Setesh shifts uncomfortably at Jaru's comment.
"Actually, there are still a few more to go..."
He then continues to methodically 'experience' all of the murals...
Behind the others, Noor hold up her hand to panel 4, a concerned look on her face. But then she shakes her head...and in a whisper.."No...I am stronger than that...I am not the monster."
Panel 7:
This is the first panel to feature what you recognize as the other three Pharaohs. Hetshepsu is central upon a throne and the others are pictured as applicants.
Wariness and skepticism, though with promise of greater power. You sense that the Fiend Pharaoh mistrusts the Radiant and Cerulean pharoahs, and the Pharoah of Numbers is beyond his understanding.
Panel 8:
An army upon the march with the four pharoahs side by side riding chariots drawn by horses.
You get a sense of many successful campaigns with enemies crushed below their sandaled feet. The relationship between the pharoahs is strained, but effective given the state of war and constant fighting - they have no time to bicker.
Panel 9:
This is a frieze of the city of Tumen where the four pharoahs held court. They are on their thrones and surveying their subjects prostrate below.
This panel has the greatest feeling of contentment. Hetshepsu adored being held up and worshipped as a god-king. There is little thought of his companions in this panel - he is focused only on the worship of the lesser beings.
Panel 10:
The four pharoah around a table standing with hands raised in anger, and mouths open as though yelling.
Anger, frustration, umbrage, tiredness, and an inability to understand another's view. You get a sense that the argument is about something but exactly what is unclear.
Panel 11:
The final panel shows the four pharoah reaching the accord and holding daggers behind their backs.
There is a sense of utter finality, as though a great conflict has been discussed and resolved. The conflict between the Pharaoh still burns bright - but something has been buried that is a weight off all of their minds.
After the final panel has been investigated, the words on the empty space of wall pulse with light that is slowly increasing in intensity.
"Well, that was certainly enlightening...", Setesh muses thoughtfully.
His eye is then caught by the pulsing of the wall.
"Perhaps the way forward will soon open? Be on your guard!"
The pulsing eventually slows and the ochre wall ripples slightly as it fades to a become a liquid pool upon which the words float as tiny islands. A gravelly and deep voice hisses in Ancient Osiriani
Tarik muddles his way through the final message. "Our left hand upon his greatest triumph, our right upon his greatest failing? I am not quite sure where to begin. Perhaps he considered his conquering army his greatest triumph, or when he was worshiped as a god-king. His greatest failing? I really couldn't say. One like this might see his failure to subjugate the other pharaohs as a failing, I suppose."
"It all seems rather subjective to me," Jaru frowns. "Could it be thta Hetshepsu's greatest triumph and failing were one and the same?"
Jaru tries out his hypothesis by putting both hands on panel #9.
As Jaru's left hand touches the word for Pharoah the word glows white, but when his right hand touches the same he is pushed away from the wall by an unseen force. The words then all return to their red colour.
"Try the left again, I am going to push the second panel with my right. Getting beat down seems like a low time for such a proud one as him."
Again the word of Pharaoh lights up in white when touched, though as the second panel is pressed another pulse of force pushes you back from the wall.
"Pharoah seems to be his triumph. We should try Discord and Respect perhaps for his failing."
You get a distinct sense that Pharaoh is the correct answer for his triumph, but your attempts at Discord and Respect for failings both result in a forceful removal from the wall....
"Hmm. He loves being worshipped, and sees others as lesser beings. Perhaps his greatest failing is at a moment when he allied with others? Failing that, perhaps we should try something less obvious, like Birth or Rejection." Tarik will attempt to place his hands upon Pharaoh and Alliance.
Methodically Tarik attempts to match the triumph of Pharaoh with Alliance, Birth and Rejection in turn. All three have the same result - being pushed away from the wall.
"Alright," Jaru huffs. "He's probably just got too big an ego to admit any failings." Once more Jaru touches the Pharoah panel and waits.
As Jaru holds his left hand against the word for Pharoah, and does not move to cover any other with his right, the white light from the word slowly spreads to cover the entire doorway. It then pulses twice and dims, leaving behind a screen of opaque liquid in it's place. A disembodied voice states "أدخل"
Any attempt to push through the wall shows that it offers only slight resistance to your touch.
"Well done. Let's see what awaits us, beyond..."
Setesh then strides purposefully forward.
The other three companions see Setesh stride through the portal and disappear into whatever lies beyond.
Interested in what lore lies beyond, Jaru quickly follows.
More visions seem to await us, I suspect. I suppose I must move forward too. Tarik walk into the strange doorway, ready for whatever awaits.
Noor looks around, now all alone. With no evident problems visible she follows Tarik.
As each of you step through it is into solid black darkness. There is no light to be seen and no sounds to be heard. The floor at your feet seems to be well worked stone as there is no debris upon it.
