The first floor of the Breath of Tonnigat tavern had been cleared out by the large ooze.
Most of the bottles at the shattered bar had broken, scattering glass across the floor. Red liquor mixed with dust into a sticky slurry.
Renato wrenched open the warped drawer and deposited the handfuls of silver coins inside into the Griffon Coin Purse.
Though this small sum was a drop in the ocean compared to the thousand-plus gold coins already in his purse, Renato took every last silver coin on the principle that he might as well take what was free.
According to Tristana, the monster had been summoned through a blasphemous ritual performed by a heretical priest.
"Those lowborn wretches dared commit such a grave sin, offering sacrifices to that evil god..."
The young cleric paced in front of the shattered bar, her voice agitated.
Renato ignored Tristana as she paced beside him. He crouched, picked up a scrap of clothing bearing an incomplete single-eye symbol, and shook his head.
Many worshippers of evil gods met this end. Some were deceived into believing their so-called "true god" was an omnipotent creator who could grant them power and wealth through wishes; others deceived themselves, believing their suffering in this world was merely an illusion and that eternal happiness awaited them after death.
Yet these summoned monsters, or "messengers," often could not distinguish their summoners from their enemies, nor could they be bothered to try.
It made no difference what arrived through the ritual-demons, evil creatures, undead, aberrations...
Unless they were well-prepared mages, most blind believers became these monsters' first meal after they descended upon the Material Plane.
"Calm down, Tristana." Renato stood and dusted off his hands. "They were just a bunch of cultists, not enemies worth losing sleep over."
"Though I don't