Zey bows his head and rubs his eyes. "If you paid attention you might ask fewer redundant questions."
To Pai, Zey explains in slow words as if speaking to a dense child. "Each person that uses the tapestry leaves a link visible only to the creature whose journey to the tapestry created it. When you arrive look for a blue pulsing light nearby - that is the link. When you want to return, walk into the light." He pauses for a second in thought before moving on.
“About the Aspis agents - we only know they were attempting to establish a base of operations in a glacier."
"Our analysis of the patterns and shapes on the tapestry indicates that this is where they must be doing so, but until you go and investigate, we won’t know much more about their resources or any other Consortium threats to our operations within the tapestry.”
“Are there other threats? Possibly, though the conditions have changed significantly since Hao Jin’s time. The wildlife in that part of the tapestry probably matched the jungle setting from which the temple was taken, and the advent of an ice age has no doubt killed or driven away the original inhabitants. There’s no telling, however, what has cropped up since then.”
"Now, if there is nothing else, I need to send another group of morons to Bloodcove."
Knowledge Religion: Ragdya’s something of a mysterious deity. He’s most popular among vanaras, of course. But he retains followers among the common peoples of rural and wooded Vudra, particularly in the region of Sikari. As he’s a monkey-faced god and not a human one, priests and rulers elsewhere tend to dismiss his importance, so we know only so much about him here in the Inner Sea.
Sense Motive: Zey is annoyed with having to deal with what he considers idiots (pretty much everyone). You also suspect that he might have neglected the return instructions intentionally.
Knowledge Religion: Ragdya’s something of a mysterious deity. He’s most popular among vanaras, of course. But he retains followers among the common peoples of rural and wooded Vudra, particularly in the region of Sikari. As he’s a monkey-faced god and not a human one, priests and rulers elsewhere tend to dismiss his importance, so we know only so much about him here in the Inner Sea.
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"Well milady", bowing to Pai, "I bet you are right, and I would also guess that no other Gnome in the world has ever done it at all. I'll go first if you like, but if you would like to lead us on this new magical adventure into the tapestry, you could be the first for both.", he says with a genuine smile.
With the word given by Aram Zey, you activate the magic of the Hao Jin Tapestry. There is a moment of disorientation and the feeling of being pressed into a small formless shape, then a flash of blue light that brings with it a chill a fridgid air. You suddenly find yourselves standing on soft snow a short walk from the walls of the Temple of Ragdya.
Symmetrical and colossal, the brownish-red stones of the Temple emerge from the glacier, hinting broadly at the scope and immensity of the vanaran complex. Sinuous nymphs, mighty tigers, and trumpeting elephants—frozen in ruddy stone—encrust the temple’s outer friezes. Packed snow and ice clad depictions of vanaras in jungle scenes, creating an odd dissonance between the climate illustrated in the carvings and the frigid conditions of the temple. The wind howls, and muted voices drift from within the temple.
Even more eerily, a strange hooting and shrieking issues from the temple’s cornices and spires, as if by some magical or artificial means the calls of thousands of monkeys echo the sound of the arctic storm. A wide doorway stands unobstructed, providing ingress to the columned courtyard within.
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"Pharasma has remained silent about our mission, but I can assure you that everyone will be judged by her in the end." Maddie replied to Garinol's question before they entered the Tapestry. "It's my role to make sure that's later rather than sooner."
"I would have liked to learn more about this Tapestry before we entered it, but I suppose there's no time for such niceties. We'll no doubt learn more about it inside, although that's far from ideal." She adds, before following the rest of them in.
Once inside, she huddles herself together to generate some warmth, "This is quite an interesting juxtaposition--the cold with the jungle motif and monkey screams. If no one minds, I'd prefer to stay in the middle, or the back."
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Taking out his pack and dressing in the Cold Weather Outfit as they reform in the cold outside the temple, Garinol looks for the small blue magical orb, "I agree. I too, have some ability to heal, but am no where near as talented as you in this department. I will keep you as reasonably safe as I can so that you can keep us all safe when the time comes. I suggest that I stay close as well, with Ruford and Kilian taking the lead, and respected Elder and Haris on rear guard."
When he is done with his gear, he grabs his pack and begins to head up with the others.
I'd also like to check for any recent tracks, particularly human-like ones on the way.
Just like Zey said, a pulsing blue light floats near you. You also determine that it is stationary, as it does not move when you walk away.
Garinol looks for tracks, but finds none.
As you approach the temple each of you is reminded of other tasks assigned to by contacts within your faction.
Citizen of Free Andoran,
Having heard of the nature of your mission, we ask you to remain vigilant for impressed and unwilling members of the Aspis camp. The Consortium is accustomed to using captives for their worst work, and if the conditions within the tapestry are the same as they are in Consortium dig-sites and bases on Golarion, then we fully expect to find slaves to bent to their service there. But simply freeing them isn’t enough. We need tangible evidence that they are purchased slaves and not merely captured prisoners forced to work. Such evidence could be invaluable in changing the public perception of the Consortium in Andoran, and eventually maybe beyond our borders.
