Morvius did not look happy with this suggestion and the General frowned.
If you think it best, you may do so. But I believe an initial foray into the structure would serve our interests better. Albert's squad is at your disposal; I would suggest they be assigned to camp defence if you worry for our fates while you explore. My soldiers can hold this ground against harassment. What they cannot do, is explore that structure, apparently.
Ansha looks to the others of the Umkhaya. "I'm reluctant to go into a structure from which no one has returned without exhausting possible sources of information first. What do you guys think?"
"I would rather not seek the advice of any more well-meaning elves after our experiences in Freehold," Tebati bristles. "What makes you think this place was built by foreigners rather than native peoples?" she asks Arturus with a touch of defiance. "The Magaambya is even older and was built by Old-Mage Jatambe and his Ten Magic Warriors, not interlopers from another continent."
In response to Ansha, Arturus offered-
My good lady, if we thought there was any chance these local Elves or Halflings had actually discovered anything about this structure, I would encourage you to seek them out. As it is... it seems improbable they could have discovered it through the formidable illusions masquerading it.
Clearly taken aback somewhat by Tebati's words, the older man went a little red and stumbled over his words a little, flustered.
I meant no offence Tebati... erm... what is the Magaambya, may I ask? I can admit my scholarly expertise has mostly been Avistani in nature but I am always keen to learn more!
Ansha rolls her eyes at Tebati. Looking to Arturus, she replies, "I'm curious, how did Sargava discover its existence, with such powerful magic hiding it?"
The Mwangi General reminded Ansha of some of the details that had slipped her mind in recent weeks.
"A traveller stumbled upon it, a lucky twist of fate as he fled from the indigenous Elves in the area- his mind was somehow not fooled by no less than two powerful illusionary auras shielding the structure from sight; it appeared as a dangerous looking swamp to the casual eye. At great expense we have dispelled the illusion, but I truthfully don't know whats waiting for you. We have no way of knowing for sure how long it has been undiscovered. Whatever took the time to ensure this structure was this well shielded and defended evidently put defences in place to act as another layer of protection; and we've never had a man go inside and come back."
Ansha snickers quietly, giving Tebati a sidelong glance. "So 'well-meaning' elves chased our traveler through this edifice's wards. I don't suppose they followed him into the 'swamp'?"
The man claimed the Elves following him seemed to not see him at all once he entered the area around the structure. General Morvius said flatly. It was clear that the man was not impressed with the in-fighting and his gaze was now stern.
By this point, Qhude had began his tour of the perimeter. The stake wall was sturdy enough to slow down any attackers and force them to climb over it in order to assault the camp proper, all the while facing ranged assault from the watchtowers that gave vantage over the walls. However, the clear weakness of the camp was the terrain around it. The jungle here was brutally thick and dense, allowing an attacking force cover enough to approach to within twenty feet of the base camp, where the camp's workers had felled through the foliage. It also denied the watchtowers a larger killing ground. On open plains or a hill, this camp could be quite the formidable defence but in the jungle, more land would have to be cleared before it was optimal.
A bit reluctantly, she admits to the general, "She has a point. If this 'traveler' stumbled upon the edifice by sheer dumb luck, it beggars belief that those who have lived nearby for centuries have no record of similar sightings. Whether the elves would be willing to share their knowledge with mere humans," she returns Ansha's glance a bit archly, "is a larger question. If they are unfriendly, it seems unlikely they will volunteer any help, and if they have successfully navigated the pyramid due to their superior abilities and lifespans, any treasures within are no doubt long since plundered."
I meant no offence Tebati... erm... what is the Magaambya, may I ask? I can admit my scholarly expertise has mostly been Avistani in nature but I am always keen to learn more!
Not quite sure if the old man is baiting her -- what scholar worthy of the word could fail to know the Magaambya? -- she answers, "It is the oldest arcane academy in Golarion, established at the end of the Age of Anguish by Old-Mage Jatembe, a Zenj like Qhude and one of the most accomplished mages ever known. He and his Ten Magic Warriors returned learning and civilization to the Mwangi people after the Age of Darkness and founded the city of Nantambu, which still stands as a beacon of peace and safety in the Expanse, thanks to the magic of the Tempest-Sun Mages of the Magaambya."
