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

[Severe Triage]

Felmar listens closely to Tarquin's speech then looks over to Father Beacon gauging his reaction to the bards monologue.

@Marcus XVI

[Kelewen]

Father Beacom looked down his hawkish nose at the half-orc, as if offended at even the suggestion that he had taken liberties with the image of the goddess. "It was repaired only," he answered, but sidestepped the rest of Rockmar's question with one of his own. "Are the original pieces of some use to you?"

The idea of the strangers rummaging around his church without him to keep at eye on things did not sit well with him. And possibly even worse was Tarquin's seeming suggestion that he had not been praying since the beast arrived. His eyes opened wider, obviously irritated and feeling as if he was somehow being hustled, "I have done my daily devotions, elf. What is you hope to gain ... or steal... by distracting me here while they are freed to do as they will?!"

[Garth]

"I was just wondering of the original pieces had markings the new pieces did not. Father, will you show us the basement. I'm looking for any murals or paintings done by the people who built this church." Rockmar gave him a big smile.

[Kelewen]

@BKburke

Just below the hole, the construct would find a circular chamber with a tunnel exiting to the east. Directly beneath the hold is a score of hammered bronze longspears set into the floor and pointed upward, obviously intended to impale anyone falling through the hole above. There is a pair of rusty daggers lying on the floor.

The mural was painted with earth pigments, a method known to be utilized by the 'ancients' that once occupied the mainland.

[BKburke]

The construct noted the area. It noticed the daggers and walked up to them. It tapped one of its legs notifying Jason what it found. It's form easily allowing it to move through the trap. Being it was designed to be like a backpack. It had several slots to place the daggers. It picked them up and placed them safely. It crawled back up to Jason and clipped back onto his pack. It's legs wrapped around froming his backpack once more. Jason looked at Sara. "I know what I'm doing. Do you? What combat skills do you posses that would allow you to fight the beast if you found it? How about magic? A sword or bow perhaps?" Jason waited several seconds. "I don't mean to be rude but I don't want you getting hurt."

Jason faced the pit and noticed the hall on the other side. "Let's try this out." The construct clung to the wall. Jason hugged the wall as he moved across the pit. He held onto the construct which had its legs clung to the wall. If he slipped then the construct would keep him from falling.

[Wick]

Sara hd been rock climbing for years in some of the most treacherous terrain that she knew of. She scrambled down the wall crossed the tricky floor and climbed back up on the other side. She looked at him and said. "I can climb just about anything. That is my one stupid skill. It's what will also make me invaluable on the ship. I'm great in rigging." Sara grinned at him.

@BKburke

[Kelewen]

Father Beacom did not respond for a few long moments, then finally relented. "There is a painting of Justicia..." He gathered a candle and led the crew down the steps into the dark chapel basement. It was simply one large room with various crates and few pieces of furniture stacked against the eastern wall. But on the western wall was indeed a painting of the same woman depicted in the stained glass. This time she was shown without the scales of justice and sword, but with a great war hammer and battling.. something...

It was difficult to make out exactly what the something was. A dark mass without a well defined shape. However, one thing stood out clearly: red eyes.

[Kelewen]

The tomb remains quiet. The first things Jason would notice as they made it over to the far hallway would be a grotesques snake with a vaguely humanoid head. It lay lifeless on the floor of the hallway nearby a dried corpse of what appears to have once been a man. Its skull has been crushed.

The hallway leads to various paths. (Both set of stairs go down)

[Garth]

This time she was shown without the scales of justice and sword, but with a great war hammer and battling.. something...

It was difficult to make out exactly what the something was. A dark mass without a well defined shape. However, one thing stood out clearly: red eyes.

@Kelewen

Rockmar licked his lips before asking, "Father, have you ever seen that Warhammer before or know where we might find it?" He pointed to the Warhammer in the painting.

[BKburke]

Jason looked at Sara. He noticed the dead bodies on the floor and quickly got in front of her. He drew his short sword and pulled out a refined dagger and handed it to Sara. "Just in case." The construct walked up to the bodies and poked at them with its metal legs. Jason wasn't worried about the construct. It was made of metal so if they did get up and attack it, it would be fine. After they were sure the bodies were dead. The construct walked up to the first hallway closest to the pit entrance and walked through slowly. It wasn't walking on the floor though. It was on the ceiling. Jason turned to Sara. "I said you could come with me when I leave the island, not on suicide missions. Jason approached the hallway a little farther from the pit entrance and looked down into it. He was careful not to enter the stair case.