In democracy’s name,
Major Colson Maldris
Loyal Pathfinder,
There are some in the Society, myself included, who suspect some grander strategy on the part of our rivals. It’s of prime importance that evidence of Aspis Consortium efforts in the Hao Jin Tapestry be brought to our attention, beyond their overt goals of gross pillage and theft. Another team in the tapestry who came across the Consortium’s agents passed on a suspicion that some sort of secret alliance with beings dwelling on the demiplane might be in the offing. Get to the bottom of this.
Good luck,
Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin
Honorable salutations,
We Pathfinders of Tian Xia have long been fascinated with the exploits of the famous Hao Jin—just as Pathfinders of the Inner Sea are inspired by the works of Nex and Geb. Records kept by one of my many predecessors as venture-captain of Goka indicate that Hao Jin obtained a historic Vudran artifact in the century before her disappearance—the seal of a powerful maharajah named Sigurdanda Virgandya—yet this item is not among the manifests of the collection held by the Abadaran priests in her stead. I believe it may have been kept in the very temple to which you are set to travel, within her demiplane vault. I would be honored if you could retrieve it, should you find it there.
My gratitude,
Venture-Captain Amara Li
Hail, Striver,
Many are the divine powers who stand against the minions of evil and destruction. While the temple to which you travel is dedicated to a neutral deity, the Vudran people venerate many gods, and there are likely shrines to celestial deities among them. But I fear the Aspis Consortium lacks our reverence and has likely already pillaged many of these holy sites. Do whatever is in your power to restore any blasphemed altars and give the powers of good the respect they deserve.
Dawnflower be with you,
Ollysta Zadrian
Obedient Child of Kelesh,
Our wealth and power in the Inner Sea depends, in part, in our cargoes and caravans of spices and exotic goods from the far-flung ports of Vudra and its interior. But while we are the best positioned of all those who seek to dominate this pungent and rich region, these riches attract many rivals. Moreover, my associates and I believe that secret ruins and unknown rajyas may yet exist in Vudra’s eastern portions that might be still marked on maps or mosaics in this ancient temple. If you can quietly find such evidence, it would give us leverage to retain our preeminence.
In the name of the Satrap,
Trade Prince Aaqir al’Hakam
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Maddie nods to Garinol's comments, placing herself in the middle of the marching order. ”That sounds like a good strategy. Shall we try to enter quietly? Is anyone proficient with the discovery of traps? Do any of you have tasks to perform outside our primary mission that might require our assistance?” Clearly, she had been thinking this through.
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"Mine is something I would do anyway, as I would imagine you might as well. I need to rebuild and rededicate any alters and shrines to the forces of good that the aspis consortium might have corrupted looking for gold and treasure. I have little interest in politics, well most politics within the Society, so as long as it is not immoral, I offer my assistance if required to further your goals as well."
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"You all have my aid if you need it for your tasks. I've been asked to investigate what the Consortium's goals are here, specifically if they are aiming for an alliance with beings residing in the Tapestry. If you see any evidence of this I might miss, I'd appreciate it if you could bring it to my attention.” Shivering, she walks more quickly through the snow, ”I suppose it's too much to hope it'll be warmer inside.”
Your trudge through the snow up to the entrance to the temple. From there several means of entry into the inner ring can be seen.
Four columns stand vigil in this open-air courtyard, a wide doorway opening in the center of each wall. Before you, a huge banyan tree lies fallen across the wide bridge that once permitted access to the great gates of the temple. To your left and right stretches a ten-foot-wide walkway running along the temple’s exterior wall. A wide moat of black ice separates this walkway and the inner complex. 40 feet to the left the walkway ends, swallowed by the face of the glacier. To the right a crude wooden ramp leads from the walkway to the ice’s surface ten feet below, then continues 100 feet before turning left around the moat, and running 80 feet, before becoming similarly lost to the ice. Two steep stone stairways lead up from the frozen moat to doorways in symmetrical chambers flanking the main entrance on the other side of the bridge.
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"I had a friend come to a temple in the tapestry. It was supposed to have been abandoned, and like this one dedicated to a Tien faith. He said that while he was there, he was lost, he prayed to Holy Flame, (whom he claims is his mother), seeking guidance. He called on his healing powers to restore a blasphemed water fountain, and he says, that the deity smiled on him, causing a mystical Lotus flower blossom to appear. He had it "magiced" and wears it on his armored at the shoulder. Kind of a weird guy, all in all, but I wonder if something like that will happen here?"
Hidden within the tangle of boughs and roots on the felled banyan tree is a snare trap set to trigger whenever a creature moves across the surface of the massive trunk. A series of tiny bells have been attached to the snaring branch, which will ring when the trap is triggered.
Mu descends the stairs and steps out onto the ice. It's a little slippery, but frozen completely solid. From below Mu can also see that going under the bridge is impossible. The ice is too high, and the tree blocks the other side.