Setesh:
You reach around yourself and feel retrieve your ioun torch - releasing it to circulate around your head. Although you can feel its presence, it sheds no light upon you.
Hmmm... Perhaps you need to have the vision granted by Infernal blood to see in here?
Shrugging his shoulders, Setesh begins to methodically 'feel out' the dimensions of the room, looking for anything 'unusual'...
As Setesh puts his mind to 'feel out', he senses his hands and arms stretch out before him as though elongating to enormous proportions. He 'feels' no end to the chamber, and neither can he 'feel' back towards the entryway.
Jaru pulls out his rope, "Let's at least tie off to each other before we go stumbling out into the darkness."
Jaru's words seem to almost float into the void that surrounds you. They are audible to the others, but somehow dimmed and muted. Retrieving his rope he is able to secure it to himself, and feels out for one of the others to pass the remainder to.
Jaru wonders if this is a spell or some other magical effect.
know arcane
spellcraft
Jaru cannot discern the nuts and bolts of what creates the effect, but the rules and laws of physics definitely seem somewhat off in the chamber. Magic has to be involved to some degree.
This is certainly odd...
"I am over here, Jaru..."
The sound of Setesh's voice carries through the inky dark and Jaru is able to sling the rope towards him to tie off.
Curious to see whether willpower holds sway in this realm, Setesh concentrates on what he seeks; the contents of the vault...
Setesh focuses upon his goal, the vault contents, and can sense that there is a tangible effect upon his surrounds.... but the blackness merely seems to solidify and become more 'real'.
Perhaps he was not specific enough in his thoughts...
Setesh focuses his thoughts, thinking of a path, a way, a direction. If this has a tangible effect, he then concentrates on visualising a door/portal/aperture, leading to the inner vault.
Whatever Tarik was expecting, when he wandered into this strange inky blackness, this resulting loss of spatial orientation was not it. "Hello?! Can any of you hear me? This is quite strange. What on Golarion has happened?"
Tarik is sure that the effect is magical in origin, but is unsure of exactly what kind of magic. The way that the environment responds makes it seem almost that you are upon the Astral plane, where thought can be made reality. Though gravity still exists to some degree, so you are confident that you haven't left the mortal coil.
Setesh's thoughts cement into a emotional push to stride forwards and the desire for a door has one appear before him. Appearing a short distance ahead of him it is a common wooden door set into what appears to be an endless wall that extends out both horizontally and vertically above the ground.
Nodding in satisfaction, Setesh 'wills' himself closer to the door, and then carefully inspects it...
If he finds nothing untoward, he will then attempt to open the door...
Setesh finds that with concentration he can maneuver closer to the door, and it quickly looms up before him. Looking close he discerns no lock, but is unable to open the door when he attempts the handle.
She walks but seem to make no progress. Her hands seem to drift back and forth in front of her.
Patience.....patience......do not lash out.........compose yourself....is this another test?
Noor hears the others calling but there is no sign of them.
"I am here Tarik, but I wish this blackness were at an end and I could emerge from within it." Not trusting her senses she instead pictures herself emerging from the dark chamber of her initiation but this time calm, and collected and victorious.
As Noor concentrates upon it the room illuminates in a warm white light that seems to emanate from her person. The floor appears as though worked paving stones and apart from the wall and door before you, stretches out to distant inky blackness in all other directions.
"Fascinating! What kind of magic could have created this? This is immensely interesting, to say the least. I dare say it is something newly discovered by our very own troupe. Or at least re-discovered, I suppose. No matter, let's get on with it, shall we? If the magic responds to our wishes, then I wish that this room were more complete, and that we were able to leave."
At Tarik's mental urgings the inky blackness fades in and out of colour and pattern. However he's unable to make his proposed modifications fit to the blank canvas. Tarik gets the sense that his will is unable to make wholesale changes all at once... perhaps if the thoughts were focused upon smaller progressive changes in sequence.
"Yet more interesting. It resists changes cut from whole cloth, but by making each step fit together, one can create their own ideal. Very well then I shall try again." Tarik concentrates more this time, attempting to create walls that form about the companions, as well as a ceiling.
Tarik is able to will walls and a ceiling into being - leaving the group in trapped within a room that has only a single exit. The door that Setesh forged is before you, no lock visible and resisting any attempt to open it.
Jaru smiles at the interesting affects and concentrates on creating a chest and key.
As Jaru focuses on a chest and key, a chest does indeed appear, it looks from the outside to be a carbon copy of the one that was within the Cerulean Pharaoh's vault - but not a key. Instead you all hear a leathery voice speak "منذ فترة طويلة تلك التي تسعى ظلت مخبأة لك. ما هو الغرض الخاص بك هنا؟"
Gathering his thoughts, Setesh replies: