Razif immediately jumps up from the mention of his name.
"Uh, yes! My name is Razif al-Akkuya, son of Qaseem al-Akkuya. I am a gnoll-hunter by trade. I had heard tales of the city of Kelmarane and it's... unwelcome inhabitants, so I set out to scope the city out, see what I could do. I decided to stop at the monastery first, and that's where I found the rest. Knowing that we share the same goal, I would like to properly pledge my services."
Razif kneels to her.
"Would you grant me the honor of joining the taking of Kelmarane? I require no reward, as achieving our common goal is reward enough to me."
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"Honoured Princess," Korum grumbles from the side of the group as Almah chews her lip in consideration at Razif, "I have a request of you, and I apologise for my audacity in asking of this in front of my gathered colleagues, and yet, it may make your decision easier."
He continues. "I have come to you an indentured servant, looking to earn his freedom. You have offered me food, lodging, and a righteous cause. I would like to continue to work alongside you, but I would ask for my freedom instead of the wages promised to us after successfully scouring the monastery of enemies. Those wages may come in handy in hiring other younger and more able bodies to continue the work that you've begun."
Korum bows deeply. "In thanks for my freedom, I would freely choose to stay here with the caravan and work with Father Zastoran. Surely there will be a great deal for us to do in preparing to assault Kelmarane, and I think I can be more helpful as an alchemist's apprentice than I ever have been in the field." The half-orc nods at his colleagues as he finishes.
"Well," Princess Almah says, eyes slowly moving across the gathered gang, "you have brought much from the old monastery, not the least of which is safety for our efforts moving forward, and for that I thank you all, old and new alike."
She stands gracefully from her cross-legged position and steps towards Korum. She extends her hand for the half-orc to take, and shakes it firmly as the half-orc clumsily does so. "I accept your terms, Maester Scratcher. You are truly a free man, but I've never had a say in the matter. I count you amongst the blessings of Desna in staying with our band in whatever capacity you choose to do so, but I am sure that Father Zastoran will be thrilled to learn of his new apprentice."
She then steps towards the ranger. "Razif al-Akkuya, son of Qaseem al-Akkuya, I accept your pledge of service under one condition - tell me how I know of your family name. It has puzzled me since I first heard it; I know that name, and I pride myself on my memory. It vexes me."
She awaits Razif's answer, after which she steps back to her original position on her rug, still standing. "I originally had promised 200 gold pieces per scout for the clearing of the old monastery. I will not renege on that promise despite recent party turnover." She calls to her major-domo. "Garavel, see that the sum of 1000 gold pieces is paid from the caravan coffers to our active scouting party in whatever distribution they see fit." Garavel curtly nods.
"Now, my agents, it would seem that your tactical force would be without arcane knowledge with the deactivation of Maester Scratcher, but Desna and Sarenrae provide, and we have had the privilege of hosting the arrival of two gnome siblings - Rab-Rab and Min Bunnisbeldar - to our camp earlier this very day. They have come to us from Solku to pledge their service, and if I am not mistaken, the both of them wield considerable magical energies. I would suggest introducing yourselves to them as you will be working alongside each other as we prepare the Kelmarane hinterlands for our infiltration. Enough of this all: it is late, and we must awake very early to break camp. I want to set off at least an hour before sunrise so that we may arrive at the Sarenrite monastery with the dawn. It is fitting, no?"
And with that, the princess dismisses you from her tent. Major-domo Garavel grimly marches you to his tent and bids you wait outside. When he returns from inside his tent, he hands Uzma a large sack clinking with gold coins. "In her name," he utters before wishing you a terse good night.
Layaali nods respectfully to Princess Roveshki and exits the tent. Once outside she looks around, but cannot see any gnomes. Foruntately, she can hear their voices echoing through the camp. Something about bedrolls and camel poop. With a smile, Layaali follows the sound to the animal pen.
Seeing the two gnomes arguing over the positioning of their bedrolls, she bows.
"Greetings, newcomers. I am Layaali Twice-born. A priestess of Vildeis. I am pleased to hear you will be joining us on our journey tomorrow."
Drael, who has waited quietly as the others make their report to the princess, bows his head as she dismisses them.
A look of realization spreads across his face as he puts together her description of their new comrades with the voices he has heard carrying across the camp, and he follows Layaali with a bit of trepidation. As they reach the two gnomes, he steps around the piles of camel dung and extends a hand to both siblings in greeting.
Drael Kapernos, I mostly serve as a caravan guard and to hit things when necessary. Pleasure to meet you two.
