The statue has mostly broken into large chunks and could probably be repairable. There are a few bits that have been ground into powder, however. Looking at the rubble, Three Flowers finds the end of an old bit of rope attached to the top of the statue. Although someone went to the trouble of covering the mechanism with an illusion, it still comes down to a frayed bit of rope.
As for Xielt, the stairway is cramped and narrow [OOC: Should others decide to follow him I'll need a good old-fashioned marching order], winding down anti-clockwise into cold, damp air. The steps are cut steeply, with narrow tread, and the stairs wind down for about four turns before Xielt comes to a layer of chill, dark water.
The steps lead down into the water, but just around the turn Xielt sees that they end in an open archway. The water comes to about halfway up the opening; waist height for most, neck height for Jar'Thol. It smells befouled and stagnant.
Beyond the archway, Xielt can just make out a large pillared room, full of water. From somewhere in the room beyond comes the sound of trickling water.
