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"Gods and godesses of all that is fair and just, please guide my arrow and allow it to pierce the back of this traitorous scum, so that he can never hinder, assault, steal or murder anyone ever again."
Tamarie takes an arrow, aims dreadfully slow and releases as she exhales slowly, as her teacher taught her so many years ago.
When the arrow misses, she uses Elven words that her auntie would smack her for against the head.
Malik manages to make it up the rocks and heads after Olik while Sal is still having difficulties getting up. Tam takes another shot but her unlucky streak returns as the shot goes wide. Jirani abandons hope of catching up deciding to try and help Tam with the ranged assualt. Olik gets out of the muck and navigates through starting to gain ground on the bandit.
The bandit moves for his second attempt at the jump.
He runs and stops short once again, just unable to push himself to make the jump.
Tam takes another shot and closes her eyes as it flies, praying that it hits. She opens them to find the bandit lieing dead on the ground and Olik looking back slightly confused how an arrow actually managed to hit the man.
The bandit doesn't have much, a chain shirt, longbow, rapier, and a pouch with 50 gold.
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Malik picks his way through the mire, taking his time. "These woods certainly deserve their reputation." he comments when standing by the body of the fallen bandit. "Goblinoids, Trolls and Bandits. Oh my."
He turns to Jirani who seems to still be wounded and gives a short prayer before using his magic to heal some of them.
On the other bandits that didn't have a chance to flee, on each you find studded leather, a longsowrd and a small wooden shield.
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"I was beginning to doubt myself. The crosswinds in the forest were really tricky, but near the end I had found a way to compensate. Damned runaway gave you a sweat, didn't he big brother!"
Tamarie chuckles, the fear in her eyes gone that she had lost the one thing she was good at.
"I agree, let's bring them back to town. Shall we leave the bodies to the forest's predators?"
You head back into town following the map and don't encounter any other problems along the way.
Going to the guards they congratulate you on surviving the bandits but don't seem to care much more than that.
Heading to the Goldenfire Order, Iliara thanks you for your help "I had worried something like this might have happened. Thank you for retrieving the remains and returning them. We will convine a meeting and hold a proper burial.
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After taking leave of the Goldenfire Order, Jirani speaks outside, "I need to get a new bedroll, but I think it may be time for us to take a look at the door with our own eyes. We know that there's some trick involving circles, colors and stars, but I can't make any sense of what we've learned so far. Maybe seeing the door will give us some insight."
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"I would agree. Let us see the thing for ourselves. While you buy yourself a fine feather bed though I'll go about showing The Lord in Iron the spoils of his favor." he says with a twinkle of mirth in his eyes.
Carrying his load of weapons collected from their defeated foes Olik makes his way back to the temple.
Once at the temple Olik takes the bundle of weapons from his back and carries them before him as he boldly casts open the doors. Striding purposefully to the alter he locks eyes with the burning sockets of the armored statue behind the dais. Finally reaching his destination he casts the weapons down upon the alter with disdain and calls out loudly, "Battle-caller, Foeslayer, Lord in Iron gaze upon these tokens of strife taken from those too weak to hold them. See that we stand upon the fallen of those who would cut us down. May those who would oppose us ever see your burning continence over our shoulders and tremble." With that he steps back from the alter, gives a respectful nod to Eldrast and departs the shrine to rejoin his companions.
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Tamarie follows Olik when he goes to the temple, without offering to carry any of the weapons. If asked, she replies that it is good training for someone who uses the strength of his arm to inflict damage.
After Olik has done what needs to be done, she walks up unto the same spot. She carries all the arrows she missed with, and walks up to the statue.
"I don't know what that was about, but frak that! Stop sabotaging me, for I will not fail to protect my comrades and slay those that oppose us.
Let me show you that an arrow can do what a grand piece of metal cannot, on equal terms..!"
She throws down the arrows with almost ragelike strength, and walks out.
Once outside, she turns to Olik:
"That guy is a giant baby sometimes. Let's see what happens when you rattle his cage.." and walks on, with a smirk.
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"By the Eternal, at least buy some arrows. We can't go anywhere without arming ourselves." Malik says. "I for one am not against resting for the evening, however." he adds. "My own spiritual quiver could use with some replenishing. But that being said, I am not so depleted, and am also fine with continuing."
After getting some much needed rest you wake in your rooms ready to start your search for the Door of Seven Stars.
After seeing to your morning routines you head off on your way through town. Eventually you come the path that leads to the Accursed Halls. The Halls seem to lay beneath the hill that hosts Thornkeep castle, but the only known entrance is through this tunnel.
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"We should ask around how long the castle has been here and who built it. I'd be surprised if it was just a coincidence that it was built atop this ancient ruin."
"Olik, can I get a light on the ranseur?" Jirani straps the polearm to his back again, and draws his longsword. He leads the way into the tunnel and down the first set of stairs.
You head down the stairs into an oval shapped room, there is a hallway that continues out of the room.