As Uzma gives him this unexpected praise, Razif stands there slightly surprised, not really sure how to respond. When Uzma bows, Razif gives a gentle bow back, but the conversation continues before he can really give a proper response.
When Korum nods at the rest, Razif nods back.
---
When Almah asks about his family name, Razif catches on rather quick: the merchant's son inside him takes over from the rugged hunter for a while. "I suspect it's because of the family business. My father heads a proud trade caravan, though admittedly, in the grand game of mercantile, our family is less of a player and more of a pawn. My father would be elated to hear the al-Akkuya name even ringing a bell in such high circles. I hope my service to you will reflect well upon the family name, and that it not be the last time my family can be of service to you."
---
After the meeting, and once Uzma receives the gold, Razif walks up to him and bows. "You have honored me with your words of praise."
Then, he gets up and smiles as he looks him in the eye. "You are an eccentric man, Uzma Mahdi Al Kalid, but our time together has shown you are an exceptional partner." He turns to the rest. "All of you are. I look forward to continuing our work together."
---
Finally, he follows Layaali to the two gnomes. "My greetings. Razif al-Akkuya, a hunter by trade. I look forward to working together."
Rab-rab hops right up out of her bedroll. She smiles so wide it nearly goes from ear to ear! She shakes everyone's hands. "Well hello, there new friends! I am Rab-rab Bunnis! This is Jack-jack!" she holds up her pet jackrabbit. Then she nods her head at her brother. "And that's my brother, Min! It's nice to meet all of you!"
She looks from one to the other. "Journey? What journey? Where are we going? We came to help the caravan retake Kelmarane, but no one told us what we're supposed to do! I've just playing tag with the animals!"
Min sighs loudly at his sister. He gets back up out of his bedroll, adjusts his glasses, and walks over to the newcomers.
"It's NOT Bunnis." Min groans. "It's BunnisBELDAR." She shakes his head at his sister. "I AM Min, though."
The grumpy little gnome shakes everyone's hands. "My sister may be foolish, but she asks a good question. Where are we going, exactly? And for what purpose?"
He looks at Layaali. "You're eyes are very interesting. In all of my studies I have never read about anything like that! How did you get them? Was it magic? They're a little bit creepy. But also amazing."
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Layaali smiles brightly at the little pink-haired gnome. "Its a pleasure to meet you Rab-rab, and Jack-jack." She then smiles at Min. "And to meet you, as well, Min."
"You are correct, Rab-rab. Our goal is to retake Kelmarane from the gnolls who have conquered it, free any prisoners and slaves who may be there, and rebuild the town. I hope to establish a temple there, to the Cardinal Martyr. But, Kelmarane cannot be liberated from here." She gestures at the simple camp. "My companions and I recently purged a nearby monastery of the evils that had taken root within. Before dawn the entire camp will travel there, and we will use this once holy site as a base of operations. From there, we can better plan our attack on Kelmarane, while the caravan can better weather the hazards of the desert and the Brazen Peaks."
With a gentle smile she adds, "Princess Roveshki informed us that you two would be joining us on our crusade going forward. Have you much experience with evil? Or fighting gnolls?"
At Min's questions, Layaali's eyes widen, then she lets out a gentle laugh. "My eyes are very unique indeed, Min. It was not magic, per se, but the will of the Cardinal Martyr." She shows Min her holy symbol, which depicts a battered and scarred breastplate. "Vildeis is an angel. On the day she first witnessed evil in this world she plucked out her own eyes, that she would never have to bear witness to such depravity again. From that day forward she was known as the Cardinal Martyr. She has fought evil every day, in every form it takes, never one to be fooled by appearances, and never afraid of coming to harm. She would give up her life and her dinivinty to cleanse the world of evil, if such a thing were possible, but it is not. And so she fights. And her priests to the same."
"When I was a child, my family's farm was raided by gnolls and we were taken as slaves. But Vildeis smiled upon us. Her battle priests attacked the gnolls and freed many people that day. Unfortunately, I was not one of them. While fleeing the battle, I was killed. A trained hyena leapt at my throat and tore it out. I was dead. But, it was not meant to last."
"When the battle was won, a priest found me. He prayed for the Cardinal Martyr to bring life to me once more, and she answered. She took my wounds upon herself, and breathed life into my corpse. But, I was not the same. Death always leaves a mark. I was no longer human. I aged slower, and displayed unnatural resilience. I was frail, and am to this day. And my eyes were gilded. I can see still, I assure you, for blindness cannot stop the faithful of Vildeis, but only so far. The loss of my sight is a sign of a pledge between the goddess Vildeis and myself. A compact. She restored my life, but it is no longer mine. It is hers. I was marked as chosen by the goddess herself and was immediately given over to the care of her priests."
