Off the Beaten Track

Cook presses forward ignoring the thorned vines that grab and tear at his clothes. This is the most focused anyone has seen the old man. He pulls out his meat cleaver and begins hacking at the vines to hurry his progress.

::click:: The pressure plate opens a pit in the hallway. Anyone walking at a normal pace would have fallen into the pit, but Cook's bad leg has him moving so slowly that he's simply tottering on the edge. That's when the bone darts shoot from the wall puncturing the already frail old man. He topples over into the pit, impaling himself on the sharp spikes below.

The captain has lit another torch, and tried it on the vines, but they don't burn. So, instead, she slashed the opening a bit wider so the group can avoid getting injured when entering.

She stares down at Cook's broken body and prods the trigger with her boot. "Why would they build something like this?" She asks no one in particular. "It makes no sense."

You guess she is talking about more than the trap 'making no sense'. Absent the compulsion that was driving her, she seems vulnerable and confused.

What do you do?

- Albert -

The temple is old, much older than anything people talk about these days. It is not to any god you know of.

• What signs do you find that you think indicate an affiliation with a 'deity'?
• What is unsettling about them?

The captain tries to light what is left of the wall scones, but most are dry and only a few splutter to life and give out inconsistent and flickery light.

• Has anyone gone near the domed pile of what appear to be branches but will turn out to be bones, near the center of the main room?

- Rook -

You find at least one other trap --similar, but not quite like the one that claimed Cook's life. They are not all that hard to spot, if you are being careful, but you have no idea how to disarm it.

• Where is it? What does it appear to be intended to do? What mechanism stymies your attempts to disarm?

Among the bones are scraps of clothing, making clear the suspicion that these are human bones.

There is also other detritus of normal human carry, including rusted weapons, coins, and even some jewelry. Nothing massively valuable, but it is still strange that none of this was taken. Surely even crazy cults would take this stuff while building a pile of bodies?

The bones that crumble under Albert's hands are not the first to do so. There is a thick layer of bone-dust beneath the pile, and the bones near the bottom are more brittle than those near the top... Actually some of those near the top are relatively fresh.

The environment inside the temple building is quite protected from the elements, and there is no sign of animals entering, and no indication of the bones being chewed upon after death (and no clear sign of violence causing the deaths). If you know anything of skeletonisation rates in these conditions, you could place the bones ages as between five and twenty years old --with the dusted ones being immeasurably older.

• How much time do you guys spend cleaning?
• How much of that time is spent collecting valuables from the coins or jewels?

Asha looks quite intrigued by the traps, and pays close attention to Rook as he works and especially as he explains them. The mention of 'corpses' causes her to hang back uncomfortably, which is obvious to anyone due to the sudden change in demeanor.

"Just 'bones', though?" She asks in a small voice. Those present at the time may recall that she was not able to help with the dead after the bandit fight, either.

• Does anyone do anything to help Asha?

The captain seems distracted and worried since the mind-fog was lifted. She follows along, staying close to the group. Her only words, so far, were to ask if we "can't just leave". But her question lacked conviction, and you are not sure she would actually abandon the work if offered the chance.

---

It really is a large pile of bones and dust. If you had a wheelbarrow it would take dozens of trips to cart them out --past the pit traps ... but you don't have a wheelbarrow.

• What do you do?

- Rook -

Being heavier, valuables will probably have settled to the bottom of the pile --though there is no guarantee of that, especially with more complex shapes.

• How much effort are you putting into looking? How much into helping clear? Getting the bones out will give you the best chance for a large score.

"Yes. I'm tired." The captain says, and sounds it. "I don't like this place. It feels..." She can not articulate what it feels like, but you all know what she means.

"But it does look like we are unlikely to be interrupted if we sleep in here." She absentmindedly picks up one of the old coins Albert spoke of, looking at it with disinterested curiosity. "No one has entered here in a long time." She agrees.

---

- Albert -
With Rook's help in avoiding any traps, you are able to investigate the altar area.

• What new information is revealed?
• How does this worry you in the back of your mind?

Despite Albert's words of assurance, Asha has stayed away from bone-pile, remaining quiet in the background.

The captain is not taking charge, so it is up to you all to arrange everything.

There is a vestuary off to one side of the altar area that has a --still intact-- stone door and no windows (who would want windows in a 'changing-room'). This seems like the safest place to bed down for the rest of the night.

• Describe where you each sleep.
• Do you take any precautions against intruders before bed?
• Do you try to arrange a watch? You are all tired, and have not seen any signs of movement in the temple in a long time. Standing watch might result in fatigue-related consequences tomorrow.