"I see! You've formed a bond with this outsider!" He begins speaking to Foradass, "I am Aravashnial and I am pleased to meet you! As you can see I have been blinded. Andlat said you may or may not be able to do something about my sight?" Aravhasnial's voice is full of hope.
"It's a hard thing to be blind, Aravashnial. Torag ha'n't granted me the power t' help ye. I'm a doctor by trainin' though, so I can try to help if ye' want. Sometimes sight does go temporarily. Have ye taken a bloiw to the head?"
"Beggin' your pardon, but if yer thinking of camping nearby for people's wounds to heal there's a ritual I'd like to do to cleanse this place. Not sure how much of a hurry we're in. Could take days to get back up to the surface! Have ye found any water? I notice the font is empty."
We have not found another source, no. We filled our skins here in the hope that if we ran into another undead, we could wield them as weapons. Aside from the wound to Anevia's leg, and our two fallen companions; No one else has been injured. Before the hunger and thirst kicks in, it might be a good idea to make as much progress as possible.
Apologies snow haired one. Though I have been gifted with great sight, I am incapable of curing your lack of it. all I can offer you, is my condolences, and my aid.
Not to be blunt or disrespectful or anything, but your fallen companions have enough food in their packs to feed most of us, and we have a good supply of water, and a fairly defensible position. We may have to rest at some point, it might as well be here. Then my brother can try and cleanse this place. I doubt you want your friends buried in an unholy place. Says Andlat.
Noticing the crossbow and spacial bolts on one of the fallen he takes it. This could come in handy, hopefully more for me than it did for you. he thinks looking at Thomas's dead body.
"Let us get it done then" - Hegron states - "We camp here for the time being. Morgrym, you do your thing and set this place straight as it should be - let us know if you need any assistance. I will keep watch. Everyone take a rest, I have the feeling we will need it."
"Hang on lad - Mr Nossac has a point. Group like this is gonna drink like fish. On one path mebbe we should rush ahead. On the other path, mebbe we should do the righteous thing on our way."
"Either way, I reckon we can spare enough time for me to ask Torag to guide us. Man doesn't have time for Torag, man is broken."
Sighing at how rendering the poetic religious phrase into common human tongue ruins it, Morgrym kneels before the symbol of Torag carved above the basin, pulls out his holy book Hammer and Tongs: The forging of metal and other good works, opens it to a random passage near the back and starts chanting in Dwarven
This passage is about one of Torag's prophets during the Quest for Sky. The people became trapped in a waterless cavern and despaired as their supplies dwindled.
In the end the prophet, angry at Torag for testing them, struck a stone and water burst forth.
Typically this is used as a parable about never giving up hope
After about fifteen minutes of chanting Morgrym pauses, then gives a deep laugh. He bursts into a hearty Dwarven hymn.
A popular Hymn around the passage just read, mostly built around the words "He struck the Rock and Water came out"
The best thing that can be said about Morgrym's singing is that he is enthusiastic. The second best thing is that he's loud. It seems as if the very rocks are vibrating
As he finishes each verse he strikes the carved symbol of Torag with his fist - and crystal clear sparkling water bursts forth in a stream!
Once the containers are full, and the group is watered and washed he stops
"Aye! Is that sign enough for you Mr Nossac?"
Nossac nods. Good that we will not die of thirst. We can rest here for the night. I think it would be wise to have a fall back point; And I would definitely appreciate Torag watching over our fallen companions. Morgrym Please perform your ritual. Everyone else, lets try to get some rest.
Nossac will spend his time inspecting the room and making sure they did not miss anything.
Horgus and Aravashnial fall right away to sleep but Anevia offers to help keep watch if needed.
A fatigued character can neither run nor charge and takes a –2 penalty to Strength and Dexterity. Doing anything that would normally cause fatigue causes the fatigued character to become exhausted. After 8 hours of complete rest, fatigued characters are no longer fatigued.
The night passes without anymore beasts finding their way into the cavern. Horgus snores loudly throughout the night, but is nothing more than an annoyance to those awake on their watches. You all awake rested and ready to go, all except for Morgrym.
Morgrym works all night to consecrate the temple. He moves from place to place praying and splashing holy water. You are woken once during that night as he begins to sing loudly another song about the earth and how it is holy to Torag. As you begin to prepare to leave the temple there is a light that appears above the alter. It hovers there a moments before the entire building begins to tremble. Several seconds go by until the ball of light explodes and covers you all. As it does the earthquake stops.
Your companions stand there, staring at the alter in awe.
While Morgrym goes about his holy business, Hegron organizes the watch, thanking Anevia for her offer to assist - "Thank you, we will probably manage it. Make sure to rest your leg as tomorrow we will be probably moving the entire day. Do not worry though, if we need your assistance, I will not hesitate in asking"
As Morgrym starts to sing during his watch, Hegron first begins moving to scold him, but at the entrance to the temple he just changes his mind, deciding not to bother him, leaning on the door smiling for a moment, then getting back to his watch - Lets just hope our holy father does not call all inhabitants of these caverns on us... - he ponders, walking away still smiling.
Hegron is not a religious man, but there is no denying that something happended in the place, and the feeling that washes over them is palpable and unavoidable.
Heading over to the dwarf, he puts a hand on his shoulder - "Well done Master Dolgringrun - a pall has been definitely lifted from this place" - then he returns to the necessary preparations to leave, still coming to terms with what he has just experienced.
