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-----As the three roguish ones are prepared, Zharta asks for a moment of silence while he offers a passionate prayer unto the god of Justice. He touches Kazel, Seth and Gimplefwick on the head bestowing upon them the benefit of a righteous blessing.
-----As the Curate directs the templar guards to surround the temple once more, he says to the trio, "May the Holy Shield of Joren be there to keep thee from harm."
-----With that, the three steal toward the temple doors with the four bodyguards of Seth behind them. The big wooden doors of the temple open silently and an uneasy quiet greets them there.
-----Just inside the large doors, Gimplefwick listens quietly and directs the bodyguards to wait without making any sound. As they look about their eyes adjust to the dimly lit entryway. The double doors across from the entrance portals are closed to the sanctuary beyond and the whole place seems as deathly quiet as a tomb.
-----Runik squints his eyes holding his warhammer as if ready for any mischief. Marast crouches low to the floor keeping his head up alert to any movement. Brandel and Krord stand nearby, the smaller human nodding to the larger one as if to tell him to hold steady.
-----The Dread Pirate carefully takes to the stairs to his left with Kazel and Seth behind him. The stairs lead up to the next floor. Gently their feet touch the steps as they ascend. At the top of the stairs is the dim daylight filtering through the arrow slits of the next floor.
-----The trio emerges into a small hallway. To the left, the hallway empties out onto the balcony that looks down upon the sanctuary. To the right are a few doors leading perhaps to small rooms.
-----As the Dread Pirate moves toward the nearest door, they can see that it was left standing open. There, behind the door is a small chamber with a ladder that leads up to the next level. Lying at the bottom of the ladder are the dead bodies of two Priests of Joren, their armored bodies battered and burned by some unholiness.
-----Looking up, the trio sees that at the top of the ladder, a trapdoor is open admitting access to the top level. It is apparent that whatever killed the priests and is now currently holding off an entire assembly of priests and paladins lurks somewhere on that next uncannily silent level.
-----Seth whispers before everyone goes up through the trap door, "What about if I cast a stinking cloud through the trap door and we can ambush it as it comes out?" hoping he does not have to go through the trap door first.
-----The Dread Pirate looks thoughtful at Seth's proposition, but finally shakes his head from side to side and gestures at Kazel's ring hand. He then hefts two of the pepper bladders, holding them in one hand.
-----Kazel holds out the ring but then whispers to Gimplefwick, "I might as well do it," indicating him to hand over the bladders.
-----The Dread Pirate is only too happy to hand over the pepper-bladders and let her go up. A relieved smile beams on his face as the bladders are transferred.
-----Kazel then looks at the trapdoor and the door to the room to see if there is anything that can bolt them closed in case the thing sees her. Not seeing anything to complicate the plan around the doors, Kazel turns her attention to the dead bodies. With the help of Seth and the Dread Pirate, she clears the area around the stairs so she can drop caltrops. Looking up Kazel hopes to grease any hinges on the trapdoor first before putting on the ring and opening the trapdoor. However, as she looks up, she sees that the trapdoor is already open. Everything above in the unseen room remains quiet.
-----With a simple nod to her two companions, Kazel slips the ring on her finger and her form slowly fades from sight. Seth grasps some pig fat in his hand ready to release a grease spell on the ladder after Kazel comes down it.
-----With moments that seem heavy with tenseness, Seth and the Dread Pirate look up guessing where their invisible friend may be and what she may be seeing. Suddenly, above on the ladder where they guess that Kazel must be at the top of the ladder comes a small squeak as if someone’s shoes had made a noise on one of the rungs of the ladder.
-----Seth and the Dread Pirate freeze not daring to move or even breath, anticipating what could happen next.
-----Kazel had quietly taken to the ladder almost laughing at her friends as they practically stared through her and around her, trying to sense where she may be. Slowly she climbed turning her attention toward the open trapdoor over her head. The weight of the pig bladders slows her even more as she methodically progresses up.
-----As she reaches the top of the ladder, she slowly cranes her head around as far as she can, in case the creature is lurking right at the opening. Seeing that nothing untoward is near the opening, she then creeps up the rest of the way up the ladder, checking for any traps at the top of the ladder as well. Seeing none, Kazel begins to crawl out on the top floor and look around.
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