Lyriah stays in the middle of the party and continues scanning with Detect Magic while they move, but will keep an eye out for trouble or movement.
Reza continues to stay near the front, allowing Durandel to pop forward and check for traps if need be, but otherwise providing a solid front line of steel.
“I suggest we check out the area directly in front of the entrance we just came through.” Lyriah says, motioning everyone toward that direction. Wondering what could lie in wait, she tries to look in that direction, hoping her elven eyes are accustom enough to the dim light to see.
The entry that Lyriah directs the party towards leads to a hallway with several openings to the various rooms of the south wing. Numerous huge holes in the ceiling let in light, and have obviously let in the elements over the years. A weatherworn statue of a winged woman stands in the middle of the hall. A door to the north of the statue hangs open.
Lyriah eyes the statue, trying to determine if there is magic in or around it.
“Shall we continue through here, or head back through the nave?” She asks her brother distractedly, as she keeps her Detect Magic spell going.
"Continue, I should think, but only once you're ready." He waits for her to finish up inspecting the statue, before they move on.
Lyriah detects no magic beyond the party.
Tariq and Reva (and others) recognize the statue as a representation of Sarenrae.
“Nope, no magic.” Lyriah said, more to herself than anyone, then still in a distracted tone,
“I remember reading somewhere that, in the past, monasteries have hidden some of their treasures inside secret compartments in statues, if they knew they were about to be attacked. Perhaps Durandel could check the statue for compartments?”
Reza grimaces slightly at the idea.
"It's a statue devoted to the goddess. I'd rather not do such a thing."
Crossbow in hand, Tariq follows close behind the party.
"I am charged to be here, doing this work. You, my companions, are not. As every with every religion, I am sure my masters realize that when enough of the faithful aren't available to do their will, sometimes help must be hired, especially if that entails risking life and limb. It is also true that hired people wish to be paid, in coin and valuables, not just good will."
"I would say that the monastery, returned clear of monsters, will be well received, and few questions will be asked. If the minor valuables go missing, well, that is the price of having adventures do the work, rather than clergy. All I ask is that if something is truly sacred, that we return it to the church; for which I am sure you will all be well compensated."
“Actually, my intention was not to take valuables, but to return them to church hands. But if there also happened to be a holy artifact that could be used in the hands of say, a priest or a paladin, perhaps that could aid us whilst we clear this area of those who do not care for your religion. Besides, what if the defilers of this holy place have placed traps in or around the most holy points of this institution? Is it not foolish to at the very least examine them, despite your superstitions.” Lyriah intoned, the last of which was under her breath and only audible to those closest to her.
“It’s your call.” She said looking to the cleric and her brother with a shrug.
"Superstitions? If by that you mean that my belief in Sarenrae to be unjustified, or that she is just a delusion, then by extension, you will have no need of, nor a belief in, any healing or other magics granted by her. Or do you propose that there are no gods and people's faith in them is unfounded?"
"Either way, I take great offence at the comment."
Reza's eyes widen at the rift between the elven woman and the cleric, as he tries to defuse the situation. "Friends, let us remember that we may not be alone in this place?" He meaningfully glances around the room.
"My inclination, like Tariq's, would be to not disturb any relics of the faith, though I concede the point on removing them to ensure they are not defiled or found by monsters."
The discussion between the party members has not gone unnoticed, as a quartet of growling primates emerge from the doorway near the statue. This must be the source of some of the odour.
(Untrained, but +1 from Int.)
The growling of the animals distracts Tariq from his growing ire at Lyriah's comment. Raising his crossbow, he aims past Reza and looses a bolt at the animal.
As a move action, Tariq reloads his crossbow.
Tariq is first to spot the movement, and quickly fires his loaded crossbow. Whether it is luck, or Sarenrae's guiding hand, the bolt hits the beast in its open maw, and it drops to the ground.
The primates have cannine snouts, big fangs, and bright red buttocks. Tariq recognizes them as baboons.
At first, Reza thinks Tariq is firing at him, and then, he hears the solid thunk of the bolt hitting the baboon's skull behind him, and the chittering of the apes.
He swivels from the argument, now irrelevant, and clashes his scimitar against his shield.
"Let's not monkey around with these things, eh?" he says, laughing, and readies himself for an assault.
OOC: Readying an action--the instant one of the baboons charges in range of him, he'll attack the thing.
