Female Depemds on the game system (human in the real world)
Scrub brush and a light, patchy carpet of weeds invade the monastery through two huge fallen sections of the western wall. The exposed nave beyond is a huge hallway littered with bits of debris ranging from tiny rocks to enormous sections of collapsed masonry. Most of the roof above the long promenade is gone, but several jagged pillars remain.
As Aurichalcum slithers up and peers in, straining his every sense, several baboons scamper along the eastern wall of the nave, dodging around the pillars and gibbering to one another. They don't seem to have noticed an amazingly steathy pseudodragon sneaking around!
Able nods at Auri's description. "Alternately, the baboons can be a distraction - if one person is to 'set them off,' so to speak, while the rest of the party approaches from a different place, then we might succeed in drawing attention away from whatever dangers might remain in the building." Able stands as tall as he is capable of. "I propose myself to be in charge of the baboons, given my capabilities with creatures of the animal kingdom and my magical capabilities," he says, chest puffed up in an attempt to look tough in front of two hardened warriors and a dragon.
"Excellent idea, brave Able. Perhaps you could approach from the south doors, and draw the baboon's attention while we attempt to enter from the Northern doors. Auri, is there a place you can hide inside the monastery where you can watch for ambushes and warn us? While the rest of us enter through the northern doors?"
"I will try the roof perhaps, maybe there's a hole or two..."
He flaps away and loops out over the sand gathering height, all the better to make a silent glide towards the temples roof without needing to flap and attract attention.
Female Depemds on the game system (human in the real world)
Most of the roof over the nave (A1 on the map) has fallen in, although a small dragon could perch on top of one of the pillars, should he care to do so. The roof to north and east is more solid if that's preferred (over the white bits unrevealed so far even to aerial reconnaissance). Where do you want to go, Aurichalcum? As you fly towards the monastery, it all seems peaceful.
Ablenaffener, you head over to the south opening. Several baboons come over towards you, curious rather than hostile.
Everyone else (except Auri, who's aloft) goes to the northern opening. Looking in - map - you can see that there's a side chapel ahead, which is fully-roofed and seems to have a statue inside. To the north, steps lead down into what appears to be the main worship area, again with a solid roof. It's quite dark in there.
Aurichalcum, you can see that there's an open cloister area to the east, beyond the side chapel. It's very overgrown.
Talahel slips into the North door and attempts to hide in the shadows, (Stealth: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24) and peers as far the darkness will allow with his low light vision (perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27). He has his long sword out and ready if anything attacks.
Female Depemds on the game system (human in the real world)
Talahel, as you sneak forwards you can see further into the worship area... revised map
A short set of wide ceremonial steps leads down to a cavernous chapel in which the congregants would gather for sermons in happier times. The vibrant orange and red starburst of Sarenrae still stands behind a film of rusted rainwater and dirt along the north wall overlooking the collapsed altar. Between the stairs and the altar stand dozens of old marble benches, many overturned and even more broken into two or more pieces. 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 hang on against rot and neglect.
Above the centre of the chapel, dangling about ten feet from the floor, hangs a cluster of gnoll skulls in various stages of decay. Strung together like a ghoulish candelabra of twine and bone, the boulder-sized ornament hangs from the wooden rafters about twenty feet above the ground.
I will try find some holes or bits I can wriggle into above area 1, with the aim to be as close to area 2 as possible. Talahel might need some support in a hurry :p
Female Depemds on the game system (human in the real world)
Aurichalcum, you land on the chapel roof. This seems to be the most solid area, but you can find a hole through which a small dragon can just about fit, if he squeezes his wings back and wriggles a bit... do you want to do that? It's dark in there.
Able casts Speak With Animals and approaches the baboons. "Hail, brothers," he says, approaching head-down so as not to frighten or threaten them. "I come from many hills away - what is this place like?"
Diplomacy to gather information? From baboons?1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
Female Depemds on the game system (human in the real world)
OK, Aurichalcum, in you go! You scrabble your way into the very rafters of the worship hall, and behold quite a sight:
Spoiler:
The rafters and a couple of galleries (one with choir stalls, the other above the altar probably for senior clerics) are cluttered with debris that has been pasted and tied together to form a nest/burrow complex. And there are pugwampis here, lots of the little beggars, scampering around. Oh, oh... you just got stuck!
Talahel, you sneak in further, seeing tatty, broken pews and a right mess at the far end where the altar is supposed to be - you cannot tell if it's there under all the rubbish and organic matter and decaying body parts! A strange object hangs from the rafters, looks as if a chandelier has been plastered with papier mache...
