Freeday, Coldeven 7, 575 cy (cont'd)

As Llywillan kept watch on the militia activity in the village from the cottage windows, the rest of the group discussed what was to be done next. After Dorian revealed that he and his companion had served with the Lord Mayor in the Troll Wars and that it was he who had requested their investigation, the elf offered to speak with the Lord on the Lancers’ behalf. Ultimately, however, the Lancers determined it best to take matters into their own hands and investigate the Temple of Merrika, to acquire some more evidence of the strange goings on in the village. Meti and Frate acquired a canoe from the mill that sits on the shore of Orlane's central pond and all but Lucian, who stayed with the elves to rest, used the craft to cross the water. Managing to stay out of sight of the militia, the Lancers disembarked near a quiet grove of trees, then scurried up the the embankment of the temple and entered through the open gate.

Inside the Temple of Merikka, the dwindling Seventh Lance of Hochoch found the inner chamber to be uninhabited. After scouting around a bit, the group soon found the temple’s priestess, Misha Devi, sitting on the bed in her chambers, unarmored and alone. She at once began calling for help and then, as Kana rushed in first, she supplicated to her goddess and the room was suddenly enveloped in darkness. Some of the group moved into the room in an attempt to restrain her, while others spread out down the hallway to find the sounds of approaching voices. A hidden panel in the hall of statues leading to Misha’s quarters then opened, and five men in robes, apparently priests of the temple, brought their fists and feet to bear on the Lancers.

Meti was able to follow Misha’s path into an adjacent room and then back out into the center courtyard, where he caught up to her and dealt a vicious blow with his sword. Altering the direction of her flight, the priestess then made for the front door. Concerned with the welfare of his fellow Lancers, the ranger continued straight on into the hall, to find the group in a heated battle with the robed combatants. The priests, clearly skilled in hand-to-hand combat, held their own for several minutes, and very nearly killed the wolfound Kana, with a crushing kick to the midsection. Eventually, however, the warriors of Geoff whittled the monks down to two survivors, encircled them, and began an interrogation. Displeased with the answers, the Lancers paid no heed to the priests’ pleas for mercy and the pair were put to death.

The beleaguered crew discussed their options and concluded it best to continue their investigation of the temple into the evening. The Lancers quickly found a set of stairs at the end of the north hall and followed them upward. Beyond the landing and through a door, the group discovered a chilling sight: several humanoid skeletons standing upright between the benches of a hall, like guards still clinging to their duties in death. Then the last of the day's sun slipped below the horizon, as Orlane settled into dusk.