Saruna rattles off what she knows...
"The sages created this repository for material relics and physical records of the sages’ traditions—preparing for the eventuality that most of the sage jewels would become scattered, lost, or otherwise inaccessible. However, during the early days of the Qadiran
takeover, the sage who was responsible for this wing became increasingly isolated from his brethren, searching desperately for a way to survive the Qadiran purge of Osirian resistance. He disappeared deep into the Pillars of the Sun for months at a time, and although he never found the actual tomb of An-Hepsu XI, the infamous Pharaoh of No Rain, he did decipher elements of the pharaoh’s immortality rituals. Shortly after he completed his research and performing these rites, the group of inevitables attacked the sanctum. The sage gathered as many of the relics as he could during the assault, sealed the complex, and fled, leaving the machine-like outsiders and Badru and me trapped within.
She turns to Noisy as if perceiving his mind.
The beacon may be able to find the Amethyst Sage. I never had the chance to try to hunt...I mean find him.
You can tell she still harbors hatred for her former master
She turns to Luisila.
I had an offer to help this young man (Savage) with some research. Who knows what fate holds for me. Anywhere far from here.
The bead is a bead of force and glasses are minute seeing
There is not much left to check down here. Luisila has cited a few other places, a tunnel and Saruna's chambers. Which she will visit once the decision is made to leave.
San Xiao predicts Tahonikepsu arrive to unlock the vault in a couple hours. So there is time to do some cataloging etc.
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Luisila looks shrewdly at Saruna as she quotes the sphinx. “‘Fled or dead? One way to know: seek out the library and the beacon below.’”
“Except we DON'T KNOW yet, right? About what happened to the Amethyst Sage and the Pharaoh of No Rain, I mean.”
“We have found the books and stuff they might have used, but not what became of them …”
She turns excitedly to the others. “San Xiao, do you want to ask the Beacon what became of our elusive quarries?”
Assuming someone checks for the missing amethyst sage....
The sand shows the sage jewel set in a strange device next to a humanoid figure with no discernible facial features. The person startles and stares at the scrying sensor before the gritty tableau collapses. The alignment of the stars suggests the amethyst sage jewel is somewhere in Katapesh or northern Nex.
Eventually Tahonikepsu arrives and unlocks the vault.
Greetings Pathfinders. How went the effort to catalog the vault?
She marvels at the account as rediscovering the hidden library, the Crystal Beacon, and the Sky Vault of Ra not only secures a significant repository of ancient knowledge but also prevents the Amethyst Sage from spiriting away more relics.
Fascinating account. And Badru and Saruna alive after all this time? And the Amethyst Sage missing with several rare objects? Amazing. With time and care, I might be able to repair the beacon and use it to locate the other wayward sage jewels. I must compliment you on your resourcefulness, particularly with regards to the flawed sage jewel.
She pauses and continues.
The actions of the Amethyst Sage trouble me greatly, she muses aloud
I wonder if other sages might have also survived the Qadiran attacks and either passed their knowledge on to proteges or secured exceptional longevity. Either way, your efforts may have drawn the attention of the current bearer of the amethyst, and that sage might contact me and return to the order.
Saruna interrupts her at this point.
I demand you, Tahonikepsu, to lift my geas and grant me freedom from the curse by a member of your order.
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Noisy chuckles. "Do not mind Saruna. Centuries trapped in there have made her a little understandably testy."
"But she's dealt fairly with us." He grimaces slightly. "After a slightly rocky start."
"She was horribly wronged by your Amethyst Sage. If it's only a geas that holds here here now, then I too say get rid of it. Let her be free of all of this."
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Conan listens with his red brows drawn together.
"I believe no thinking creature should be chained, and that Lady Saruna was wronged. But that said, can we countenance her inevitable hunt and destruction of the Amethyst Sage? She, uh.... seems very... vindictive," he says in a stage whisper to his colleagues.
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“I dunno, Conan. If someone locked me up for a thousand years there’s no telling what I might think or do before I went loopier than the Eye of Abendego.”
The priestess *shrugs* “I’m glad it’s someone with the wisdom of the Diamond Sage that gets to make the final decision.”
I must compliment you on your resourcefulness, particularly with regards to the flawed sage jewel.
“Thank-you, Sharifa.” Luisila bows to their patron. “Even though Badru was performing some pretty twisted experiments, in hindsight it still kinda sux that we had to kill him for his heart.”
“Makes for something of a *ahem* hollow victory.”
She *winks* at the bardbarian. “Are you writing these down, O’Brien?”
I demand you, Tahonikepsu, to lift my geas and grant me freedom from the curse by a member of your order.
Luisila *facepalms* before again bowing low to the Diamond Sage.
When the priestess rises again, she is still grimacing. “My Lady, you know how one can occasionally have a bad day or week? Well, Saruna’s had a bad millennium.”
In time, with your description on how Saruna helped save the beacon, Tahonikepsu complies by lifting the geas and allows the sphinx to depart, albeit with some reservations about losing an ally from a past age.
Saruna thanks you for her freedom and former form.
Pathfinders, I owe this all to your efforts. As I cannot be more jubilant to be free of this curse inflicted upon me by the Amethyst Sage. Revenge may not be mine today, but freedom is precious indeed.
I will join Savage Noble at his request for research aid.
I hope my knowledge will be put to good use in the world.
Tahonikepsu looks to each of you with a smile and bow.
You have earned our gratitude. Please relay to Venture-Captain Norden Balentiir we will definitely continue the partnership that began with Amenopheus. Farewell.
+++
A few days later, you are summoned to an audience with Venture-Captain Norden Balentiir in his office.
I am pleased to hear of your successes, and delighted to receive any maps of the Pillars of the Sun that you may have made.
He spends several days comparing your notes to other records before drawing out a more accurate map of the region.
"I promise I can create a copy for you the next time you explore the region. Well done, team.
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San Xiao wordlessly hands in his written report, and leaves the Venture-Captain to inspect it.
-Posted with Wayfinder