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Jorah gives it a shot as well, and while he hits the board square in the center, he only causes a few cracks. "Well August, it seems you are the best of us at this test, it's a good thing we have you here." he says with a slight bow towards his companion.
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Aeotsep puts away the wooden boards and takes a quarterstaff and a blindfold from the weapon racks. He then requests that everyone in the room close their eyes and be silent. As he walks around you, he tells you to pay attention to the sound of his footsteps and the aroma of incense in his robes. The monk exhorts that consciousness is achieved through the sum of senses, and relying on only one of them creates a false perception of the world. He tells you to open their eyes and asks for a volunteer to demonstrate what you have learned.
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The Professor simply sits on a board rather than attempting to break it. When the others look at him, he shrugs and says a single word.
"Arthritis."
As a blindfold is later wrapped around his eyes and he is requested to parry Aeotsep's incoming blows, he cautions the monk.
"I'm warning you Aeotsep. I've mastered the secrets of the universe, and am known to bear long grudges against those who'd strike me!"
Without his thick glasses, the Professor's senses seem to improve, yet his speed and "arthritis" don't.
"Oooh, ow... hey, that tickles!"
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With the help of Desna, Jorah is able to easily sense the monk's strike and dodge to the side.
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Aeotsep nods in satisfaction as you seem to be learning and getting the hang of these trials.
The fourth trial takes place by the waterfall to the west of the village, and the walk through the Down Valley attracts the attention of curious bystanders. Under the assumption that Aeotsep is about to test a group of aspirants, several dozen people take a brief break from their work to observe the trial. A trail ascends 40 feet to a mountain ledge, where a series of wooden posts overlooks the waterfall’s plunge pool. Aeotsep hops atop one of the posts and instructs you to do the same and stand immobile for 1 hour. Though at face value this seems to be a test of balance, the trial is actually designed to test resilience and resoluteness.
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The Professor leaps up and seems to stand nearly immobile on his perch, but after a few moments his "trick" becomes apparent.
"Zzzz..."
Smacking his lips, his eyes suddenly open wide.
"Fireball!?!"
Waving his arms comedically, he falls backwards into the water in a loud splash.
"Hey nooow, I think a bird landed on me?!"
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Saarai climbs confidently to the top of her pole. This hardly seems a test for the agile tiefling, who on occasion performs handstands or other flexible poses. At times she even appears bored, casting cantrips to perform feats of prestidigitation and sending lewd communication to her fellow companions via her message spell. She once even performs a standing back handspring and sticks her landing, all from the top of the pole!
Now you are just showing off!
But she saves her best performance for the end. Once the hour has transpired, she leaps gracefully into the water, performing several somersaults in the air before landing at the bottom with hardly a splash.
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Though he doesn't go doen right away, balancing is clearly not Castiels forte and he takes a dip after 20 minutes.
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Saarai seems to be the only one with a real talent for this type of task. Aeotsep and the others give you some polite applause but don't seem overly impressed with this performance overall.
As Aeotsep leads you back into the monastery and to a hidden trail, he tells you a story of Tar Kuata’s past.
“Many years after he began to teach students in these mountains, Narmek Tar Kuata challenged the air spirits for mastery of the winds. They attempted to tear him from the peak, but he struck the mountain and caused a great pillar of stone to rise high into the sky. Acknowledging Narmek Tar Kuata’s superiority, the air spirits granted him the respect he had earned, and have served the monastery ever since. The spire, as we call it, still stands as a reminder of our alliance with these spirits, and our founder’s remains reside in a reliquary at its top.”
Aeotsep steps out from the covered path and into daylight, where a impossibly tall stone pillar rises from the mountainside. “Climbing to the top symbolizes the metaphysical ascent that Narmek Tar Kuata realized. This climb is your next trial.”
To Castiel and Professor F he emphasizes, "climbing the spire is much like walking the same path that led Narmek Tar Kuata to enlightenment, and sometimes one of the monastery’s students—including one in recent memory—attains a level of mastery and wisdom that could have rivaled the founder’s."
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The Professor removes his spectacles and blinks at the stone pillar rising from the mountainside.
"Now, Aeotsep... I'm not sure I've achieved the minimum height to get on this ride."
