Gwenhwyfar looks down ashamed "But I wanted a gift for her and there are only two things important to her. And that would have been perfect thing she could use daily practicing her faith. She only has a cheap one that is already falling apart."
"It is a good thing. I'm proud of you that you thought of a gift of faith and not jewlery or such. But I suggest you take one that is just as modest as your mum is. One moment please."
Leaving the room he walks across the hall into the vestry at the side of Sarenrae's Shrine. Opening a cabinet he takes out a book and comes back to Gwenhwyfar.
Handing the book to her he explains "This book is what most clerics of Serenrae, or clerics in general like me too have as their own. It's bound in sturdy leather, has some illustrations in it and is made of good paper. I think she will like it. It is also more affordable than the huge golden ones. Give me 25 gold and it is yours."
Jumping at Abstalar Gwenhwyfar gives him a big hug "Thank you. This is really perfect." She counts two platinum and 5 gold into his hand. Exitement all over her face she holds the book tight and huriedly leaves for Jimmy.
Arriving outside the temple she stumbles into the group "Oh, you are all coming to the temple?"
"Abomentolor and I searched Jimmy and you. Sheila Heidmarch gave us a new mission and we have to go as fast as possible. Do you know in which part of the forest Tauriell is?" Niamh asks.
Seeing someone hurry through the temple Fiona catches a glimpse of Gwenhwyfar. To make sure she doesn't disappear out of town for some urgent mission she follows her outside.
"I didn't even know that Tauriell left for the forrest. What is that new mission?" she asks.
"Your urgent mission is to be shortly after sunset at my table for dinner." Fiona Samley answers the question from behind Gwenhwyfar with a stern look at Jimmy.
Jimmy stands there, picnic basket it hand, not sure who to turn to or who to respond to first.
"I don't know what the mission is about. You have to ask Abomentolor" Niamh tries to answer Gwenhwyfar's question. "And, how was your picnic?" Niamh asks Jimmy.
"We have a new important and urgent mission from Mrs. Heidmarch. I have a map here where we should search for a crosier. And we need to hurry because a street gang called the Blood Knuckles got wind of this and we need to find it before them." Abomentolor explains giving Mrs. Samsley a glare.
"Do you think we'll come around at Brodert Quink?" Niamh asks Abomentolor.
"And as I told you before, it has to wait until tomorrow. Gwenhwyfar will not leave town head over heels because some self important gnome makes such a fuss."
"Where do we have to go for this new mission?" Gwenhyfar asks.
"The picnic was good Niamh. Abomentolor, where does this map point to? And is everybody ready to go? If the map leads somewhere obscure there should be no way this gang could find the locale without the map. We can't just run off, let's all calm down for a few minutes and then we can actually sort this out."
"It's here in Sandpoint. If Mrs. Samsley here would have been a bit more helpful, we could already be done with it." Abomentolor fumes.
"Well we didn't know that, and if it is as close as you say... Mrs. Samsley, we shall endeavor to be back for dinner, I don't think Abomentolor will leave us to have dinner in peace unless we do this, so we shall get it out the way. Does that suit everybody? " Jimmy says trying to find a middle ground
"Oh stop it already. Abomentolor, if you say another word in that tone to my mom, I'll go to Mrs. Heidmarch and have you thrown out of this group. Noone made you the boss. So shut up."
"Mum, we will be in time for dinner, as promised. Now please leave us alone to plan when and how to do that." looking at her over her shoulder to hide the book.
"Ok, I'll see you in the evening then." she says smiling at Jimmy and Gwenhwyfar and gives another glare to Abomentolor, before she leaves to go inside the temple again.
"So do you know where we need to go Abomentolor? Let us collect our things and meet at the Rusty Dragon in an hour say? And then we shall follow you?"
Abomentolor clenches his face to a fist. But pondering his chances if Gwen makes true on her promise and Jimmy propably taking her side he counts that Gwen made her mum leave as a partial success.
Pulling himself together he asks "You need an full hour to get ready? If you just get your things we could walk over to the cemetry and catch that stupid thing. The only real problem here would be that Tauriell is still lost in the woods."
Coming in from the north east a red tailed hawk circles over the cathedral.
"That hour gives you time to find her too"
"Yes very funny. I suggest you go together with Niamh. She also suggested we run into the woods to find her. Very realistic that." Abomentolor says.