To save time, should that happen:
Lyriah, having finally recovered from the clerics sudden outburst, recovers her composure, but only manages to yet again insert her foot squarely in her mouth.
“In truth, I didn’t think you heard that, but I was not nor would I ever besmirch the...”
Lyriah pauses as she casts sleep on the creatures, carefully making sure no party member is caught in the radius, but trying to get as many of the creatures as she can.
“...goddess’ good name in any way, I merely had a problem with the transcendental quality you put on a plain stone statue.” She continues after casting.
In an attempt to get some use out of the contentious statue, Lyriah uses it as a centering point for her spell.
The one baboon she can see keeps coming onward, but there is a decrease in the amount of growling behind it.
One of the baboons closes with the party, and Reza slashes it with his scimitar. The baboon is in mid-attack, however, and its fangs strike at the holy warrior.
Its fangs stop well short, perhaps because of the grievous wound it suffered.
Durandel stays on rearguard, rapier poised.
Tydus slashes at the baboon's neck, and it falls to the floor. Its head rolls away from its body.
“I’ve placed the others under a sleeping spell.” Lyriah explains. “But you’ll want to do something about them quickly as they’ll only be out for a minute, and baboons are ill-tempered and territorial.”
"Tydus, Reza, would you be so kind as to finish those beasts off."
Reza nods, steps forward, and prepares to cut down one of the baboons.
OOC: This will take a turn to move in, then another for the coup de grace. When that happens:
The two warriors step forward and slay the remaining baboons before they can recover from Lyriah's spell.
Once the threat is dealt with, the rest of the party follows.
From their new vantage point, the group can see into several rooms.
The baboons came out of some sort of communal bedroom, though it is now filthy and pungent due to the occupation of the animals. Also to the north is a kitchen area, containing a central stone work table, shelves, and a large oven.
To the south is a former dining area, with three large ruined tables and dozens of smashed chairs. Another doorway to the south looks like it leads to a larger barracks, with many bunks.
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this. I think there might be Pugwampi nearby.” Lyriah says looking about.
Tariq steps forward, stands behind Durandel, and murmurs a short prayer to Sarenrae, before touching him on the shoulder. "The blessings of Sarenrae be upon you." Durandel feels a slight warmth pass through him, starting at the shoulder.
“I got a bad feeling coming from the kitchen or dining area. Tariq, Durandel, you feel anything?” Lyriah cringes as she asks about the odd feeling she senses and feels every bit the fool for having asked.
Reza waits for Durandel or Tariq to verify the presence of ill luck that seems to follow the pugwampis around.
"Ready to move in?" he asks, once they do.
Puzzled at Lyriah's question, Tariq responds. "I feel nothing untoward or unnatural. Why? What is it you are feeling?"
Tariq moves to the corner behind Reza and casts Guidance on him as well.
"May the Blessings of Sarenrae be upon you."
“I...” Lyriah starts distractedly peering into the kitchen, hopefully not in a vain attempt to determine where the mysterious feeling was originating.
If nothing comes of her quick, but intense search, she will cast Detect Magic again.
Reza nods his thanks to Tariq, then turns to Lyriah.
"Point me at one of them, sister, should you find one." He waits for her to finish up her search before they continue on.
Lyriah sees nothing moving in the abandoned kitchen, though there is cookware on the stove and filthy dishes stacked in various spots.
However, once she begins to cast a spell, she hears a small twang and an arrow shoots out from behind one of the shelves towards her.
The dart shoots wide, but Lyriah can see one of the sickening pugwampi hiding behind a shelf.
Lyriah screams more from surprise then fear. Silently she chides herself for allowing the outburst, but then realizes that in her self admonishment, she paused a little too long allowing the Pugwampi another attack on her while she just stands in the doorway. Her face reddens with embarisment at her ineffectiveness at such a crucial moment and she hopes it won’t be her last moment as she cringes at the coming attack.
Seeing the great danger to his companion, Novid bravely moves in front of the wizard and fires his shortbow at the gremlin.
The arrow goes over the head of the creature.
However, it turns out it is not alone.
Two more of the sickening creatures scurry out from where they were hiding in the shadows, and all three turn their bows on Novid.
Novid is peppered with tiny darts. They don't hurt much individually, but they do take some of the fight out of the bard.
Reza moves in to stand with Durandel, calling out a prayer to Sarenrae as he does, hoping to distract the little monsters from Novid.