@Kelewen@Wick

[Wick]

Sara looked at Jason and grinned. "That is the dumbest thing I think you could have said." She chuckled. "If you get yourself killed how am I getting off of the island?" Sara kept looking at the stairs warily. "Are we going down there?"

@BKburke

[Marcus XVI]

Tarquin lifted his hands apologetically. "Now now, good father. I misspoke. I did not mean to imply that you have not been doing your divine duty. Please, forgive me, father." The tall elf made a little bow. "Maybe after this all is said and done you'd tell me more about your fair goddess?." He suggested politely as he followed the others down to the basement.

Calmly the bard examined the painting for a good while. "A warhammer? Father Beacom... Has Justicia been often depicted with a warhammer in hand?" Tarquin had heard of the dual nature of some gods and goddesses, but in his opinion this little detail just did not quite fit. The tall elf adjusted the golden ring slightly and clinched his hand to a fist again. Soon the bright green light ball illuminated the basement.

[Kelewen]

The construct would find that the steps lead down to a hallway that connects to the room underneath the pit.



As Jason looked down the other steps, he sees that the worn stone steps descend into a chamber below. From his vantage he can make out another body, similar to the dried husk of a ghoul in the hallway. It is not moving. Next to it is a large slab of stone.

[Kelewen]

"To my knowledge, it is the only one," Father Beacom answered the elf, softening a little after the apology. He stared at the painting, as he had done hundreds, if not thousands, of times before. "Almost always she is shown with her sword."

His stance became slightly defensive as he turned to Rockmar, "Such holy relics are NOT to be desecrated by the hands of the unfaithful."

[Severe Triage]

"Is it even possible for a mortal even wield Justicia's hammer?" Felmer asked the priest while slowly walking over to the eastern wall. "Would they not be consumed by her rage?" He continued whilst looking at the furniture stacked up. "Hmm. Run out of space?" The curious man whispered before peeking behind the piled paraphernalia.

[Garth]

"Then, Father you come with us and wield it to defend your people. Do you know where it is? If you know where it is, clearly the Goddess left it here to defeat the beast and protect Her people."

[BKburke]

Jason looked back at Sara. "I'm debating it." He whispered. He followed down the staircase rather slowly. He moved far enough just to get a better view of the room to see if it was a dead end.

The construct would move into the room underneath the pit to look for anything interesting. Before moving on the though, it made a strange metal clicking noise and moved on.

When Jason saw the body that resembled the husk, he looked at Sara and put a finget over his lip to indicate they needed to be silent. He wasn't sure if it was dead or not and didn't plan on finding out the hard way.

[Kelewen]

"The beast is retribution for the sins of men!" Father Beacom said, raising his voice. "The only real defense is to forsake the material world for Justicia!"

Felmer's curiosity showed him what appeared to be a relatively normal "junk collection": a wooden chair with a cracked leg, a clay jug, a small crate with drying herbs laid on top, and an oil lamp with a sooty chimney was about all he could see without opening the crates.

[Kelewen]

The husk-like body remained still, soon becoming evident that it was dead. The steps descend into a circular cave walled by tall stone slabs inscribed with dark runes in the likeness of massive cave bears and of warriors donning the skulls and pelts of the bears. The bears and the bear-warriors are shown triumphantly battling dozens of foes.

In the center of the chamber is a large stone chest and the lid has already been removed. Inside is about a dozen human skulls.

[Marcus XVI]

Tarquin sighed and allowed the green ball of light to disappear. Obviously there was nothing he could say to persuade the zealot. If he couldn't persuade the father maybe his 'brother' could. With a swift hand motion the tall elf removed the pendant again and became Taroyn. With a rather unreadable expression on his face the drow stared directly at Beacom. "There is no need for you to raise your voice, father Beacom. Still... Though it quite isn't my concern... What I take from your words is you'd rather let your flock perish in the claws of the beast rather than saving them here and now. You'd rather let your flock sink to the darkness than lead them to the light..." He sounded at the same time disappointed and slightly surprised. "Now, I'm not one to judge, but... Let's just say that in different circumstances you'd make a fine priestess of the Queen."