-square indentation in the center of the floor contains four pulleys attached to taut iron chains that stretch up through a similarly sized hole in the rotted wooden ceiling - an elevator. Standing next to the chains are four tall clay statues of angels, deformed by the Affliction. They are so lifelike it sends a chill up your spine. They are all wounded and cut, from each of the wounds and cuts, blood has flowed out of them, at some point.

It's almost as if the statues could, somehow, operate the chains to make the platform rise.

Perception check?

Perception: 14

Jimmy'ception: 11

Jimmy finds it first.

Among the crates, sticky with blood and Affliction knows what, is a small skeletal bone. You find:

Frontal Skull Bone of Martinus, the Ropemaker
"Artisan Martinus Hafnia of Barovia was unjustly accused of selling brittle strings, and sentenced by the Brotherhood to be hanged with one of his creations. That very sad day he regained his honor." A character who keeps this on his person can elongate the string by manipulating the Affliction, it turns into a rope of up to 100' if needed. 

(Anything magic around beyond the rope thing?)

Jeremiah looks around, trying to find anything out of place, or significant.

Investigation: 17 (Lucky halflingtastic: 9)

Ingrid picks up the bone, “This may serve us well if we were to need to scale a cliff or building.”

She moves over to the angelic statues, softly placing a hand on one of their cheeks, she takes a long moment staring at the twisted angel, still, twisted, enslaved to the affliction. Flashes of burned buildings, screaming people, the wet squelch of a blade being plunged into the throats of targets that she had never given a second thought. She was following her god, laying prostrate before the almighty power of the affliction.
“If the dark lord was leading the brotherhood astray, how much of his teachings were lies, and how much do we still cling to?” She says out loud, pondering to the group.