Up in the rafters, Argia lets out a croaking cry as she bites and claws at the annoying creature. Down below, Horgun snatches up his axe again and runs to swipe at the fallen creature to finish it off.
Round 2
The pugwampi Chee is fighting manages to avoid most of the damage, but squeals loudly as the fire rolls over him. He looks seriously injured.
Janos' spell spreads forth, blessing his allies.
The pugwampi is able to resist Aakim's flare, laughing at him for his failure.
Jesail's bolt flies forth and strikes true, knocking a pugwampi clean from the rafters, who then falls and strike the ground hard, dead.
Horgun's axe slices through air and he almost loses his grip on it. Argia on the other hand manages to swoop in and rip a great chunk of skin off of her target and rake the throat with a talon. The pugwampi gurgles and gasps as it falls from the rafters, landing in a small pool of it's own blood.
Chee nimbly dodges another arrow aimed for his head, and the pugwampi that shot it sneers at him, giving him the finger.
Argia is struck by an arrow from the only pugwampi really thinking.
Janos's armor neatly deflects the arrow heading for him.
The pugwampi next to Horgun has gotten up and is screaming and running for the door.
With a commanding whistle from Horgun, Argia lets out an angry squawk and leaps at the one in the rafters, her beak snapping in its face.
Horgun takes an opportune swing as the vile pugwampi flees past. Then he turns to take a quick assessment of the battle, and with a resolved face leaps to attack the chandelier rope that Janos has worked on before.
Aakim keeps singing, trying to hit the injured creature on the ground with his whip. Perhaps a snap on the face will teach the nasty thing a lesson.
Fine Jesail. Maybe you were right about bombs. I try something different.
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[b]Round 2, Init: Last[b]
If I can, I'd like to try to light the chandelier (candles, lamps, or whatever) on fire, hopefully catching the little bastard up there in it ith the Spark spell. It is not really an attack spell, it just makes flamible things catch fire. If that isn't allowed, I'd like to try to attack it with the Longspear I drew. If it is out of reach, than I'll attack the one on the ground instead.
Jesail smiles with a hint of pride. "Got one. Let's see if I can pull it off again." Jesail shoots at a fresh foe in the rafters.
Crossbow shot 1:
Crossbow shot 2:
For:
Swift Action to reload.
Round 3
Horgun, having missed his first slash, runs to leap up and slash at the chandelier's rope. It snaps nicely and the chandelier falls and crashes on the ground, sending shrapnel everywhere. Meanwhile, Argia battles the remaining rafter-borne pugwampies to no avail.
Aakim's whip catches on a piece of debris and doesn't fly properly, cracking the air and nothing more.
Chee's bomb sails just short (), exploding and catching both the now injured pugwampi fallen from the chandelier, and Janos
Janos, having gotten through the worst of it, picks up his spear and runs after the one fleeing down the nave of the monastery (the big room before the chapel). The pugwampi is screaming as he runs, but his short legs don't carry him far enough. Janos should be able to reach him next turn.
Jesail once again strikes true, piercing a pugwampi right in the knee, which causes him to fail hard to the floor below with a disgusting crack.
The one in the rafters fires his bow at Argia.
Aakim stops singing and casts flare (DC 13) again on the pugwampi on the rafters.
Argia jukes aside just in time to avoid the missile, and returns an angry flurry of bites and claws at the small creature.
Horgun stands ready to finish off anything that falls down without dying.
Chee waits until the screaming pug is a safe distance from Janos, and everyone else, then throws another acid flask.
Acid
Jesail announces "We have the little buggers on the run. Let's finish them!"
Attack on full health Puggy. second roll:
For:
The pugwampi in the rafters is temporarily blinded by the flare. Argia takes advantage of this to rip it to shreds, hitting with both talons. The creature goes limp, and slowly slides off the rafter, falling headfirst into the hard stone floor. Horgun makes sure it's dead.
Jesail fires at the lone remaining pugwampi, now outside of the unluck aura himself, but his aim is slightly off and the bolt sails wide and clatters to the floor some distance down the nave.
Chee flings another flask at the fleeing creature. The flask of acid breaks on the thing's head, and the acid rains down on it. It's screams turn into a gurgle and then silence.
The silence in the monastery after the sounds of battle - and the constant screaming - are gone is a little unnerving.
Annoying little beasts, these pugwampies says Aakim, with his whip still ready in case anything else moves. Shall we proceed? Which direction you suggest we should continue our exploration of the monastery?
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Assuming I can destroy the skulls and heal, I would like to spend a few minutes to try to clean up the area. Maybe one day we can reopen this place, and rededicate it to Sarenrae, and I'd like to try to rid any taint. If no one else minds that, I'd suggest we travel back towards the entrance and head through any doors from there first, so we can clear the area.
Slightly abashed, Sorry Jesail. You told me not to, but I did anyway. You ok?
Janos smashes the disgusting altar. As he does, from one of the skulls pops an uncut red gem.
Shiny!
Appraise
"Worry not Chee I am fine. You had good judgement in your throws." Jesail moves over to Janos. "Let me help you in the purification of this holy sanctum. I hope that we could also build a shrine to Sheyln as long as it would not offend you brother." Jesail will proceed to aid the Janos in clean up.
