Katriana departed with a silent stoic demeanor from the Saucy Wench. She carried Kumadel’s limp form in her soft hands, as though she were carrying something far more precious than any cargo they were escorting to the temple. As the group of strangers departed, along with a crewman who carried a box containing the valued cargo, It was Raen who decided to take control of the situation, placing people in a tactical fashion around the crewman, and the warmage who had a slippery trigger finger. Lherial shot back a well spoken retort, though it was backed with no small amount of anger at the disrespect Raen had shown to the crewman. Katriana however, simply fell into place, her keen senses keeping a lookout, as she walked focusing her god given ability of Detect Evil as she moved. “I would have the name of she who would so order others of free will and good standing.” While her voice wasn’t harsh or inquisitional, it was stated matter-of-factly, like no other option was available.

Katriana was still concerned for the late Kumadel. She worried about how she was going to have the fallen warrior brought back to life, for it was no small task. Even if she did manage to raise the money needed, not every church would spend the time or energy to bring back a fallen stranger, especially without having any previous knowledge of their value or respect under the banner of the churches cause. She hoped that with the delivery of the package, it would give their little group the extra leverage to convince the hierarchy of the church to bless Kumadel, a stranger even to Katriana, with knew life.

"Once you're in uh...ask for Kaene, he'll see you shortly no doubt...um...that's it...uh...hopefully I won't see you around..."

The words echoed in Jiminous's head as he paid his tab. He hadn't drank the alcohol, but felt in necessary to fit the customs of such a rough place. He decided not to argue when the mead was delivered. He didn't know why he was so generous about it, normally he would chuck the liquid into the face of such a waitress. Perhaps he was turning over a new leaf. After all, he had taken the job for a church that looked upon his life choices with disdain. Then again, they were paying very well to complete the task. Perhaps he just wanted to keep his cool until the job was divulged in full.

He dug in his back and pulled out a silver to cover his tab. He thanked the bartender and left. The streets weren't packed with people, but those on the streets seemed to avoid him none-the-less. He knew why, of course, and when one person got too close, only to screech, turn around, and run away, it was quite evident. His ominous appearance was only accentuated by the aura that exuded from his every step. His clothes weren't dark, much, but a heavy dark cloak covered them, not fully obscuring his chain shirt. Of course, it also clinked as he walked. Still, none of this was really looked at by passers-by. His walking stick was what caught there attention. It was a halberd, custom-worked to fit his hands comfortably. The long axe looked disturbingly like those the hooded executioners wore before the chopping block. It was a strange appearance, to be sure.

He approached the church, but passed it, turning off on a side-street, and approaching from a back-alley. He thought it curious that they wished he would approach in this fashion. It wasn't like he would draw any less attention in doing so. He stood out, no matter where he was. He thought less of those who chose not to stand out. He opened the door, and stepped inside.

"You don't really have to be such a poor sport about this all. Your acting like you know we're all going to get killed and end up in the belly of Ratharawn himself! Just lighten up a bit, and I will do as you say, only because it makes sense. You really should get out of that attitude you have, and take that emotion and funnel it into looking out for baddies, not moping around because you agreed to something. Oh and one other thing, our "mule" is a person to. See? Arms, legs, face skin, all the workings of the gods. Now don't go insulting this poor fellow or you can just carry the damned box yourself," the half-elf retorted. Nevertheless, he took his assigned position alongside the mage and sailor. Raen looked back at him, her own eyebrow quirked at the naivety of the young man. In all likelihood, he was probably old enough to be her father, at least by human years, though something told her than the battles she had faced had aged her well beyond that of most common folk.

"The day I don't expect to die, boy, is the day I greet the diseased one face to face," Raen spat back. "In case you haven't quite clued in, some of us can't afford to idly die and wait for a banknote so we may be resurrected. Death is the one doorway I hope to cross through once and once only and not today!"

Raen's scowl could've pierced through plate mail better than a broadhead arrow from a 100 draw. She turned on her heel and resumed her march through the crowds. The naivete of some people annoyed her to no end on most days.

"And my name, as I had said once before, is Raen Strider."

Raiel, proud Ranger of Silverwood, arrived at the temple of Magnagoth after some confusing turns through the hustle and bustle of the big city. While some would argue that the dense mass of foliages made the forests uncharitable, the young (relatively) ranger would argue the converse. The winding streets and commotion had her losing track of herself several times throughout the various districts. Eventually, with the help of a kindly young child she found her way, dismounting and tying Moonshadow just outside the temple before stepping in herself.

