CH. 02 - A Grave Situation

[Matt4]

Giunona Scarletbark

HP: 33/33 - AC: 18 - CD: 1/1 - Inspiration: Yes - Active Effect(s): Detect Magic [C, 10 minutes] - Protection from Evil and Good [10 m, from Nicholas]

Giunona goes to grab the key to open the cage: "I did saw other people being dragged away, but I thought they were being brought at the graveyard. Were there others with you here? And did you see anyone, a part from the zombies?" - she asks at Marcel.

[Daos]

"No, it was just me," Marcel answers.  "I don't know why.  The dead men roughed me up and tossed me in here.  I haven't seen another living person until just now."

[Matt4]

Giunona Scarletbark

HP: 33/33 - AC: 18 - CD: 1/1 - Inspiration: Yes - Active Effect(s): Detect Magic [C, 10 minutes] - Protection from Evil and Good [10 m, from Nicholas]

"I see. What do you want to do now? We still need to explore the ruins, and going back to the village right now could be dangerous for you alone." - she says to him, as she passes to him a ration of food and her waterskin to refresh himself.

[Daos]

Marcel accepts the food and water and eats and drinks it down hastily.  "What?  Dangerous?  Are those things still crawling the streets?"

"No, they all disappeared when the sun rose," Terence answers.  "But there is concern they might return once it goes back down."

"Then...perhaps one of you can escort me back to town?" he asks, looking among the group.

[Matt4]

Giunona Scarletbark

HP: 33/33 - AC: 18 - CD: 1/1 - Inspiration: Yes - Active Effect(s): Detect Magic [C, 10 minutes] - Protection from Evil and Good [10 m, from Nicholas]

Giunona thinks it over, then says: "I'm sorry, but I'd prefer not to split our group since we don't know what lies deeper in the ruins, and if we fall we'd leave the whole village at the mercy of this evil spirit. You could wait for us near the entrance, or you could lock yourself up into this cage if it makes you feel safer." - she says, as she offers the key to him. - "Either way, we'll come and get you when we hopefully found out what went wrong here."

[Daos]

"Well, there's no way I'm staying here," Marcel says.  He accepts the key and unlocks his cell.  "Is there anything you want me to tell anyone if you don't return?" he asks.

[Matt4]

Giunona Scarletbark

HP: 33/33 - AC: 18 - CD: 1/1 - Inspiration: Yes - Active Effect(s): Detect Magic [C, 10 minutes] - Protection from Evil and Good [10 m, from Nicholas]

Giunona hesitates, then she says: "If something went wrong here, it was probably because of something that happened during Giles' visit. Terence said they went toward Arden, it would be a good idea to try to reach them and interrogate them about it."

Before parting ways with Marcel she gives him one last warning: "Whatever happens, don't go near the room with the altar. It's dangerous there, well, more than in the rest of the ruins."

[Daos]

"Alright," Marcel says, and he runs off toward the exit, as fast as his battered body will allow.

[Matt4]

Giunona Scarletbark

HP: 33/33 - AC: 18 - CD: 1/1 - Inspiration: Yes - Active Effect(s): Detect Magic [C, 10 minutes] - Protection from Evil and Good [10 m, from Nicholas]

"Let's see what's behind the other door, maybe we'll find someone else."

Giunona leads the group back to the room where the ogres were standing, and checks the south door for traps before going inside.

OOC Actions

Perception: Szl49qrk1d20+51d20+5

[Daos]

The party returns to the guard room and checks the door to the south.  Giunona does not notice any traps on it.  Opening it, she enters.

The function of this room is clear. Implements of torture line the walls, most of them wrecked or broken. Half a dozen of the chamber‘s victims still hang from their chains or lie trapped in the devices that killed them, having long since rotted away to mere skeletons.

"Disgusting," Terence notes.  "The priests of this temple were truly horrific."

[Matt4]

Giunona Scarletbark

HP: 33/33 - AC: 18 - CD: 1/1 - Inspiration: Yes - Active Effect(s): Detect Magic [C, 10 minutes] - Protection from Evil and Good [10 m, from Nicholas]

Giunona looks horrified at what's in front of her: "Oh Gods, those poor souls..."
She lowers her head as she murmurs a short prayer. - "I hope they'll be able to find peace."

After she's done, she looks around the room: "Hmm, there are no more door or rooms, it seems. We should probably check the other rooms to see if we missed something."

The priestess leads back the others to the hall, then into the dormitory and finally in the private quarters. - "This was in all likelihood the room of someone important, let's search among what remains of their armoire and their desk. Documents, letters, holy symbols, keys, whatever we can find it could help us going forward in our investigations."

[Daos]

The room isn't very large, and not large enough for six people to search it without getting in each other's way.  There is a lot of apologizing after elbowing each other repeatedly by accident as they search through the room's remains.

==========

(OOC:  Roll investigation.)

[Daos]

A thorough search of the room turns up nothing of note.

[Matt4]

Giunona Scarletbark

HP: 33/33 - AC: 18 - CD: 1/1 - Inspiration: Yes - Active Effect(s): Protection from Evil and Good [10 m, from Nicholas]

Giunona rubs her hands on her clothes to clean them off after rummaging through the wreckage. "Well, nothing there it seems. Let's check the remains of the desks on the other room."

OOC Actions

Searching the dormitory now, Investigation check with advantage: I15kfGf81d20 - 1d20 + Guidance 1d41d20·1d20·1d4

[Daos]

Searching the dorms, Giunona finds in one of the desks a blotchy old scroll that describes the proper gestures and prayers the old evil priests were supposed to use when approaching the altar in the shrine.  They describe profane obeisances to appease an evil god.