Man's Best Friend?

Following a break for midday meal, the bite marks on Riven's shin began to itch terribly. She removed her greaves to reveal a sickly black spider web rapidly tracing the network of blood vessels in her leg while the rest looked on in horror. She remained stoic while Theophilus and Zhuge applied their earnest but untrained healing arts. Kegho stood silent watch over the proceedings and Alexandru rustled around in the surrounding underbrush but failed to find anything useful.

Ultimately, Theo’s poultice of wild herbs saved Riven’s life, drawing out the venom while the acupunctorial skills of Zhuge temporarily relieved the migraines Riven had never noticed she had.

The party moved toward the abandoned altars inexplicably left by the conquering Rexan as a reminder of Vargus's reign over this land and paused to ponder their mysteries, but none too deeply, before mounting the imposing, but weathered sandstone steps toward the temple.

They reached the top of the rise as the sun sat low in the afternoon sky and admired the beauty of the surrounding landscape, noting the commanding view of the estuary where the river meets the bay in what had once been the bountiful heartland of the once-proud Nar. They then turned their attention to the despoiled shrine of Naeia. Theo lamented the state of a series of statues once welcoming, but now forbidding showing worshippers laying incense and gifts of the sea to the goddess’s feet.

The party vigorously discussed the best way to hold the door shut so they might sleep through the night, but Alex stealthily snuck to the door to listen where he heard the worrying growl and gnawing of several dogs. His mission to the door was successful but his return less so: he attempted to signal with hand signs common in Abrian back alleys, which only confused the rest of the party. In his distraction, he alerted the hounds, who swiftly set upon the party.

Kegho and Riven dispatched the first two dogs with skill that made it seem effortless. A third dog lunged at Kegho who kneed it away at the last possible moment while Theo swung a mighty blow to the empty space where the dog had just been. Alex threw a dagger tickling the third dog’s brain. Zhuge stood back, inscrutable. Kegho split the third dog like an overripe melon, splattering Theo and Alex with gore. Riven drew her bow, a prayer to Bira that the beast may have a mercifully quick death on her lips. The dog was injured, but still alive and lunged at Kegho, but a quick elegant movement of Zhuge’s hand caused the dog to be yanked backward, losing its footing and setting it up to meet its demise by Kegho’s axe.

A fifth dog appeared and the party prepared for another onslaught, but this one was wary rather than hostile. The party’s attempts to feed it, purify it and tame it were for naught, possibly not aided by the party being covered in dog offal. Riven, Kegho and Alex explored the foyer (foiˌā) of the temple, collected a few daggers and retreated outside to rest.

Kegho, Zhuge and Alex took the three watches which were--by Maya's blessings--uneventful. The stray dog curled up by the fire near the party and seemed open to learning to love again.

Sedinum, the 25th of Ikatrus, 114 post Refugium

The next morning the party began to press into the temple. Theo made a final, successful-in-its-own-way attempt at charming the dog into moving on while Riven’s tracking skill revealed that at least two groups had set up camp in the temple: Goblins to the left of the entry and humans to the right. The party lit their torches and made their way leftward to clear the Goblin infestation in the temple of Naeia.