Zantka Oijampek makes no move against the party.
Insight DC18/Nature DC15
"I guard. No more. You may make an offering."
Offering..? Kia tries to discern what sort of offering is being hinted at here.
"Er.. Is there any service or something that we could help you with?"
Kia
Reason understands immediately.
"Ah. She wants blood, I'm afraid. It's an ancient belief."
"Blood? How tiresome." Arianwyn mutters, "Ours, or some other's?" he asks Reason.
Zantka Oijampek's voice booms again.
"Would you dishonour the Moon Mare by offering less than your own life force?"
"Oh, let's get this over with. Maybe by the time we finish all these inane tests the enemy won't have already won." Whiteclaw's annoyance shows through as she walks back to the pool, slices open her arm, and lets her blood drip down into the water.
"Very well."
Kia takes a step forwards, to T20.
"I'd rather you didn't kill me, though, as I have people to save."
Kia looks expectantly at Zantka Oijampek, trying to hide the fear she is feeling.
Zantka Oijampek looks impassively at Kia.
"You are a protector of people. The Moon Mare does not ask for all. Only that which can be given."
Reason extends and arm and nods politely as his blood too pours into the pool.
At Whiteclaw's words, the water thrashes slightly. "Do not slight the spirits of this land. We guard."
Arianwyn does likewise.
Vel steps up to the pool and, grimacing, cuts her left forearm with her dagger, letting the blood fall into the pool.
As the last drops of blood fall into the pool, Zantka Oijampek lowers her head and drinks deeply.
"Pass on. With this warning."
A tentacled hoof lashes out at Whiteclaw, lifting the gnoll into the air to dangle in front of the great head.
"Do not mock the spirits in this place."
Zantka Oijampek replaces Whiteclaw on the ground in front of the slightly open double doors and sinks below the surface of her pool once more.
Whiteclaw
Kia moves round to Aa22 and waits for the others to arrive. She has a look through the slightly opened doors to see if there is any hint about what to expect in the next chamber.
Mosaics decorate the chamber from floor to ceiling. The theme is equine. At the eastern end of the chamber, stands a glowing green pit, set into the floor and surrounded by runes.
Whiteclaw moves to stand next to Kia. "What's next?" she wonders.
Vel brings up the rear, as usual.
Reason closely examines the room from his new vantage point.
To Reason's discerning and perceptive eye, the chamber appears uninhabited by anything at all. The walls are filled, floor to ceiling with pictures which extend to the floor around the odd glowing pit. Green light from the hole streams upwards.
Feeling confident that he could not have overlooked anything, Reason strides into the room and examines the mosaic.
Reason sees that much study can be made of this pictoral representation of the Sun Stallion's union with the Moon Mare, the birth of their children and the dawn of the Kargzant.
Perception DC20
Reason's extraordinary eyesight, well-honed from hunting through obscure corners of reference books, allows him to notice tiny gold inlaid runes. The tiefling gazes in wonderment at the mosaics.
Arianwyn realises not only that the inlaid rune are magical, but that they are trapped.
"Destroy it!" Arianwyn cries.
He fires a blast of eldritch energy at the mosaic.
Priceless mosaic tumbles from the wall as the warlock blasts it. From the pool, in the room behind you, you hear violent splashing.
Arianwyn growls in annoyance.
"I do not take kindly to being turned into statuary." he mutters darkly.
The warlock gestures at his comrades to follow him down the hole.
Whiteclaw will follow Arianywn down the hole.
Kia goggles slightly and opens her mouth to comment before the roar from Zantka Oijampek makes her think again.
Following Whiteclaw and Arianwyn, she heads towards the glowing green light of the pit.
Kia/Arianwyn/Whiteclaw (once she lands)
You fall and feel arcane forces pulling you inexorably onwards in a direction you cannot really determine. When you land, you find yourselves in another chamber entirely. To the north stands a dais on which floats a misty globe. Guarding it at each corner are statues of Kargzant shaman.
Vel/Reason
Whiteclaw, Arianwyn and Kia vanish soundlessly from sight as green light cascades upwards. The pool continues to splash, the turbulence increasing.
Reason shakes his head sadly. Who would have thought that Arianwyn would stoop to vandalism?
Even as he leaps into the unknown, Reason realises that the original purpose of this chamber was to provide mediative focus for those seeking guidance from the Moon Mare. Over time, the function has become distorted. Once a level of acceptance had been achieved, the supplicant would pass without harm through the glowing portal.
You fall and feel arcane forces pulling you inexorably onwards in a direction you cannot really determine. When you land, you find yourselves in another chamber entirely. To the north stands a dais on which floats a misty globe. Guarding it at each corner are statues of Kargzant shaman.
Reason
Arianwyn snarls and dusts himself down. "Ach, there is nothing simple in this damned place."
"Did you expect simple from these people?" Whiteclaw says, her tone neutral.
Enforced transportation does not sit well with the gnoll and she lands uncharacteristically awkwardly.
Whiteclaw