Layaali smiles gently at Min. "Perhaps, there are others out there, like me. Other pious, twice-born. But, if there are, I have not met them. Does this sate your curiosity? If you wish to learn more I will gladly teach you more of the Cardinal Martyr."
Rab-rab thinks for a moment. "Nope! But I love to fly kites!"
"Moving camp? Oh, boy! I'll help make sure no animals get lost!"
When Layaali starts to tell her story Rab-rab sits down cross-legged on the ground, looking up at her like a child during story-time. Jack-jack sits beside her. When her story is over, Rab-rab claps her hands."Wow. Cool story!"
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The gang find rest wherever they decide to lay their heads but it seems to most of them (gnomes excluded) that a moment after they have closed their eyes, rough hands are shaking them awake, urging them "Get up and aid us in breaking camp!"
Camels and goats bleat and hiss as they are prepared for journey in the deep dark of too-early morning. Tents and pavilions are collapsed and folded into bundles to be tied. Belongings are packed away in crates, and cook-fires are scattered and buried in the sands. The gang arise blearily, bodies singing out in protest as a testament to the last few days' labour.
Within an hour, the caravan is moving under a steadily-lightening sky. Led by the party's desert guide, Dashki, the group makes good progress northeast across the sands and scrub hills. As the looming structure of the monastery becomes clearer under the pale purples and pinks of the near-dawn sky, the gang thinks about what the future holds for them in Kelmarane.
"Evil? Fighting gnolls? Hmmm... Not much. I have not fought anything in a long time. I'd rather read." He thinks for a moment, on all the new spells he has learned since he last fought something. "I suppose I will get to try out some new magic."
"Wow! That's cool! I've never heard of such a thing! I would love to learn more, Layaali!"
Min seems surprisingly excited at hearing about new mysteries.
---
Min goes to sleep in his bedroll. When he hears a strange sound she sits up in his bedroll. "Rab-rab! Did you hear that?"
But, Rab-rab is still sleeping with Jack-jack. She did not hear it.
Hmmm.... Thinks Min. He hops out of his bedroll and wanders over to Layaali's. But she is also asleep. She must not have heard it either. He walks through the camp looking to see if anyone else heard the strange sound, but every is asleep, and the camp is quiet.
Hmmm... Thinks Min. Suspicious!
He heads back to his bedroll, but it takes him a long time to fall back asleep.
---
When Min wakes up in the morning he wanders camp, asking everyone if they heard some strange, distant howls last night. Except the Princess! He does not ask her.
He packs up his bedroll and then makes Rab-rab packs up hers. After scolding his sister for a while he goes to speak with Layaali, and asks her lots of question about death, being dead, weird howls, and her strange blind goddess. He likes to learn everything he can!
When they see the monastery, Min looks at it and thinks, Hmmm... This place looks interesting! I wonder what I can learn inside!
Rab-rab goes to sleep cuddling Jack-jack. She sleeps very well and hops up out of her bedroll happily. She runs off to play with the animals, completely forgetting about her bedroll. Min scolds her for it, and she goes to clean up her things.
On the walk Rab-rab helps the old people with the animals. She sings happily, skips through the sand with Jack-jack, and flies her fancy rabbit kite through the skies.
When she sees the broken monastery she smiles. "Last one to the monastery's a rotten egg!" she calls out. Then she races off. Once she's there she taps Jack-jack. "Tag! You're it! You'll never catch me!"
Whoever gets to the monastery last, she calls a 'Rotten Egg' all day.
Layaali is up and working hard to help the camp, straining to dismantle tents and load up the camels with her weak, frail arms. Unable to find the time to sit in contemplation, Layaali instead prays aloud while working.
"I heard no howls last night, Min. But I have heard them on other nights, deep in the desert. I assumed it was the gnolls from Kelmarane, letting out warning howls. Although, I admit, I do not know if that is correct."
She helps carry as much equipment as she can, and but the time they arrive at the monastery she is very tired. She answers all of Min's many questions as best as she can.
She helps the caravan into the monastery and helps everyone get unpacked and comfortable. She lets everyone else pick a place to stay before her, and unpacks her own possessions last.
Drael groans as the caravan begins to pack up around him. He quickly prepares himself to leave, and helps to load the beasts of burden before accompanying Dashki at the front of the group.
