After about a half-hour, the group gets to the temple of Pelor. Oddly, the marketplace outside is eerily closed. There is two torches lit up and from the outside it looks dark. There seems to be no guards or anyone outside. Faolan stands there, arms crossed. The wolf looks around and growls. All of the buildings around it look closed up as well. Across from the group, something moves and what appears to be a gnome stops about 30' looking rather surprised.

OOC Entering its the gnome wizard
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:00, Thu 28 July 2022.

“A wolf? Inside the walls?!” the gnome exclaims in a high-pitched voice. “Oh, you’re accompanied, I see! Greetings, greetings, kind folk…” His voice cuts off as Coin comes into sight. The little man seems quite amazed at the sight of a kobold, but he recovers. “Honestly, I was getting a little worried that there wasn’t anyone about. It’s a bit late, but this is unusually quiet for the marketplace, especially so near the temple.” He glances about nervously.

He seems to remember something. “Oh, terribly sorry. Name’s Tadiokritelitestin Singlebraid, accomplished wizard and scribe, at your service. Um, you can call me Krite.” He nods his head politely, if a bit warily as he beholds the group.

The heavy warforged comes into view as well....

"Greetings good gnome, I am forge anvilhead, paladin of Pelor, we had been out of sight of town for a bit, underground, and the streets have now gone very quiet, have you seen or heard any news of why it may be this way?"

The warforged pauses for the gnome to process  the party....
This message was last edited by the player at 12:45, Thu 28 July 2022.

"I imagine our encounter has something to do with the silence."

Coin eyes the gnome with an ingrained distaste that Coin is uncertain about, but that she always feels about gnomes.

The druid is silent. And the wolf growls at his side. He doesn't introduce himself immediatly but after a moment he does speak "Faolan and I doubt what we went through had anything to do with this. Of course I could be wrong. This is part of the town, Forge. There are others that could be fine. We do not know so assuming is not wise. You could be correct though but we have seen others before this place. This is your place of residence correct Forge?"

Forge looks at the temple....

"I do not mean to alarm anyone, but I have never seen the temple this quiet, at this time of day......perhaps people have taken refuge within from some danger we did not see."

The Gnome wizard is then approached by a youthful-looking human female of medium height with wavy hair with the texture of silk and the color of fire, wide brown eyes, and sun-kissed skin. She wears the robes of a priest of Pelor (God of the Sun) over a chain mail shirt and a wooden holy symbol of a smiling Pelor.

The young woman then smiles warmly and speaks with a softly clear voice, "Greetings to you, Tadiokritelitestin Singlebraid. Going forward I will call you Krite as you've allowed. I am Cumarinda Imbrex, a traveling priestess of Pelor the Sun Father. My associates and I have come here seeking wisdom and such care as my brothers and sisters in the temple may be able to provide. Do you know why it is so quiet here?"

“I was here to see if they needed a hand, myself,” Krite replies, tugging on his beard thoughtfully. “I’ve never seen this area this deserted, come to think of it.” He concentrates for a moment, and suddenly four lanterns appear, spreading out into a square almost 10 feet apart and then the quartet of lanterns climb 45 feet straight up to cast illumination across the entire area.

OOC: Krite uses his dancing lights spell-like ability.

"That was amazing, Krite. Oh, and let me introduce my associates." The priestess added, "You've already met Faolan and Forge of course. My golden scaled and winged friend is Coin Thunderspear, she is a decent person of a unique lineage. Finally, this rather healthy wolf is Faolan's smart and brave companion, Fenris."

Looking towards the doors of the temple she asked Forge, ⁣ "Champion, is there a special manner to enter the temple here? At my home temple, the doors were usually open during the day to welcome anyone who sought service."

Forge continues to survey the temple....

"I have never seen the temple in such a state as this in the middle of the day, I am also concerned, greatly."

Forge heads straight for the doors to see if they are open....


Using detect evil as he goes forward
This message was last edited by the player at 11:51, Sat 30 July 2022.

The door is locked and the paladin tries to sense evil.

Faolan keeps his weapon at his side, leaning on it slightly. The wolf growls but remains next to the druid. His eyes dart to the wizard casting his spell and tilts his head but doesn't say anything allowing the cleric to speak her words.

Forge pauses....

"I sense a fleeting evil, it was here but it grows more distant, we should hurry inside and look for the guidance of the temple."

He then goes into motion to get to the doors and open the temple doors....

Cumarinda knocks heavy-handed on the church door, "In the name of the Sun Father and his children, open this door!" she shouted out as she moved to look for a way to help Forge open the doors.

Krite tugs on his long braid. "Evil in or around the temple of the Shining One?" he reflects. "That's not a good thing! Unfortunately, I don't have knock prepared, so one of you will have to open the door if they don't answer...or can't answer." He adds that last bit with a tone of worry.

"Grimwald, climb up to a window and peek inside, if you would," he says to what's apparently nothing, but then a red-coated weasel -- whose fur is the same shade as Krite's own hair -- pops out of his cloak's hood and squeaks its agreement. "Remember to be careful!" the wizard adds. The tiny creature makes its way quickly up the drainspout, hardly making a sound as it goes.

