"Ravin, I'll go the rest of the way to the top with you. I want to look out over the town."
The young Varisian grabs the railing to pull himself upright. It's a slow pull. He looks up at the stars, "It's hard to tell the hour this far north. The Unicorn is seldom above the horizon. I hope dawn is near."
"Lead on, intrepid Halfling."
"We should do a better job of searching for that secret cache that the priest spoke of. Hopefully it will have some curatives in it."
Ravin mutters, "See what happens when you think you'll see four centuries? Nothing's a rush, and you summer so things are as constant as your own ossified brain. ".
He turns to the Radavek and nods, his voice cheerful again, "I think it wise... And then we can search for the alcove on the way down.., " he adds with a glance to the paladin.
"Let's go then." Radavek recovers his scimitar and, leaving it naked in his hand, continues up the stairs.
With their long lifespans, elves consider the premature passing of one of theirs to be quite a significant event. Given that the deceased was a cleric, Jonnie cannot simply letting him lie alone. She continues to drag him to the ground floor, calling for aid from below.
When she has had a chance to breathe fresh air and is no longer sick from smoke, she will head back upstairs.
The smoke begins to clear more rapidly as a breeze above carries the smoke away. Jonhilda and Torrosk bring Finn's corpse out of the bell tower, finding it a more suitable place to rest in the room below. Torrosk searches the area, but finds nothing. The cache that was discussed would likely be a floor below in any case.
Radavek and Ravin head up the stairs and eventually reach the top of the bell tower, able to look out over the town but can see little in the darkness. There is little sound either, with the new fallen snow muffling the normal sounds of nature. It is quiet enough, however that you are certain no combat is taking place nearby.
At the top of the bell tower you see a small chest built into the wall.
The sun should have risen by now, though it is oddly dark. Perhaps it is the snow clouds?
The sun should have risen by now, though it is oddly dark. Perhaps it is the snow clouds?
Many any light-based ceremonies conclude as dawn is about to break. It is likely that the ceremony of the previous night would have ended with sunrise, which should have happened already.
The sun should have risen by now and the snow clouds are not enough to explain the continued darkness.
The darkness could be explained by an eclipse of the sun...
Ravin looks out and says, "No more fights. Hate to admit it, but maybe the elf was right... though it certainly didn't hurt to check, now did it?"
He scans the area again and then turns his attention back indoors, "Might bed wise to check that chest though -- would hate to assume it's nothing dangerous or sinister.. and then find out we're wrong the hard way."
The chest contains a wand with the word "Meilah" labeled upon it, two scrolls, and four glass flasks containing a clear liquid.
Ravin looks out and says, "No more fights. Hate to admit it, but maybe the elf was right... though it certainly didn't hurt to check, now did it?"
He scans the area again ...
Radavek stares into the dark. "I wonder what happened to the mayor. He and his men were brave to charge into the dark."
... and then turns his attention back indoors,
"Might bed wise to check that chest though -- would hate to assume it's nothing dangerous or sinister.. and then find out we're wrong the hard way."
Roused by Ravin's change of subject, Radavek turns and looks over the gnome's shoulder into the chest. "Or it could be something good."
The Varisian looks back out over the town. "I had hoped for a glimpse of the rising sun from up here too. It seems she's been delayed. Or maybe I've lost my sense of time."
Torrosk grumbles, sounding almost like a growl as Radavek mentions the sunrise, "The ceremony should be over too, or at least getting over now. We should look for that cache on the way down, and then see what's going on."
"I think we've found it," Ravin replies. "Let's rejoin the others."
Ravin nods, "Let's go catch up with the others."
When Jonnie has recovered from smoke inhalation, she rejoins the others with Torrosk.
Torrosk does a much more thorough search of the second floor looking for the cache.
Ravin says, "These aren't the same goods we were told to look out for. We definitely missed that cache."
Radavek is reluctant to leave the tower. The sight of the sun or the mayor would be welcome, but he slowly his companions down the stairs. On the second floor he helps search.
Now that we have time, Ravin searches carefully.
The group works their way down the tower and eventually finds its way back the the second level. Here the group begins to search for the cache that was discussed, remembering that there were several doors that they never fully explored.
Upon taking a closer look around the bedroom you believe belongs to the high priest, there is a secret door in the north wall that appears to leads to the small cache. Additionally, it appears a second secret door leads out of the alcove to the north - not secret from the inside.
The cache within the alcove contains two flasks that are similar to the healing potions you were given, three scrolls, and four crystaline flasks of what appears to be a clear liquid.
"We should take council with Juriendor. Has the sun failed to rise here before?"
Ravin says, "I've heard tales of long darkness, of unending nights, but I always thought them to be poetic license -- used to describe dark stormclouds or the like -- not something that can block out the sun."
Jonnie seems concerned: "The world needs the sun. Life will die without it."
As they reconvene she examines any treasure for magical auras.
"Let us see what the priest things of this.'
As the party heads downstairs, they find the cathedral less full than it was during the ceremony but still busy. A feeling of worry hangs in the air, as people mutter quietly towards each other. An acolyte approaches the party saying, "The Mayor just left, they successfully routed the undead creatures surrounding the tower... the creatures fled at dawn. Or what should have been dawn. Some are calling this an eclipse and say that it should pass soon, but many of the townfolk remain here as they are afraid. We are giving them sanctuary as we wait for Juriendor to return. All seems peaceful for now, please rest upstairs and we will wake you if anything changes."
With that you are all shown to a room where you may rest, though you know it will be a fitful sleep with such unanswered questions.
Ravin nods, "We'd best take advantage of this chance to rest. I can't help but feel that we'd best try to stay as close to combat-ready as possible for the next while."
"That's smart." Despite acknowledging the wisdom of resting, Radavek paces the room restlessly between short periods where he lies down and tries to force himself to sleep.
Ravin takes the wand of cure light wounds in hand and looks at his companions, "We should probably mend our wounds before sleeping."
It make sleeping easier." Radavek deadpans. "Mend away.
Once the healing is done, the party rests during the morning, catching some much needed sleep.
Arising early the next day, the elf is anxious to see if the sun has returned.
"Get up you slugabeds, we got work to do."
Soon after Jonhilda wakes the group and you begin to make ready for the day. Peering out the window, the world is still covered in shadow - the sun has not yet returned. Suddenly, the party hears a scream and commotion that seems to be coming from the main Cathedral chamber below. Hurrying downstairs, you find conflict has returned to the hallowed ground with several skelletal figured emerging from the trap door Juriendor had decended into the evening before.
An injured acolyte is being tended by a woman bearing the holy symbol of Shelyn. He shouts “The crypt, the dead that dwell there...they have always protected our cathedral. They have been turned, made to rise up against us! Can the gods have forsaken us?”
The skeletons begin to close upon the two figures.
Seeing the skeletons coming, Viniana casts a spell quickly as a barrier of energy seems to flow over her then grips her glaive in the ready position as she says, "You won't harm this one or the works under my care!"
Radavek dashes forward to intercept the skeletons. He whirls his scimitar overhead and the curved blade swoops down at a skeleton.
...
If I can charge then add +2 to the attack roll and my AC drops to 15 for one round.
Jonnie stands besides here friends and launches a bolt of frost that changes to acid as it leaves her hand.
Torrosk moves along the wall to get closer to the undead.
A bolt of acid splashes about one skeleton, dissolving bone as it hisses. In reaction the skeletons charge forward with claws extended, with the injured one climbing pews to get towards Jonhilda. The injured skeleton does score with a raking claw drawing blood.
Seeing one of those who have come in to help her fall, Viniana takes a step back and casts a prayer to her goddess, touching the downed person with a golden glow that appears about her hands and knitting some of their injuries closed.
Torrosk forgoes his shield in favor of his heavy flail, taking a two handed grip and bringing the spiked ball down. "In Pharasma's name, filth, begone from this world!" He snarls, eyes ablaze with fury.
Ravin starts toward the skeletons, rushing as quickly as his small legs will take him.
Jonnie steps back, and unable to target effectively with a burning hands, chooses to shoot a ray of acid at the southernmost skellie.
As the skeletons approached, Viniana brought her glaive to bear, slashing into one of them, however the blade of her pole-arm just skidded along bone not noticeably wounding the undead.
Torrosk, however, shatters the norther-most skelleton into splinters with a mighty overhand swing of his flail.
With Viniana's touch, Jonhilda is rejuvenated from the wounds he took.
Angling to get between the skeleton's and the women and injured, Radavek sidesteps to his right and strikes at the once-center skeleton.
...