As Thomas backs up and casts his spell, the dwarf screams in anger. He turns and slashes at Marcusic, hitting the skald squarely across the face. Marcusic stumbles backwards and collapses from the blow. The dwarf then lashes out at Maddok, opening another wound across the mageknight's chest.
The human hollars over the dwarf's war cries, "Finmoc, the priest!" Moving to the base of the steps, he aims his bow at Thomas but doesn't release the arrow.
Teysura's divine light gives the mercenary the strength to fight on despite the weight of his injuries and the blood welling up through the rents in his tattered armor. He hoped the bard still lives but knows there's nothing to be done for the man as long as the four-armed bandit still stands.
Waiting for an opening in his monstrous opponent's wild swings, Maddok rears back for another mighty wallop with his cudgel.
Maddok groans as he swings his cudgel high in the air, crushing the dwarf's skull who collapses in a heap. A slight moan from the massive shifter lying on the cold stone pathway, makes it clear he is not quite dead, but his bleeding wounds will likely drain the rest of his life shortly.
Not built for fighting, Denenor did his best to lower the chances another arrow might find purchase with Thomas. He exerted his focus on his cousin of half blood's protection through the wind and rain; the skies might have been dark already, but they grew thicker. A crackle of lightning darted from the sky to a point in the West, but electrocution was not the farmer's intent. Rather, the stronger gusts and heartier rainfall would provide difficulty to anyone not within arm's reach.
To that effect, the ether-eking Denenor took a nudge toward Maddok, attempting to shelter him from problems should the severity need to be greater.
Thomas moves forwards to Maddok and calls upon his goddess. "Sacred Mother, please give succor to one of your wounded children."
With a loud boom, lighting strikes the ground just to the west of the unconscious Marcusic. The flash surprises even Denenor who had never seen the power of his weather in such proximity. Wiping his brow, the elf looks a bit sheepishly at his companions. Not deterred, Thomas steps closer to the group and heals them in a burst of radiant power from his deity.
The human yells over the wind, "Damn, you all!" Pulling back his bow, he fires another arrow at the young cleric, striking Thomas in the left side. Then, he reaches out his right hand towards the fallen dwarf. In an instant, they both vanish from sight.
"Take cover. The archer's still out there", Maddok warns before grabbing Marcusic and following his own advice.
"Wait here. I'm going to go inside and kill that bastard."
Over the dead cherry tree, one of light flashes into being. "I will heal, Marc."
Marcusic regains consciousness.
The skald returns to awareness with a pained grunt. Finding himself alive, and obviously not captured, he lets the cleric do his work with a sour expression. "Do you have an urge toward self-destruction," he asks of the half-elf after a moment. "Because you seem to be doing everything possible to ensure that someone is in a position to end your life. Even when they're demonstrably hostile and it would be prudent to take cover or keep a distance."
Maddok tucks his cudgel into the hoop on his belt. He raises his shield overhead and charges towards the temple doors.
Thomas gives Marc a slightly confused -- as if he doesn't know what the man is talking about -- and then a mild look of almost pity.
"Where there is darkness, I am sworn to bring light. My goddess sustains me."
"This is our cover!"
Denenor's defense lay not in sword or shield but in manipulating the elements to his advantage. Rarely had he the need to scare-off some highwaymen, but with the world in the state it was, perhaps he'd be using his talents for more than crop procurement now.
The vanishing act of the two hostile people frightened him though; he was not brave, not one who'd been in many skirmishes. To this end, he sought to keep it that way, exerting himself to push whatever foes they had - visible or not - away.
The air was at Maddok's back, and it did seem prudent to take Marcusic up on cover of some sort. He moved a few steps to take the wounded warrior out of the gale's zenith.
"Let us join your friend at the church, Thomas! I will move the eye with us!"
Maddok reaches for the temple doors.
Shuffling forward within the calmness of the violent storm created by the elf, the group ascends the stairs. The left of the double doors is slightly cracked open. Enthralled by the storm, Maddok doesn't notice the sounds coming from within, but the others all hear a deep voice speaking, Imbiciles! The Great Lord will not be pleased if we fail in our search... get the fool out of here. And Draxto, kill them and bring me the priest!" A slobbering growl is heard followed by the echo of a door slamming.
The goddess continues to mend Marc's flesh, restoring the (dubiously grateful) messenger to full health.
Grunting in pain, Marcusic shakes his head at the half-elf's odd outlook. "Fair enough, but maybe next time, you could try bringing that light from a bit of protective cover." With that, he climbs to his feet and joins the rest of the party in approaching the doors. Listening to what's being said within the temple, he shoots Thomas a curious look. "Okay, that's a bit odd," the soldier remarks quietly. "Seems they have a special interest in you now, and it's no challenge to guess it has to do with whatever they're in there searching so hard for."
Fully expecting to be greeted with an arrow, Maddok calls another barrier of sea water and pushes through the temple doors.