Ansha smiles at Tebati, the edge gone from her words now that Tebati admits her point. "I doubt it, quite honestly. With another elf, maybe. With humans...." she shrugs. She chews lightly on her lower lip as she starts to think aloud, gaze drifting down and to the right toward nowhere in particular. "But the real question is whether they'd respond better if I looked like an Ekujae myself, or if they'd just get mad when the spell wore off. Assuming that they're Ekujae at all, and not Alijae or Kalijae...Which, if I remember rightly, they probably aren't, since Ekujae are more common farther north in the Expanse...."
N'bellocq spends these moments continuing to stare at the opening. Oblivious to the conversation, as he has been to a lot of the camp tension. He remains lost in thought until he nods his head and flatly states, "Arrow and rope"
He looks around wondering why nobody was agreeing with him. "If men disappear at the end of the passage, I send an arrow tied off with rope. Whether the arrow comes back when pulled and its condition might help find what is at the end...What?...That is what we were discussing, no?"
General Morvius looked exasperated at the talk of Elves while Arturus listened closely to Tebati.
The Ekujae are wild and primitive. We're not talking about ancient keepers of lore and magic here; merely dangerous and warlike tribes which we are better off not provoking. If they had any interest or knowledge of this place, i'm sure they would have made it known by now.
Morvius nodded at N'bellocq.
That idea has merit.
Qhude continues his circuit of the compound.
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Although Kieran remains silent during the conversation, it is not only due to preferring the more magically inclined members ask the questions. The half-elf, truth be told, is also more than a little distracted. The prospect of delving into a mysterious structure, a task that seems to have met with failure until now, along with not only the adventure and mystery that goes with it, but the treasures that might await inside? Indeed, his curiosity and anticipation at going ahead with it all can barely be contained, a fact easily hinted at by the look in his eyes and the somewhat wide smile that accompanies it as he thinks of such things.
The Ekujae are well documented as having a significant presence in the Laughing Jungle and although they are known to target the Aspis Consortium in particular for their enslaving of their tribal members they generally keep to themselves; when not raiding and declaring war on other tribes. The Ekujae are the largest tribe of wild elves, those who remained in the Mwangi Expanse while their kin fled to Sovyrian, the ancient Elven refuge and home world. They are generally known as primitives and usually prefer more martial arts than magic; wild Elves often mistrust magic and very few use it. Those who do tend to be natural paragons rather than learned practitioners.
Ansha winces in her rumination as a thought occurs to her. Probably shouldn't try to fool them with magic.... She looks again to the General. "It's true, they aren't as learned as... some of us. But I don't think that that rules out the possibility that they have old tales that may shed some light here. I mean, they've been here since before the Age of Darkness. And we elves do have long memories...."
The General bit his lip in irritation.
I won't expressly forbid it but I do feel that we have greater priorities on our hands than the off-chance that one of the wild Elves might remember something about a heavily warded structure that has apparently slain some of my best men. If the defences have kept out my soldiers, I doubt they have fared much better; assuming they were even aware of it to begin with.
He threw up his hands, apparently tired of arguing the point.
I'll leave it in your hands, but keep me informed. I'm going to tighten up the defences in case of more guerilla attacks. Arkus is around in one of the larger tents if you want to requisition anything; a fast rider should be able to deliver small items within a few days from the capital once the word is given.
Ansha smiles sweetly at Morvius. "Of course," she replies. She looks to the others of the Umkhaya. "So...How do we arrange a meeting with the Ekujae?"
"Wander off into the wilderness and hope they capture you instead of killing you?" Tebati suggests with a shrug. After Freehold, she obviously has little enthusiasm for meeting any more elves.
Ansha gives Tebati an amused chuckle. "Yeah....Assuming that wandering off into the wilderness didn't get me eaten by the local fauna or captured or killed by Mwangi instead of the Ekujae."
She looks at Arturus. "I don't suppose you have a means of contacting someone at a distance? A scrying pool or a spell scroll or something?"
Nothing so expensive, no. Arkus has scrolls of Sending but he uses them explicitly for requisitions from the capital Arturus replied while he examined his diagrams of the structure and various, scrawled notes, many of them disorganised and with a multitude of question marks scattered over the pages. The elderly Taldan was apparently keen to keep himself busy while the group discussed his next move.
Ansha frowns for a moment. Her face then lights up in a large grin. "So! Who wants to go wander the jungles and get captured by wild elves?!"
