To the standing stones!

[Prince Herb]

Hannah nods and utters an arcane phrase along with a brief gesture and suddenly Seraya's shield is glowing brightly, light enough to see by.

[Seraya]

Seraya smiles lightly, "Thanks." Even better than a torch, no one would need to keep a hand occupied. Turning back to the stairs, the paladin takes a deep breath before starting to descend, glowing shield lighting their way.

[Robbie]

Caflice nods to the others, and gets behind Seraya, ready to enter the tunnel into whatever was beneath these stones.

[Prince Herb]

Seraya climbs into the hole in the ground and down onto the slick stone steps leading down.   The steps are very uneven, and slick with moisture, as well as being heavily worn.   Seraya moves forward slowly and, once, there's some room, Caflice and Hannah are able to follow.

The scent of earth and moisture is tempered with an odour of rotting flesh.   Something down there is dead and has been for a while.   Perhaps a very long while...

The steps are steep and the three heroes stumble occasionally as they descend a long, long way.   After a couple of minutes they reach a small landing and then more steps down.   Part of the way down this second series of steps, the air begins to become misty, and beads of moisture can be seen hanging in shining droplets from the spiderwebs that obscure the ceiling of the stairway.

Finally, the bottom of the stairs is reached.   There before the group is an archway of archaic appearance, beyond which is a space filled with a shining blue mist.   It is difficult to see more than a few feet through this blue haze.   It smells of spices, of dampness, and in some way, also of copper, and nearly overpowers the powerful odour of rotting, but not quite.   No, not quite...

Caflice rolls 3+5= 8 for a Search check against a DC of ? and sees nothing

Just then, Hannah's light spell expires, leaving the three explorers only the strange blue light coming from the arch ahead to see by.

[Seraya]

Seraya frowns when the light winks out, grip on her sword tightening. She reaches out mentally, sensing for any evil that may be nearby as she keeps slowly approaching the strange arch.

[Prince Herb]

Seraya senses no evil ahead.

[Robbie]

Caflice advances slowly, an arrow still drawn for whatever would leap out at them from this choking blue mist.

[Prince Herb]

Listen checks

Seraya rolls 9+1=10; Caflice rolls 15+0=15; Hannah rolls 19+7=26, against a DC of 21

Hannah stops.   "There's something moving in the mist," she whispers, "right ahead of us."   She draws her dagger and looks at the others.    "What should we do?"

Initiative checks

Seraya rolls 11+0=11; Caflice rolls 15+1=16; Hannah rolls 12+1=13; The creature in the mist rolls 11.

[Robbie]

Caflice draws back his bow, raising it up to aim at the thing moving in the mist. He doesn't let go, though, not until he knows for sure what the thing is.

[Prince Herb]

"Damn," says Hannah, "I know a spell for just this occasion, but I haven't prepared it."   She stands behind Seraya, guarding her back and peering ineffectually into the glowing blue.

Hannah delays her action

[Seraya]

Seraya frowned, frustrated at herself that she hadn't noticed the motion ahead before. She lifted her shield a bit, grip tight on her sword as she stared intently forward into the mist. She didn't have to say anything, seeing out of the corner of her eye Caflice's bow drawn and ready.

[Prince Herb]

The mysterious creature in the mist lurks there, out of sight, but not out of earshot.

The group stands in the archway, not knowing what to do.   The chamber before them is large enough and misty enough that its dimensions are unclear.   The walls and floor around the party can be seen out to about a spear's length, but no more.   The ceiling above is invisible.

[Robbie]

Caflice isn't sure what to do with the thing in the mist. "Should we attack it? It might be friendly to us..." He keeps his bow drawn, in case he's wrong.

[Seraya]

"We won't attack first without seeing our foe... I don't sense any evil nearby, either," she tells Caflice softly. Even so she keeps her sword and shield ready. Taking a deep, silent breath, Seraya starts walking towards the mist. "Hello? Who's there," the paladin calls loud enough for the unknown being to hear.

[Robbie]

Caflice moves up next to Seraya, his bow still drawn, walking slowly towards the mist. He brings the bow slightly upwards, getting ready to move at the first sign of danger.