After securing passage to the floor below, the party makes their way back topside and returns to Fort Inevitable. With no real archaelogical loot to share, there is nothing to report to the Hellknights as preparations are made to venture deeper down inside the Emerald Spire.
As the party works on their plans, a knock on the door interrupts the meeting at the common room of the inn. A Hellknight in namesake armor, looks quickly, sees the party, and hands a missive to the party. "You have been requested to seek audience with Signifer Hast at your earliest convenience. He awaits you in the chancery against the southwestern wall of town." With a confirming nod, the Hellknight leaves the party their work.
The party finishes their preparations, then heads towards the Chancery to meet with Signifer Hast.
Signifer Hast is a high ranking member of the Order of the Gate, Hellknights who worship arcane lore as well as deific reverence to the infernal powers. While Lady Commander Drovust wants to keep the Emerald Spire off-limits and sealed, Hast has been vocal about wanting a thorough investigation of the site.
Signifer Hast is the one that pressured Drovust into letting certain exploratory teams into the Spire 'with the Authority of Hell'. This opportunity is what lead to the Pathfinder Society's involvement in sending a small expedition to make the first headway into the ancient tower.
While Hast publicly supports Lady Commander Drovust, rumors has it that he's slowly putting gears in place to undermine her authority.
The Chancery of Fort Inevitable is a suitably large structure dedicated to the gods of law; Abadar, Erastil, Irori, and of course, Asmodeus, all have their patronage here. The dark, wooden pews inside are organized in meticulous rows before a rather plain altar, left ready to decorate for which service may be in place. Behind and below the main chapel are a library, arcane workrooms, and offices for some of the more religious Hellknights.
Upon your arrival, the same messenger that delivered your summons silently motions for you to follow him down some stairs and into a darkened passageway before being taken to an ornate office filled with infernal trappings and a variety of tomes in bookshelves that line the walls.
A blonde-haired man, in dark robes lined with golden silk and simple, yet stylish unholy symbol around his neck, looks up and smiles as you walk in. The escorting Hellknight salutes the man, then turns away, closing the door behind him.
The unholy symbol is that of Mephistopheles.
"Greetings, Pathfinders. I am Signifer Hast, of the Order of the Gate. I am pleased that you have agreed to come here. I wish to know how your progress in the Emerald Spire is going."
After hearing the party's answer(s), he simply nods and continues. "Good, I am glad that you and your Society is making footholds in the ancient structure. While some would wish it sealed away, there is great knowledge to be found, and your efforts paving the way, the secrets within will be ripe for the taking."
He looks at Artemus with a telling approval. "You seem to be the most magically adept of the lot of you. If you continue your service well, I can let you use our library and workrooms to aid your studies; the Order of the Gate is always looking for competent recruits and if your recent foray is to be believed, encountering and surviving denizens of the Plane of Water within the tower is something to behold."
Hast then stands up and grabs a sheet of paper from his desk. "But enough of the pandering, I do have a small request of you. The lesser bandit town, Thornkeep, has their own, laughably small mages' guild, and a couple of their lot foolishly tried to explore the tower several months ago. It is long enough that the head of that pitiful group has requested Hellknight assistance in finding their lost acolytes. If you find any evidence of them, or even the persons or their remains, return to me and I shall make sure you are rewarded. Do we have an agreement?"
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Artemus' eyes light up at the mention of the library and workrooms.
Of course Signifer Hast. It will be a simple thing to bring them or their remains and stories to you once we discover them. I have a small request of you as well. I believe it would help secure passage through this most recent explored level of the tower to release the Undine man to the care of his sisters, after the order has completed their questioning of him of course. I would be happy to facilitate that release if it would please the order.
"Hmm... releasing a prisoner of the Hellknights is not a simple request, especially one who is apparently guilty of intrusion and assault as you and your lot have attested to." Looking into his eyes, you can almost see the gears working in his head as he smiles once more. "But, if you happen to succeed at the request, then I see no reason not to release the prisoner into your own care as you would have shown truly capable to the Order... and I suppose a little mercy at your behest may have its benefits.", the smile cruelly turning into a sinister grin at the last statement.