The grin falls away from Ansha's face after a moment. Her tone serious again, she says, "Yeah, me either. Arrow and rope, huh? Seems better than going in there completely blind."
Qhude keeps plodding around the campsite while the others chat...
Nothing so expensive, no. Arkus has scrolls of Sending but he uses them explicitly for requisitions from the capital
"You say you have magical means to communicate over a distance?" Tebati asks with a frown. "Have you used them to try to contact any of the soldiers who have entered the pyramid?"
The enchantress raises her eyebrows at Tebati--she hadn't thought of that. "It might be worth a try...But if they're dead, it would be a waste," Ansha says. Maybe we could use a Sending to contact an Ekujae and arrange a meeting. Of course, we'd have to know where one was, and they'd have to agree to meet with a voice in their head....
"Maybe we should have a chat with Arkus before we head inside. Where was he, again?"
Its the large blue tent, by the gatehouse Arturus directed helpfully.
"Thanks," Ansha smiles in reply. "If you'll excuse me?"
The elf makes her way over to Arkus' tent.
"It might be worth a try...But if they're dead, it would be a waste," Ansha says.
"But if we receive any response, it could be invaluable," she counters. "I wonder it has not already been attempted, General." She turns her attention to Morvius. "The expense is surely less than transporting all of us from Eleder."
"I am going to need supplies readied if we are to make the attempt right away.
N'bellocq will make his way to the supply wagons. He will ensure his quiver is full, and he will tie another bundle of 20 arrows together for wearing on his back. He will select a length of light rope, some candles, torches, and flint and steel. That should be all one needs, except if we get stuck.. He promptly sets off to the cook wagon to see about some food that he can pack.
Kamishah smiled smugly but shook his head.
Its all just a bit of harmless fun blown all out of proportion. I don't want to play pranks on anybody.
Ansha's further two attempts to beguile Kamishah also failed and uncharacteristically, he seemed to have little interest in speaking to the enchantress, remaining polite and civil but distant.
General Morvius nodded.
Of course, it was one of the first things we tried. We aren't sure if the soldiers are dead or simply unable to respond; or receive the messages. Arturus thinks it is likely that the outer walls prevent magic from getting through somehow, but I think the men have simply been slain.
N'bellocq was able to get whatever mundane items he needed from the caravan or the camp itself, including packs of trail rations kept in a small storage shed, while Ansha found Arkus had very little beyond mundane equipment currently in stock. His main purpose here was to sell anything valuable the group found inside the structure and giving them their share of the proceeds in either requisitioned items or currency.
Qhude finished his circuit of the camp, finding that not all of the soldiers seemed weary or having suffered recent wounds. In all, the General seemed to have somewhere around eighty men under his command. Eventually N'bellocq found him and told him of his plan and before long, the group had ascended the stairs of the structure to the entrance to the pyramid, standing a little above the tree line of the jungle and noting the incredible view.
Using magical light, the group could see that the entrance seemed to lead a short distance in a straight, narrow corridor before ending in a dead end. The face of the wall at the dead end had an obscure symbol upon it; one that Arturus had also been studying in his tent but had come to no conclusion about. It looked something like a purple sickle with a golden, eight pointed star held in its arc.
N'bellocq's arrow clattered against this symbol on the wall and he reeled it back in. Nothing happened.
"That's too bad," Ansha replies, staring off at the clouds. "I like a bit of mischief to my men." After a few more moments, she gives him a wan smile, stands and departs.
She is perplexed and annoyed when subsequent attempts on the man fail to produce any results--and indeed, seem to push him away. There's something off about you....
She starts keeping a watchful eye on him, attempting to eavesdrop on him and practically stalking him over the remainder of the caravan trip, and resorting to hypnotizing a couple of his paramours into helping her piece together more about the infuriatingly enigmatic Zenj with suggestions like "Whenever you see me alone and Kamishah isn't nearby, inform me of everything he has said to you."
Ansha is equally annoyed to discover that Arkus won't requisition any scrolls for her, flings her hands up in the air and storms off.
At the top of the pyramid, she waits with baited breath as N'bellocq fires his arrow....
Clang.
"...That's it?" she asks in disbelief. "General, how far have your men made it before you've lost contact with them?"
We lost sight of them quite quickly once they crossed the threshold of the entrance. Perhaps its another illusion at work; but I didn't have any mages to check before. We always lost sight of the men, no matter how many we sent. A lone scout or a full squad. Its like they just vanished.
