Anevia looks positively miserable as she stares at the temple. She limps up alongside Horgus and shakes her head for a moment.
"Damn leg. Well if we want to see inside - or not - let's keep moving."
Horgus stomps over the ruins to take a look at the side of the temple. He glances over to Ronan and grumbles.
"Hmph. Maybe the group would fare better if it split up since certain folks seem to be slowing us down, if you read me."
Anevia whirls on Horgus, her face slack with shock for a moment before she begins shouting in pure fury.
"How dare you... you vile man! I can't say I'm surprised that you're just as miserable as ever. A man so afraid to acknowledge his own faith wouldn't be moved by a temple like this - would he? You miserable cretin! The only thing you shouldn't be ashamed of is your faith - everything else about you is disgusting!"
Horgus is taken aback by Anevia's sudden outburst. After he gathers himself, he simply sneers in response.
"Your words mean nothing. Meanwhile I'll just delight the irony of morality from someone who consorts with common thieves, like yourself."
"Please calm down. We are all under a lot of stress here. We come from different walks of life, but we all must work together to return to those arenas. May I ask for a truce between the three of you? Let us all work together to return to the surface world."
Anevia stares daggers at Horgus but seems to soften a bit at Ayesha's words.
"You're right. There are bigger problems than Horgus right now and we're stronger together than apart. Horgus, I'll be civil to you so long as you at least attempt the same courtesy."
Sarkast confirms the insect is dead, then retrieves his weapons. Again ignoring the bickering, he moves to inspect the entrance to the temple.
"I did not realize that dwarves had built temples under Kenabres. Thora, would it offend your people if we look inside? There may be a clue as to how these tunnels are arranged that could help us find our way out."
Horgus shuts up and is content to crumble. Aravashnial seems very intend on avoiding about Anevia and Horgus and so remains quietly by himself.
An initial inspection of the temple shows no sign of traps or locks. Thora, being a worshipper of Torag herself, knows his temples to be public buildings and welcome to anyone. That said, this temple does not seem particularly inhabited.
"Any can be redeemed. It is the hardest work to minister to those who do not seek redemption, to provide them a positive example in an attempt to lead them into the light. Even those who repeatedly display an ugliness in their heart by abusing those around them can be redeemed. How much effort is more than a person's worth?"
Sarkast nods to Meriui. "Your words are wise. Hopefully those who need to hear are willing to listen." He looks toward Gwerm, not expecting the man to realize he is being spoken of.
Having seen no evidence of danger, he motions to the door. "Let us peek inside, and see what the former inhabitants may have left that could help us."
Thora chuckles. "And if needed, we can thump that message into him." She waves dismissively at Gwerm.
"Yes, yes! Let us look inside! I am very curious to see what's here. Torag, I think, would be happy to see this place have some visitors."
A stone bench lines the southern wall of this chamber. at the far side of the room, a basin of water sits atop a stone pedestal. A stone door engraved with the image of a hammer stands to the north.
"Anevia, you should rest on this bench. Aravashnial could sit with you, and not have to worry about being lost or finding himself in the way. Should the rest of us look beyond this door, or do we want to rest for a moment?"
Sarkast looks over the inner door, again checking for any traps or dangers from long disuse.
Anevia smiles sadly at Meriui.
"If you're going to explore the place that may be best. It will let me think a little bit. I'm worried sick about my wife, this place reminds me of her and soothes me a bit."
"Euch, if I must," says Aravashnial. He leans on Ayesha until he can settle in with the bench pointedly ignoring Anevia but obviously relieved to get a bit of rest from the walk.
Sarkast checks over the door. It is unlocked and he finds no traps and hears nothing from within. Horgus still quite after the fight with Anevia, simply keeps to the rear of the party, following.
"Thora, do you wish to be the one to enter first?"
Thora looks up at Sarkast with huge child-like eyes filled with glee.
"It would be an honour!" she says to him. "Thank you for this." And she tries to open the door.
Thora pushes open the door and heads in to the nave of the temple, followed by the rest of the party.
Broken stone benches line this narrow room. The air is cold and stale, and thick layers of dust cover the floor, benches, and a large altar at the far end of the room.
The room is utterly dark and soon your lights flood it. One bench is somewhat intact; a stocky hooded figure covered in dust sits on it facing the altar.
Sarkast steps in behind Thora, but waits for her before moving in further. He examines everything he can see from where he is in the corner.
Sarkast keeps behind Thora, but from his angle he can see the figure is a male dwarf in prime health, covered in a thick layer of dust. He still has not moved.
Thora takes a deep breath and moves in. She stands beside the dusty figure and, head bowed, says a quiet prayer to Torag.
As Thora steps up beside the figure, its head suddenly jerks up,and the flesh melts from its face as the illusion falls away. What is left is a withered corpse in tattered vestments. With a hiss it leaps at Thora!
This is a huecuva, the corpse of a priest who has blasphemed and renounced his deity shortly before death. They retain some basic intelligence and are resistant to most attacks save silver and magic. Their claws are known to carry disease.
Surprising Thora, the creature rises up and slashes a wound into Thora with its filthy claws!
