Korak looks into the green lit cave, his kama at the ready.
Aleziella smiles as the tall dark stranger shows interest in her. He is so mysterious. She fidgets a bit nervously, wonder what he thinks of her before she answers back with a whisper. "I learnt most of my martial skills from my foster father, Adrian Thornhill. He was a great commander in Queem Galfrey's army. Well he still is, I guess he'll be active once more given the demons' attack despite him being over fifty. Sadly he doesn't have the eternal youth of the queen. I hope to one day be as great a commander at him, but he has me surpassed in experience. I practically grew up on the battlefield, my first fourteen years I was basically travelling from army camp to army camp with Mom and Adrian. What about you? Where did you grow up and learn your skills?"
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When they get to the cave Aleziella peers into the crack, curious what lies beyond. she says: "How odd for there to be a light here. I kind of want to go investigate, again I don't want to leave something unknown behind us, but at the same time our first priority is to get to the surface. What do the rest of you think?" her question is followed by a quick muttered prayer. "Desna guide us."
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After a few moments of silence, Xantrius' cold, grating voice softly answers. "I was taught all I know by my mother. She was a crusader, as all in my family have been all the way back to the First Crusade."
He falls into a deep, melancholy silence for quite a while after that, only returning to his normal activity when they find the glowing passage. He studies the area for several moments with his soul sight to see if there is anything alive inside.
At Tanya's inquiry, Horgus immediately responds.
"Let's just announce our presence to everything down here by talking."
He then looks over at Xantrius and Aleziella.
"If you two are done admiring each other, perhaps next we should just all wear cowbells to make sure even the most oblivious creature knows we are here."
"Horgus, please restrain yourself. These people are helping us, they do not deserve your tone."
"Oh hush Avarashnial, I am paying good coin to get out of here safely. I expect competence."
Korak speaks from his position by the door. "You won't get it, not if we don't trust each other. It's better they talk and trust each other, than they don't and have no clue how to work together.
"it would be best to get out of this cave system fast but what could be causing that light.."
Looking into the source of the glow yo see a single sizable 20-foot-tall building in the center of this 30-foot-high cave, a bunker-like structure with no windows and walls of worked stone blocks. A 10-foot-long carving of a hammer decorates the building’s facade. The ruins of collapsed outbuildings stand to either side. The glow emanates from various lichen on the walls of the cavern.
It could be a safe place to hole up for some rest.
Aleziella turns to Horgus. She is done being nice to the unpleasant man and switches to a sarcastic tone to get her point across. "In order to devise the best tactics for fighting it is imperative that we know about each other's abilities and training. I am sure you would rather want us to be less likely to succeed at protect you. Besides we were whispering, the likelyhood of someone hearing us is quite small."
Aleziella studies the building for a moment before looking over to Korak. "It's not like we need rest at the moment, but it does look intriguing. Maybe it'll hide something that'll make our troubles ahead easier? Speaking of that. What were those potions Tanya, anything we can use?"
We may not, but remember, we have injured, and Horgus has been most kind in carrying my equipment. I am most sure his back could use a rest.
"Oh hush Avarashnial, I am paying good coin to get out of here safely. I expect competence."
"Coin? Well that is news to me. Who exactly is getting this coin and since you haven't offered me any yet, why are you complaining about my so called incompetence? You can tell me to stop asking questions when you decide to hire me, otherwise I'll do as I command, for I currently have no reason to listen to some old and injured grump that I'd more than happily leave behind for being too contentious." she speaks calmly and quietly, but with emphasis.
Taking the opportunity to change topic, "One of the potions is a basic healing potion. Not sure about the other, but we can more closely examine it later when we rest." she turns to the green glow cave, "We might find either good or ill in there, though I'm curious, we do have a serious and urgent problem up top to take care of, so I'm not sure it is worth the risk to go exploring. So I'm kinda neutral on checking it out."
Oops. Korak says sheepishly. He did tell me that, I forgot about it during our talks about the spider. In the meantime, please let him be, he's scared and has good reason to be. And Horgus my friend, please, leave it be, we all need each other if everyone is to get out alive. So please, calm down. Okay Tanya, Horgus?
EDIT: Whoops, been missing a trait bonus to diplomacy this whole time.
Several of you recognize this as a shrine to Torag.
Aleziella nods to Xantrius, somehow his descision carries significant weight with her. "Torag eh? Let's do that then. Horgus, Argus, Avarashinal, do you want to wait here until we say it's safe?" She follows alongside Xantrius ready to attack any dangers they might encounter or to block attacks with her free hand.
