The door to the west is quite grand (although not as imposing as the equivalent door to the east) and, insofar as Titania is able to tell, is free of traps or other hazards... it is however, noticeably cold to the touch - a lingering frost smears the edges of the door in an icy glaze.
As nothing appears to spring out at Titania as she approaches the door, Yasmin tentatively follows. Though she's still weirded out by the statues. "Let me take a look."
She spends a few moments studying the strange icy door.
She will then cast Resist Energy, Communal to give everyone else in the party Resist 20 Cold for 30 minutes (Yasmin already has that naturally).
Titania stays close to Yasmin as she checks the door, as she feels the magic wash over her, she looks to the sorceress and asks, "how did you learn to do that? Every mage I've ever seen has to use components, a focus, or a holy symbol."
"Oh - I actually use components too!" Yasmin shows off her spell component pouch. "I mean, I don't need it for everything. Conjuring damaging ice is pretty natural, so I often can do it without components. Although making a wall of ice is harder."
"I got my magical powers from the genie that's now trapped with me, Hakan. I wished for his powers, sort of. Or wished to trade lives with him. I'm not really sure how it all worked, it seemed to have something to do with the fact that the Hakan is bonded by blood. But anyway, channeling genie powers isn't as effortless as you might think. Having the material components helps. The nice thing is that I don't need a spellbook or anything like that. It all comes from within."
Ea stays watchful, in case something want to attack them.
"Oh," Titania says quietly, silently berating herself for missing the now quite obvious pouch.
Yasmin's careful perusal of the frozen door confirms that there is a strong evocation aura pouring from the other side... it isn't obvious what particular spell has been cast here yet of one thing, Yasmin is sure - the magicks have been here for centuries upon centuries...
Yasmin is a bit disappointed that she can't figure out more. "Definitely powerful magics at the door. Now that we're all cold-protected, we could give it a try."
"If you say so," Titania says before opening the door, her sword in her other hand.
let's hope we won't fight some fire using creatures. Fate will tell.
Rallos darts to beside Titania. Wait...let me check it first...
"Okay," Tot says as she raises a questioning eyebrow, "Are you some sort of sapper, Rallos?"
The small chamber behind the door, confirmed as safe by Rallos before opening, is unsurprisingly cold - not unbearably so in the short term although already the breath of the friends is steam in the air.... Within are five corroded metal bunk beds, each covered with a layer of frost whilst upon the bunks lie the frozen corpses of humans in robes of red and white, clutching necklaces or holy symbols in their hands.
There is an exit to the north... which, looking at the map that Rallos is sketching as they proceed, must surely lead into the corridors where Murassa 'disappeared'.
"Wow, is this some sort of burial chamber?" asks the sorceress, unsure of what she was seeing. "If so, perhaps these are followers of Yarrix?" Yasmin rubs the ancient seal of Sarenrae she hung from her neck earlier. Perhaps it was mere superstition but she liked having the symbol nearby.
She searches for magical auras, wanting to know particularly if the same effect they saw in the hallway is also here. If she doesn't see danger, she enters the room, finding that it's more comfortable to her than the already cool underground air.
"Red? Why red? I thought Sarenrae favored gold and Iomedae red," Titania asks as she steps inside to see if she can see anything of note.
The cold here is not overtly hazardous and, as Yasmin's examinations attest, is unlikely to herald any other effects... and so, the group cautiously enter the room. Looking around, there is not much of note here - although Titania's observations about the clothing worn by the corpses is a pertinent point... and the more they examine the bodies, the more obvious it becomes that they are wearing sacrificial robes - a presumption that is confirmed when the stab wounds in the chest of each of the bodies is noticed.
Rallos looks around the bodies with his keen eye.
[b]Perhaps it is a subsect of the religion? I know nothing about the inner workings of certain beliefs, but there has to be a reason for this... [/dice]
As understanding begins to dawn on her, Yasmin starts to feel goosebumps. "Does this mean there are still people being sacrificed to Yarrix? Who could've done such a thing?"
Yasmin comes closer to the bodies to get a better look. "How long do you think they've been here?" She tries to answer her own question, if she can tell.
Unfortunatly I don't know much about the cult of Yarris, Rallos
"I'm very much starting to hate this place," Titania says as she holds her sword tighter. She spies what looks like a chest to the south and goes to take a look.
"Rallos, can you tell me what to look for on a trapped chest?"
Well, to start, hidden latches, pressure plates, wires, certain magic auras, fake panels, chemical triggers, contact poisons....and that's just the start...I have even heard of a chest being a living animal that tries to eat you...mimics they're called I think...
Yasmin will detect magic in the room some more as there is discussion about opening the chest in the corner.
Ea has heard nothing much of Yarrix although it doesn't take a theological expert to deduce that these corpses were sacrificed in service of something... or someone. Moving their attention to the two chests within the room, and having confirmed that they are safe to open, the group find a small collection of defiled holy symbols - ancient representations of Iomedae, of Sarenrae and of Pharasma. Scratched, defaced and caked in dried blood, they would no longer be of use to a priest of those religions...
