Elaina follows Torod into the fray and tries to drive her blade deep into teh bear's hide.
"So Torod, Why is a bear being here blasphemy?" she asks almost conversationally.
Torod spits out an answer. "Because it's working against the will of Erastil. It's trying to keep me from worshipping my god in this holy place. And that will never happen."
Marten uses his mystical powers to enhance his staff.
"Oh, I guess not all woodland creatures are our friends - never thought a bear will get treated worse than treacherous mites..."
Marten says as he charges the animal.
He swings the staff with both hands
Asta fixes her eyes on the bear, the irises turning bright crimson as the brings the full power of her Hex down on its head!
"Mites? Religion? Worry about that later and try not to get eaten!" She laughs as she strains her muscles to bring the blade around...
Her first successful slash is followed by another powerful swing as she brought the blade over head, before bringing it earthward with all her might!
"You certainly helped, friend Mikmek," Asta says, after a moment of hesitation. She pulls out her holy symbol, mutters a snatch of prayer and tucks the circle of fabric strips back down her collar. "Well done, everyone! It seems this gentleman was under a curse of some sort. Who wants to go find out whether he left a diary or something, to tell us what exactly was going on here...?"
The Witch shakes her head. "In any case, this might be a good time to send Croft back to the trading post, to send word to the priest of Erastil. I am loathe to leave this place unguarded while we go back ourselves."
Elaina doesn't answer Asta. No, there are more important things on her mind.
The bear was a man, an old man at that, and one happy to see death. She'd heard that old Ulfen men sought a death in battle, and they often bore such smiles in their last moments.
Her sword finds the seam between two stones as she kneels, and wishes the old man luck on his next journey.
"What else is there to know? He as an old man. He longed for peace, and now he has it."
Seraph looks away as the old man turns into dust, thankful that he had found peace but now they had work to do...
She puts her free hand on her hip and puts the flat side of her blade over her shoulder as she looks to the statue of Erastil. Without another word she sheathed her blade and approached the statue. "Time to clean this up..."
She chuckles at Astas suggestion. "A bear with a diary, maybe he has some poridge too?" Her voice is teasing as she remembers the old childrens tale. However she couldn't help but ponder if she would get struck down for touching a gods statue. Or if Torod was going to attack her next...
She chuckled at the thought.
"Yes Mikmek. You did that. We all did. Erastil blesses those who put in the work." Torod casts Detect Magic and begins searching the entire temple. "Now this time, respect my faith and leave me alone to commune with my god. I think the pool area is safe now, stay here and I will let you know when I'm done." He doesn't wait for a response, but does seem to have a little more focus on Asta.
Take 20 on search for 31 total. He won't be rushed and will take the rest of the day and all of the next if it is needed. He gets aggravated if the others go into areas that he hasn't 'cleared', except for Elaina, but won't confront them, only grumble to himself.
At Torod's comment Seraph stops mid step, looking back over over her shoulder at the irritable Druid. Barely biting back a nasty remark before turning on her heel and not proceeding with helping to clean the shrine. Instead of being ordered to stay put like a dog, she decided to head back. "I'll be with the horses then, have fun." She waves over her shoulder at everyone as she leaves.
She cleans her sword, arranges her gear and waits for everyone to depart. Depending on how long they take she decides to pray to Arshea in the mean time as well.
Asta casts a slightly frosty look at Torod, but refrains from comment.
"Sir Mikmek," she says, "Seraph. Would you please widen the passage through the thorns so we can bring our mounts in? I doubt Erastil would mind if we keep them at the edge of the compound, and I don't like the idea of leaving them alone out there."
After that, Asta sweeps to the edge of the temple herself and settles down there, her eyes closed as in meditation. Croft continues to circle overhead...
Seraph pauses long enough to cast Asta a small smile. "They won't be alone ma'am they'll have my lovely company. But if you want them here I will see to it they make it here." She draws her sword again and starts her landscaping from the far side and works her way in.
"I thank you," Asta says, bowing her head to Seraph. "I feel it would be best for us to stay together as much as we can. At least so long as the Staglord and his butchers are still alive and out there."
"Mikmek, it seems you are now bear-man slayer, as the rest of us." Marten smiles at the kobold.
"Whatever you wish, Torod" Marten keeps away from the shrine, joining Seraph by the horses.
Elaina helps with widening the path, working her way out. Things seemed to be going a little better for her, at least her horse was no longer making her nervous.
Croft Perception
Seraph merely smiles at Asta, waving to her as she turned away, feeling no need to add on before she begins attacking the thorny bushes like she would a normal enemy. Swinging her blade wide and hacking into the dense bushes with angry abandon. She made sure not to be close to her allies but she wasn't concerned with plants whatsoever.
Until the path was wide enough for two to three horses, she would continue hacking.
Torod does not let the seeming sparsity of the temple dissuade him from being thorough. He takes his time going over every inch of surface. When he finds the dagger, he knows that he has been favored by Erastil. He gives a heartfelt prayer of thanks to Him and continues his work.
Detect Magic on dagger and identify.
Spellcraft
Torod carefully, reverently cleans the dagger and wraps it up. He puts it away intending to present it to Jhod when they return to Olegs.
That night as the group camps, Torod stands and addresses everyone. "I want to apologize. I should have thanked each of you for helping to find this lost temple and to fight the cursed bear that haunted it. I also want to express my appreciation for allowing me time to clean it to prepare it to be reconsecrated once Jhod arrives. I am not always the most likeable person, but you have all been good friends to me and I thank you." With that he goes back to boiling water for tea. Also, Strawberry, who hasn't been seen since the bear, comes from nowhere and lays next to Torod.