Camatcha was not a small town, nor was it a large town, it was situated somewhere in the middle of that range, but made important by its location as a port city for the region of Tar Talon. As such, it was able to often procure exceptional artisans and engineers atypical of a town of its size. This unique situation resulted in buildings of public use often towering over every other building in the area. The mayor’s estate, barracks, courthouse and various temples were of a scale usually reserved for capital cities, a testament to the power the port city had over the region. Other than Tar’Talon’s capital city of Portluck (which was as well the power central of the entirety of the civilised core of Jamara) no city in the region could match the grandeur that was Camatcha’s Temple of Magnagoth (the core deity of the city). Formally a temple of Tarner (and hence, paid for extensively by cunning loan deals) it was repurposed after the mayor and council shifted the city to the worship of Magnagoth.

Raiel was shocked by the sheer grandness of the temple as she entered. The walls were covered in long tapestries covered in arcane writing along with magnificent frescoes that were on both the walls and ceiling. The main chapel was dominated by an intimidating sculpture of Magnagoth himself. The face was left featureless, as was common for statues of deities, no one seemed willing to make an attempt to copy the perfection of a god’s face, possibly fearing the god’s vanity and the wrath it may invoke. The ranger, although average sized, seemed impossibly small just standing there. After taking in the sights, she quickly found a priest and presented herself.

“Good afternoon good Priest.” She said in her best Common, “I was sent here by the Lord Ranger of Silverwood. A ranger was requested and I was sent.”
”We have been expecting a Silverwood Ranger for some time now, and it is good to see you’ve arrived safely. Ecclesiarch Kaene will be with you shortly, he is expecting one more guest however. We thank you for your patience.” The priest intoned in a single breath, as if he had been memorising this speech all morning. Some priests of the All-Knowing were known to be terribly rigid and unwilling to leave anything to chance. His piece said the priest walked away wordless, his long purple robe trailing along behind him as he left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Despite the apparent stupidity of the request, Jiminous had indulged the clergyman and did his best to look as if he was not trying to enter the temple. He was an imposing sight however, with his “walking” halberd and heavy dark cloak he stood out in every crowd, and the fact that commoners tended to cut a wide swath around him made him stand out even more. As he approached the temple he smirked to himself as people quite obviously stared at him only to gracelessly turn away the moment he looked in their direction.

Stepping into the back alley he moved pointedly around to the rear of the church to a door which he could only assume was used for deliveries or back room dealings. Much like this one… he couldn’t stop himself from thinking. The Church of Magnagoth tended to frown on the use of magic for the purposes of Necromancy, and his appearance did nothing to hide his interest in that particular school of magic. It was a wonder they contacted him at all, they must really be desperate.

As he opened the rear door he was greeted by a sombre looking priest in the traditional purple robe of his order. Without so much as looking at him the man launched into his obviously prepared speech.

”Although your methods are foul your help is required. We thank you for answering out summons and being discrete. Please follow me.”
Still without ever once looking at Jiminous, the priest turned and walked down the hallway on the other side of the doorway, beckoning for the dark man to follow.

~~~~~~~~~
As soon as Lheriel found their destination, and introductions were made, Raen took charge of the situation.

“Let’s move. I’ll lead. The damned fool of a mage and sailor can carry the box in the middle of us. Lherial? Kat? Flank them. Jeskell, was it? You bring up the rear. Watch our backs for us,” ordered Raen, taking charge. Formation was the one thing that might save them in case of an ambush. Make sure he doesn’t get shanked in the crowd. Last thing we want is our mule dead in a crowd. The chaos would make it easy enough for a pickpocket to get a hundred bells away on a three-legged dog.”
Nebulo winced as he was ordered but did what he was told. Lheriel seemed a little less submissive.

" You don’t really have to be such a poor sport about this all. You’re acting like you know we're all going to get killed and end up in the belly of Ratharawn himself! Just lighten up a bit, and I will do as you say, only because it makes sense. You really should get out of that attitude you have, and take that emotion and funnel it into looking out for baddies, not moping around because you agreed to something. Oh and one other thing, our "mule" is a person to. See? Arms, legs, face skin, all the workings of the gods. Now don't go insulting this poor fellow or you can just carry the damned box yourself."
Also Raen had come to expect this air from the half-elf, she had to admit the anger in his reply had thrown her off.

"The day I don't expect to die, boy, is the day I greet the diseased one face to face," Raen spat back. "In case you haven't quite clued in, some of us can't afford to idly die and wait for a banknote so we may be resurrected. Death is the one doorway I hope to cross through once and once only and not today!"
In the interest of saving time (or even of simply dissolving the argument) the crewman assigned to carry the cargo gave his own little piece.

”Um…perhaps we could…carry on then? This box is…heavy.”
Raen and Lheriel looked at the sailor, then back at each other, and then back at the sailor before finally heading off, much to the delight of the beleaguered crewman. They headed off, Raen in the forefront, followed by Nebulos and the crewman, with Lheriel and Katriana not far from either side of them. Jeskell stayed to the back, providing an anchor to their line to help should anything befall them.

Katriana’s mind was focussed elsewhere however, not so much concerned with small arguments but more on the life of the fae creature that still lay in her arms. She had agreed to flank the group as they walked, using his divine talents to discern those that intended them harm. Ragnarok had granted her the ability to discern the morality of those she saw, but other than a few greedy merchants, she so no unlawful beings about. Again her thoughts turned to the limp body she carried. People gave her a bit of the berth, out of respect for the dead she carried. Hopefully the coin Lheriel had provided would be enough to provide the nameless warrior was the ability to draw breath once more. She cast a glance over at Nebulos as she thought this. The mage had best provide some gold for his misdeeds.

The group cut a fairly brisk pace to the temple, people seemed eager to get out of their way (and despite their fears, no one was “shanked”). They arrived at the temple just before the sun had set, and the shadow of the temple fell upon them like a great sheet. Raen at their head, they opened one of the sturdy oaken doors to the temple and stepped inside.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ecclesiarch Kaene was an old man. Nearing his 92nd year, he had lived longer than nearly any other human he knew. He had seen friends be born and die, many sooner than they should have. Even the elves, timeless as they were, regarded him with respect, having achieved a longevity that their kind regarded as adulthood. Now however, he was feeling every one of those long years. The day had been long, made longer by the difficult decisions he had been forced to make.

Ever since he was a lad of ten, he had known that his future had lain in the Church of Magnagoth. He started as a lowly alter boy, studying the teachings of his order whenever he had the chance, and was made a full priest at the age of seventeen, the youngest priest in the order at the time. Decades of study later he found himself in the position he was in now, Ecclesiarch for all the region of Tar’Talon and keeper of his order’s most important artifacts. Now however, would be the time of his greatest test.

The Church of Magnagoth was universally regarded as the religion of choice for a prospective mage, and many of the wisest mortals (and immortals) across the planes were counted among its numbers. Their knowledge and divining abilities often gave the church an edge over the rest of the multiverse when it came to knowledge, and they paid a premium for such an advantage. However, occasionally this brought forth knowledge of things that Kaene had preferred not to know. On this occasion, the news was most unwelcome, and had forced Kaene to do some things he would perhaps regret.

Like all powerful individuals, Kaene had contacts in shadier places, and although he had resisted in the past, he had called upon them to find someone who would accept a dangerous task for gold and ask few questions. He had found such a man, one Jiminous Mintous, a necromancer and generally conscience free being. Kaene’s time was limited however, and he would take what he could get. In addition he was able to send an envoy to the Silverwood rangers, he was an old friend of their Lord Ranger, and a member of his order could surely be counted on to answer the summons. With time short and resources tied up in other matters, he could manage little else quickly. As a church obsessed with knowledge, the paperwork required for the use of church funds was extraordinary.

