Minmorc pauses between the battle axe and the crow bar in his selection of sacrificial tools. "Ain't we usin der blood from one monkey fer der opening an der bits from der other monkey fer der wedging?"

Bulldust contrives to empty an ape of its bodily fluids and contain them within a selection of priestly bowls and pots which he arrays upon the altar ready to pour into the hole.

"Dats a good prophesies Dregzie. Very doomies." Moffdust approves.

"I fink da god wiv da one green eye is called Bogey."  Bulldust adds to the collective wisdom of the party.

"On der whole," by now the hairy priest has had time to consider all the spiritual implications of the prophetic words and is happy to pronounce divinely inspired judgment upon them, "it'd be most best if wese find der missing eye dat we don't give it back.  Our gods won't be most pleased if wese usher in der return of der golden god ter rule der world !"

Job done, Dregz turns his attention to the preparations for sacrifice, nodding approvingly at the two ape corpses that are ready to perform service as altar stops and the various vessels of blood and other fluids that Bully has faithfully collected.

Pocketing the Magic Stick, the goblin holds up the holy symbol of his god in both hands, poised to lower it to begin the ceremony once everyone is ready.

Jurz, Arlein and others quickly search the contents of the two rooms. They find all sorts of temple furniture, bowls, cups and other items but nothing of any particular value. Most of the items are wood, copper or pottery rather than any precious metals or gemstones. The priest's personal possessions from the wicker baskets basically only consist of clothing and basic household goods. If he actually had the type of feathered cloak and golden mask shown in the wall mural he must have taken them with him when he departed. Jurz does manage to find a pair of tarnished copper medallions with the winged serpent shown on both sides. However, the tarnished copper makes them green instead of golden colour.

Soon all of the preparations are completed for the blood sacrifice on the altar. A bucket of ape blood is poured into the drainage hole on the altar. The trapdoor groans again as it swings open to reveal a ten foot wide pit in the temple floor. The groan continues as the altar also tips forward about 30 degrees toward the pit.

OOC: At least one ape body is in position behind the altar for Minmorc to push it under the altar to prop the altar up and keep the trapdoor open. It is not quite clear whether you put one ape body on the altar to fall into the pit or if that second ape body is also on the floor behind the altar. What is the plan, folks?

Minmorc will shove the ape body under the altar to prop the trapdoor open. He'll stash away his various blades and bludgeons and will get ready to head down, great axe in hand.

"Put der udder wun under der altar too," Dregz suggests to Bully, quickly waving his flail to officially if belatedly start proceedings as Minmorc prepares to go down into the pit.

"OK Dregzie."  the green goblin seems to know how this is done, so Bulldust props his mangled ape's body under the altar next to Min's.  He readies his flail and prepares to enter the pit.

Jurz pockets the two medallions, sure that he will be able to make them bright and shiny again later.  Then with a huge grin on his face, he watches the the pseudo sacrifice with interest, nodding  when the bodies are slid into position.

Strolling over to the trap door, he peers down into the darkness.

Minmorc and Bulldust jam the two ape bodies under the tilted altar. After the trapdoor swings all the way open the altar starts to tip back to its normal upright position on the floor but jams on the ape bodies about halfway back to the floor. There is the unmistakable crunch of bones breaking within the two ape corpses but the altar stops and the trapdoor stays open.

Everyone with darkvision (i.e. everyone except Raven) can see down the pit to the floor 60 feet below. The 10ft-square shaft goes down 30 feet from the temple floor before it opens out into a larger area for the final 30 feet before reaching the floor. About a 30ft diameter area of the floor is visible from the top of the shaft. The floor is made of stone blocks like the rest of the pyramid but there are many broken bones scattered all over the floor. The base of a 5ft-wide stone pillar is just visible at the western edge of the area of floor that is visible from above.

As you peer down the shaft you see a couple of man-sized creatures move into view and slither through the bones to the spot where a bright splash of fresh blood covers bones and floor alike. These creatures have the head, torso and arms of a humanoid creature but below the waist they are a shapeless mass more like a slug.

