With her companions busy either searching the camp or checking the tunnels, Selka takes a few moments to approach Anevia, Aravashial and Horgus, to exchange a few words with them and see how they are holding up.
When she's done talking, she resumes her position at the head of the group and waits patiently for the others to complete their actions.
Hearing stories of strange bones and an amulet Aravashial comes forward. "I believe I know were we are. You see there is an old story dating back to the time of the first crusade. Back then the chaotic energy of the worldwound was stronger and the crusaders didn't know how to protect themselves from it like we do now. Many crusaders were transformed by this energy in...various ways. Many choose to return to Kenabres to retire there after being so afflicted and had children all of whom were horribly deformed and mutated and many were Tieflings. Unfortunately the crusade was still in full force at the time and it was decided that this was a sign they were corrupted by evil. They were called Mongrelman and they attempted to purge them and their children. However many of them escaped underground and rumor is that their descendants still live down here."
he explains.
"Are these Mongrelmen friendly to the forces of Good, or have they become something Evil due to their time in exile underground?" Raven asks the knowledgeable Aravashial. "I have not heard this story before. But I am not surprised when men drive out those that are unlike them."
After she hears the answer, she gathers her pack and moves ahead of the others, scouting down the tunnel before the group if possible.
Varn pockets the amulet and waits for the others to carry on deeper into the caverns.
"I cannot say, there has been no contact between them and the people of kenabres in over a century."
You go forward an proceed into another cavern were several mounds of rock lie in heaps in this cavern, recently fallen from the walls and ceiling. Now and then, bits of dust settle from cracks in the stone above.
Raven leads the way into the cavern when suddenly a cave viper lunges out from under some rocks and bites her ankle!
dealing 1 damage, make a fort save vs poison.
Hearing the noise of the attack, Orlando brings up his crossbow and tries to get a bead on the snake.
But can't quite spot it in the melee...
"'Zounds but that is a small target! Stop blocking my sightline wench!"
Seeing the viper strike his comrade Varn pulls out his bow and carefully aims at the serpent.
Stop shaking and get away from it for a moment so I can hit it.
"Watch out!" Selka shouts as soon as she spots the viper.
Her hands firmly gripping her spear, she charges the snake determined to run the weapon through its head.
Seeing the viper strike, Raven leaps backwards cry out. "Danger, snake!" too late to prevent herself from being bitten, but perhaps the creature couldn't inject it's venom fully through her boot.
"Careful!" - Tessai warns, as she approaches the snake with her longspear poised to strike.
Raven kicks the snake away before too much venom enters her system.
Selka move up and takes a swing at the snake just barely missing it.
The snake coils up into a defensive position and hisses angrily and takes a quick snap at Selka but the bite is far from it's mark.
Varn fires and arrow just barely missing the snake.
Tessai moves forward and skewers the snake killing it.
Orlando puts up his crossbow as the scrum separates and the snake is obviously dead.
"Well and all; congratulations to all on our glorious victory!" He said sardonically. Then he frowned with concern.
"Ah, Raven? Was that a... venomous snake?"
"Yes, bard. It was a venomous viper, luckily it did not inject me with it's poison, or I would be much worse off right now." Raven curses under her breath. "Gozreh's children, I should've seen that snake before it struck. I could've kept it from dying unnecessarily and kept us safe as well." She smiles at the others, a crooked smile that she rarely uses. "At any rate, thank you for ending the poor reptile and saving me from it's venom. Let us look around some more. There may be other vipers in these caverns."
Looking carefully about, Raven continues advancing, carefully creeping through the new cavern where the piles of rock lay. She keeps a sharp eye and ear out for other attacks.
Varn walks over to the corpse looking for his stray arrow on the ground before following Raven deeper into the cave.
Well so far we have been attacked by maggots and a snake. If we had not seen the spider and corpse I would have thought nothing in this cave had legs.
Varn mutters aloud.
You carry on down the tunnel the tunnels ends. You look around and spots some pitons and carved handholds on a wall going up, looking up you see an opening 60 feet above.
Thanks to however climbed before you it's not so hard to get up there.
dc 5 climb check.
Orlando bows to Raven.
"You are right of course Raven. A natural creature, however venomous, is not to be bothered; not when there is an ocean of demons worthy of our steel."
He pauses, lost in thought for a moment.
"I say, that campfire makes me curious. Is there anyone skilled at tracking amongst our number? I am wondering if that was a common camp spot on a heavily trafficked trail."
At the wall, Orlando slings his crossbow, summons more Dancing Lights to orbit his head and starts climbing.
At the top he will look for threats...
... and if clear he will anchor his rope and lower it for those who need the extra aid.
Tessai ponders the strangeness of the fact that such implements to assist climbing are present here, as it may mean there are intelligent creatures about, and not only vermin - "We should really scout what is up above before moving in" - she comments as Orlando takes point during the climb.
The way seems clear and after dropping a rope the climb is even easier.
You all climb up and proceed forward. You travel the winding tunnels going west for about 25 minutes (traveling about 2000 feet) when you arrive at a large cavern. You find A single sizable 20-foot-tall building remains in the center of this 30-foot-high cave, a bunkerlike 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. In the front courtyard there is a fountain of clear water and a stone bench.
