Disinterest washes over Crags face.
The people in this land talk a lot. Not like my own people. Subtlety is required with every situation. It may have been wise to have studied more diligently during my time in the monastery as I am running low on patience.
Crag comes back as if having been lost in thought for a while.
Violence is not the solution
Instantly he realizes he spoke out loud and begins looking around as if seeking the one who had said that.
The Father forces a smile. Of course, young man; I don't doubt that your group's intentions are good, but we cannot have strangers to the town traipsing about on protected property with already suspicious residents about. That would be an accident waiting to happen. I assure you, we will maintain the safety of the late Professor's site.
Crag leaves the temple.
We're getting nowhere with these people.
Zazaria quirks her shoulders in an apologetic shrug. I am sorry you couldn't see your way clear to help us, Father. Best I go and keep those others in line. Lady's Best Blessing upon you, Father Grimburrow.
Although her voice begins quite moderately, by the time she delivers her blessing, it is somewhat closer to a snarl. Then she spins on her heel and sets off after the two men, her shoulders set in something very close to anger.
Asenath stands motionless, facing the wall. Her eyes unfocussed as if listening to something far, far away. "I fear they will not remain patient for long. Biting, clawing, scratching... they will wander and consume, no one will be spared their hunger."
She looks sadly at Father Grimburrow, then leaves.
Zazaria hastens to catch up with Gerion and Crag, although she casts a glance or two over her shoulder to see if Asenath is following.
That might have gone better she grumbles as she reaches the others. They're a suspicious lot here, no doubt. Do you intend to explore this crypt now? It might not be the best time.
The temple doors shut behind you with a note of finality. Neither Father Grimburrow not any of his acolytes made an attempt to bar your way as you left. Getting your bearings by the river, you head to the north along the path, towards the open graveyard called the
Restlands. There’s little more than farmland to see on the way, though you have a good view of the town proper across the river as you head north.
Just outside of town, you come upon the Restlands for the second time that day. The area isn’t gated or guarded, and seems to be fairly quiet at this time of day. Following a path north called the Black Path, you come to what you think to be the crypt that the journal describes. The structure itself if a free standing mausoleum, the roof of which is decorated with a pair of leering gargoyle statues. A single stone door with a rusty-looking lock sits in the mausoleum’s south façade.
Urgently, Zazaria remains at Gerion's side. Please, she implores. Slow down. We cannot just barge in to the Restlands and take what we want. We must do this with caution!
Madness! Zazaria hisses. Do you want us run out of town?
Asenath wanders into the Restlands, a good distance behind her companions, and stares in amazement at her surroundings. The light from her amulet pulses malignantly having regained its usual foul hue.
"Everyone is so restless. Something must be coming. Oh, hello, how are you?"
Within, a flight of stone steps leads down into the cold earth to a large crypt lined with empty niches—no dead are interred here, though the deep darkness of the enclosed entry chamber paints it as a peaceful resting place. Ambient light from a stained glass window in a far room casts a dim light further within the structure.
Crag is just following
Someone must have been here recently
There are tracks here on the floor.
Zazaria is casting around desperately to see if Gerion's actions are drawing attention.
Tracks? she mutters, distractedly. Maybe they belong to Petros.
Asenath wanders into the mausoleum behind Zazaria. They never lay down here.
"This one is not used to laying down."
You see no obvious signs of attention; the gravediggers haven't yet made their rounds, and there are no other people in the Restlands at this time.
ThereZazaria thrusts a fist in the direction of a large sarcophagus in the shadows at the far end of the crypt. Whoever it was went there.
Asenath looks toward the large sarcophagus and smiles. Finally something interesting to examine.
"Finally something interesting to examine."
I totally missed that day at monk training camp...
I totally learned how to do that at the monastery from which I said I came from. Let me just focus for a moment
Come on Crag! You can do this. Break that stone! Get angry!
Crag approaches the sarcophagus and readies himself into his stone breaking stance. He raises his hand high into the air and then with an incredibly loud yell, brings down his fist straight into the top of the sarcophagus.
Asenath looks at Zazaria, and then motions to the sarcophagus, "There is magic within, should we investigate?" A slight smile curves the edge of her mouth, "The Lady does not always look favourably on those who play with dead things."
As soon as Crag gets close to the sarcophagus, two long, sinuous forms pull their segmented bodies out of large cracks in the aged stone. Seeing a threat to their territory, they attack!
Blessing of the Faithful (Su): As a standard action, the ecclesitheurge can bless one ally within close range (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels). A blessed ally gains a +2 sacred or profane bonus (depending on whether the ecclesitheurge channels positive or negative energy) on attack rolls, skill checks, ability checks, or saving throws or to AC until the ecclesitheurge's next turn. The ecclesitheurge can expend 1 use of channel energy when activating this ability to increase the duration to a number of rounds equal to the number of dice of his channel energy.
Just want to know: does the +2 sacred bonus apply to one of the potions listed above or all of them? I'm assuming because it says or rather than and that I have to pick one, in which case I'll apply it to Crag's AC
Lady of Graves, I beseech thee, defend thy servants! Zazaria steps forward and raises her hands high, and a pale ball of light coalesces there before arcing across the crypt and enveloping Crag.
Gerion, thinking quickly, dashes forward while raising his crossbow at the approaching insects. He clicks off a quick shot when he gets into their line of sight, and a centipede lets out an odd, high pitched whine as it's skewered like a piece of marinated meat at market day.
Crag shimmers with the light, and a bubble of the stuff seems to surround him in a protective shell.
Asenath draws on her will, focussing it on the simple mind of the other centipede. Her finger traces a hex in the air, threatening to drag it into the oblivion of sleep.
The creature seems unaffected by Asenath's attack, and it continues on towards Crag...only to be flattened by Crag's mighty stomp.
"Ravengro definitely knows how to entertain." Asenath cuts several legs from each of the dead centipedes and places them in a pouch.
The sarcophagus lid is actually fairly easy to open, considering how old the stone must be. It still grates loudly as it slides, then tips over to rest on the floor. The contents of the sarcophagus seem to be worth the effort; inside is what seems to be quite the cache of weapons and implements. You see dozens of arrows of different kinds, many of them ornate. four sun rods, six flasks of water, five light green potions, two pale yellow potions
restoration, four scrolls, and a thin darkwood case decorated with an image of a scarab with a single eye glaring from its back—the same design that appears on the cover of the Manual of the Order of the Palatine Eye among the books in the professor’s collection.
Despite - or perhaps because of - Asenath's report of the presence of magic, Zazaria wishes to see for herself what is magic and what is not.
We saw that symbol before Zazaria points at the darkwood case bearing the Palatine Eye symbol. I guess we found Petros' cache.