Di Duang and the others leave for bed. While the the others check if the corridor is empty, Zandibus moves for the meditation room. He enters the meditation room without being noticed, while the others are still at the sleeping quarters.
Examining the wall carving of the man with the staff, Zandibus discovers a hidden compartment containing a glass sphere. Removing the fragile glass sphere from the narrow compartment without breaking it will require some effort.
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Nodding at the assembled team, Alia silently moves sleeping temple's corridors, walking into the banquet room to step through the curtains at the south side of the chamber. Taking a moment to let her compatriots catch up, she pulls out her sketchpad and draws all that she has seen so far, including the sleeping rooms and the corridors around that area. Finishing the task, she sets her materials away in her pack, and turns her attention to the door before her.
What do we have here?
The temple kitchen is long abandoned and smells faintly musty. The kitchen’s massive stove and rows of cooking implements are all covered with a patina of rust and dark flecks of mold. Dangling in the center of the room, above a solid oak table, swings a halfling man on a stout cord.
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"Look at these pots and pans clearly not used in an age, this explains something about the food, they were not cooking it normally. It looks like he committed suicide himself, but this creeps whole deal seems to be brainwashing, if he made him do it somehow it would look the same. Though it would take powerful compulsion to make someone kill themselves..."
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Oliana winces as Alia cuts the Halfling down. Annoyed, she whispers harshly, "Why did you do that? What if someone already knew he was here? Now they'll know someone else was here, and knows about him!" She sighs and apologizes for the outburst. She's not sure what to do, since her plan was to leave him there. Maybe tie him back up? But that would require new rope, and if anyone did see the hanging Halfling they might notice the change...
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I am sorry if I appear to be drawing unnecessary attention to ourselves, but this person deserves their last rites. You are right, of course, but unless I miss my guess, we will be confronting the real problem of this temple shortly.
A shaken Alia, moves to carefully and compassionately place the body away in an unused cupboard or closing shelf.
That sounded far more confident than I feel, but, Bright Goddess, I could not leave this poor soul unattended to.
After hiding the corpse, Alia again turns to the party, hoping that they will not judge her any more harshly for what she considers her duty, as a cleric of Sarenrae.
Almost in a whisper, she mumbles I really am sorry, guys, before turning away to move on.
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Unfortunately for all the victims of the temple, Valador's party does not share the same convictions and sense of justice as he, thus he is forced for the moment to stand down... Having been let down he retreats with the others to the sleeping area. Speaking no words, he lays his bag to his side and his sword before him on the ground and takes up a position on his knees, hands on his legs, he shuts his eyes and enters a meditative prayer.
Ragathiel, may your eyes fall upon me and guide my blows... and may your wings shield me from my enemies...
He maintains this stance until the others decide to continue on with their society tasks.
"I answer to a higher power than the society..." he speaks in a quiet voice as he climbs to his feet and gathers his belongings.
He heads to the chambers exit, leaning his head out the door to make sure the coast is clear before traversing the halls towards the area behind the chapel. He steps to the door leading to the backside of the chapel and attempts to open the doorway leading in.
Both Zandibus and Oliana notice the knife on the table's moving of its own accord. Before she knows what's going on Oliana, who stands next to the table, has the knife in her hands and moves it toward her own throat.
Alia steps up to cut the halfling's body loose, but stops when she's next to Oliana. Zandibus was about to leave the kitchen, but decides he'd better not yet leave. Meanwhile Oliana notices she has no control over her own body, except for using speech. Whatever it is that's taken control of her body seem intend to let Oliana commit suicide.
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When Valador tries to open the door leading to the backside of the chapel he notices it's locked. A voice can be heard, speaking from the other side. "Who's there?"
Hoping he can stop Oliana, Zandibus casts daze. Oliana easily resists the spell.
In an attempt to disarm her, Gunthorn tries to knock the knife out of Oliana's hand. His attempt fails, and suddenly Oliana's arm lashes out at Gunthorn. The knife sinks into Gunthorn's belly, blood gushing out of the lethal wound.
