Skaar frowns when he feels the very air resist him due to the spells warding the area.
"We should try the trapped passage first. Someone or something there might hold the password we need. Do you think you can disable the trap so we can enter safely?"
"Maybe. It looked like the trigger mechanism was that headpiece. I don't suppose you've got a way for me to mess with it at a distance?"
Skaar reaches out with his divine will, feeling the mechanism move slightly. "Yes, I can do it."
As soon as the headpiece moves, a blast of sonic energy emanates from it with a thunderous *bang*. Shaking her head, Syl chuckles. "That's one way to take care of things. I'm not sensing anything else there. Just watch out for the pits at the bottom of the staircases."
Skaar grunts in understanding and moves towards the stairs.
The southwest portion of this room is circular, with windows that overlook the sea.
After Syl's taken a look for traps, Skaar opens the eastern door.
This huge room is a large open central chamber surrounded by an ambulatory, creating a sort of indoor arcade with numerous 5ft-wide arches providing access into the center. In the central chamber, which sits under a vaulted 20ft-high ceiling supported by wooden timbers, 21 ornate chairs stand in solemn ring, their backs against the walls of the arcade between each of the arches. On the high back of each chair is a well-sculpted symbol of a full moon. An immense dark fireplace looms to the west.
Seated in one of the chairs is the rotting corpse of an armor-clad bugbear. As you enter, it gives a melancholy sigh and rises, picking up a large axe as it does so. "Let's get this over with...."
Skaar frowns at the sight of the animated bugbear corpse. "Yes, it's time someone grant you the peace you were denied."
The zombie returns your frown but doesn't move closer. "Denied peace? No. I deserve this fate. It's just disappointing that this won't be fun. You're too brawny to be a mage, but you're unarmed and unarmored. Clearly, you're a pugilist. We'll whale on each other for a bit, and then your shifty companion will stab me in the back. It won't make any difference, of course, but I was hoping for something ... better. There's nothing artistic about two brutes slugging each other."
Puzzled by the loquacious bugbear, Skaar hesitates. "Wait, do you want to be destroyed by a mage? I happen to think there's a certain kind of art in two brutes pummelin' each other."
The zombie shrugs. "When the unarmed warriors of Tian Xia battle with their fists and feet, it is beautiful. A brutish slugfest is quite the opposite. Give me a clever mage or an agile duelist any day."
Thoroughly insulted now, Skaar snorts in disgust. "Have it your way. I don't even wanna destroy you now. Come on girl, let's move on."
Lifting his axe, the annoying bugbear begins to shuffle toward you. He doesn't appear to be awkward, just bored and reluctant. "Unfortunately, that decision isn't yours to make. I've been compelled to guard this room. Can you at least attempt to make your deaths artistic?"
"I try not to disappoint", Skaar snorts as he puts his massive fists up.
The undead lumbers toward you and unleashes a massive swing of his weapon.
The bugbear's deadly axe barely scrapes off of Skaar's thick hide and magical wards. The Unfailing Pillar goes to work making art - with his fists.
The zombie bats aside your blows with a quick twirl of its axe. It's surprisingly agile, although not as much as Syl, who's tumbling behind it. The bugbear quickly shifts position so its back is to one of the chairs. "I've been doing this for a long time. You're skilled, but not that good."
Skaar eyes the bugbear's axe, this creature was dangerous. "Don't worry - I'm just gettin' started."
Your first blow connects solidly with the zombie's chest, giving Syl an opportunity to cut loose a piece of its armor . Spinning around, the creature trips her before slicing at your neck.
Bugbear: 15pts damage
The bugbear's mighty axe misses again - by a hair.
Seeing Syl knocked to the ground, Skaar roars in anger. "Hey! Leave the girl alone!" Lunging forward the Unfailing Pillar tries to capitalize on his opponent's compromised armor.
Your second blow connects, but your foe is swift to recover with a pair of mighty swings.
Bugbear: 35pts damage
Skaar grunts in surprise when the bugbear's axe smashes through his magical wards and ends up buried deep in his thick hairy hide.
Refusing to give an inch, the Unfailing Pillar strikes back with a short jab followed by a crushing uppercut.
Your uppercut knocks your opponent back a few steps, and he gives you a grin. "It seems that I misjudged you. That was well-struck." He's quick to recover, though, as he lashes out with a cunning combination.
