How far would you like to be?
There is a map.
Aberus heard Alexa cry out from the oddly lit passage. He didn't wait for someone to ask for help: he just moved as quickly as he could. When he saw her recoiling in pain from what looked like a bite from the enormous fly, he called upon Sarenrae to channel the power of one of his spells into healing.
"I'm here," he said.
The fly is just lying there with white slime oozing out of the holes in its carapace. It isn't breathing and I'm not sure if I can tell you if it is dead or alive. I've never tried taking the vitals of a bug before, so waiting for deathwatch might be smart.
As for the map, you have control over your pieces put them where you think they should go. And, then feel free to explore. If something happens I am sure to hit you with it.
Aberus looked up from Alexa to the temple that filled the cavern, his eyes pausing only briefly on the giant fly that appeared to be dying or dead. The ruins of the bunker-like structure made it hard to identify, but then he caught sight of the large carving of the hammer. "Torag," he said aloud, though not to anyone in particular. "Father of Creation, god of protection. He's an ancient, dwarven god." A puzzled expression crossed his face as he added, "Usually his temples are round. They are often built around a forge."
He scanned the rubble of what had probably been smaller buildings many years ago. Had dwarves lived beneath the city? Or did they come down here to worship? And what had happened to them? He chewed on his lower lip as he thought, then said, "We should go in."
After Aberus shared his insight on what he knows about the architecture of Torag's temples, Arloric looks at the fly and reaches out with Deathwatch. And the fly is not dead, there is still a light of life still lingering inside if flickering.
"It's still alive. Let's put the thing out of its misery," says Arloric before replacing his eyepatch.
"Please, it's all yours" says Ithilwen. "I've squashed enough bugs today to last for a lifetime."
Arloric nods and raises his sword to decapitate the fly.
She lets loose of the bolt
Alexa winces as Aberus heals her. "Thank you."
"Now, perhaps we can investigate this area further." She walks past the fly to the shrine doors.
The fly pops open and its gooey inside splatter the stoney ground. It's now dead.
The door leading to the inside is made out of stone and it's a little stuck. You'll need to make a DC 15 strength check to open it. Make sure to use roll20 and get your order set up.
Thanks!
Arloric shakes the slime off his sword and sheathes it before joining Aberian at the door. He nudges him aside and grabs the door and pulls with all his might.
Alexa examines the door. "Hmm. Looks quite sturdy. Perhaps I can find some sort of leverage to get it open--"
Her train of thought is cut off by Arloric roughly yanking the door open.
"--or, that could work too."
Aberus blinked in amazement as Arloric just yanked the door open in front of him. He turned to face the equally stunned Alexa.
"Remind me to stay on his good side."
Torag, Father of the Dwarves, grant us sanctuary from this undergound. she invokes.
Arloric smiles a bit at how he'd impressed the priestly types. Crusaders constantly underestimated the children of fallen Sarkoris. He bows his head as he takes the lead into the shrine.
"Tad o graig a cherrig, yn edrych yn garedig ar y pererinion gwael hyn wrth i ni geisio lloches o dan eich morthwyl nerthol," he drones.
Uriel nods along, murmuring his thanks to the Dwarf god in celestial. His worshipped only grandfather Ragathiel, but all good gods deserved thanks when they provided boons.
The stone door grinds but it is pulled open with Arloric's power. Inside is the antechamber. Towards the South lies a stone bench, simple and practical but at the far side of the room is a basin and remarkably enough it is still holding water. To the North is a door with an image of a hammer engraved on it. Thankfully, there are no bugs here leaving you to explore if you wish.
ooc
I know to those that have ran or played in this before the 3 NPCs are supposed to have an argument here. In my opinion, and that of my table top group, the argument was out of place and irrelevant. Nobody really cared about the NPCs and their squabbles. Frankly, they should be removed but their easy targets that give you points later -if- they survive.
"That water should have evaporated long ago." Aberus stepped up the basin while uttering the words to a spell and making small but precise gestures with his right hand.
Arloric waves the others into the shrine.
"At the very least, this place will provide us with some shelter. How's everyone holding up? Anevia? Horgus? Aravashnial?"
I wonder if we should not explore this holy place to ensure that darkness has not arrived, even here.
Peering into the basin with detect magic the water radiates with steady power. In fact, it feels as if your head was laid out on an anvil and then struck with a heated mallet across the temple. Ouch!
