After some shuffling about here and there, the entire group, including Rumer, Falgout, and Lasiar, reassembled at the west end of the hallway where Etienne had located the secret door. Rumer examined the door carefully for a few minutes.
"I don't see any traps here," Rumer said, standing back.
Jana shrugged and drew her sword. "Ready?" she asked the group in general, somewhat rhetorically, as she was already reaching to open the door.
Aloysius waited for the door to open wide enough so he could toss the glowing coin inside.
As soon as Jana opened the catch of the door, it swung open. However, in the true spirit of it not being her day, something about the door caused her a great deal of pain. The fingers of the hand she had used to open the door immediately turned black with frostbite, and her skin turned a shade of blue to rival that of the moon elf in the group.
Aloysius tossed the coin over Jana's head, narrowly missing her ponytail. The light from the copper piece illuminated a small room, about twenty feet square. Two large chests sat against the far wall. The rest of the room was littered with the smashed remains of other chests, mostly pieces of wood and the remains of locks.
Her sword slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor. Jana pulled the hand she'd touched the door with into her stomach and sank to the floor, curling into a ball. She shivered violently. "C-c-c-cold," she manged to say.
Etienne quickly dropped the woman's side and tried to drag her out of the way, "You guys watch the room! I've got Jana." Once out of the way, he took her hand gently and quietly prayed continuously for a few moments. He tried pulling her up to a sitting position and held her close to him to try to help keep her warm, "Perhaps, we should have Aloysius check any doors we go through also."
"Foul-hearted bastard!" cursed Aloysius. He covered his face with his hand momentarily. "Mayhap we should wait until I am able to examine these chests for wards afore we continue. We could complete the cleansing of the shrine. I apologize, but, I am....not prepared." A hint of defeat sounded in his voice as he looked away in shame from the group.
"Figures that bastard would ward the door." Once Blacky saw that Jana was being attended to he stepped into the room axe at the ready and proceeded to look around, but not touch anything.
"Th-th-th-thank you," Jana mumbled as Etienne helped her out of the doorway. After he'd called on his god, she asked, "What happened?"
Etienne held onto the woman as she shivered from the cold, "Looks as if the priest sought to thin our numbers once more. He placed a magical ward upon the door. It does not seem that you are having a good day, Jana."
Jana laughed weakly. "Yeah," she agreed, still shivering. "This day has really sucked." Her smile faded. "Really sucked," she repeated softly.
Etienne patted her good arm.
He looked up at the others as they planned what to do, "I'll help Jana back to the temple. Does anyone have a blanket? I think it would be best to let her rest for a while and warm up too. I have one more healing spell I can cast upon her, but I think I will let her rest first." He looked back down at the warrior and smiled.
Jana returned the smile. "I've got one," she said, tugging at the backpack she wore. She had a little trouble getting it open, but finally produced a drab-looking and somewhat worn blanket. It had the symbol of a small mercenary company stitched inexpertly into a corner. "Gotta get my sword," she mumbled as she struggled to her feet. She draped the blanket over her injured arm and retrieved her sword and walked back to Etienne.
Etienne stooped down and put her arm around his neck and left himself be her support back to the shrine. "We'll get you back to the shrine for a bit of rest. You can watch everyone else work for a change." He looked back at the others hoping they could carry the chest by themselves.
Jana let Etienne help her, but tried not to put too much of her weight on him. "Thanks," she said again. "I'll be okay in a little while..." She pulled the blanket over her shoulders, still shivering slightly.
Etienne looked at her and smiled, "No problem, my lady. And little while is a relative term. Until you get warmed up, you shouldn't do much." He helped her wrap the blanket around herself and held onto her as best he could.
Jana tensed and started to say something, then sighed in resignation. "I guess you're right," she said with a rueful smile. She let him lead her into the temple. She looked for an already cleaned, out of the way place to rest.
Aloysius composed himself as best he could. After he was sure that Blacky had splattered anything waiting within, he followed the fighter into the room.
"Eric, if you think it prudent to wait until someone can examine these chests for enchantments, let us do that. If not, let's take them back into the hallway. Moving them without examining them first is one thing, opening them be yet another."
Etienne alternately prayed over Jana and tried to warm her up. His prayers healed some of the damage she had taken, but it was understandable that after being mauled by a zombie, sprayed by a bug, speared by a goblin, and frozen by a door in the last couple of hours, she still didn't look all that great.
Blacky and Aloysius entered the room with no consequences.
Aloysius looked at the chests, then turned to Rumer. "Perhaps thou could ascertain if these are at least safe to move? We can wait until the 'morrow when I can check them for wards afore we try to open them."
He glanced at Etienne, Renn and Lasiar. "Do any of thee have the current capacity for the detection of magic?"
Rumer moved into the room close behind Blacky. Touching his arm lightly, she spoke, "Let me look at them first, Blacky. Before you move them."
Without really waiting for his assent, she moved to the first check and began to examine it closely.
Aloysius watched carefully as Rumer inspected the chests. "If Rumer finds them to be untrapped, let us move them from this room, and then meet in the shrine to chart our course from here."
