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While the ancient stone door is stubborn and refuses to surrender to any single assailant, the combined efforts of Greta and Junior soon triumph over their adversary.
A stone bench lines the southern wall of the chamber within. At the far side of the room, a basin of water sits atop a stone pedestal, while another stone door engraved with an image of a hammer stands to the north.
Anevia looks inside with an expression of sadness, before limping her way over to the bench and sitting down. "My leg's acting up, just need a bit of rest," she says.
In the cavern beyond, Horgus begins heading toward the now opened doorway, his fear overcome by his curiosity.
Benedic is still breathing heavily from his efforts fighting the maggots, but he sees both Horgus and Anevia enter the building and rushes after them. He smiles calmly at Anevia, as if to say he has no concerns about her sitting down, then calls to Horgus. "Master Gwerm, a word of caution? Let one of your shield companions go before you, for safety." His voice is firm, but not scolding.
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Massielo walks with Benedic and, although he isn't very fond of the idea of talking to the aristocrat, he agrees that it's dangerous for him. He says "That is sound advice, my lord. We are better armored and can take the blunt of an attack, if it comes to that. Don't worry, we won't break anything before you have the chance to take a look."
Tristan returns toward the entrance to the Temple. The Inquisitor then casts Detect Magic, once the door is opened. He will slowly advance inside, looking for anything threatening.
All is safe! Nothing wrong in here!
Greta moves in to the chapel also, trying to stay at the front of the pack in case there is any danger within. "There's another door," she calls out as she moves towards it.
While he is curious, Selann doesn't want to leave Anevia outside alone. "I'll stay here with Anevia if all you armored suits want to take the lead...." He does his best to convey the grin on his face to his words!
He stays standing beside the bench, watching for any trouble. "Once your leg has rested enough, I can provide a little support for you to stand and walk farther."
Hergus wisely heeds the counsel of his escort and remains outside of the antechamber. He leans in to Benedic and speaks in a low voice. "Still, with her slowing us down, don't you think it best if we split up? There is certainly still fighting on the surface that needs you, and--"
Horgus is interrupted when Anevia all but leaps off of the bench and explodes into angry shouting. "Coward! I'm not surprised that a man afraid to acknowledge his own faith wouldn't be moved by a forgotten temple like this, but maybe there's something deeper behind it! Being ashamed of your own faith is nearly as bad as worshiping the demons themselves!"
Horgus, for his part, appears genuinely taken aback by the accusation, but swiftly recovers. In a sarcastic tone, he says "How ironic to be rebuked about cowardice and shame by someone known to consort with thieves."
Anevia's response is a silent but palpable look of barely contained rage, before she closes her eyes and visibly tries to calm herself.
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Benedic looks quickly ahead to make sure there is no immediate danger threatening the party, then turns back to the confrontation. Patiently, he says in a low voice, "My friends, this is not seemly. It is good that we talk and air our grievances, but let's try to moderate our tone? We don't want to bring enemies or avalanches down upon us, do we? Come now, for better or for worse we have been thrown together by the vicissitudes of fortune, and we must make the best of the circumstances."
He takes a deep breath and murmurs a short prayer to Iomedae. "Do either of you have a reason for why we cannot continue as we have been? Something that cannot wait until we return to the surface?"
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Massielo watches the exchange between Horgus. He thinks This can escalate to something dangerous.
He believes he should take charge and says "Look, you two. When we get back to the surface, you can yell, insult, slap or sleep with each other and I won't care. But down here, when our lives are at stake and everything we do can get us either very injured or killed, then you're going to behave like two young dwarves who just got out of military school, understand? Now, if you want to keep on this bickering before we get to safety, then I'll just assume you're just trying to die, and you'll be left behind. Am I clear?"
He didn't mean to, but ended up getting somewhat enraged.
Horgus seems prepared to continue the argument, but Massielo's own outburst stuns him into silence, allowing Benedic's patient tone to carry through. Both Horgus and Anevia look appropriately chagrined, and offer no further outrageous accusations against the other, at least for now.
