Sho turned his back and curled up, his lean body trembled, drenched, half freezing and half burning, he opened his mouth. He could not make a sound other than the terrible heaving, gulping, gushes of warm blood rushing out as if to empty his body. He bled and swallowed, blood choking into lungs that brought the excruciating pain, every inch of his body and every muscle fibre spasming in a desperate resistance. For those long moments, he thought the pain will never end.

Until he gradually found his breath. His face is pale, drained of all colour of life. His dark hair soaked, sticking to his face. In front of his tear-blurred eyes there is something reflecting a ghostly blue light, soft, gentle, calm... like a dream that he never had to wake up from.

Sho slowly opened his eyes, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Erven alive again, mumbling something at him that he didn't bother to listen to. He met Talion's eyes, he opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He looked at Erven again as a reply. He turned away his face in silence, and only after a long minute did he stiffly stand up, braced against the wall, moving slowly as if he was relearning how to control his body again.

Talion realises his attempt at humour may have been misplaced, and helps the strange priest to find a place to rest on the stairs. "Rest. Get your breath back. We need to check the room anyway." Could this day get any stranger? An effing god! Was it really, though? He shakes his head. She looked real enough. He stares a moment at where she stood and where she walked before taking refuge in more mundane matters.

He turns to Ervan, "If your are up to it, we should look at the room more closely. I asked the scholar, but he doesn't seem interested." He stares at the elf a moment longer, remembering his tendency to open or pick up anything he finds. "Lots of strange things going on in here, I'd be careful if you find anything odd."

Investigation: 10 (second roll if helped: 10)

(( Pretty sure Bertolt didn't investigate ))

[No worries, you already rolled perception before.  I'm sure someone will help you so advantage sticks]

This room is festooned with moldy skeletons that hang from rusty shackles against the walls. A wide alcove in the east wall contains a painted wooden statue carved in the likeness of a gaunt, pale-faced man wearing a voluminous black cloak, his pale left hand resting on the head of a wolf that stands next to him.  Those with darkvision notice the many different hues of grey and black while in Sho's light, the paint is vivid and seems new.  The statue's face seems to have a grin of condescension on it as it looks down at you.  In his right hand, he holds a smoky-gray crystal orb. The room has exits in the west and north  and south walls. The ever-present chanting and drumming can once again be heard coming from the west.

Talion, getting close to the orb, you don't notice anything untoward about it - it's a pretty nice crystal and you guess it might fetch about 25-30 gold pieces.  Looking closer at the skeletons, you note the teeth marks and signs of violence.  The place is what a non-adventurer would think a cultist shrine would look like...

Talion stares at the orb, tempted, but shakes his head, "I'd put money on the wolf attacking us if we touch the statue..." Frowning, he examines the bones more closely, "...yeah, tooth marks on the bones. Definitely not worth it. Gods help us if the statue came to life as well."

When he is done, he returns to the latest psych patent Sho, touching him gently on the shoulder, "Ready to go yet? Despite what Onyx says, I think the elf should lead. He makes a lot less noise." He turns to Onyx, and grins, "I'll stay between you and Sho if you like. Keep you safe." There may be the slightest hint of a threat to the words, but it might be imagination fueled by the doom-laden setting. Onyx may have calmed down, but the tales Talion has told speak of a long memory, and not much of a tendency to forgive.

Sho nods hesitantly as he lowers his eyes to stare at his hands, then flips them over and stares at them some more, before standing up, carefully and slowly, not to get any lightheadedness. He looks at Talion again, then looks up at the trapdoor. "Are we...?" He asks, his frail voice barely a whisper.

There are a couple of options:

1. Trapdoor to 1st floor's wolf den
2. Door to the south/south west of the happy fun room
3. Stairs leading downward where chanting is
4. Elsewhere in this level/exploring etc...

Talion nods, "But I'll open it from a distance...everyone should stand back. I expect there is mist..."

Frowning with concern, he helps Sho up and then leads him to the other side of the room, before turning back and summoning a spectal hand to open the trap door. "Someone keep an eye on the wolf, just in case..."

As he opens the trapdoor, he expects mist to billow out. If it does, he tries to snap it closed quickly.

(( My thinking it that we should make sure the trap door is openable, hope there's no mist, then close it. Just checking "First Floor" == "Ground Floor" in UK speak? ))

When you walked into the house, that's the floor (i just call it the first floor) that I am talking about - that's the level the den is on.

As you manipulate the spectral hand with your physical hands, it grabs the ring of the trap door.  You motion down with your hand...but it doesn't move.  You try again, same result.  It's possible that the door is stuck or jammed...

Onyx merely sneers at Talion's barb, but doesn't pick up the verbal gauntlet.  He waits at the bottom of the steps, sword sheathed, eyes narrowed.  He didn't know what this talk of an elven goddess was, but he took some pleasure in the knowledge that it was certainly not an avatar of Vecna - and Sho seemed to be suffering for his misplaced fealty.

Erven is unaware of how Sehanine may have affected others.  He nods his head when asked to lead.  Since the trapdoor is the direction everyone seems focused on, he ascends the stairs and examines the trapdoor, looking at the mechanism to open and examining for traps.  

Perception :  14, if helped by Talion : 21

There is no evidence of traps or locking mechanisms...

Bertolt will go towards the door that has been messed with, leaning in close if there is light close enough for him to see. While not touching it he looks over it with Evren but not more then a passing glance. "Well it appears it will not open. For now I suggest that we continue our exploration of the lower level."

Quote from callmeLothar >>

There is no evidence of traps or locking mechanisms...

 just a reminder....mage hand cannot exert much force on objects.

(( This is where we poke it with a stick, perhaps ;-) . Where's Unseen Servant when you need them? ))

Talion strains to move the trapdoor magically, and the spectral hand dissipates with the effort -- forced beyond its limits.

"I guess we go bask to basics..." He looks at Ervan. "Do you want to open it, or should I?"

Erven gives the trapdoor a shove to open it.  He seems relieved to have mundane worries such as pushing open a trapdoor instead of what he has faced.  With his next glance down into the open room, he sneaks a glance at Sho, to see if he is wearing the circlet on his head with an eye on it, giving a slight imperceptible shiver.

Erven hefts on the door as everyone stands back.  He strains against the wood - seems warped - and is startled when it finally gives way, causing him to nearly fall over!

As the trapdoor swings in the gloom, immediately the white mist pushes down.  Erven, make a Wisdom save!  (DC12)

Erven wisdom save :  18

Erven feels his nerve steeled by his goddess, see the mist and quickly moves back down and closes the trapdoor.

Quote from Twombley >>

Erven wisdom save :  19

Erven feels his nerve steeled by his goddess, see the mist and quickly moves back down and closes the trapdoor.

 Erven saves and slams the trapdoor shut!

Talion breathes a sigh of relief, "Nicely done! That's a way out, of sorts. I suggest we try south..."

He waits for Ervan to sneak out before looking at Onyx. If the old warrior move, he nods then follows him. If he doesn't buge then he shakes his head and looks to Sho. "Are you up to it?" If so, he follows Sho...

Erven makes his way south to the door at L15.  He is looking (with Talion’s help) for any traps, and also listens at that door.  

Perception :  18