The baboons caper with delight at your courtesy, Ablenaffener.
"Not bad, some bits smelly, good place to stay out of the burning sun... and to shelter when it rains. But the nasty smelly scampery things bully us!
Those outside see that the pseudodragon has fluttered down onto the roof over the main worship hall and wormed his way inside, whilst Talahel and Ablenaffener have both entered the nave by different entrances.
"We too are foes of the nasty scamperers!" Able hoots excitedly in Baboon-ese. "We seek to drive them from this place - can you tell me where they are?"
Female Depemds on the game system (human in the real world)
Talahel, staring hard you see that above the centre of the chapel, dangling about ten feet from the floor, hangs a cluster of gnoll skulls in various stages of decay. Strung together like a ghoulish candelabra of twine and bone, the boulder-sized ornament hangs from the wooden rafters about twenty feet above the ground. The rope that suspends the gnoll-skull chandelier winds up to the rafters above, then across to the southwest to what appears to be a choir gallery high above the floor.
As you look at it the knotted rope suspending the gnoll-skull candelabra jerks and jumps as a runty little creature dressed in crude furs scrambles from far above to gain a foothold on the swaying skulls, seeming almost to caper around as he makes an indelicate and decidedly obscene gesture at you, laughing squeakily as he does so.
No problem - still got 9 more where that came from!
Perception check: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15
Able weaves his hands around each other, speaking an unknowable language before pointing to a space near the pugwampi. A nearby cricket chirps.
Casting Sleep (DC 17). If Able sees where the two arrows came from, he will cast it on those assailants - otherwise, he will cast it on a point 10 feet away from the hanging pugwampi in a random direction, hoping that maybe he'll hit a random enemy with the edge of the burst.
Spell cast, Able ducks back out of sight behind a bench.
Female Depemds on the game system (human in the real world)
Ablenaffener, you can see that the arrows came from a gallery high overhead (see location A2a on the map). Looks like it started out as a place for the choir to sit, and has been kind of papered-over and enclosed with debris since. The rope suspending the 'ball' on which the visible pugwampi is perched is tied off there.
Said visible pugwampi is greatly amused, by the way. He's laughing and pointing and making some more indelicate gestures in your direction.
So, sleep at the gallery?
Aurichalcum, yes, there are 3 pugwampi up there, two just fired their shortbows.
Sorry just to clarify, has Ables spell gone off yet or is it pending? If it went off how many are standing? - Juat dont want to waste my 'moment of triumph' on sleeping foes!
Female Depemds on the game system (human in the real world)
I am taking this as simultaneous: Ablenaffener's spell and - well, your person or whatever you are doing - are inbound on those pugwampis at the same time. Given that sleep is a fast-acting spell, the two who failed their save will go down just as whatever you do happens, OK?
Disregard, he wouldn't have known that the Sleep was incoming
Aurichalcum flaps aggressively, clearly angered that his comrades have been attacked by the cruel and nasty Pugwampis. He flies across the room, his body almost rigid and very aggressively postured... he looks as though he is going to collide with them, talons drawn and teeth bared, but just at the last minute he shoots a great gout of flame at the three hapless Pugwampis...
Revelation Fire Breath:
(Su): As a standard action, you can unleash a 15-foot cone of flame from your mouth. This flame deals 1d4 points of fire damage per level. A Reflex save halves this damage. You can use this ability once per day, plus one additional time per day at 5th level and every five levels thereafter. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Female Depemds on the game system (human in the real world)
Spectacular!
The really good bit is, that gallery is very inflammable! It goes up magnificently as your gout of flame hits it. Flames also lick along the rope which is hooked over the rafters overhead and then down to where the gesticulating pugwampi is hanging... he's looking panicked, says "Oh, cr@p" and drops...
"Fascinating! As though the pugwampi's own aura of unfortunate accidents applies to themselves as well!" Able is clearly struggling not to take out his tome.
Female Depemds on the game system (human in the real world)
Well, the fire in the roof seems to have taken hold good and truely.
Otherwise, the worship hall shows signs of clear neglect, loads of rubbish (and worse) everywhere, furniture broken, torns scraps of paper, body parts...
Able looks worriedly at the roof. "Thankfully we have tents with the caravan - hopefully no one will be too upset with us for burning the temple. Though I suppose that cleansing by fire is very Saranaen of us..."
