"Ahem." Machi-e takes a deep breath.
"The layout of this room is not uncommon in spaces sacred to Irori--this room is the start of an Aspirant's Path, a series of challenges that form a sort of obstacle course. The process of overcoming these obstacles is intended to train worshipers in the various physical traits and skills Irori demands on the road to self-perfection. Although the precise nature of the challenges faced along any particular Aspirant's Path can vary, the first task is always one of observation. The actual entrance to the Path is always a concealed door that the aspirant must locate to even begin the trial."
He pauses and raises a finger.
"That means there's a concealed door in here--possibly one that the various grioth-loving miscreants occupying this monastery do not know about."
Cora nods at Machi-e and starts looking around.
It takes some time, but after a few minutes Cora is able to locate a secret door in the west end of the chamber. There are no traps apparent on it and no sounds to be heard through it, so after some preparation she opens it.
The room on the other side of the door has a 15' domed ceiling and no floor, except a two-inch-wide ledge that skirts the edges of the room around a deep pit. Cora can see the bottom, forty feet below.
There's a short hall continuing west on the other side of the pit. Nothing else is apparent in the room, though.
"That's...horrifying. Was something kept down there?"
Cora eyes the far side of the pit, frowning angrily at her shoulders as she remembers the wings that used to grace her back. "Looks like around 50 feet to the other side, about 40 feet down. Didn't you say this was a test of physical skill? I'd guess monks would jump across or balance on that tiny ledge. But since we're not monks can you levitate us across, Machi-e? Otherwise we can just climb down and walk across then climb back up the other side."
"Impressive if true. I don't think there's any way I'll be able to get across this easily. I like the idea of climbing down, though. I don't trust that ledge."
"We have slippers of spider climbing," says Lisi. "Each person can wear them and then attach them to a rope to be pulled back across."
After some back-and-forth, the party succeeds in crossing the pit. On the other side is a hall that quickly turns south, with a branch west and a corner turning back east about fifty feet south.
Cora points at the hallway. "Look. There's plenty of dust along the bottoms of the walls but there isn't much on the floor in the center of the hall."
"Tracks? Or something else?"
It looks like someone (possibly more than one) have traversed this hallway in the not-too-distant past.
"Someone's been here. Maybe more than one." Cora peers at the walls and floor to check for traps.
"If they made it through by sticking to the middle of the hallway, we can do the same." Cora proceeds down the hallway, making sure to stay away from the walls.
Cora finds no traps.
Advancing to the branch, the party can see a good-sized room about 25' down the hall to the west. It looks like there are low walls separating parts of the room, and there's some sort of debris on the floor.
"Let's check out the room over there. We can double back later."
Cora nods and proceeds down the hallway straight ahead.
Machi-e follows.
He takes a minute to look at the debris.
Ahem, he uses his Foresight to alter his perception.
"The fates are not with me today. Anyone recognize this debris?"
The party continues south to the corner. After the hall turns east, it continues nearly out of sight. It's hard to tell, but it looks like it could turn north again just at the edge of vision.
Cora looks back at her companions briefly before shrugging and continuing to the east where it turns to the north.
The majority of the long chamber around the corner is taken up by a large, deep pool of calm water. Irregularly-shaped ledges and an artificial island of stone rise from the waters. From the doorway, it's not possible to tell how deep the water is.
"Another room to challenge the Aspirants. These ponds were usually stocked with dangerous creatures. Perhaps we can climb the walls again, although certain creatures of the deep are able to leap out of the water to a considerable height," says Machi-e.
"I agree, Machi-e. I'm not one for swimming, either."
Cora looks angry- through she often looks angry- as she once again finds an obstacle that would have been trivial if she'd still had her wings. "Let's see if anything wants to come up and eat us first." She reaches back to take a torch out of her backpack. "Let me know when you're ready, I want to toss this into the water and see if anything jumps out."
"An offering of food would be more enticing," suggests the arcanist.
Cora snorts and digs around in her pack for some rations. "I hardly want to eat these things but if you think a water monster might want them, more power to them."
Nezos moves in to keep between Machi-e and the water.
As soon as the torch hits the water, three amorphous shapes rise from the surface and rush at the party!
Round 1:
Initiative order
Machi-e
Cora
Enemies
Gallius
Nezos
"Water elementals!" Cora whips out her bow and sends a glowing arrow at the nearest monster.
Machi-e strides forward and points at the greenish water elemental, uttering arcane words.
Round 1 (ongoing):
Initiative order
Machi-e-acted
Cora-acted
Water elementals-acted
Gallius
Nezos
Machi-e's spell-spun missile goes wildly awry. Cora's arrow, by contrast, tears through the teal elemental.
The elementals charge the party, leaving great rooster-tails of spray as they plow through the water. Machi-e's mage armor saves him from a beating, but Cora and Nezos are not so blessed.
Gallius is going to Channel Energy to patch up his allies.
A cloud of steam fills the area as Nezos chops into the elemental facing him.
Round 2:
Machi-e focuses and waves two fingers in the air, then slaps towards the elemental.
Machi-e connects with the watery substance of the elemental and releases arcane energy.
He then steps back slyly to observe his work.
The elemental proves unexpectedly resistant to Machi-e's spell.
Cora carefully takes a few steps away from the sloshing water and sends a pair of arrows at the one Nezos is attacking .
Cora's first arrow disperses the elemental on Nezos.