The stormy day is spent tending to smaller chores around the old fort, largely struggling to keep the elements from undoing all the work that has been accomplished so far.
Through the night, the wind continues to whip at the shingled roofs and wooden beams of trading post and its walls, adding a whistling accompaniment to the waning bass of the falling rain drops.
The merchants left on the previous day, leaving the post's population to huddle in the cramped buildings and chilly tents.
The last of the storm abates overnight, and dawn rises sluggishly to dry out the land. You emerge to make a strange discovery, seemingly washed upon the trading post's doorstep by the storm itself.
A man's body lies heaped upon the fresh mud just outside the gates. His torn, threadbare clothes are utterly sodden, and blisters peak out from the drying mud caking his bare feet.
Drawing closer, you find that his skin is like leather, marked by many old scars and burns, along with evidence of years spent in the wilds. Even more surprising, you find his chest moving with shallow breaths. He is still alive!
The man shows signs of exhaustion and exposure to the elements. Many small cuts and scrapes upon his body speak of stinging nettles, scratching branches, and many tumbles over bits of ground.
Having seemingly traveled through the previous day's storm, the combination of cold wind and soaked clothing has left his body in the icy grips of hypothermia and his mind in the throes of a fever.
Ahto's ministrations ease some of the man's exhaustion, but it is only the first step in bringing him from the brink of death.
Hexa shares the Elk's meat with Oleg's Village, handing over the meat to the village and watches the storms progress. He brings Tal and Chacta into the stables or some place they can stay dry, hopefully. He stays close to them to ensure they don't get scared.
When the body is found outside the gate he moves past Ahto and takes up a protective stance, watching for as far as he can see. He brings Tal with him and the pair form a protective wall for Ahto to work, if they were to be attack they would be the first to be hit.
Unless he was needed to assist Ahto he keeps an arrow strung to bow string...
This luckless vagabond's cuts and scrapes are healed by the divine favor Ahto calls upon, and it seems to also ease some of the man's fatigue. He remains unconscious with a high fever, however.
You carry him through the trading post gates and into the bunkhouse. Stripping away his sodden clothes and drying him, you lay the traveler in one of the bunks to rest. Periodically, you have someone check on him to give him water and some medicinal herbs that Hexa and Svetlana have stockpiled.
Time and rest are all that you can offer this man now.
Only after the others had entered the Village is when Hexa has Tal enter behind him and he slowly backs up. Passing through the gates with his how at the ready, only once they were closed does he relax.
He looks to the skies then. Seeing if he could see a shift in the storm. His scales flattened against the cold as he stands there. Looking to the skies.
Seeing the others are taking care of the wounded man Paval instead sits back and takes notes.
When it comes to the regular care of the man he chips in, adding to his notes when he comes to bring the man water. What he writes down are accurate description of the state of the man and how that changes over time.
With the storm having passed, Hexa anticipates a clear but humid day ahead.
Now that the sick man has been put to bed, what are the party's plans for the day?
Jhod Kavken approaches you, somewhat meekly, before you all set about your chores and crafts.
"I believe this storm was a sign from Erastil," he asserts. "It is a sign that we must set out to find the lost temple."
Although the itinerant priest attempts to sound forceful and persuasive, he is undercut by the self doubt evident behind his words.
Paval seemed a particularly good mood the day after the storm. "I don't know if it was a sign from your lord but I do agree it's a good idea to set out. Now where did you think the temple was? "
"I sought solace from the storm in sleep," Kavken says, "But it wasn't meant to be. Even in my dream, I was tormented by the storm's fury.
"In the dream, I blundered into the forest like a scared, wounded animal seeking shelter. I found an abandoned camp, but a bolt of lightning struck one of the trees and set it ablaze, and when my eyes could see from the flash, I was running deeper into the forest. It felt like miles.
"I finally tripped upon a root and fell into the mud. When I looked up, I saw a ring of pillars standing guard before the temple. I also saw the terrible guardian approach with maddened malice. It swung a paw the size of a galley's oar at my face, and that's when I woke up to another peal of thunder."
After the priest finished Paval turned to the others. "The abandoned camp, could that be the place we cleared of bandits?"
Indeed, based upon Kavken's latest dream vision, you reason that the lost temple is located in the forest, west of the former bandit camp.
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"Grand idea!" Wonky says brightly. Sprocket woofs from her side. "I am very much looking forward to testing out my latest brewing of alchemist's fire! I do hope it is as potent as the commonly-acquired vials I have purchased at countless other stores."
"I would like to check in on the poor sick man we found on our doorstep before we head out," the green-haired gnome says thoughtfully. "Perhaps, if he has awoken from his fever, he might be able to give use some indication of why he was out in such a storm as yesterday. It would be one less mystery."
