"I-I'm fine." Luca squeaked out, having hidden behind her Eidolon throughout the encounter. Her injured Vilstrak, on the other hand, vanished a few moments later... apparently no longer interested or able to be present.
"Peachy," Dante says sourly as his blade slips from his hand. He sits down hard on the floor and groans as the pain catches up with him. He had two awful burns on his face and arm. He uncorked his water flask and doused both in cool water hissing at the stinging sensation. " It think we came the wrong way too. Pretty sure that door leads to the base of the pyramid and the demon maggots."
Kien shrugs as he dabs a cloth along the burns on his arms. "We went south from the Temple. Pyramid was south. Guess you can get in from both directions."
"Well, we're in no state to face it now." Tyrus argues. 'Young men. Each scared to show weakness in front of the other' "But I think this could be a good point to dress wounds, if anyone would like some medical care."
"I'll help." Luca offered. She was really no good in a brawl, but she could help Tyrus by carrying things, holding stuff in place, and so on. Going by what they'd seen so far, it was about the best they were going to get in this forsaken place.
Kien gingerly removes his cestus, revealing ruined, bleeding flesh underneath. "I would not say no," he says to Tyrus.
To reduce the rate of WW gain, natural healing in Eldreon is a bit better (on average) than in regular Pathfinder. A character that is otherwise in good condition (not fatigued or starving, no diseases or poisons, etc) who gets a good nights rest (8 hours) regains hitpoints equal to 2 for each character level, plus half their CON modifier (round up) times their character level. Thus, a level 3 character with a Constitution of 14 would regain 6 + 3 = 9 hitpoints from a full, unstressed night's sleep. Yes, negative con modifier's would subtract from this (down to a minimum of 1 hp gain).
Whatever salve Tyrus applied, it did a fantastic job. He felt no pain and almost completely functional again. Which was good cause the magical healing was starting to take it's toll. "I don't think there will be anything worth it in there. Unless the materials from such a creature are worth something."
"Luca - do you mind doing a preliminary analysis with those not under care? "
"Um, n-no. What do you want me to l-look for?" she asked uncertainly. She was rather obviously desperate to help in any way she could so as to not be thought of as a liability - but at the same time, she didn't have the experience needed to take one look and know what to do. She did, however,
"We need a magic healer." Kien says as he settles down for a long rest of mundane care.
"Writing. Artefacts. Secret doors. That sort of thing." Tyrus throws out, stitching Kien back together.
Tyrus hesitates at Kien's complaint "There are options." he admits "But such things are expensive, or take a toll on the soul. I'd rather have another day or two of enforced rest than have someone fall to melancholy and suicide. I could brew up a Styptic that'd have you hale in minutes, but even a few would use all our profits."
"Still better than being dead." Kien says with a shrug.
As Tyrus spoke, Luca looked over to her Eidolon, who had always been much better at finding things than she had. "Well, you heard him." she said urgently. It just thumped down and looked at her for a few moments. "Look, the sooner we're done here, the sooner we can all get to safety. That's better, right?" It kept staring at Luca for a few long moments, then made an exaggerated shrugging motion and began circling the room.
Fluffy thoroughly investigates the room, but is not able to find anything hidden. The two statues which had been enchanted to summon guardians have bit of precious materials within them, and the other two statues seem to be normal, inert stone. The corridor you came from and the door to the south (and, assumedly, the room holding the demon corpse and its attendant monstrous maggots) are the only exits.
The materials inside the statues consist of such things as gold, amber, and crudely worked gemstones. Even before considering their archaeological worth to the correct buyer, the raw materials themselves would fetch a few gold sovereigns in almost any market.
Well, taking the precious materials was probably wise - goodness knew they needed money. (Though Luca wasn't likely to carry them herself. She was exactly as weak as her young body suggested.)
"Um... do you... want me to try sending a scout through?" Luca asked, checking to see if there was enough stone in the area to support that.
"Good idea." Kien rumbles as he rubs at his wounds absentmindedly.
You've heard and read all sorts of things about the power inherent in devils and demons and the like. If this thing was strong enough that its corpse is still feeding and mutating things after it died (and probably LONG after it died, too) you bet you could get something out of it. Blood, heart, bones, all of that stuff could be useful, depending on exactly what kind of thing it was. You've never studied exactly how to get that stuff, but you bet that between you, Tyrus, and Luca you could figure it out.
Selling it might be tougher. Not a lot of markets in the world where selling demon-parts is taken lightly...
"Even just as materials, that should be enough to see us all with a gold each." Tyrus says of the precious materials in the stone.
"Should we rest? All are injured, many of our spells are spent, and my remaining spells are best against creatures with bones. I'll be little use in the fight ahead."
"Yes, we're likely to fall if we get into another difficult fight."
