With the door shut, the party looks at one another and discusses what to do next.
"If we're going to leave it behind, we should at least lock or jam the stairwell door as we go so it doesn't follow us and jump out when we least expect it." With bow still strung, the ranger moves to get a bead on the stairwell doorway.
Azi moves to open the door to the stairwell and prepares to move up to the next level. Looking at Seamus he nods, "If we open up the other door, you could be right and the lizard will move on, on its own. Those shelves looked empty, but if Hulka asks if we searched everywhere . . ." The Barbarian lets the thought linger as he looks up the stairwell for any threats.
"I wish I could remember shocker lizards liked to eat ... a proverbial bread trail to guide that one out of the building maybe?"
Azi grins at Shane, "I think they like young wizards."
"Possible ... they are magical creatures the arcane energy in me might be 'sweeter' to some.." Realization "Hey!"
Azi reaches the next landing followed by Seamus, Garren, Shane, and Matias.
The stairs continue up but there is a door leading west.
Shane follows along. "Do you think Sgt. Hulka will think we're lollygagging because WE didn't kill it?"
"No point in weakenin' ourselves in a fight we can avoid fer now," Matias says as he takes up his position. "As long's the fellow's trapped we can take care of 'im when we're sure there's no greater danger."
Azi steps to the side of the door and tests the handle with his shield hand.
Garren watches the door carefully as the half-orc opens it, bow in hand.
The door is unlocked and does not seem to be trapped.
Azi opens the door and from the doorway he can see a white alter with some objects on it. A crumbling wooden bench sits in front of the alter. Next to the bench are two troglodyte corpses that have been badly burned. Carved symbols and writings are carved into the wall.
Garren stands in the doorway, sniffing the air and peering carefully at the corpses.
Bow back out, Garren moves to cover Seamus. "Shane, there's some writing on the wall here. Maybe you can find out what it says?"
"A second." He moves through the doors to take a look.
"I am not certain, I've never been in one, but I think this is a temple dedicated to Nethys. See..the writing on the wall.. sacred text stuff? The two altars would show both sides of the deity."
" Matias, you would know better than I.. but am I right?"
He looks a bit nervous. A good Iomedian boy like him and all.
As Seamus lights up the other half of the room he spots two skeletons on the floor. The piles of bones suddenly stir, rising up to take on a human shapes and burst into red-orange flame. Long, bony fingers reach out to claw at the living, burning with an unending fire. Each is armed with a flaming scimitar.
Hearing the call of skeletons, Azi grunts as he sprints into the room and attacks the nearest one.
Fascinated by the discover of the temple Shane looks around and starts telling everyone what he knows. The only problem is that no one is listening since the skeletons came to life.
Matias moves up the stairs and into the room to find combat has started without him.
Azi swings and miss as the skeletons begin to attack.
And yes, he has no ranks in K: Religion yet. Having only 1 skill rank/lvl to put somewhere is quite limiting.
"Stag's horns..." The ranger takes aim at the further skeleton, slightly unnerved by the unnatural things.
Garren's snap shot at the skeleton fails to find its mark.
The skeleton in front of Azi swings its scimitar attempting to destroy the defiler.
The weapon misses but the creatures internal flames are hot enough to do damage.
The other skeleton advance on Seamus.
Azi blocks the skeleton's blade but still incurs the wrath of the fire. The Barbarian grunts in pain as the flame blackens his flesh and makes it boil and pop.
He growls, "I think I need a healer!"
Seamus spears the creature and it explodes in a fiery death that engulfs the air around it.
Azi attempts to deflect the heat with his shield as he swings his warhammer at the remaining skeleton.
Shane gasps and lets loose one of his last remaining missiles at the skeleton still standing
Matias hurries forward and sends out a pulse of energy to his surrounding compatriots.
The magical force of Shane's missile hits the skeleton but fails to bring it down.
Azi can still feel the intense heat of the creature starting to blister his skin.
With another curse, Garren nocks an arrow and fires at the remaining skeleton.
Garren's arrow misses its mark but Seamus ends the threat.
BOOM
The fiery death of the undead creature blasts out and engulfs Azi.
"This place is turning out to be quite lively.. or is it deadly?"
"Makes ye wonder if'n the pay's worth it, eh?" Matias says shouldering past Shane. "But then, would ye rather be stuck inna library readin' yer scrolls all day long? Fightin's as good a job as it gets."
"I do enjoy blasting things" He admits in a sigh before he can think on HOw THAT wounds "But I look foward when I can cast more spells to do it in different ways"