And mumbling to himself "I think I have a bad case of eye tinitus."
"I said to Abomentolor a few minutes before we maybe could see Tauriell's bird." Niamh says looking around and ...
... seeing nothing.
"Ok then. We will meet at the Rusty Dragon, but please as soon as possible. We'll see if Tauriell arrives until then." some resignation in his voice.
Tauriell comes back to the town through the North Gate. Walking past the cathedral she notices the group and approaches them. Throwing back her hood she asks "Did I miss a team meeting invitation?" with a relaxed smile on her face.
"I just need to get my spear and armor and change outfits. I didn't know she had gone into the forest either. Before berating out ideas, maybe tell us what you know next time." Jimmy grumbles
Niamh facepalms herself. "Where is your bird?" she asks then looking trough her fingers at Tauriell.
Pointing into the sky Tauriell responds "I suggest looking at the sky if you search a bird."
And looking at Jimmy she asks "We are in for some more action I guess? I'm ready."
"I'll be ready in five minutes." Gwenhwyfar states, running across the street, disappearing in a little cottage and reappearing after a few minutes with her ceremonial armor on, her staff in hand and her potion belt around her hips.
"I'm back soon." Niamh says to Tauriell running to the Rusty Dragon to get dressed with her leather armor and takes her waterskin with her. Her fiddle is with her anyway.
"Hey, where do you go?" Abomentolor shouts after Niamh.
"I have to put on my armor!" Niamh shouts back.
"So can we all move to the Rusty Dragon then, so that everyone could fetch the last things from their room?" Abomentolor asks and starts following Niamh but without the running.
Jimmy trots back to the Rusty Dragon and up to his room where he grabs his spear and dons his armor and then heads down into the common room to await the others
As all are ready the group moves back across town to the cemetery which lies behind the cathedral.
As you move through town you see some suspicious figures leaning on walls or hiding in alleys.
These are propably some of the Bloody Knuckles.
As it is not fitting to march through the cathedral the group takes the gate north of the temple.
Walking past graves and mausoleums according to the map Abomentolor has the group finally stands in front of a grave completely covered by a stone plate that lies slightly ajar. Moving the plate togeter a stair down is revealed.
Niamh notices some figures hiding and standing on the walls.
Being quite observant Abomentolor tells his comrades "Don't look over there, but I think the bad guys are already here."
"Yep. I'm especially fond of that type. If they dare to stand in our way at least they will be in the right place when I'm done with them." she says a hate in her eyes that one wouldn't have suspected in her.
Jimmy walks next to Gwen, not noticing anything
Niamh mumbles something and makes a gesture to the cemetry and some lights begins wandering a some feet in front of them.
"Who wants to go to the graves?" Niamh asks excited and packs out her fiddle.
Abomentolor asks Jimmy "We two are going first?"
Not really waiting for a response Abomentolor leads the way down, a potion of mage armor in hand.
Niamh follows them with minor distance her fiddle on her chin, ready to play but waiting.
"I'll cover your back, as usual." Tauriell states knocking an arrow, checking if the bad guys are already following them.
As the group goes in one after another they find themself on 10 foot wide stairs. These stairs lead into a rather large room which is about 40 foot wide and 70 long.
Magical, flameless torches illuminate this massive stone chamber, which features a strange series of columns rising from a deep chasm in the room’s center. The top of each column is flush with the surface of the floor and features an arcane rune. At the far end of the room stand two stone thrones on a raised dais. On the wall behind the left throne is a relief of a king signing a document while speaking to a crowd of featureless faces. Behind the right throne is a relief of a thief who holds a knife to a featureless man’s throat while picking the pocket of a nearby woman.
The stairs are centered on the narrow side of the room. At the end of the stairs there are 10 foot before that chasm. The chasm is 20 foot wide with the columns providing a convenient way to cross the chasm. Seven of these four by eight columns are missing. On the other side of the chasm is the rest of the room with the thrones.
Niamh looks around asking "What do we search? Stonechairs? A rune riddle?"
"No. We are searching for a shepherd’s crosier, a two-foot-long mithral rod covered in gold leaf and gems. It's a thing you got if you were some high ranking follower of Aroden." Abomentolor explains.
"And what are the rune pillars for? Maybe they want to make our way a bit more difficult?" Niamh asks then thinks a bit and adds "You don't know either, do you?"