Wonky goes to check on the sick fellow briefly.
Wonky calculates that it would take eight hours to ride to the abandoned bandit camp, mounted on the horses from the stable. If you were to leave the horses hitched at the camp to rest, you could then travel westward on foot - hopefully locating the lost temple by nightfall.
As the rest of the party fills their skins and canteens from the trading post's rain barrel and restocks on trail meals that Svetlana has bundled in cheesecloth, Wonky checks on the feverish traveler laid up in the old bunkhouse.
He babbles on deliriously, seemingly unable to distinguish between his dreams and the waking world. His body is winning the fight against the ravages of illness, but it is not an easy battle.
"Where have you gone, my Dream?" he mumbles to no one. His eyes are unfocused, not looking at anyone or anything in particular. "I need you like never before.....I have lost the precious lock of your hair. They stole it from me, along with everything else.....Please do not abandon me."
His ramblings, when coherent, continue along similar veins. Although he is slowly on the mend, it could be some time until anything intelligible can be gleaned from him.
Once the party has properly provisioned itself, you ride out with Jhod in search of this lost temple. You skirt the forest's edge and keep to the plains both to speed your pace and to avoid woodland hazards.
Mid afternoon finds you tethering your horses in the former bandit camp. The stone-lined campfire remains, though the ashes have been washed away. The remains of the watchpost torn down by the giant-sized Sams likewise still sits as splinters among the tree's roots.
Daylight still remains, so the party can hazard a westward search this same day. However, there is no telling how long it may take to locate the fallen temple.
The party sets out westward, and scarcely more than an hour passes before you make a discovery.
Hexa notices a stone stela nearly buried by moss and creepers. He clears away the brush to examine it, finding it covered in carvings he does not recognize.
Kavken pushes his way forward to examine the stela, and a hitherto uncharacteristic optimism washes over his face.
"These are symbols of Erastil! This is surely a way marker towards the temple!" Kavken says, his arms around the stela as though it were a beloved child. "If we can pick up and follow this trail, I'm certain it will lead us to our destination."
A smile appears on Paval's face when he sees the priest's enthusiasm. He's less enthused by Wonky's idea though. "I'm not so sure on that. I do not fancy fighting some giant bear without being able to properly see it."
Hexa finds the remains of an old, worn trail near the stela. Kavken exuberantly confirms that it must have once been the road traveled by pilgrims visiting the temple.
With a trail to follow, the party's well-practiced tracking skills lead you from stone marker to marker, offering assurance that you are on the right path even as the daylight wanes and the forest's shadows grow longer. Finally, you glimpse the fabled site ahead. The thick tangle of brambles gives way into a large clearing in the woods, its border partially defined by ruined stone pillars.
The western face of the clearing is dominated by a looming, upthrust ridge of rock, nearly 300 feet across and rising to a moss-topped height of 100 feet at the center. The side of this towering boulder facing the clearing has been carved in the likeness of an immense elk, its antlers drooping down from its weathered face to frame a 50-footwide cave entrance.
A flight of stone steps leads up to this cave entrance from the forest clearing—both the steps and elk face feel quite old and are thickly encrusted with layers of moss. A 50-foot-long oval pool sits in the middle of the clearing, its waters thick with algae.
Hexa, remembering the odd mans spirit walk, keeps his bow ready now that they were in the place they had sought. The ancient ruins made his frills stand on end, he didn't hide his excitement, dread and harden resolve to see them explored. "Hexa first, follow far behind and be ready. If spirit protects this place. Hexa may not be able to kill it."
He directs Tal and Chacta to protect Kavken. He casts magic to make his bow hit harder then before, intending to bring whatever they encountered down hard.
His tongue tasted the air as he stepped forward quietly. Unsure as to what they would encounter or what scars he'd have after this day.
He moves forward, using what cover he can in the clearing to make his approach. Bow at the ready and an arrow already to the string.
"Hexa, wait!" Paval almost shouts after Hexa as the lizardman runs off. "We're not going in there now. The bear would get the drop on us with this visibility."
He stops from proceeding forward ahead when Paval calls to him. Stalking back slowly while still keeping his eyes on the place he had previously been looking. When he was back to the others he tilts his head. "Hunting at first light then?" He nods, not disagreeing but he was thinking of how to best safeguard the camp from Kavkans spirit beast or Bear.
Brown bears, like those in the Greenbelt, dwell upon vast home ranges, but they are not territorial. In fact, they are known to peaceably allow overlap in territories, as long as their is no contention over food or mates. Therefore it seems very strange that a bear would so fiercely guard a single location such as this.
