"Well, looks like we know where we're sleeping. Let's check for holes in the walls and gather some firewood from the ruins."
"Agreed.", Warden nodded in response, starting to check the walls.
As Havelock passes by Droviz he wags a claw warningly.
"No trying to seduce the goddess you. I know an older lady wit experience might appeal, but I also bet she is wise to your tricks."
"I like Desna, Doc, but I'm making nice with a different lady," Droviz says.
The Drow briefly pulls a silver symbol of Calistria out of his collar, then tucks it back.
Ragnar looked confused. He slowly scanned his surroundings, looking mostly at empty space and counting under his breath. After a few moments he sighed and looked frustrated, starting over. "Stop, please." He said after a few moments, starting over again. "Where is Kaia?" he asked after a few moments."[/b] he rolled his eyes. "Stop hiding inside Havelock. It is rude."
"Alright, now hush for a moment. Do you hear that? Yes. Is that any of you? Alright, thank you."
He looked out in the distance. "There are children. That way."
Hide INSIDE Havelock? That is...ugh!
The Tengu shivers at the implications and hugs himself for a moment.
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Krystae smiles as she recognizes the symbol of her goddess. "This will be a very welcome place to take a rest." She stops to place her hand over the holy symbol with a small smile. "Thank you, milady." she whispers in supplication to the patron. "You honor us with this shelter."
She takes a few moments to check the area as Droviz suggests before taking a seat. "Who would have ever thought to find a temple to my goddess in this forsaken land."
"You kidding? The surface ain't like Zirnakaynin. When you folks see the darkness gnawing at the walls, most call for the light. Back in the Darklands, if folks see the dark, they try to join up."
"Desna is the goddess of travelling amongst other things. More than a few grateful travellers in their times has built a small way-shrine with their own hands."
Stroking a claw along the wall, Havelock muses for a moment.
"I doubt very much that there is any part of our world where you could not find at least a small temple honouring her. Especially when one considers just how ancient a goddess she is."
Ragnar began to walk in the direction he had heard children.
Warden silently continued to check the perimeter/walls.
It was well aware that is was by far the youngest in years among the companions, even compared to the younglings accompanying them.
But it had memories that were ancient, part of the shared memory of the ancient knot tree it was bound to, and the trees before that had provided the seeds for it.
Gods were a fleeting thing, to them, as well. They were...concepts...ideas. If one died, another took it's place...there would always be a God of travelling. Before Desna, after Desna...
Warden felt that the opinion could be unpopular among those who built structures to honor these beings, so kept silent.
Nature would reclaim this place soon enough, and for now, it would serve well to keep the travellers save, so this Desna was doing her job, and Warden could appreciate that.
As you approach the old temple, ghostly images of translucent children suddenly appear all around you. For a moment, they don't seem to notice you as they continue to run and play. Suddenly though, the serenity is broken as at first one begins to cry out, and then another, and then the rest. Their screaming attention is immediately drawn to Ragnar as they all scatter and flee away from him and run through the door inside to the temple.
A faint light can be seen through cracks in the door.
Havelock stops and holds up a hand to stop the others, then he quietly points at the door.
"Lights...someone is there I think."
"No... do not run, i can't..." Ragnar's single eye clouded over white. He rushed after the ghosly children and crashed right into the door. Suddenly he didn't seem to be seeing the mortal world much. "...Οχι ξανά."
"Whoa there, big guy! What've you been drinking and where can I get a bottle?" Droviz asks. "Something seems off around here, folks. Nadya; you and your boys should hang back for a bit, alright?"
Ragnar crashed through the old wooden door sending it slaming into the wall and reverberating, splinters falling off to land on the stone floor. The children inside dash away from the door and deeper into the template. The priests inside are taken by surprise at the sudden outburst of activity but quickly move to usher the children towards the alter and away from whatever monsters they may be running from.
The tattered remnants of priestly robes mostly obscure the nature of the priests...mostly. One by one, they turn their attention to the doorway, their mouths hanging open in silent screams and their flesh having all but withered away in most places.
Huecuvas! Diseased-undead that can deliver filth-fever with their filthy claws.
These undead are somewhat resistant to positive energy and non-magical or non-silver weapons.
Havelock moves forward, drawing forth his main weapon as he goes.
Most of his mind is occupied with taking stock of the enemies, but a small part is detached enough to note the very tiny flickers of blue energy playing along the newly enchanted blade.
Beautiful and deadly grace...
As he gets into position, he skilfully palms one of his newest concoctions, happy to get a chance to test it properly.
"Alchemy makes everything better!
Fang, being the faithful ally it was, realized that SOMETHING was going on. However, until there was direction from it's smarter half, it would keep doing what it did all the time...that which was it's ultimate purpose: guarding Warden and defending it against enemies.
With a low growl, it moved very slightly forward, preparing to attack anybody moving towards the group with hostile intention - however, it remained wary of the big man, who seemed to be acting strange again - and the last time that happened he ceased to be friendly-
"What in the infinite layers of the Abyss am I looking at?" Droviz shouts.
The creatures move forward slowly, deliberately, like a hunter herding it's prey. Cold fire burns in place of their eyes and their outstretched hands end in sharp claws that could rend flesh like a scythe through wheat. The air in the room has turned cold again. Whatever little warmth was provided by the few dozen scattered candles seems to have been snuffled out, though the candles still burn. Whispers echo off of the walls as they encroach closer, so faint they seem to be inside your head and not traveling through the air.
"protect the children, defend the children, keep them safe...until she comes..."
