Kafar blinks and says. "If you could, perhaps, put in a good word with the Pathfinder Society, we would be grateful.
The two men's shoulder slump, and both begin to spill all they know, hoping for a good word with the Society for the compliance. "Here, we still have the topaz gem." Kafar says, handing it over, along with the ciphers and codes. "We planned on stealing money from the Consortium by using the fake reciept, then selling it to Angvar Branmaz, who you know as Grandmaster Torch." Glancing at Nefti, he says. "Now what? We've told you evetything, will you takes us with you?"
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Arovandeon hands over the antiplague to Kafar. "I believe this is acceptable. I will do my best to tend your ailments, but you will be minimally armed while in our company. I am sure you will be given the opportunity to prove your new allegiance soon enough, and everything you do will be well-documented and given to our Venture-Captains. Now, we know you have a map to the Sanctum of the Sages. Lead us there."
Kafar nods and points to a box canyon a little further along the trail ."It is right over there." He says cryptically. Moments later, Amenopheus appears, hiking up over a ridge and down to the party. Eyeing Kafar and Nefti, the sage says. "I see fared better than I, what have you learned."
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 hearing you answers, Amenopheus points toward the box canyon, moves in closer and casts a dispelling spell. The image of the cliff face shimmers, then 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 stone door in the mountain.
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With a grin, Loenor shows the way. "After you."
He heads up the stairs giving the two men nothing more than a shake of the head as he passes them.
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Both men shrug at Arovandeon's question and Amenopheus chuckles and beckons the party forward.
Following Amenopheus into the Sanctum, you see water gurgles in fountains set at either end of a 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 the party introduces or that shines in from outside.
Continuing forward, 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. Amenopheus nods, picks up the key, and tells you that the north door will lead onward; it opens as he approaches.
As each of you pass within ten feet of the crystal, you receives an empathic feeling of curiosity and inquiry, as though the crystal is trying to determine who you are.
As Izoki starts past the crystal, a bone white ray fires at the tengu, and he suddenly feels his movements slowed.
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"How do I pass?!?"
His eyes widen and frantically waves his arms at the Sapphire Sage. Izoki takes three deep breaths after a brief moment and imitates Amenopheus. He glares at the reflective crystal and calmly presents himself.
"I am Izoki Stoneclaw, an associate of The Sapphire Sage, and seek the Diamond Sage."
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Fästenhyme pauses mid-stride, waiting to see if anyone gets a pass or incinerated.
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Understanding dawning, the party introduces themselves to the crystal and allowed to pass.
Kafar and Nefti attempt to do the same, but both get the feeling they are not welcome and neither dare to cross. "Perhaps it is because you have the topaz gem." Kafar says.
Leaving Kafar and Nefti to wait in the antechamber, the party hurries after Amenopheus. Going down a flight of stairs, you enter the next chamber. 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.
Moving to the crystal door, Amenopheus attempts to use the key he recieved to open the crystal door, but 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:
At the same moment, the two statues nearest the crystal door animate and begin moving toward the party!
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Arovandeon studies the constructs for a moment, digging deep into his mind for the secret knowledge of their control. Normally, a creator would program certain commands that would allow them to direct them with thoughts or words, but the root magic was developed with certain fail-safes put there by the first arcanists.
You can gain control over mindless constructs and undead. Using this ability is a standard action, and requires you to make a Knowledge check against the target's CMD. Use a Knowledge (arcana) check against a mindless construct, or a Knowledge (religion) check against a mindless undead. If your check equals or exceeds the creature's CMD, you can give the creature an order that lasts up to 1 round. For every 5 by which you beat the DC, your control lasts 1 additional round. The creature's creator or controller can't regain control during this time unless it also uses this ability. If you expend one use of mythic power when attempting to use this ability, the duration of your control increases from rounds to an equal number of minutes.
Arovandeon charges the northern statue, but his blade skitters across its stone!
Izoki fires two shots, hitting with both! The first shot seems to be resisted a bit, but the second has full effect!
Arovandeon identifies the stautes as graven guardians. He knows they possess the typical construct traits as well being resistant to magic, and all, but adamantine weapons. Exerting his newfound power, he takes control of the southern guardian!
Rapunzel darts forward and strikes the statue twice, chipping away at it!
Fastenhyme looks around and ponders!
The southern statue does something and its movements quicken as it moves toward the other statue!
The other guardian lashes out with a razor sharp scimitar, striking Rapunzel, the slashing Loenor, leaving a nasty gash!
Izoki fires his musket twice, hitting the guardina and reducing it to stones and dust!
Looking up, you notice Amenopheus pointing at something in the room.
You notice that Amenopheous is pointing at the lamps on the ground. After some thinking and inferring, it appears that the four lamps need to be inserted in the statues, so they will shine upon certain places of the wall. Right as the statue begins moving, the last lamp is positioned and it ceases, standing still once more. At the same time, the Sapphire Sage is released from his imprisonment.
