Kiven speaks up to the cultists once again, with confidence and authority, which is not uncommon from the elf.  "You will be restored to your prior duties, first of the new acolytes.  You will show Eya and I what you know of the murals and these rituals you speak of.  Additionally, you will tell me what more you know of both the miasma and the high priest, including what controlled the miasma and were the high priest kept his quarters.  If you prove helpful enough, together we will find the seal and Vetra Kali."

Eya still seems visibly uncomfortable from the effects of the shrine nearby. She doesn't seem to have the same fiery demeanor and just seems sick as her skin looks a paler grey than normal. When Abraxxus returns with the goat, Eya breathes a small sigh of relief. "Thank you so much Abraxxus, this will make me feel a lot better. Now let's talk to Blau about how to stop this shrine's magic," Eya says to him.

She beckons Blau over and asks, "Blau, can you help take down this awful aura using this?"

She points to the plump goat Abraxxus is holding, then continues, "Please...as quickly as you can. I feel really sick."

---

"Halthus, you may address me as Eya. As The Prince has said, you will have plenty of work to do. First, we need to repair the defenses of this place and perhaps even install new ones. Some of the pit traps are in dire need of repair and some oozes and aggressive fauna have busted a hole in that room over there. Basically, this whole place is going to need a makeover. So far, we befriended the boggards in the caverns below but I plan on calling for some more aid while we map out the rest of this place. Personally, I am most interested in the binding and summoning rituals, as well as finding this temple's hidden wealth. With wealth comes resources, and thereby the power needed to adequately defend this place," Eya says to the acolyte.

"Respar and Blau, can the two of you search for the hidden spiral staircase reaching the floor above? Failing that, we may have to rely on Abraxxus to ferry us up again. Doing that repeatedly could be a real chore though, and one I'm not sure the proud dragon is willing to do," she says, smiling at Abraxxus. 

---

When Eya can find some alone time, away from the others, she sends a message to Cardinal Thorn on their progress, "At objective site. Place is rundown and heavily damaged. Know how to break seal but will take 216 days and a careful ritual. Need resources for defense, mostly minions to help rebuild. Can you help?"

"Assuredly, Eya. This affront and overweening Mitran eyesore will be denatured right away, now that we have the sacrifice!' 

Blau takes the offering and ties it down on the altar, happy that Abraxxus found a horned animal for the purpose. Horned head at the base of the offending structure, Blau ritually pours holy water over the animal, washing it in the divine influence of Asmodeus' blessing. Drawing his ruby-bladed dagger from it's wrist sheath, the holy symbol shining with a dark light as Blau imparts some of his Lord's unholy energies to it's lethal purposes. With slow cuts, he draws moderately deep cuts along each of the beasts legs, towards the heart, until they meet at it's center. With an additional cut, he draws a line up to the throat of the goat, the helpless creature bleating in pain and panic. Blood flowing freely over the extent of the Mitran altar, Blau prays in Abyssal 

"OH, Lord of Lords, prime mover of the ambitious, accept this sacrifice and cleanse this abominable desecration to your ally's temple! Draw forth the energies from the life contained in your due, it's horns your channel to the seat of it's being, and use it's power as you WILL!"

With the last syllable on his lips, Blau drives the darkly glowing dagger deep into it's heart, the blood surging and sizzling, the dark energies racing along the trails that run over the edges of the assembly and making the liquid smolder and smoke. The unholy aura starts burning through the alter to Good, tearing it apart with a will and dividing it into sections bit by bit, until the whole altar suddenly collapses, falling into five distinct sections that break on the ground. The goat, now completely consumed by the dark forces, dissolves into a heady smoke that dissipates, taking the remnants of the Mitran blessing with it.  With a satisfied nod, Blau spits on the piece nearest him, his spittle also limned with residual darkness. 

With disgust, Kiven turns away from Blau's ritual before the blood even starts flowing.  He takes Calarel with him as well and returns to the throne room to read Zander Trask's journal.

To Calarel he remarks "as you said before, we are fortunate to see a glimpse of the world in the stories and legends."  "Unfortunately to do so, and to achieve the ends we desire, we also have to tolerate that."  He nods back towards where Blau is performing his ritual.  "I only wish I had the power to follow a better path, but for now, we must make the most of this one.  Tell me Calarel, what will you do with your life once there is no one to hold you back from making all of your own choices?"

Once he has finished the ritual, Blau says "If no one minds, I'm going to try that seat and see if another nonsense word takes me upstairs." If no one objects (too loudly) he sits on the skull throne and tries a few similar rhyming words, to see if it moves him where they want to be "Tah, Cah, fah, Lah" pausing between each one.If nothing happens, he shrugs tries a couple more for fun "Mah? Nah? Bah?" then gets off of the throne. "We'll find out if we get some eyes on the upstairs, I guess."

  Abraxxas grins at Eya. " I hope it helps you Eya. " Seeing Blau begin he coldly ignores it and flies upward looking for a staircase or anything else of interest. 

@Kyrroeth game_dice
Result: 1d20 (19) + 6
Total: 25

The blasphemous ritual quickly serves to burn through and dispel the focus of the Mitran altar, rendering it inert. Some traces of divine energy remain, but they have lost all power to influence the area.

From there, Blau sits on the throne and tries a few more nonsense syllables, none of which meet with any success.

Kiven spends some time pouring through Trask's journal. Trask speaks of the teleporters, but apparently does not know anything more about them than Halthus. He also speaks of Hexor and Vexor, along with his fervent desire to one day meet those daemons. The one thing of interest that you have not already encountered is something he observed in the throne room back on the first floor. While cleaning the pews he heard something from within one of the great pillars, the one on the right hand side and closest to the throne. It sounded like a voice from inside the stone.