The ghostly children cower at the rear of the building hiding behind the far side of the alter.
Ragnar extended a hand and a wave of power washed out from him.
"Well, I see it like this. Bones are bones," Droviz says as he presents his silver warhammer and an oily sheen of blackness covers the argent metal, "and bones are for breaking!"
Shouting at the top of his voice, the masked Drow charges at the undead blight closest to Krystae and swings!
Havelock retreats just a little before lobbing his drawn bomb at the sneaky one trying to move in on the flank.
"Their goal seems noble. Do you think maybe they are not aware they failed? None of them?", Warden asks of Ragnar, moving next to him with a shortspear in hand, eyes fixed on the closest of the creatures.
Fang moves up next to Warden, the hard thorns arrayed like a set of serrated teeth bared and obviously prepared to use them.
The huecuvas, resolute in their mission, shrug off Ragnar's commands and continue to advance forward. Havelock's bomb veers off course and crashes into the cathedral wall. The flames lick at the huecuva's decayed flesh but with little to burn leave only slightly scorched bone. Krystae's words, while filled with heated venom, seem to have no affect on the undead priests. Droviz's hammer shatters bone and the huecuva's grimace betrays it's pained face. None of the monstrosities get close enough for Fang to attack. Warden's spear strikes the undead square in the chest but seems to deflect off of it's bone chest plate.
Claws flash through the air and rip feathers from flesh, drawing blood in the process.
"Bash 'em down!" Roaring, Droviz sweeps his hammer at the huecuva again!
Also resolute in his mission, Ragnar continued trying to overpower the will of the fallen priests.
"Fang, flank with me", Warden stated calmly. Saying it out loud was not REALLY necessary, their bond was on a deeper, more primal level - but being around the others in the group for a while now had made Warden more vocal.
As soon as the loyal companion was in place, Warden stabbed at the Priest in front of it, albeit with little effect.
Fang circles around, then assails the unnaturally moving dead thing caught between it and Warden with extreme prejudice.
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Krystae falters a moment when she notices the utter failure of her spell, wondering if these undead could have someone defiled this temple so much to sever her ties to Desna. She pushes aside such concerns for now and focuses upon her tried and trusted longbow; she hoped the spirit of the old hunter would approve of her usage of the weapon. She touches a hand to the tome hanging from her belt and a green glow spreads to her fingers. She snatches an arrow from her quiver, quickly takes aim, and lets the missile fly!
Droviz's hammer catches the huecuva upside the head chipping bone away and apparently stunning the undead priest where it stands. Rangar's negative energy reaches out to grasp the minds of the undead and manages to ensnare the one Droviz had been hammering. Fang stalks around the undead priest, careful to avoid it's rending claws. Warden's spear finds no target but Fang's teeth do. They rip flesh from bone but the huecuva still stands. Krystae's anger begins to consume as her arrow proves to be as ineffectual as her magic.
While one of the huecuva's stands motionless, the other three continue their clawed assault ripping at bark, flesh and feathers alike.
Droviz snarls as he finds himself stabbed in the back. Seeing that the huecuva he had been fighting appears to be out of commission, he wheels around and brings his hammer down on the latest antagonist.
Unfazed by the wounds the enemy inflicts on it, Warden continues it's ineffectual assault - knowing that martial combat was Fangs area of expertise, and trusting it's companion to dispatch of all threats they faced.
Alas, Fang was a hunter, and when it came to dispatching of creatures, it was usually a very good tactics to keep ripping out stuff that originally was inside them. As such, Fang ineffecualy snaps at parts of innards and flesh dangling away from the creature, ripping them away without the huecuva even noticing.
Ack! Disgusting!
In anger at being attacked, Havelock strikes out at the undead in a fury.
And he keeps hacking away, cursing loudly.
Ragnar said something to the creature he now controlled in his native tongue. It immediately turned on it's brethren.
Then he thrust his spear at the nearest one.
Ragnar's skeletal ranger minion fired an arrow at the Hecueva that Ragnar attacked.
Droviz's hammer connects solidly with an undead, but both Fang and Warden are unable to land blows, and neither is Ragnar. Havelock's huge sword cuts a chunk into another of the undead and Krystae's arrow lodges in the huecuva that Droviz had clobbered. The huecuva that Droviz had nearly finished turns it's attention on it's brethren, clawing and ripping to little affect. Ragnar's undead companion draws an arrow and sends in into the Ragnar's foe nearly severing the head from the creature's body.
The undead priests continue their onslaught in defense of their ghostly children but only one manages to dig it's claws into Warden.
Ragnar thrust again!
The undead bowman released another arrow.
With a stoic lack of passion, Warden stabbed at the Huecuva again.
Fang used the opening to assault the undead thing with renewed determination.
The taste of undeath and decay did not make the actual biting very enjoyable, though.
Seeing his enemy weaken, Droviz brings the hammer down yet again!
"You bastards! You bastards! Die again you evil bastards!"
Havelock is all but lost in a frenzy by now, eagerly hacking away with his prized possession.
Hammers and swords flash, arrows fly, and teeth snap but only fang is able to land a blow on the undead priests. He rips more decayed flesh from ancient bones but the huecuva still stands, albeit barely.
Krystae's arrow streaks through the air and straight through the huecuva's neck, severing it's head from it's body. The rest of it collapses into a heap on the ground.
The two remaining undead priests with free will continue to claw at Warden and Havelock, managing to rip and tear away both bark and feathers as blood continues to stain the stone floor.