After a moment a voice echoes up the shaft from below. The tone of the voice is deep and masculine but not a language that any of Team Arda-Nuff can speak, but it clearly doesn’t sound happy.

OOC: Everyone is at +1 to hit and +1 on saves vs fear from Minmorc's Bless spell for 13 more rounds.

"Let's send a scout in first."  Bulldust starts hauling a third ape into the temple.  "Dis guy can de da scout, unless anyone else wants ter be first."

Minmorc will pull a 100ft coil of rope from his backpack and will busy himself tying it around the altar that's outside the temple. He'll get Riza to help him with the knots and will then make his way back into the temple with the rope bundled on the floor, ready to drop into the hole. "So is we goin in, or shootin first or tryin ter, eurgh, talk ter dems first?"
This message was last edited by the player at 01:59, Mon 06 Nov 2017.

Dregz peers quickly over the edge into the pit and then recoils.

"Dey want meat," he tells his tribe. "Dey say dey were promised food by der masters but dey haven't been fed for a very long time."

"We's could talk to dem wiv dat ape body dat Bully has?" Jurz suggests, responding to Minmorc and Dregz at the same time.

In reply to Jurz (msg # 104):

As the smell reaches Arlein, she stands up and hisses.

Suddenly a new thought strikes Jurz, "An we's could tell dem we is der new masters."
This message was last edited by the player at 09:33, Fri 10 Nov 2017.

Curiosity getting the better of him, he moves towards the pit to see what the others were talking about.

Dregz nods, liking Jurz plan.  "Den dey would obey us !"

"Would dey like der one wot is gutted or der one dat was minced? Yer reckon dey want ter try playin Nuffle ball?"

"Best gets dem a new dead ape," Dregz pronounces sagely.  "Den I can ask dem about der Nuffle ball."

Jurz points across at Bully who has already gone to collect a new body.

The hairy little goblin notes Bully's contribution with an approving nod on behalf of Bargrivyek, indicating to the bugbear that he should drop the ape's body down the pit.

Once that is done, Dregz will address the slug-creatures, deepening his voice as he shouts ...

"Heeerrres izz meeaat !  Weeessee aarree ddeerr neeewww maaassssterrrrss ! Aaan' yoooousssee musss' ddooo assss weeessee sseeezzz !"

"Dooo yoooousssee waaaaan' terrrr pllllaaayys Nnnuuufffflleee baaaalll ??"

Minmorc and Riza go out of the temple to tie Minmorc's rope to the altar outside. Dregz tells everyone that the voices down the pit want meat because they were promised food and haven't been fed in a long time, so Bulldust rushes out and starts dragging a third ape corpse into the temple to throw down the pit. Everyone else crowds round the pit staring down into the darkness at the bones and slithering creatures on the floor 60 feet below.

Suddenly there is a familiar faint sound of rushing air from the tilted altar and a gaunt figure (g1) suddenly materialises, crouched on the altar. It would be about 10 feet tall if it was standing fully upright and looks a bit like an emaciated giant. It is so gaunt that its reddish skin virtually hangs loose on its bones. But its eyes glow like red hot coals and its mouth looks more like a gaping wound across the lower half of its face. The figure opens its mouth and snarls at everyone in the temple. Everyone feels a shiver of fear wash over them.  Then everyone hears a deep, angry voice inside their heads saying, "Fear me, or I will remind you why you should! Make sacrifices again, or I will come and take you all myself!"

OOC: The creature appeared before anyone had a chance to throw anything down the pit or started yelling orders at the creatures down there.

Main game map updated. Everyone is at +1 to hit and +1 on saves vs fear from Minmorc's Bless spell for 12 more rounds.

This is way too close for a small green goblin. Moffdust sidles away to the northeast and out the door, trying not to be noticed, whispering "I is not here. I is not here.". She peeks back around the doorway.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:17, Mon 13 Nov 2017.