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

[Wick]

Sara saw the snake and stepped back as the construct jumped into the fray. The contruct had the snake as it moved about and Sara saw her chance. She grabbed the huge chunks of concrete and lunged to the ground and started bashing it til it stopped moving. The construct moved away from it and appeared to be fine.

She jumped up and stepped around the snake in case it was only knocked out. She got to Jason and looked at his wound. Grabbing her bag she searched for the antiseptic and healing salve and put it on him before he could say anything. Then she gave him a hand up. "Ok, I guess I'm good under pressure too."
@BKBurke

[Severe Triage]

"I never expected such sound thinkers amongst a band of Warrio-." He was cut off with a glinting coming from near the far western corner of the room but couldn't see a thing so without wasting any more time a candle was removed from his satchel and lit, the room seemed to shake from the quivering flame. Felmer looked around for the shiny object but couldn't see anything of the sort now that he could make out the room. His attention was caught by the painting which now had an eery feel as Justicia appeared angry and the beast...well the beast was even creepier than usual, Felmer wondered how that was even possible. After a head shake to regain concentration he turned focus to the remaining crates.

[Kelewen]

Cedric closed the chapel door, then stepped down off the stoop, intending to head straight back to the main hall, only to realize that Tarquin was there. And even though he said he had been going to find him, coming face to face alone with the drow on a dark, drizzly night had, in reality, been the last thing he actually wanted.

He couldn't help a small surge of fear, only knowing that there was a drow masquerading as something it was not. Or was Tarquin somehow masquerading as the drow? Cedric was good with a sword, but good enough to best a dark elf if he was somehow connected with this beast? He wasn't particularly anxious to find out.

But... Eve had said to trust him. So she obviously knew something.

"I take it I met your brother," he said, consciously forcing himself to not take a defensive stance.

----

Unforunately, there is no war hammer to be found in the crates. The first one Felmer opened was empty, the next contained more tools - a carpentry hammer and nails. The third contained some documents (semi-recent, things from the past 20 years since the founding of Avery's Isle). The last contained a chain mail shirt, neatly packed away. It's a bit rusty in a few places, obviously unused in quite awhile.

----

Just as Sara's hand wraps around Jason's to help him up, the serpent slithers nearly silently up from behind, leaving a trail of blood from where she had bashed it with the rock and lunged again, this time its fangs headed at the back of her thigh.

[Marcus XVI]

Tarquin glanced at Cedric and smiled faintly. "Oh, that? Well... It's a matter of technicalities. For simplicity's sake I'm going to say yes." The tall elf let out a little chuckle and shook his head. "I think you should by now understand why I do, you know, all this." he motioned at himself and swept few locks of hair away from his eyes. "People tend to have a bit of a nasty habit of assuming that being a drow makes you inherently evil - some of course are, but..." The bard paused for a moment and shrugged his shoulders. "...I was going to use the good old saying about a few rotten apples, but what do you do when there are only few good apples in a basket mostly full of rotten ones?"

[Kelewen]

"Once more than a few go bad, the whole batch is usually rotten," Cedric thought to himself, not ready to just let his guard down around Tarquin just because he claimed to be a "good" drow. But he also figured that if Tarquin had a reason to want him dead, he probably wouldn't still be breathing, let alone chatting about rotten apples.

"I don't know, but can't blame folk for being a little leery." He jerked his chin back toward the chapel. "Rockmar's getting a lecture about the virtues of Justicia and I think that other chap... Felmer... is still poking around in the basement. You think Father Beacom knows where that hammer is?"

[BKburke]

Jason was beginning to stand up believing the serpent was done for. He watched as Sara walked over to him. He gave her a smile until he saw the serpent still moving as it tried to strike. He shoved her out of the way causing the serpent to bite Jason's right arm. Jason grunted in pain as he grabbed the serpent and began to his arm as well as the serpent against the stone floor hoping to end it.

[Wick]

Sara was surprised and when she looked up she grabbed Jason's arm and held it still as she grabbed the snake by the back of it's head and squeezed until it let go of him. She reached for the brick of concrete and smashed it again and she didn't stop til it was crushed and blood oozed out of it. She picked up the dead snake and tossed it across the room.