"Are we all set to go then?" - he asks after everyone has had the opportunity to get ready.
Morgrym drops to his knees, overcome with awe.
"Praise Torag!" he declares
Many thanks master dwarf for returning the temple to it's rightful station. I shall rest easy tonight knowing that Mekel and Thomas will be well looked after and protected.
Nossac prays before the altar and prepares his things.
It will indeed be a long day. Please try and make yourselves as comfortable as possible for the journey that lies ahead.
He moves to the door and sees if there is anything waiting for them.
"Well. Thank you Mr Nossac. Well said. I think I'd be most comfortable at the front, if that's all right. Do ye have a map?"
"Which way, Mr Nossac?"
We've come from over there, so we should head that way. You may take lead if you like sir. You would probably be able to see the best down here.
I can see as well, this darkness is colder and more foul than that of my home, but it is dakness all the same.
Right then. Morgrym and Foradass in the front, Hegron and me right behind, with the light, then our injured friends, and Nossac covering our asses from the back. Sound good?
After walking for an hour the tunnel opens onto a grisly sight. Bodies of crusaders and civilians lies in piles on the floor. Five of these piles are inhabited by more giant maggots.
Average init=9
Combat Mat
Red are maggots
other body piles are cover if your crouch behind them (your proly wont though)
each maggot is on a pile or in a pile on round one
You guys start in the yellow highlights
the ugly purple are the walls.
Anevia snarls at the sight of the maggots feasting on the bodies of the dead. She says nothing, just pulls her bow from her back and fires it at the closest maggot. Her anger and broken leg get the best of her though, and her arrow misses by a long shot.
Sounds good.
Nossac sees the grizzly sight and pulls his bow out to quickly launch an arrow.
The arrow sticks into the maggot.
Andlat lines up his new crossbow and takes a shot at maggot 2.
The blot sticks into the maggot near Nossac's arrow
Foradass get the one in front of us!
Back to the earth with you bottom feeder. says Foradass as he sinks his teeth into maggot3.
Foradass manages to bite into the maggot, just not very hard. It is enough to grab a hold of the vermin and drag it to him. Foradass is not grappling maggot3.
Grumbling and growling, Hegron advances towards the creatures - "Tired of maggots and wyrms in this dark hole, feasting on corpses of sad folks that get trapped in here..."
His swing, in spite of being strong, is poorly aimed, and misses by a mile, which brings more cursing and sputtering from the man.
The weariness deep in his bones is dispelled a mite when he sees the monsters desecrating the corpses. Stumbling forward he raises his axe as Foradass attacks, and brings it down upon the maggot
Retaliation from the maggots isn't much to be feared, in fact the maggot bitten by Foradass throws up in what could be fear. The second closest maggot gives Hegron the same treatment.
Hegron and Foradass both need to make a DC 13 fortitude check of be sickened for 1 minute.
The other three maggots don't even notice the battle, and continue chewing away.
This time Anevia's arrow strikes true. "Got ya."
Then Morgrym beats in the maggot Foradass is holding.
PLAYERS TURN!
Foradass will not release the limp maggot from it's mouth and move forward towards the rest of the maggots. He goes to take a bite out of maggot 2.
Foradass sinks his teeth into the maggot, tearing at it's flesh.
Andlat will move up behind Foradass and cast acid splash and hurl the acid at maggot 5.
double damage for 2.
The acid finds its mark, but there is not very much of it.
Hegron takes a step back - "Heck! These are just maggots!" - he grumbles - "Why don't we simply go around? Or let them finish eating?"
With the way things have been going, I would prefer not having them at our back. Maybe we could just pick em off from a distance?
Nossac says launching another arrow.
Which just barely misses it's target.
"Leave them to finish?" Morgrym seems flabbergasted, then looks at the piles
"Crivens! If ye sense o' decency does not compel ye to risk your life killin' these vermin and doin' what y'can to lay these poor folk to rest, then perhaps you'd be interested in seein' if any o' these folk had rations afore the worms get to 'em."
"Very well then..." - Hegron nods at the pragmatism in the elf and dwarf's words, and moves to strike.
The last maggots surge forward to attack Hegron.
"Agreed, it is a disgrace to allow them to feed on the fallen" states Anevia as she lets an arrow fly.
Morgrym tries to charge forward into the maggots surrounding Hegron, but is so tired it is more of a shuffle.
"Take... that" he pants.
Foradass will move forward and strike maggot 4 trying to drag it away from Hegron.
He grabs hold of the maggot and pulls it toward him.
Andlat will sheath his crossbow as his move action, and will cast acid splash on maggot 1.
--------------------------------
Now completely surrounded and seriously wounded, Hegron lets out a low growl, falling into a complete battle stance, allowing his primal ancestry rage to flow through him, while still remaining in control.
Taking advantage of Morgrym's presence, he makes good use of the flanking opportunity, dropping his bardiche, and reaching for the heavy flail at his back.
Nossac looks at the other targets and sees only one which is wide open.
Which finds it's mark and flies straight through the creature pulling it's stomach out with it.
With just one maggot left it resorts to it's most natural instinct, it regurgitates all over Morgyrm!
Anevia can't see the maggot with all the people in her way, and will refrain from firing.