The tunnel continues right pass what you quickly realize is a temple to Torag. So stopping here would seem to be optional.
"My leg is starting to ache, I could use a short break and this seems like a fine place to rest for a bit." she makes her way to the stone bench guiding Aravashial and they sit down.
"Bah! This temple is obviously long abandoned and we have no time to waste here, if the girl cant keep up then perhaps we should split the party. We can leave the elf to keep an eye on her and the rest of us can move on" he says with a small grin
"How dare you...I supposes I shouldn't be surprise that a man afraid to acknowledge his own faith wouldn't be moved by finding a forgotten temple like this...Really to be ashamed of one's faith is almost as bad as worshiping the demons!" responds Anevia in an outburst of anger.
Horgus is taken aback by her outburst but quickly responds "I will not be chided by a child who consorts with thieves!"
Tessai ignores Horgus's comment and follows along, keeping an eye on Anevia and Aravashial - "Do take a few moments to rest" - she offers - "We should perhaps take a look at this structure though" - she comments to her companions - "It is curious to find what seems to be some sort of building dedicated to Torag in these caves"
Anevia's slumps into silence her eyes full of anger still while Horgus paces back and forth grumbling to himself.
Selka grunts in irritation as her swing barely misses the viper, but her exasperation quickly evaporates when Tessai fells the snake in one powerful blow.
"Well done!" She congratulates her friend, "You are a remarkable warrior! I'm glad you're here, getting out of this mess will be much easier with you around!" She offers, patting Tessai on her shoulder and smiling broadly.
When Raven reassures the others she wasn't poisoned, Selka breathes a sigh of relief, and after stifling a laugh at Varn's jest, she is ready to get underway once more.
"What is this?" she asks, surprised. "A small temple? Here in these forsaken tunnels? Those symbols... Torag! This is... Well, was, a temple dedicated to the Father of Dwarvenkind. Impressive!"
Selka takes a few moments to look around and search the temple.
Hearing Horgus snide comments, Selka's expression hardens, but she tries to act calm and collected to prevent the situation from escalating.
"Friends, please!" She interjects "This is not the time for quarrel. I understand your frustration, but this behavior won't produce anything good. We are in this all together, remember?"
She launches a stern glare at Horgus for a moment, then goes to Anevia's side to make sure she is fine and to whisper a few words of encouragement.
Seeing the water in the fountain is clear, Raven takes a moment to see if it is safe to drink. Assuming that it is, she takes a moment to refill her waterskin and urges the others to do the same. "We don't know how long before we find clear, safe water again in these caverns."
As the disagreement between the others breaks out, Raven says:"I am the first to want to feel the sun on my face and the wind in my hair, but things like a long abandoned temple are begging to be explored. While all the outbuildings crumbled, this structure remained. The water is still fresh and clear. Odd that! I think it bears investigation. Perhaps there is a way out inside."
Raven walks the perimeter of the bunker-like building looking for any means of egress. If she sees a door, she approaches and listens for any sound from within.
Aeron's eyes light up when he spots the hammer of Torag, his patron deity. "Ahh! Home to Father of the Forge." He takes a few strides forward, brushing past the father plump noble without taking notice of the snide fellow. The large man stops before the fountain, letting the head of his hammer thump to the stone ground as he takes a knee.
"Father of Creation, bless my hammer and get us home safely." He dunks both hands, cupped, into the water. Aeron takes a deep drink from the water and trickles a bit onto his weapon. "This is a good place. I agree, we should look inside before moving on."
The water is cool and refreshing.
The old stone door leading into the building is stuck, requiring a successful DC 15 Strength check to force open.
Aeron will approach the stuck door and sets his hammer to one side. "I will do this!" He puts his shoulder against the door and pushes against it with a grunt.
Selka grunts in irritation as her swing barely misses the viper, but her exasperation quickly evaporates when Tessai fells the snake in one powerful blow.
"Well done!" She congratulates her friend, "You are a remarkable warrior! I'm glad you're here, getting out of this mess will be much easier with you around!" She offers, patting Tessai on her shoulder and smiling broadly.
Tessai is humbled by the appreciation shown to her by a champion of Iomedae. She smiles back - "Thank you milady" - she responds with her eyes low.
Horgus is taken aback by her outburst but quickly responds "I will not be chided by a child who consorts with thieves!"
"Please milord and milady" - Tessai steps amidst the budding discussion - "This is not an ordinary situation for any of us" - she starts with a calm voice - "We are all out of our element, and doing our best to return to the surface as quickly as possible. But we stand a chance only if all cooperate in this effort. I can understand your divergences, but discussions will not only cause us to slow down, but also attract potential hostility" - turning directly to Horgus she adds - "As for the moment's rest, we all will need it soon, so there is no harm done in taking it, at least partially, right away. And garner the opportunity to check this structure, not only for inhabitants that can provide us clues but also perhaps for something that can be salvaged, and made of use to us in these dire straits"
Aeron will approach the stuck door and sets his hammer to one side. "I will do this!" He puts his shoulder against the door and pushes against it with a grunt.