Celarel frowns, "I don't know the shape of this world you speak of, how am I supposed to know my place in it?"

Abraxxus goes back to the stairs and steps outside. He flies upwards. It takes a few minutes, but he eventually spots the landing zone Halthus spoke of. The rock curls around it, hiding it rather effectively from the ground. The marble floor here is well polished, and ornate carvings surround the large entryway. Prominent among them is a bas relief of Vetra Kali. Visible beyond the entry is a fair sized hallway with five doors.

To Calarel he replies "you think on it, picture it in your mind, and then make it so."  "If you cannot picture yourself as more than a servant girl to your 'betters', then that is all you shall be.  If you picture yourself as the queen of a dozen kingdoms and mother to a pantheon of gods, you may be equally disappointed.  Somewhere in the middle, however, and who exactly will take this dream from you?  The Mitrans?  The wealthy?  Not all are worthy, of course, and the road is often even....disdainful..."  He once again looks back towards where they last left Blau, Abraxxus, Eya and Respar.  "...but who is to say if you are worthy?  It is you yourself who must decide and then prove it via the trials ahead."  Smirking he adds "plus, you begin with excellent company."

Snapping Trask's journal shut loudly, Kiven strides forward, collecting Calarel, Eya, Blau, the acolyte, Grumblejack, Respar and anyone else still available.  "Come with me" he commands flatly.  Striding back through the halls, over the planks used for Grumblejack, and back dowstairs, the elf enters the lower throne room.

  He chuckles ominously.  With wings spread wide he glides down and lands by his comrades. Seeing that the elves are gone he laughs.  " Come Eya... I have a surprise for you and Respar. " He will fly them up to the landing spot one at a time ( if they are willing). 

  When they are upstairs he sniffs the air. " Is that gold I smell? " He strides down the hallway to the nearest door with his enormous axe held in one hand. 

Respar tries to find the spiral stairs.

Perception rolls x 3 35  21  20

Abraxxus strides forward, only to find the ground falling away beneath him as a pit trap sitting astride the entrance opens. The half dragon twists around and somehow manages to get his wings open in time to slow his fall. A moment later he lands on the inside of a familiar-looking cage, the one that the group had encountered on the second floor.

Meanwhile, the group led by Kiven heads back down to the first floor throne room. The pillar indicated in the journal is certainly thick enough for there to be something within, at 10 feet in diameter. But it appears to be identical to every other pillar in the room. Several minutes of poking and prodding produce nothing. If there is some sort of secret here, it is very well hidden.

"Perhaps they had some method of passing through stone. I've a cousin who is able to meld and move through rock, but that's not my talent. What's below here, perhaps a passage we didn't detect on the way here leads to the pillar stairs?" Blau moves to the sacrifice prep room and checks for possible entrances on the floor. 

Perception 26

"Yes, just because this Trask heard people within the pillar does not mean the entrance is here.  Below seems most sensible.  Let us count paces along two axis as we return to the caverns below and get a crude estimate of what this might come out below is."  Pausing Kiven remarks "where have the others gone?"  "It is likely wise to keep our martial strength consolidated until we have cleared this place of threats, especially this 'Hexor and Vexor'."

Kiven pulls out something to make marks with and finds some empty space in Trask's journal to map out their steps from here along a 2D plane.  When they are ready to give it a go, possibly after finding Eya and the others first, he will be sure to only take steps along an X & Y axis, not diagonally unless he absolutely must, to create his estimated mapping.

Eya breathes a huge sigh of relief as the Mitran shrine is desecrated. She finally feels normal again. She walks up to both Abraxxus and Blau, "Thanks you two, I feel so much better now." Eya now has her normal fiery demeanor and look back in her eyes.

---

Eya follows Kiven and Blau to search for the stairs.

Kiven does his best to trace the coordinates of the pillar in question compared to the caverns below. It takes some time, especially given the twisting stairway. However, after some time doubling back and making sure, the elf finds himself standing in one of the empty caverns. If he has his bearings right, he should be almost directly beneath the column now, within perhaps a half dozen paces.

"This should be it.  Search the walls or even the adjacent caverns for the stairs."  Kiven begins searching the walls for clues.

(...but I rolled terribly)

  He snarls in irritation as he lands. " I fear no traps.   loritic ihk wer plythu," he spits out in draconic. ( Traps are for the weak)   He flaps his wings and heads upwards again.  Finding a safe landing spot he will continue to the next door and try to open it. 

Perception: @Kyrroeth game_die
Result: 1d20 (9) + 6
Total: 15

Abraxxus strides through the next door, triggering another trap. spikes emerge from the ceiling and begin swinging down towards the half dragon, but they screech to a halt after moving only a few inches, well before making impact, their mechanism apparently too badly degraded to allow full motion.

The chamber beyond was wrecked beyond all repair by a fireball or similarly explosive spell. On the far wall is what appears to have once been a secret door, though now it has been broken open and lies ajar. Beyond the formerly secret door is a library, with no books. On the wall is an inscription saying  “Behold the secrets of death. Use them for my glory.” But judging by the pile of ashes, it looks like this room's contents were piled in the middle of the floor and burned.

Down in the catacombs, the most interesting thing discovered so far is a large tooth from some predator, probably a great cat of some sort, found half buried. No sign of any doors.

  Abraxxus laughs loudly and then kicks the wall and roars. Smoke billows out of his mouth. He continues his exploration with the next door. 

Perception: @Kyrroeth game_die
Result: 1d20 (8) + 6
Total: 14

Abraxxus heads through the next door. The first room is empty and unremarkable, the second has three rotting corpses within. Three large humans in heavy fighting gear, at least a few weeks deceased. The half dragon is not seeing any obvious causes of death.