Sara went back to Jason, who was in pain and she reached for his arm. She wiped the area down and sucked the venom out of the bite and spat it away. When she was certain that she had gotten most of if not all of it she cleaned, medicated and bandaged it. Then she sat down for a moment. The adrenaline rush was dying down and she was tired. "See, good under pressure and not afraid of snakes." She said wiping the dust off of her face.

@BKburke

[Marcus XVI]

Tarquin rolled his eyes at Cedric's comment. "That is the reason I prefer to hide. Be it behind a mask, a different identity or a profession. Or in this case all of them." He casually took his flute from his belt and played a quick, happy tune. The tall elf took a deep breath and lowered the flute after a while. "In all seriousness I doubt the father has any idea where that weapon is - if it even exists on this plane of existence to begin with." He smiled faintly and shook his head. "Some of you may be adventurers, but I can tell from experience that you do not simply find a weapon of a Goddess in an old chapel like this. You know, they have this certain presence to them - divine weapons, wielded by Gods I mean. You can sense them even if you are not divinely inclined. They just..." He motioned with his hands a bit. "Radiate divinity." Tarquin glanced at the horizon and again shrugged his shoulders. "Besides if that is the only picture with Justicia wielding it there is a chance that this has just been a temple of some other God or Goddess and those who have first defiled it and then dedicated it to Justicia have chosen to keep the hammer in there because it suits their view of Justicia."

[Kelewen]

Cedric sighed, a bit disappointed. "A problem for tomorrow, I guess." He yawned, the events of the day catching up with him. "Think I should rescue Rockmar from the good priest before heading to bed?"

[Garth]

@Kelewen Sundos lost track of time with the priest. He really wasn't listening too closely. But he nodded and grunted positively at the right times. It sounded to Rockmar as if the Justice of the Goddess came quickly but her Mercy was slow in coming. Sundos thought he would like Justicia, she was a warrior. But after listening to the priest and seeing how much of a warrior he wasn't, Rockmar quickly lost interest.

But still he had a question for the priest, "Father, I have a question. I know this man who got himself into trouble and he has asked me for my help. Do I follow Justice and tell him that he got himself into trouble and he must get himself out. Or do I follow Mercy and help him out?"

[BKburke]

Jason watched Sara's rather quick actions. He felt a little awkward when she started sucking out the poison. "Thanks. Although." He said looking at the dead snake. "I was hoping to keep it alive. It could have been the key to this place." He stood up and noticed a strange feeling in his arm. He wouldn't tell Sara. He couldn't do that to her. Jason could tell what was happening to his arm. "I guess I should start studying this place." Jason examined the room. "A simple cantrip will do the trick." Jason focused and cast the spell 'detect magic'. If this place had magic in it that was still present or needed magic to do something then Jason would know.

[Kelewen]

"Whichever," Father Beacom answered after only a moment's thought, "you believe will truly be best for your friend. Now, think on what you have learned. I must bid you goodnight." The stodgy priest stifled a yawn and started heading toward the small door to the left.

--

In this chamber, Jason's cantrip would reveal a only a faint remnant of a protection spell coming from the spiraled runes on the large doors. Although the old magic is nearly gone, the doors themselves would still be nearly impossible to move. They have been set in the ground and then weighted from above, effectively sealing the passage for all of eternity.

Further inspection of the chamber reveals a handful of twigs near the southern entrance (where Jason & Sara entered) that appear to have fallen off the ledge just above the doorway. From their current vantage, they cannot see above that ledge.