Despite the weight of his pack, his hand is never far from the hammer of his axe as he scans the horizon for trouble.
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On the morning of the eighth day, the gang find themselves again within the confines of the old monastery, like they had never left. Upon arrival, the caravan guards (minus the Princess' guards, who rarely leave her nearby presence) fan out under the direction of Garavel, going over the majority of the ground floor rooms.
Soon after the mercenary guards return to Garavel and confirm the ground floor's relative safety, the major-domo sends for every humanoid member of the caravan to gather in the chapel at the direction of Princess Almah. Within the chapel, the princess has taken a position at main altar, and invites Layaali or Uzma (or both) to come to the front with her.
Once the caravan personnel are gathered, Princess Almah speaks. "My brave people, we have taken the first step out of the unforgiving desert sands towards retaking Kelmarane from the foul villains housed therein. It would only be dutiful that we give thanks to the divine forces that saw our scouting party to victory over the evil that had abused this holy place so," she says, glancing around at the stark walls of the empty (but clean) chapel. "And so, I would ask for a prayer from those blessed by the holy to begin our time here."
Princess Almah glances at Layaali and Uzma, extending her hand towards them as an invitation for a prayer recitation. She bows her head.
Layaali graciously stands beside Princess Almah at the front of the chapel. She smiles at the faces among the crowd. Speaking in a calm, serene voice, she begins...
"It is said that there was a moment in time that was pure. A moment before evil was birthed into this world. Before violence and destruction spread their taint. A single moment."
"And then there was evil among the purity of creation." Looking out among the crowd, she spread her arms wide, palms facing the audience.
"But evil only existed for a single moment, before there were those of us who fought against evil." Layaali places her hand upon her heart, and then gestures at the crowd, clearly considering some of those here among them. "The goddess Vildeis was among those that led the charge, and the patron of this temple--the Goddess Sarenrae--was another. As long as there has been evil there have been those willing to combat it. To fight it."
"Our purpose here is a noble one. A holy one. And whether you are here to fight evil, protect a Princess, support this caravan, or to tend our wounds, you are all--each and every one of you--a part of something larger than yourselves. Something righteous!"
"Together, as one, we are servants of the gods and goddesses who would fight evil and protect the innocent. You may not have felt it, but we have their attention. We have their blessings. And we have their aid." Layaali nods, certain of this to her very core.
"So pray with me. Pray to Sarenrae, that her light may combat the darkness. Pray to Irori, for wisdom. Pray to Iomedae, that her shield may protect us. Pray to Desna for luck. And pray to Vildeis, the Cardinal Martyr, that she takes our wounds upon herself so that we may continue the fight."
Raising her hands to the ceiling, she exclaims,"Raise your hands with me, now, and pray to your gods! Raise your voices, that they will hear us even across the multiverse!"
"WE ARE HERE! AND WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR BLESSINGS! WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR AID! Protect this holy place and protect those who reside within! This we pray! Grant us the strength to face the evils of this world head on, without fear! This we pray! Grant us the wisdom to do what is right, even when the course in unclear! This we pray!"
"And grant us peace. Grant us love. Grant us a blessed life."
"Praise be to the Cardinal Martyr! Praise be to the gods."
Layaali lowers her hands, and bows her head at the audience. "Thank you for being a part of this with me. You are all needed. You are all appreciated. And you are all blessed."
Raising her head, Layaali meets the eyes of everyone in the chapel, one by one, smiling at each.
Then she gestures at Uzma, allowing him his turn to lead the prayers.
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Min sees Layaali trying to lift heavy things with her frail arms, so he goes over to help her. But, he is not very strong either, so he's only a little help.
When Rab-rab announces the rotten egg challenge, Min quickly takes off running, determined NOT to be the rotten egg. "I don't think the others are playing Rab-rab! But I'm not going to be Rotten Egg again!"
When it is time to go into the chapel, Min looks around. Seeing Layaali gets to go on stage her squirms through the crowd and stands at the front so he can see well.
"Come on, Rab-rab. But SHHH! You have to be quiet!"
When Layaali says her prayers, Min tries his best to copy her. He has not prayed much before to any of those other gods, but he does pray to Nethys when it is time.
"Nethys grant me knowledge! Nethys grant me magic! Magic is power! Magic is LIFE!"
He claps really loud when Layaali's prayer is done. Then he looks at Uzma, curious what that strange fellow will say.
