While the majority of the party stands stunned by the "arrival" of Demetrius, Cayde and Aethorduil continue to do battle with the remaining snake.
The snake slithers toward the pair, biting at the barbarian, but misses.
Not sure what is going on behind him, Cayde focuses on the problem at hand and slices at the other snake with his Fullblade!
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"HERESY!" Gorn/Demetrius yells at the floor in answer.
"Heresy of the HIGHEST order might turn brother against brother. Indeed, only this would turn my heart against once so true a spirit as Darius, but only this might turn ANY loyal hand against the foul soul that would embrace it!
He has fallen under the dark sway of the enemy Zargon, and, O, long have waited, long have I maintain vigil, deep in thought and prayer have I been that AT LAST stout blades and noble hearts might at last hear my most FERVENT pleas and aid me in my task to right this most sacrilegious of wrongs!
Too long has Darius collected skulls for his unworldly bloodlust, too long has his evil been wrought on this world un-checked. NOW, my friends, NOW must all hearts that love good and hate Chaos and all its works rise and FOLLOW for THIS DAY will see GREAT JUSTICE too long denied, at last come."
At this Gorn CHARGES into the nearby melee, determine to slay the snake that stands as the only obstacle between him and righteousness.
"Anything worth doing is worth dying for," he mutters, the battleheart already rising within him.
Not sure what is going on behind him, Cayde focuses on the problem at hand and slices at the other snake with his Fullblade!
Again his shield brother helps out.
for
"Uhhhhmmmm...okaaay." The gnome says watching Gorn charge into the other room to assault the snake as he shouts of heresy, betrayal, chaos and justice. "Is that unusual for Gorn?" He asks Emenius figuring the Cynidicean knew more about their companion than the recently arrived gnome would. A quick shrug of his shoulders. "I mean, it doesn't seem all that unusual to me. Pretty normal really. Is Demetrius just his middle name or something?"
Not wanting to get too close to the big multicolored snake, the rogue switches to his bow and fires a quick arrow at the ugly reptile. Unfortunately, somehow, in the middle of a desert his bowstring got wet. The string breaks with a loud *twack* and the gnome curses and he hurries to replace it with a new one.
Shock pushes Emenius through his exhaustion to startle and reply to Gorn, "Hello Demetrius. Tell us about yourself and your brother Darius."
He searches his education for brothers with those names.
['dice=History]1d20+5
Emenius moves the door to get a line of sight to the melee. With a trigger word, he sends a bolt of fire toward the snake. But the flame uselessly splashes against the stone wall behind them.
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Gorn CHARGES into room and takes in the SWIRLING combat of thrust and parry and screams and hissing of the monster snake.
"You hold no power here, fiend!" Gorn yells at the beast. "You might see fit to have an innocent as a meal, but against WARRIORS you can NOT win!
You MAY not surrender!
Your only option is be consumed by the holy FIRE of the RIGHTEOUS!"
Gorn then consumes the snake in holy fire.
"The enemies of MAN cannot stand against us!"
The distraction from the arrival of Demetrius was enough to throw off the elven warrior's and Cynideacian barbarian's attacks.
Tekumbray fires off an arrow but is unable to land the strike, spending time trying to figure out where he had heard the names Darius's and Demetrius's names before, Emenius's firebolt misses as well.
Gorn-Demetrius's spell misses the snake as well.
+ 2 Thunder
The snake lashes out at Cayde, sinking its fangs deep into the barbarian's side and begins coiling around Cayde's body.
The elf slashes away.
for
If restrained grants advantage?
Emenius declares another trigger word, he sends another bolt of fire toward the snake.
With quick, practiced precision Tekumbray has his bow restrung and an arrow ready to fly. Seeing the colorful snake wrap its coils around Cayde, the gnome takes an extra moment to steady himself. A breath in...release. The snap of the string cracks in the air followed by the short lived hum of the arrow speeding toward its target.
Aethoduil slashes the snake, causing it to let go of Cayde just before Emenius's firebolt and Tekumbray's arrow put an end to the beast.
After a pause from the combat. Emenius addresses Gorn/Demetrius. ”So Demetrius, is your brother Darius the current high priest of Zargon? How long have you been dead? Were you a magi like me? Our goal is to end the tyranny of Zargon, so what can you tells us to help us? Start with what you know of around here.”
He does pause between questions to allow answers.
