The party backtracks away from the temple and back towards the main path. Traveling southward, the path begins a very subtle upward climb. During the climb, Anevia begins to lag further behind, stating that her leg has started to bother her, but she refuses to rest.
After a trek of about 40 minutes, Deia's torch begins to flicker again. However, Tina's bundle of fungus and Max's refreshed light spell continue to light the area. The path narrows out before it empties into a wide cavern, about half as large as the one you initially found yourselves in after the fall.
Through the dim light you can see that the walls have been decorated. Statues, carved in relief out of the walls themselves, depict men and women all in full armor. Many stand in triumphant and strong poses, some are frozen as if in combat. All of them share the same expression of deep sadness. There are about 30 statues in all.
. "These figures, they are most definitely heroes from the First Crusade! They all have a very sad expression on their faces, though."
Max casts Detect Magic and looks in the area for any magical auras.
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Deia tosses aside the burned out remains of her torch. "Tina's torch seems to make enough light so I'm going to try to save some torches. If anybody wants more light, let me know and I will light another. "
"Agreed, Max. The styling of the armor looks like it is from the era of the First Crusade. This is quite a collection of heroes."
Aravashnial perks up, and in an excited voice he says, "Did you say armor from the First Crusade? Did you find some?"
Tina adjusts Anevia's split for more comfort.
Rex looks at the statues and hearing Max and Deia comment that they depict the Crusaders of the First Crusade, "These people were true heroes, driving back the first onslaught of demons."
"I hope we can be their equals when this is all over."
"I admire your sentiments, Rex. The crusade is sorely in need of brave crusaders, especially after today. But as for me, I doubt I could even walk in such heavy armor, let alone fight." Max looks about for a figure that looks even remotely scholarly.
"So you say there are statues here depicting crusaders from the First Crusade? Hrmm... You know, I heard a legend about the First Crusades once, and I think I have a theory as to why they're here."
Horgus can't take being silent anymore at the mention of another of Aravashnial's theories.
"Oh gods, not another one. You've got a theory for everything don't you? What's this one? Those mole-people you mentioned earlier worship the crusaders as gods?"
Slightly perturbed by Horgus's interruption, Aravashnial furrows his brow and snips back.
"They're mongrels, not mole-people. And actually, yes. Sort of. The legend I had heard said that, during the First Crusade, many of the crusaders weren't prepared for the energies being unleashed by the Worldwound as it opened and spread. So despite being victorious, they came back tainted by the Abyss. We've found ways to prevent that now, but back then it wasn't understood."
"Anyway, these crusaders came back tainted, and while it wasn't apparent to them at first, it became apparent when they had children. They gave birth to deformed and monstrous looking children, and were called heretics and chased from the Crusades over their perceived consorting with Demons. I believe this was the first instance of the Inquisitions being used against the crusaders themselves."
Continuing, Aravashnial gets over his 'history' lesson and finally gets to his point.
"My theory is that these tainted crusaders and their children were the first of the mongrels. The crusaders would have likely had intimate knowledge of these caves, given the vast construction efforts that went into them during the First Crusade, and so they ran from the surface to live their lives down here. I'd bet that these statues represent some of the crusaders who lived here, and I'm going to guess that the mongrels which still live in these caves are their descendents."
Tina looks distressed at the history lesson. Why keep having children if they kept being tainted? She mutters to herself.
Does Max have anything to add to this story? .
"No good deed goes unpunished, as they say. The poor crusaders probably didn't realize that they would so quickly turn from heroes to heretics. It's typical, really, ignorant folk jumping to conclusions too quickly." Like the conclusion that Aroden is dead, he thinks to himself, but these caves seemed a poor environment to revive that debate.
"It's funny, Aravashnial, that story sounds quite believable given my own story. I've a birthmark on my chest, and while it took me a while to figure out, I learned that it's a mark from those whose parents have been exposed to strange planar energies. Although I never knew them, it seems my parents were planar travelers. And I've developed an intense curiosity to discover what has happened to them. In a way, it's almost an act of worship, second only to my devotion to Aroden." Max reflects for a moment on what his parents might have made of him. He wonders if they would be disappointed that he, the son of planar travelers, would much prefer to remain cloistered in a library.
"A birthmark caused by planar energies, you say? Hrmmm..."
Aravashnial lowers his head and rubs his chin. "No, it couldn't be."