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When Uzma is last to arrive, Rab-rab laughs. "YOU'RE THE ROTTEN EGG! YOU'RE THE ROTTEN EGG!" She giggles some more and points at him. "HAHAHA! ROTTEN EGG!"
When everyone is called into the chapel, Rab-rab follows Min. "Hey look! Rotten Egg's up front!"
When Layaali is praying, Rab-rab dances in excitement. When she's supposed to she tosses her arms in the air. When she's supposed to pray loudly, she calls out to this funny Vildeis lady. She does not have a god of her own, but this one without the eyes sounds kind of neat.
At the end of her prayers, Rab-rab exclaims, "Great job!"
Seeing that it is Rotten Egg's turn next, Rab-rab says, "Hi, Rotten Egg! Better luck next time!"
Then she waits to see what Rotten Egg's prayer sounds like.
Layaali smiles and claps politely at the conclusion of Uzma's portents, but inside she's worried.
What did that mold do to him? The Guided One? Northwind? What has possessed him, that a pious man of Gozreh puts his faith in Sarenrae to combat his darkness...?.
Drael listens quietly to both prayers, but his mind begins to race during Uzma's portion. I thought he was a druid of Gozreh, where is all of this coming from.
Rab-rab claps her hands. "Nice job, Rotten Egg!"
Rab-rab leans over to Min and whispers, "I have no idea what they're talking about!"
Min takes a long time to explain to Rab-rab Bunnis about the many gods of the world. AGAIN.
He sighs.
Sisters.
Razif keeps low during the move, helping where he can. He listens with admiration to Layaali's prayer, and doesn't really think twice about Uzma's prayer, and simply does it off as more of his eccentricities. However, he appreciates involving the Dawnflower in these prayers.
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The crowd response to Layaali's prayer is universally positive, scoring a smattering of applause as started by Rab-Rab. The response to Uzma's prayer is decidedly underwhelming.
"Nice job, Rotten Egg!"
Princess Almah thanks both Layaali and Uzma reverently and takes the centre position at the dais. "We shall put the flame to the darkness, Master Uzma," the Princess begins, "and I have a plan to share with you all."
"Today we sort out our boarding arrangements here in what will likely be our home for many weeks to come. We will need space, so I would request that Trevvis, you and your colleagues comb over the undercrypts once more to make sure that all potential harm has been removed. Korum, Nishv, and Father Zastoran, please aid Hadrod and Hadrah in settling the animals in an appropriate locale. Dashki and Garavel, I would have you scout the rooms to provide boarding and workspace assignments. And you, my trusted band..." Almah turns to the gang.
Almah continues. "You are to be our up-front scouting party into the outskirts of the village. We need you to gauge the forces defending Kelmarane. Until I have my papers unpacked, I can only suggest directions in which you might go, but for now---" here, her eyes go straight above her to the chapel loft above and behind her, to the north, "I suggest that you spend the morning keeping watch over Kelmarane from that vantage point. I see that most of the loft structures in here are crumbled and collapsed: some more recently than others. Nevertheless, Garavel assures me that this chapel loft is well and truly intact, and would make an excellent scouting position. I simply leave it to you capable folk to determine the best way up to it. I will come to you with my maps when I am unpacked to plot your way forward."
The princess addresses the entirety. "Go and unpack; you have your assignments. We will meet for a communal meal this evening, those of us who are not out on other duties. May your path be open." She dismisses the group and heads out of the chapel followed by her personal guard.
Razif nods at her instructions, but grimaces at the idea of having to deal with the chapel loft again. Once the gang gathers together, he thinks for a moment.
"Do you think the caravan has something like some extra ropes, or maybe even a ropeladder we can use to make things easy on us?"
Feeling blessed, Layaali smiles serenely, confident in herself and her purpose.
"I... see." Layaali remarks, taken aback. Had the Princess already forgotten she could see no further than a short distance? She couldn't see across the chapel, never mind to Kelmarane!
"Yes, Princess Roveshki."
Once the service is over, Layaali turns to her companions. "I am afraid I will be unable to directly be of service in observing Kelmarane, but I will still aid you as best as I am able. I will keep notes on what you have seen. I can also fetch you food and refreshments."
Looking back up at the loft, Layaali adds, "Of course, we will have to get up there first."
With a serene smile she nods at Razif. "I will search the caravan supplies for a ladder."
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Layaali finds a few (4) coils of rope, but as she canvasses the caravan supplies, she encounters Father Zastoran. The odd human hasn’t had any direct interactions with the aasimar yet, and stares creepily at her face as he addresses her.
