|
Satisfied after her scouting mission around the temple, despite not being able to immediately open the door, she decided to return to the party to report what she had found instead of trying to force a door by herself, it was no doubt going to be difficult to open considering the construction and therefore probably rather noisy. Best to have others around if one was going to be making a lot of noise in these very dangerous caverns.
As the paladin struggled to open the door, Arianna stood nearby keeping an eye out for signs of anything coming towards them that might be attracted by the sound of banging and grunting as the stone door held firmly against the paladin's attempts to force it ajar.
"I'd guess either the place has been abandoned for some time or somebody really wanted that door shut. Or both."
Rianne hangs back a little from the door, maintaining her light spell.
|
After she tried to push the door open several times in vain, Iolaire invests all her strength into one last effort. She hears something crack and crash inside then the door slowly begins to open.
As the paladin is catching her breath, Arianna peers into the inside of the building. Directly behind the door, she recognizes part of an destroyed stone bench which obviously was the reason the door was so difficult to open before the bench gave in. To her left, there's another closed door decorated with Torag's symbol probably leading to the nave of what seems to have been a shrine of the Father of Creation as he is called by the dwarves. and at the opposite wall stands a stone pedestal with a basin atop of it but from her position, Arianna can't see if there's still something in it.
Having finally triumphed in her contest of strength with the door Iolaire steps into the shrine. Seeing no immediate threats she heads to the closed door on the left, and glances around to see if anyone is going to follow her.
|
|
Arianna had been standing a few steps behind Iolaire while the paladin struggled to open the door keeping an eye on the activity and on the cave around them to make sure that there was nothing that she missed. As Iolaire began to move inside Arianna followed close behind keeping her rapier drawn just on the off chance there were more snakes or over-sized creepy-crawlies around.
As the paladin finally wrenches the door open an involuntary chuckle of excitement escapes Uldir's lips. Pressing forward, the dwarf seeks to enter the blockhouse immediately after Iolaire.
The dwarf makes a slow circuit about the place, running a hand along the stone walls and taking in the condition of the interior. After a few moments of this, the dwarf inspects the pedestal, though he also keeps throwing glances at the door marked with Torag's symbol.
Alfred is satisfied to let the Paladin do the heavy lifting for now, and is surprised when she is able to move the door without his help. He stands in the middle of the room ready to lend help as needed.
I have heard that faith can lend strength. Perhaps her faith is that strong.
|
|
...you reach the pedestal and suddenly everything is calm. Looking into the basin you see that it is halfway filled with water and though everything around it glows with the same green glimmer, the water seems miraculously unaffected and even seems to halt the green shine's progression where it touches the basin's wall.
"Hey what are you doing, woman?" cries Horgus Gwerm when suddenly Anevia lets go of Elise and heavenly leaning on her crutch pushes past the others to step into the room. She stands before the door with the symbol of Torag on it and for a moment totally seems to have forgotten that you are here. Then she flinches and falls cursing to the ground, holding her leg, tears welling in her eyes and grimacing in pain.
Kendren moved about the room studying the green glow, amazed at how it radiates from everything. This temple - Uldir had said it was to Torag - was clearly under some sort of magical effect. What could it be? Could he, perhaps, figure out what the cause was?
At Horgus's cry, Kendren quickly turns about and sees Anevia move towards the door before falling in pain. Seeing no other threat, and that Iolaire was nearby, he moved in her direction, although his destination was the door, not the woman, as he knew nothing of healing.
Rianne inspects the basin and the area around it with detect magic
when Annevia cries out in pain, she turns back, concerned,
"Perhaps we should give her one of the healing potions?"
At Anevia's cry of pain the Uldir turns and hustles towards her, his features concerned. "Miss Anevia, are you alright?"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Iolaire catches Anevia as she collapses, although she can see the pain in the woman's eyes is more than physical. "You'll make it back to her Anevia. We'll get out of here together. Besides, if I don't get you out Irabeth will have my hide, so you'd better make it out!"
