Vard eyed the strange creatures, trying to see if he could catch an aura. At the screeching of monkeys he whirled around. Well, these guys also seem alarmed - but if the temple is to a monkey god, the monkeys may be coming to defend the temple, so perhaps these guys... aren't the normal guards?
As he watched the balconies, he racked his brains, wondering if he'd heard anything about monkey gods that might give him some clue as to what was about to happen.
"Akta sig! Något kommer!" Thrym shouted, seeing the trees sway as if an army of giants rushed under their canopy, towards the ruins and the party. He had no idea what it could be - the screech a moment before the signs of movement did resemble the noises the monkeys who had raided their camp had made when someone had tried to scare them away, but surely those ridiculous little beasts couldn't cause the whole forest to heave like so... unless they approached in their thousands. But monkeys or not, surely what approached couldn't be good for them.
"Spirit! Städa våra armar och hjärtan! Fara närma sig, och vi skulle få din välsignelse!" the shaman intoned, beseeching the ancestral spirits to fill them with courage.
Not liking where this was going, Luk-Luk pulls the scroll from her belt and uses it. A shimmer shield of magic appears on her left arm. If a swarm of adorable critters attacks, the elf would much prefer they not maul her to death.
The two tiny men do have a faint evil aura.
Fain's arrow struck the same tiny man, while the rest of the party turned their concern to the ominous screeching. The jungle continued to shriek and shake, until, suddenly swarms of monkeys began flooding out of the treetops through every opening in the temple. However, they flowed past the party like water. Instead they made a rush for the tiny men on the mountain top. Leaping at them, the monkey were distracting the pair, before two of the monkey snatched the bows from their hands and blew raspberries before rushing down the mountain.
-4
Luk-Luk takes a five foot step to the corner as she reloads her light crossbow, releasing a triumphant laugh as the monkeys give trouble to the mountain men.
Vard let the stream of monkeys flow past as he figured out what was going on.
"Ragdya!" he shouted over the din. "I reckon that's whose temple this is. Met a trainer out east who followed her, all this screeching reminded me of his monkeys. Any hows, she's not one of the bad lot, which I can't say for these two guys. Probably demons or devils of some kimd. Well, looks like she's doing us a good turn by removing their bows so let's repay the favour by clearing them out."
With a grin, he made another attempt to scramble up to the two creatures.
Fain lowered his bow for a second then taking Vard at his word loosed another shot before these little men could close in.
"Maybe they've made a hostile takeover of her temple. Otherwise, why would the others have been creeped out by something evil in the temple? Let's help restore Ragdya's temple then."
Not liking having her hands full with a climb, Alenka opts to use her borrowed crossbow to shoot at the little men who have drawn the monkeys' ire.
The monkeys grabbed the bows and began rushing back out of the temple, leaving the frustrated tiny men with no ranged weapon. Seeing Vard clamber up the statue, they butted at him with their thorny crowns. The first stung his shoulder, but he managed to fend off the second.
"Fegisar! Kom hit och slåss som män!" Thrym growled at the two strange creatures that, even bereft of their ranged weapons, didn't do the honorable thing and challenge them on level ground. The sudden rush of innumerable monkeys had left he shaman shaken - against such numbers of individually feeble enemies, there would had been no defending against. Not if the creatures had intended to flow over, rather than around, the party. As to why they had directed their efforts against the two creatures who had been lurking in the temple's ruins for who knew how long instead of against the more recent interlopers, he could offer no explanation.
But the screeching tide could return at any moment, for all they knew, so the two openly hostile foes had to be dealt with. Lacking a proper ranged weapon or the willingness to try and follow Vard's example Thrym did the best he could and drew one of his daggers, moving closer for a clearer line of fire.
Vard fended off the creature's attacks as best he could as he pulled himself up.
"Well, looks like you're not wanted here, fiends." Pulling out his hammer, he swung at the more injured creature.
"Why should they fight like moles?!" is all Luk-Luk can think to shout at Thrym. Skald was a tongue she'd not quite mastered. Having reloaded, the elf steps out from behind cover to fire at them. Which is much tougher with Vard right beside them. She needed more magic.
The bolt does some fantastic damage, to the stone surface of the temple at least. Luk-Luk really was starting to wish she'd sprung for a wand of Magic Missiles.
Alenka loads another bolt into her borrowed crossbow as she tries to get a feel for the weapon. It was still pulling a little to the left but she was getting better at compensating for it in her aim.
Shooting up at the tiny creatures, without accidentally hitting Vard proved to be a challenge. However they showed no signs of coming down when they had a willing target near by. The pair butted again at Vard, this time both striking, but still only doing minimal damage.
-4, -0
As arrows and bolts whizzed past them, Vard swung again at the injured fiend.
