Priestess Aloma instantly becomes more alert. "Do you think this might have something to do with the crowd at the entrance of the Temple Ward. Perhaps they are a diversion... But for what? A simple robbery?"

At this, she looks towards the door on the other side of the room. There is no light coming from the room on the other side.

"I fear for Handleader Samswell's safety," she says, pushing the avatar fully into Midian's grasp. "Stay behind me," she adds as she fishes into her clothing with her free hand and draws something out of a pocket.

Then, with one of her magical lights leading the way, she carefully approaches the door on the other side of the room.

Meanwhile, the woman in Midian's grip starts to squirm. "Take. Your. Hands. Off. Me," she states angrily, trying to break free.

[Please make a Strength (Athletics) check versus 17 

Later: The above roll should have been at Disadvantage: 10

Please roll against the lower value.]

Midian is extremely hesitant to appear to be forcibly grappling the avatar, in the event her 'goddess side' should regain control and she rips him apart with sudden divine strength.  His "grab" is something of a reposition or shove, therefore, not trying to physically restrain the woman, but shift her to keep her "aimed" further to keep her moving near him and Aloma.  He tries to supplement this with social persuasion.

Athletics with Disadvantage:  2

Persuasion:  21

"Vanessa, Aeda, both of you, you must follow the priestess Aloma.  She is trying to protect you, and is not safe here.  Calm yourself and stay close to the two of us."  

Quote from Izraal1 >>

Midian is extremely hesitant to appear to be forcibly grappling the avatar, in the event her 'goddess side' should regain control and she rips him apart with sudden divine strength.  His "grab" is something of a reposition or shove, therefore, not trying to physically restrain the woman, but shift her to keep her "aimed" further to keep her moving near him and Aloma.  He tries to supplement this with social persuasion.

Athletics with Disadvantage:  5

[OOC: Your roll shouldn't have been at Disadvantage; it was her roll I was talking about. However, it still seems like she succeeded in breaking free, so I will allow Midian to roll for experience for the failed roll.]

Persuasion:  16

"Vanessa, Aeda, both of you, you must follow the priestess Aloma.  She is trying to protect you, and is not safe here.  Calm yourself and stay close to the two of us."  

Once free of Midian's faltering grip, the woman seems to calm down and she stands swaying while listening to his words.

Meanwhile, Priestess Aloma has proceeded to the door, opened it fully and is now peering carefully through into the room beyond where she has sent all but one of her dancing lights.

"I can see no one," she says in a quiet voice that sounds much too loud to Midian. "But they could be in hiding."

His words having calmed the avatar Midian is able to steer her over to Priestess Aloma with a hand on her elbow.

Through the door, Midian can see a larger room in which there are numerous barrels and stacked boxes arranged in an orderly manner. Priestess Aloma is right, there are many places that someone might be hiding.

"The door that leads into the Temple proper is over there," says Aloma, pointing to the left to a wall about 40' away.

If it is not well lit already, Midian requests, "Can you light the way, to better eliminate the chance of concealment?"  He takes up a position in front, proceeding carefully, alert for ambushes.  

With all four of Priestess Aloma's magical lights in the room, Midian hands the avatar into the care of Priestess Aloma and takes the lead.

The room they are now in is about 80' long and 40' wide, they having entered about midway down one of the long walls. It is full of boxes and barrels with many places that someone could be hiding. Moving quietly, the three head towards a large door in the middle of the wall furthest away from the river.

[OOC: Please make a Perception check for Midian. You should also make a roll for experience for Midian's failed Athletics check as I mentioned in the last move.]

Perception:  19
Re Roll of Athletics:  20

Quote from Izraal1 >>

Perception:  19
Re Roll of Athletics:  10

[OOC: Midian gains experience.]

Alert for potential danger, Midian leads the way. The closer they get to their destination the more he becomes convinced that he can hear some faint noises in that direction.

He is distracted, however, by sounds from right next to him.

"Why do I feel so strange?" says a strong female voice.

Turning quickly, he sees that the avatar has freed herself from Priestess Aloma's grip and as he watches on she straightens up and seems to throw off the drug-induced cloud that she has been in.

Priestess Aloma falls to her knees in reverence and at the same time her short duration magical lights wink out, plunging the room into darkness.

"Where have the lights gone?" demands the avatar, who then becomes visible to Midian as she begins to glow.

Meanwhile, the rest of the room is still in darkness.

Midian quickly surveys the situation - unknown enemies lurking in the shadows, an ambush prepared in advance, an unpredictable entity sharing a body with a priestess, and a second priestess who is now on her knees, her magical light gone. Unless he hears the sounds of assailants creeping up from behind, the way they came, Midian opts for self preservation given so many unknowns, and slinks back, putting the avatar and the priestess between him, and the “unknowns” ahead. He waits, hands near his rapier, near his daggers, unsure if either will do him any good this circumstance. He attempts to leverage their most powerful weapon. 

