Quixt:
“I agree with Sphynx.”
With that, he casts Detect Magic and looks up the door that is ajar to the north, looking for Alarm spells or anything else that he sees.
Quixt, your Detect Magic isn't showing anything within the spell's range; the doors to the north look normal. (i.e., there are no magical auras within 60 ft. of you, so there is no need to spend more than 1 round looking in each direction.)
Hawke nods, smiling. He likes the idea of being the battering ram. He casually walks into the room.
This is obviously the barracks for the Cultist Acolytes. Their room contains 4 hard pallets, a brazier, a table, 4 stools, a wardrobe cabinet, a water pail, a waste bucket, a flagon of wine, and four cups. There is nothing of any real value amongst these items. But it is useful to note, that you faced eight Acolytes, and this room seems set up for four occupants. That means that there is probably another room somewhere else, which is identical to this one. A quick, 1-round sweep with Detect Magic reveals a complete absence of magical auras. Not even an Alarm spell. Either, they figured no one would be brave or skilled enough to get this far, or they don't consider this part of the complex a priority.
Quixt:
Giving the room the once-over, he wants to efficiently use the detect magic spell. He moves west down the downgrade and to the corridor running north-south perpendicular to the corridor they are in.
he looks left and right, looking for abjurations or straight up traps that will alert the Wendol or ensnare him or his comrades. He summons the others with a simple hand signal. Depending on what he sees, he’ll either turn left south or go right north.
At the T-Instersection, you can see a pair of doors that lead to another chamber just to the north, as the hallway continues onward, turning a corner.
To the south, you can now see what appears to be a shrine which occupies an entire room, and in the middle of the room, there is a brazier with an obvious magical aura to it.
EVERYONE: What do you do? Explore the shrine to the south, or ignore it and head north? Or would you rather do something else?
Sphynx takes the flagon of wine and smells it. If it smells okay, he takes a sip of it. If he likes it, he will keep the flagon and attach it to his utility belt. "What? They are not going to need it anymore."
Sphynx begins walking with his usual quiet stealth toward the room that looks like a shrine. He jerks his head in that direction trying to encourage the others to come along.
Sphynx, the wine is drinkable, not foul or contaminated, etc., but it is VERY LOW quality, probably homemade, and has a bouquet that is reminiscent of wheat grass. If you were grading it, the grade would be D-Minus.
As the whole party cautiously makes their way south to the shrine, they hear nothing; all is silent.
Upon arriving at the doorway, they discover the following:
This place is of red stone, the floor being a mosaic checkerboard of black and red. The south wall is covered by a huge tapestry which depicts a black landscape, barren trees, and unidentifiable but horrible black shapes in silhouette--possibly demons of some sort--holding aloft a struggling human. A gray sky is torn by wisps of purple clouds, and a bloody moon with a skull-like face on it leers down upon the scene.
Four black pillars support the domed ceiling, some 25' overhead. Between these columns, just in front of the tapestry, is a stone altar of red-veined black rock, rough-hewn and stained brown with dried blood. Upon it are 4 ancient bronze vessels: a shallow bowl, a pair of goblets, and an ewer, a vase-shaped pitcher. They are also blood-stained, but obviously worth a great deal of money.
Hawke spits in disgust, "Vile, necromantic, devil-worshipping wretches! They have been performing Human sacrifices here! These Wendol are abominations. They must be DESTROYED."
The bowl, two goblets, and pitcher all have magical auras. You won't know more until you spend some more time concentrating.
Quixt:
Whispering, he says “Don’t touch the bowl, goblets, or pitcher. They appear magicked. Keep an eye out to the north. I need to look more closely.“ He focuses the bulk of what’s remaining on the Detect Magic spell on the objects.