Dante frowned at the door. Beyond was a dead demon and bunch of overgrown maggots. That meant the demon had certainly been powerful and it's corpse would likely fetch a high price. But they didn't have the connections to make anything from it. No, it's value would be in the information.
Dante casts a cantrip and peers at the door with magic sight, checking to see if it was trapped, and looks again with normal sight for something more mundane. Would the doors even open after so long? "I want to know if we can at least open the door. But I don't care to go any further today."
"That's fair, I suppose." Tyrus conceded.
The door is sound, and the little remnants of magical auras you see on it indicate a locking spell was tied to the lifeforce of the guardians - with their final death, it has failed. You see no reason to believe the door would not open.
On close inspection, you do find one last defense against illicit entry - a mechanical trap, deactivated by a hidden switch in the stone framing. It seems darts - probably poison-laden - would have sprung out of the floor upon any attempt to open the door.
The group returns to their camp for the night, exhausted and injured from the fight. Setting watch and dividing up the various chores of cooking, gathering firewood, etc, have all become familiar.
In the night, you hear noises outside the building. Peering out into the darkness, you catch sight of shapes moving in the darkness beyond the temple walls. Sometimes in trees, sometimes skulking about in the ruined portion of the walls themselves, and never quite entering.
Kien takes the middle watch, since his darkvision allows him to be a good guard in the darkness.
When Kien wakes the next person for the final watch of the night, he points off towards the ruins. "The jungle orcs are warily watching the temple. Make sure to keep an eye on them, and don't let me forget to tell the others in the morning."
Tyrus sleepily rubs at his eyes. "The who what?" A moment later the sentence penetrates his mind and he jolts awake "Ah. I understand. Hopefully their superstitions protect us, but we'll need to move faster, and have a plan for what to do when we finish."
Luca's eidolon growled something during her own time up, and she just tilted her head in a bit of confusion. "Mmmrrr... d'you want me to summon a few of those shrieking things? A few uncomfortable noises out of nowhere might convince them their worries are well-founded." she said, rubbing her eyes sleepily.
"We'll have to leave during the day then," Dante says after hearing about the orcs. "They might not like that we were here." They had entered a temple the orcs were afraid to. That meant the natives would likely praise them or attack them. Dante was betting on the latter. So best to not give them a chance. Dante was close to just calling it here. Information about the demon's remains alone would fetch a high price. But he also didn't want to leave it unfinished.
Despite the unwelcome news of the watching orcs, the night passes without real incident. The group breaks their fast and makes their way back underground. Dante checks and find that the door trap is still deactivated.
Luca glanced at her Eidolon, who yawned widely but took up a position in front of her to safeguard her from whatever might be beyond the door. She was neither brave enough nor stupid enough to try and open the door herself, but she did keep a glimmer of magic ready to speed the group if the situation suggested it.
"So, continue on where we left off?" Kien suggests.
"Indeed. Let me just ensure all my wards are prepared first. We know danger lurks beyond, so let us be ready for it." Tyrus suggests.
"These things may have odd resistances. I'd suggest being defensive until we figure out their weakness. Or just make Kien big and smash them." That seemed to work just fine on the blood creatures and the statues.
"Big Kien is a workable strategy." Tyrus admits. "Kien, if you can stay near me, then I'll cast it as Dante opens the door."
Tyrus rubs his chin "Dante, often a ceremonial burial room like this will be loaded with grave goods. Did your sword see anything?"
"I'll still fit through the door and in the hallways, right?" If Kien ended up trapped in a small space he probably wouldn't handle it well.
"I can hold off till you are through, if you prefer." Tyrus offered.
"No. And it didn't seem like anything would fit down the shoots up top either. But if there is a way in the side then maybe they brought it something beyond sacrifices." Dante grabs a door handle and waits for everyone to be ready before opening.
Luca was about as ready as she'd ever be - which was to say "terrified but with no better options".
Dante opens the door. It swings surprisingly easy on its ancient fittings. Inside, the room is lit with a dim, unearthly red glow given off by the enormous pile of still-wet gore that is the devil's corpse. Within it, suckling at whatever piles of unclean carrion they can find, two vast maggot-like creatures rear up at the sudden intrusion of strange light.
The walls are entirely covered in Makan script, floor to cieling on all three sides of the triangular room. There are a pair of what seem like altars on each wall as well - and the remnants of a humanoid corpse seem wedged between one such pair.
Combat: Surprise Round
As Luca's Eidolon crouched down in a defensive posture several feet before her, Luca quickly chanted under her breath... and this time, her vision only dimmed instead of blacking out entirely as the power flowed through her. As she finished, protective energies settled over the others.
Kien is slower than the enemies to react.
Tyrus latches his hand around Kien's bicep, and magic floods his being. "Get ready to move out of these coridoors" warns the wizard, as he lets go.