As his blow felled the creature, he used the momentum of his swing to move forward, allowing his companions a clearer shot at the other one.
Fain rushed to the edge of the little mountain, took a breath, held it, and released his bow string - maybe the ancient temple would send some errant luck his way ...
"Move! I want to burn them!" Luk-Luk shouts as she stomps closer, waving her free hand forth to send a glob of acid towards the one closest to her, as the other is well out of the spells range.
And starts cursing in Goblin as she continues to miss.
With a dagger in hand, Thrym tried to move to get a clear line of fire but Vard kept getting in his way. Growling in irritation, he did his best but came closer to hitting the short paladin than the two enemies.
The first creature leaped towards Vard. However, Fain took the rare opportunity at a clear shot to put an arrow straight into it's chest. It stumbled back, still standing, but missing the opportunity to land its strike on Vard. The other one, however, continued to attack Vard with a new boldness, landing a particularly painful strike at the halfling's hip.
-11, -0
Fain whipped another arrow onto the string as the little creature stumbled backward. He stuck his tongue a little out of the side of his mouth, furrowed his brow, and while it was still off it's balance, he released.
Luk-Luk snarled a Goblin word, several times, as she sent forth another glob of acid.
"Draal draal draal draal!"
And then tried reloading her crossbow after missing once more.
Alenka moves up beside Luk-Luk so that she wasn't shooting around anyone and targets one of the fiends with her crossbow.
Vard glanced down at his companions shooting up from ground level. Evidently none of them were following him up, so he supposed he probably should get out of the way. He gave a final swing at one of the monsters, then leapt down to the ground.
Landing on his feet, he quickly focused some energy to heal himself.
Fain arrow flew straight and caught the creature straight in the neck. It barely was able to let out a shriek before it was gone with a poof. The remaining one tried to take a swing at Vard, as he dropped, but he still seemed to be in shock from the sudden defeat of his ally.
The creature looked a little unsure of what to do next, but its dark face hardened in resolve. Clambering down the statue, it leaped at Fain, landing his spiky thorns in the other halfing's side.
-0
Finally, the remaining creature decided to come down within an arm's reach. Thanking the spirits for this lucky turn of fate, the shaman readied his axe and waded into the battle, striking the thorny foe a mighty blow.
Dropping the crossbow, Luk-Luk moves to Fain's left as her hands turn into draconic claws, which she uses to swipe at the creature.
"GNAWHAA!", Fain was bleeding from many little wounds. The creatures charge at him had him a bit off his feet. He staggered backward and tried to get an arrow notched, firing it wildly at the thing.
As the fiend followed him down, Vard spun around and swung at it with his hammer.
Alenka watches the others swarm the remaining creature, fairly confident that their blows would finish it off. She calmly stows the crossbow and draws her cleaver again, ready to add her blade to the myriad of attacks if necessary.
With the majority of the party finally able to reach the creature, it face a whirlwind of weapons. Each one connected, forcing it to stagger backward slightly more, until finally Vard's hammer caused the tiny man to vanish back into whatever plane he had come from. The temple fell quiet again, but this time there was no longer a feeling of darkness in the room. Instead, the sun was shining down brightly through the balcony.
Fain let out and audible, "phew! What is the name of Yondalla's sweet soil were those things?" then, not really waiting for an answer crept around the little room to the south to take a peek - silly really, whatever might be there must know a group is near.
Alenka marvels at the obvious change in the feeling of the space as the last small man with horns disappears with the swing of Vard's hammer.
"What were those? And why would they be interested in an ancient temple? It would suggest to me that there is still something of importance to be found here."
She takes a closer look at the mountain sculpture they had been climbing on. "This was the only place where they were, correct? I wonder if they were searching for something?"
Vard gave a satisfied look as the fiend vanished and the mood lifted.
"The thing I'm wondering is whether they came here themselves, or if some else put 'em there. 'Cause if someone did summon them here to guard, where's that someone now?"
Weapon at the ready, he also heads around to see the centre of the temple, taking the opposite path to Fain.
"Ugly and unpleasant evil creatures friend Fain. Good fortune the monkeys helped us," Luk-Luk takes the chance to swipe the dead ones throat before her claws recede. She then picks up and reloads her crossbow. "I shalt feed monkeys again on the way out of here. Seems to be lucky. I am theorizing aught right now. Evil things enjoy defiling good temples do they not?"
After finishing reloading Luk-Luk's head darts left and right, "Perhaps all are possible. Lo if a summoned twas the best time to attack when we were distracted by them. To know which we should check the area and be wary. They might not hath been alone." Luk-Luk starts looking around before pausing to add.
After a second she adds, And I'd like the chance to set aught on fire if we find a threat.
