Sarge cautiously approaches the door, switching to his Falchion as he moves closer. "What sorta temple is this, glowing like it is?"
Moving to follow Sarge, Iolana has her whip drawn again, and aproaches cautiously. "I don't know, but I don't like it."
Asmodea moves up beside Sarge, taking the opposite side of the door. With one hand on the latch, she looks to make certain Sarge is ready.
"This temple...That symbol belongs to Torag, but the temple seems to have been corrupted and cursed...By whom or what, I do not know. Perhaps we can clean it, at the very least? I do not wish to leave a religious site in such a disgraceful condition, but there's no telling what's inside... Would you all mind if we took this detour?" she asks, clasping her hands together.
The old stone door leading into the building is stuck, and any attempt to casually open it prove futile.
Sarge pushes against the door but some loose gravel makes him lose his footing.
Seeing him have some trouble, Iolana helps Sarge push the door.
Asmodea moves to the door with Sarge. Let's try that again. On three - one....two....three.
Putting her back into it, she'll provide an assist with Iolana.
Eventually Sarge manages to pry the door open.
As the door coems off, you peer into the narrow antechamber of the temple. A stone bench lies along the southern wall, and at the far end of the room sits a basin of water atop a stone pedestal. Despite the clear age and abandonment, the water remains pure. Kyra and Asmodea recognize it as Holy Water immediately. To the north stands a stone door engraded with the same hammer image, but this one does not look broken.
Anevia seems to suddenly grow despondent, pulling Aravashniel gently along with her to the bench. "I-I feel like maybe I need to sit down for a moment."
Horgus mutters, "Maybe we should split up. Some people here are slowing us down." His eyes dart toward the injured woman, whose distance immediately snaps into fury.
"It's no surprise that a man afraid to acknowledge his own faith wouldn't be moved by a forgotten temple! Being ashamed of your faith is just as bad as worshipping demons."
That makes the round noble reel back a little before chiming back with, "Ironic, from someone who consorts with thieves."
She falls silent again, this time her eyes narrow, rage teeming as her face grows red with fury.
"Hey now. We ain't leaving anyone behind. I will look after you, all of you. As for the rest of it, you can deal with what differences we have, once we're on the surface again."
Sarge looks around, trying to figure out what made this temple cursed.
Looking at the merchant in anger and disgust, "I have left someone behind before, I will not do so again, so unless you have a constructive suggestion sit down and be quiet."
Moving between him and Anevia, "Anevia, ignore him, his opinion is obviously worth nothing and letting him anger you is worth about as much as all his money is to him right now."
Kyra shares Iolana's look of disgust upon hearing Horgus' suggestion, but attempts to hide it, preferring to talk things out instead.
"If we leave anyone behind, they're sure to starve, and I refuse to let that happen. We were surrounded by the fallen citizens of Kenabres only moments earlier, and I don't want to add to that number. Please, save your arguments for above-ground, after we've gotten out of here!"
She turns to Anevia, praying silently.
"Iomedae, please give me strength..."
She sits down next to Anevia and pats her on the shoulder.
"Please don't pay his harsh words any mind. Everyone's frustrated down here, and letting yourself fall because of his words would do us no good. Please just endure his words until we can escape."
"Be careful Sergeant. Something here has befouled this temple despite the holy water in the basin. I recommend we get to it if we can and use it to purify whatever taint is here."
Turning to the rest of the group, she comments drily, "Seems an odd time to argue amongst ourselves. Don't get too comfortable because there is something far more wrong here than a few bugs."
Sarge doesn't see anything specific, but he can tell that the source of the light coming from beyond the remaining door.
Iolana's soft words to Anevia and curt place-putting of Horgus put both of them off the edge, though Horgus makes a great deal of sighing and grumbling all the while. Kyra's don't particularly help, but they're already pacified, so it doesn't really hurt, either. "I suppose taking a seat is not completely objectionable, especially while you investigate the light."
Seeing people have calmed down, Iolana begins to explore the area as well.
As he looks around for a source of the foulness, Vardan asks the paladin, "Do we think we have the means to reconsecrate it? While we may not be follower the Father of the Forge, I would think it might be nice to have a small oasis of protection -- if only as a place to fall back to, should we encounter something worse than bugs."
Kyra attempts to stealthily open the door (not completely, just enough to peek through it).