“Blessed Aeda, there may be blasphemers and heretics present, enemies of our divine order. Would you cast your light into this room and command that they step forward and kneel before your judgment?”

[OOC: Midian does not have his rapier. It was left behind because it did not suit his scholar's disguise, which he stayed in to accompany Priestess Aloma in her own disguise.]

Backing away, Midian keeps his hands near his daggers on the lookout for any attackers.

“Blessed Aeda," he cries. "There may be blasphemers and heretics present, enemies of our divine order. Would you cast your light into this room and command that they step forward and kneel before your judgment?”

In response to this, Midian feels a distinct tremble run through the room.

"Unbelievers?" says the still-glowing avatar in a loud voice. "Let them come forward and kneel before their queen."

There is silence for a moment before she adds, "And will someone bring back the lights—I cannot see a thing."

"Apologies, goddess," says Priestess Aloma, still on her knees. "At once."

Once more Aloma's lights spring into existence, swarming up to float above and on each side of her goddess.

"Now, where are these unbelievers?" says the avatar looking around and spying Midian.

"Search them out for me, guard," the woman demands of him, imperiously.

Midian contains his inward vexation - he had hoped the goddess would use her voice to simply command the lurkers to reveal themselves and kneel.  Deciding not to get in an argument with an avatar, he moves forward, drawing his daggers and searching for either the intruders, or indications of where they might have gone, or what they might have done.  

Perception:  12

Investigation:  13

Survival (if needed to see tracks):  21

Midian cautiously explores the cluttered storeroom and is probably a little surprised but thankful he finds no one lurking in the shadows of the main room.

While doing this, he discovers that—apart from the door through which he entered and the large, closed, set of double doors that give access to the waterfront road—there are three other exits from this room: two in the same wall as the one that leads to the supervisor's office and the third is the door that was their destination at the back of the long room.

Apart from the door to the supervisor's office, he sees that all other doors are closed and while he is near the large sturdy door that was their original destination, he hears the faint murmuring of voices from the other side.

Looking back at the avatar he sees she is currently in the process of helping Priestess Aloma to her feet.

Midian tries to listen, close to the door, to hear if he can make out any of the murmured words.  Perception:  21

Putting his ear to the door, Midian can just make out the sound of at least two women talking. The topic of conversation seems to be the crowd at the gates of the Temple Ward and he distinctly hears someone say that the king's act was foolish and that there is likely to be violence.

Edit: the women are speaking in Stemian, not Sorendenese.

OOC: Does Midian recognize either of the voices? 

Midian tries the door, assuming whoever entered didn’t have time to set traps, so at worst it might be locked. 

Quote from Izraal1 >>

OOC: Does Midian recognize either of the voices? 

[OOC: Midian doesn't recognise any of the voices.]

Midian tries the door, assuming whoever entered didn’t have time to set traps, so at worst it might be locked. 

Midian tries to open the door, but it won't. Despite the low-light conditions, a quick look indicates there is no visible lock or hinges and that the door must open away from him, so it is likely barred on the other side.

He then realises that—unlike the other walls of the building he is in—the wall in which this door is embedded is made of morticed stone and likely belongs to the Temple proper, not this outbuilding.

Midian looks back to the women he is escorting with a shrug, and knocks on the door. 

Priestess Aloma and the avatar are talking quietly together apparently unaware of Midian's discovery.

He shrugs and then turns back to the door and knocks.

The sounds of conversation stop and after a little while he hears a woman's voice ask tentatively, "Hello? Is there someone out there?"

"Apprentice seeker Voda and priestess Aloma, here, please open this door," Midian says in polite tones.  

Midian knocks once more, adding, "Please do hurry.  We have a bit of a situation out here."  Persuasion:  24

[OOC: Sorry for the delay, busy work days for me.]

Midian hears the bar on the other side of the door being shifted and then the door opens a crack to show the inquisitive face of a Stemian woman dressed in servant's clothes.

The woman looks up at Midian and then beyond him to where Priestess Aloma and the no-longer-glowing avatar can be seen.

"Priestess Aloma," she says and then opens the door fully for them all to enter.

Midian can now see a small courtyard apparently within the walls of the Temple proper and Midian can see two other women doing chores under the light of an eternal flame. There is a strong smell of silver polish in the air here.

Priestess Aloma, who is now supporting the avatar with a shoulder, walks in through the door with Midian following.

"Handleader Samswell?" she asks of the women. "Has anyone seen him?"

The three shake their heads and the priestess turns to Midian and says, "This is where he was supposed to be going. What can have happened? Can you see if you can find him?"