Ansha nods slowly, thinking. After a moment, she murmurs the arcane words to a cantrip and her emerald eyes take on a faint azure luminescence.
Qhude is keen to show himself to be more than Jakob implied and takes the roped arrow that N'Bellocq shot into the darkness. Untying the arrow, he secures the rope around his shoulder on his left arm - careful to ensure that he retains free movement of the limb. Satisfied he nods at N'Bellocq before wordlessly moving forward. He holds his guisarme horizontally and adopts a guarded warrior's pose, but strides forth with confidence.
He keeps his eyes open for sign of the previous groups, and approaches close enough to the symbol that he might call back a more detailed description of it to those who stand above.
QHUDE, HALT! General Morvius shouted urgently as Qhude made preparations to enter alone. I've told you, people just seem to vanish when they get to the end of that corridor... We don't know if the rope will be enough to bring you back...
Ansha is unable to discern any magical aura from inside the corridor, but this is unsurprising if illusionary magic is involved...
Qhude stops in place and replies without turning "I know induna... but that was why you brought us, yes? You have been here for many days, and spent many hours watching... for nothing, yes?" Jaw grim set and resolute, though not yet moving forward "He who wants what is under the bed must stoop for it."
General Morvius grimaced.
You would weaken your allies by going in alone? If you are cut off from them and slain, they would have a harder time inside without your strength, do you not think?
Morvius looked to the others of Qhude's umkhaya for support.
"Qhude," Tebati calls. "We will go in ... but we need supplies first. I have been depending on being with the caravan or in town, before that part of a ship's crew. I am not like you; I am a city girl, unused to being answerable for my own survival. We will need food and water for many days, perhaps torches and other supplies. If you go in now and we later, we may not find each other. When we go in, we go together."
Qhude turns to face Morvius and his umkhaya, standing straight his guisarme now vertical and at rest beside him. He listens more to the Sangoma's words, but does not yet retreat. Thinking a moment he replies "Very well... but while we prepare, bring me a goat."
"You are thinking of sending the animal in with the rope tied around it, yes?" Kieran's observation is accompanied by a look of approval at the Bas'o's plan. "Clever, friend. Quite clever indeed."
"Now, if only we had a way to see through its eyes?" The half-elf lets the question hang, hoping for some idea by one of the spellcasters in the group or even Arturus.
Ansha shakes her head at Kieran's suggestion. "Arkus doesn't have any of the supplies I would need to attempt anything like that. Maybe the gnome will have some weird device that might work, though? Maybe you could check and see, Qhude? He seems to know you the best of any of us."
"This is not a task that should be rushed into," Tebati cautions. "If the symbol on the wall does not immediately destroy us, it is likely it will be some time before we will be able to resupply, and I doubt there are fruits and berries to gather or meat within to hunt -- or that any meat we kill might be healthy and nourishing. There are many deaths more merciful than starvation. And, truthfully, if we are to go into the darkness, I would prefer one last sunrise to commune with my goddess before being cut off from her winds and rains."
Ansha nods her agreement. "A few last minute preparations can't hurt." Not that I really want to be stuck underground for weeks or months or forever, anyway.
"If men equipped have gone before they are either living and starving... or dead and whatever food and supplies they brought ours to take." voice flat and relatively devoid of emotion "We can wait a day... but I would still have a goat if one may be spared..." clearly still keen on testing the hallway with live flesh.
"I can talk to Cru-Tho-Ni-Ax after if you wish..." unsure whether the gnome would have aught that would help in the manner that Ansha seeks.
Ansha shrugs. "It can't hurt. Or maybe see if he'd like to come along. I'm sure it'll provide plenty of opportunities for testing out his inventions."
She starts off down the stairs leading to the top of the edifice, toward camp. "I'll go see if there's a random goat wandering around."
"If men equipped have gone before they are either living and starving... or dead and whatever food and supplies they brought ours to take." voice flat and relatively devoid of emotion
"If the magic delivers everyone who enters to the same location," Tebati cautions. "Magic can be unpredictable. But, yes, if we find what is left of the soldiers' parties, they might have useable supplies. Or some might be still alive and strain our resources to bring out with us. General, how long after the soldiers went in did you attempt to contact them? Hours? Days?"