The armored soldier bows to Meiara. "My name is Viira. I will be your guide to the ruins of the monolith."

"Thank you, Viira."

When the introductories were completed, Demetrios addresses Vusgaar and Meiara. “I would hope your trip was more fruitful than ours.” He sighs. “The barracks didn’t hold a single silver weapon.”

"I'm sorry to hear that." Meiara pulls out the two potions that they got from the depot. "We managed to get these. I promised that we'd  put them to good use, although hopefully we won't need them."

With the news of them at least getting something from the depot put Demetrios in a better mood. "At least we have those then, if worst comes to worst." He concludes, then looks over the group. "I have no qualms for whoever takes the potions. I can heal myself so it would be rather selfish of me if I do so." He gestures to them in Meiara's hands. "Please, if you believe you may need one, go ahead."

Having divvied up the potions, and with Talaak borrowing a silver incense burner from the priest (improvised silver weapon), you all head for the monolith.

Viira brings you across the quiet plains, which are silent except for the whisper of the grass. After about an hour and a half of walking, she stops at the top of the rise. "The ruins are there," she tells you, pointing at the steel shell that rises above the plains, possibly the tallest thing around. The outside of the shell appears intact and unharmed, but you can see ashy scorchmarks stretching from the apertures, shimmering an eerie purple or pink sheen in the dying sun (think like oil, but only purpley pink). "The Jungle begins only a few miles to the east," Viira explains, pointing at a dark line to the east. "Things didn't come out of it much until the destruction of the monolith, we think that possibly the noise and discharge from the explosion may have attracted whatever this is."

"Unsurprising, but inopportune. I will need a few moments to... prepare myself for picking up more potent, residual energies. Either belonging potentially to the fiends." Vusgaar would say prior to tracing symbols in the air, and half-muttering in some alien tongue.

As Vusgaar finishes his spell, the scene practically lights up around him. The ashes of the monolith radiate faint abjuration, enchantment, transmutation, and evocation magic. Lingering traces of evocation and abjuration magic in the air hint at a fight. Some kind of powerful beacon of abjuration magic has left traces around the monolith, fading away as it moves to the south. Demetrios also seems to radiate powerful abjuration magic. There are clumps of necromancy magic among the ashes, and the Shanjueed Jungle to the east is radiating necromancy magic so strongly that you can see it from your position miles away.

 Vusgaar passes along the information, though not without having to close his eyes near the end and rub at them furiously. "Beware thick spots of ash. Sensing pockets of necromancer there especially." He then looks over to Demetrios for a long moment, only to shake his head. "The defenders here did not go down easily... But in any case, still need to manually root any fiend lying in wait here. Any suggestions?"

"I possess a spell that I could use to talk to the wildlife living in the jungle and ask where the fiends are. It would take 10 minutes for me to cast it, however."

Demetrios was busy surveying the area to notice Vusgaar’s gaze, listening to the shifters words regarding intently as he did so. The paladin kept a hand at the hilt of his blade when he turned back to them, in anticipation of a surprise attack. “We still have some day, go ahead and cast it. Perhaps the animals know a thing or two of what’s occurring here. I’ll see what I can sense when it reaches dusk.” He turns back and scans over the jungle. “Let’s... try to avoid that place though. Perhaps the bugs around here can help...?”

"This should be the closest we get to the Shanjueed," Viira says gravely. "Going to that cursed place is a death sentence."

"So how are we going to meet them, then?"

Viira frowns. "I thought you were just here to deal with the creature or creatures attacking the village. Clearing the Shanjueed is a massive project, it's completely infested and overseen by some kind of fiend that takes the shape of a woman and attacks the walls around the jungle."

"That does sound like it's beyond our current capabilities. Very well, we will stay out of the jungle and instead we'll allow Demetrios to use his sense to find any monsters."

"The wisest decision." Vusgaar says, breaking some faux vow of silence. "Unfortunately, due to the devastation here, it is unlikely any beast or insect spirit outside that jungle would be present. But those closer to the village may have answer for us in regards to our other fiends." A barely perceivable and fleeting frown touches Vusgaar's lips for a split second prior to him look to others. "If speaking to the lowly ones would still be of interest... You can sense fiends? Always, or in a limited capacity?"

“Any celestial, fiend, or undead.” Demetrios answers smoothly. “I can sense them from about... sixty or so feet, but unfortunately only for a few seconds, and for a limited amount of times.” His eyes gaze over the area they were in right now before they decided to head back to the village.

Anything out of the ordinary mayhaps? Perception: 11 

"Still, it's a rather useful ability for you to have as an Edgewalker."

Seeing as you guys are still on top of the hill about a hundred feet from the actual monolith remnants, Demetrios sees nothing in the ruins other than the occasional drift of ash coming up from the wind.

“I suppose so.” Demetrios gives Meiara a slight smile before turning his attention to the ruins. “Let’s move forward before it gets any darker, shall we?” When he gets the approval from the others he will lead them all closer to the monolith remnants. With his hand still at the hilt of his blade, he readies himself for any sort of ambush.

Perception: 14