After a brief search the group finds a high ledge up one side of the valley. It has thick foliage shielding it from three sides, and the fourth gives a good if somewhat distant view of the shrine. There's only one path in and out so it's easily defended. It's a bit a scramble getting up there, but once everyone's in place it's comfortable.
Over the next few days the valley is relatively quiet. The group sees some deer, lots of birds and once a bear, glimpsed wandering past the distant shrine. They hear howling at night, but no wolves trouble them. One of the mornings they even see a shepard at the far, base end of the valley tending to his flock of goats. After four tedious days of watching and waiting, the day of the summer solstice is upon them.
The group gets ready and heads out early, to ensure they make the short distance to the shrine before dawn. As dawn approaches, the eastern horizon becomes brighter and brighter. The morning sun can be seen rising in the notch of a distant mountain; its rays crawl across the valley floor and eventually illuminate the interior of the Shrine. As they watch, the sun's rays strike the gem in the hands of Mazda, which glows brilliantly. A new lance of bright light is emitted from the jewel to strike the second pillar from the north. The golden outline of a door shows itself there for a few seconds before fading.
Kievan moves to the pillar and attempts to find the door once more.
Rastavar moves in to help.
Kievan is able to take a couple minutes to search, aided by Rastavar and finds a small depression in the column. When he presses it, the stone rotates away, opening onto an iron-runged ladder descending into darkness. The thick vines that were growing around the column present a momentary barrier to entry, but a few quick slashes of a sword clears them out of the way.
Kievan pulls out his everburning torch for light, then leans over and attempts to discern how deep the opening is. If that doesn't work, he will cast light on a pebble and drop it down the hole, looking for any problems (missing ladder rungs, etc.) as it falls.
The ladder descends 20' to a corridor hewn from the rock; the corridor disappears into the dark towards the west. An iron lever is embedded in the rock at the floor of the ladder. Cobwebs are abundant and the air smells stale and earthy.
Octavian frowns and makes sure Bellator is comfortable before checking all of his gear and waits for the others.
"Well that's just perfect, after fighting our way here now, we have to let our horse to run wild, wile we go down a well."
"This would seem to be a problem. I'd not leave Vigi here, but he is obviously unable to climb a ladder. Would you be willing to assist in lowering him down?"
Once Vigi is at the bottom of the ladder, Kievan descends as well. Once down, he holds his torch aloft, then proceeds to untie Vigi. While the others descend, he does his best to reassure Vigi in these strange surroundings.
The party walks west along the corridor, stepping warily around the rubble that has apparently fallen from the ceiling. The occasional rat startles the group as they scurry from the light into holes in the walls. The tunnel seems to go on endlessly, but their lights finally reveal a blank wall before them.
"I dont like this place. My people were meant to be above ground not down in a hole like a rat." Octavian shivers glancing warily around his bow drawn and ready.
"C'mon lad, you did not get that medal by only doing things you wanted to."
Detect PSI/magic on wall GM
Once more, Kievan attempts to find a hidden door.
Onyx sees no magical or psionic auras through the walls.
Kievan finds two levers cleverly hidden behind loose rocks. There's one in the south wall, and one in the west wall.
Oblivious to the others Octavian shudders again. " Yes but charging the enemy in battle is very different than walking down here."
Kievan looks to the others to confirm they're ready, and when they are, he pulls the lever on the south wall, club at the ready.
The foot-thick stone wall trundles back on runners to reveal a simple 10' stone cubicle. Onyx's psionic vision lights up like christmas, displaying psionic auras around each of the objects inside. There is an archaic suit of full plate mail armor on a stand. Its sea-blue laquered plates are fashioned to resemble the overlapping chitin of a crustacean. There are pale cloudy quartz crystals embedded in pattern she recognizes as reinforcing defense.
Resting at the armor's feet is a large steel shield. Painted on it are a pale-blue upper half with sun rising from the dark blue sea of its lower half. The edges of the shield are studded with the same crystals as the armor. On a rack next to the armor and shield are two weapons. There is sharply triangular bladed longsword with a simple crossguard and wooden grip. The remarkable thing about the blade is the quarter inch thick vein of amethyst running down the center, and the huge spiky growth of the same crystal that serves as the sword's pommel. Hanging next to it is a heavy mace. Its foot and a half long haft is made of wrought iron, while the head is single a mango sized ring of amethyst. Both the sword and mace emanate a soft, pulsating, purple glow from their crystalline facets.
There is also a small leather bag on the floor near the armor's feet.
Onyx says
"Do not enter, that plate an its items are Psionic but there is some thing odd here. There is a chance this may be a protective device of some kind. We need to check they this place is not trapped in some way."
"Oh come now, they dont look that dangerous. Plus I have never heard of psyco whats it." Octavian says rolling his eyes slightly.
"I would not leave something that valuable laying around without some sort of defense and I've survived this long by suspecting everyone is at least as vicious as me."
Rastavar crouches down and takes a couple of minutes to thoroughly examine every facet of the entrance into the cubicle. Satisfied that its safe he does the same for each item in turn, none of them appear to be trapped.
"Octavian, try grabbing that mace."
Kievan casts detect magic and looks around the room, concentrating on the bag on the floor, specifically.
Once he gets the all-clear from Rastavar, Kievan retrieves the bag and looks inside.
Onyx stops Kievan,
"let Soruss get it, it will be safer"
Soruss will scury over and pull it back to the group.
Inside are 20 gold pieces minted with the sun rising out of the sea, and a small patch of vellum with a psionic tattoo on it. Onyx recognizes the power as natural healing.
Human skin and it it would have shown up as psionic gm
"This is a healing Artifact from Mazda, the other objects also have some power of his. Take care in getting them but they may be of use. I think some one was trapped in here wile looking for the city so I will stay outside the room until the way on is found, Soruss will go with you."
Not seeing anything that he is able to use, Kievan searches the little room further for secret/hidden doors.
Onyx takes to tattoo but not the coin and moves it to her skin.
Kievan finds nothing else in the cubicle. The hidden door leading to the west remains unopened though.
Hm, there is nothing of use for me. The armor and shield would hinder my used fighting style and I'm used to fight with a more elegant sword than this.
"Let me see that sword," Rastavar said with a slightly greed look in his eye.
Octavian eyes the armor but immediately dismisses it by being entirely too cumbersome for himself. "I could use the shield. I was trained to use one in my days with the legion. Kievan could you use that mace there? Seems a shame to leave it."
Kievan shakes his head. "I feel I will likely have better luck with my shillelagh, but if nobody else can use it, I could take it for when I have nothing else."
Rastavar picks up the spatha and gives it a few experimental swings. "Lighter than what I usually use but still a nice blade."