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Deia inspects some of the closer statues, looking for clues as she listens to the conversation around her. "Well, let's hope we don't run into any of these mole people or mongrels or whatever they are called while we look for the surface, " she says.
As she wanders between the statues, she eventually comes face to face with Anevia. Deia offers "Can I take a look at your leg? I might be able to help." Deia crouches on the ground and puts her hands on both sides of the Anevia's leg. She then mutters "Stars of the sky, mend the wounds of Anevia."
Max decides he's not entirely ready to trust Aravashnial's stories, but tries to keep an open mind. After perusing the area , he is ready to move on.
"Well if the mongrel people legends are true lets hope they are friendly."
Rex then adds, "I guess we should move on."
Tina looks distressed at the history lesson. Why keep having children if they kept being tainted? She mutters to herself.
Kel looks a little angry at Tina's words, his black and red eyes flashed and he gritted his teeth. "Because everyone deserves a chance at love, no matter how they look or who their ancestors were or what happened to them. Because tainted doesn't ever mean lost."
Love is a lie. You fool yourself, guardsman.
Kosz looks back from his point position at the shieldman's outburst.
True enough... thoughts of his own parents, bereft of children for so long before the Lady smiled upon them, comes to mind.
With Deia's healing, Anevia appears to be in slightly less discomfort.
"Thank you, Deia. My leg feels a bit better now."
Adding to Kel's statement, and glancing in Horgus's direction, she says "This is all too true. There are many who would scorn my wife and I for our love, but what gives them the right to judge us?"
"Only Shelyn has that right. What is said between She any you is no one else's business."
The party begins to make its way forward towards the passage at the far eastern end.
At Koz's shout, Tina moves straight to 3-G and then one down to 4-6, pulling a few pill-like objects that she drops into a flask and shakes it furiously and then lobs at one of the creatures.
the Darkmarntle next to the one targeted will take 4 points splash damage, half if it makes a DC 14 reflex save.
"More dark blankets, dead ahead."
Rex then draws his pistol has he moves to take up position.
"Well at least it isn't one of the those giant flies..."
"I guess we'll find out." Kel says to Deia as he moves forward and draws his net.
"Not again!" Max moves forward, staying close to Kel and attempting to make the Darkmantles visible with his light.
Anevia drops her crutch and draws her bow.
"I'm going to need more arrows since most of mine were broken or lost during the fall. Didn't that body have some?"
We have about a dozen arrows from the body we found earlier.
Anevia Draws her bow and requests more arrows.
Max moves up towards Kosz.
Tina lobs a bomb and makes the shot all the way from Downtown! It bursts in a fiery explosion that sends rocks flying in all directions!
Horgus stays put.
Kel moves forward and draws his net.
Deia moves into a defensive position.
"We will have no daylight to rescue us this time." Kosz cautions the party as he takes a step towards the nearest of the darkmantles and holds up his shield at an angle above his head, readying to strike the creature with his cold iron morningstar should it drop within reach of him.
Kosz readies an attack.
Aravashnial stays put.
Rex moves forward.
The darkmantles drop from the ceiling and move towards Kosz. As they move, they're enveloped in darkness.
Kosz swings his morningstar, but the darkmantle is able to dodge the attack.
Anevia curses the darkmantles' tactics.
"Predictable! I can't shoot what I can't see."
Tina moves to G-5 and jabs up at where she thinks the darkmantle is.I must make a potion that can help in these situations!
Rex holds his pistol out waiting for one of the creatures to come closer, "I don't have a good shot, I'll have to wait until they come closer."
Suddenly unable to see again, Max offers what little aid he can to Kel.
Max moves forward and gives Kel a blessing.
Tina moves forward and stabs blindly, missing her intended target.
Horgus refuses to help, but offers a bit of wisdom.
"You know, if you kill them we'll be able to see again. I'm pretty sure these are the same as what we fought before. Why don't you do what you did last time again?"
Kosz swings again at the closest creature.
Tina sobs as Kel is eaten!
Kel tosses his net at the darkmantle closest to him, trapping it.
Deia offers Kosz a blessing.
Kosz swings his morningstar at the more wounded of the two darkmantles, inflicting a crushing blow and sending it crashing to the ground.
Aravashnial can't see.
Rex aims into the darkness, but doesn't fire.