His reverie was interrupted by a knock on his chamber door. He gave a pained sigh and rose to open it, stepping around the large piles of books that dominated the floor space of his room. I should really invest in bookshelves… he thought to himself has he weaved past another pile before reach and opening the door.

”Your holiness, the Ranger of Silverwood and Dark One are present, and await your appearance in the chapel.” said the priest that had knocked before giving a short bow and retreating to his own business, leaving Kaene to head off to the chapel and greet his “guests”.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Raiel had been sitting in the chapel for no longer than fifteen minutes, but something about the place seemed to make it feel like a full day, an effect she could have done without. Her solitude was interrupted however, by a severe looking priest and another who looked very much like a professional executioner. As he passed her she shivered slightly, much like the feeling you get when you realise you’re not alone when you thought you were, but she shook it off quickly. Still, something about it seemed unnatural, she resolved to keep an eye on this new arrival.

”Please wait her master and mistress.” the priest intoned emotionlessly. ”The Ecclesiarch will arrive shortly.”
As the priest left, the two had just seconds alone before the elderly form of Kaene emerged from a side door, and headed towards to the pair.

”Ah, you must be from the Silverwood.” he said caringly, speaking to Raiel, ”Your Lord Ranger is an old friend of mine, good to see one of his here today.” He looked at her a moment before turning toward Jiminous. ”And you must be Mr. Mintous. I must say you are here out of necessity, and I trust you will do nothing to tarnish the name of this church if you know what is good for you…” his demeanour had gone from caring to cruel so quickly it was impossible to read how much of a threat he intended. Nevertheless, he beckoned for the pair to follow him and turned to move to more private quarters when the door to the chapel opened and a small group entered.

Raen stepped in first, with Katriana close behind her, the body of Kumadel still draped across her arms. Lheriel and the sailor entered next, the crewman panting heavily as he set the cargo down gently on the ground. Nebulo and Jeskell entered next, closing the door behind them as they did. Kaene gave one look at them and the cargo they brought and his face split into a wry smile.

”Good gentlemen and ladies, I can see by your cargo and sea fairing comrade that you have undoubtably come to deliver cargo from the good ship The Saucy Wench.” he said wisely. “I am Kaene, Ecclesiarch for Tar’Talon of the Church of Magnagoth, and I welcome you to this temple. While I was expecting a delivery, I was not expecting a group…and definitely not a group that has…obviously seen their share of combat…” he said as he looked at the limp form of Kumadel and the scorch marks that still remained on a few of the group. ”Your presence here is not so much chance but clearly an act of divine favour. I do bid you follow me, and do bring that crate with you.” Partly out of kindness to an old man, and partly out of curiosity no one objected, and the new arrivals and the two who were already there followed him into the side door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After following Kaene through a series of winding hallways (and much to the delight of the encumbered crewman, two flights of stairs) they finally arrived in a dark room, illuminated by a single pulsating crystal high above them which cast a sort of sickly pale green light over the area. Kaene clapped once sharply, and the light intensified for a moment before it fully illuminated the entire room. The room was filled with things that none of those assembled could figure out the purpose of. Dead in the center of the room was a raised table surrounded by a dozen chairs. He motioned for the group to sit and with a flick of his arm conjured a padded bed on which Katriana laid the limp form of Kumadel. Kaene directed the sailor to place the large crate on the table before the crewman took his leave and hurriedly returned to his ship. Kaene remained standing back from the table to speak to those assembled.

”Those I called for, and those that merely came, you are all welcome to the Temple of Magnagoth at this time. I must say however, that some of you may have won more than you had bargained for by coming here to deliver this cargo, but I hope you will see the purpose in my words and not regret this choice. Not two weeks past, our oracles and seers caught sight of some disturbing information. The Church of Gob although not an ally of ours, has had one of its most sacred and treasured sites attacked and burned, with many artifacts lost in the raid. Raids on temples are common enough, but among the items stolen was a object of particular importance. While I believe that it is possible that neither the church in question nor the attackers know of this item’s importance, for in truth few other than I truly do, the situation is too dire to leave to chance. It is imperative that we—“
His words were cut short as a loud commotion was heard outside the door. Seconds later a priest burst into the room, screaming at the top of his lungs, his robe bloodied.

”YOUR HOLINESS! DARKNESS HAS FALLEN IN THE CHAPEL, AND A –“
He too was silenced as he fell to the ground in a pile, a dagger still quivering as it protruded from his back. Framed in the doorway behind him stood a tall figure, clothed from neck to toe in black leather armour. His shoulder length black hair hung in dreadlocks, and his well chiselled face showed a hint of elvish heritage. Most prominent of all however, was the tattoo the was superimposed over his right eye, an inverted pentagon with a red “X” within it.

