Ati tries to help Lenny push the statue, although he suspects the effort will prove futile.

Meanwhile, he can’t stop looking at the giant ear painted on the north door.  Just what in the nine hells was that supposed to mean?

Vale points to the ear on the northern door, "Perhaps that's the listening gallery? Something about that was mentioned somewhere."

Walker remained as vigilant as he could manage while his companions quickly searched the room. He shook his head at the attempt to move the statue. The idea was a good one, use it to block the way, but if they could move it, certainly the baboons could as well!

He also glanced around as he waited, for tracks belonging to any other being apart from themselves.

"I didn't try anything with the staue. Maybe it rotates?"

The statue, unfortunately, does not respond to any attempts to move it, so you turn back and head south.  Peering through the door, you see a medium-sized room with a fireplace, another door (leading west), and a doorless exit on the opposite wall.

No map since you're currently only peering into the room and not entering to map it out.  I think the odds you'll want to do so are high, but not 100%.

Disappointed, Lenny had given up trying to budge the statue before he had even broken a sweat. Something about the height had seemed just right. Didn't the clerics need to access the light shaft from below? Maybe they never did.

Lenny leads the rag tag group into the new room, rather inviting with its fireplace. They would have to peer down that eastern corridor and up that fireplace.

Up a fireplace? His heart started to race. The smoke would have to billow up the flue all the way back to the surface! Then just as promptly it started to sink. With their luck, it was probably purely decorative.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:26, Sun 22 May 2022.

Walker crept quietly into the room and motioned the others to enter and shut the door behind them. Like Lenny, the sight of the fireplace caused his heart to leap within his breast. Hope! But he knew they'd need to fortify the position if they were to have any at all. He glanced down the westward hall to see if it might be defensible.

Entering the unoccupied room Vale then walks around the periphery in case any hidden doors or ways reveal themselves to him. If nothing untoward, he searches the furniture for anything interesting or useful and then explores the fireplace with a hands-on search for secret of doors?

======
OOC: Running from memory here -is this room  behind a door that was closed when Vale scouted? And at the south end of a corridor that goes south from the statue room?
This message was last edited by the player at 09:12, Tue 24 May 2022.

Yes, the door was closed; no, it's the southern corridor just west of the statue room -- before the diagonal passages.

Vale adds, "Right, thanks. Can someone map this room please? Should have time while I'm's searching the fireplace for, hopefully,  stairs leading upwards."

Mapping isn’t Ati’s forte, but he attempts it.  He figures there’s a first time for everything.

As you move in to begin scouting ou the room, you hear movement and voices from the opening to the south (which seems to open into another room).  They're not the hoots of baboons, and whatever's there doesn't show itself, but there's definitely something.

Does it sound like language ? One we recognise?

Lenny takes up a position to the left of the southern entrance and motions for Ati to take up the opposite position.

Further motioning indicates that Vale and Walker should ready their bows for a possible attack from the south.

Like Vale, he pricks up his ears to better hear the voices. They should be clearer now that the four of them had stopped shuffling about. As for Sil and Thunwin, he really wishes they had some safe place to stow them.

In reply to Lenny (msg # 27):

(If he was not unconscious, Thunwin would fervently agree with Lenny about finding a safe place for him and his fellow student.)

Walker made ready with his bow, glad that the sounds of more baboons weren't what now gave the party pause. He indicated his readiness and silently prayed for a surprising and sudden victory!

Vale complies too, bow ready, arrow nocked.

You wait for several long moments, but nothing comes out to attack you.  You do hear some whispering, but it's still too quiet and indistinct to tell what language it is.

On a hunch, Lenny calls out, "I think we might be as afraid of you as you are of us. Maybe we'd be less afraid if we we're together. Also, we're not baboons."

If the whisperers were intent on killing them, they probably would have rushed into their room to do so. That's what was Lenny's reasoning anyhow. They were neither ghouls nor apes. How many murderous creatures could be down here anyway?

"Or ghouls," he adds -- to be thorough.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:41, Fri 27 May 2022.

Ati gives Lenny a curious look as though saying, wait… I’m not a baboon?  Are you certain of this?

Whatever is in the other room gives no reply.

Walker crept forward, hugging the wall near the door for cover. He slowly peered into the room beyond, hoping Lenny's guess about ghouls was in no way prescient!

Vale moves a bit closer.

After a bit of silent prompting Vale consumes another dose of the invisibility potion, stows it and advances, bow readied, silently as he is able.

Ati maintains ‘radio silence’ and stands ready with his spear.