Ea frowns when she sees the old, defaced symbols of Pharasma.
I'll collect them, and restore them to their former glory.
After a few seconds, she takes all the holy symbols.
They can be helpful to our allies.I'll clean and repair them all, except one of each. We must never forget that the worshippers of Yarrix have done to those who prayed to our gods.
Is this normal practice for followers of Yarrix? It seems rather barbaric. Was it part of a summoning or binding ritual?
As far as I can tell, it can be to satisfy some vicious bloodlust or to mock other religions, to show off their own power. Maybe I'll find more informations on Yarrix at the Fort, in the church's library. I don't like not to know what we have to fight.
"I can help you clean them with some minor magics once we escape this place. So, do we dare try this next door? We know from Rallos's map that it seems to connect to the door with the strange effect. I think we might be better off turning around and dealing with strange statues that are watching us."
"Or trying the other door," Titania mutters as she thinks on Ea's words and about how similar things had been said about the hellknight orders. She fought for order, didn't she?
Or was it really order at all?
"Yeah, I guess it's time for the other door to the East. But watch out for the statues. And also that shield--it glows with some sort of arcane power."
Watch my back as I check the door...no sense getting complacent... Rallos says as he heads for the eastern door to inspect it.
Cautious and tentative, the group watch the statues whilst Rallos examines the door... the eyes of the shield wielder continue to follow the friends yet, and despite their fears, the statues do not animate or attack the group...
...the door itself is relatively grand, byzantine symbols and patterns are carved into its wood, but gives little clue as to what lies beyond. Rallos does, at least, satisfy himself that there are no traps... and then he hears a shuffling sound on the far side of the door.
Rallos quietly goes back to tell the others what he heard.
"I will speed us up right before we open the door," says Yasmin. She will indeed cast Haste before entering.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Titania takes point. As she feels her pulse quicken, she smiles at Yasmin.
"Many thanks, now, are we ready?"
Yasmin grins as Titania checks in. "Yes, let's do it!" And casts her spell.
The chamber beyond the door is filled with greenish smoke, bones litter the floor, and the walls are carved into laughing, horned devil faces — each belching greenish smoke and swarms of hellish insects.
The room buzzes and rattles and stinks.
...and, through the smoke, three shapes are moving towards the opened door - the closest two, with cruel chains rattling from them and carrying blackened glaives, are most certainly fiends of some type whilst, further back, the other figure is a semi-preserved and re-animated corpse, wrapped in age-faded bandages...
Ea is unfazed by the undead creatures, and tries to remember any information about these
.
"Fiends, kill them!" Even expecting trouble, the sight of the devil and bog mummy almost sends Yasmin into a fright. But since there was really nowhere to run, it was time to fight. Empowering her magics with the rod, she fires it at the mummy, and then the farther away devil.
Those bandages looks like they are fresh or recently wet....ahh, hells! The sight of the creatures throws Rallos' aim off a bit as he tries to skewer the closest targhet.
As Yasmin and Rallos watch, the horrific scene fades - there are no flames, no smoke, no pestilence - and they are quick to act... Yasmin's blasts of ice seeming to harm the mummy even more than she expected (but doing little damage to the fiend) and slowing them somewhat...
And, even though the devil tries to slam its glaive across Rallos' strike, he is too quick - his rapier stabbing deep into black flesh...
The fiends, encircling Rallos, slash and stab at him... but Rallos is an elusive target, dancing between clashing blades and is only hit once...
Whilst, rimed in frost, the mummy wordlessly mouths something... and seems to transform to something truly horrific - it's bandages now burn with fire and move like tenticular appendages...
Even as the image of the flames fades, the sight of the mummy itself is overwhelming. Yasmin looks like she is about to be paralyzed with fear. No, I can't be afraid, I need to stay strong for the party. . . and for Murassa!
"Two can play that game, mummy!" cries the sorceress. Pushing through the fear, Yasmin channels some newfound power to try and stop the mummy from acting, as well as possibly the devils.
No mental influence manages to pierce the armor around Sister Zalinsel's mind. The presence of undead fuels her, and she casts a spell of her own
The frost from Yasmin's blast has little effect upon the fiends... but for the mummy, the ice cracks and splits the undead's limbs... freezing in place, its screaming maw fixes in rictus...
Rallos spins and with subtle yet powerful strokes he attacks the undead monstrosity beside him, his blade a blur thanks to Yasmin's magicks.
Imagining his rapier stabbing into the devils, Rallos prepares to dance a murderous dance... but, at just the wrong moment looks up and sees the mummy's baleful gaze - instantly he feels the drag of the grave and an aeon of torment beckoning... he tries to move - but is frozen by his fear.
Titania's blade, tasting fiendish blood, sinks deep into her foe... gouts of black blood bubble from the gaping wound yet the devil, grievously wounded, hefts its glaive once more and swings at the Hellknight... with Rallos frozen in terror, Titania bears the brunt of both fiends - yet finds them unworthy opponents...
Titania gives a grunt of surprise as one of the fiends manages to connect. Surprise quickly turns to wicked glee as she brutally begins hacking the fiends apart.