This robed figure definitely looked like a necromancer so probably not the merchant that they were looking for.  Zuni did remember that necromancers ran this place so maybe this Astrex could point them in the right direction.

"Well met, Astrex.  I'm Zuni." Zuni replied, trying to sound casual.  She put a hand on a nearby slab, clearly intending to lean casually on it, but when her fingers felt something wet and sticky, she thought better of it.  "Maybe you could help me.  I'm looking for a fellow name of Thaddeus.  You wouldn't happen to know if he is down here, would you?"

Hearing that there was a conversation, and not a fight, going on up ahead, Selvin began to slowly make his way up towards the group, just in case things turned south. Or in case they didn't and they were about to be helped towards the person they were looking for.

In reply to Zuni Runesong (msg # 25):

Astrex cocks his/her/it's hood, like a cowled dog who's unsure what their master is saying.

He/she/it gestures around the room.  "We get a lot of people passing through..."

It's obviously a reference to the corposes.

"Are you a family member looking for a body?"

Lucky, one of the cat's is inching slightly close to Zuni.  The other one is yawning.

Not sure if the cat was dangerous or not, most likely not, Lucky didn't move from his position to show himself.

Zuni swept her hand in a gesture to indicate the room.  "Not any of these bodies.  I'm only interested in Thaddeus.  Just want to talk with him, if you are concerned for his wellbeing."  What kind of man was Thaddeus that he would seek refuge in a place like this?

"That is....assuming that he is still counted among the living.  Say, what is it that you are doing here anyways?"

In reply to Zuni Runesong (msg # 29):

"Sorry.  I don't really keep up with the warm bodies.  I tend to only see them when they're room temperature.  You'd have to ask Josephine."  She/he/it gestures towards the east.

"And I am extracting innards.  We're experimenting with various organs and their uses in alternate animation experimentation.  Would you like to see?"

"I'll..." Zuni gave a long glance to where the robed figures hand were and what was in them.  "...pass.  I just ate not too long ago.  Thanks for the offer though.  Your experimentation sounds interesting.  And I really need to find Thaddeus, so...Josephine....yeah..."

She start to move off towards the East, looking around the room for Lucky.  She will walk slowly and linger until she meets his gaze.  At that point, she will tip her thumb towards the East.

Selvin came up to the room, hopefully trailed by the rest of the party that wasn't scouting ahead. He only heard the tail end of things so wasn't quite sure what was going on. He stopped and looked around slowly. He gave a nod of greeting to the hooded figure, "Hello."

But then he headed after Lucky and Zuni.

OOC: In case it wasn't clear, Selvin does have his symbiote summoned, just in case.

In reply to Selvin Larst (msg # 32):

The cats hiss at each of you as you pass.  Astrex just waves politely, like you had all been chatting at a party and now you were headed home.

The stairs go up to a long, rectangular room D6.  Selvin and Izzick, the two of you have recollection of being ambushed in this room by some ghouls or something.  It feels like it was years ago.  Which it was

Now the room is mostly empty.  There's an alcove in the western wall.  A casket is stood upright in it.  The lid is partly open and there doesn't seem to be anything inside.

The door to the east is tightly shut.  The voices are coming from behind it and they are louder.  The door is fairly stout.  So you can't hear everything clearly.  But it sounds like a lot of people talking.  But all of them must have cotton or something in their mouth because none of them seem to have good enunciation.

There's also a rather rhythmic beat.  buuum Ba BA bum.  buuum Ba BA bum.

Lucky was trying to hear what the people in the room were saying but to him, it sounded more like perhaps they were drunk.  He said as much to the others in a low tone.  "Does it sound to you like they might be drunk?"  Lucky looked for any traps on the door before trying to see if it was unlocked.

07:58, Today: Lucky Six-Fingers rolled 33 using 1d20+16. perception

Selvin paused and frowned, looking up the stairs, remembering the ambush. He let out a sigh, muttering to himself. "Guess we aren't gettin' any younger."

He headed up the stairs. And, anticlimactically, the room was empty this time. He breathed out a small sigh of relief.

He frowned at the door. He gave a shrug, walked over and had Zac knock on it loudly.

In reply to Lucky Six-Fingers (msg # 34):

The door is unlocked Lucky

And as you check the door, you can confirm...all those people are either drunk or speech impaired or something.  But what's weirder is the sounds of their movement.  It sounds...synchronized.  Like maybe soldiers doing practice drills as a group or something.