”Hello there Ecclesiarch.” he said with a snarl. ”Now get out of my way and give me that crate before you join your unfortunate brother here.”
(OOC: My fingers hurt. Jozan he is the man you saw on the ship, feel free to announce this. Kaelyn your detect evil sees an extremely powerful evil aura from this man, as well as a weaker one for Jiminous and a few weak ones from items in the room. Oh uh…combat posts. Enjoy!)

“Um… perhaps we could… carry on then?” asked the sailor. “This box is..heavy.”

Raen snorted and wheeled about, leading the group through the crowds and down several streets in the general direction of the church of Magnagoth. Camatcha was not much different from other cities she had visited. Each section of the city featured a different caste of citizen. From the merchants to the laborers, the downright poor all the way up to the self-proclaimed nobility, the cityscape only changed based on the relative wealth of the inhabitants.

Despite Raen’s fears, the she round the corner and marched up to the gates of the Magnagothian chapel free of all but minor harassments. Those, of course, had been quelled with a glare and a hand on the hilt of one of her many weapons. Nothing of alarm had happened to the crate, its transporter or the rest of the group.

At least they can keep a good watch, Raen thought to herself.

The temples gates were great oaken doors that were sturdy enough to be fireproofed to the best extent that wood could be. Raen would not have been surprised, however, if there had been magical fireproofing done across the entire building. Magnagoth’s worshippers were practically mages on their own before becoming devout to the god of power. Despite their heavy appearance, they swung easily outwards and Raen glanced quickly back down the streets before stepping in from the cooling dusk.

The interior of the main entrance was not as spectacular as the exterior of the church. It was reasonably fashioned and adorned with artifacts here and there.

”Good gentlemen and ladies, I can see by your cargo and sea fairing comrade that you have undoubtably come to deliver cargo from the good ship The Saucy Wench,” said the old man standing beside the altar. “I am Kaene, Ecclesiarch for Tar’Talon of the Church of Magnagoth, and I welcome you to this temple. While I was expecting a delivery, I was not expecting a group…and definitely not a group that has…obviously seen their share of combat…” he said as he looked at the limp form of Kumadel and the scorch marks that still remained on a few of the group. ”Your presence here is not so much chance but clearly an act of divine favour. I do bid you follow me, and do bring that crate with you.”

There were two others besides him at the front of the church. Neither looked like patrons of Magnagoth let alone priests here at the temple. One held a large polearm, a halberd, and a dark, heavy cloak concealed whatever else he had on his person. Raen could not get a good look at his face, though, as he had only momentarily glanced at the group and, as if he had already written them off, did not look back. The other was a woman of average height and build, at least for an elven woman. Her dress was markedly similar to Jeskell’s in color, though with more flair. The elves always seemed to be fancier than humans.

Raen shrugged at the summons and began to follow the old man back into the more private quarters of the temple. For herself, she wished to find out what was so important about this box. Her curiosity rivaled that of a halfling at times and usually Raen found that those times were full of trouble. The dark cloaked figure with the halberd and the elf followed Kaene on his heels and Raen assumed that these were the two had been summoned, rather than had shown up by chance as they had.

After some walking, which included a few flights of stairs, the Ecclesiarch opened a doorway to a medium-sized room lined with a variety of items. In the center was a high table surrounded with chairs. With one arm, Kaene motioned for them to take a seat at the table and with the other he conjured bedding to the side of the room. Raen glanced at Katriana as she laid the body of the fae down.

The sailor behind them shifted his weight and that of his cargo. Kaene pointed at the table and nodded at the young man. He put the crate in the center of the table and bowed to the elderly priest before hurrying out of the room, massaging his arms. Raen’s eyes looked back at the crate, trying to think of what might be of interest to the church of Magnagoth.


”Those I called for, and those that merely came, you are all welcome to the Temple of Magnagoth at this time,” said Kaene as he moved to stand at the head of the table. “ I must say however, that some of you may have won more than you had bargained for by coming here to deliver this cargo, but I hope you will see the purpose in my words and not regret this choice. Not two weeks past, our oracles and seers caught sight of some disturbing information. The Church of Gob, although not an ally of ours, has had one of its most sacred and treasured sites attacked and burned, with many artifacts lost in the raid. Raids on temples are common enough, but among the items stolen was a object of particular importance. While I believe that it is possible that neither the church in question nor the attackers know of this item’s importance, for in truth few other than I truly do, the situation is too dire to leave to chance. It is imperative that we—“

A crash and scuffling outside the door interrupted Kaene and everyone turned to look at the door.

“What the he—?” Raen began as the sound of running steps carried to the door.

