Chapter 29: Sacrament of Blasphemy

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo notices the curtains behind the altar for the first time, his brain still numb from their frigid escape. He stays with the group, but silently wonders if the singing was coming from beyond the curtains and not from beyond these doors.

He tries to remain somewhere in the middle of the fleeing group when they enter the next room.

[Inferno]

The Church of Saint Pentival, The Ashblood Colony, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Thirty-seven. Night. Saturday, December 17th, 576 CY
Freezing, clear







Baleful, empty eye sockets of the charnel knights glare at Ingrid as she arms herself with a candelabra from the sacred altar of their faith.

Then Telkis throws open the unlocked door! Beyond is a humble office dominated by a holy symbol of the Order of the Knights of the March, hung high from one wall.

Beneath it is a desk, a chair, an oil lamp, a wardrobe and a bookshelf.

Omnipresent is blessed Saint Pentival the martyr, depicted again in stained glass that has been bricked up behind; now luminous in Ingrid's holy light.



There is no one here and no other way out.


Actions?!


Map:

One square = 5 feet.





PC Status:

Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 3/4: Move: 12", AC: 7, HP: 19/19, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 5: Move: 12", AC: 10, HP: 25/25, Spells: 1/5 1st lvl, 0/5 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl, Light spell
Jerome, Human Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 10, HP: 20/20, Laying Hands: 0/1
Long Bo, Human Druid 5: Move: 12", AC: 9, HP: 38/38, Spells: 6/6 1st lvl, 3/4 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 6, HP: 34/34
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 7, HP: 9/11, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl (-2 to STR and CON)

PC Magic:

Protection From Evil, 10' Radius (Jerome)
Light (Ingrid): Duration: 85 rounds

Player Resources:

Tale of Terror (the story so far)
A Dark and Terrible World (maps)
Blasphemous Iconography (the story so far in images)
Desperate Struggles (clues and player notes)

[Urson]

Jerome
Jerome mutters a few words a paladin shouldn't even know, then opens the wardrobe, looking for a better weapon.

IF he finds none, he'll head back into the sanctuary.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser can't help himself and examines the bookshelf....

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis will hurriedly open the desk drawers looking for anything useful, remembering a similar situation when he found the instructions for ending the lycanthropic curse.

[OGRE MAGE]

Long Bo checks inside the confessionals while the smaller room is being searched.

He keeps his ears trained behind him, on the sacristy and the curtain beyond, still wondering if his theory about the singers is correct.

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

The cleric examines the lamp, looking to see if it has oil inside.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur also checks the room. He looks for spell components, clothes, and any arcane texts or items.

[Inferno]

The Church of Saint Pentival, The Ashblood Colony, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Thirty-seven. Night. Saturday, December 17th, 576 CY
Freezing, clear







In the church of heresy, the empty stare of the faithful departed remains fixed upon the doomed heroes.

The silence of the hymns grows interminable as Long Bo quickly searches the darkened confessional.



The tiny chambers are empty except for a prayer book, opened to a psalm of penance for those who lose faith in the one holy truth.

Away from the watchful dead, the grey druid's companions search the humble office of the clergy. Ingrid determines that the oil lamp is full. Jerome opens the wardrobe and finds sacred vestments within.



Telkis rifles through the desk and discovers, hidden behind a drawer, a series of holy writs. They authorize the existence of a church upon these grounds with the promise of special protection from harassment by any means necessary for "matters known to all signed parties."



These official permits are signed by every monarch of Gran March ever to have existed, including the sitting ruler. Also, every Archbishop of Hookhill, the leader of Pelor's church in Gran March.

Mouser and Urdur are drawn inexorably to the bookshelf. Among its many religious texts they find an ancient tome with which they are unfamiliar, The Gospel According to Saint Pentival.



The well-worn crack in its spine opens the volume to an oft-viewed page near the end. There, a curious passage seems to imply that Saint Pentival somehow survived his death at the hands of the servants of Vecna, all those centuries ago. And yet it professes that his martyrdom and his noble sacrifice remain.


Actions?!


Map:

One square = 5 feet.





PC Status:

Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 3/4: Move: 12", AC: 7, HP: 19/19, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 5: Move: 12", AC: 10, HP: 25/25, Spells: 1/5 1st lvl, 0/5 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl, Light spell
Jerome, Human Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 10, HP: 20/20, Laying Hands: 0/1
Long Bo, Human Druid 5: Move: 12", AC: 9, HP: 38/38, Spells: 6/6 1st lvl, 3/4 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 6, HP: 34/34
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 7, HP: 9/11, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl (-2 to STR and CON)

PC Magic:

Protection From Evil, 10' Radius (Jerome)
Light (Ingrid): Duration: 83 rounds

Player Resources:

Tale of Terror (the story so far)
A Dark and Terrible World (maps)
Blasphemous Iconography (the story so far in images)
Desperate Struggles (clues and player notes)

[ravenn4544]

Mouser reads and looks at Urdur, "What does that mean - is it figurative do you think, or does it mean that Pentival is, literally, still alive - in those crypts below?"

