[IC] To The Edge of the World...

[Garth]

Rockmar led the others across the moonlit, foggy field towards to stone church. He stopped and looked at the others before knocking three times on the heavy door. Rockmar didn't think about how late it was until he had already knocked.

[BKburke]

Jason looked down at Sara. He had a confused look on his face when the woman asked him if she could go with him when he leaves. "Well I suppose it couldn't hurt. Are you sure? You don't even know who I am. Something like that can be pretty dangerous." He turned his focus away from Sara until he heard her mention the bandages. His eyes widened a bit. He looked back to her with sadness in his eyes. "Always remember. Magic takes as much as it gives. There is always a cost. It's all about founding out what you are willing to pay. Now I'm sorry to say but I need to rest." He pointed to the bandaged up wound. "I didn't have the best night."

[Wick]

Sara looked at Jason rather confused for a moment. He had thought she meant 'you' as in just him but she meant 'you' as in the group. This realization struck her and she blushed. He mentioned magic taking as good as it gives and she knew that to be true because otherwise Eve wouldn't be out cold. She looked at him as he walked away to go lay down. She headed back inside to check on Eve.

@BKBurke

After assuring herself that everyone who needed help was either being helped or had been already Sara took off after the group that went to the church. She ran so she got there right as Rockmar was knocking on the door.

@Garth

[Marcus XVI]

Tarquin had chosen to go with the rest of the group to see the priest. The tall elf hummed an annoyingly catchy song.

[Severe Triage]

While approaching the door Felmar sniggered. "Rockmar, you think that will rouse the good Father? My god, that man wouldn't open the door for anything less than the rapture." Felmar knelt near the door and started tapping on it. "There's a trick I learned after a good while here. They may have been able to build stable houses but doors were never their forte."

The feeble looking merchant stood up again and started breathing heavily before smashing his boot against the wood. It took a few seconds after before the door made a clicking sound and slowly opening. The group were greeted by the Father, "Felmar! I told you to stop kicking my door!"

[Kelewen]

Father Beacom's graying hair was disheveled and his robe a bit askew, as if he had just been sleeping and had hurried to greet whoever was knocking on his door.

After chiding Felmar, the man looked around at those accompanying him, recognizing them as the adventurers that had come on the Elfleda. "Has the hound claimed another soul?" he asked, assuming that was the reason behind them waking him.

[BKburke]

Jason was walking off to find a place to rest when a thought suddenly stopped him. "It burst into mist. The stories say it will come back. It would have to have a place to regenerate or something." His face went from an exhausted look to a serious one. "The man I spoke to when I got off the boat mentioned that Leofwine and the others went off to search for something. They were gone for awhile. They had to have found something." Jason immediately wandered to find Leofwine. "You ventured out with the group earlier. You left a find something and were gone for awhile. Point me in the direction or give me details of where to go." After the Lord gave details to Jason, Jason began to walk off. "If it is able to come back then there has to a place where it heals after death. If we find it then. Maybe we can kill it for good." Jason left the building quickly and hopped onto a horse to head where leofwine and the others explored.

[Garth]

"We have been lucky, Father. Nobody has been killed. There have been a few injuries but they will be fine. We defeated the beast, for tonight. But he disappeared. We think it's be back tomorrow. Father, I know it is late but I was hoping I could look around the inside of the church. Are there any carvings or pictures inside that show the history of the church or talk about Justica?"

[Wick]

Sara wasn't sure what Rockmar was hoping to find. She didn't feel quite part of the group yet so she hung back. While not really listening to Rockmar and the preacher she had gotten an idea. She wondered, if the hound was hurt and the group had been to the hound's home for the last who knows how long, wouldn't it make sense that it would go there after a fight if it was hurt? Sara turned around and walked towards the hill. What would she do if she got there and found the hound? She had no idea.

Sara came from a different direction than the others had before her so she was able to see a horse outside and knew that she wasn't the only one who decided to check things out. Sara became very cautious as she approached.

@BKburke

[Kelewen]

"Be careful" Leofwine warned after giving Jason directions to the tomb. "If you go inside, there is a pit trap just past the hallway that would send an unwary soul to his death.."

Even with the Constable's directions, it was difficult on this dark, dreary night to find the hill where the others had been during the daylight hours. But eventually Jason would come to it... The heavy stone slab that had been barring the entrance still ajar just enough to allow a man to squeeze through. Inside is completely dark.

------

"humph"... Father Beacom frowned, but motioned the adventurers to come inside. "The hound will return ... retribution for the sins of men," he stated. Inside was dimly lit, but enough to see and navigate without issue. In the entry way was a small bench on one side and steps that descended into a cellar on the other. In the main body of the chapel there were several rows of pews and a door leading off to the left, presumably to the Father's sleeping chamber.