The thumping sound is definitely a drum of some kind.

Selvin, Zac's knock is drowned out by the sounds inside.

Selvin froze. "Wait!"

He listened and then looked at Lucky. "Bet there's a buncha undead in there." He shook his head. "Really hope I don't get killed. Step back, mate. I'll open it."

He opened the door and looked inside without stepping inside.

Selvin, you are correct in your surmise.  The room is packed with undead.  Upright corposes are staggered in lines, some on top of the tables.

At the southern end of the room, a tattooed halfling is beating on a small drum.  The undead are...well.  They're dancing.

They turn, those with jaws still intact grunting, and push their hips out.

Then they turn to the right and wave their hands.  At least the ones who still have hands.

They take two steps to the left.  One of the ones on the table falls off.

They keep on keeping on, no one really paying you much attention.

Selvin looked in the room for a moment, face pinched in a look that said "I hate being right" and "Oh my god, dancing throngs of undead!" He drew in a deep breath, and then thought better of it. He turned to his allies and asked, "Should I yell out for Josephine? Should we wait for a break, if such a thing ever happens? Or should we try a different room?" He looked back at the room and then back at his allies. "I really don't wanna just walk in there, y'know?"

Zuni was glad to be out of that room with the bodies and Astrex.  The whole place just made her skin crawl.  She didn't like necromancers.  It was bad enough that the dead had to deal with being dead but then having their bodies cut open like that?

The next room made her forget entirely about necromancers.  Zuni peeked her head through the door, wondering what Selvin was talking about and then she saw the dancing undead.  Her face twisted up into confused google mixed with a healthy dose of WTF.  "What in the hells is that?" she muttered.  There was probably more for her to say but the whole scene was just too incredulous to find words to describe.  And this was a woman who had been eaten by and had a big fight in a giant worm.

After having just dealt with a ballroom of death only a little while ago, Lucky was in no hurry to enter the room.  "I think you should close the door and we find another route to take."

In reply to Lucky Six-Fingers (msg # 41):

Chandanar scratches his nose and points at the map you have.

"Uhhm...not that I'm wanting to go through the room of the dancing undead...but..."

He nods at the door.  "According to the map, the only way to get to the eastern portion of the complex is through there..."

Selvin looked back at Chandanar and put on a smile. "Of course it is. I mean, how does our luck normally run? Yeah."

He straightened closed the door then banged on it loudly, enough to shake it, several times in a row, off-rhythm from the beat. Then he opened the door once more and called out, "Greetings!

In reply to Selvin Larst (msg # 43):

The door flies open.

Everyone stops.  Whether they have a pulse or not.  The halfling drummer stares at you a second and then narrows his eyes.

"Who the hell are you?"

Selvin, from within his symbiote Zac, grinned widely. "I'm Selvin Larst. Izzick is behind me, along with a few friends, but he an' I've been here before. We're here t'see Josephine." He paused and then shook his head. "Actually, we're just here t'talk t'one o'your guests down here, but the person back in the other room said we should talk t'Josephine."

He smiled again and raised an eyebrow. "That wouldn't be you, would it?"

While Selvin spoke to the halfling, Lucky kept an eye on all the others in the room.  If they advanced on them he would be ready to defend himself.

Zuni held back near Lucky, completely expecting the entire room to turn hostile.

In reply to Zuni Runesong (msg # 47):

The drummer cocks an eyebrow.

"Josephine?  Hmmm.

"You said you're lookin' for someone.  Who is is?"

"A merchant.  Name is Thaddeus," Chandanar supplies.

The drummer scratches his chin with a drumstick.

"Hmm.  Name doesn't sound familiar.  Then again, I don't really get too friendly with the meat.

"Do they owe you some money or somethin'?"

"We need to ask him some questions."

The drummer shrugs. "Well.  You might be outta luck.  But if you wanna try Josephine, head down there," He gestures towards the eastern passage, "And then head north.  Course...I might could help ya.  But...you'd have to help me too.  Just sayin'."

Selvin glanced back at their cleric as he decided to jump in to the conversation. He frowned lightly when the drummer talked about "the meat" but let it go. One eyebrow rose up, "Can I ask who this Josephine is? Why would we be directed to her more than anyone else?"

He wasn't sure he wanted to 'help' the drummer, due to what they might ask.