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Ruprecht searches for a way in through the monolith, but instead finds two items in the dust and debris: an ornate wand and a khopesh that’s free of any rust or wear.
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The sages finish their conference. Tahonikepsu steps forward and addresses you "Thank you all for dealing with those creatures. We have determined that we must use the sage jewels together to find the entrance to the tombs and libraries below. Once inside, we believe there will be several locations to explore, and we know that you as Pathfinders would like to do that. I believe the best way to do that will be for you to select a sage to guide you while the remaining sages scout out for a location for our ritual."
A sudden rumbling underfoot shifts the sands substantially.
Amenopheus pipes up. "The ground is tenuous. Whatever guardians have awoken have weakened the site. We only have a few hours to do this, maybe six at best, perhaps only two...let's say four to be safe—before this process causes irreparable damage and the facility collapses on itself."
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"Oh hey! This wand cures moderate wounds. Maybe... 10 more times before it runs out."
"It's a khopesh. Magical... um... I'd give it a 2 out of 5 on the enchantment scale. It's really good at tripping people. Man I haven't tripped anyone in a good while... Kinda hard to trip a horde, though!"
Cirri nods as they tell her about the site and the situation. "Um... Amenopheus. Could you come with us? You know a lot about magic. I can stay in the rear of the group and protect you if we get flanked!"
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As the effects of the ghast's rigor finally fades, Sickly goes into panic mode for a bit, as he digs around in his pack, and pulls out various ointments and balms. He spends the next little while, applying the myriad of substances to the wounds he sustained, muttering about infections and disease vectors the entire time.
By the time he's done, he glances up and smiles sheepishly... looking like someone child has applied finger paint... before drawing a wand to heal the wounds themselves.
Talk of the sages seems to make him a little uncomfortable, clearly not happy about how things have played out to date, though he says nothing, merely nods at whatever the group decision is.
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Niko is quiet and somewhat sullen as he recovers from his paralysis and nausea. Grabbing his wand, he heals himself, then nods in agreement with the sage decision.
Moving up to Ruprecht, he says. "I am also fairly adept at searching out traps. Perhaps we can lead point together to increase our odds."
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Eventually the sage jewels locate a hidden entrance. The sages solemnly descend into the darkness with you. You arrive at a platform a few dozen feet below ground, corridors branch off in several directions. The shifting and rising of the settlement has revealed hidden passages within the complex.
"This is where we part, for now. You head that way. Good luck, Pathfinders. We hope you find what you are looking for." Tahonikepsu nods as she disappears down a corridor with the rest of the sages.
The structure rumbles as the ancient wards continue to shift the sunken ruins toward the surface in response to the presence of the sage jewels.
"Well, we better get moving." Amenopheus sighs and you turn the opposite direction to search. After a few hundred feet you reach a large stone door and search it.
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It takes a couple of you to open the stone door. A rush of foul air greets you as the seal breaks.
A set of steep stairs, somewhat malaligned from the recent tremors and upheavals, reaches into the darkness below. At the bottom, a small, circular chamber serves as an intersection, with hallways departing to the north, west, and east, and of course, the stairs leading back upward to the south.
A faintly glowing inscription of hieroglyphic writing spirals out from a round stone pillar carved with similar markings in an ancient script.
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As the air, probably not breathed in centuries, wafts out of the entrance, Sickly immediately covers his mouth in distress. Too late to be of use, he still digs into his pack, and pulls out a white medical mask, that he puts over his face.
He looks at the faintly glowing inscriptions with trepidation, refraining from stepping on or over them, until one of the others has a chance to see if they're safe or not.
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Cirri tries to control her breathing, to help her meditate. Riddywhipple blows some bubbles out of his nostril. "Smells much better, trust me!"
Cirri and Riddywhipple do not speak Ancient Osiriani, so she kind of shrugs. "Comprehend Languages. Write that down for later, I gotta carry one of those scrolls with me. Oh wait, I'll write it down." Cirri pulls out her notebook to copy the sigils and write a reminder for later.
Ruprecht does know Ancient Osiriani though, and points out what they mean.
"Right, On the pillar.
North - Doorway to Oblivion
East - Archives, Waste Disposal, Slave Pits, Incubation Chambers
West - Cleansing Room, Plague Laboratory, Memory Extraction
"
"And on the floor, Within frail flesh lie ideas, and they can transform the world."
"Well, this is inviting." Cirri snaps her journal shut with a hint of sarcasm. "Maybe we go West first?"
