To Togog, if this altar was ever aligned with a deity of good or even neutral alignment, that was very long ago. Based on the water and the altar itself, it is rather obvious that this area has been consecrated to a deity of evil.
"This is evil," I say, "and should be destroyed. The risk, however, is mine to bear." I nod firmly. "Please step aside, Miss Elaina."
"Nooo I'm gonna sell it! Someone will think it's art!" Elaina hugs the alter.
"Togog, you and I both know that I am a bit sturdier, we both smash it, together. I'm not letting anybody get hurt if I can do something about it."
Nover sheathes his magic blade and unslings the warhammer at his hip handing it to Togog.
"I'll use my fists, the gauntlets will protect me from damage, you need something to smash it with."
"Please wait," I say, "I must appeal to Angradd." Bowing my head in heartfelt prayer, I beseech Angradd to grant me the power to Purify this water of its unholy properties.
Enna is staying out of the current conflict over the altar, though she watches the others with interest. The foolishness that is on display boggles her mind.
Togog calls upon Angradd's blessing, and the water in the basin clears up, the murky quality disappearing. Before your eyes, the water seems to darken a bit, then grows increasingly dirty before it finally comes to the same consistency as before.
"Hey, this stuff's pretty resilient. Maybe we can sell it, too."
"It's just water, now, thank Angradd," Togog says. "We can just tip it away." So saying, he puts his gauntleted hands to work, tipping the great rock just enough to spill the water free of it. Then he pauses. "Even the dust and rubble of such a befouled altar might be dangerous, the moreso because it would no longer so obviously show its dark purpose. I fear Miss Elaina is right - we must bring it with us, or collect it on our return, for proper disposal later. Mayhap the church will pay you some fair wages for this fair work, Miss Elaina," Togog says, though he's sure of no such thing, and any true servant of a good deity would gladly perform such labour for free.
"Grrr. You guys just don't know a good opportunity when you see it." Elaina decides to abandon the alter and looks through the next set of doors.
Thinking it over, Nover strokes his short beard a bit. His gauntlets clean from the blood and gore from the previous day.
"Making a quick crown and possibly leading someone to their doom doesn't seem to sit well in my head. Bringing it to the proper people to destroy such a thing would be in the towns best interest as well. There might even be a reward for preventing it from possibly hurting someone."
Nover reaches for the bowl.
"Cousin, you have been blessed by the divine, but I would not have you, a healer and proud member of your clan be put in a position of danger. Let me, an exile, carry it for a while. I feel like my boiling blood is changing a bit, and might grant me some additional protection should something happen."
"I don't believe immediate contact with it to be hazardous," I murmur, "and if you wish it, the honour is yours. I do not say the clan erred when they exiled you, but I believe you a changed dwarf, cousin. It is my hope that when this danger is disposed, you will return at my side to your family's embrace."
Rumal watches the back and forth, the long-winded praises and concerns bandied about each other's qualities and purpose, adding once he gets a chance. "I don' thing we should mess wif it. Mebbe I haf some flaskses here I could gather the stuff in. Then you guys can worry boud carryin er stroyin it." With that, Rumal starts shuffling and digging through all his various ingredients and vials that he uses for his concoctions.
Nodding at the resolution that has been reached, Togog swiftly proceeds from the room. "Forget not, there is still an innocent to rescue - or so we pray," he nods firmly.
Hmph! First they tell me I can't sell it, then they're all tryna' take it.
As the others decide the fate of the shrine of the Mother of Monsters, Elaina grows bored and decides to press on. She presses on the double doors, opening them.
This huge room looks like nothing more than an immense underground cathedral. Stone doors stand to either side of the main entrance, but beyond this, the walls are carved with strange, spiky runes. In the center of the room is a large pool, with a ring of polished human skulls balanced on stone spikes arranged in a circle around the deeper midsection. At the far end of the room, a pair of stone stairways leads up to a pulpit on which sits a second pool, this one triangular and filled with churning, bubbling water that looks almost like translucent lava. Yet while wisps of what look like heat and steam rise from the strange orange liquid, the room itself is deathly cold.
Flying above the pulpit is a tiny winged creature, a demon if there ever was one. It holds a dagger in one hand, and starts shrieking as the doors open. "You dare to intrude upon the Mother's Sanctum!?" She then slashes her own wrist with her dagger, a splash of blood dropping into the triangular pool below. The pool dims noticeably, and out of it climbs a creature like the abominations you have fought earlier.
Initiative:
Round 1: Elaina, Monsters, Togog, Enna, Nover, Rumal
"Nope, just lookin' around." Elaina pulls the doors closed and draws her scimitar. "Guys, there's a little lady in there makin' monsters outta water, but I told her we're just lost so it's OK." She remembers something about fighting at choke points. This was a choke point.
Nothing comes to open the door as Elaina lets her companions know what's going on. Or rather, her always strange rendition of it.