Round 1
Up
Rowena
Aravashnial
Sarkast
Jinxx
Creature
Ayesha
Ronan
Anevia
Meriui
Thora
Horgus
Jinxx Pounces at the Creature
As the creature reaches out and viciously slashes Thora, Jinxx charges in and tries to tackle it, biting and clawing viciously.
However, the creature seems resistant to Jinxx's attacks and is undamaged!
"That thing is called a huecuva - a priest who committed great blasphemy and has been cursed. It can disease you and someone and its hard to hit it without silver or magic!" Rowena yells out the information to the group as she knocks her arrow.
Rowena's arrow slams solidly into the huecuva, but falls off harmlessly.
Sarkast watches as Thora moves reverently up to the altar to pay her respects, then gasps as the figure he had thought was a statue turns to attack her.
He quickly steps over to try to find a vulnerable spot while its attention is on the dwarf.
Recovering his senses enough to speak in Taldane, he says, "What manner of creature is this?"
Sarkast is unable to get a good shot in as the group moves to surround the huecuva.
The withered dwarven priest looks at the group and lets out a dry, rasping cackle. Its glowing green eyes settle on Jinxx and with a loud, blood-curdling hiss it begins to rend flesh.
One claw manages to land solidly in Jinxx's hide, ripping open a great wound.
Thora jumps back in surprise.
"Goddammit!" she shouts at the withered dwarf, surprised by the sudden movement and burning pain. Then she swings out at it with her axe.
Thora plants her feet and swings as hard as she can at the thing that clawed her. Her mighty dwarven axe cleaves into its chest, the upward motion from the swing sending the huecuva upwards into the air before it crashes back down. However, it is back up in an instant, though the axe certainly hurt it!
Round One
Done
Thora (8/13)
Up
Aravashnial
Ayesha
Ronan
Anevia
Meriui
Thora
Horgus
Start Round Two
Rowena
Sarkast
Jinxx (4/11)
Waiting
Creature (wounded)
Ronan reaches out to Jinxx with a touch and casts Mage Armor
"How long has this place been unprotected to be filled with such violent creatures?" Meriui wonders aloud as moves around the back of the room, readying both shield and scimitar as he moves into a flanking position against this foul creature.
Ayesha moved into the room to clear the doorway. Then, she reached out a hand and lobbed a small ball of acid at the creature.
Having neither magic or silver on him, Sarkast continues in the only manner he knows - distract and jab.
The acid splash eats through the old vestments to do a little damage to the creature's skin. Sarkast hops up onto the altar and from his better vantage point slams his spear down into the huecuva, snapping a couple of ribs. The scent of dust and decay is everywhere as the group surrounds the undead monstrosity.
Rowena a little closer and looses an arrow which goes wide, smashing against a wall.
Jinxx attacks again.
Jinxx manages to land several solid hits on the Hecueva, but the creature's tough resistance makes it difficult to more than a little damage.
As Meriui steps forward, the hecueva's green eyes glow brighter as it senses the holy presence from the paladin. With a hiss it throws itself at Meriui in a desperate attempt to kill him, going straight past his armour to claw viciously at his flesh.
Seeing the huecuva rend Meriui, Rowena lets out a shout to her goddess and channels energy.
"Saranrae, protect my companions from this foul creature!"
"Do not let this thing outlast us!" Meriui strikes at the things as hard as he knows how . . ..
But to little effect.
"I've no intention of that!" Thora grunts, swinging her axe at the ex-dwarf.
Meriui calls out a prayer to the Goddess of Light, and a nova of white energy bursts from his holy symbol, which shimmers briefly around everyone in the party before fading. He follows that up with a mighty swing of his scimitar which only manages to graze the huecuva.
Thora, bellowing with bad intentions, chops down hard with her axe. The swift undead manages to barely avoid being bisected by the dwarf, who again only leaves a graze.
From the back you hear a "Get out of my way!" as Anevia tries to fire an arrow. She sighs and steps to the side, letting Aravashnial takes her place.. He begins chanting loudly and casts a spell, which creates a magical armor about him. "Alright! Now... can somewhere tell me where I can put a wolf?"
Round Two
Done
Huecuva (wounded)
Meriui (5/13) (bastion of good)
Thora (10/13) (bastion of good)
Rowena
Anevia
Aravashnial
[/i]Up[/i]
Sarkast (bastion of good)
Ayesha (bastion of good)
Jinxx (bastion of good)
Ayesha knew that her kukri would not likely be too effective, based on the others' actions. So, she tossed another pea-sized ball of acid at the huecuva, doing minimal damage.
Knowing his attacks aren't doing more than keeping this creature busy, he attacks again.
Jinxx launches himself at the huecuva and locks his teeth onto the creature, biting hard. He is quickly thrown off, but he did some damage. The combat is a whirl of activity as weapons, magic, and one snarling beast continue to pound at the hissing undead thing. Slowly, you seem to be wearing it down as the vestments fall away and the bones chip.
Using his position to the best advantage he is able, Sarkast jabs again with his spear, trying to find a vulnerable spot in the creature.