”YOUR HOLINESS! DARKNESS HAS FALLEN IN THE CHAPEL, AND A –,” yelled a priest as he burst through the door, his robes bloodied and tussled. He was stopped with a choked gurgle as he fell forward, the hilt of a dagger quivering in his back. Framed in the doorway behind him stood a tall figure, clothed from neck to toe in black leather armour. His shoulder length black hair hung in dreadlocks, and his well-chiseled face showed a hint of elven heritage. Most prominent of all however, was the tattoo the was superimposed over his right eye, an inverted pentagon with a red “X” within it.

”Hello there Ecclesiarch.” he said with a snarl. ”Now get out of my way and give me that crate before you join your unfortunate brother here.”

Raen had already stood when the priest had come through the door. Now she had kicked her pack under the table and drawn the longsword she had at her waist and the large wooden shield that her pack slung over. Shield first was always the way to go, especially against an elf who a) decided to break into one of the most powerful priesthoods on the continent and b) did not think it necessary to do so stealthily. Somehow, Raen didn’t think that formation would have been all that necessary against this fellow and whomever he happened to employ and/or work for.

“Alright, hold on one goddamned second,” said Raen, obviously annoyed. “Who the fu** are you? And what the hell is in the damn box!? Kaene, if this isn’t what you meant by more than what we bargained for, I don’t think I want to know.”

((Asking questions, but ready to fight if necessary. Raen doesn’t take her eyes off the man in black.))

Raiel follows the old priest of Magnagoth to his apartment curious now about the cloaks figure with the halberd and the aura she felt from him. So much so that she unconsciously stepped further to the right as far as she can on the stairways and lags a step or too behind to keep the man in sight.

Raiel wore simple ranger’s attire proudly. She had earned her was into that most prestigious coterie. This was one of her first assignments outside of the Silverwood Forest environs. To honor this she wore one of her best outfits for this meeting in dark greens with lighter green embroidery. Fine leather pants and jerkin beautifully dyed and with vines and foliage embroidered at the neck and hems of the tunic and sleeves. A rich green silk blouse worn under the jerkin was likewise embroidered. Her soft boot made little sound on the stone steps that led upwards. Her cloak with of the Silverwood Rangers on its breast was slung over one shoulder leaving her sword arm free and more importantly her bow case and quiver.

When the intruder entered the room making his demands Raiel did not ask question. Everything she needed to know had been revealed. The box was important, there was an important matter concerning it and the figure in the doorway demanding the box was evil. To attack a in temple of a good god was an evil act and to kill innocents was evil. A ranger’s job was to hunt evil in the forest and lands that they ranged over. Evil was to be destroyed. That basic tenant of her closely held beliefs was not changed by the fact that she was in a temple, in a city.

Even as Raiel swings her bow out of its case and draws two arrows, she takes a five foot step toward the box to protect it. Swiftly she notched the two arrows at a time. Then she drew her bow with long practiced ease aiming even as she does and fires the first many shot at the intruder. The twang of the mighty composite longbow is heard even as she reloads two more arrows. Raiel swiftly notches them,. aims and lets them fly as one. Again the taut string of her bow twangs sharply as it is released speeding the arrows on their way.

The Temple of Magnagoth was a marvel of architectural brilliance. Katriana had traveled across the globe, and few structures held such awe as the building which loomed overhead as they entered the sacred grounds. The doors swung wide and the small fellowship entered the chapel, Where Kaene, and a man in black, halberd at his side stood conversing. Katriana’s eyes took in the decorum of the chapel, but as her gaze swept over the man unknown to her as Jimminous, her mouth curled into a snarl, and her claws reflexively tensed even as she held Kumadel.

Katriana wanted nothing more than to snap into her authoritative role as a Warder, but realized this was a church, and not even a church of her order; she was out of her jurisdiction, and a man of Kaene’s status and power certainly knew who was standin a mere few feet from him.

“Such evil pervading a holy hall;” Katriana said just loud enough for those immediately surrounding her to hear her voice seething. Katriana however didn’t manage to say anything further as Kaene introduced himself, and then led them through a variety of winding halls and stairwells to a personal chamber. As the Ecclesiarch conjured a bed for Kumadel’s limp form, and began explaining the importance of the mystery item in the box and the history of recent temple raiding there came a disturbance from outside.

YOUR HOLINESS! DARKNESS HAS FALLEN IN THE CHAPEL, AND A –“

He too was silenced as he fell to the ground in a pile, a dagger still quivering as it protruded from his back. Framed in the doorway behind him stood a tall figure, clothed from neck to toe in black leather armour. His shoulder length black hair hung in dreadlocks, and his well chiselled face showed a hint of elvish heritage. Most prominent of all however, was the tattoo the was superimposed over his right eye, an inverted pentagon with a red “X” within it.

”Hello there Ecclesiarch.” he said with a snarl. ”Now get out of my way and give me that crate before you join your unfortunate brother here.”

Raen and Rael both snapped to attention, drawin weapons and letting loose their own personal assaults. Raen led with vulgarity and inquiries while Rael was more direct, loosing arrows at the intruder.

