Angus would unsheathe both weapons and call down the tunnel that all was clear before standing guard patiently at the ready.
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The paladin stopped after a step and heaved a great sigh. "We can talk at length about this once we reach the surface but right now my only priority is leading all of us back up." Angus looked back at the party. "We gave him a chance even after he admitted to raising the dead and still his madness took over. At that point he was little more then a rabid dog." At that the paladin turned back and stepped around the corner at the entrance to the exit he stopped and looked up, his eyes spying the many cracks and pitons. Sheathing both weapon and shield, he reached up and began to climb up first. "Slowly one at a time once I call down it's safe."
"I gave him a chance. He obeyed my words and lowered his hands. He appeared to be willing at first but then his facade failed and he gave in to his madness. At that point I made a judgment call that he was more dangerous alive and acted." Angus said quietly, his tone final. "If you are done let us move on."
Angus swung his axe blade wide, splattering the wizards blood on the ground while at the same time cleaning the blade. "Necromancers accept their fate the moment they choose to sully life with the undead. The All-Father does not tolerate black magic and neither do I." The paladin stepped around the dead wizard and moved to the next opening, preparing for anything that might have been attracted by the sound of combat.
Angus didn't care about what the dwarf was saying. He didn't care about the odd thought at the back of his head claiming the wizard might be insane. From the wizards own comments Angus inferred the the dwarf had sinned with necromancy and crossed a point of no return. As such his axe swung down with murderous intent as the holy warrior sought to end the insane babblings from the necromancer.
The paladin's axe swung down without hesitation, seeking to end the life of the obviously insane wizard.
"Magic huh? Then let us see who is so scared." Angus says, stepping over the dead darkmantles and making his way towards the opening without a single attempt at moving quietly. "It would be smart of you to lower whatever wand or spell you've got ready friend, less you put me in a foul mood." He stepped into the opening and glared at the unknown spellcaster. "Lower. Your. Hands."
Angus started to move the instant the creature fell, tracking it from below. When it hit the floor ten feet away the paladin charged silently with axe held high.
Angus watches as the first monster is killed with fire before shifting his attack to the second one. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion before stepping away to leave a clear avenue of approach between the second monster and the rogue, holding his shield in such a way as to hide his axe and prepare in case the monster also tried to avoid him and attack Xavier.
Angus took a single step and slashed at the creature as it attempted to dodge around him.
Angus steps further into the room with all of the statues, dropping the crossbow and taking shield and axe into hand and waiting.
Angus would stop after a single step into the larger cavern, his eyes snapping up the roof as the creatures up there twitched at his arrival. Without a word to anyone the dwarf would shoulder his shield and axe and unlimber the large crossbow hanging on his back, calmly setting the string and arming the weapon with a large bolt. Bringing it up to his shoulder the dwarf calmly aimed the weapon at the first creature, letting out a slow breath before squeezing the trigger.
Angus would not be sitting down to share any conversation with the group. After sitting just long enough to finish his meal he would take a small broom from his bags and go back into the temple. A moment later he would appear dragging the burned undead remains and dropping them back in the tunnel that had come from earlier in the day, then going back and systematically clearing the dust off of every square inch of the temple interior. The entire time in a strong baritone he would intone lengthy prayers in dwarven that had a strong rhythm.
As the creature seemed to be coming for him personally Angus waited behind his shield as the attacks from his allies slammed into the side of the undead before a lance of angry light set the creature on fire. In the moment of ignition as the monster reeled back the paladin stepped forward, focusing all of his divine power on the creature and causing his eyes to glow with pure white energy.
Angus paused as he laid his hand on the handle of the interior door to listen to Arlena's warning. "Then for some reason Torag withdrew his blessing from this place. As it is still standing that means it was something to do with those who built it. Then let us see what needs to die so that this temple can be cleansed!" With that proclamation the dwarf paladin yanked the door open and stepped in while arming himself with shield and weapon. He narrowed his gaze and his eyes lit up with an internal fire that shed a harsh light in a cone in front of him. Broken stone benches line this narrow room. 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. In one of the pews, hunched down as if in prayer, was a broad shouldered figure wrapped in a old cloak. The moment Angus's eyes locked on to the figure he flinched, the haft of his axe creaking as he tightened his grip. "Prepare yourselves, that is the cause of this temples desecration." He moved forward out of the door way, giving the others space to enter the room behind him. "On your feet heretic!"
"Let's find out shall we?" Angus said gruffly, stowing shield and axe to grab the stone door into the temple and pull on it.
After the shock of the bugs attack ran up his arm Angus gave forth a loud "Ha! and brought his axe straight down on the fly.
Angus stepped around Xavier and stopped in the opening, looking through to what was glowing green. Inside he would see large crystals growing from the wall that all glowed with a faint green light that all together bathed the contents of the small cave in nebulous light. A single sizable 20-foot-tall building remains in the center of this 30-foot-high cave, a bunkerlike structure with no windows and walls of worked stone blocks. A 10-foot-long carving of a hammer decorates the building’s facade. The ruins of collapsed outbuildings stand to either side. Angus's eyes opened slightly when he saw the symbol of Torag on the side and instinctively pulled out an amulet from under his armor and held up the miniature hammer in reverence as he spoke a brief prayer in dwarven. A buzzing noise interrupted his reverie and a giant fly crept over the edge of the roof. The paladin let the holy symbol drop to clunk on his armor while he brought the shield around and repeated the actions from the snake cavern, creating a banging noise with shield and weapon as he stomped loudly another ten feet in. "Come and get me you great ugly bug!"
"Then stay behind me and I'll focus the snakes attacks on me. Poison doesn't scare me." Angus says before stepping around Xavier and walking boldly into the boulders. "Come out you great ugly thing, COME OUT!!" He banged the flat of his axe against his shield, producing a loud clanging noise that reverberated loudly in the small cave.
Gripping his weapon tightly Angus charge forward with a bellow of rage, the axe whistling as it came down on the first roach.
Angus turns and looks at everyone with a piercing gaze, his eyes scanning from person to person over several seconds. "There are no demons among us at this moment. Or at least no one with a corrupt soul." he said, stepping to the side to allow Xavier to proceed ahead of everyone. "Do not attempt to fight on your own, even if it seems simple combat. Demons and their ilk are masters of deception." he quietly states to the rogue.
With a rustle of metallic links the tall dwarf slipped the silver scale into a pouch before securing his shield on one arm and gripping the haft of his axe with the other. He moved forward to take the front position near the exit of from the cavern. In a deep, resonant voice he said "Then let us make haste, the fight is up on the surface." |