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The cyphers are important Aspis Consortium codes.
After a few minutes of searching both agents Herman finally finds the topaz sage jewel in their possession.
"What do you want to do with us now?" Nefti asks after Cressyk and Buri helped to remove the larvae from their wounds. "Please don't kill us, we know the way to the Sanctum of the Sages! We can lead you there!" Kafar begs.
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"You may think what you want, but we sold the emerald jewel. Check the documents!" Kafar answers. They have three documents: two terms of sale and a letter of credit worth 6000 gp, all three signed by a buyer named Angvar Branmaz.
Ghrezzd identifies the following items:
+1 mithral chain shirt
cloak of resistance +1
potion of barkskin
potion of cure serious wounds
potion of cure moderate wounds
potion of delay poison
2 scrolls of comprehend languages
+1 human bane sap
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"We sold the emerald jewel to a man with the name Angvar Branmaz, we know that The Pathfinder Society knows the man as Grandmaster Torch. We created a faked terms of sale, because we wanted to steal money from the Aspis Consortium." Kafar says. "We were ordered to take the topaz jewel to the Sanctum of the Sages to meet another buyer." Nefti continues. "They buyer paid us for getting the unclaimed sage jewel from the Pillars of the Sun and take it to the Sanctum of the Sages. That's all we know."
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Cressyk's hand moves through the wall and after a few minutes of examining the wall Amenopheus comes down the path behind you. The Sapphire Sage seems exhausted, and although any wounds he may have sustained have been healed, his clothing is scorched and torn. He deigns not to go into details about his recent travels, but he notes with grim satisfaction that the Pillars of the Sun are now a safer place. After having a look at the wall he mumbles a few words and the illusionary wall disappears.
Behind the seamless illusion of a rock wall lies the mountain pass to the Sanctum of the Sages. Beautifully engraved columns support the ornate entablature topped by a wide tapered cornice. The style hearkens back to Osirion’s golden age, and the impeccable design and craftsmanship lives up to the standards set by the ancient dynasties. A short flight of stairs ascends to a stone door in the mountain.
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Cressyk opens the door and steps through. Water gurgles in fountains set at either end of this crescent-shaped chamber. Fourteen columns support the vaulted ceiling, and the walls are polished to a smooth finish that reflects and scatters any light that shines in from outside. Spouts in the wall replace any water removed from the fountain, replicating the effects of a decanter of endless water. Much of the sanctum is sealed to anyone not of the order of the Jeweled Sages, so this room provides pilgrims and petitioners a safe place to take shelter until a sage might acknowledge them. A 5 foot wide passage leads further into the sanctum on the north side of the room.
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You move further into the Sanctum. The next chamber’s floor angles upward as it meets the walls, which in turn angle inward like those of a pyramid, creating a space shaped like a cut diamond. The walls are smooth and somewhat transparent, like foggy quartz, save for where three opaque doors stand to the north, east, and west. In the center of the room, a clear 5-foot diameter crystal hovers a short distances from the floor and spins slowly.
Amenopheus recognizes this crystal as a gatekeeper built to prevent non-sages from traveling deeper into the sanctum. He presents himself as the Sapphire Sage and announces that he seeks the Diamond Sage. The crystal briefly shows an image of a Garundi man walking toward the north door in the room, then a small, keyshaped sliver breaks off of the crystal.
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"Well, if they try to enter, they'll be killed. If they leave, they'll die on the return journey. Their only hope is to wait here for us to return, since they will have no way to carry water, nor any other supplies." With that, Cressyk collects the key-shaped sliver of crystal and makes his way into the inner sanctum.
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There are no traps and Amenopheus nods. The stairs lead down into a room. Two curved ramps ascend gently from one end of this semicircular room toward its northwest entrance. More than a dozen statues line the intricately painted walls, and all face toward an immense crystal that projects from the southeast wall. The statues are carved in the Osiran fashion, some bearing the heads of animals, and many holding objects like staves, ankhs, oil lamps, and scepters in their supple marble hands. Four engravings in the likeness of gemstones are set into shallow circular recesses in the floor arrayed before the huge jewel.
"This room both commemorates the accomplishments of the original Jeweled Sages and also serves as a final defense against curious trespassers." Amenopheus says.
The wall paintings portray many scenes of Garundi scholars carrying Osirian treasures, using architectural tools, surveying a mountain range, cutting gems, and receiving gifts from three supernatural figures.
One of these figures is Nethys depicted in an archaic style.
The others are Ptah, the ancient Osirian god of architecture and inventions, and Thoth, the god of wisdom and writing.
You identify one figure that appears in several illustrations and that looks remarkably like Amenopheus.
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Ghrezzd looks about the room cautiously then turns his attention to the statues.
"Interesting... this statue is Nethys depicted in an archaic style," says the elf pointing to one statue. He then approaches a second statue. "And this one is of Ptah, the ancient Osirian god of architecture and inventions! And that one over there, is Thoth, the god of wisdom and writing. Quite beautiful... aren't they?"
Turning his attention to the intrically painted walls, Ghrezzd suddenly stops and turns to Amenopheus. "Amenopheus... how old are you?" Ghrezzd gives him a puzzling look then points to the walls. "You seem to have made an appearance in several of these illustrations!"
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"I'm not as old as these pictures." Amenopheus answers "Although I found the magical sapphire almost a century ago. Keep the jewel, Herman."
Amenopheus walks towards the door. "Let's see if this key also opens this door."
Suddenly the door flashes with blinding light. When the light fades, Amenopheus is trapped within a crystalline prism like an insect sealed in amber, and the four oil lamps held by the statues have lit with bright white light. At the same time, a spoken message in Ancient Osiriani echoes through the room.
The configuration of the oil lamps currently illuminates two of the gem carvings with colored light refractured by the crystal door. Each statue holds a staff, ankh, or other object in one hand, but also has one free hand.
At the same time that Amenopheus is trapped, the crystalline door animates the two statues closest to it as graven guardians wielding quarterstaffs, one dedicated to Nethys and one dedicated to Ptah.
Each one of the four gemstone carvings is a different shape that is commonly used in Ancient Osiriani fashion when cutting four different precious gems: sapphire, emerald, topaz, and ruby from southwest to northeast. Common colors for these gems are blue, green, yellow, and red respectively.
The order of colors in the light spectrum is blue, green, yellow, and red.
Ghrezzd
Buri
Cressyk
Herman
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Guardian blue
Guardian red