Crispy: She seems to simply be looking over the alter of blood.

Chubby is feeling perceptive: 19

Chubby notices the ceremonial dagger in her hand, hidden under a silk sleeve.

Perception: 2

(OOC: If something about the way she's moving looks even the slightest bit suspicious, Liam casts Suggestion at her with the words "Stay away from the altar!")

(WisSaveDC15, if used.)

With that with that perception, I think you’re only just noticing now that she’s made her way to the alter. You do notice however that the broodguards seem to be backing up. Almost as if the wind has been knocked out of their sails, like they’ve lost momentum.

Perception: 11

As the last of their enemies fell Cerise flew down and deposited Nia on the ground next to the others. "Whoof! Boy, are my arms tired." She said, rubbing her biceps.

"Yeeahhh, who exactly are y-" 

But then Crispy saw what the tree strider woman was doing, and then closes her eyes, says a silent prayer, and does the only thing that feels right. "Sorry about this!" She yells, and charges up to the tree strider woman, and tackles her like an all star quarter pounder, hoping to get her away from the altar.

Chubby and Nia, being perceptive enough to see the dagger also jump in, tackling her to the ground.

She wriggles and writhes, attempting to get up and take her life on the alter, but with three of you on her, she can't break free.

In the same moment, you see Allani's treestrider ranger appears at the entrance and a number of guards burst through behind. Broodguards scatter, through the roof opening and out the rear doors to the temple. Most climb down the sides of the temple, avoiding Treestrider arrows the best they can as they attempt to scatter into the surrounding jungle.

In this moment, you all gain the sense that you have stopped something massive.

Crispy gets up and sighs in relief. Covered in blood, sweating that her hair is damp and sticky, she breathes and catches her breath. She looks around and silently thanks the Hells that her and her friends are alive. 

She closes her eyes for a moment and savors this moment.

Gregor jumps up, looking around for Allani, and begins to primp his hair (ALL his hair....including his massive amount of chest hair) and straighten up his appearance.

Chubby will use his Second Wind fighter class feature to heal himself for 17 hit points.

Katerin, the Tabaxi huntress marches up to the alter, slicing broodguards to the side without a moment’s hesitation, nor thought. “What has happened here?” She asks with a demanding and slightly frantic tone. “I just got back from checking the cave seal and Allani sent me here urgently...” She looks around at the large blood bowl. “It doesn’t look good.”

She looks down on the treestrider woman and says “stand aside.” She stomps a foot into the ground and casts a non lethal version of ensnaring strike on the woman.

Chubby mutters one word responses to Katerin between gulps of air, as he's obviously winded from the battle.  "Stopped...Sacrifice...Evil...Ceremony...........ale....need!"

Liam slowly stands up straight as Katerin approaches, having taken just a few moments to catch his breath.

"What my dwarf friend is trying to say, is that some sort of evil ritual was being performed here, and we intervened to stop it."

“Well. Thank the gods for that.” She replied with a sigh. 

She shifted awkwardly before looking around the room. “You know... It’s my job to look after this jungle. I was born here. Raised here. My clan was killed here. Today, where I failed, you succeeded and for that... I Thankyou.” She says.

Her steely demeaner returned not long after it left. “I just hope our ‘leader’ manages to find a compromise with your people on the beach.” She says before walking off the stage back down to her soldiers who have almost cleared the pit by now.

Nia got up off the ground. "So... We did it? We won?" She asked, her tone almost unbelieving. A pair of shapely arms came around her waist and there was a kiss on her ear. "Yes, my dear daughter. I am so proud of you." Cerise murmured. Nia yelped in the embrace and cried out "Mama, what the ****?! You died! What is all of this? How is this possible?!"

Cerise chuckled and let go. "Well, I suppose you'd like some answers. Ideally there'd be some nice furniture up here so we could talk, but these people are barbarians. Yes, I died, but not in the fire as you assumed. Those memories were taken by my mistress to spare you the pain of the truth"

"The brothel where I raised you was also a temple to Malcanthet , the Queen of Succubi - Which I did not know at the time. We were to be sacrificed, my lovely girl, you and I both. So, when crusaders burst in, set the place ablaze and started killing left and right I called out to Her and said that I would give myself willingly to Her if She would save you. Malcanthet heard me, accepted my vow and my still-beating heart and saved your life. Whatever else She is, she has done me the mercy and kindness to let me watch you grow. I could not be prouder of who you have become."

Nia stood there, eyes wide, unable to speak.

Crispy walks over and puts her hand on Nia's shoulder. She looks at her with amusement and true genuine happiness, as Cora, at a very young age, was abandoned by HER own mother and never saw her again. Today something wonderful happened to Nia, and Crispy's growing affection for her made it easy to be happy for her. To witness such a revelation with Nia was special, and she stood next to her while she digested the information. Covered in blood, and filthy beyond presentation, all she could do was smile, be happy for her, and relish this tender moment.

"Well," She finally says, to try and lighten the mood. "That would explain why you're such a good lover." She winks at Nia and turns to Cerise, extending a dirty bloody hand. "Hi, i'm Cora. You're beautiful, now I know where she gets it from. Sorry i'm a mess. Thanks for helping."

Cerise reached out with a smirk and trailed her clawed fingers through Cora's hair. "You wear the makeup of victory. That is it's own beauty, and you have more than enough of your own." She then turned around with what somehow seemed a genuine smile. "And you, Liam Ulrich. I owe you a debt of gratitude, you have kept safe my most precious, even when she drove you to distraction. Thank you."

A wave of pleasure rippled through her as Nia’s rediscovered mother touched her hair, and she giggled numbly at the sensation, goosebumps causing the little hairs on her arms and neck to stick straight up. Crispy might have even turned a bit red, bashful at her words.“Oh, you. Go on.” She smiled shyly like a 7 year old.

Liam's head jerks upward in surprise at the mention of his name.  He had opted to step quietly away and wait while Nia had her moment, and certainly hadn't expected to be addressed directly, especially in such a cordial manner, by a fiend.

"It...it's been no trouble at all," he finally stammers out with a sidelong glance at Nia, "or at least, no more trouble than should be expected from a little sister, which is what she's been to me."