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With the assassination of the Song Pharaoh, Ancient Osirion declined into a period of self-destructive decadence that marked the end of the nation’s golden age. Fearing that Osirion’s culture, relics, and technological innovations would fade from memory, a group of scholars convened and swore to preserve these treasures of the past at all costs. The ruling pharaoh, however, did not believe the scholars’ efforts were motivated by a selfless desire to preserve the past for posterity’s sake, but rather that they were the machinations of dissidents and traitors intent on overthrowing his reign. Accordingly, he sent soldiers to scatter the academics and demolish that which they had gathered. In the face of this ruthless persecution, the surviving scholars fled and reunited at a prearranged location, where they created a number of jewels that could not only store their thoughts and memories but also survive the millennia. The scholars who bore these gems passed them down to chosen successors in their secret society, known as the Jeweled Sages.
The Jeweled Sages continued their work from the shadows, rarely choosing to influence politics directly. Nonetheless, their reputation as custodians of Osirion’s past made them targets of attacks by outside forces — most notably the Padishah Empire — that sought to sever Osirion’s ties to its glory days and more easily institute a new regime. Scattered by the Keleshite invaders, the members of the Jeweled Sages went into exile, buried their jewels for future generations, or sealed themselves away where they could never be found.
The court librarian does not know what exactly happened to the jeweled sages or where to find them as what happened was after his death. He can only tell you what he learned during his life.
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Cressyk heads back to the caves and further. He reaches a hallway. The arch around the north entrance to this hallway is covered with detailed carvings depicting the life and accomplishments of a female pharaoh. A charred corpse covered in flecks of glass is visible just inside the hallway.
dynasties. Two aspects of the carving don’t match historical records; the carvings show her defeated by the Pharaoh of Forgotten Plagues, whom she famously overthrew, and her being born in Shiman-Sekh, when she is known to have founded that city.
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With the help of Kiyomi and Cressyk Haemish detects a trap in this room which triggers when somebody moves inside. It's a Molten Whirlwind Trap.
Haemish has a closer look at the corpse. It's a male elf and seems to be dead for several years. His skin looks burned. Next to the body is a backpack.
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The backpack does not contain much useful but a broken scarabembossed
wayfinder and a single scroll. The body holds a pack of notes about the ruins and correspondence from the Pathfinder Society leadership. The notes record his suspicions about a trap in the hallway and that he had located a switch to bypass it. In addition, there is a letter bearing the seal of the Decemvirate.
Thanien,
Our agents in Qadira unearthed documents that were taken out of Osirion during the interregnum. They speak of an ancient group of scholar revolutionaries that were suppressed by the pharaohs during the Second Age. We believe we’ve pinpointed the abandoned fortress where some of these sages hid from the purges with their treasures. The documents say these scholars held priceless histories of Ancient Osirion, which we need you to retrieve and return to Absalom.
Assemble a team of the Scarab Seekers and follow the instructions that arrived with this letter. We’ve set up a cover for you as merchants and prepared a caravan that should see you close to the fortress and provide transport for anything you recover.
If the Osirians discover your purpose, we can’t have it traced back to the Society. Once you go in, you’re on your own. Burn this letter and the other documents once you’ve memorized them, and keep the information they conveyed to yourself.
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Kiyomi nods her head, a distinctly human movement which looks strange coming from a fox.
-Posted with Wayfinder
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This large columned chamber shows signs of past comforts, but an ancient battle scorched the walls and ceiling, and cracked and smashed the floor and columns. The remnants of furniture are scattered against the walls, and piles of bodies are stacked in the sleeping alcoves along the south and west walls. A dais crowned with a great, round table rises from the floor in the south part of the room. Three corpses sit around the table as if in conference, each dressed in fine silk robes. A slight breeze whistles through with a sound like a distant, murmuring voice, but there is no sense or meaning in it. An open hallway to the north leads to a natural cavern. Stairs lead downward in the northeast corner of the room, but were buried in stone when the wall collapsed.
This meeting chamber provided sanctuary during the fiercest khamsin storms. The sages lived in rooms further below, but this area was sealed off during the sages’ battle.
The bodies of the sages are seated around a large table, placed there by the Emerald Sage before he took his own life.
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"It is the duty of every Ulfen man to kill a linnorm. We are here to recover a powerfull weapon which should be hidden in these ruins." the big man says.
Herman confirms that this man comes from the north. In his hand he wields a masterwork greatsword and a shortbow hangs from his belt. His clothing is tailored for cold enviroment, with fur and decorated with jewelry made out of horn or ivory.
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"Before I return to my homeland I have to recover this weapon. I don't know anything about the weapon, only that it's magic and very powerful. " the hulk of a man answers.
Intimidated by Cressyk he does not intend to move somewhere. "Did you find any weapons in these ruins? I'd like to come with you if you don't mind. More eyes see more treasures."
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Haemish shrugs, "Well, I certainly can't see to save my life at the moment, so I could use your help. I wouldn't touch anything if I were you; it's cursed most likely." The halfling looks to the others, wondering what they think of the Ulfens' proposal. He sees Kiyomi growling and reflexively reaches over to pat her on the head. "There, there, girl," me mutters soothingly.
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"Legends tell that hundres years ago a powerful weapon was hidden in these ruins and I came to look for it and take it home to kill a linnorm." the man says.
Just in the moment the man finishes the sentence the room trembles, the brazier in the center of the table ignites with emerald fire, and the spectral form of the Sage of Plagues rises from the flames to attack. The Ulfen and his companions flee as fast as they can screaming and shouting that a magic weapon is not worth dying, or even worse, being cursed by a jewelled sage.
You start to hear words which are not making any sense. The Sage of Plagues seems to be talking to herself.
Kiyomi
Herman
Haemish
Cressyk
Sage of Plagues
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Cressyk snarls as he charges the incorporeal form, grabbing his falchion and imbuing it with the power of Gorum.
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Kiyomi stares into the lights an hears the hypnotizing mumbling of the ruby sage's spirit but nothing else.
The sage's spirit reaches out and touches Cressyk.
Kiyomi fascinated 5R
Herman
Haemish
Cressyk
Sage of Plagues -13HP