Looking up to the rest of the group she calls out, "Don't worry, just a stumble. She'll be fine in a moment. " She helps Anevia to a bench and Elise over, before returning to the doorway, along with Kendren. "Shall I go first?" She asks, stepping through the door unless others object.
|
|
"I'll go in first if you'd like.." She offered moving into the small room and up next to the paladin letting those skilled enough care for the woman with the bad leg wondering how she'd managed to walk up there to begin with.
Shaking her head free of distraction Arianna checked the door leading into the interior for any nasty surprises that could have been left before this was more or less abandoned then moved to step through with the paladin.
|
|
AS you open the doors, you look into the nave of this shrine, a narrow room lined by broken benches, the floor covered by thick layers of dust, and a large altar at the end of the room. The green glimmer seems more intense here, and gets reflected by the motes of dust you whirled up when opening the doors, as if there was a little universe of green stars in this room.
On a bench directly in front of the altar, a stocky hooded figure sits motionless, it's back turned to you, covered in dust as is the rest of the room.
Alfred continues into the room with the others. He's a bit uncomfortable with all this magic and religious stuff, but stays close enough to jump into combat... which he does understand when needed.
Itching to investigate the room further, Kendren walks through the door on the heels of Iolaire and Arianna. The intensity of the glow causes him to excitedly utter, "The source of this effect must be in here. Perhaps at the altar. Does anyone know if that man is alive?" With this last, he points at the kneeling figure.
Rianne peers around the others. "Looks to me like he's been there for quite some time..."
|
|
Arianna stepped in cautiously walking forward with rapier in hand. The temple looked old and dusty but the glowing meant something, what she wasn't sure or inclined to have that information. As she stepped forward her eyes were inexorably drawn towards the kneeling figure before the alter and she felt the grip on her rapier instinctively tighten.
The temple looked old, abandoned and thus it didn't seem likely that anyone would be able to be alive in here considering they'd needed to force their way in through the door. She proceeded cautiously her ears keening for any sounds from the person as she proceeded moving to the side both to clear a path if needed for Iolaire and to put herself at an angle as her rapier moved to tap on the shoulder expecting it to crumble under the slight pressure.
Unable to match Ari's soft footsteps Iolaire doesn't bother. She simply walks beside the benchs towards the front, circling around to see the dusty figure from the front. "Excuse me sir?" Moved by some unpleasant feeling she scrutinises him with her other senses as well.
Alfred steps up behind the figure, his shield up and flail ready just in case.
|
|
Arianna's dagger is just about to tap the figure's shoulder as Iolaire steps in front of the bench, adressing the corpse with "Excuse me, Sir?" and Alfred steps next beside her, his flail ready just in case. It's just at this moment, when she sees Iolaire shudder as if she had seen something terrible...
... when the stench of death and decay makes her want to vomit and the thing suddenly explodes in motion, jumping at Iolaire, trying to cut her throat with it's claws.
Initiative
Readied Action
Flail (Flanked)
Damage
round 1
Flail (Flanked) RND1
Bludgeoning
At the look in Iolaire's eyes, and the sudden stench, Alfred leaps into action, swinging at the foul creature even as it rises, then attempts to catch it on the backswing as well.
"Evil. It is evil incarnate! Ware"!
|
|
As he was already suspicious of the thing sitting on the bench, Alfred has it's weapon ready and lands a full hit with it's first attack. To his astonishment, what would have crashed other opponents only seem to slightly inconvenience the creature and the short moment he takes to grasp this let's him nearly miss with his second attack. Ironically the bones crushing on his second hit seem to do much more damage than the first blow did.
Arianna on the other hand, seems even more unlucky, because when she pulls her weapon back out of the body of the creature, the wound she caused seems to close immediately and the undead continues it's attack on Iolaire.
Iolaire curses as the thing lands solid blows against her.
"Lady Shelyn, grant me your favour in this fight!" All those standing nearby smell the sweet scent of roses for a moment as Iolaire steps back and strikes forward with her spear.
Curses! Why didn't I do more to study undead creatures? Kendren thinks to himself before saying, "Does anyone know what this thing is?"