Maddok bursts through the doors with a crash, dislodging the right door from its hinges. The large room(50' wide by 70' deep) has a vaulted ceiling and is made with hand hewn timbers that are elegantly carved. A massive staircase sits on the far side of the room leading up 10' to a raised platform before splitting in tow directions and ascending even higher. A balcony wraps around the room starting at the top of either stair. Two large wooden pillars run down either side of the grand foyer. Two sets of double doors lead east out of the foyer, each under either stair. Two other shuttered double doors rest upon both the north and south walls. The double doors on the back wall under the north staircase are left open.A smattering of chairs lie about the room. Some toppled over and broken but many set in a circle about a make shift fire ring that has scorched the fine wooden planks that form the flooring.
The gnoll stands at the base of the stairs. He turns, growling, as Maddok enters the temple. Drowl drips from his open mouth as he snarls, "You should have left while you lived..." He drops his bow upon the ground and draws a battleaxe from under his cloak. The double headed axe is carved with black runes that begin to smoke as he holds it aloft and curses in a vile tongue.
Black smoke drifts out around him as he circles to his right opening up a direct path between him and the doorway that Maddok now stands.
With the goddess' grace, some of Thomas' wounds also close.
The soldier is quick to follow the hired guard's lead, advancing into the temple with his blade at the ready. As he draws nearer to the gnoll, he raises his blade and begins to sing, granting himself and the others that innate understanding of how best to strike past the beastman's defenses, as well as steadying their nerves. He then address the gnoll directly. "While I'm minded not to do so ordinarily, I'll offer you just the one chance to yield before I spill your blood in this hallowed hall."
While not under direct observance of this place's sanctity as Thomas might be, Denenor had a respect for the symbolism - doubly so with one of the clergy present. Some foul utterance with this interloper didn't bode well either on this holy ground. Given those circumstances and their superior numbers, the farmer dropped his forceful winds and precipitation a notch, hopefully letting the muscled among them get in position.
"What could the others be looking for, Thoams?!" Denenor was hopeful the priest might know what artifacts may possibly lie within that would draw their attention.
"And you shouldn't talk so much", Maddok warns as he cracks his knuckles.
The bodyguard's form rapidly swells, first with layers of muscle and then a thick pelt of dark fur. The unnatural growth is followed by the sound of bones snapping and twisting as Maddok doubles over under the weight of his own bulk. Before he collapses entirely, his frame stretches and warps to accommodate his immense brawn, ending in a form almost unrecognizable from the one he began in - that of an enormous cave bear.
With a howl, the gnoll charges at Maddok and swings his battleaxe at the mageknight with all his strength. Maddok, no stranger to the clash of weapons, shifts slightly to his left and throws the gnoll's attack wide. The dog yelps as his over agressive attack takes him slightly off balance.
Thomas holds.
Moving swiftly in his ursine form, Maddok grabs hold of the fallen gnoll with one huge paw and swats him with the other.
With the gnoll off-balance, Marcusic is prefectly willing to step in and take advantage, delivering a hard two-handed swing of his blade.
Maddok takes hold of the off balanced gnoll while Marcusic steps up and slashes at the gnoll with his bastard sword. Grapppled, the gnoll cannot avoid the blow but the blade glances harmlessly off of his armor.
As the gnoll passes him Marcusic slashes at him and catches the bastard sword along the gnoll's back. He howls in pain as he struggles to break free from Maddok's grasp. Releasing the grip of his battle-ax with his left hand, he hacks at the mageknight with his weapon in one hand and opens a deep gash on Maddok's head.
Denenor slips to the Temple as the winds begin to rage within the structure.
Maddok huffs indignantly at the gnoll's attack and squeezes his opponent mercilessly.
Marcusic takes another swing at the restrained gnoll with his blade, but doesn't manage to get a clean hit this time either, to his considerable frustration.
The gnoll barks and nips at Maddok as he strikes the creature in the muzzle. Bruised and beaten, the gnoll feels another strike of the blade to the back of his thigh as Marcusic's bastard sword finds a vulnerable spot in his armor.
The group feels a wave of Teysura's blessing flow over them.
The incanter took a good look around the chamber, searching for signs the brutes had been looking for a particular type of item. Books out of place, smashed bottles ... there must be a clue!
It was rather odd to be looking about while a wrestling match took place feet away, but such was the demand of time.
Rounds
Rounds
Denenor looks about the chamber. Other than the make-shift fire pit and chairs gathered around it, he finds little of note to be seen. This was once the temple vestibule and where the common folk would have come to receive healing and blessing from the priest and priestess of Teysura.
As Maddok struggles the gnoll, the black mist that continues to slowly drift from the battleaxe, envelopes everyone around him. A terrible, gut-wrenching feeling crosses Denenor and Thomas. While the elf resists the urge to succumb to its power, the sensation shakes Thomas to the core, and he feels a heaviness set upon him. Strangely, Maddok and Marcusic are unaffected.
Seizing the moment, the gnoll mutters under his breath.
And then pushes Maddok with a paw to the face, giving himself enough room to bring his battleaxe down upon the mageknight. The axe blade digs deep into the flesh between Maddok's neck and shoulder but Maddok's armor catches it at the last minute keeping it from digging any deeper.