OOC: Grimwald the weasel has a 20 ft. climb speed, +10 Climb, may take 10 on all Climb checks. He has +5 Spot, +11 Hide, and +8 Move Silent and he is being careful to be as stealthy as possible.

The weasel takes off up the downspout and scurries along just as the door opens slightly. A old man, maybe about 80 and human looks up at the massive warforged from beneath his glasses "No need to yell. Pelor didn't hear you, I did. And I am not as quick as I once was. Come now, come in. Put your weapons by the door. No need for them within this holy place. Go on, put them there or stay outside. I'm Father Renold." He looks at each of them "A wolf? Dire one I would say. Unfortunatly it cannot pass. Not all within do will with animals. Nothing against you." He eyes Faolan "Druid am I correct? You can enter if you wish. And oh yes Forge. Welcome. And you must be Krite. Others have spoken of you. Come now, don't got all day."

The wolf growls and sits by the front door. Its eyes dart to each of them, as Faolan pets his head "Yes. A druid." He doesn't move to enter, watching this old man but he is given a nod.

No one else enters the area. A few birds drop down watching them then flutter off. After a few moments a young woman and a man passes by, glancing at the big bad wolf and the others with him. She nods her head to Father before moving off in a different direction. He nods his head as well.

Forge comes forward....
"I have returned with news, we saw  a drider or the illusion of one in the burial chambers below ground, and the town is quiet, and I sensed a fleeting evil at the very doors of the temple."


Forge moves to the opposite side of the old man giving him a wide berth but close enough if the man wishes to brace himself, he can do so...

"Can you give us guidance in this time of trouble, holy one?"

Krite pats around his robes and pack for a while, absentmindedly searching for any weapons. He eventually comes up with a light crossbow, a brace of bolts, and a dagger (all gnome-sized, of course). "I don't recall having to surrender my weapons last time," he says as he leans them against the interior wall. "Of course, I don't remember not surrendering them, either."

He's just playing for time for the weasel to come back down and report on what it saw from it high vantage point. Up to now, he hasn't seen absentminded or distracted at all, in point of fact.

"You have never been inside then and you seem to doubt me. I've been in this church for many years. If you do not wish to enter, so be it. I do not deal with blasphemers and that it seems like is what you are. So be it, stay out there. This is a place of peace and all weapons shall be placed in its proper area." The old man seems to be aggrivated with the gnome. Of course until all weapons are remove, the man stands in the doorway and if the gnome attempts to go by, he stands in front. Despite the man being old, he doesn't let Krite go through "A drider you say? In Stormreach? Follower of Lolth. You do know not all areas of the city are quiet don't you know? Here it is odd. Most of the time there are people milling about but today tis strange. As for evil, we have had people with evil attempts try to get inside but could be beggers.I've seen them around." He coughs a few times and remains in the doorway.

Its dark inside and the door is open enough to see the man standing there. Flickers of candlight are scattered around.

The weasel doesn't return immediatly and when it does it comes back down the downspout. It looks up at the wizard. All the grnome gets from him is a dead end-a grate blocking its path.

"Peace friends this is my home and the father has my respect, I have never brought others here...I did not forsee this problem."

Forge looks back and forth.....

"Followers of Pelor need not bother with this rule but must keep them sheathed. We have rules and must obey them." The old man keeps standing in the doorway. His eyes go to each person and stop upon seeing the cleric and paladin.

Faolan stares at this man, eyes narrowed but he doesn't react. He goes to place a hand over the gnomes shoulder. The wolf growls once more but it stops.

A few others enter the temple area, moving to their homes. Some watch what is going on but then hurriedly bustles about their business and go elsewhere. A man, probably humanoid adjusts a stand outside looking like he is getting it ready for business. It seems odd that few people meander through the area.

"I have a place out back that may be more comfortable a place for the wolf and weapons to wait, it is more a covered workshop and not a room, so it is not secure, like a small blacksmith area.I can lock the weapons up there...if you would rather wait in my place?"

Forge nods....
This message was last edited by the player at 12:55, Wed 10 Aug 2022.

Cumarinda is going to observe and attempt to determine what, if anything out of the ordinary, is going on.
She is aware that all temples to Pelor are not exactly the same, but she is looking for the common denominators.
She is also trying to determine how authentic this resident priest is.

OOC
Cumarinda Imbrex rolled 19 using 1d20+7.  Spot.
Cumarinda Imbrex rolled 20 using 1d20+8.  Sense Motive.
Cumarinda Imbrex rolled 16 using 1d20+10.  Knowledge (Religion).
(hopefully with bonuses given that this is the religion she was literally raised by/in/with.)

Krite follows along with a mild, bemused expression on his face, but he’s actually quite wary. The paladin said he’d sensed Evil, and was not clear as to whether it went into the temple or away from it, so he’s quite troubled.

“Wish I dared to cast detect magic”, Krite murmurs softly to whoever’s next to him, trying not to let the old man hear, “but that’s probably going to offend him, so I’ll refrain.”