Most of the other hunters you know believe brown bears to be nocturnal, but in truth they remain active as fits their needs. However, peak activity for such bears is usually at dawn and dusk.
Despite possessing a fearsome reputation, such bears are not highly carnivorous, let alone strictly so. Up to nine-tenths of their diet is made up of plant matter such fruit, berries, grasses, flowers, acorns, fungus, and even pinecones.
Nevertheless, based on Kavken's unusual descriptions, you suspect this bear may be diseased or cursed - thus making its behavior difficult to predict. However, you are fairly certain that making camp several miles away from this temple site should ensure that the bear does not bother the party during the night.
Paval nods at Hexa's question, "Yes. Sadly not all of use can see as well in the dark, like miss Prong can."
With that Paval prepares to return to the campsite that had found a bit back.
The party, wisely, tromps through the darkening woods back to the abandoned campsite.
A minor windstorm picks up during the night, causing frequent peals of high-pitched whistling to tear through the trees. It also necessitates making doubly sure that the tents are properly secured in the ground, lest they be uprooted like a dead tree.
The night is less than restful. In addition to the wind storm, it feels as though a pall followed you from the temple site, tainting your dreams with feral images of filthy fur and prey that is killed but not eaten.
In the morning, Kavken seems particularly shaken by his latest spat of dream visions. Almost shivering, he voices what a relief it will be to free this temple from its curse.
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"It is alright, Sams. I think, if Kavken's premonitions are to be believed, that cleansing the taint of the curse by defeating this monstrous guardian will exorcise some of the uneasiness that you feel." Wonky blinks as Sams scrunches his face up in confusion at her words.
"It is alright, Sams." She pats his hand in sympathy.
Wonky attempts to talk strategy with the party.
"I will position myself up in a tree overlooking the ruined shrine. I have the capacity to use my infusions to allow myself excellent positioning, and to rain down magically-enhanced missiles upon whatever may befall us. Sprocket can be useful to distract the bear, but I would not want him facing off on such a beast."
Hexa bears the windstorm, sitting with bow covered and ready and his back against Tal and Chacta for added warmth. He sleeps little for fear of the cursed thing coming for them in the night...
In the morning he performs his morning prayers to Mazludeh before joining the others. At Kavkens telling of his dreams he rests a hand on the smaller man's shoulder. His grey scales glistening wetly in the dim light of day... "This is no bear, something wrong with it. Cursed. Hexa hunt deathclaws before, they are not like what we see now." He clicks and has Tal and Chacta spot up on Kavken to protect the smaller man.
Hexa removes his hand and checks his bow, pulling out one of his animal killing arrows and inspecting its fletching as he nods to Wonky's planning talk. He adds himself to it. "Hexa will take front. Leave Tal and Chacta to protect Kavken. If Bear comes, shoot with magic arrow. Draw out so others can strike." His tail thumps the ground hard in emphasis of his words.
Vines and creepers grow rampant upon the elk likeness carved upon the massive rockface, and the pillars and other statuary are likewise overgrown. The water in the pool, nestled between the pillars and the stone stairs beyond, is stagnant - dyed a verdant green by the foul-smelling algae thriving upon its still surface.
Many bones litter the shrine's grounds, as well as matted tufts of filthy fur, clearly marking this as the domain of a large beast.
With Tal and Chacta protecting Kavken Hexa holds his position just outside the domain of the beast and waits for the signal to advance from the others.
As he had offered he is armed with his bow and an animal killing arrow in hand. To him this wasn't a hunt, it was an extermination of something unnatural...
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Wonky kneels down by Sprocket.
"Ok, sweetie. This might be a particularly vicious bear, so I do not want you charging in on your own. I want you to be sure to stay fast and race around it. Let the others attack it. I want you to be safe." The gnome kisses her dog on the top of its head.
She goes up to Paval. "Could I have three of your gold coins? I forgot to get some while we were in camp. I will reimburse you."
After that, she drinks an extract, scampering up the nearest large tree to the clearing with surprising skill.
Paval digs into his purse at Wonky's question , "Here you go. Not sure what you want them for."
He then draws his own blade and moves to stand with those wielding ranged weaponry in order to defend them should the bear approach.
Your presence has not gone unnoticed. As you finish making your preparations, edging past the pillars that mark the boundary of the temple grounds, a hoarse roar echoes out from the cavern shrine carved from the rockface, at the top of the stone stairs.
A large bear shambles out from its lair with jerking, spasmodic movements of its thick muscles barely contained by its thick, matted fur. Your smell, your words seem to anger the creature - affecting it like a buzzing hive of bees within its very skull - and in primal, maddened fury it begins to barrel down the stairs to confront the intruders.