Cayde flexes his muscles, trying to throw off the offending snake!
The snake flies off of him…in pieces…as his companions slay it without mercy.
”Gorn, you seem a bit…uh…different,” says Cayde, just now realizing something has happened.
The elf was doing his best to try to monitor the situation as the battle raged but the finer details escaped him. Still, he trusted in his companions to handle it, and began a search of the woman, snake and the room.
Searching the room and the rabbit masked woman, Aethorduil finds a silver necklace, a flask of clean water, and a day's worth of food.
Off to the east, through the open archway door in the room lies a kitchen, although it does not seem any of the furnishings of the chamber have been used in quite some time.
Gorn-Demetrius responds, "My murder was not all that long ago in the grand scheme. In life I was a priest of Usamigaras, not so different than yourself, Emenius, although my focus was purely divine."
"I can lead you to where my brother's quarters are on this layer of the pyramid, but I must warn that I do not know all of the tricks and traps that may lie in wait. Once Darius is gone, that will aid you in your quest against the Zargonites and it will allow me to pass on to the beyond."
"Excellent. Lead on. I'm sure Tekumbray can take care of the tricks and traps." Emenius replies.
Baheera watches the odd interaction in silence, noting the many ways in which the dead within this structure are restless.
Tekumbray's eyes shift back and forth warily looking for signs of the aforementioned trips and traps. "Errr....yes. Yes. Most certainly. I can definitely see to those." He says falling in several steps behind Demetrius-Gorn.
Cayde moves and stands in front of Gorn, his arms crossed and blocking the way. Addressing Demetrius, he says, ”You are a spirit of a dead cleric who possesses an ally of mine against his will. I do not fault your intentions, but your method deprives a sentient of his free will as you have hijacked his body. Unless you can prove to me that Gorn is okay with this arrangement, I will be forced to intervene.”
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Gorn/Demetrius looks startled at the barbarian's fierce statement. He looks confused for a moment, and then shakes his head, as if waking from a long sleep. Then he casts his eyes about before again letting his gaze rest on Cayde.
"Oh ho! Oh, you must forgive me, my friend. I have been having a grand time. It is like if you were in a most sumptuous lecture hall, listening to a most interesting orator make free with his tongue and speak on many things, both grand and mundane.
Ah, yes, the good Demetrius has taken some say in what this poor, mortal dross does or has sway over, but this is only so because his and my goals align. Yes, he has waited a goodly long time, and he was most insistent, but, O! have you heard his story? Is it not a most compelling narrative? Slain by a most trusted brother's hand, a brother that has gone over to the enemy, and forced to wait for an unknown length of time to at last take vengeance!
Oh what a tale! Would not any of us tip generously the bard that sang of such lore? Glorious! Majestic! A tale of high adventure!
And he has powers not inconsiderable. Hence, for many reasons, perhaps of charity, perhaps of righteousness, perhaps even a hint of curiosity to see how the tale ends, I am willing to let this ghostly hand take the reigns for a time.
And if we succeed, what a tale to tell!
So too, he has promised to advance to the salvation that will be opened to him once his slayer has received the justice promised to him.
Hence, let us make haste and see this thing done! Know that I will be watching with a most rapt attention."
Taking a beat to digest this loquacious response, Cayde replies, "Very well. I am satisfied. Lead on."
Falling into his place in line, Cayde considers whether to push the idea of resting again before they continue. As he himself is not overly weary, he is willing to continue if the others are.
Gorn-Demetrius leads the party through the southern door into the next chamber, a room that appears to be a living room containing wall hangings and ornate divans. There are several pieces of stone sculpture in the room, as well as a pair of iron statues of warriors flanking the door the party has begun entering through. Several tapestries hang on the walls. Everything in the room is coated in a thin layer of dust.
There is a door in the eastern wall that Gorn-Demetrius is heading towards.
Baheera takes not of the statues, tapestries and other works of art as they follow their possessed comrade.
Cayde continues to follow watchfully, his hand on the hold of the great blade and his senses alert for danger.
Emenius looks around the room for any clues without touching anything.
Careful not to disturb anything, Tekumbray quietly makes his way across the room to the eastern door where he pauses to check the opening for any traps before attempting to open it.
The elf remains on guard
As the party files into the assumed living quarters, the door to the previous room slams shut while Tekumbray searches the door on the eastern wall.