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Everyone in the group, except Ru, senses a tingle in their nose as they inadvertently breath in the foul ancient air.
Amenopheus blows his nose into a finely detailed handkerchief. "Most curious, that was probably not good. We should determine if it has affected us, and what exactly that was. I do hope we have not doomed Merab and beyond with simple foolishness."
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The group moves to the west. The corridor splits almost immediately.
To the south it abruptly ends in an observation window. Beyond the hazy etched glass, you can make out a large chamber. Three tables laden with alchemical equipment, glassware, and other arcane tools occupy this chamber. A thick liquid drips from a broken glass jar that, as you watch, never empties. Numerous marked vials that appear intact are enclosed within glass-fronted cabinets along the southern wall. A sealed metal canister sits in the southwest corner. There is a door along the far northern wall.
Following the corridor to the north instead, a soupy, viscous fluid covers the floor of this pillared chamber. Arcane runes form three distinct horizontal bands on each pillar, the first third glowing green, the second blue, and the top third red. Tattered, dusty remnants of clothing fill niches in the walls. Another corridor exits the room on the western wall. Ru and Niko both get the distinct sense something is not right, and entering the room might be dangerous.
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"Well, I carried one scroll of Remove Disease with me, just in case..." Cirri sneezes. "You OK, Riddy?" To which the tiny dragon lands on her shoulder and shakes his head, slightly woozy.
"Which way should we go? I can scan for magical auras if you need me to. If you think it's really important, I have a stronger version, but it only lasts for a few minutes."
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Sickly isn't at all happy about Amenopheus' words, and he immediately starts sweating and his nose begins to run.
"Maybe it's the second plague." He mutters, unhappily. "I think I got the plague." He adds, sure that is the case.
He follows along down the western corridor, constantly rubbing at his eyes, as they keep watering up.
He eyes the room with its glowing banded pillars with some alarm.
"What's that stuff?" He asks, worried about the answer, as he tries to determine if he's seen the like during his mining days.
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Cirri looks to the party to see how they are holding up. Everyone's showing signs of sickness... except for mister business over there. Cirri thought Elves were frail compared to Dwarves, but Sickly is already watering up.
"Oh man, there is some powerful magic coming from one of the cabinets in the Southern Room. Universal School, so it could be anything."
Looking at the Northern Room, Cirri frowns. "There are four moderate auras in there. Let me see if I can guess what... I have no idea. Let me focus on the other 3."
"Maybe we should try to disable what's going on in there. Ruprecht, I'll put the Ward on you while you check out this room."
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"Evocation. Toasty. That's the kind of stuff that goes boom. This room is trapped, alright. So unless someone has a scroll of dispel magic they are willing to lend (note to self: Buy a scroll of dispel magic if you survive this,) can you guys do that thing with traps where they don't explode in my face?"
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Ru heads to the southern most room first. ”Stand back. There’s no telling what I’m getting into over here. Don’t want the rest of you to catch any shrapnel.”. He slowly advances, looking for any signs of a trap.
Perception with CB draught and Heroism
If he sees a trap, he tries to disable it.
Disable device with Heroism
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Sickly eyes the columns and putrid floor. There doesn't seem to be anything else of interest in the room and even through watery eyes, he can tell that Ruprecht has done an admirable job of completely disabling whatever magical "surprises" awaited you.
As the group eventually enters, Amenopheus stops a few steps in and furrows his brow. "Strange. I feel almost as if I have been here before. This is a room of burning."
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Ru waits for the others to be satisfied with their search of the room. Once they were ready, he led them West, into the hallway. He checks the left (southern) turn for traps. If he finds one, he will disable it. If not, he will lead them into the passage.
Perception with Heroism and crypt breaker’s Draught
Disable device with Heroism
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The passageways seem clear as you traverse them. To the south, a door blocks you way forward. It is likely the door you spotted from the observation window before.
To the north, the corridor obviously opens up into a large chamber. Even from here, you can see that the floor is covered in a soupy mess.
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The door seems innocuous and is easily opened, even after so many years. Three tables laden with alchemical equipment, glassware, and other arcane tools occupy this chamber. A thick liquid drips from a broken glass jar that never empties. Numerous marked vials that appear intact are enclosed within glass-fronted cabinets along the southern wall. A sealed metal canister sits in the southwest corner.
As discovered from the window-view before, the contents of one of the cabinets here detected as magic (universal aura).