After asking his question, he moves up behind Alfred and casts a spell, giving Alfred enhanced protection against the foul creature.
"An undead creature? I have just the spell for this. I knew it would come in handy someday..."
Rianne chants a short incantation before pointing at the creature, releasing a bright white ray of light
The sight of this vile creature dwelling in this once-holy place fills Uldir with wrath. Weaving through arcane passes the assistant quartermaster roars a battlecry and hurls another bolt of acid at the monster. "Bahrud gal dokkar! Irrat dar shom kallamtas arath!"
|
|
Arianna watched as the creature seemed to heal almost instantly from the wounds she'd expected to deal it. "Well that isn't good.." She remarked about it seeing the paladin take a couple rather hard hits from the creature.
She tightened her grip on the weapons in her hands whispering to herself. "Be ready for challenges..." She recanted from memory in a prayer-like manner as she lashed out with the rapier and dagger hoping to sink them in a little deeper this time.
|
|
When Rianne's spell showers the creature with positive energy, it's scream nearly make your ears bleed. Spasms run through it's body and so it has nothing left to react to Uldir's and Arianna's attacks, bringing an end to the abomination.
Angrily spitting on the monstrosity's remains, Uldir growls out "Heceuva. A priest of Torag who abandoned his vows. May his soul never find his fathers' halls. I swear I will erase the stain he wrought upon this holy ground."
Kendren looks at Uldir before pulling out his journal and saying, "Huecuva, you say? And they are created when priests abandon their vows?" He begins making notes and writing, pausing to look around and detect magic at the walls and altar.
Finally, he looks up at the others and says, "The Huecuva are created when a priest abandons his vows. It is likely that in doing so, this priest defiled the temple, especially when he arose as an undead. The green glow about a person or thing has been theorized as the effect of a powerful curse, especially if that curse comes straight from the hand of a deity. It is possible this creature abandoned his vows and defiled this temple, causing Torag himself to curse the very ground. Were we to cleanse and resanctify this place, it may perhaps remove the curse. I am certain it will not take long between the six of us, and it will allow the others a chance to rest. What do you think? If there are concerns of safety, we could bar the door."
|
|
"Personally, I don't know much about reconsecration or any of the religious talk..but I can keep an look out at the door while you guys go about doing those things.." She offered earnestly sheathing her weapons. She turned her head assessing the temple and what was in it with a quick visual glance-over to see if there was anything that they could use in securing the doors and perhaps something of value that might help along their journey back to the surface.
"Thank you all. That Huecuva packed quite a punch." Iolaire pulls out Tendelev's scale and eyes it slightly dubiously before pressing it to the gash in her shoulder, gasping quietly and the flesh knitted together. The dull silver colour the scale possesses seems to worry her but she doesn't stop, taking instruction as to how to reconsecrate the shrine.
Aid another for someone more knowledgeable, probably Uldir?
With a final glower at the Heucuva's remains, Uldir turns away and begins to do what he can to restore the temple: picking up shards of stone, removing dust from the symbol of Torag, and disposing of the corpse out in the tunnel (leaving a pile of stones upon it to try to discourage possible scavengers). He is singleminded and determined about this work.
"The water in the basin is holy water. I don't know anything about consecrating a temple but it seems to me that applying holy water might be useful. And if anyone has a vial or flask we could collect some for later."
Rianne searches around the temple to find a broom, and if there is one she uses it to sweep the floors.
|
|
"Sister Io, are you ok?" It's Elise, leaving her place with Anevia and throwing herself into Iolaire's embrace, eyes still widened with fear. She's followed by Stevarn fallen silent for once and staring with concern at Iolaire, trying to figure out if she's hurt badly.
Anevia, Aravashnial and Horgus also have entered the room keeping their distance from each other and waiting for the next course of action.
|
|
Arianna lifted up the bag with its contents and began to set it out on one of the benches inspecting each of the items inside of it, though she did go ahead and slide the gem into her pocket for safe-keeping. "Hey, uh.." She said motioning towards Kendren and Rianne since the other two were busy with restoring the temple.
