The group heads down to the south end of the room. After a few steps up to the open temple you see three rows of pews stand before a stone altar. A human statue stands atop the altar, its face and right arm broken off and shattered at the floor around it. Two smaller statues of women, each wielding a sword and shield, stand in raised alcoves in the southeast and southwest corners.
You recognize the male statue as a depiction of Aroden, whil the two statues in the corners are depictions of Aroden’s two former heralds: Arazni and Iomedae.
Otavio takes a moment to inspect and appreciate the statues. He can't help but wonder if the statue of the man can be repaired - surely Bimble would know? "It's a darn shame that these statues haven't found their way to a museum or public square. Their cultural value can't be translated into gold pieces. Do you think the statue of the man can be repaired with magical artisanry, Bimble?"
"A valuable place, as well as a holy place. We should look out for more cirlces." Rossana does just that, checking the broken statue in particular for circular marks of any type on it.
As Otavio and Rossana inspect the statue, all of a sudden a faint glow emanates from the central statue and a translucent figure that resembles the statue, with head and arms intact, steps forward out of the stone.
In a booming voice it says "Stand in awe. Tithe to show your devotion." The spectral figure then points at a tithing box at the statues feet.
This appears to be a combination of the spells Silent Image and Ghost Sound
The spectral figure, although it resembles to the statue has a face and clothing embellishments entirely alien to the Last Azlanti.
"Awful bossy for the ghost of a dead god," Capricia quips irreverently and simultaneously with Bimble's declaration. She stands her ground briefly until she realizes that's doing exactly what the bossy spirit ordered. Then, just to let the ghost know she's not awed, she does a bit of side-to-side combat footwork, waving her falcata as if preparing for a battle.
"Eh, this isn't the religious experience I was hoping for ..." Otavio says whilst frowning at both the translucent figure and Capricia's fancy footwork. "So, would you experts in all things magic and arcane say this effect is mostly harmless? Or must we actually donate something valuable?"
Rossana tries to speak, but a slight yip comes out instead at the sudden appearance of the ghost. Heeding Bimble's words, Rossana carefully moves back and away from the ghost.
Sara draws her rapier with narrowed eyes. Gods deserved respect but demanding it was wrong. "Can you hear us?" she asks the ghost to see if it reacts.
As Bimble questions the validity of the spectral figure in front of the group, you see a puff of glitter explode over everyone in a blinding flash of light.
You are blinded by the flash of glittery light for 1 round.
The spell cast was Glitterdust.
You hear a grumbling, but somewhat high pitched voice from the rafters overhead shout out "You have earned Arrow-dean’s anger. Leave a tribute and be on your way or face your doom!"
In the rafters you see what looks like an small overweight man, wearing what resemble senatorial robes, trying to conceal himself from you. It's pretty apparent he was the cause of the spell cast at you.
What is being said sounds pretty serious and you feel like you should leave a tribute.
What is being said sounds like an bluff.
Looking around for the source of the voice, Rossana replies, "Nice try, but I'm rather good at pranks myself. Why don't you come out and talk?"
Sara is suddenly blind, unobservant, and strangley cowed. "Tribute... okay... just a moment." Sara, who is blind, pads around to grab her coin purse and then throws it in the general direction of the spirit, hoping she doesn't ping Bimble in the back of the head of anything like that.
The flash of light shocks Marcus, and as he tries to flick open his eyes, he finds himself blinded.
"O-o-o-kay, just a moment," he says, sounding more frightened than he has up to this point. "I can come up with something for a tr-r-r-ibute."
He beings rummaging around in his pockets for a few gold pieces and then throws them blindly toward the voice.
"Bloody Hell--I can't see!" Capricia curses. Hearing her new friends throwing coins as tribute, she does the same, tossing a handful of coins toward the ghostly figure.
Seeing that at least Bimble and Rosanna haven't fallen for his rouse, Bimble sees the small man stick his head out from the rafters, "You are addressing the High Priest Viecar and this temple is my domain, it is not a prank! Everyone must leave a tithe and then you can be on your way and I will get back to my nap that you so rudely interrupted when you barged in here."
Viecar grins as you mention a key and he pulls one from beneath his robes "You mean something like this?" He tauntingly dangles holds it out for you to see before stowing it away again. "If you want the key leave a tithe and leave me be!"
"... we could gift him that hat of disguise and get this over with without having to resort to violence," Otavio suggests in a hushed manner once he's done blinking away the flecks of gold that did all they could to blind him.
The little man grins and nods at the sum, then takes out the key and tosses it down for you. "You give a worthy tribute. You may have my key and leave me in peace!"
"Gracias!", Otavio says with a smile and a wave of the hand. The exchange of a handful of coins to prevent further tragedy has his approval.
"Well done Bimble. That whole encounter made me feel - very strange. I need to do better."
He shakes his head as if trying to clear out the bad thoughts, and then leads the party to the east.
Capricia isn't happy when her sight returns. She briefly considers trying to recover the gold she impetuously threw at the false ghost (since Bimble's tribute had specifically been made on behalf of the whole group); part of her (mainly her trusty falcata) also hoped the little creep would try to stop her. But in the grander scheme of political assassinations (nay--massacres) and being trapped in some ancient subterranean safehouse, the former pirate decides to let it pass and instead follows after Bimble and the others.
