"The little thief will not lecture me, I am the reason your wife survived as she did. Don't prattle on to me woman."
Horgus' eyes narrow more at Aniva, baiting her.
Don tries to open the door but gets distracted by the bickering.
Enough arguing while we are still down here, if we fall apart we'll be easy pickings for the demons
"Then we need to leave the dead weight behind and move faster."
Lynn turns around and hits Horgus in the face.
"What did I tell you about keeping your mouth shut?" Lynn asks staring him down.
Once that is clarified she turns to the door and releases the rest of her anger at that.
"Here you are." She offers to enter first to Don.
LYNN!!!! Do not hit him in the face! This is going to tear the group apart. Don glares at Lynn.
"He is trying to tear the group apart. I'm trying to counter that. But if you have better ideas feel free to try them on him." Lynn replies cold.
Pausing for a moment she decides to give Don the full sermon. "Have you ever served in an actual army? Do you remember that officer who had always an open ear for your booboos? Who brought you another comfy pillow when you couldn't sleep at night? And who was always thankful for you criticising his decisions?"
"Neither do I. I would prefer to let him scrub the privies with his toothbrush to give him some time in a humble position to learn his lesson. But we don't have this luxury here."
"And I can assure you that I didn't wake up this morning thinking: Oh today I feel like leading a group of survivors of a demon attack back out of the Abyss. But I try to make the best of it."
"It's just this jerk who doesn't get that if you're stuck in s#%% up to your neck you better make no waves."
I don't care. Don't punch him again. Don walks into the room with his hammer ready.
"Yes Sir!" Lynn replies with a mischievous grin and holds the door for all to go in.
Iko watches the exchange in silence, then he walks up to Horgus and says "If you want your dinner, do not insult the cook." then stands and makes sure everyone goes through the door, and with one last look behind them he steps through the door himself.
Horgus drops to the floor in the shock of Lynn back handing him across the face, he stares daggers up at the woman not saying a word. Getting up with dignity and grace, Horgus dusts himself off and goes back to sit on the cart.
Aniva looks shocked as well at what Lynn has done.
" A paladin should never strike out in anger like that, the man is being an ass yes but he is our best shot at getting the materials we need."
"You're mistaken. I'm no paladin." Lynn replies to Aniva before she walks last into the building. Mental note: Not even the woman who he tries to leave behind for her sure death appreciates the effort of silencing him.
Broken stone benches line this narrow room. The air is cold and stale, and thick layers of dust cover the floor, benches, and a large altar at the far end of the room.
As Lynn enters the room she notices what looks like shoulder and a hood covered in dust, once Don enters the room and it becomes illuminated the creature stands with a shriek and turns on the party. The skeletal remains of what must have been the creator of this chapel lurches at the party.
Should have paid attention in those lessons about undead.
The undead creature lurches towards Lynn faster than what is to be expected.
More out of reflex Lynn points her glaive in direction of the lurching undead.
Don grunts and unleashes an attack from his hammer
Don swings his might hammer and crushers the Hecuva's head in, the body drops and old bones turn to dust. The room goes very quiet only the sounds of breathing and the burning of the discarded torch are making noise.
A fine looking Warhammer is found laying discarded by the body of the dwarf.
Well that was surprising. I guess we can just leave? Don gets the hammer.
"I don't know what that was, but I guess a cleric of Torag wouldn't have accepted this in his temple." Lynn replies as her hopes don't come true. She takes a look around and checks on the broken remains of this thing if there are any signs of someone else being around or valuables left here.
Upon inspection Lynn finds 2 potions in a satchel on the things belt, there is also a gold ring still on the finger of the undead thing. Looking around the temple you that the temple was complete but you don't feel any connection to the divine. The Altar which looks like an anvil is smashed.
"What was all the racket? Who is smashing about here? Where are we now?"
Aravashnial runs his hands along the walls, touching the groves carved there.
"Worked stone? Is there Dwarves around here? They could help us get out quicker."
This is, or was a temple to Torag. There was an undead in here but we destroyed it. As for dwarves, if there were any they seem to be long gone.
"From the looks of it I'd say someone desecrated the temple - with the broken altar. But we should make a mental note of the temple's position. If we are not out of here for bed time this might be a good place to rest." Lynn bags the goods she found.
Agreed, let us try the other passageway. Don tromps out
On the way out Lynn goes last and tries to close the door that nothing will creep in. The she checks the antechamber with her detect magic and looks around.
Nothing else magical is in this place, Lynn closes the door to this now tomb to a lost priest of Torag.
Entering back into the main cave system the group treks on for another 45 minutes before coming to a room with a faint glow about it. The room contains the Statues of 4 Crusaders.
"Does anyone know what that glow is?" Lynn asks. She's heard of dangerous fungi and stuff but doesn't really now anything about them but rumors. She casts detect magic just in case the glow has no natural source.
Hmm..Why would statues of crusaders be down here? A forgotten part of the city? Don keeps ready
Iko walks forward and raises a hand slightly. "Their expressions are so... sad."
"What do the Statues look like? I have a theory about places like this, has to do with the abyssal energies from the World Wound."
Aravashnial will move about the room using has staff to keep him from falling.
Avina and Horgus both get down and look around the room, never having seen anything like this before.
"They are crusaders in armour with weapons. They have sad expressions. What is your theory?" Iko says and follows behind the elf to make sure he's not set upon.
Don keeps watch over Horgus and Avina.
Horgus looks back as Don is watching him, nods a bit then moves on to look at a different statue.
Aniva hobbles over using a piece of wood as a crutch, she then leans on Don for assistance in staying up right.
"Thanks, who would have thought something like this would be down here."
Aravashnial turns to the sound of Iko's voice, "looking" at him through a blood covered cloth.
"The energies perverted the Crusaders, causing mutations and deformations. It is just a theory but an entire contingent of Crusaders just went missing when they returned from the First Crusade."
"You mean these are no statues?" Lynn asks hitting one of them with the hilt of her weapon.
Monuments tot he lost crusaders? A tribute despite their unfortunate fate.
"If these are them, then something turned them to stone. I have heard of creatures that can do this. We are in a dangerous place. We must leave." Iko says sounding nervous.
"I think so, I wish I could see them. We must get moving along again, there will be someone left on the surface who can restore my vision."
"Where to?" Lynn asks.
"My leg as well, I know I am riding in the wagon but the bumping is not helping. Can we stop for a longer rest soon?"
A faint breeze blows in from the exit off to the east, Aravashnial stops when he moves by the door and holds his hand up.
"Must be a way out this way,I feel a breeze. Even if it does not lead out right now I am in need of rest as well."
I will check for any spoor or tracks of creatures so we might have this place as a safe rest stop.
As Don approaches he can he what could be taken as muttering, someone talking to them self or to someone else. Don finds what look like boot prints, heavy boot prints.
The.. ..ink... I ..m...ad.."
Don waves to the others. Voices.
Lynn closes up to Don. "Don't believe what they say. They are lying." she jokes. As the exit seems to be that direction there are no other options than to check. So she tries to sneak through the entrance to whereever the voices come from. With no light on her and a little luck - it could be someone who's blind in the dark - maybe it works.
Iko helps the blind elf to a spot to sit. "Rest here. Let me check on the others, they appear to have found something as well." Iko says, then draws his sword and moves slowly off to where Lynn and Don are going.
"Be wary friends" He says as he gets closer.
As Lynn approaches the cave entrance a black something drops from the ceiling on to Lynn, a second one drops on to Don. From down the tunnel you hear murmuring then a shriek.
"MY pets I will help you!"
The area gets much darker as the torches still burn but appear to be not putting off any light at all.