Initiative:
Round 1: Elaina, Monsters, Togog, Enna, Nover, Rumal
Round 2: Elaina, Monsters, Togog, Enna, Nover, Rumal
"Demon!" Togog snarls. "Angradd guide our blows..."
Not having seen this monster, and not believing a word of Elaina's stories until she has seen things for herself, Enna holds her action while waiting for the others to push forward. If anything should pop out of the door it will find a bolt of magical energy headed for its face.
"Hmm, looks like my bluff worked. Maybe we can ransom the alter to them."
Nover readies his blade as he advances into the room. Shield in front, sword ready to fly at anything that tries to assault him or his comrades.
"Come, now you face Nover and my enchanted blade!"
Togog follows Nover as soon as he is able...
Elaina casts light upon Nover's sword and sends her dancing lights into a flurry over the dwarf's head. "Spooky glowing magic dwarf!"
Rumal only raises an eyebrow, "Demon, hunh?" He shrugs, not knowing what difference it makes for what his actions are. So he draws and loads his crossbow, and keeps in mind the brew he carries that seems to keep blows from hitting him.
As Nover opens the doors, Togog directly behind him, they feel a wave of fear and panic wash over them. Everyone manages to keep their heads, though, none succumbing to the magical fear effect.
The hideous creature is on the other side of the door, and bites at the sturdy dwarf. Nover catches it on his armored forearm, the interlapping plates keeping the razor sharp teeth from his flesh.
Nover returns the favor, his magical longsword biting deep into the abomination.
"Angradd's wrath, abomination!"
Attack +1 (forgot bless), damage
"Behold! My magical dwarf! Destroyer of worlds!"
Seeing as Enna can see the beast in front of her, and I am assuming the creature above the pool, from her vantage point...
"Guess she was telling the truth." Enna mutters under her breath as she fires off a bolt of magical energy at the wee beasty flying over the pool.
Rumal tries to fire at the creature facing off against Nover, taking care to avoid hitting the stout dwarf in the back. He misses badly, and with a laugh and a hiccup, he begins winding the crossbow to place another bolt.
Elaina tries to intimidate the creature with a show of force, but it looks relatively unconcerned.
Togog moves forth to assist his cousin, but is unable to strike the shifting abomination.
Enna hurls a bolt of force at the tiny creature, eliciting a gasp of pain.
The little demon starts waving her arms, chanting softly, then screams at Nover, "Drop your sword!" The dwarf feels a compulsion to obey, but overcomes it with typical dwarven stubbornness.
Meanwhile, the creature again tries to attack the dwarf.
Summary:
Nover - 5 damage
Sinspawn - 8 damage
Demon - 4 damage
Nover's blood boils as the creature strikes at him. His eyes see red, his beard glows silver, and his tongue feels as sharp as his blade.
"Like I would listen to a weakling like you, I'll drop my sword through your tiny little impure heart after I kill your servant and piss in your glowing pool!"
He roars with fury as he brings his sword down upon the demonic creature that clawed at him.
"Die!" Togog snaps. "Return to the hells from whence ye came!"
attack , damage
"Don't ignore me!" Elaina moves past her allies and slashes at the monster.
Enna continues her quiet mutterings and arcane movements as another bolt of green glow fires forth to strike down the small creater of monsters.
Rumal scowls at the creature, his bolts a tough decision with it being so close to the others in the front. Then there's the flying one giving orders, which he decides would make for a little better target, and maybe stop it from making more enemies.
Togog again attacks the sinspawn, but can't seem to get a good bead on its movements as he whiffs again.
Elaina darts past Nover, her scimitar slicing deeply into its exposed abdomen. The creature hisses at the woman, leaving itself opens to Nover's strike, which drops the creature to the ground in a pool of its own blood and entrails.
Enna casts a spell, a bolt of mystic force flying from her hand to strike the demon.
Rumal steps up, firing at the little flying creature. Even with the alcohol flowing through him, his bolt flies true, striking the creature. It shrieks in pain and rage, though doesn't appear very hurt by the blow.
The creature launches into spellcasting, and Nover begins to feel his limbs seizing up. The sturdy dwarf again shakes it off.
Summary:
Nover - 5 damage
Sinspawn - Dead
Demon - 6 damage
Feeling the creature continue it's assault on him he feigns compliance and drops his sword and his shield before racing up to it, jumping and grabbing it, taking it into the pool with him.
As he charges he roars angrily.
"Stop doing that, I swear to Trudd that you need to cool off in your little pool!"
"Stand aside, earthbound one." Elaina's armor wasn't particularly effective, but it didn't slow her down much, either. She leaps into the air, slashing at the creature. Alas, Elaina's legs are not very long.
"Demon!" Togog snarls, leaping to the attack...
Attack , damage
Another bolt flies forth from Enna as she visibly pales. "I'm running out of energy, someone better think of something quick."
The emerald glow of the last two bolts have been visibly dimmer, and the strain on the woman is beginning to show, it is obvious that she is not used to sustained combat.