After examining the chests for a few moments only, Rumer turned to Blacky and said, "I think they are safe to move anyway. I'd want to look at them again before we try and open them. OK?"
She then stood back to let the stronger party members do the heavy lifting.
Realizing that he was not a good candidate for chest-moving duty, Aloysius allowed plenty of room for the stronger members to step forward. "Let's take them to the shrine. With all of us working, it shouldn't take long to complete the cleansing." He looked around for the glowing coin. Once he found it, he went back to the hall to retrieve the lantern, intent on carrying them both back to the shrine when the others headed back that way.
"I also think it wise to wait. Perhaps we should take these chests to the shrine, and finish cleaning there." Lasiar suggested. "We are all short on spells, and some are in dire need of healing. Let us rest in the cleaned shrine, and arise to heal those who need it, check the chests for traps, and move on with a little more strength and vitality."
"Aye," agreed Aloysius, although somewhat hesitantly. "We have need of forming a plan afore we depart from this place."
The chests proved to be rather heavy, the larger of the two weighing in at well over fifty pounds. The torch in the shrine flickered out about the time the others joined Etienne and Jana in the shrine with the chests in tow. The oil in the lantern was beginning to get low as well. The light coin still seemed to be going strong.
"Let's finish cleaning while we can still see," suggested Aloysius as he resumed scrubbing. "Does anyone else have any oil?"
"The traveling elf has more in his pack," Rennirolas puffed, as he looked slightly tired after he had helped carry the chests. "Though, Corellon's sword, I can't remember how many flasks I do have."
He knelt beside his pack, and rummaged around a bit before he brought out a small sack. Rennirolas removed a small flask, placed it near the lantern, and said, "Three more after this replacement flask."
Aloysius thought for a moment. "The day is still early, although we appear to be in need of healing and restoration of spells. It appears that we have not enough light for the entire day. Perhaps we could secure the secret door where the goblins were and then return to Oleanne at the campsite. Are we intent upon proceeding to the Gleaming Glade overland or shall we travel through the tunnel to see where it goes?"
"I don't know about you," Jana said, "but I plan on finding Echo. So I'm going to the Gleaming Glade."
"That be my wish as well," replied Aloysius. "Howe'er, I suspect that Ranchefus didst escape down yon tunnel. If we find him, likely do we find Echo as well. I was considering the possibility that we might track him through the tunnel rather than go to the Glade, where an ambush no doubt awaits." He hesitated for a moment and then continued. "Yet, the tunnel may have many branches and is surely filled with denizens dark. For one, Stargazer would advocate for an overland journey to the Glade. If memory serves me, it is located in the wood immediately north of Kuiper's farm. Perhaps Oleanne could take us as far as the River of Swine, and we could follow it to Kuiper's? Surely Kuiper could tell us exactly where the Glade is located. The travel time would give us a chance to restore ourselves and plan our approach to the Glade. We have 5 days afore we must arrive."
He looked around at the others. "What do the rest of thee think?"
"Ranchefus doesn't have Echo." Jana pointed out. "The orcs do. I'm all for finding Ranchefus. I'll cheerfully disembowel the son of a bitch myself, as slowly as possible, but finding Echo comes first."
"Jana, Ranchefus may know where she really is. I can almost guarantee that we won't find her at the Glade. And while we're there fighting, she might be hurt or dying somewhere else." Rumer replied sincerely.
"But--" Jana started, then paused, looking very distressed. "We've got to find her," she whispered. She huddled up under the blanket, looking miserable.
"Yes, we do." Lasiar agreed solemnly. "However, I concur with Aloysius and Rumer and we will likely not find her in the Glade. All we are likely to find is a trap. He likely expected us to open the chests just to see what was so important, and see what happened just opening the door." Lasiar looked down at Jana's hand to emphasize his words. "Which gives us all the more reason to be cautious opening the chests. Ranchefus could have only left down the tunnel, being that the door was blocked from the inside. I vote that we should continue down the tunnel, perhaps after visiting the surface to acquire more torches and oil, and definitely after we finish cleaning the shrine."
After Blacky finished dragging the chests to the shrine he lit one of the torches he left on the waning one. "I want to finish checking the upper level while the rest of you clean the shrine. If a couple of you would join me I'd appreciate it. I don't expect to encounter any resistance, but just to be sure. We'll probably find more supplies up there. Kaileer and Rumer, you two would probably be the best choice to accompany me." He said and waited for replies.
Rumer smiled at Blacky shyly, "OK. I'll go."
Kaileer nodded in agreement and waited to leave.
Etienne had sat down next Jana and was attending to her injuries and making sure was warm. He rubbed her hand softly, "Don't worry we'll find her."
He listened carefully to the others as they talked. He nodded his head in agreement with Blacky's suggestion of exploring the upper part of the keep.
He looked around at the temple walls, "Did anyone check the walls in here for secret passages? I just wonder if we're missing something in here. we should also let Oleanne know if we're going to go explore that tunnel."
He turned his attention back to Jana to make sure she was okay.