The party looked around the chamber, but saw no additional threats. Rounding the corner they saw a large statue of a monkey-faced man sitting on a pedestal at the north end of a small shrine. The statue’s arms and legs were missing, and deep scratches had been gouged into its face. Pieces of broken stone, rotting plant matter, and other assorted rubbish lay in heaps on the floor of this room. The smell of rot was particularly strong here. Around the waist of the monkey statue was a belt and within the pedestal, there appeared to be a cabinet.
Seems the blind guess of evil things defiling good temples was spot on.
Luk-Luk makes a face as she pulls the fibrous scarf up from around her neck to cover her nose, "Ugh. Defiling with stench. Reminds me of my tribe's cooking. Blgh," and the elf seems to not care that the scarf is in the way as she sticks her tongue out. It doesn't help with the smell, causing Luk-Luk to ramble, "Lhon kelaan dhar maal't shuulec. Or hec hokaar, mar duun daach."
The elf then departs the room to retrieve backpack she'd dropped and her quarter staff.
Upon returning she uses the staff as a poking stick for the refuse heaps. "Anybody recognize aught about the statue? I hope we've not need to clean it. Alenka, ye can look for traps ye said prior, correct? Might be wise to do so."
Fain pulled back into the main room - it would get crowded in here soon - he instead went to the balcony and kept lookout ... are the monkeys gone???
Vard surveyed the room with a grimace. "Ugh. Don't s'pose anyone's got a broom? Or maybe a shovel would be better."
He turned his attention to the state, examining it carefully, checking the belt for any evil aura. "Yeah, someone's got a beef with ol' Ragdya alright. Wonder who'd do it."
Alenka's nose wrinkled at the smell and her brows furrowed at the desecration. "Why is it that others always find the need to ruin what they don't agree with or understand?"
She approaches the statue and takes a close look at the cabinet. "Maybe there's something that still can be rescued."
Thrym examined the statue of the monkey-featured deity, taking notes of the heaps of filth and clutter on the floor next to it. The belt on the statue's waist stood out, of course, but the shaman gave it a wide berth - it could not have been an accident it had ended up there. No, it was likely an offering to the deity, and unless some believer had made a pilgrimage to these ruins recently, it had to be enchanted, or protected by some lingering power of the statue itself not to have rotted away into nothing in this hot, humid hell.
The shaman frowned in thought. The minions of the deity had aided them - intruders themselves - in the battle. He had to wonder, for what purpose. Had the presence of those two strange creatures they had vanquished been so vile to the deity that it had decided to use any opportunity it had to rid its holy place of them? Or did the spirit have something else in mind for them, and this help had been a form of advance payment for services rendered? He could not say, but it was clear this Ragdya had aided them. Thus, some form of repayment was due.
Taking care not to break any more pieces off the fragile statue, Thrym got close enough to touch it, murmuring a quick invocation to his ancestors, to call forth their power to repair some of the damage to the statue.
Vard surveyed the room with a grimace. "Ugh. Don't s'pose anyone's got a broom? Or maybe a shovel would be better."
"Not a shovel but I gots a iron pot ... maybe I can find some source a water and we can scrape that mess out n drench the rest???" now if I were water where would I be? Lowest point nearby??
Fain didn't wander far but looked for a pond or stream. Maybe there was a kind of karmic need. . If he found water perhaps there might be some ripe fruit or berries he could bring back to the team.
Inside the cabinet under the statue richly illuminated copy of a holy text written in Vudrani, labeled "Vigrahin Patitraka". Two more mundane looking holy texts, also written in Vudrani, were titled "Azvadeva Pujila" and "Mizravrtta Brahmodya". Finally, there was one last book, this one containing handwritten common. It appeared to be a very old leather-backed journal.
Alenka's eyes sparkled as she opened the cabinet. "This is my kind of treasure...books! Most of them look to be holy texts but I'm only guessing because I don't know the language."
She digs out a pair of forceps from her dissection kit and very carefully opens the journal. She begins reading, using the forceps to turn the pages rather than touch them with her fingers.
Alenka carefully read through a few pages the journal. It appeared to be a long account written by a priest who accompanied Khiben-Sald on his travels around the Inner Sea. It was rich with details of this island and the others he had travelled to. Certainly this would be something that the Pathfinder Society would be excited to retrieve.
As the searching commences Luk-Luk takes the time cast Prestidigitation to clean up some of the statue. After it finishes the elf turns to Vard, "Nary a shovel but this spell tis a grand utility to clean aught," then the sorceress grimaces, "It will take a lot of casting to clean the statue though. Many more to clean the room."
Alenka's interest in the academic discoveries draws a amused laugh from Luk-Luk, "I suppose this will save us the trouble of writing reports about the temple's history, for tis already done! Lo we still should write down details of the structure," she sighs loudly, "I never liked studying engineering. But another thought," the elf looks at the belt and casts Detect Magic.