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Varian delays, not wanting to waste arrows against a skeleton and having no bludgeoning attacks with which to help.
Nil sighed and looked at the situation. After everything had been said, there remained one skeleton. Drawing his hammer as he moved, Nil positioned himself into Flanking before swinging the weighted attack down.
Nil hits the skeleton hard but it remains upright.
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Neils obliterates the last of the skeletons leaving the party subject to a shower of bone dust, and leaving the clearing outside the temple quiet and empty.
"Excellent. Now I'm as pale as the rest of you."
"...Well, except the obvious one."
" Ptolem you wound me, I fancy myself a healthy shade of caramel. At least your condition is temporary. "
Nil holstering the massive hammer , retrieving his trusty Darkwood Bow and nodding to the rest.
" Excellent work though it seems the enemies this time were quite the bit more, dangerous. Alianne it would be prudent if you could possibly tend to our woulds before we possibly cleanse this place of defacement and perhaps explore the inside. It is no longer full of animate skeletons as the very least. "
Nil stood with his bow at the ready and eyes wary as usual.
If there is a large leg bone still in tact or something else that might suffice as a club, Varian will collect it for use against more skeletons, if any.
"Is everyone ok? Horrible creatures, no life at all!"
Somonti takes a moment to dust herself off
Nil points to Ptolem, " He has been wounded by blade and fire. In retrospect it very well may have been better if I had set of the runes, yet there was no way of knowing the effect would be explosive. I am quite resistant to such when need be. "
"I have? I don't FEEL any wounds." Ptolem says, blood slowly oozing from a cut on his scalp.
" That is a bad sign and show of immediate attention needed then. When the pain is numbed it may mean the affected area is no longer functioning. "
"Right." Alianne holds up the small winged figurine of gold that is her holy symbol.
"May Her light mend your wounds and Her peace rest your mind."
"Well, pass along to her she did a god job mending the wounds, but my mind is moving at a mile a minute as ever, so she may need to work on that second one."
"Shall we be moving, then? Lots of ground to cover before tonight."
Ptolem does not wait for an answer, and sets off.
Nil blinked, inspecting the blades that injured Ptolem so, " These might be of some general use and quality. Neils may take one as a backup just in case a situation like the frog-creatures happens once more. "
Afterwards, he close follows Ptolem, this time being more apt to search out threats beforehand.
Varian follows behind, keeping a sharp eye out for trouble.
"Were not moving on until we've at least looked around inside." Ptolem might not wait for an answer, but he'll have it regardless.
Alianne enters the other temple, reasonably sure that it's safe now that the rune is triggered and the guardians are dead-er.
Entering into the Temple Alianne sees another sight similar to the opposite Temple. Down to the statue of Aroden in the center which also bears a smear of blood across it in the same way as the last.
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Alianne cleans this smear same as the last one. "Somonti and Ptolem, both if you could read those runes right?" she calls out to the people outside.
"There's more in here, come look!"
Varian will enter and examine the runes and the temple..
"So 'For Virtue' and 'In Honor'. Arodenite catchphrases, perhaps?"
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Unfortunately Ptolem doesn't have any significant reason why these phrases are here, the most widely observed tenants of Aroden are Innovation, History and Culture.
It's possible these particular tenants are or were more locally observed aspects of Aroden, but Ptolem can't be sure.
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Ptolem is not all bluster afterall...
Somonti wafts into the temple behind the others, looking for anything that might be a further clue to the strange scrolls and statues.
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"Ok, so a temple. What's it mean?" asks Neils once his companions have had a chance to examine the surroundings.
As he speaks, his glowing sword slowly creeps across his hand, then forearm, then torso, until it eventually covers him. He only notices once he's been thoroughly coated in a soft, crackling light. "Oh my, that's new" he comments, examining his hands.
Nil watched warily raising an eyebrow, " Indeed, it seems I may be rubbing off on you. Nonetheless, I believe we might have exhausted our capability to observe this place any longer. The temples lead our group in the right direction if I remember correctly. "
"Yes, let's move on."
Somonti sweeps in to join the rear of the group, dancing lightly as they move off...
VArian slips into the middle of the group, behind the warriors, and moves along behind them.
There is a moment where Nil believes Somonti might be purposely dancing in front of him for less wholesome reasons but that thought is dashed with the more logical explanation of self-gratification.
" Quite "
He retrieved the weapons and did as he did.
It takes the group another two hours march but they soon find themselves at the end of the path they originally set out upon. Carved into the side of the mountain range surrounding the Valley sits the entrance to the Burial Halls of Aroden.
Here the party can notice the distinct lack of ambient noise as the forest lies deathly still.
The more observant amongst you might catch glimpses of shadows moving among the trees only to vanish upon closer observation.
The air even here outside the tombs hangs heavy and you notice yourselves having to work harder to breath than normal.
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Nil became increasingly aware in the change in temperature noting how odd that seemed, checking the area.
" Either this place is heavy with evil or we have climbed much higher than I first thought. The atmosphere is thin like the mountains. "
"I feel it too.. and it feels like something is off.. like we're being watched... it's too silent and there are no-see-ums among the trees... moving shadows that aren't there when you look directly."
"Well, I'm sure they'll be out to kill us directly. Let's get on with it."
Ptolem moves up and looks out for bad stuff.
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"best place to hide from shadows is in the dark..."
Somonti offers with a smile
"...you dont get shadows when it's dark. Shall we go inside?"
" That is a most logical deduction Lady Somonti. Luckily we have those with keen sight just in case. Did you bring a means to see in the darkness yourself while I ask? "
Seemingly reaching for a bundle of Torches on his person.
"It will hardly be dark inside if you light a torch..."
" Yes Ptolem, That was the point. Otherwise it is best to expect the worse. Tombs have any manner of creature or trap to rid the area of illumination. Having a means to see outside of that or a back-up is fine. Light near the front and the back. "
"Light and Dark...truly, there is no more noble of a duality in existence. But...I can't hold a torch and use my sword at the same time."
" Not that it is wholly necessary for you to do so but for future possibilities there is always the option of grasping it in one hand and holding on to your weapon in the other. Once danger was visible one could simply drop the torch to the ground. This assuming you are not focused in shield usage or other such matters. "
With a chuckle Simon to reaches into her bag and pulls out a purple velvet pouch. From inside she withdraws a glowing pebble. Setting it in the air before her face she gives it a light tap and it begins to orbit her head, radiating a warm glow to the area.
"now our shadow friends can join us"
Nil seemed halfway done with his search before abruptly stopping and then returning to a neutral pose. " Ah, very well then. Ptolem you may venture forth. "
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