As she looks along the nondisript walls, she asks over her shoulder, "So you found no previous residents that needed persuasion to leave? That was most fortunate, but perhaps signifies that this is a dry well, as it were."
Jaru senses ancient latent magic - but nothing that has been triggered in some time. Most of the latent fragments are centered around the central pedestal.
Tarik is able to discern some of the iconograpy as clearly showing denizens of the lower planes. Their exact form is indistinct, so you cannot identify which type - but the styling is unmistakable.
Fresnic gives a smirk at Noor's question "No there were none inside when we came... but if you stay till night you might see why.... it gets unsettling." he is clearly watching each of you in turn as you make your way around the chamber. "So... see anything that brings light to the darkness?"
Setesh does notice that the circular depression seems about the same size as the base of the wayfinder.
Setesh shrugs non-committally.
"Well then, I guess we will just have to undertake a night-time vigil, then..."
Fresnic replies "Well if you think that the dark will shed more light, we may as well wait out the rest of the day in more comfortable climes." bidding you to follow him, he leads you back to his base camp and after barking some orders to the camp-boy a fire is stoked and food and drink begins to be prepared.
Fresnic whiles away the day with idle conversation, but does not pry overmuch... obviously taking your less than talkative nature within the ziggurat as a sign that you prefer it sheathed in shadow for the moment. You come to know that although he is of Cheliax, he has resided in Sothis for some time - ruin diving and thouroughly entranced by the prospect of recovering items from times past.
Loosely affiliated with the Pathfinders, Fresnic has been involved in mainly fieldwork for the last 10 years... but you get the feeling that this would be his first really significant find. His guardsman, Gorkan, is reasonably quiet during these discussions, though sees fit to add the occasional wry comment here and there. You again get the sense that they have worked together for some time.
As the sun collapses into the horizon, Fresnic turns to Bas'rac "You best make sure your beasts are well secured... we had a few bolters on the first night."
perception
Jaru whispers to Setesh, "Loosing their camels as a distraction is a good idea. Do you hear that keening sound from the pyramid? I think if someone should loosen their tethers, the camels might provide the distraction we need to activate the gate."
The keening is getting louder and is easily audible to all now. Your camels are starting to get skittish.
In the gloom, Noor creeps near the camp's camels and encourages their desire to flee.
Noor slips away and makes sure that the ropes securing the camel are loose and gives them a solid slap on the rump as the keening wail grows in intensity once more.
Suitably spooked, the camel break their restraint and start bolting away from the ziggurat. Tarik's camel, Al Fahl, bolts through the camp itself, scattering smouldering embers from the fire. Bas'rac, Fresnic, Gorkan and the boy-servant leap into action both ensuring the embers do not light up anything else, as well as moving out to gather the camels.
In the confusion the party finds it easy to slip away from the others and enter the Ziggurat without any eyes overlooking their shoulder. As you descend into the depths the keening wail is everpresent, and when you reach the central chamber you see wispy forms floating around on a non-existent breeze.
Setesh strides forward purposefully, and places the Wayfinder in the depression...
Jaru casts light on his buckler as he is staring at it and is momentarily blinded as his eyes readjust.
perception
As Setesh brings the wayfinder out, the wispy shapes swimming through the room stop and turn to watch. Placing the wayfinder in the depression it flips open and the red stone glows bright as it rises from the compass of it's own accord. The stone slowly moves from the central pedestal to the side of the ziggurat where a patch of bare wall has an almost imperceptible hollow for it to reside.
When the stone seats in the hollow, the keening wail grows louder and becomes more like a scream of anguish. One by one the wispy forms are sucked into the red stone, which pulses with energy as each makes contact. Then the noise ceases and the only light in the chamber is from Jaru's buckler.
The wall below where the red bauble seated then melts away before your eyes, revealing a brick stone passage in the same ochre color as the ziggurat leading onwards twenty feet to where you can see a wooden door in the flickering buckler light.
Noor braces herself as it seems the red stone might explode with each spirit sucked into it. She calls up some protection for herself.
The keening continues until....silence.
"Secrets await" Noor draws her blade and approaches the door. Motioning the others to stay back, she will examine the door and if things look clear, attempt to open it.
Noor reaches the door and can hear no sounds behind it. It opens into a long spiral corridor with a long mural upon it's side - though in the dim light you cannot make out much of the specifics. You sense no immediate danger in the corridor.
Jaru stays right behind Noor.
With no explosions or floods of scorpions, she motions the others to come along.
Assuming Setesh has the Wayfinder, Jaru studies the mural by buckler light.
Setesh follows, grabbing the Wayfinder as he does so...