As Gunthorn falls to his knees and collapses Oliana regains control of her body. The knife is still in her hand, Gunthorn's blood on it.
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Hold her down! Alia whispers feverishly, drawing her Wand of Cure Light Wounds.
Steady on, good sir dwarf, she gently says, in stark contrast to her previous adrenaline-fueled exhortation.
You'll not lay down on the job on my watch, my ascetic friend.
She touches wand to wound, intoning an arcane word that sparks divine energy from the rod to the wounded monk.
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Nothing was going as expected, and Espada was not sure what to do next. When her team mates left the quarters in two different groups, she stayed there, thinking.
“Society Orders should be first, but I understand Valador... and if something happens to him, the rest of the group will probably be attacked...”
After a few moments, Espada stood up. “First things first” and walked to the meditation room. With no one there she examined the mats on the floor, then she took one and returned to her bed, hiding the mat in her belongings.
Without hesitation, she strode to follow Valador, the hand ready in the sowrd’s hilt in preparation for any problem.
Though he remains unconscious Gunthorn stabilizes. Alia heals him with a touch of her wand, and Gunthorn regain's consciousness.
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"Not here," the voice replies to Valador, and says nothing more.
A few whispers can be heard after a moment of silence, and another female voice speaks. "What is it you need help with?"
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Espada quickly goes over to the meditation room, which is empty at the moment. After some searching she finds the specific prayer mat she was looking for, takes it to the sleeping quarters, and hides it in her belongings.
When Espada joins Valador in the corridor the second voice has just spoken, and she hears the last part of what's being said. "...you need help with?"
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Gunthorns eyes flutter open and air surges into his lungs as he breathes deeply and regains consciousness.
"Well...that wasn't pleasant." He rasps while staggering to his feet. Seeing the wand in Alia's hand, he offers her a smile and slight bow that turns more into a grimace as his stomach muscles still complain from their recent abuse. "Thank you for your timely aid." He says to the cleric. "I'm glad you didn't have to perform my last rites so soon." He adds with a wry chuckle.
It's silent for several seconds, but Valador gets his reply eventually. "What incident, who's missing?" the second voice asks, keeping the door shut.
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The gnome who frequents the garden. Look, either come help or not. There's no time to sit around and play stupid games. Lives are in danger.
Valador starts to become annoyed with the idiot on the other side of the door...
No wonder these people are being preyed upon... They're so damn ignorant.
Either come help, or I'll do things myself.
With that said, Valador ensures his footsteps are loud and audible as he begins to walk away from the door, grown tired of these peoples stupid games. Hopefully his bluff will pay off and someone will open the door.
"Suit yourself," the voice replies to Valador, "We serve only to protect master Dakang."
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Valador shakes his head in disbelief and offers a slight laugh before turning back to the door.
Really, now? You serve to protect a filthy piece of trash that preys on the innocent and ignorant inhabitants of this holy place? I've been here less than two days and even I can see the corruption at the heart of this place, and it lies with your leader.
That missing person I spoke of? Yeah, he was deceiving people in your garden and poisoning them with a trap within a statue. He's missing because I knocked him out and had him restrained before he could harm anyone else. Oh, yes, and that was after he confessed to his and Dakang's sins.
You and the others seem like good, decent, and zealous people. But you're blind to what's going on here. Rather than hide behind that door, and behind Dakang's lies, why don't you come see for yourselves the truth.
"What did you just say?!" the first voice nearly shouts from the other side of the door. "You'd better watch your language, making baseless accusations like that about our master!"
A thirs voice can be heard. "What's going on?!" Several whispers follow.
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Gunthorn doesn't see any signs the haunt will maifest in the near future. Alia cuts down the body and performs her rites, giving the spirit of the halfling rest. Meanwhile Oliana checks to see what's behind the east door.
A search of the room reveals empty tins, unsealed bottles and jars holding only remnants of their former contents, hole-filled burlap sacks, and mildewed barrels bereft of food or drink within.