[Urson]

Jerome
Jerome sees the vestments, and only hesitates a moment before he shakes his head and closes the wardrobe. That looks like another way to anger the Guardians in the sanctuary.
I doubt Pentival has literally survived. Reversing the natural order like that is an Evil thing..
He moves back into the sanctuary, keeping watch while the others continue their searching.

[OGRE MAGE]

Once the search is complete and Jerome moves back into the sanctuary, Bo moves across the floor to the north towards the other door. He stays low as he crosses under the raised sacristy, hoping to avoid becoming an open target.

At the door, he will listen for any noise beyond.

[ChubbyPixie]

Glancing over the documents, Telkis wonders how far up the evil really goes. No matter, one thing he does know is that there are evildoers in this church right now and that they have his beloved Cranach. He drops the papers on the desk and moves out the door and into the altar area. He'll peek surreptitiously behind the curtain.

[SocraticLawyer]

Probably both, says Urdur in response to Mouser's question. He is likely alive and dead, like one of those poor wretches out there.

Assuming Urdur is told of the contents of the writ discovered by Telkis, Urdur grabs the writs from the desk. He places them inside the book containing the mysterious text of The Gospel According to Saint Pentival assuming the writs will fit inside the book without having to fold them. We'll need all this if we ever make it out of here.

If he has time to do so this round, Urdur also grabs one of the smaller vestments from the closet to wear, if any vestment or any portion thereof will fit his small body. Then he joins the others, rock in one hand, book with writs in the other.

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis only reads speaking aloud, so we all know the contents.

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

Ingrid takes the lantern. She then walks out of the room and returns the candelabra whence it came before getting a lit candle and using it to light the lantern.

[Inferno]

The Church of Saint Pentival, The Ashblood Colony, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Thirty-seven. Night. Saturday, December 17th, 576 CY
Freezing, clear







Reading the Gospel According to Saint Pentival, the shivering heroes cannot glean its esoteric mystery of faith.

Mouser asks, "What does that mean - is it figurative do you think, or does it mean that Pentival is, literally, still alive - in those crypts below?"

Jerome answers, "I doubt Pentival has literally survived. Reversing the natural order like that is an Evil thing..."

Urdur takes the gospel and the holy writs of unspeakable secrets. With no vestment short enough for him, he joins the others in the nave where undead sentinels still watch with eyeless skulls.



Ingrid returns the candelabra to the altar and lights the lantern.

Bo creeps north, passing perilously close to a deathless Knight of the March (X1). He hears nothing at the northwestern door.

The tense, heavy silence amplifying his every footfall, Telkis ascends to the altar and pulls back its dark curtain.



Behind lies a wall with two wooden doors.


Actions?!


Map Detail:

One square = 5 feet.

Map:






PC Status:

Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 3/4: Move: 12", AC: 7, HP: 19/19, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 5: Move: 12", AC: 10, HP: 25/25, Spells: 1/5 1st lvl, 0/5 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl, Light spell, Lantern
Jerome, Human Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 10, HP: 20/20, Laying Hands: 0/1
Long Bo, Human Druid 5: Move: 12", AC: 9, HP: 38/38, Spells: 6/6 1st lvl, 3/4 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 6, HP: 34/34
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 7, HP: 9/11, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl (-2 to STR and CON)

PC Magic:

Protection From Evil, 10' Radius (Jerome)
Light (Ingrid): Duration: 81 rounds

Player Resources:

Tale of Terror (the story so far)
A Dark and Terrible World (maps)
Blasphemous Iconography (the story so far in images)
Desperate Struggles (clues and player notes)

[Urson]

Jerome
Jerome moves to back up Telkis, about 10' back and off to the North side. He mutters as he does this, getting more and more angry.

The dead must remain dead- this is the natural order. But these Guardians- they're undead, are they not? and they're here to guard the sanctuary- a holy place. they must be a special kind of undead... but dead is dead, and shouldn't be tampered with...there's right, and there's wrong, and there are no in-betweens...

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

The cleric will move toward the door Bo is next to, stopping before she gets adjacent to the dead knight. She is stil close enough that she can offer aide should it become necessary if Bo opens the door. Sorry about moving the candelabra from the altar, she apologizes to the knight.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser drops the book that doesn't seem to be of further help but takes the vestments to wear.