Heading out of the temple and back to the hall with one key in hand, you follow the hall around to another door.
When Marcus and Bimble give the ok, Capricia opens the door into the room. Thick wooden bookshelves jut out from the eastern and western walls. Bundles of paper, scroll tubes, and thick tomes cram these shelves nearly to bursting. Layers of dust coat some areas of the chamber, but others remain suspiciously clean. Books and papers crowd one of the worktables in the south, smeared with ink. Two other doors exit to the south.
"And now a library. With the age of the others, there might be some authentic old texts in here," Rossana adds. "There may even be a book about this place and where it is built." Starting to walk down the bookshelves herself, Rossana looks for any book that might be helpful for their situation.
Her cheeks are burning after throwing her coin purse (which she retrieves), even more than when she stabbed herself.
"Some of the books are clean? Maybe the gremlin or the kobold. Are their footprints around that might tell us?" so she'll look around the dust and she'll cast her sift spell to see if there are any items of note.
Capricia checks the ink-smeared stuff for clues...or perhaps even tracks.
Giving everything a quick look it appears that a good majority of the books and papers are moldering and look like have been chewed on by rodents. The only place this is not the case is the southern table that looks as though it has been used sometime recently.
The only thing worthwhile is a still intact scroll case.
Looking over the various books and papers on the table you see most are on mathematics and geometry.
Out of the various mathimatical books you also find the autobiography of Eros Glendower, a romantic, middling nobleman, and wizard who lived centuries ago and became obsessed with immortality.
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"Mathematics and geometry: Our mad circle-making spirit!"
To the question of being out of place "Unless the secret to achieving immortality is through mathematics. Meaning I will never master it." she says with a smile. "We found something in a bookcase, do you think we need to hunt through each and every book here, in case... or move on first and come back it nothing presents itself?"
"Perhaps the spirit is trying achieve immortality, which is why he's been drawing those circles everywhere. A huge, convoluted spell ritual of sorts," Rossana says. "It might be best to move on before he tries to activate any. How about the door on the left?"
Otavio casually picks up the scroll case and studies it before twisting off the cap. "So, a wizard who failed at achieving eternal life, check. You'd imagine that those with the brains to study magic would know better than to try and thwart common sense - there's no way Pharasma would let a mortal get away with that."
As the rest of you look around Otavio goes to examine the intact scroll case. He opens the case, then suddenly one of the innocuous-looking scrolls abruptly rises in the air, unraveling as it flies. It flits about with serpentine grace, baring its razor-sharp edges.
You recognize this as a Guardian Scroll. It is a construct that is resistant to damage from weapons that are not magical and immune to bludgeoning weapons.
These scrolls commonly try to latch onto an unsuspecting persons face and strangle them to death or cut them with the razor sharp edges, causing them to bleed. They are vulnerable to fire.
Marcus reaches quickly for a bolt from his pouch, slips it into his crossbow, and takes a shot at the rogue scroll.
Capricia steps forward, bringing her falcata around toward the scroll guardian with a measured cut.
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"It's A Piece of Paper! Attacking us!." Sara exclaims in utter surprise. "This entire place hate us." she'll draw her rapier as she swears something rather impolite about using it as toilet paper if need be, in Kelish though to maintain her air of elegance :)
Otavio doesn't quite know how to deal with a paper foe and slashes about wildly, more so concerned with avoiding nasty paper cuts than cutting said paper.
Not expecting the papers themselves to attack, Rossana is late in preparing her crossbow and ends up loosing prematurely. Her frustration beginning, all that comes out of her mouth is a low growl.
Sara tries to inspire the others with her words as she draws her weapon. Marcus takes a shot with his crossbow but he just barely misses the scroll as it flies out of the way. Capricia tries to slice into it with her weapon, but also misses as the thing darts quickly out of the way. Bimble tells the others what the thing is, as he stands their watching the others try to deal with it. Otavio takes up a defensive position as he attacks, but it causes him to miss the scroll, just like the others.
With no one damaging it, it maintains its focus on Otavio and attacks.
The paper moves to cut Otavio and it slices into his neck as it also latches onto his face making it impossible for him to breath, speak or see.
Rosanna also lets a bolt fly but it misses completely. Trant tries to cut the thing off of Otavio while Zubari attempts to assist her.
Trant manages to hit the thing, even without Zubari being much help, but she quickly finds out that she not only just slightly damages the scroll but she also seems to cut into Otavio as well.
Marcus shifts over, trying to line up a better shot. He reloads his crossbow, but not wanting to hurt Otavio, he holds his shot and instead focuses his eyes intently on the scroll, imagining his bolt flying straight through it and it fluttering to the ground.
Seeing how much Otavio is bleeding and how Dame Trant's sword seemed to damage the trapped man, Capricia delays, hoping that someone will heal Otavio or the warrior will slip the scroll monster's grasp.
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"What?!? Get off his face you <insert your favorite expletive>!" Sara darts forward and tries to pull it off the now buttery Otavio "Don't falter sir, you don't want the stories to say the great Otavio died from a piece of paper, do you?"
"Mrmmrmblblmmbrlmbrl!", Otavio screeches as he drops his sword so he can pull the piece of animated paper off his face. This is not how this writer wants to die!