Horgus Gwerm looked around and sighed loudly. "This is it? What are you doing taking us, ME, here? We could make more progress if we left the injured behind," He stated loudly and used sweeping gestures of his arm towards both Anevia and Aravashnial. The elf said nothing and simply raised his nose, but Anevia could not contain herself. Her cheeks turned red and puffed out with anger.
"Oh yeah? It's not surprising a man like you, someone unable to come to terms with their own faith would not be moved by such a lovely temple. This is a found treasure!" Anevia screamed. Horgus huffed.
"A death trap," he corrected her and crossed his arms over his wide chest. "You consort with thieves and are a thief yourself."
And with that Anevia stares at him, fuming with a black anger. It looks like there might be a fight.
Alexa pinches the bridge of her nose and sighs. Figures it wouldn't take long before arguments started.
She leans over to Aberus. "Could you please try to calm them down? I'm afraid diplomatic approaches aren't my strong suit."
Aberus flinched as if he had been struck. That's never happened before, he thought. He stood in stunned silence for a few seconds, breaking out of it when Alexa spoke. He nodded a reply and said, quietly, "This may be holy water. Uriel should check it," before turning to the squabbling ducks behind him. He called upon Sarenrae softly, and his hand shimmered briefly as he touched his chest over his heart. His arm dropping to the side, he stepped into the middle of the brewing argument.
"Sir Horgus, Lady Anevia. Whatever history there is between you, it is not going to be resolved down here. And it certainly won't be resolved if you deliberately bait one another." He paused just long enough to smile, but not long enough to be interrupted. Slowly backing out from between them, he continued, "We are all in this together, and our safety depends on us staying that way. We need all of our resources, whether they be arms, magic, skills, or even simple information. "
"Aberus is wise. With the demons rampaging above our very heads, this is no time – nor place – to let old wounds fester."
Nodding toward Aberus, Uriel concentrates on the pool.
Arloric, seeing Aberus had the argument well in hand, follows Uriel over to the basin.
The water is not evil at all.
Anevia clamped her jaw tight and kept her words inside, while Gwerm just snorted in disgust and moved to the bench. Sliding his digit along its surface he frowned in disgust at the dark splotch marring his fingertip.
"Dust," he said."A lot of dust."
"Worry not, Sir Gwerm," Aberus said, turning to face Ithilwen. "Ithilwen, would you be so kind as to take care of the bench?"
Smiling, he turned around and walked over to the basin of water which Uriel and Arloric were examining. Under his breath, he whispered a pleading message to Ithilwen's ears. "Please? It may keep the peace for a few minutes."
Arloric watches the light dance across the water, and looks to Uriel.
"I'm going to test the water, if you'll permit me."
He gingerly sticks his finger into the basin, half-expecting it to burn him.
Ithilwen silently nods to Aberus. Though her irritation at the petulant merchant is such she would gladly defuse the situation by slapping some sense into him, her experience in the merciless drow society has taught her how to bite her tongue in such situations. The constant threat of being flayed alive for looking at a matriarch wrong works wonders, I suppose.
"There. It should be clean now" she says punctuating her words with a quick gesture of her wrist. Suddenly, the dust has all but dissolved and the bench's surface looks once again pristine as in the day of the shrine's former glory.
Aberus heard Ithilwen work the spell, and could clearly hear her announcement that. It. Had. Been. Done. Whispered words found their way to her ears. "Thank you. Sometimes it's the little things, yes?"
To Arloric and Uriel, he said, grinning wide, "Well. You must be confident it's not unholy water if you're putting your finger in it."
Alexa scuffs her boot on the floor.
Of course things are going to be dusty. This place looks like it hasn't seen worshippers in decades, if not centuries.
"I suppose you're right. But how many little things it takes to make a big thing? If Kenabres has fallen and the Crusade's back been broken, all the magic on Golarion won't be able to lift the dust, I'm afraid."
Aberus heard Ithilwen work the spell, and could clearly hear her announcement that. It. Had. Been. Done. Whispered words found their way to her ears. "Thank you. Sometimes it's the little things, yes?"
To Arloric and Uriel, he said, grinning wide, "Well. You must be confident it's not unholy water if you're putting your finger in it."
Arloric lets out a breath through his nose.
"Don't be so sure of that," he says gravely.
"I sense no evil from it. That's no proof it isn't tainted, mind, but there's no fell magic at work anyway."
As an afterthought, Uriel begins sweeping the rest of the room with the standard cone-shaped detect evil. Can't be too sure.
This might be a refuge. Though it has not seen use in many years, the powers of goodness are not easy to dispose of. In darkness there is always a light.