The papers scattered around the altar appear to be a religious text of Sarenrae
Horgun coughs loudly. "No disrespect meant, boys, but it's a tad early to be worried about purifying alters and hanging curtains. We've got half the building still to search, and that's not to say there ain't underground cellars too." As he talks he regathers his weapons and rewards his vulture with a scrap of meat. "The job be to secure the whole building and bring the others in. Once that's done you can tend to your holy matters."
The pages are from The Birth of Truth and Light, the principal holy book of the Sarenrae church.
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"I would be honored. This was once a holy place, and shall be again. Would you tell me my friend, what do you feel of this place? Does She live here? Or will She?"
"What called you to Herservice those years ago? I don't recall you being bedazzled by art and beauty in those days."
Knowledge Religion:
The gem is an uncut ruby, about the size of Chee's fist (which isn't large, remember). Chee thinks it's worth about 350gp.
My precious! Furtively hides it away. Sleight of Han
Right. Beard's got it, right. Let's go find more pugs and more shiny.
Horgun smiles genially at Chee as he lays a hand on his axe hilt. "Aye, that's a nice shiny you found there already. Do be keeping a good hold of it till it's time to divide the shares. But ye might want to be making a habit of announcing your finds. That way there be no suspicions about the pursemaster getting sticky fingers, and I don't need to hoist you by the ankles and shake you upside down till everything valuable falls out. I've no trouble with the odd bit of piracy, but the first rule be that pirates don't steal from each other." He lays a kiss on tattoo of Besmara the Pirate Queen that adorns his right bicep.
Giving the others a minute to organize themselves again, Horgun moves out of the chapel again and carefully approaches what is now the first door on his left.
Aakim is too distracted by the discovery of an altar for the Dawnflower to see Chee snatching the stone. He bows deeply, and takes enough time to murmur an honest prayer. He is actually quite bothered by Horgun's words. You may not be happy about the fact that the sun shines on you each and every day, dwarf, but it does, and you should be thankful for that wheter you like it or not. This is a sacred place, and we shall give it due respect. He polishes the altar at the best he can, admiring its detail. He then takes a quick look at the sacred pages, and gathers them. I'll keep these if you don't mind. I'd like to bind this sacred text again and restore it to its former glory. Once he's finished, he gives the others a nod to let them know he's ready to move on with the exploration.
Chee grins back and jumps away from Horgun Have to catch me first! But if you shake me, I'll explode! Distracted by something on the floor, If you wanted it, why didn't you catch it?
Perception:
I watch as Chee tries to hide the jewel. He chuckles. "Enjoy it Chee. I have no need of such things. My reward is honoring my beloved Sheyln."
I listens to Janos. "If this place is adorned properly, I can see it serving both our goddesses. This will indeed become a great place of worship once more."
At the question about his choice of deity I smile. "I have always found art to be appealing. It was my studies in the temples that drew me to her. I was in awe of all that she stood for and I vowed I would do everything in my power to preserve such beauty as that which Sheyln represents. I love her and would gladly walk to the ends of the earth if she wills it."
After we have tidied up a bit I look around. "Agree with Horgun. We should set about clearing the rest of this place before we begin renovating. Come Ser Dwarf, lead the way. We shall watch your back."
I will follow Horgun
The party organizes itself with Horgun at the end once again, with him throwing the door open. The door opens into what appears to be a cloister walk, with a courtyard in the middle. From where the group is standing, it seems that the 4 corners of the courtyard are walled, leaving 4 arches to enter into the courtyard. Along the marble walls surrounding the courtyard are carved bas-reliefs, similar to the ones carved behind the statues flanking the chapel.
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Stepping outside, Janos's head jets to the side, as if he heard something."Did you feel that? Smells. . . " He looks around, searching for something in above. Or maybe he isn't even in the same place as the others, seeing past it, or some mirage induced by the desert's cruel heat. "No, it is not! If so, I would know. She isn't here. Never was. Next cycle."
Horgun mutters, "Aye, devotion may make you all warm inside. But my outside has needs too. I'll be a free dwarf again soon enough, and a free dwarf don't wear sackcloth held up by a rope belt. So we'll be accounting for even shares, if you please. I've no care that you give your share to your little friend if it makes the both of ye happy, so long as I'm awarded mine by the final count."
Cautiously he advances down the short leg of the corridor, moving to peer around the open archway into the courtyard.
Along the right wall as Horgun moves forward, he notices a huge bas-relief carving depicting 5 bearded, larger-than-life humans riding the wind with triumph clearly carved into their faces. Though some of the arms and hands are missing from the carving, each is clearly meant to wield a distinctive weapon. One of the five warriors holds a large axe, while another holds a fragment of what must have once been a regal staff. Behind the quintet, an ominous mountain looms.
Looking into the courtyard, you see huge branches and overgrown weeds, which clog the open-air courtyard. It's mostly an impassable mess, but with enough work, a passage could be cleared through. In better times, the priests would likely contemplate the open space while circling the walk.
What a fascinating tale these carvings must hold...
Aakim recognizes the 5 individuals as collectively being the Templar of the Five Winds, a legendary group of djinni. Upon further inspection of the carvings, Aakim notes that there are names at the base of each depiction. From left to right they are: Kardswann (wielding the axe), Pazhvann, Vardishal, Zayifid, and Davashuum (wields the staff).
Janos recognizes Vardishal as the same figure depicted in the carvings out by the chapel.