"Did you hit your head? Look at the outlying buildings, and notice the lack of folks tending to anything, or coming and going. Not to mention all the demons that came out of the ground before we fell in and it sealed up, many of which likely staged at the very cavern we awoke in, which means they passed through here and are probably what killed the spider back there. And the old camp didn't fall in with us, which means it was there already, and if anyone was tending this temple, they likely would have already looted the camp. That temple might hold helpful equipment, but I doubt very much that any creature or foodstuffs you find would be something good. If we go in there, expect trouble ."
"oh I, true might be just that it's best we get the soft ones to safety before we invite combat..." kothar said with concern for the other humans with them
Korak strokes his chin. "Hmm If we had supplies we could leave them here while we scouted and cleared ahead of them. And it looks like we could fortify it pretty well. I say we check it out.
In reply to Korak, "That would be a good idea for an expedition, but if we leave them behind, we double the amount of time it will take to get to the surface, not to mention that any fortifications we make would fall to intelligent pursuers without proper defenders, and these three are blind, limp, or too self absorbed to defend it against anything more then wild horse. I say we either risk conflict to seek potential equipment and perhaps honoring the god, or we just move on. Of course, I could always be wrong, but I doubt it."
I have no intention of leaving them here, I have no supplies to feed them with, but we can fortify there while we rest, they will need a break.
Bakji listened to the others quarrel over little things and it seemed that things were getting heated and seemingly going nowhere. He had know the disciples of Torag to be a hearty group and would hide their most valuable equipment carefully from thieves. If they knew that they were doomed or if they hadn't had the chance to escape they may have left something for future generations of dwarves to get. He pondered for a bit while the squabbling continued before he spoke up finally.
"I think that it would be best to search just in case. I, for one, did not bring any extra equipment with me for such an occasion and if we do find something of use then we could at least outfit our...injured with some basic armor or the like in case something gets through us." he offered before adding. "If you would prefer, I have done a fair bit of scouting in this life and would be willing to undertake the risk alone or with one other to scout the interior for any traps or demons"
Tanya moves forward as well, looking around carefully and making her way around the edge of the cavern, letting her dancing lights blink out as she gets to far from them.
Korak moves too.
You find a stone door on the left side of the building near the front.
Tanya lets the others get the door as she carefully goes all the way around looking in all directions including up. If she sees a good spot for getting on top of the temple she will look up there as well.
Korak walks over and motionsthe others to watch his back as he opens the door.
Aleziella studies the door then move behind Korak, ready to jump at any sign of danger. Just like Xantrius her sword and shield is at the ready, though she just uses her gauntlet as a shield in the stance of the Scarlet Einhander taught to her by her father. "After you master dwarf, Desna guide us all." She says and in rapid succession touches Korak, Xantrius, Bakji and herself.
Korak pushes the door open.
Kothar slaps himself and xill their scales thicken as they step through the door way
AS Korak goes to open the door, it resists his efforts. You realize it seems to be stuck (not locked) and may require a little extra oomph to open.
It be stuck, just give me a minute. Korak walks over to Horgus and retrieves his crowbar and sidles back over to the door before working it into the door crack and levering it. Almost, There. He grunts.
With a pop, the door becomes unstuck and opens gratingly. Inside you see a stone bench lining the southern wall of this chamber. At the far side of the room, a basin of water sits atop a stone pedestal. A stone door engraved with an image of a hammer stands to the north.
"Water? Is that holy water there? At least there are no demons in here, but with a barred door, I doubt there are any inhabitants here either. Let's check further in." Aleziella checks the ground and starts detecting magic before walking forward into the room, if there is any magic on the floor she'll avoid stepping in it.
The water is slightly magical (essentially, two doses of Holy water).
Korak pulls the door open as silently as he can. and peeks in.
When Korak opens the inner door of the temple he sees broken stone benches that line this narrow room. The air is cold and stale, and thick layers of dust cover the floor, benches, and a large altar at the far end of the room.
Seated on one of the benches facing the altar, his back to you, a stocky hooded figure sits motionless, covered with an equally thick layer of dust. His stature and size appear to be that of a Dwarf.
"Does anyone have any vials, flasks or the like to carry this with? It's holy water, it could be helpful for fighting demons. I guess a waterskin could also work, but then using it would be more difficult. Don't worry about running out of water down here. I can summon water at will." Aleziella is quite happy about finding holy water, clearly the trip in here is worth it already.
Upon seeing the dusty room she comments. "This looks old. I doubt anyone could survive for long sitting in here. But if they did, they would be glad to be rescued." She steps carefully into the room, looking around for anything of interest and begins to scan for magic. "Desna show me what is here."
I have flasks. Korak pulls one from his bandoliers.