We were about six steps away from the top of the stairs, when that clumsy gnome must have hit a tripwire or pressure plate. All of a sudden spears shot out of what had been smooth seamless walls. They were positioned with seeming randomness from stair to ceiling and were spread along the entire flight of stairs, ensuring we were all caught in their assault.

Everyone was skewered more than once. Then, the spears retreated back into the walls.

"Nobody move!" Rick called out.

This was easier said than done as most of us were still reeling from our injuries. 

Sulin said, "Shouldn't our thief check for traps?"

"We don't exactly have a thief," said Rick.

This useless archer, who we'd rescued, gave us a look that said, what kind of idiots have I gotten myself mixed up with.

I called out to Aaron, "You think you'd have any luck?"

They looked at me as though examining the question for any insults. I admit I'd been giving them a rough time, but they hadn't been stuck in that shit-hole cave for hours on end, waiting for someone to unlock a door. Seriously, you try sitting in a closed room with a decomposing troll for more than fifteen minutes and see if you don't come out in a foul mood.

"I can try," they said hesitantly. "I don't have any skills for it, but perhaps my Finesse or Harmony scores might help."

Aaron made their way to the front, moving up the stairs on hands and knees, running their fingers delicately over the stone steps. They reached Jonathan and said, "Okay. So this whole step moves. It's sunken down about a quarter-of-an-inch. But the next one is solid."

"What happens when I take my foot off?" Jonathan asked. 

"No idea."

Everyone cringed waiting for a return of the spears as she lifted her boot up. There was an audible click as the step moved back into place but nothing else. There was a collective sigh. We reached the top with everyone avoiding that one step without any further incidents.

There was a small landing that we didn't all fit on with a thick wooden door. Aaron examined the whole thing. They even had Jonathan lift them up to get a better look at the top. But nothing seemed wrong with it. It wasn't even locked.

There were, however, four boggles stationed outside of it.

Luckily we were so amped-up on adrenaline, we reacted even quicker than they did. Jonathan, Aaron and myself were the first ones through the door, and I unfortunately found myself facing two of the ugly bastards. But they had no armor other than their hides, and I jabbed the point of my sword into one of their chests. Katie informed me it was a critical hit, and I did double maximum damage. But it wasn't enough to the kill him, and I was soon having to dodge his and his friend's short swords. Which was a lot harder when you're crouched over and trying not to bang your head on the roof. My next strike killed my wounded opponent, but the other landed a damaging hit.

More of our party came out into the battleground and helped out. Rick went to Jonathan's aid. Tanner fired off his electricity at the boggle on Aaron. And Josh came out swinging his staff at the one I was fighting. Soon, it was only my boggle still standing as it was relatively uninjured compared to the others. It got another solid hit on me, but after some more slashing and clubbing we put it down.

"Damn!" I said. "Why are they so tough?"

Tanner answered, "The were level five monsters. To give you an idea, that's the same as the Roc we fought. Although that had some boss bonuses. But still."

"Crap," Aaron said. "I think we may be under-powered for this."

"Speak for yourself, short-stuff," I said. "I would have taken both of mine without help. I just needed a little more time."

They ran a finger next to the bloody gash in my thigh. "I can see that."

"Fuck you, Aaron." I said trying to look like the wound didn't bother me.

The healers got to work and nearly depleted themselves, repairing our injuries from the boggles and the trap.

The chamber we were in was circular with only one way out. We moved forward with Aaron inspecting the way. The corridor seemed even tighter and lower than the other passages in this lair. Statues of boggles lined the walls and pressed us in. They were in various poses from screaming with a spear raised above their head to being on all-fours looking even more like dogs than usual.

Aaron spotted a trip-line, and we all easily stepped over it. But then, near the end of the corridor, they stopped and kept examining the same spot over and over.

"What is it?" Rick asked.

"I don't know how to explain it. My brain is warning me there's something here, but I can't see anything. I have no idea what triggers it."

"Well, that's just great," I said.

Tanner had an idea, and we all retreated back nearly to the trip-wire. She cast a gust spell at the floor, and a gale of wind rolled down the hall it reached the place Aaron had pointed out and a five-foot square of floor fell away. Aaron ran to check it out before it could seal itself back up.

"A pit of spikes," They informed us. And, of course it was!

The panel rose and clicked back into place. Aaron backed off, excited. "There! Wow! The statues. Their eyes are all glassy. I think it's some kind of motion detector." They indicated two crouching boggles opposite one another.

"Shit! How do you make one of those with medieval technology?" I asked.