More disturbingly, the iron statues begin to move.
"Look for trigger to deactivate the statues! Demetrius! Do you know how?" Emenius moves to hold the door and barks, "Feugo," to send a bolt of fire at a statue.
Cayde positions himself between the moving iron statues and the party preparing to go through the eastern door. If any statue gets within greatsword range before the door is opened, he will swing at it. If not, he serves as a rear guard as the group moves through the door and away.
Emenius fires off a bolt of fire, but hits nothing but one of the tapestries on the wall.
Cayde stands guard, waiting for the others to get through the eastern door.
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"Confound, O man. Do you know how long it has been since last I stepped foot in these halls? Much has changed and much I do not know. I do not even recall those statues even being here, least of all feeling fancy in the foots.
Since they will not stand between us and JUSTICE, I suggest we make haste in the direction they wish us to travel."
Gorn-Demetrius flies through the Eastern door with single-minded purpose.
Baheera watches closely, a spell on the tip of her tongue as she watches to see if the statues move toward the party, or to some other purpose.
A chill races down Tekumbray's spine as the solid, ponderous thump-thump-thump of several hundred pounds of animated iron stomp into motion. Beads of sweat breakout along the back of his neck and forehead as he redoubles his efforts to examine to door to make sure it was safe. Given the rather ominous look of the lively statuary, he very much doubted the door was completely benign.
"Gimme just a little bit more...Ack!" The gnome starts to say, his hands and eyes working frantically. His efforts proves themselves fruitless as the possessed Gorn-Demetrius comes charging up to the door and passes through with little notice or concern for consequences.
This immediately sends Tekumbray scrabbling for cover.
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"Confound, O man. Do you know how long it has been since last I stepped foot in these halls? Much has changed and much I do not know. I do not even recall those statues even being here, least of all feeling fancy in the foots.
Since they will not stand between us and JUSTICE, I suggest we make haste in the direction they wish us to travel."
Gorn-Demetrius flies through the Eastern door with single-minded purpose.
The elf starts swearing sulfourously in elvish as he darts after Gorn.
Gorn-Demetrius and Aethorduil rush through the doorway and into a hallway that runs fifty feet before ending in another door that Gorn-Demetrius blows through.
The others stay in the living quarters evaluating the situation and are disheartened to see the iron statues beginning to lumber toward the remainder of the party, seemingly with ill intent.
In the next chamber, Gorn-Demetrius sees a room paneled with wood and a dusty carpet covering the floor. A large, heavy desk sits in the center of the room. Several wooden chairs are grouped north of the desk. Behind the desk is a large, plush chair, while behind the chair on the south wall is a mounted lion's head. Four large painted urns stand in the corners of the room. Finally, on both sides of the north doorway are stone pedastals with stone statues of demonic humanoid beasts. These beasts bear wicked claws and fangs, and horns adorn the crowns of their heads.
Emenius looks at the statues and looks at the back of the elf and then to the iron statues. "I think they have the better plan. See if they will follow us from the room." He turns from the door and follows the elf.
Cayde continues to stay as a rearguard. Once the others are through the door, he will follow and close it behind him. If the statues come through the door, he will stand his ground and fight.
If they do not, he decides that whatever animates them is hopefully limited to the room behind him, so he moves to rejoin the others.
"Huh"
Tekumbray ponders the lack of darts, explosions, arcane manifestations, deadly pits or any other dastardly trap triggered by Gorn's passage through the door. Seeing the others hurry through the harmless doorway and hearing the thundering steps of the iron statues, the gnome scurries after the others down the hallway.
Shaking her head as the first two barrell blindly into the next room, possibly exposing them to enemies from more than one direction, Baheera curses under her breath as the others follow out of the room, opting to face the unknown rather than the ominously lumbering statues, tasking one last look at the oncoming animated hulks before heading through the door as well.
The party follows Gorn-Demetrius and Aethorduil out the door and into the next chamber, the door to the living quarters slamming behind them.
You regroup in the next chamber, seemingly without the iron statues following.
”Whew. Looks like the iron statues aren’t following us.”. Emenius says hopefully.
Breathing heavily following his run down the hall, Tekumbray mops the sweat from his brow and smiles as he realizes the statues don't seem intent on following.
"That seems a fair assessment." He says to Emenius, much too engrossed in what is behind them to notice anything worrying ahead.