Off the Beaten Track

- Albert -

Asha gives a start as you yell out, then another as she looks up where you are looking and goes through the same process of fright and realisation.

"Me too." She says, peering up at the statue. "I wonder if they are meant to have that effect on people, or if it is just because of the dark and all the vines. We really should clean this place up, remove those vines from the poor things, they look heavy, that must be making them tired."

With each step Cook takes closer to the temple, the fear on his face slowly fades and is replaced with the wide grin he first had on seeing the temple. He stands straighter, at least as straight as his broken back will allow. He tries to walk regally, but his excitement and bad leg turn it into a semi-comical limp-hop. As Asha gapes at the statues, Cook shoulders her aside. "Stand aside child," he snarls! He attempts to snatch the torch from Albert as he heads for the entrance. "Home, home," he mutters.

(Rolls as needed)

Asha is bowled over, which looks a bit comical given there is little chance of injury. But the comedy ceases when she springs back upright, a club brandished in her hand, and a snarl of fury on her face. She seems intent upon attacking Cook.

This is very out of character for the girl, who, up till this point has been rather bubbly and friendly beneath her shy exterior... and, you are pretty sure, did not have a club a moment ago --only a crude dagger and a sling.

The captain is peering into the dark interior and does not appear to notice, or care, what is happening behind her.

What do you all do?

Once he regains his balance, Cook continues on, his eyes fixed on the temple, oblivious to any protestations or impending danger.

"Hey now, that was uncalled for! Albert holds out a hand at Cook's chest height to urge him to stop "I think you owe Asha an apology. as he's saying this he notices Asha with the club raised, heading towards Cook. "And you're gonna have to be quick about it!"

"Mewling cur, Gods don't apologize to mere mortals! Give me that light!" Cook grabs for the torch.

- Albert -

Asha takes a swing at Cook with the club --which is almost as long as her arm-- but your restraining hand and, more importantly, restraining words, calm her. She shakes her head, embarrassed by her outburst and looks down at the club in distaste. "Ew!" She says as she tosses it away.

"He shouldn't have..." She starts to say, but trails away and looks down contritely at the inadequacy of the words. While, indeed, the old man should not have shoved her, that is no excuse for attacking him and her own actions clearly worry her. She does not understand what is going on.

What do you do?

- Rook -

While you are not very familiar with the carrying capacity of vines, you are pretty sure you could easily climb these walls if you needed to. The vines might even help, especially if you have to take others with you.

Disappointingly, Asha does not brain Cook, and you see her toss aside the club she was wielding... which is strange since you don't remember her having a 'club'.

What do you do?

- Cook -

The vines block the doorway --which would otherwise be standing open, the door, itself, having disintegrated long ago. The captain was considering how to get past, but you push through --taking some inconsequential and superficial scrapes and scratches along the way and nearly losing an eye in the process.

Something in the back of your mind --something to do with control-- tells you something is wrong... more wrong than usual for your mind. It is calming though, maybe you can finally rest?

It is dark inside after the torchlight, and you can't tell if it is your imagination but you think there is a dome near the back. A dome that calls to you.

Do you answer the call? Do you try to fight it?

What do you do?

- Albert -

"What is that?" Asha asks uneasily. It feels like stone, but appears --to anyone who would recognise such things-- to be --or be shaped like-- a bone, possibly from the leg of a human (femur).

"Where did it come from?" Asha asks additionally, but there is no immediate answer to that.

- Albert -

Asha cringes away from the pat on the shoulder. She has shown no objection to such affections before, this reaction is probably due to the 'yuckyness' of the bone-club that was not fully wiped from your hand. She definitely does not seem to want to touch her own hands, and almost looks like she wants to use the flame of torch you hand her to 'cleanse' herself... but thinks better of it.

As you pray, you feel Raynor's attention drawn to the temple, accompanied by a feeling of disgust... at first this is not your disgust, but then you feel a veil lifting from your mind and control returning and your own disgust joins that of your god's.

Something is very wrong at this temple. Not only is it a blight upon the earth and a danger to any nearby, it is an affront to everything Raynor stands for.

Raynor's blessing has cleared your mind, but with that blessing comes an obligation. In Raynor's name you must cleanse this place... cleanse it or destroy it!

- Everyone outside -

As Albert approaches the temple, muttering and uttering to himself, it is more than the glow torch which Asha carries beside him that illuminates him. It is almost as though light emanates from within him. This is not a phenomenon you perceive with your eyes, but on some higher plane.

You all feel something lifting from your minds, and recognise that your actions and choices have been influenced and directed by some malevolent ... personality?... not your own.

You can see that those around you are having a similar experience. Hopefully they will not judge you for your recent choices... as you should maybe not judge them.

• What unusual feelings or attitudes did you have while 'under the influence'?
• Is there anything from that time that you want to recapture?

- Cook -

The power of some 'other god' presses down on you, suppressing something broken within you that causes magics in your vicinity to be disrupted.

• What does that feel like. How does that manifest? What happens to you, alone in the temple?

You can see clearly that the temple was affecting the minds of everyone nearby --maybe even yours, but the 'weak minds' more than the strong.

• Are/were you at all familiar with such effects?
• Why do you feel the strong need to put a stop to whatever is happening (and has happened before) at the temple?