Katriana moved quickly, trying to bide the Ecclesiarch and others some time. This blasphemer had defiled sacred grounds and her church or not, it was a vile travesty of evil. Katriana gave a silent prayer to Ragnarok and attacked.

“Be gone from these Holy Grounds!”

(KAtriana will charge and attack the Evil Man of darkness. Smite evil attempt, Sanctify Nat Attack, and Exalted Strike.)

He saw a group that was very tight knit enter the temple, to be greeted in the same breath as himself. It was quite the group he had been looking for. He had plenty of time to ponder. After all, Jiminous had been dragged all throughout this temple, surprisingly without an armed escort. Perhaps it was the temple that had turned over the new leaf. They, after all, had asked for his help. He gladly took a seat next to these adventurers. They were, he could tell with near certainty at this point, just the group he had been looking for. The more rag-tag the better. He was just mulling over the proper manner in which to befriend them when there was a shriek throughout the temple.

((skipping that part for your benefit))

A dark figure had struck down a priest before him. Normally, such would be none of his business. Still, he was now under the employ of the temple, and he also had to prove his friendship to these adventurers. so he stood, facing the dark figure. He needn't do more. His fingers did the work, though his voice became dark and almost whispering. It was far too loud to be a whisper, but it was quiet, much like a snake, but a snake the size of an army. "Ssilst Mi CarmiSssssst Malinsssssssssst Sien Kaitisck" The words were spoken with a stare at the man, but Jiminous wasn't looking at him, he was looking through him, and his party could see why.

Well...yeah, I guess you could call it that...an Ogre appeared behind the man in the doorway. It wasn't a usual Ogre though. Its clothes were tattered. Its skin was pale. It's eyes were sockets in it's ragged flesh. Still, it was some sort of Ogre. It wasn't standing there, it was reaching, grasping at the man in front of it as it faded into existence. ((+14 grapple Grugg, Holy crap Sui - Grugg)) Jiminous spoke again, this time in common, but his voice hadn't changed. Perhaps it was just that he was still coming out of spell mindsets, or perhaps it was something more sinister. Still, he spoke, and it was an awful hiss. "Your mine!" he whispered, extremely loudly, at the man in the doorway.

((You know my actions Grugg, ask if you need more info))

Lheriel and Jeskell made their ways up the stairs, and waited as they all spoke. Items of many origins were in here, all most likely magical in their own way. They spoke, and realized that this item was more valuable than anything they could of imagined. They heard of churches being ransacked and looted, and Lheriel was going to hopen his mouth to comment, when the doors burst open. In came a priest.

”YOUR HOLINESS! DARKNESS HAS FALLEN IN THE CHAPEL, AND A –“

His words were cut short as a dagger stuck out of his back. A black shadowy figure came up, and Lheriel instantly drew his weapons the moment he saw him. He recognized him as the figure on the ship!.

" This being is no mere mortal. I seen him on the flaming ship as it sunk. How he got here is beyong me, just be ready for anything!"

He twirled his swords as Jeskell knocked an arrow, ready to fire.

" To hell if this guy trys an fight all of us in here, no way he can win!"

”Hello there Ecclesiarch.” he said with a snarl. ”Now get out of my way and give me that crate before you join your unfortunate brother here.”
The man stood framed in the doorway, a small pool of blood forming around his feet extending from the priest’s corpse before him. He moved to take a step forward, leaving a deep crimson foot print where he had been standing. He took not one step before Raen stepped forward, sword and shield drawn.

“Alright, hold on one goddamned second! Who the fu** are you? And what the hell is in the damn box!? Kaene, if this isn’t what you meant by more than what we bargained for, I don’t think I want to know.”
The intruder’s face spread into a wide (yet somehow unwholesome) grin.

”You didn’t even tell them what’s in the box you miserable old fool!?” he spat at Kaene. ”You there! Woman!”, his voice was sickeningly sweet as he addressed Raen, ”This is not your fight, I’d remove yourself from my way if you don’t want to end up a corpse.”
Raen remained resolute however and the voice of Kaene rang back at this new arrival.

”Stand resolute my friends! His threats are merely acts of desperation, he must not take the chest.” he said, raising his hands to the heavens. For a moment his eyes flashed bright white before a wave of white light washed over the group, knitting wounds and soothing the burns that remained on those that had been on the ship. Following that he stepped back toward the crate.

The man in black stared at Kaene and then back at Raen, who still hadn’t moved.

”Fine…”, he said, ”…you’ve made your choice.”
Before the group could react, the man had skipped forward and drew the blood covered knife from its resting place in the priests back. With no more than a flick of the wrist he sent it sailing forward and directly into her shoulder and easily sinking through the protective covering of her breastplate. It cut through deep, and the shocking pain nearly caused Raen to drop her shield, only her firm will keeping it in her hand. The man smiled a moment before drawing another knife, this time in a more combative pose.

Raen stood a moment, the searing pain drawing her concentration away from the fight. She stood stock still, her system recovering from the shock of her injury. She did however, notice a dark black blur dash past her as Katriana burst forth and collided with the man in black.