Aravashnial, for his part, having remained out of the entire argument, clears his throat from outside, but says nothing.
The inner door opens with relatively little effort, especially compared to the outer door. Inside, you find a narrow room lined with broken stone benches. The air is cold and stale, and thick layers of dust cover the floor, benches, and a large altar at the far end of the room. Two hooded figures are seated on one of the benches furthest from the door, facing the altar.
Neither figure reacts to the party's intrusion in any way.
Somewhat surprised; but, extremely grateful, the young Inquisitor inquires as to anyone having a spare flask, or two to collect the Holy Water.
Ignoring the Nobility bickering, as both seem to be easily handled by Benedic and Massielo, the youth helps himself fill the offered flasks.
Noticing the Healer turn Scout rush to open the Inner door, Tristan swiftly moves to his side for support.
Junior looks like he's about to say something but he knows when to not follow an act. He mutters to Fred, "Wonder what the history is there."
As the argument ends and Massielo snakes is way past Greta in the narrow halway, she somewhat quietly mentions, "I'm strong enough to carry one of them out of here if we need to knock somebody out..."
When the healer points out the two figures, she looks around the cramped hallway, painfully aware that she couldn't swing her hammer in there. With few available option, she steps into the larger room and readies her longhammer to attack if the figures show any hostility.
The figures fail to react to Greta's threatening posture.
Not seeing any movement by the pair, Tristan walks a step into the chamber. He glances about the shadowed room; his Light cantrip illuminating from his raised shield.
Excuse us; but, we have become lost and seek sanctuary for a time.
The youth ceases his inquisition as he notices these dwarves have long stopped answering questions. Taking another step, he notices the hammer and ring.
He is about to speak; when....
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Just behind Tristan, Massielo walks holding his spear with two hands. He has just had enough surprises for the day. He sees the figures are dead dwarves and relaxes. He says loudly "Not to worry fellows, these are only long deceased worshipers of Torag.!" He takes the time to offer them a prayer.
He, then, notices the hammer on the ground and Tristan heading towards it. He waits and makes some strange gestures and speaks a few words in Celestial.
Junior inspects the scene and takes a close look at the warhammer and ring.
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Tristan's hand reaches toward the closer of the figures, but his instincts, honed by his training as an inquisitor, tell him to pull back just in time. A horrid crackling noise, like a mockery of breathing, emerges from both of the corpses as they jerk and shudder to their feet.
Caliban
Tristan
If your check is 17 or higher, click the next spoiler.
The blasphemous nature of a huecuva grants it an aura of faithlessness, which increases its resistance to channeled positive energy, along with any other undead in the vicinity.
By the Inheritor!
Tristan exclaims, as the dust-buried dwarves begin to rise to unlife! The Inquisitor quickly focuses. Drawing upon years of doctrinarians, lessons, and faith, the youth recalls what he has read of these foul creatures.
Realizing that he is blocking the entrance for his fellow Crusaders; and accessing the most strategic position, Tristan makes his way around Red for Flanking.
He draws his longsword.
Seeing the creatures, and how quick the party acts, Selann curses his bad luck. Raising his crossbow he sights on a creature, but then recognizes it and lowers the weapon and rapidly speaks the words to a spell instead.
Benedic had been hanging back in the first room with Horgus, Anevia, Aravashnial, and Selann, to act as a buffer if any more arguments should break out, and he briefly leaves his post to escort the injured elf to the bench beside Anevia. He hears Tristan's cry, however, and attempts to move to where he can see into the inner chamber, in hopes of channeling Iomedae's holy energy to harm the creatures.
Watching the angry byplay between Anevia and Horgus, and how quickly and gallantly his companions seemed to settle what is obviously a long-standing dispute, Caliban remains silent.
Calistra, why now, cannot we put these differences aside? It may not be ideal, but we must all work together. Humans are so quick-tempered at times, so rash to say things they do not mean and cannot un-say.