With the party agreeing , Hast bids the party farewell and the Pathfinders make their next foray into the Spire...
-Posted with Wayfinder
Artemus' wait is finally over as the party begins another trek to the fabled Emerald Spire.
After a hefty bit of travel, the party finally makes their wait down to the entrance of the sixth floor, Klarkosh's lair. Who is the mysterious man and what are his motives? Those questions in mind, the party descends the final steps that open to a small chamber. On the north wall , a panel with two bronze levers - one red and one black - is set chest-high in the wall. To the east, an archway leads to an alcove. Distant ticking noises echo through the walls, as if several large clocks were operating simultaneously. Luckily, ample lighting is in the chamber as several lamps shine with light spaced about every 30 feet.
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Artemus complies, casting Mage Armor from his wand on himself, Belcher, and Thunderstealer. He then, despite the seemingly ample light, conjures his signature dancing lights and begins to probe the corners of this new level. Curious, he studies the the panel with bronze levels and notes their positions.
Artemus notes that each lever is in a 'middle' position, in that the levers can be pushed up or pulled down from their current state.
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Faeros casts Percieve Cues before examining the levers. He is specifically looking for traps and any mechanisms that could hint at the purpose of the levers.
He then moves up to support Thunderstealer and Nilfyr as we progress forward.
Are we ready to move? He asks.
If so, Faeros also casts divine favor.
Faeros, confident that the hallway the party is in bears no immediate harm, peeks around the corner that is further illuminated by Artemus' magic. The hallway ends abruptly with a round wall facing him. Faeros also notices that there is a slight spacing in between the rounded wall, the floor, and the walls surrounding it.
You think that the rounded wall at the end could rotate... but how?
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It looks like the thing to do is push one of the levers and observe this wall / chamber.
I do not know much about engineering, but I wonder if the lever will reset to its current position after we push it up or down. Otherwise someone would have had to come down, reset the levers, and leave. (barring the possibility of extra-dimensional travel)
Faeros doesn't spot anything strange with the levers.
Artemus pushes up the lever! Nilfyr and Faeros see the rounded wall rotate clockwise, seeing a stone hallway corner move around until it ends with a left turn. Peeking a bit further ahead, the hallway around the corner turns to a pair of double doors.
Nilfyr also hears the sound of another section rotating, too.
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With that information reported Artemus says Stay put. Lets see if that thing will rotate to another direction. And that is good information that there is another section also rotating. Listen for more of that. This will be back to red neutral and then red down. He will then push the red level back to neutral, pause and then push it down.
Artemus puts it back to neutral and the rounded hallway returns to its closed position. Pulling it down all of the way causes the rotating corner to now turn to a doorway to the right.
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So the lever does not change back to the neutral position on its own... This makes me thing there is probably another set of controls further inside, or something came in before we did and set the levers to the middle position.
Do you want to try the black lever now? Or should we explore everything we can with just the red lever first?
Artemus experiments a bit more, pulling the lever up all the way, with Nilfyr and Faeros reporting that the hallway is blocked, then opens to the left again.
The party continues with the path in its current configuration, reaching a pair of wooden doors. After Nilfyr confirms that the door is not trapped , the party opens it and finds a variety of artwork and keepsakes that are displayed on the walls of this chamber: a tapestry depicting a royal court , an oddly melted lump of iron on a pedestal , a fine heavy mace hanging on the wall , and a broken staff lying on another pedestal .
Another door lies straight ahead.
Artemus's keen eyes also happen to notice a gentle hum of electricity between the lump of metal and the broken staff; he guesses that it is trapped!
Artemus' detect magic register's a faint magical aura from the mace and a lingering magical aura from the staff.
It's a +1 heavy mace
That was previously a staff bonded to another wizard.
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Nilfyr, also detecting magic in the area, notes the magical mace and staff. "That staff used to be bonded to a wizard at one point," he says, indicating the latter.
He notes the location of the secret door and says, "It seems to me that if the makers of this maze had wanted an easy way to make their way through, they would use secret doors rather than have to pull levers. Perhaps we could use that to our advantage?"