”Yes, going to climb up the chapel walls, are you?” the alchemist semi-asks. ”I could be of assistance, mind you, but I’d need some recompense for my wares, my efforts, you see? A brewer has to make some profits if he’s going to remain a-brewing, yes?”
Zastoran offers a single extract of monkey fish for 50gp to Layaali.
Layaali smiles at Father Zastoran.
"Greetings, Father. I am Layaali. The honour is mine." she bows her head at him respectfully. "A fair condition." Layaali replies with a serene smile. "Your labours deserve compensation, just as any others. How long would such a brew last for?"
"Thank you for you assistance. What other potions have you crafted of late?"
After hearing what her job is, Rab-rab shout loudly, "AWESOME! THIS IS GOING TO BE GREAT!"
She looks around for Jack-jack. "Did you hear that, Jack-jack? We're going to go WAY UP THERE and watch Kelmarane! We'll be like SPIES!" she laughs.
Then she looks up at the rafters. "Looks pretty high to me, at least!"
"Bye, Layaali! Good luck!!"
Rab-rab goes over to Uzma. "Hi, Rotten Egg. What god do you worship? I couldn't tell, and Min says most people only worship one, or sometimes a lot."
Min rubs his chin. "Well, that's something I've never done, before. A new experience is always welcome! I wonder what it will be like..."
He looks up at the rafters they will watch from. "Hmmmm.... Yup. Looks high."
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"It'll give you a few minutes, to be sure, but I wouldn't plan a picnic, yes?" Zastoran replies, happily taking Layaali's coins. "My wares? Well, wouldn't you know that I lean heavily towards the medicinal in my inventory - healing and poison treatments mainly, but I dabble in the transmutation school occasionally. Oh, and I make some non-magical alchemical brews as well. You'll be sure to let the others know, yes?"
Zastoran heads out.
*************************************************************************** *****************
A short set of wide ceremonial steps leads down to a cavernous chapel. The vibrant orange and red starburst of Sarenrae still stands along the north wall overlooking the newly-rebuilt altar. Between the stairs and the altar stand dozens of old marble benches, some broken into two or more pieces, but all arranged in neat rows. A wide walkway bisects the pews, leading directly to the raised altar. Here and there a few clumps of the original red carpet along this thoroughfare peek out. Above the chapel, wooden rafters criss-cross the ceiling, and balconies line the northern and eastern walls of the dome twenty feet above the ground. There appears to have been balconies along the western wall of the dome as well, but these have collapsed, leaving little but wooden posts jutting out of the walls. An iron-runged ladder unhelpfully heads up the western wall to these ruined lofts.
The sun streams into the chapel to Sarenrae, the cleverly-crafted starburst on the northern wall reflecting the morning light beautifully, sending dancing golden rays around the room.
Layaali nods at Father Zastoran. "I will pass along your message. Thank you."
With her potion safely in her belt pouch, Layaali collects her coils and coils of rope, and does her best to carry them into chapel. Weak from exertion, she drops the ropes on the floor by her companions.
"Four coils of rope and a single potion of monkeyfish, although its preferable we save the potion for later if we can.
Layaali gets to work knotting the rope so its easier to climb, then she passes the end of the rope to Razif, along with the extract. "Would you mind drinking this? Its magic will let you scale the walls. Bring the rope with you and you should be able to secure it for the rest of us without trouble."
"Ooh! Ooh! Me second! I want to go up after Razif!" Rab-rab says as she hops up and down. At her feet, Jack-jack hops too!
Min sighs. "Rab-rab. Stop yelling in my ears."
Then he goes to help Layaali tie the knots in the rope for climbing. "I once read a book about how to make rope, you know."
Razif looks at the extract for a second, then shakes his head. "Like you said, it would be preferable ig we could keep it for later. Hold onto it for now, I'll try on my own power first!
He takes off his armor (though he keeps his scimitar on him) then takes the end of the rope, ties it around himself, and starts climbing up to the loft.
Min notices the potion and shakes his head. "That's an extract. They will only last for the day. Best to use it while we can. Why don't you drink it Layaali? OH! Or Jack-jack could drink it. Hares are not very good at climbing ropes."
"Really?" she asks Min. "How interesting. Thank you."
"Well, wouldn't that be a princely gift for a hare." she muses.
Layaali offers the extract to Razif. "Drink."
"... Yes, indeed. Error of judgment, I guess, my apologies."
Razif drinks the extract, and tries again, delighted by how easy it goes now.
"Aww! Do you have any more?"