Perhaps you can! I noticed that previously a...looter, I suppose you'd say came and desecrated a statue in the temple - a crown symbolizing the divinity of Sarenrae was stolen. He left towards the direction you came and if you were able to find this crown and return it this temple would be in better harmony with its' history.
Tariq let’s the man’s words play over his ears as he watches the man for tells.
Tariq and Noonan believe that Zaid is hiding something - not necessarily something sinister - but the crown almost certainly isn't related to Sarenrae.
And you did find a crown in the spring on the body of a cultist that led you here.
Nooonan checks the bag where the crown is and shows it to his friends. Possible?
Tariq had been studying that crown since they found it.
”We have a crown, but I didn’t think it was related to the Dawnflower. Were you here when this looter came?”
Noonan displays the crown
Zaid's eyes widen.
Yes, that is the crown that was stolen from here! I am impressed that you found this thief so quickly.
He peers cautiously at you and, satisfied you had nothing to do with the theft of the crown, extends his hand.
Thank you for returning the crown! Our fates are apparently intertwined.
In gratitude I will give you something I found off his partner - a piece of iron that comes from a mysterious location further in the desert. And I will let you have a piece of treasure I have come across in my journeys, as well as the way to the location with the piece of iron. The cause of civilization would be greatly served if you were to find out if any more of these thieves prowl the dunes.
We are most happy to help a hard working man, such as yourself.
Noonan nods and hands over the crown.
"So if you were here as a traveler and claimed the ruin how did the looters get in and claim the crown? Also, why was the crown left here? It seems as though the faithful would have taken it with them."
"Do you intend to leave it here when you are finished examining this site?"
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What's so special about this piece of iron? I like gold better than iron, but if it leads to more gold, even better. Not sure how much we are here to help civilization - they ain't usually helped me much. But they ain't all bad neither. So what the heck. Dwalindor shrugs, fine to follow whatever course of action the brighter three deem prudent.
Shad just waits patiently...just hoping to get out of the sun soon
"Even the sternest guardian must sleep my questioning guest. And as I said, I will leave in about a month."
Zaid chuckles at the ranger, but doesn't seem to be lying about those points. He stands up.
"The iron came on the intruder and it is most interesting. Since you brought the crown back I can feel the hands of Sarenrae upon you my friends; perhaps she wishes you to follow her own designs here in the desert."
Zaid ushers you into the temple which is quite lovely - the mysterious wanderer has clearly been cleaning the temple of sand and working on uncovering the various carvings on the walls inside in the best Ancient Osiriani fashion telling of the laying down of the temple and of the intention to carve a city in the wilderness as a monument to the pharaohs and the greatness of Osirion.
In a corner a small collection of art work, statues, pottery and paintings, lay in one corner.
Zaid pulls out a piece of iron that he's wrapped in oil cloth. It's quite old and Shad feels the pull of the Outer Ones from the small fragment.
Zaid holds it up and smiles.
"Observe!"
He lays the iron on the floor and spins it - it halts pointing towards a position deeper in the desert. You know, somehow the direction it's pointing even though logically that doesn't make sense.
Well that is not a savory thing...
Hmm..Well we certainly can investigate this.
Zaid smiles.
I know not where it comes from, only that it is not from here. I have heard that sites of power can create attraction to pieces stolen from their grounds. Perhaps servants of some crazy god will come to find them.
Noonan notices something out of the ordinary in the pile of treasure: a strange triangular piece of iron with a gold feather engraved along each surface. Unlike the fragment that Zaid showed you this doesn't have the unnerving aura surrounding it.
Hmm..Lemme ponder this
Is anyone casting Detect Magic with that Spellcraft roll?
Noonan is. You look rather thin, are you feeling well?
Yep. From a wand but yep
”Hey you wouldn’t know a guy by the name of Bartal would you?”
The item in question appears to be some sort of mystical power source - although you are unable to divine what it powers it must be quite large.
No, the name means nothing to me.
[b]Well let us go search out this spot we were told of. Might be helpful.b[/
”Is that other piece over there related to this one?”, Tariq asked.
”It looks an awful lot alike to this one. Is it part of a set?”
”Oh, and have you seen the scorpion folk about the area?”
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Yeah, those there scorpion dudes are bad for business!
Dwalindor keeps waiting for the goodie-two-shoes explorer to slip up on something.
He grins at Tariq's questions to the man.
Nope, something I don't trust about people just wandering around in the desert looking for loot. Well, except for us that is.
As far as I know the pieces are unrelated - one is whole, and embellished. The other is clearly a fragment. As well you can tell the kind of iron is different from the coloring. And no, I have seen no scorpion folk wandering around this temple. Have you?
"Not in this temple, but in the desert, yes."
Tariq looks about.
"You are here all by your self? Or is your party hiding for some reason?"
Oh, I imagine I'll be here through the end of the month. If you return this way by then feel free to stop by.
You trek through the desert following the fragment of iron through the dunes. Sand blows across the tops of the endless wastes as your wagon trundles along.
Finally you come to a depressed basin in the wastes. An obelisk of black stone stands alone on the rocky desert plain. No markings adorn its perfectly smooth sides. At the base of the obelisk lies a still humanoid form. Its skin is charred black and flaking from its bones, and the tattered remains of its clothes flutter in the gentle breeze.
The aura of the Outer Ones crackles through the area. Clearly there's a remains of an occult master in the area, perhaps even having pulled the iron from the Greater Dark to build this monument. But why?
The condition of the body might be due to some trap
This is not good. This metal has come off from another plane. Nothing good is comin from this.
perception
Suck it module!