No one had an answer. We had no idea how wide an area the device was watching, so the only way past it was to climb one by one over the statues. We got through and entered the next chamber.

It was like the inside of the watch tower without any floors, although doors appeared at various points in its curved walls. In the middle was an iron platform centered in a post that rose to the ceiling. It also had a long metal bridge sticking out from it like the hand of a clock. Aaron investigate and declared it an elevator. We didn't have a whole lot of option, so even though none of trusted the machine, we got on the platform. Aaron manipulated the levers. It was all trial and error and the ride was far from smooth, but eventually we started to rise without the whole contraption spinning around like a top.

"Where to?" Aaron asked.

I pointed to an elaborate doorway with lots of carvings. "Let's do this systematically. That's the next highest door."

With a little work, Aaron got the platform level with it and positioned the bridge at the entrance. There were no traps and no actual door, just a high arched portal. And I was happy we were entering another room with a high ceiling. It appeared to be a church or a temple and was mostly empty. It contained only one boggle. It was the first one I'd seen clothed, if you could call the diaphanous black robe with silver designs clothes. It looked more like a mage lingerie. She saw as and started screaming angry words at us in a language I didn't understand. It rose a short crystal rod and fired off a cone of small rocks that hit every one of us. Before we could recover, she shot a bolt of light that hit Jonathan in the chest, and she stopped moving. One of her feet hovered a few inches from the floor, and she was in the middle of raising a shield. All in all, she might have been one of those statues we'd passed by.

An arrow and a knife flew from behind me and struck the boggle. Rick cast a shield around us, and the rest of us charged. Tanner sent a shock spell at the priestess, and she retaliated with another beam of light that froze her in place like Jonathan. The dog-cleric struck once more before we could reach her. The paralyzing blast was aimed at me but seemed to deflect off Rick's spell. I pressed in close, driving my blade at her, not letting her use its range magic again.

Everyone surround our enemy getting in what blows they could. She reached out and grabbed me. A great cold filled my body and my Life Force dropped. We all struck the boggle again for another round, and it zapped me with a second icy spell. Tanner was freed from the paralysis (even though Jonathon was still locked in), and she threw out both hands and fired her electricity into our foe. There was the loud pop of static and the charred, dead body flew back into the altar. With the caster dead, the spell on Jonathan broke, and she was able to move again.

The cleric had her robe, the rod, and an amulet. But otherwise there wasn't any treasure again. Although Josh, was looking at the ugly idol these things worship and said, "Hey! The eyes are shiny, we should pry them out."

He was right. They were shiny. They were also rubies. "I like the way you think," I said. "When you think."

Sulin cried out, "Are you people insane! No body desecrates temples in Feronia."

I answered, "We aren't just anybody, sweetheart."

She shook her head. "Do you want a god seeking out revenge on you? Does that really sound like a good idea?"

I had to admit it didn't. 

Tanner spoke up. "Okay. So, I checked the archive and this is a temple to the goddess Garotha. Anyone whose species has an affinity with stone can pray to her and be healed. And possibly receive extra blessing."

Aaron asked, "And what does 'affinity with stone' mean. I'm guessing it isn't to do with having a pet rock."

"All the species," Tanner explained. "Have an affinity to an 'essence,' as the game calls it. I suppose it's like elements, but it doesn't follow the usual fire, water, earth, and air. It's more environmental. So for example, Elenians and Forest Sprites have an affinity with wood, and our gods would be those who are similarly aligned."

Jonathan asked, "So, who can use this shrine?"

Tanner said, "Just you and Ellie. Some gods are open to all, but Goratha is the goddess of molten rock, wrath, metalworking, and forges, and she isn't very accepting. She won't grant favors unless there's an affinity, and she might even do harm if others pray to her."

"Wait," I said. "So, what are Felinoids? What gods do we get to worship?"

"Gods of earth and sand. Which you would think is similar to stone but isn't. Humans have the same affinity."

Aaron said, "Sand. I guess that's because of your connection to kitty-litter, Mack."

"Fuck you, Aaron," I said, even though it had been kind of funny.

"So, how do we do it?" Ellie asked. "Ask to be healed, I mean?"

Sulin stepped forward. "You kneel before the altar and pledge yourself to the goddess. She will then judge your case. She might just heal you, but she may become your patron. My old party all did it before Feronia changed. And patronage gave certain permanent bonuses and sometimes gave you a requirement to maintain it. This could be a one time task or might be something like daily prayers. I don't know if things are different now that Katie is in charge."

"Well, I guess there's only one way to find out," Ellie said. Both she and Jonathan knelt before the red eyed statue and made there silent pleas.