Should we be riling that thing up? We need to find a way to put down that wizard.
"If we need to retreat through this room, would you want thirst or battle with your hurry? Want to tread carefully down only one side of the steps? Better at once, and done. And I call to it for Mercy's sake; our power to kill it is not our right to do so. But I will, my thinking is the elemental thing will be put home, away from this world."
"My line of thought, precisely." She looks at her sister, wondering if they share more than just blood.
"I cannot fault a warrior, who has never had to retreat", Arean says sincerely, "But I would have to fault a tactician, who had never given it thought. If the Water Weird does not manifest itself, I shall purify the pool, and we can resume our quest."
"Well, if ya need someone ta bait the darn thing, I'm game." Brad waits to see if the creature in the pool will respond.
The water weird surges up out of the pool and attempts to engulf Braden but fails. As a side note Ikkvy realizes that this beast has a reach of at least 15 feet meaning it is an old and larger than normal water weird and nowhere on the stairs would have been safe.
Initiative Order
Party
Water Weird
Arean reads the scroll.
Eldrian readies an arrow, "Should I shoot it or not?"
"Bludgeoning weapons or blunt arrows! This one might be tougher than the standard!"
Ikvvy takes a Blunt arrow and shoots it at the monster!
!
Furnok bashes it with the blunt side of his Lucerne Hammer!
Sidestepping the attack, Brad aims a punch, followed by a kick!
;
;
The Water Wyrd shudders from the blows the party delivers to it, but it's reaction the spell that Aearn reads out aloud is worse. It shimmers and pulses in and out repeatedly and rapidly. Suddenly it explodes and showers the party and the courtyard and party with water. Fresh cold clean water, the other result of the purify food and water spell.
In fact the entire pool is now as clear and inviting as the illusion that the water wyrd projected as a lure, except instead of a mosaic at the bottom of the pool there are 2 clay jars and a scattering of precious gems.
"Well enough! THAT was a near thing!"
Well that was unexpected. Furnok muses and tastes some fo the water before scooping out the jars.
"Well done!" She claps and gets all happy about it, but then she sees Furnok taking a jar and she mentions. "I don't think we're supposed to take those gems, guys. They are probably an offering from the Siswa, right?"
Otherwise let's move up the ladder, shall we?
"Meh, doesn't seem to matter to me. I hate to leave good treasure laying around, but if you think its best, lets move on."
Marcos sheathes his shield but keeps hold of his sword as he climbs ahead.
"Or the only bits of devoured passersby that survived being eaten." Brad unabashedly goes in to take the gems.
"A proper moral caution is correct, of course. But must come in behind our magical cautions..."
Arean Detects Magic, specifically on the jars and gems as objects of interest.
Ikvvy mimics Arean.
Before he knew it he was drenched in water wierd. "Ok then. If that didn't notifiy someone we are here I don't know what will." While the others check out the gems he heads to the top of the stairs to scout out their route.
Eldrian opens the doors silently and peeks through.
"The stones are magicked; odd of offerings. A moment to look more deeply...",she says softly. Arean does not touch the stones, but continues to observe them with opened magical senses...
"If they are more than simple jewelry, I believe we can use them."
Furnok switches to his falchion.
- 2 Opals w/Protection from Evil
- 2 Garnets w/Magic Weapon
- 2 pearls w/True Strike
"Who else have you seen that isn't a Siswa here?" Eldrian opens the door enough to move through, "What are you doing here?"
Ikvvy holds a gem of True Strike, since she would probably need it someday to fight tougher to hit monsters.
Just who is ahead of us?
Just who is ahead of us?
"May I guess? The lover. A young elf, who'll know much of Rahasia. Ask him, where is the mole.", Arean teases brightly, though she cannot even yet see the man.
Ikvvy gets confused, a lack of malice coming out in her question. "What? You mean to say Rahasia was betrothed to Hasan but was loving someone else?"
Furnok looks confused. Mole?/...Er..Hold on, didn't we rescue Hasan already?
"Did we? Well, then, who is this new elf's voice?", Arean asks, with a gesture that has her hounds drawing closer to her.
Arean leads her hounds toward the new voice. Or rather, she tries to lead. Bear follows her, Sir gets and stays in front of her, and Russ sniffs at Furnok's pack, looks at Ikvvy guiltily, notices the other dogs are gone, and rushes after them all.
:)
Marcos stands nearby, not interrupting but ready to strike with his holy sword if necessary.
"I'm Alki Galathil", says the elf Eldrain encounters at the top of the stairs in quiet voice. "There's Siswa all over the place. A group of brigands just made off with some of the 'tithe' the Rahib demands and the guards are trying to find them before they leave the compound." He looks warily about him "I don't know why there isn't alarms going off or shouting but there's an unused cloak room just around the corner and if we're going to have a longer conversation I'd rather not have it in the open." He moves toward the room to the west, not waiting to see if you follow.
"There are others with me. We are trying to stop the Rahib." He looks back and motions the others to follow him then dashes through the door to follow the elf.
Ikvvy follows behind Eryan, but she is suspicious about this man, scanning him in every opportunity.
Furnok follows
Marcos brings up the rear, weapon still ready.
"Sure are a lot of non-Siswa in this place," notes Brad.
The party goes around the corner into the western room which proves to be wardrobe/cloak room. Folded siswa robes are on shelves on the western wall and pegs for cloaks line the eastern wall.
Alki says "The Siswa don't maintain any guards on the outer walls or the entryway to the temple. All of the security measures seem to be internal...siswa guards, magical traps, wandering beasts. All deadly enough but it seems like all can of people can just wander in."
Hmph. Sounds like they want to be invaded, let's oblige them.
"Nice to meet you, Alki Galathil. I'm Ikvvy and these Eldrian, Furnok, Marcos, Braden and Arean. We're here to put an end to this threat."
"What are you here for and what have you encountered so far?"