[dice=Strength check]1d20+4
As Aeron approaches the door, Tessai follows closely, keeping watch as the man tests its strength against the old stone door.
Anevia via look over to Tessai a little relieved "It's alright...I know he's not as bad as he pretends to be. I happen to have inside knowledge on a few of his secrets...Why someone with a good heart would pretend to be a selfish jerk is beyond me but he does."
Horgus is stunned for a moment.
You...it was YOU! YOU BROKE INTO MY HOME!" he shouts in anger.
Anevia nods "By order of the court and it was thanks to my testimony that you were found innocent of demon worship and funding cultist. I found out were that money was really going and who you actually worship."
You...what...ahem...yes...my apologies then just not a word please.
So far Arvashial has been silent listening to the conversation when he finally speaks
"That's most interesting, it was my theories that several nobles in Kenabres were funding a secret cult of Baphomet and some investigation pointing you out as the most likely suspect Horgus. Personally I still believed you were guilty even after you were found innocent. I know for a fact that the cult does exist and someone is or was funding them if not you then another noble most likely."
After giving the door a good long push it gives way and comes upon with a loud bang that resonates throughout the caverns. Everyone braces for a moment but nothing attacks. Inside what Aeron sees is broken stone benches line a long 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.
Raven listens to the banter of the others, but does not enter into it. Baphomet is not a name she recognizes so any drama is lost on her.
"Bring us some light, Mother Cleric, and we will investigate this place."
Provided Selka applies her illumination, Raven enters and begins searching the place, starting with altar area. She moves quietly and reverently, not destroying or shredding anything intentionally, but looking carefully for anything unusual.
Raven moves into the temple when she notices a dwarf sitting on one of the front benches. Your about to call out to him when you realize that he is absolutely still and hasn't moved even tough you made a huge racket.
"That's most interesting, it was my theories that several nobles in Kenabres were funding a secret cult of Baphomet and some investigation pointing you out as the most likely suspect Horgus. Personally I still believed you were guilty even after you were found innocent. I know for a fact that the cult does exist and someone is or was funding them if not you then another noble most likely."
At the mention of demonic cults in Kenabres, Selka's eyes go wide in surprise. "I feared blasphemers may have managed to infiltrate the city, but a whole, organized cult? And several nobles are involved, you say? This is troubling to say the least... This explains how the demons reached the city without being noticed..." Her grip tightens around the shaft of her weapon as her expression darkens, "There are traitors among Kenabres ranks."
When Raven calls out for her, Selka comes to her side, renews her light spell and follows inside the temple, curious about the place but wary of possible danger.
At the appearance of the chapel, Orlando was enchanted.
"This is marvellous! An island of safety in a gloomy netherworld..." He promptly dropped his pack next to the bench and pulled out his journal to make some notes.
The scene between Anevia and Horgus fascinated him, and he noted down the particulars in his journal up until Tessai tried to calm them down. He realized he should help keep the peace amongst the companions and used his influence to aid Tessai.
"Yes, yes, hear her..."
Then he turns to Horgus.
"Secrets milord? But surely there is no need, being found innocent after all. What cult is this and why did the authorities think you were guilty? Orlando inquired, curious.
Raven whispers, pointing to the still dwarf, "Look Selka, he is unmoving despite our intrusion and light. I fear he is not among the living. You have some healing skill, check him over. While I look to his gear."
Carefully, Raven examines or searches for any gear the still dwarf might have, while the cleric checks him over for signs of life.
When Raven prompts her to check on the dwarf, Selka stammers a little. "I don't... Actually I don't really have training in... Uh, well, I'll see what I can do..."
Selka tries to inspect the dwarf for any signs of life.
As Varn steps in to the room he lets his magic flow through his eyes.
Stay away from the body until we know what killed the dwarf I don't want to deal with more maggots.
Hum, what is bothering me, it seems important, bah I will figure it out later.
Varn detects divine magic coming from the fountain near the entrance.
As you approach you can smell the stench of decomposing flesh which leads you to believe the dwarf is dead. However when you look at him he appears in perfect health. It's not until you go to touch him that you realize the truth as dwarf rises and attacks with claws made of sharpened finger bones! Lucky for Selka the bone claws cant penetrate her armor.
Will save vs illusion / Initiative
Selka and Raven are whitin 10 feet of the creature. Aeeron is near the entrance 40 feet away. The rest of you are by the fountain 50 feet away
Oh, great another thing trying to kill us.
What ever that thing is it needs to be killed and stay away from the fountain it is enchanted
Aeron sees the dwarf attack Selka and lets out a shout of warning as he reaches for his hammer. "Enemy in the temple!"
"Ah!" Selka shouts, trying to dodge the creature sudden attack. "An undead abomination! Stay back monster!"
Raven leaps back as the smelly dwarf (is that redundant) antimates and attacks Selka.
Raven regains her composure quickly, "The dead must be returned to Pharasma. Go to her, you abomination!" She reaches for her morningstar, stepping forward and swinging the weapon down on the dwarf undead.