Alric continues to study the column, attempting to puzzle out the words.

The iron bands on the doors provide easy handgrips for both of you, Sighard and Norrel. The easiest course of action ends up being kicking at the bottom of the warped doors underneath the lowest iron band until the wood there splinters. There's a section of about fifteen degrees of the door's arc of rotation where it scrapes with resistance, and then it swings freely open.

Though not yet inside, you can see the shaft of light coming down from the circular front window and illuminating a triangle within a circle on the back wall, the sign of the Hidden God. The rest of the church is dark, especially from the contrast out here in the sunlight.

Norel turns away from the doorway and says to his companions, "we're going to need to some light."

The dwarf warrior kneels and takes off his backpack, rummages in it for a second or two, and then produces a lantern with flint and steel.  He lights the lantern and sets it down while he returns the flint and steel to his pack, and then returns his pack to his back.  He stands up and adjusts the straps so the weight is distributed well.  

He picks up the lantern with a satisfied nod and says, "well, we didn't come for nothing.  Let's go in."

Quote from: Drohem;431747Norel turns away from the doorway and says to his companions, "we're going to need to some light."

The dwarf warrior kneels and takes off his backpack, rummages in it for a second or two, and then produces a lantern with flint and steel.  He lights the lantern and sets it down while he returns the flint and steel to his pack, and then returns his pack to his back.  He stands up and adjusts the straps so the weight is distributed well.  

He picks up the lantern with a satisfied nod and says, "well, we did come for nothing.  Let's go in."

Alric adjusts the straps of his pack and walks over to join Norel and Sighard.

Pictures of the inside layout. Obviously no people, but the same row of arches and pews, with the altar at the far end. Except, the altar is not the picture of Jesus from the first picture, but is the scene depicted in the second.

Holding his lantern in front of him, Norel cautiously enters the church and points the light toward any very dark areas as he steps inside.

The only source of light other than your lantern and the light streaming through the door are the windows in the front of the minster. The altar glows with light from the circular window up top, while the two front windows throw narrow beams of light down the length of the building.

The furniture and goods inside appear to have weathered their long neglect well thanks to the protection of the building, though a thick layer of dust coats everything. A few of the torch sconces have withered sticks in them, but the place appears to have otherwise been abandoned in good order. No detritus, no waste, nothing overturned or damaged or ransacked is immediately visible.

The temperature inside is a few degrees cooler than inside, and there does appear to be a draft somewhere in the building, amplified by the open door. You can hear the sound of paper fluttering from somewhere near the altar and the muffled sounds of nature from outside the church.

My apologies for failing to keep up with this thread recently!

I guess that during this time Bryce has been accompanying Alric in a glum, thoughtful silence, with Dewin flying about nearby, his keen raven eyes scanning the area.

If possible, Bryce will try to decipher the words on the pillar.  Roll 69 (Failure even without the -25 modifier; so I guess it doesn't matter either way.)

Alric peers inside the ruin past Sighard and Norel and whispers softly to Bryce, "Perhaps we can come back and try to decipher the writing on the pillar later. Doctor Edwin would be disappointed in me not puzzling out the text when it's obviously related to our tongue... did you have Doctor Edwin? Quite a character, that one."

Corrected for accuracy

Norel will give a glance back to his companions in case anyone wants to stop him from going further for some reason.  If no one speaks up, he turn and continue to move cautiously down the center aisle toward the altar.  As he moves down the center aisle, he turns his lantern's light to his left and right across the length of the pews.

Quote from: Sigmund;431830Alric peers inside the ruin past Sighard and Norel and whispers softly to Bryce, "Perhaps we can come back and try to decipher the writing on the pillar later. Professor Edwin would be disappointed in me not puzzling out the text when it's obviously related to our tongue... did you have Professor Edwin? Quite a character, that one."

If the Prof's name is inappropriate or you have the name already I can edit the post to correct it

Edwin's cool as a name. He'd properly be referred to as a "Doctor" though, a term which is itself a neologism in the setting.

coming up to the entryway I duck inside quickly and keep my bow trained on the shadows as my fellows progress towards the altar...

Ok, so what's the plan here? You can't see any obvious traps or creatures. If they're in here, they're hiding themselves pretty well.

The church itself is fairly simple. The pews are undecorated and bare, and the alcoves underneath the arches are bare as well, though normally they'd have lanterns on them. At the front is a dais with the skull wall and the five bodies rigged up in front of the wall. There's a low altar at their feet and a lectern on your lefthand side of the dais. Lemme know if there's anything specific you want to look for or inspect?

Norel moves up past the chancel and into the sanctuary.  He will examine the altar, and look beyond the sanctuary for an exit to the rectory.

Alric approaches the altar, examining the figures and skulls, and the altar.