Having been silent this entire time, Tarik breaks his stoicism upon seeing the very strange sight of these forms being drawn into the orb that had only recently resided in the wayfinder. "I think I understand why these walls are painted with the denizens of the lower planes now. We must definitely be on our guard in here. Let us move on." Drawing his blade, he peers about cautiously, but moves forward without trepidation this time.
As Setesh removes the wayfinder from it's sconce, the entry through the wall begins to slowly reform from the stone around it. The party quickly hurries through the portal before it seals entirely and begins to make their study of the mural.
It is only present on the outside wall of the spiral corridor and the first few friezes visible show what appears to be a devil born from a human woman, followed by an attempt to stone the baby though it survives unharmed. The friezes continue further along the corridor... do you all follow to investigate further?
Jaru follows the mural seiving through his memory.
know history
Setesh studies the murals with a critical eye...
Noor looks at the murals and wonders what sort of harlot would bed a demon to give birth to such a monstrosity.
Walking in a circle from the entry you see that the murals play out a story that is familiar to those of you that have studied history. It tells the tale of the Fiend Pharoah Hetshepsu. His bastard birth to a peasant woman, his rise to power and the partnership with the three other Pharoah to rule over Osirion and champion it to many victories. It does not show his fall, as the vault was likely sealed before that, but the final panel of the mural shows an image of the four pharoah reaching an accord - though each is concealing a dagger behind their back.
There has not yet been any writing upon the walls, so you have only had the mural itself to go off. The wall after the final panel is of the same ochre stone as the ziggurat... but wait, the mural starts again with the birth panel thereafter.
A realization dawns... the circular passage went neither down nor up, and you gauge that you have returned back to where you began... but the exit is no longer present.
perception
"I'm not sure, but are we going in circles?"
"It sure seems that way."
"I really am confused by this circle. Wasn't the exit right here?"
"Wait a minute; the eyes of the Pharaohs in the mural are actually gems..."
Setesh moves over for a closer look...
"Jaru, are they magical?"
"Huh, you don't say. Not sure how I missed that."
Jaru casts detect magic as requested.
Jaru's arcane sight shows that the mural itself betrays a faint dweomer, and the gems do not shine any brighter than that.
As Setesh's attention is drawn to the gems he gets a mild compulsion Touch them... see through their eyes..
Setesh moves forward, and touches the eyes of the Fiend Pharaoh...
As Setesh touches the eyes of the infant Hetshepsu, he seems to freeze in place for a few moments.
You feel exhultation as his birth brought him onto the world, though this is tempered by the revulsion of the midwife and disappointment on his own mother's face.
The vivisectionist then comes to his senses and stumbles backwards slightly from the mural panel.
"That was not there before...", Setesh comments, as he points to a red word in Ancient Osiriani, that has suddenly bled into existence on the wall...
The newly written word on the wall is "الولادة"
"Birth. Interesting..."
Setesh walks along the mural, systematically 'sampling' each set of eyes, to see what visions (and captions!) are brought forth...
The second panel shows the infant Hetshepsu beset upon by the local villagers with clubs, though the mural makes out that they bounce off his hide.
Transported as you touch the gemstone eyes, you are cowering on the ground as the village assaults you with rage and disgust.
Despite the fear, you feel a resilience and a cold fire of vengeance begin to smolder within you as the blows are resisted.
Noor is content to let Setesh relive the demon pharaoh's life history, showing no desire to press the next eye.
"An interesting effect certainly," Jaru muses as he casts comprehend languages and enjoys the show.
Panel 3:
This depicts Hetshepsu sitting alone as a child while the other children of the village are at play.
You get the sense of ridicule that the Fiend Pharoah had to endure while still young. However rather than anger, you have a growing sense that Hetshepsu felt pity towards those who despised him.
Panel 4:
This shows the Fiend Pharoah as a young adult defending against a barbarian attack. The claws on his hands are bloodied and he is tearing the throat from a human with his teeth. The villagers are shown in the background with mixed expressions.
Exhultation and adrenaline from the kill. A bestial needing and appreciation for the salty tang of the sanguinous fluid.
From the villagers are mixed emotions of awe, shock, appreciation and condemnation.
Panel 5:
The Fiend Pharoah leads a band of warriors in an assault on a settlement.
A fire burns in your belly as your warband attacks. A sense of satisfaction fuelled by those that follow you unto death.
Panel 6:
Hetshepsu sits in a low throne surrounded by supplicants.
Seeing through the eyes of a stern justicar upon his lessers. Acceptance of their adoration, but spiteful arrogant assumption that they are lesser.
Jaru spits out the unpleasant taste left after panel #4. "That was uncalled for... So now we have the Fiend Pharoah's story. Now what?"