The party fans out with torches to check things out! After about 10 minutes of careful exploring the team reports the following: each of the smaller passages look like crypt areas, each housing several bodies in the walls sealed behind embedded funeral lids. The large passage to the West turns North to an iron door.

What do you do?

Quote from: pbj44;744014What do you do?

"Beyla, are you in a position to bless this place??? or maybe turn this area into sacred ground??"

Beyla shakes her head, "Hmmm...to do the job right would take both power and prayer - what Divine power I have has been spent and must be replenished and used to heal Jolly. Let us find a safe harbor and rest. At the same time we can slip our pursuit and resume our mission.

Quote from: pbj44;744030Beyla shakes her head, "Hmmm...to do the job right would take both power and prayer - what Divine power I have has been spent and must be replenished and used to heal Jolly. Let us find a safe harbor and rest. At the same time we can slip our pursuit and resume our mission.

Looks over to Jolly, "Rest Here? or go on?"

"I say we rest here for now," Jolly says, "the treasure before us is tempting but we have a bigger job to do now than just looting.  If we get this done right then we can loot the whole stinking place when the dust settles."

Beyla nods, "This seems wise to me. Let us make camp."

Shirl speaks, "Let's make our camp in the corner opposite the statue. This will allow us to watch every approach - and the statue.

Baldue gripes, "Well, I'm tired, so I'm not taking an early watch. Wake me up for the last watch."

Shirl shoves Baldue, "Lazy!!".  

She turns to Jolly, "If we can spare the torches I think it would be a good idea to light this hall throughout the night. It will make our rest time safer I think."

Jolly thinks about and says as he gives a sideways glance at Baldue, "yes, good idea.  It will help keep those on watch awake.  We take watches by twos as well.  Shirl and Hurmak will take first watch, Mergo and Hurtag will take second watch, Peldic and Foromo will take third watch, and Baldue and I will take fourth watch."

Foromo takes out his lantern, fills it, then sets it so it shines on the statue...sets one of his "Holy Hand grenades" next to him, then settles down..

(OOC - Have to teach today, so no blood or fighting till 09:00 p.m. PDT, ok???)

Beyla and Shirl nod in agreement with both of you.

Beyla unpacks some gear and makes a stew, which along with some bread, gets something on the team's stomach. After dinner everyone settles in to their watch or sleep.

Jolly and Foromo - You both have the same terrible dream of the statue across the hall sliding closer and closer to you, eyes burning with terrible brilliance as they pierce your brain.

You instinctively know you are dreaming and even feel yourself writhing in your sleep.

While in your dream, you can feel the Demon's position change. Looking up, you see the demon is now presented in the carving as being halfway down the staircase, no longer perched at the top of it.

You are commanded to draw the gleaming sword from it's scabbard.

You feel your feet dragging your exhausted bodies towards the pile of treasure, where the beautiful sword awaits you.

Standing over the sword you glance to the Demon once more, eyes widening as you see it now carved into the base of the statue's stairs, staring directly across the treasure at you.

You reach for the sword as every instinct within you protests. Your fingers are about to close on the scabbard as your will begins to more fiercely resist, and although you can now hear the sound of ragged panting coming from the demon statue - you dare not lift your eyes from the sword - to do so would doom your struggle instantly.

Blood drips from your eyes, ears and nose as your minds are squeezed tighter and tighter during the struggle.

At last broken, you can hold no longer and grasp blindly towards the sword.

Beyla's voice flows over the pain in your mind like a cooling balm - instantly the agony is gone, leaving behind nothing but sweet relief.

"ENOUGH EVIL ONE! I AM RESTORED AND THEY NOW SLEEP UNDER THE PROTECTION OF THE HEXARCHS. BE STILL!"

You instantly fall into deep, peaceful slumber. Everyone wakes at the same time many hours later - even those supposedly on guard duty. A fire is struck up as all of the torches and the lantern are long since expired.

Each babbles on about the Demon carving and tells of experiencing the same nightmare that you and Foromo endured. Beyla says little, but nods as team members thank her;

"I am glad to have helped! I was sleeping too."

Shirl curses, "WHERE'S BALDUE?"

Jolly looks over to the altar to see if the sword is still there.

Both the sword and the treasure are still untouched. Funny, the Demon statue has a smirk to its expression that you had not noticed before.

"Alright," Jolly says as he gets his gear on, "we're going to search every nook and cranny in here for Baldue together as a group.  No one gets out of anyone else's sight, understood?"

Beyla and Shirl nod, and Beyla looks to Foromo and murmurs, "Perhaps you can take the lead? I understand your folk can see much which is hidden within stone construction."

Jolly asks Beyla sheepishly, "can you heal me before we get started in case we encounter trouble?"

She nods happily and heals you completely in but a moment!

OOC - heals for 5HP

After a minute the glow departs the air around you and you feel fine again!