Frazzled by his recent imprisonment, Amenopheus apologizes for not fully understanding what happened and why, but he recommends continuing on before more of the sanctum’s guardians decide to attack.
On the ground, you notice among the pieces of the destroyed statue two gems. Studying them, you find them to be elemental gems one of fire and one of air.
Following Amenopheus, the next chamber. A broad, simple, flat-topped column of sandstone rises from a deep pit in this circular, domed chamber with a white tiled floor. Though no wind can be felt, particles of sand slowly blow around the pit as if circulated by a lazy breeze, their movement creating a soft, rasping susurrus. In this room is a Garundi woman bedecked in the style of an Osirian noblewoman.
She stands, bows, and with a warm smile, says. "Welcome home. I am the Diamond Sage. I must congratulate you on your accomplishments.
Amenopheus is cordial but cautious as he questions the Diamond Sage’s decision to remain hidden for so long, and he speculates how much more they might have accomplished in recent years had they met sooner. He voices his desire to rebuild the Jeweled Sages—a goal that he and Tahonikepsu share; however, despite this common ground, the two disagree on many nuances.
First, they disagree about the true cause of the Jeweled Sages’ destruction, which evolves into a disagreement about the lost order’s hierarchy. Amenopheus interprets the collapse of the Jeweled Sages as an unfortunate accident driven by outside forces, namely the invasion of Osirion by the Kelish thousands of years ago. Had it not been for this calamity, the Jeweled Sages would have continued to thrive. To Tahonikepsu, the invasion and subsequent purge of the Jeweled Sages reflects a critical weakness in the organization. She posits that, spread out and without a strong leader, the order could not respond quickly and effectively to a new threat. Amenopheus defends the order’s egalitarian organization structure as a key source of strength, allowing each member to act independently when needed. The Diamond Sage retorts that without consistent, decisive leadership, the Jeweled Sages will always be vulnerable and disorganized whenever a new threat strikes.
Second, the two sages disagree on how to rebuild the organization. Both accept that they will need to recover additional sage jewels and recruit new prospective sages. Amenopheus believes that the next generation of sages must be chosen from among the most learned scholars. Not only does this match the founding principles of the organization, but he theorizes that anything less than a well-trained mind would be unable to harness the millennia of memories within each sage jewel. To Tahonikepsu, the thought of populating the Jeweled Sages with cloistered academics might allow for easier retention of historic facts but would undermine the sages’ ability to actually use their knowledge to better the world. The Diamond Sage would rather recruit a generation of active and innovative sages who could act as advisors to powerful leaders, read the current events to predict future decisions, and participate in making history rather than simply recording it.
Finally, both sages have their doubts about each other, no matter how politely they engage in the discourse. From Tahonikepsu’s perspective, despite the Sapphire Sage’s talents, he has lost the trust of Osirion’s ruler. Although his failure is not wholly his fault, the incident may become a liability as the Jeweled Sages attempt to reclaim their place in Osirion. She also believes that Amenopheus’s insistence on embracing a failed model for the Jeweled Sages invites history to repeat itself. On the other hand, Amenopheus is skeptical about Tahonikepsu, for only moments ago she was a complete stranger to him and the Pathfinders. He has served faithfully as the Osirion faction leader for years. Ceding leadership of the restored Jeweled Sages to her seems like an irresponsible gambit, particularly when nobody knows of her qualifications, background, or motives.
Presented with such a challenge, Tahonikepsu takes a step back and reverts to her natural, draconic form. “I present my credentials,” she retorts. “Now we are strangers no more. I am a time dragon, dedicated to guarding history and time itself.” She says haughtily. "By combining my longevity,
cunning, and patience with the ambitions of a millennia old society of sages, the Jeweled Sages are certain to thrive."
In summary, Amenopheus wants to recreate the Sages of the past, while Tahonikepsu seeks innovation. At an impasse, Amenopheus calls a Convocation of Sages, an old tradition of the sages to decide the organization’s future with a vote. Each Jeweled Sage receives one vote, though because the party represents the Ruby Sage as a group, each of you receives only a fraction of her vote. Understandably, Amenopheus and Tahonikepsu cast their votes in favor of their own policies. The party can vote for either Amenopheus’s or Tahonikepsu’s approach to leading the organization, and in doing so you have essentially voted for the future leader of the Osirion faction.
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Arovandeon listens to the arguments of both Sages carefully. Before this moment he would have placed his vote with Amenopheus without hesitation, but Tahonikepsu has raised many valid points, some of which speak to his own personal beliefs in the process of gaining knowledge. Had he followed Amenopheus' example he would never have left the library halls in pursuit of higher knowledge. Yet Tahonikepsu is a dragon, haughty and prideful, and never challenged the ways Amenopheus was.
After careful consideration Arovandeon decides to support Tahonikepsu's course, though he does not agree she is the best to lead the Sages.
With only one dissenting vote, the time dragon is nominated as the next leader of the Sages.....