Razif takes in the art of the chapel. What is all this? I thought this monastery was dedicated to Sarenrae? Is this a saint or something?
"Hey everyone, does this room look familiar to any of you? I'm in a chapel now on ground level, but we should still be inside the monastery."
"Saint Vardishal? Like the staff you dug up?"
Razif stares at the statue for a while.
"... You think something might happen if you give him his staff back?"
Layaali waits patiently on the stairs with Korum and Drael.
Drael lets out a long-held breath as Uzma takes back his staff, taking the opportunity to stare around the room.
Uzma, do you remember anything about this room from whatever connection you seem to have with Saint Vardishal?
From her place on the stairs Layaali asks, "May we continue exploring the crypt? I haven't checked on the dead, yet. They may need tending."
"I agree. I highly doubt that goo was the only thing in there."
Razif moves back down and readies his bow once again.
"So! Which way this time? Shall we just take the first passage east, investigate that, then take the west passage, rinse and repeat?"
Layaali nods. "That sounds agreeable. Lead the way, Razif."
Razif cautiously turns into the eastern passage, bow at the ready, waiting for everyone to follow and light his way.
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Scattered skulls and other bones rest on the floor, some in piles where they were removed from their funerary niches in the wall, and some others part of decades-old corpses, still clinging to strips of dried leathery skin under faded orange robes. Nothing moves as the light penetrates the corridor. At the end of the corridor, the low-light provided by Uzma's staff suggests a curiously-clear area of floor.
Razif grimaced.
"Good gods, I didn't quite notice the state of this crypt until now... Disgusting disrespect of the dead, not to mention of the Dawnflower. If we have time later, I'd like to try and clean this place up a bit."
He proceeds further, and when noticing the area of floor, kneels down before it and inspects it.
"How sad..." Layaali remarks. "We'll definitely need to put them to rest properly..."
With a sad glance at the bones, Layaali follows the others deeper into the crypt.
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As Razif reaches the end of the selpuchral corridor, he sees a single human form slumped against the wall. The dessicated and not-yet skeletal figure dressed in a quality suit of leather armour lies surrounded by a collection of picked-clean small animal skeletons and cracked, gnawed-on human bones.
Drael follows the rest to the end of the corridor, then stops for a moment, taken aback by the armored corpse. His legs are broken, perhaps something, or someone, left him to die here? He's grasping a dagger, does that call out to anyone in the way that Uzma's staff did?
Razif approaches and tries to inspect the body and assess the value of the armor and dagger, see if they're special in some way.
As he approaches it, he says,
"Well, it seems like SOMETHING happened in here, that's for sure... Maybe we weren't the first to try and clear the monastery out? After all, who wears leather armor and clutches a dagger in a place of worship?"
That's certainly possible Drael muses, I wonder why whatever it was that killed the rest didn't finish him off, if that's what happened.
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Razif, you determine that the figure is wearing masterwork leather armour and once wielded a masterwork silver dagger. Now its bony fingers simply clutch the dagger. You appraise them to be worth about what those items would be worth.
"So we can divide the dead bodies into worshippers and strangers. Sounds like a battle happened to me... Why anyone would want to assault this place is beyond me though... Unless, maybe they were looking for Saint Vardishal's staff?"
He raises his eyebrows at his own theory. Nothing more than loose ideas. They'd need more information to get any solid conclusions.
"In more simple matters... This body has some rather interesting gear. This armor is of high quality, and so is this dagger. It's silver...
I, uh, don't know how all of you feel about taking gear off a corpse, but I think this stuff could be of good use to us. And honestly, I can't say I have any qualms about taking items from enemies of the Dawnflower, dead OR alive."
Drael shakes his head, I have no problems with it, this gear might help us.
If nobody objects, he will step forward and strip the corpse of its weapons and armor.
Layaali takes in the scene before her with sadness.
"Yes, this poor man... Certainly not a Sarenite like the others. Multiple fractures, fine equipment... A much more recent visitor than the rest... Perhaps he was a grave robber who ran afoul of the pugwampi?" After another long moment she adds: "We can inter him with the other bodies when we have finished examining the crypt."
With a look at Razif she replies, "Vildeis will smile upon this man. His death was not in vain, but in sacrifice. With his death, his weapons come into our possession, and can fight against evil once more," she smiles softly. "It gives his death greater meaning, and his spirit great honour."
"I'll at least take the dagger. If anything, we can come back for the armor later and sell it. Should fetch a decent price, though it's kind of showing its age."
Razif crouches next to the body, reaches out towards the dagger, and grabs it.
Layaali crouches down and unbuckles the armour, removing it from the corpse with as much care as she can. Since no one else seems to want it, she removes her padded over tunic and puts on the fine leather armour. She shifts under its weight, testing it out, then shrugs. Still weakened from the poison yesterday, everything feels too heavy.
"Shall we proceed?" she asks the others.
"Yes, let's."
Razif starts striding towards the other end of the hall.
Layaali follows close behind, bringing light to the darkness.
"Eugh, are you seeing this? What in the hell happened here?" Razif asks, as he slowly moves deeper into the corridor.
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With Uzma's light, the scene near the end of the corridor further unveils. At least six bodies dressed in faded orange robes lay at the end of the corridor in a group surrounded by multiple other corpses. Two of the orange-robed figures appear to still be gripping weapons - both scimitars. Where one scimitar seems corroded and felled by time, the other scimitar - made of a whitish-grey steel - seems untouched despite resting bare to the elements.
Razif covers his mouth as he gasps. "This is absolutely disgusting. Dismemberments... All these dead followers... Absolutely-"
He then notices the scimitar. Razif can't claim to have visions or anything, but he does believe. He believes he was chosen for something greater, and this means he always looks for signs of Sarenrae to guide him. He runs to the scimitar and picks it up.
"It's... it's glorious..."
He turns to the others.
"Hey, do you think this might be magical?"
Drael, initially hesitant to take the lead, picks up his pace as he sees the bodies. He stays away from the scimitar, but bows his head in respect to the dead before looking around for any sign of what may have led to their demise.
"How horrible," Layaali gasps.
Immediately she falls to her knees and prays over the dead.
Eventually she stands. "This monastery was abandoned about twenty years ago. But I have heard nothing about this slaughter... It's..." She shakes her head sadly. "We must put this right... Soon. Evil like this can't be allowed to fester."