Broken stone benches line the narrow room that is the final portion of the temple. The air is cold and stale, thick layers of dust covering the floor. A stocky hooded figure sits in the frontmost row of altars, unmoving.
Turning away from the door, Kyra whispers to the group.
"There's someone in their with all the dust, but he or she isn't moving...I don't like this at all. This place is cursed, and yet there's a single person just waiting around in there despite the dust."
Vardan suggests, "If it won't spoil the holy water, we could all fill our waterskins.... the bowl and mug in my mess kit could likely hold water, but would be prone to spillage -- but we can use those to drink from... especially if anyone can create water."
"Well Varden, it certainly couldn't hurt any. I think I am more concerned with this strange person sitting in the next room that Kyra mentioned though." Turning to Kyra, "Can you tell if it is even alive in there? Has it moved?"
Sarge gets his heavy blade out and moves quietly to the door, ready to defend everyone if needed.
She whispers to Iolana.
"No, it's just...sitting there, unmoving."
"Close the door please." Once that is done, "I don't like the looks of this and I don't think we should just walk in there. I could create an illusion of us and then make sound to go with it and move that in there first to see what happens, at least that way if it attacks, it wastes time on the illusions on springs the trap. If it turns out to be friendly we can always apologize later, after all, it is easier to ask forgiveness than permission."
"Aye, sounds good."
"I think that is a good idea Iolana. If the individual in there is alive, I don't think they are friendly."
Asmodea moves beside the door again, ready to support Iolana in any manner needed. She will hold an action to interpose herself in front of the woman if anything approaches.
Looking to Kyra, Varden, and Alexander, "What do the three of you think about this idea?"
Kyra frowns initially, but after thinking about the plan for some time, she nods.
"Right, we'll go with your plan, and if it doesn't work out, this creature will taste the steel of Iomedae's faith through its chest."
Vardan nods, "Seems a decent plan. It's not like we're harming him with an illusion... though, Asmodea can you sense if they're evil?"
Moving back from the closed door, Iolana begins a slow weaving motion and says quietly, "Silnecia Portratio". Into existence appears a perfect image of herself, though not wearing her armor, shield, or weapons. "I am afraid my ability to make sound for this is more limited than I thought it would be, and none of you are equipped to move as quietly as I am, so it is best if I do this with only my own image to help make it more believable. Also, if it is hostile, it is more likely to attack an unarmed woman alone than a party of armed individuals I would think."
Looking to Asmodea, "Everyone get as out of sight of the doors as possible and I doubt I need to say be quiet." Looking around for a patch of shadow or object to hide behind, Iolana moves behind it to help hide herself from who or what is in the next room while she guides the image in. Once everyone is ready, she gestures to Asmodea to open the door and guides the image into the room, making it move as though it were attempting to sneak in quietly.
Vardan nods, "Seems a decent plan. It's not like we're harming him with an illusion... though, Asmodea can you sense if they're evil?"
"I can absolutely search his soul to see if he is evil, but I hesitate to make decisions based on that information. Sometimes people are necessary, despite being evil. Additionally, some good people occasionally perform evil actions, or at least actions that are not in my favor. I will attempt the search at this time however, that we may consider."
Asmodea will use her Detect Evil.
"And just cuz he ain't got an evil aura you can detect, don't mean he's all sunshine and rainbows. "
-Posted with Wayfinder
Vardan nods at Amodea's comment, "I wasn't suggesting we smite on sight... even a stained soul is a work of art, and, as you said, even a good man can lash out in fear and prove dangerous... I just thought it could help inform our plans."
Asmodea is able to gleam an aura of evil, of faithlessness in particular, emanating from the figure. As the illusion approaches the figure, it begins to shift. Closer still, and once it reaches the row of pews it sits at, it snarls, rushing forward. Clad in tattered clothes and very clearly an animated corpse, the figure swipes at the illusion, too focused on it to even pay notice to the party waiting beyond its attention.
Seeing the ravening corpse creature attack the illusion, Iolana draws her bow, and shoots the living corpse as the illusion vanishes.
Iolana's arrow strikes the creature, but it seems to bounce off its body harmlessly, clattering to the groudn and drawing its focus toward the party.
Vardan, having drawn his lance while watching the reaction to the illusion, now drops it forward and directs his mount to rush the dead thing.
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