Chapter 2: The Crucible of Freya

The archers watch in amazement as both of Datura's arrows slam into the back of the fleeing orc and it howls in pain, but gasp as it continues to flee. They rush to the chapel and draw their short blades. Outflanked, the remaining orc dies swiftly and without mercy. The chapel is quiet except for a quiet thump in the back room from where the Orc-Priest had emerged.

End of Combat

"Haste!" rasps Ryenne, as she slumps into the desecrated pew, her mace clanking to the floor beside her. Strength ebbed from her body, in contrast to how it had flowed a moment before.

"Haste." she rasps, a little weaker this time. "More of them await us beyond!" she points a feeble finger at the sound of thumping.

Nebbleshuven crouches down by Ryenne, dismayed by her wounds, yet amazed by her strength. "You need to conserve your strength." He calls out to the others, "Is anyone here capable of mending her wounds?"

After she insists that the thumping sound is more orcs, he replies, "I don't believe so. They would've joined their priest in combat. The chapel abuts the outer wall of the keep. But we will go investigate."

He draws his sword and looks to Datura and the guards for an indication that they'll be joining him. He then proceeds cautiously to the back of the chapel to investigate the source of the thumping.

Datura, her face entirely serious now, nocks another arrow and nods to Nebbleshuven that she is ready to follow...

Ryenne grabs for her mace, and lurches unsteadily to her feet.

"Even still, be ready…" she warns, her eyes going to the angelic statue once again, though not of her own volition.

Behind the curtain lies a room that was originally for whatever priest had lived here. Lately, the orc-priest had taken to residing here, and many crude texts are scrawled across the walls. Across from the door is a chest of poor design and even worse wear; it has no lock. A destroyed bedframe with crudely reformed bedding sits in one corner, while in another corner are two bound and gagged figures; a human and a dwarf. Both are stripped of their armor and weapons, and are covered in ink and blood texts and lines that mark them as sacrifices to Orcus.

Nebbleshuven removes their gags and then unties them.

It feels to Kariantha like she's spent the last span of time doing nothing more than racing up and down stairs and ladders, than speeding among the parapets, looking for an angle, some means to rain her darts down on their foes. She has tucked her weapons away by the time she rejoins the group, and she tries to tend to Ryenne as best she can -- cleaning and bandaging the woman's wounds at least. Kari is no healer, but she can follow the tough cleric's instructions well enough.

She explores the chapel with the others, but hangs back, wary, wanting to make sure no trap is about to be sprung if the pair is released.

Wincing as her wounds are bound, Ryenne warns:

"We shouldn’t wait long. There was a priest… a foul one." she coughs, and his face swims up into her vision.

"He knows we are here. He can probably guess where we are from, and he may plot against the town in our absence…"

Finally free from the gag and ropes the human gives a thankful look to his liberator.
"Thanks, your help is most welcome. Without your intervention we would most likely have been gone before nightfall."
He stand up and extends a hand "The name's Eldon"

Nebbleshuven grasps the man's hand. "Nebbleshuven. The little one behind me is Datura, a master archer. I don't wish to rush you, but we have a wounded cleric and another dead. The foul priest escaped, possibly returning with reinforcements. So we need to go. Now. Do you have any gear and any idea where it might be stashed?"

Since it seems that the others have the situation in hand, Datura sets about looking for plunder in the pockets of the dead and the surrounding area...

As soon as the dwarf is let go, he stands up and curses towards the creatures that captured them.

"That priest deserves a most foul end to it's existence and if ever given the chance I would love to be the one that does it. We were being set up for something until you arrived. Bless your souls comrades for getting here time." He thanked the group.

"I'm not sure where they put our stuff, couldn't be far from here though. The names Kurin, now lets go find it so I can help get us out of here."

"Those dwarves proved themselves worthy of a gold coin, didn’t they?" Ryenne scoffs, hurting her ribs in the process.

She stands, slightly wobbly on her feet, but upright! "I’ll be alright in a moment. Let’s depart!"

To Ryenne: "Well, let's hope that our friend here comes from more honorable bones than that quartet that helped us."

"Let's not forget to check that chest. Perhaps we can find enough coin to provide for a proper healing for Ryenne and a proper burial for Galdar."

If a search of the chapel for their gear proves fruitless, Nebbleshuven will bring them outside and ask, "Where were you stripped of your gear? We'd rather not spend the entire night uncovering every stone in this place."

As Datura searches the nearby bodies and the room, she finds 12 gold coins and 48 silver pieces... and discovers that the chest contains the goods of the two newly-freed adventurers. There are also plenty of arrows to go around, as most of the orcs were equipped with shortbows and shortswords... not that they did the pig-faced orcs and good.

Nebbleshuven chuckles. "Leave it to Datura. Thank you."

To Kurin and Eldon: "I'll leave you to gear up."

He leaves the liberated prisoners and walks over to Galdar's body. "Can anyone give me a hand? We need to get Galdar out of this place." He looks around to find a some boards to make a stretcher. He'll use his javelin if he has to.

"Pass me one of Freya’s potions, and I’ll help you carry the man anywhere you need." Ryenne barters. "How many orcs do you suppose you saw in all your time here?" she asks the two, her wits sharpening once more.

Making his way torwards the chest Eldon tries yo answer the Ryenne's best he can.

Its hard to say for sure was unconcious most of the way and only woke up in that ugly shaman's place . As for a number... Never saw more than 2-3 pig-faced at a time.

Putting his armor and gear he asks " What have you come here for. I somehow doubt you are a rescue party for us specifically?"