“Be gone from these Holy Grounds!” she hissed as she brought her claws to bear against the man’s abdomen, leaving a pair of gashes which tore through the leather he wore. She looked down to see how deep she had cut and was shocked to see that there wasn’t even a scratch where she had hit. She looked up just in time to be sent sprawling backwards 10ft through the hair, and recovered quickly enough to land on her feet. As she did, she saw the man’s belt pulse slightly with a blue light.

The man gave a hearty laugh as Katriana regained her footing, but it was cut off by the sudden impact of a pair of arrows lodging themselves in his chest. His gaze turned to the young elven ranger standing before the box, her bow still held at the ready and her other hand reaching for another arrow. A look of shock crossed his face momentarily, before being replaced by a look of anger. He raised his hand and pointed at Raiel, clearly appointing her as his next target.

Before he could act however, Lheriel rushed him, his pair of blades at the ready.

" This being is no mere mortal. I seen him on the flaming ship as it sunk. How he got here is beyond me, just be ready for anything!"
Lheriel lunged in with his rapier, his shortsword held up to parry any counter-attack. None came however, but the intruder easily parried his thrust with the knife in his hand.

”You’ll have to do better than that fool!” he said with an indignant air, casually swatting Jeskell’s arrow out of air as he did. ”You should really stick to ---“
For what seemed like the fifth time in a minute someone’s words were cut short as a massive skeletal ogre sprung out of thin air directly behind him and grabbed him about the shoulders in a massive bear hug. Jiminous had gone unnoticed to the side of the room, and his invocation quiet enough to avoid detection.

The large undead brute tightened its grip around the intruder, who had now managed to get an arm wrapped around its wrist bone.

”Quick my friends,” Kaene, spoke hastily, ”This may be our only chance! Strike while he is distracted!”
(OOC: Well this post was horribly written. Info to come in Q&A!)

Katriana attacked with all the fury of the heavens, but to see that the proctor of evil stood unharmed, to feel as though she herself had taken the force of her blow was unnerving. Katriana was swept back, her feline reflexes letting her land on her feet and bursting forth in retaliation against the man in black. Claws, teeth, and fury leading her way she rushed her foe, holy power coursing through her veins.

“For the lives you have taken I find you guilty, punishable by cleansing. Be gone!”

(Katriana is attacking again.)

The ogre attacked again, clutching his foe tighter as he slammed him hard into the ground. Still, Jiminous wasn't done either. He had pulled a component from his pouch, and was now casting again. "Slither sSinsd ArachnisssssssSSSt Kissssss"

As he said it, it was clear he was summoning again. The man grappling with the ogre was suddenly covered in dozens of tiny spiders biting at him and crawling all over him. Then, Jiminous himself stepped toward the man, easily within striking distance, though his grapple with the ogre made that impossible to do.

The man had been reckless to select a target so openly. Jiminous felt the need to show him up. He approached the man angrily, and as he did, he gestured mockingly at the man and adjusted his grip on his halberd.

Lheriel was surprised that his attacks were batted away, but now that the man was held tightly by this....thing he was going at it again with full force. He held both of his blades tightly and attacked him again with lightning speed, jabs and slashes blurring by.

Jeskell Stood back and drew another arrow for his longbow. He steadily drew the arrow back, and waited for a precise time to fire, hopefully felling this evil man.

"Fine, you have made your choice."

Then all Raen could hear was the whistling sound made by the bloody knife slicing through the air and the wet, jarring sound it made as it stopped in her shoulder.

"Unnh," gasped the fighter. She couldn't feel anything but the pain and only clenched fists and a tight jaw held her back from screaming at the the top of her lungs. The knife must have nicked bone.

The force of the knife coming to rest in her right shoulder caused Raen's shield arm to fall back, clattering against the table. It was all she could do to hold onto it and her sword. The others engaged the intruder quickly, but Raen could barely concentrate on staying conscious, let alone attack him.

A moment later, Raen put her longsword down onto the table and reached up with her left hand to grab the handle of the knife. She took as deep a breath as she could, clenched her teeth and quickly withdrew the knife from the wound, dropping it to the ground immediately.

"Agh!" Raen gasped as the knife came out of the wound. Blood stained her shirt and armor now and more was leaking out. She swallowed against the pain, cursing whenever she caught her breath and reached into her belt pouch. Her fingers grabbed the first vial they found [99 on d%: 1-70 Cure Light, 71-100 Cure Moderate: Cure Moderate Wounds] and she popped the cork with her thumb, swallowing the liquid quickly.

"Ugh," she exclaimed. "That s*** tastes terrible."

But despite the taste, Raen could feel the pain of her injuries dissipate as the blood flow slow to a trickle. Her shoulder still ached, but she could use it again. She quickly grabbed her sword from the table and readied herself to fight the intruder again.

"Let's try this again, shall we?"

Raiel kneels behind the box partially tipping her bow with no problem so that she can use it freely. Im the face of the intruder she remains steady Her movements precise. Draw two arrows notch both draw aim and fire. Her target is still the dark intruder. Small she may be but with her bow in hand ahe is a skilled marksman. Even though another has grapple him she is well trained to avoid hitting those she dow not want to hit even in melee right after she releases her arrow she loads her bow again rapidly shooting an additional arrow.