We find the dwarven engineer, and bring him back. About a week had passed and the excavation of the 'complex' was moving along nicely. The mage(Todd)decided to get OCD and invent archaeology to try and decode the meaning and use for this facility. The ranger(Tim) figured out how to create the weekend, with his chits and general store/indentured servitude to prolong our excavation and exploits.
The engineer figured out there was a movable plate that turned on the water, so now it looked like 4 days to find out what happens when it fills up the large room. Back to the digging, trying to piece back together the rotunda using make whole and elaborate logs to catalog everything, it begins to take shape once again.
The excavation uncovers a hallway, which leads to a room with statues of gilded elf beings like the statue in the basement room that is filling with water.
Still unknown who, but we do sort of know what. They appear as tall elf like beings, who seem to like armor and swords and by the ruined tapestries that were pieced back together, very interested in sewing portraits of themselves.
Door leads to a mirror image of the first room, that leads to a large room with a raised portion and pedestals with idols on them and more ruined tapestries.
We decided to stop there.

So after dispatching the two accomplises of the old resident of the crypt/ancient 'something' we did lots of research to find out what the ancient language was, all to no avail. So searching for sages, we come up short again. So on to plan B. We hear of a dwarven engineer and decide to take the river boat to set him up on retainer to help up figure out how the water and drain work . Being woke up at night to the sound of the barge being grounded and the wheelman dead, and a small black canoe with small humanoids rowing silently away.
Then they attack the beached barge. The ranger and I(mage) take them out and find out they are feral cannibal halflings. During the next day we try to unbeach the barge but nothing works, and no other barges come down the river. Night two, see the halflings attack with like 5 this time and flaming arrows.
We nearly die but end up taking them out and the next day another barge comes and helps us out and we continue on our way.