[Marcus XVI]

Tarquin let out a little chuckle and smirked. "Perhaps that is for the best. Though the walls are thick my keen ears can pick up a word here and there. In all seriousness I'd love to chat with the good father about theology, but he does not seem to approve of my presence." The tall elf did not sound very disappointed by the fact, instead he just chuckled again. "You know what I don't really understand about people - well Eve in this particular instance? Earlier when she had first introductions to my dear Taroyn a few moments later she inquired if he'd give aid to the beast or attack the rest of you." The bard smiled, but there was a very slight hint of annoyance in his voice. "The answer would be no if you were wondering. W- I really don't like those kinds of questions or assumptions. You could say it VEXED me quite greatly. Just thinking about it still makes me absolutely damn livid." Though his tone had the little annoyed edge to it Tarquin did not seem that 'livid' or 'vexed' or then he was just very well at hiding his feelings and keeping his composure. "I do certainly not wish to make all of this about poor ol' me, but sometimes people's attitudes just rub me the wrong way. Of course I am much to blame since I've kept this 'horrible' secret of mine from the lot of you, but..." The tall elf shook his head and smirked. "As you have figured from my point of view I have had damn good reasons of doing so. Now, I'd suggest you go and gather Rockmar before the poor fellow gets bored to death by matters of theology."

[Wick]

"What in the world could that snake tell you alive that it can't tell you dead? I was much more concerned with OUR safety than its safety." Sara looked slightly hurt that he would chastize her for killing it. "Is your arm feeling alright? Make sure to let me know if it feels weird or anything. I would hate to have not gotten all of the poison out."

"Where are we going next?" She looked around.

@BKburke

[Kelewen]

"Seems so," the swordsman replied carefully, having very little desire to engage further in this conversation with the elf. What did he think... if a troll came strolling down the center of the street that people should wait and see if it just wanted to exchange "good mornings"? After all... there might be a good troll out there somewhere.

Besides, from Cedric's point of view, Tarquin had shown his true form only in attempt to intimidate the priest... that fear had been exactly the reaction he'd been hoping for.

"I'll go find him," he said, taking the excuse to head back into the chapel. "Rockmar?" he said, loudly enough that he hoped Felmer would hear, "We're headed back to the great hall. You ready?"

[Severe Triage]

Grimaced and annoyed Felmer hanged his head, although honestly he didn't expect much to be here it was still quite disappointing. He really hoped the Priest wasn't actually this callous in his beliefs against the towns fate. Slowly turning his eyes upon the armoured vest. "Hmm." He picked up the shimmering metal shirt and shook it. "It's quite light for chain mail."

"We're headed back to the great hall. You ready?"

Felmer gasped, realising that a lot of time had been wasted on this pointless endeavour of his. He hesitantly snagged the armour; not sure of whether or not to take it, and also pocketed a few of the documents as future reading material for the ship. Blew out the candle and proceeded to sneak back upstairs hoping the Father had gone to bed and exited the church. Panting a little from anxiousness which had set in without him noticing, probably since he no longer had anything distracting his mind. "Ah! Cedric, y-yes. Let us leave this place. Whenever the group is ready."

[Garth]

Rockmar heard Cedric coming. "Yes, the priest went to bed, leaving me to ponder his words. Let's get out of here and back to the hall." Once he was outside, Rockmar admitted, "What a waste of time for me. I hope you found something Felmer. I need at least a few hours of sleep. On the morrow we need to return to caves we found earlier. By the way, Felmar, Justicia is full of crap."

[BKburke]

Jason examined the room and sighed when he heard Sara. "There is a spell that allows one to read the memories of others. I was hoping that snake might have the memories to this place. The husk it was in looked rather old. Maybe it could have shown us how to unlock it's secrets." Jason looked back at his arm. "As for the poison. It was too late to get it all the moment you stopped trying to suck the poison out. I have examined the bite. Only healing magic will stop the affliction. I don't know healing spells. One of the few schools I didn't have an interest in." Jason noted the twigs by the entrance. "Hide..now." Jason whispered. Jason waited for Sara to get into a hidig position and then called out loud. "There isn't any point in hiding. I know your there." Jason motioned for Sara to stay hidened.

[Kelewen]

@BKburke That ledge is where the ghoul came from. But from the floor Jason and Sara could not see above it.

Long moments of silence pass...

[Wick]

Sara did as Jason asked but her mind was turning. She knew someone who could help Jason. Eve. She had to get him back to town and fast. There was no telling how fast the poison would work. She peaked over at Jason and wondered what he heard or saw.

@BKBurke