Replacing his glasses, the old gnome leans against a rock.
"How many centuries old was Tar Kuata when he attempted this climb, again?"
Aeotsep does not seemed moved by the Professor's words. After all, he is quite aged himself and yet he has performed this task many times before.
As Savage, Saarai, and Jorah fall during their attempts, some invisible force catches them and they are flown to the top and set down.
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The Professor waves his hands at Aeotsep.
"Oh, you want to drive me to an early grave now do you? Very well then, I'll show you... I'll climb this monument faster than a racoon climbing into an attic full of pesh!"
The Professor performs several stretches, cracks his knuckles and leaps at the vertical surface...
... before sliding back down gliding atop the invisible force.
"Oh, have I not tried enough for you? Aeotsep? I didn't start my business by giving up that easily!"
The Professor leaps back at the monument again, somehow emboldened by his failure.
... before sliding back down again.
... and again.
"Oh, my precious bones. I feel like a spoonful of pudding... Nurse!!"
The Professor is carried up by the invisible force to the top, as is August. Castiel shows everyone up by taking his time and climbing all the way to the top unimpeded.
On the top of the pillar, you find Itephta hovering above the spire, accompanied by a slender Garundi woman carrying a long spear, her dark hair woven into a braid. Aeotsep joins you a few moments later, carrying a large bag on his back.
“This is your last test, Pathfinders—one I personally requested and insisted on observing,” Itephta says without taking his eyes off the wooden case in his hands. The young monk opens the lid, gracefully plucks a wand from inside, and hands the empty box to Aeotsep. Itephta points the wand at the spire, and in a matter of seconds, the narrow summit expands into a broad platform, like an unfolding mushroom.
“Irori teaches that inner peace and knowledge are key, but one must be able to defend his values in trial by arms,” he explains as the Garundi woman alights on the platform. “I ask that you spar with the monastery’s champion, Aramaya. Please make it an honorable fight, for the great Tar Kuata watches us today.”
Aeotsep’s idea of an honorable fight prohibits dealing lethal damage, and he opens his bag to reveal an array of wooden weapons—including any weapon you can use except firearms. These function as normal weapons of their type, except that they deal nonlethal damage. Because Castiel ascended the spire unaided, Aeotsep instead offers him either a masterwork version of the weapon or the one lesser merciful metamagic rod in his bag.
As Castiel moves in, Aramaya reacts quickly with her spear!
Castiel then returns the favor with a blow to her side. Aramaya steps back and performs a series of maneuvers and stretches with her longspear. You recognize that her reach is quite wide....
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The Professor rubs his eyes as he wisely estimates Aramaya's long reach.
"Now now, dear Aramaya, Aeotsep did say a fair fight, and it seems you've unlocked some sort of hidden technique with your spear, there."
The Professor's pajamas flap in the light wind as he scratches his temple.
"You've certainly protected yourself from attacks, but how strong is your mind?"
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As soon as the battle starts, Jorah starts babbling nonstop in Celestial. He glides towards Aramaya, staying 15 feet away, and starts a small prayer. Colors shoot out like stars from the symbol of Desna on his shield toward the her.
Aramaya drops her longspear at her feet. August prepares for the fight and Jorah unleashes a blast of color that, unfortunately, does not seem to faze her.
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Castiel steps closer and again tries to swipe the woman with the wooden sword.
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Castiel and Savage move in but Aramya proves to be quick, as she sends flying kicks to each of them as they near her:
Savage's club connects with her shoulder though and looks like it will leave a nasty bruise in due time.
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Aramaya throws her foot beneath her spear and kicks it back up into her hands.
She then dances around the two of them and takes up position on the other side of the platform.
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Jorah again moves towards her, and with another prayer to Desna, a stream of colors shoots from his shield.
Savage hits Aramaya as she grabs her spear from the ground. As August moves in to attack she stabs at him:
August swings and misses and the polearm-wielding monk once again resists the pretty colors of Jorah's spell.
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Castiel tries to hit the woman as she goes for the spear but fails.
He decides to thicken his skin instead of rushing into the womans reach
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Castiel grows a few scales as Aramaya steps away from August and stabs at him with her spear!