A Daring Rescue!

Having escaped the conflagration through the fortunate event of having the stone walls of the room collapse and snuff the flames out, the party huddled in a nearby room to tend to the injuries suffered by Kegho and Riven Telstandis during the melee with the dice-playing bandits. Brother Theophilus Chandler and Zhuge Liang bound Kegho's and Riven's wounds as Alexandru Croitoru and 'The Dog' used their keen hearing to stand watch for any ambush.

Fortified by consumption of the cave mushrooms, Kegho and Riven recovered from shock and the party elected to slowly make their way to the temple's foyer. After some discussion, the party decided to risk exploring the eastern wing of the temple, considering the urgency of their mission to locate Brother Tarn Zarotis. Cautiously making their way through the main corridor, the party attempted to open the door to what appeared to be the former abbot's quarters; however, since Kegho was still weaken from his wounds, the party was unable to budge the thick wooden door that had swollen in the dampness to become stuck in its threshold. The party then rounded a corner and came to a long hallway in which a large forboding staircase led down to a subterranean level of the complex. Hearing noise from a nearby door, the party investigated the room and came face to face with a horrific sight: surrounded by the multiated corpses of Ouranic Church clergymen, a young priest in bloody robes begged for his life as a large human warrior menacingly approached with spava in hand. Theophilus was overcome with grief at the sight of his slain brothers in the faith as the party engaged in a fierce melee with the berserker. The party might have fallen to the fury of the bandit's blade had Zhuge not skillfully employed his knowledge of Philosophia Arcana to shape reality to his desires and transfigured the bandit's weapons to feces (albeit for a short time). Disarmed, the bandit quickly fell to the blows of the party.

The young priest thanked the party for saving his life and introduced himself as Tarn Zarotis, of the Order of the Sea-Mother. The party knew they had accomplished their primary quest, yet there was no time for celebration as Tarn explained how, while he and his scouts were overcome by a party of bandits in service to worshippers of the dark Nar diety Vargus, who had entered into the lower levels of the temple complex in hopes of completing the ritual necessary to return Vargus to this realm of existence. And what of the Wem who are squatting in the lower levels of the complex as well? If the party plunged the depths of the complex at this time, they would certainly be outnumbered and, in their weakened state, would most likely meet their doom. However, leaving to recruit others to accompany them into the dungeon under the temple would allow the cultists more time to complete their occult ritual. Once again, the party was faced with a grim choice.