Gazing at the rough-hewn nature of the structure, Caliban wonders how long it has sat abandoned in this cavern, and who built it to the memory of Torag. Inspecting the stonework and chisel marks of those long-forgotten builders, he seems distracted.
A wonder this stands still, where did its inhabitants go? What of the priests who once tended this shrine? We all must carry forth our strength, but this is an interesting place to find one's self.
Caliban, coming out of his distraction of staring at the geometry of the structure, hears the sounds of trouble erupt in the small chamber, will advance through the party and into the far corner of the chamber, moving past the monsters, and taking up a flanking position similar to Tristan. He waves his longsword menacingly at the closest undead, attempting to distract it and giving Junior a better angle of attack.
The eyes of both huecuvas follow Tristan as he moves through the room, their attention perhaps drawn by the divine energy he carries with him. It's of little surprise, then, when the first of them takes several jerky, unnatural steps toward Tristan and swipes out at him with a filthy claw, which he easily knocks aside with the flat of his blade.
Caliban snaps his hands together on his longsword, seeing the undead creature shuffling away from him and delivers a broad slash against its retreating back. Once the creature moves past him he continues to keep his sword between it and himself, ready for anything to happen.
Tristan, be aware this is coming for you!
Caliban's longsword is well-aimed, but the creature is faster than he expected, and the awkward angle leaves the blade scraping harmlessly along its hardened skin.
The second huecuva, already moving toward Tristan, freezes and turns to look at Benedic as he enters the chamber. It throws itself against him, claws scrabbling for purchase. While his armor protects him from the worst of its assault, a claw finds purchase and leaves a bloody scratch across his cheek.
Greta draws in a deep breath and as she exhales her golden hair begins to glow softly. She tightens her grip on her longhammer and its head begins to glimmer with a faint golden light as well. Raising her hammer, she brings it crashing back down in between Benedic and Junior, attempting to crush the creature she can see there
Benedic does his best to absorb the blow, reasoning that his armor and fortitude will protect those behind him from the skeletal creatures.
Tristan raises his longsword. The Inquisitor attempts to attract the attention of Red.
Calling on the Inheritor's might, Tristan swiftly strikes!
They seem to like us especially, Benedict!
Junior draws his rapier and quickly tries to stab at the hecuva.
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Massielo was too focused on figuring out what they were, despite this having been already said by Tristan. He, then, springs into action and walks into a safe position to attack the creature and attempts to hurt it with his longspear.
He feels part of his thrust being ineffective, but feels good about his attack nonetheless.
Perhaps out of a reluctance to accidentally hit her comrades, Greta's longhammer misses its mark, cracking into the bench that had been the huecuva's resting place for so long.
Tristan and Junior both strike home against the foe caught between them and deliver solid blows against the monster, though their blades meet more resistance than would otherwise be expected.
Massielo nimbly steps into the room and around the corner. He easily evades a clumsy swipe from the huecuva, repaying it with a powerful thrust from his longspear. Even through its unnaturally tough hide, the force of it was enough to clearly do significant damage.
Caliban slides forward, his sword still in a two-handed grip before him. He closes his eyes for but a second and his sword begins to glow with a magical blue light.
Caliban's arcane magic succeeds where mere steel could not, and the blade pierces clean through the huecuva's torso. When he withdraws the sword, though, the monster remains on its feet, its baleful gaze locked onto Benedic.
The other creature, completely uncaring of the brutal assault its partner is enduring, launches another attack on Tristan, savaging his face and neck with its claws.
Tristan raises his shield to ward off the barrage of dwarf claws! The initial claw slides just inside his defense, while he deflects the second further into his beautiful face!
Blood? My blood? Lois? I feel....
Benedic tries not to let himself get distracted by the savage attack on Tristan. "Foul creatures, drawn to Iomedae's light. We will prevail, Tristan! Hold on!" Grasping his holy symbol in hand, he calls upon his goddess to aid him. "By Iomedae's rule, you will cease!" he shouts.