Bugbear: 69pts damage
Skaar grunts in surprise when he's upended by a back-swing of the bugbear's axe. Fortunately he's able to roll out of the way of the followup blow.
Leaping to his feet with surprising quickness, Skaar drives a shoulder deep into his opponent's midsection.
Your opponent's quick to react as you rise. He follows up with another pair of overhand chops.
On a positive note, Syl's able to take advantage of your foe's distraction to regain her footing.
Bugbear: 83pts damage
The Unfailing Pillar's form blurs slightly with impossible speed as the big orc shifts his stance to block the opportunistic attack. Before his opponent can recover, he drives his elbow into the bugbear's ribs.
Hoping to end the bugbear's threat, Skaar allows his rage to boil over as he drives his fists into his opponent's weakened armor.
Your swift retaliation catches the bugbear off guard, and your followup blow plunges into its chest. As your opponent collapses, it gasps, "Worthy...."
Skaar sags briefly under the weight of his injuries before he gives Syl a nod of approval. "That was a lot tougher than I was expectin'. You alright?"
Syl gives you a grunt. "Just my pride's a bit bruised is all. First thing to trip me up in a long while."
Satisfied that his high priestess was healthy, Skaar begins to search the area. "Help me look around. He musta been here guardin' something."
----------------------------------------
There's a doorway at the far end of the room. Passing through, you find yourself in a meditation chamber. Here, the windsong passing through the abbey is greatly amplified - surrounding all within with a mournful dirge of abandonment. In addition to a collection of texts marked with a skull-faced moon, there's an inscription carved on one wall.
Two to left for barren land
Three to right for severed strand
One to west for empty home
Two to east for mourner lone
Two to dusk for hollow moon
Three to dawn for coming doom
Skaar studies the inscription carefully and then looks around for any kind of implements or puzzle pieces the cryptic writings might be alluding to.
Aside from the religious texts, the meditation chamber is empty.
"Let's keep lookin' around. There's a bit more to this place we haven't seen yet."
You're halfway through the doorway when Syl smacks her head. "Of course! It's a code! L2-R3-L1-R2-L2-R3. And the skull moon on those books looks a lot like the crazy lock we found downstairs."
"That's my girl!" Skaar beams at the rogue. "Let's see what they're hidin' behind that door."
Even with the code, it takes Syl almost a minute to open the lock, as it apparently requires a key as well. As the door finally opens, she tosses away a slender piece of metal that appears to have been chewed. "Damn thing tried to eat my best pick." Behind the doorway is a set of stairs leading underground. At the bottom, you feel a momentary sense of loneliness, as you find yourself in what appears to be a vast empty plain stretching out in all directions. Then your divine strength reasserts itself, and you realize you're merely in a meditation chamber. A meditation chamber housing several gray-robed humans who don't look happy to be disturbed. Each one wears an amulet bearing the image of a skull-faced moon.
"We'll get you a new one when we get back to town", Skaar offers the rogue in consolation along with a clap on the shoulder.
Entering the strange chamber, the Unfailing Pillar fixes the assembled cultists with a fierce gaze. "Finally, someone that can give me some answers. Who are you and what's this cult up to?"
The cultists draw various cutting implements and charge but aren't much of a challenge.
The cultists subdued, Skaar wipes the blood from his fists. He surveys the scene for clues to their purpose inside the hidden enclave.
"I'll tie up any survivors. Look around. I wanna know what these fools were up to in here. They went through a whole lot of trouble to do their work outta sight."
The cultists don't have much on them, but there's one thing of potential interest: a map of Golarion. Scattered apparently randomly across it are X's. One is over each of the original Grotean temples - including here and the House of the Beast. There's also ones on the Maelstrom, the Pit of Gormuz, the Worldwound, and quite a few other locations.
There's also a door leading deeper into this underground complex.
"This is good", Skaar says as he looks the map over. "We know where to go next."
After tucking the map away the Unfailing Pillar advances on the remaining door. "What else are they hidin' down here?"
Beyond the door, you find a room that is lined with fine wooden planks - even on its ceiling - and features a large rectangular table and several smaller round tables. Tall, well-stocked bookcases occupy the walls. There are no apparent exits.
"A hidden library", Skaar says as he puruses a few of the books. "Do you think that scholar you found would mind camping out here for a while to learn what's hidden inside these tomes?"