Asta finishes writing a short note and ties it to her complaining familiar's leg.
"You can complain or you can shut up, but you are going anyway," she calmly tells her raven. "Now remember to deliver it either to Oleg or to the priest of Erastil, and no one else. If you lose the note, then tell them we found the temple and where it is. Come back to me right after. Now go!"
Complaining loudly, Croft flies off...
"Hmm. Enough said, then," Asta says, calmly. "Congratulations, Torod. When the priesthood reopens this temple, will you be joining them?"
The question is devoid of malice; it is apparently purely curiosity.
"I liked your lightning very much, Sir Mikmek," Asta says, smiling and nodding to the Kobold. "I'm going to have to see whether I can develop a spell that lets me do the same thing. It was very impressive."
Her expression turns a bit more sober and she purses her lips as she considers the question. "We could... But I shall leave it up to the group. At the very least, I want the priest and whoever he has with him to get here quickly, so they can reclaim the site and secure it against any wandering creatures or bandits that might show up."
"I'm okay with waiting for the priest to come." Elaina says from her perch in a nearby tree. The slender ranger nestles a little deeper into the crook where the branch meets the trunk and folds her hands over her stomach.
"Asta, do you mind if I ask you something personal?"
"Go right ahead," Asta replies, shrugging. "I reserve the right not to answer." She winks at Elaina, taking any potential sting out of her words.
At nightfall Seraph was cleaning her sword, sharpening the blade with a whetstone as she listened to everyone converse. Killing the bear had felt too exhiliarating, which left her feeling edgy and Torod's earlier sting had angered her. Clearing the brambles was more therapudic and helped to release some pent up steam or else his apology would have fell on deaf ears. She'd remember next time though, not to disrupt his fights.
At Asta's words she paused cleaning her sword and ran her finger across the edge as she responded, her tone neutral. "I'll do as you ask, doesn't matter to me." She then slid the stone across the blade again and noted silently the clean sound it made. She wasn't in a playful, not tonight. She needed to pray to disperse the anger but it would have, so she focused on being calm.
"I am not really sure what damage could wandering monsters or bandits do to a ruin, but I have no problem resting here. Marten is carefull to be out of Torod's hearing as he talks to Asta.
Perception
Strawberry Perception
Torod tries to not let the sound interfere with his feelings of elation for finding the temple.
"Mikmek, can you take someone and collect us some firewood? the irritation in his voice tells of his failure.
Seraph's sharpening of her blade made it difficult to hear much else at the moment. ;)
"Thank you" Marten nods at Torod
Elaina doesn't hear much, and has actually dozed off while curled up in her perch.
"Why does Croft stay with you? From the sounds of it, he seems to not like the things you tell him to do very much." She asks sleepily.
Asta blinks with surprise, and then smiles. A genuine smile.
"That's simple," she says. "We may not always like the things the other does or wants, but he belongs to me - and I belong to him. We are connected; two hands of one greater body. If either of us needs the other, we are there. We bicker a lot, but we bicker in companionship, if that makes sense. Tomorrow, when he gets back, he'll complain and grouse, and I - I will feed him and let him ride on my shoulder."
"I am not really sure what damage could wandering monsters or bandits do to a ruin, but I have no problem resting here. Marten is carefull to be out of Torod's hearing as he talks to Asta.
"I am not eager to find out, after the trouble we already went to in finding this place," Asta says. "We don't know who or what else is wandering around out here. It would be a shame to come back here only to find out a missionary Kuthite had desecrated the altar, for instance."
She spent part of her watch time with her face buried in her hands as she focused on crushing down the terrible thoughts that lingered from the battle. It took some time and effort but eventually the anger did subside. Replaced by a calm and happiness that took delight in the sleeping form of her companions. She was very happy to be traveling with actual people once more...
______________________________________________
In the morning Seraph is her chipper self once more. Smiling, flirtatious and commenting on her companions physical forms. The norm. ♥
Elaina nods at Asta's answer, just before slipping into that twilight of consciousness that lies on teh edge of sleep.
But it wasn't sleep, as her ears pricked up at the strange word, Kuthite.
"What's a Kuthite?" she asks sleepily as one eye opens and looks down at Asta.
The smile disappears utterly from Asta's face and her irises burn bright crimson.
"They are the priests of Zon-Kuthon, he who teaches how to torture, mutilate and break people and turns darkness into a time of horror and debasement. The mad god, the tainted one who rules in Nidal."
Asta isnt the only one whose face changes. At the mere mention of the god of torture Seraph's neutral expression turns angry and she sharpens her blade more vigorously.
"Even if my lady did not despise Zon-Kuthon, I would," Asta says in a dark, cold tone of voice, her eyes still blazing crimson. "There are crimes which should not be condoned."
Elaina swallows and all thoughts of sleep are gone. She didn't know what experience her friends had with Kuthites, but their expressions made it clear to her she never wanted to meet one.
"I wish I hadn't asked now."
Asta draws a deep, shaky breath, then closes her eyes and lets it out. When she opens her eyes again, the irises are a deep, imperial purple.
"Better that you be forewarned," she says. "The Kuthites are one of the great evils in this world. Cheliax grinds people into the dust through iron law. Irrisen turns the heart to ice and commits winter sins. Nidal, the nation where Zon-Kuthon rules, embraces a philosophy that life is nothing but pain, and so pain is visited on all who fall into their hands. Never trust a Kuthite; pain is their life and their delight. I will not tell you the stories I heard from my sisters in the faith about what they do..."