While Al'tair and Daratas aren't able to make any sense of the murals, the pieces fit perfectly for Archibald. The images depict scenes from The History and Future of Humanity. The carvings focus on parables that feature Aroden’s 12 guises, meant to illustrate his hopes for humanity: the artist, beggar, craftsman, farmer, fisherman, hunter, merchant, scholar, shepherd, soldier, tailor, and thief.
Archibald's years of studying literature allow him to decipher 3 of the 4 legible murals as the Hunter, the Soldier, and the Shepard.
Ving can read the murals as naturally as any other writing, and easily deciphers the remaining mural to be the Fisherman.
The images depicted here are slightly different than the published versions of The History and Future of Humanity suggesting this might be an earlier version of the work.
The Fisherman is depicted hauling in an enormous catch of small fish to take back to Absalom, illustrating Aroden’s declaration that a great host of creatures could accomplish a great task, whether that be taming the wilds or feeding a nation.
The Hunter is depicted slaying a giant serpentine creature and then parading a trophy through the city streets—a sign to all humanity that the wilds are safe to inhabit once the monsters are slain.
The Shepherd is depicted herding animals out of a crowded city to the pastures beyond, just as Aroden blessed leaders with the foresight to direct people to the tasks and places that best suit them.
The Soldier is depicted bearing a lantern through the streets of a city, following the dead god’s prophecy that the vigilant shall carry light to the darkest corners of the world to banish the shadows.
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Being thoroughly stumped Al'tair abandons his musing over the mural and steps back into the center of he room. He seems about to suggest moving onward when the blue-flamed torches catch his eye. This cave has been abandoned too long for those to be naturally occuring. Perhaps magic..? he wonders. Closing his eyes he quietly focuses in the middle of the cavern to sense magic from the torches and perhaps gain a clue as to who lit them.
You detect that the torches are magical. From your years of study you recognize them as Everburning Torches. You also detect magic emanating from the murals and from the cave itself. Like a remnant of magic, as if the entire cavern was a wand with a single charge left.
Archibald grabs one of the torches.
When you step through the connecting the tunnel, the soft light of the surrounding fungus mixes with the flickering glow of the nearby torches to reveal a grand chamber. A large pool of water along the chamber’s southern edge reflects the blue and green radiance to illuminate the massive stalactites that cling to the ceiling overhead. Two other tunnels branch off from this area, leading to the east and west. Rising up from the pool is a column of rock with steeply sloped sides and a flat top, as if someone had sawn off the top of a massive stalagmite. A miniature city carved from this same stone occupies nearly the entire surface. Tiny trinkets such as ancient coins, polished semiprecious stones, and ornately braided loops of string are scattered throughout the diorama, and pale cave frogs clamber atop it. The smooth cavern floor is covered in gravel and pebbles along the edge of the pool, and several foot-long centipedes prowl among the gravel in their search for prey.
The city appears to be an intricately detailed model of Absalom, easily identifiable by its Starstone Cathedral. It seems to be an altar of some sort, and it looks as if parts the model city are being used as setpieces for rituals. Along the city's edges most of the images are scrubbed away, but runic depictions of a Fisherman, Soldier, Hunter, and Shepard remain. They lie with a faint glow.
You detect magic from the diorama. It seems to be holding magic waiting to be released, similar to a scroll or wand. The magic is archaic and hard to read, so it might be more complex to activate than a simple wand.
When the light illuminates the carved street of the diorama, the runic depiction of the Soldier begins to glow.
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Daratas wonders around the cavern. He admires the work of the city. 'I wonder how much this would go for? Assumming you had the means to remove such an artifact."
He begins to scribble in his notebook, after he fills the pen up this time. He marks notes about the find, and the strange mOSS of the cavern. Getting close to the edge of the pool, he fails to notice the long centipedes crawling around. As one crawls across his foot he becomes startled, jumping back and reflexively send a blast at the creature.
The insect shatters, sending bits of minute viscera and shattered chitin across the rocky stone floor. Besides the few insects scurrying away from their now dead companion, the cave doesn't change.
When Daratas moves the creature through the streets, mimicking when The Hunter walked the serpentine corpse through the streets, the rune of the Hunter begins to glow and the party feels of feeling of warmth, like a bit of benevolent magic is washing over them.
When Al'tair stands amidst the carved buildings, nothing seems to happen. The pale cave frogs crawl over his boots as he walks across the little trinkets that decorate the miniature city's streets.
Bob uses Daratas's offered gear and casts a line into the pool. It doesn't take long for a fish to bite and Bob reels the critter in with ease.
When Daratas drops the fish in the city, the rune of the Fisherman begins glow, releasing the same sensation of magic.
When Al'tair shepards the frogs out of the city, the rune of the Shepard glows as well.
When the final rune glows, the entire diorama lights up like a city aglow with lanterns and lights shining through windows. As soon as it comes however, the lights flash out, and all of the diorama, including the runes, lie as nothing more than carved stone. No magic can be detected from the cave, though you still feel it inside.
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Daratas smiles happily, the winds around him dance in a flurry to match his excitement. [B"Well done indeed team!"[/b]
Picking up his journal, he spends a moment making notes of the rituals. When finished he looks up the group. "This room would probably be enough reason for the myserious gillmen to venture in here, but who knows what other mysteries might be found. Shall we venture further into the darkness?"
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Al'tair looks down with a triumphant smile and plants his hands on his hips. As the magic goes out of the cave he nods. "Well done gentlemen. Indeed, we should carry on now to our mission's end The question is.. which way?" He looks down the tunnels leading east and west. "Flip a coin?" he asks, then does so.
"Looks like west it is! Unless someone has some better insights on dungeons and caves."