"As for Justicia..." he gestured toward the front of the chapel. There a large stained glass window depicted a woman as statuesque knight with long dark hair, holding the scales of justice in one hand and a gilded longsword in the other. "It was cracked in more than a few places when we arrived. But I had the replacement pieces commissioned all the way from the mainland...."

[Severe Triage]

Felmar looked at the priest with suspicion while entering, "Well doesn't somebody have a word of the day?" The irreverent man sat on one of the pews while resting his feet on another.

[BKburke]

Jason got off of his horse and looked around. "Well damn it's dark." He said as he squeezed through the small crevice. "Nothing a simple spell can't fix." It only took moments for Jason to cast a spell and soon the dark became clear. "Darkvision. A transmutation spell that allows one to see sixty feet out in dark. Unless I come across magic darkness I'll be fine." Jason took a deep breath and ventured forth.

[Wick]

Sara saw Jason go inside and she looked at the small stone she had gladly picked up from Eve's hand when they brought her in. She thought it was cool because it glowed with light. She waited til he was inside and she proceeded to enter after him as quietly as she could. She was skittish, something felt unsettling to her. She cautiously moved forward and whispered in a loud whisper, "Jason?" She could see his shadow just ahead of her so she said it a little louder this time, "Jason?"

@BKburke

[Marcus XVI]

Tarquin examined the glass window depicting the goddess and made few hand signs - those with knowledge of either some form of thieves cant or other such would decipher their meaning as 'scales of justice'. "Well, I have to admit that the work is quite exquisite. It must have cost a fortune."

[Kelewen]

@BKburke@Wick

All is quiet and still as Jason enters, aside from a slight breeze pushing a stray leaf down the narrow hallway. He would see the the serpentine spirals on the wall and the mural depicting a barbaric warrior clad in a bearskin cloak and welding a heavy spear and shield engaged in battle with a huge, demonic hound.

The hallway opens into a low ceilinged room with a stone slab floor that slopes down steeply from all four walls, falling away into a dark pit in the center of the chamber. Each of the slabs is slick with slime, though now with a few bootprints where Tarquin's enchanted boots allowed him to cross without slipping toward the pit...

He would be able to see there is another hallway opposite the pit.

The entrance, narrow corridor with mural along the wall:


Low ceilinged chamber with slick stone slabs angled from all four sides.

[Kelewen]

@Severe Triage@Marcus XVI

Father Beacom looked at Tarquin, then looked at the likeness of Justicia in the glass. Even on his harsh features, one could easily see the fondness he held for the piece. "Indeed. When the hound has brought its retribution for the sins of men," he sent a pointed stare at Felmar's feet upon the pew, "I admit a worldly hope that it survives the destruction of the beast!"

[BKburke]

Jason heard Sara's whisper. He looked back. "Leave here. This place could be dangerous." Hu turned around and looked at the mural and pit. He kneeled down and extended his arm. His pack sprung to life revealing itslef to be a construct mimicing a giant spider. "Go down that pit. It looks like a trap. See of there is anything valuable there. You can see much better than I can anyway." The giant spider like construct began to head down the pit. It's legs allowing to cling to the sides so it wouldn't fall. It's best quality was its ability to traverse most terrain. It would search the pit for anything that looked interesting. If it noticed any creature lurking below, it would silenty move back to Jason. As the construct moved down, Jason stood up and moved back toward the mural. He studied it well. He hoped his knowledge in architecture would allow him to find out what made it. He place his hand against the mural to feel what it was made of in going to gain a clue.

[Wick]

Sara looked up at Jason. "No, I came to see if the hound is retreating here to regain its strength. Besides, why is it dangerous for me and not for you?" She stopped at the edge where the slime started and she looked around. "Who are you talking to now?" When she saw the spider she got even more curious. "What is that?" She looked at Jason and she stepped in the bootprints so as not to slide into the pit. Soon she was standing next to hm looking at the mural.

[Garth]

"Father, The Goddess Justicia is a beautiful goddess. You said the stain glass has been repaired. Was the picture changed when it was repaired? Are the original glass pieces still here? Also, would you mind if I looked around in the basement?"

[Marcus XVI]

"Though the beast may be sent here to punish these people of their sins... Wouldn't it be more fitting to give them a fair judgement, more akin to that of Justicia than the foul beast?" Tarquin managed for a moment sound like a kindly cleric rather than a bard. "I am sure a prayer to your fair goddess would at least be worth a try, what say you, priest?" The tall elf smiled warmly at Beacom and spread his arms slightly. "How about you let the others rummage around for any tomes of knowledge while the two of us pray? I have seen the wrath of many a horrible god and goddess in my time and... admittedly Justicia seems much more to my liking."