Jana winced slightly, but let him take her injured hand. After a moment, she relaxed as he got the hand warmed up. Jana tried to smile, but instead only looked like she was perilously close to tears.
Etienne winced as Jana did, "I'm sorry." Etienne not knowing what to do to comfort the young woman, put his arm around her. He looked quite worried about her.
After a moment's hesitation, Jana leaned into Etienne. She closed her eyes for a few moments, then sighed heavily. "Gods, this day has sucked," she muttered. "This has to be the second-worst day of my life." She sat back up. "I guess we ought to get back to work," she said, somewhat reluctantly.
"Peace, Jana," Rennirolas smiled, and looked up from his inspection of the shrine. "You have suffered much in a short time and must still feel tired. I have one more blessing I might cast, perhaps that shall revitalize you once again."
As he knelt beside Jana, Rennirolas began a short chant. Accompanied by a soft glow, Rennirolas laid his hand upon Jana's shoulder.
"I am afraid that is all I can do for now," Rennirolas sighed. "Unless any of our wounded desire a poultice of some kind? I am sure I could put together something," the moon elf said simply.
"Thanks," Jana said softly. She rubbed her hands over her eyes, leaving her cheeks slightly damp. "I should get back to work now," she mumbled.
Etienne sat and held Jana quietly as she rested, "I wish there was something I could do to make you feel better, Jana. I can only offer a shoulder to lean upon and the healing that my goddess offers." He rubbed her arm lightly.
When she sat up, he turned and took a look at her wounds once more. "This is my last healing spell for this day. You need it though if are to try to do much more here. I hope this makes you feel a bit better." He pulled a unicorn shaped medallion from the tatters of his shirt and whispered a quiet prayer as he lightly touched Jana's side.
Aloysius listened as the others shared their thoughts. "The boy said that he rarely saw Ranchefus come or go. If he indeed gave Echo to the orcs, it may well have been through the tunnel. We have as yet seen an orc since we returned to this place, so it makes sense that they are undergound."
He rubbed his chin with his hand. "My concern is that we know not where to go in the tunnel, or where it leads. If we are trapped down there for an extended amount of time, we may miss the chance to reach the Glade by the dark moon. Howe'ver, if we find Echo in the tunnel, we need not go to the Glade at all. I'll go with the majority on this, but I have grave concerns about the tunnel. In the meantime, let those of us who are going to clean the shrine continue our work whilst Eric, Kaileer, and Rumer inspect the upper level."
Etienne and Renn called on their respective deities on Jana's behalf. The results left her looking better, although still not completely healed.
Blacky, Kaileer, and Rumer left to go explore the upper level of the keep while the others went back to cleaning the shrine.
Aloysius began scrubbing and struck up a conversation with Renn. "Rennirolas, I have been searching my mind to see if I recall any unusual characteristics of the night of the dark moon - other than the darkness, I mean. I can think of none, although I vaguely recall some lore with respect to lycanthropes and the dark moon. Mayhap I confuse my topics. Can you recall anything that Stargazer may have overlooked? I trust from thy name that thou dost study the night skies as well."
Rennirolas stopped his scrubbing as Aloysius addressed him. With his elbows rested on his knees, Renn remained crouched, the rag held in one hand.
"Truly, I remember nothing special about that night. And," he continued, though he looked somewhat reticent, "my name is a familial one, dating back a few generations. My great father, he was a recognizable wizard in our community, and he had a great desire to see Sehanine Moonbow's handiwork in the night sky.
"With that in mind, he did fashion a few magics," Rennirolas said, as he continued his story, "and upon their casting disappeared. From the lore I was given to know, he was gone for a short while, only a handful of years. When he came back, my ancestor, he spoke of some truly odd things, like portals, spheres, and stars which were simply openings in a shell. He stayed in Evereska only long enough to collect his belongings, before he set off again for the stars he said. In honor to him, my family changed their name from Ravensmane to Starchaser. He never returned from that second journey," Rennirolas said off-hand.
Etienne made sure Jana was ok then stood and stretched. He looked to Renn, "If you have time later, a poultice would take care of the small burns I got from the beetle. I'm not worried about it now, but maybe later just to help."
He then turned his attention to the shrine and the walls. Carefully, he paced each wall running his finger along the block as he searched.
"If you'd like to know what's in the chests," Arachne offered, "I think I could find that out. Without opening them, I mean. I could slip inside. And, while it's likely to be fairly dark, I can see in dim places. I'm not talking about using my blue portal, either. It's ... my ghost trick... Shall I have a look?"
Aloysius looked up with excitement. "By all means!" he replied. "If it is not too tiring," he continued with a slightly more subdued tone. "We may have need of thy talents later as the day is yet early. Howe'er, if we knew what is in the chests, we may not have to bother opening them and risking whatever traps exist."
Blacky handed a lit torch and the other slightly used one to Rumer. "Let's check out the rooms directly off the courtyard first and then move inside." Blacky headed out the way they came in and begins with the room indicated as a storeroom.
Jana thanked Renn and Etienne again for their help. She packed the blanket back up and returned to scrubbing the temple.