"I think I've found something..can one of you determine what these are?" she said motioning towards the two potions and the warhammer.
Uldir wanders over to the hammer, picking it up. Running his hands over the well-crafted steel he nods to himself as though as decision has been made. Turning to the others, he speaks softly but firmly. "I would see this shrine restored to a place of devotion to Torag, but I cannot complete the ritual by myself. Will you aid me?"
Uldir sprinkles the warhammer with the holy water before anointing the alter, walls, and holy symbols upon the wall before arranging the other in a small circle. Teaching them a few short prayers in Dwarven, he asks them to repeat the phrases over and over while the dwarf invokes exhortations of stone and metal, protection and strength of faith. His voice slowly grows louder with every line, and soon is shouting the prayers. The sigil on his forehead glows with fiery light as he strikes the alter with the hammer, and a radiating wave of stillness flows outward from the blow...
Alfred who had been busy picking pieces of undead from his flail, looks up at Uldir's request.
"As long as it doesn't require silly prancing around naked or wearing silly outfits I'll help".
He does his best to follow Uldir's instructions without being to fancy.
Perform oratory... and surprisingly the words come easily to his lips and he performs them almost as well as the experienced Dwarf.
Hmm. Is it possible for a human to be a servant of a Dwarven god???
Going over to Arianna, he examines the potions and war hammer with detect magic.
After identifying the items, Kendren helps Uldir prepare for the ritual. Already being fluent in Dwarven, he easily speaks the prayers, hoping to see what the outcome of the event is - and if his theory is correct.
Rianne readily agrees. "My aunt and uncle taught me to show respect for all goodly gods, and though I now follow the teachings of the Inheritor I do not believe she would begrudge respect shown to her allies against evil."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
With the potions identified, she passed one over to the paladin who seemed injured from the creature. "Here, you should probably drink this.." she said leaving the other on the stone bench before moving up next to the other chanters attempting to follow along and repeat the phrase.
Iolaire smiles but refuses the potion. "Thank you, I used the dragons scale, so I'm much better. We'd best save these - I fear I've exhausted the scale, at least for now." As the children come running up she drops her spear and takes them both into her arms in a hug.
"I'm fine Elise, thank you for asking. I'm so impressed by your two - you've been so brave!" She just holds the two of them for a while, trying to provide comfort simply by her presence. When she hears the rest of the group beginning to chat she taps the children on the head, hums along for a few moments and then begins to sing, smiling at the children and motioning for them to join in also.
The three of them send up a surprisingly melodious sound, Elise and Stevarn have trouble pronouncing most of the words but sing with a will and seem reassured by the simple act. Iolaire after singing through the phrase a few times, sings a simple harmony and the three of them smile at each other - forgetting the dangers for a short time.
Alfred stands and watches the three childen frolic about.
Well we should be safe for a while. That caterwaul should scare off the most vicious of beasts... though I would have opted for silence.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Alfred stands and watches the three childen frolic about.
Iolaire is a grown-up, thank you very much! :P
|
|
It takes some hours to cleanse the temple from the dust that has collected over time. But praying and singing makes time fly by and as Aravashnial and Anevia (and to everyone's surprise, even Gwerm, who also help with the physical work) join the chants, everyone can pause for a time, if the effort becomes to much of a strain.
Finally, the sigil on Uldir's forehead starts glowing and as he strikes the altar with the warhammer Arianna found, a radiating wave of stillness flows outward from the blow. The Chanting stops and gets replaced by a moment of tense anticipation.
Then, Anevia lets out a little gasp, when a blinding explosion of light washes away the green shine formerly penetrating the stones of the altar and the building, and urges it back to the corpse of the former dwarven priest, destroying the evil influence at it's root. The light is flowing through everyone else, too, washing away wounds as well as exhaustion and filling everyone with the Father of Creation's blessing.
As suddenly as it came, the holy light vanishes, taking the foul evil that permeated the shrine with it. Even the dwarven priest has taken his old form and even seems as if his tormented soul has found some measure of peace.