"When we're done here tonight, I'd like to talk to you," Ventus said, following her back to the rest of their party.
Doran keeps an eye out as Ventus goes to follow Ysme, worried more about the horrors that seem to haunt these halls than the man and the girl butting heads. "I 'ope what we've dealth wit' so far is th' wors' o' what we'll fin' down 'ere... but I ain' holdin' me breath, mates," he says to Pirknok, Eli and Ensu. When Ventus and Ysme return, he nods tersely at them, before gesturing towards the door with his crossbow. "Good o' ya t' rejoin us. Le's git movin'," he suggests in a calm voice, trying not to sound sarcastic.
"...My objections were proven invalid."
The dwarf grunts and opens the door.
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.
A shrill disembodied voice cries out as the doors are opened.
"Intruders! How dare you violate the sanctity of this place? Leave the catacombs now or suffer the consequences!"
Doran raises his weapon to his shoulder, eyes peering around the room for the source of the voice. "I ain' seen nothin' sacred in 'is blasted place! Show yerself!" he shouts in return. His face is set in a cold, professional mask. There is work to be done.
Ensu just shakes his head at the departing paladin before focusing on the altar while others retrieve her.
Ensu is quiet, but braces himself to cast bless should battle prove to be forthcoming.
Pirknok hesitates at the unexpected rebuke, and glances back. Doran's response seems to calm him somewhat, though he still holds his position at the door, only moving sideways to allow the others to enter. He grips his axe and glares around suspiciously.
Eli looks around, alarmed. His crossbow rises and he begins fumbling for a bolt to load it with. "Was that a Goblin?" he whispers.
"Doubtful, there was no singing or descriptions of improbable violence." Ysme whispers back. At the others incredulous glances, "What, you didn't notice? They're like demonic toddlers who've just learned to talk."
Ensu decides to move things along. Acting on a hunch, he speaks in Thassillion, "To whom is this place dedicated to? It would be much easier for us to not violate it's sanctity if we knew whose sanctity we were working with."
Doran pauses for a moment, then bobs his head. "Actually a pre'y good description o' th' fat'eads..." he admits in a quiet voice, but he is not even for a second distracted from his scan of the room.
The voice doesn't sound goblin. It's a higher pitch and somewhat feminine.
"You violate the Mother's temple. I am her priestess and I speak with her voice. Leave now or suffer her wrath!"
"We can't do that ma'am, we need to close down these tunnels, we can't let anymore goblins through."
"No! The tunnels must remain open. The goblins must suffer and die for Her glory! Die mortals!"
Chanting can be heard coming from the far end of the chamber.
Doran says a quick blessing to Abadar while making some gestures with his left hand, before touching his breastplate. A golden glow appears around the Inquisitor for a moment, before it disappears. "Sorry lass, bu' I don' intend t' die t'day!" he shouts out, pointing his weapon towards the source of the chanting.
Ventus steps further into the room, moving towards where he thinks the chanting is coming from.
"Why must suffer or die for the glory of their mother?"
"What mother worthy of the name would demand that, of any creature?" As she asks these questions, Ysme moves forward, cautiously.
Ensu starts his own chanting as soon as he hears the chanting from the invisible voice; as he chants a wave of positive thinking washes over the party (casting bless).
Pirknok moves quickly forward and up toward the voice, his face grim.
Eli slips into the room and readies his crossbow to fire at the first enemy he sees.
There is a pop and then a great tearing sound as a horrible creature appears next to Pirknok. It stands on four squat muscular limbs and has a head that's equal parts cat and spider. Its hide is a pale orange but patchwork and whole sections of its bloody sinew can be seen as it moves about.
The creature snaps at the dwarf.
Teeth meet flesh as the monster latches on to the dwarf's shoulder and tries to take hold.
Up above, twenty feet in the air mad laughter fills the air.
"Why? WHY?! Because suffering feeds the Mother's power!"
"Prepare to meet your doom at the claws of her progeny!"
An arrow flies through the air and, as it does, a tiny impish creature wielding an appropriately sized bow appears.
The dwarf roars his defiance at the thing latched onto his shoulder, and slams his head forward in an attempt to injure it.
Ensu moves up behind Ysme as he tries to recognize whatever it is that is attacking Pirknok.
Unable to do much against the flying thing, Ventus hustles up the stairs to the other side of the monster sinking it fangs into Pirknok.
The flying impish creature in the air appears to be this one's Summoner.
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Doran flinches slightly at the creature that appears out of nowhere and strikes at Pirknok, but keeps his attention focused on the imp, moving closer to get a better shot at it. "Ya talk big, bu' I bet ya'll die jus' like yer fat'ead sacrifices! Me mates 'ere'll deal wit' yer big friend once I'm done dealin' wit' you!" the Inquisitor shouts, fury in his voice.
Ysme runs to aid Pirknok.
As Ysme closes on the thing fighting with Pirknok, she swings the Halberd at the creature's center mass.
Eli lets his weapon fire at the small winged creature.
Seeing another creature appear, Eli's eyes widen.
"You're kidding... The creature is an Eidolon, connected to the impish creature. Defeat the imp and the Eidolon will vanish..." he says. He then draws a vial from his belt and drinks it. A faint shield of force appears before fading from view.
The tiny little imp shriek as both Doran and Eli's shots slam into her.
"You'll pay! You'll all pay!"
The flying figure pulls a dagger and draws it across her outstretched hand.
"Witness the Mother's power!"
Tiny droplets of blood tumble through the air and land in the roiling well below the creature. The red liquid within reacts violently and begins to rapidly boil. A moment later a clawed hand bursts from the surface and a monstrosity similar to the one the party encountered earlier pulls itself free (including the halberd).
The tiny flying creature cackles but her laughter is cut short as the light from well grows dimmer. Panic shoots across its features.
"No, no, no, no! Too soon! It's too soon!"
***
The eidolon growls and tears at the shoanti-dwarf's shoulder.