Talia studies the statue carefully, wracking her brain to see if she can identify it's meaniing?
Cade lets his eyes roam the room looking for something that may be of interest here.
"Should we check those sarcophagi? You know, for ancient mummies that might jump out and stab us in the back or something. Or would it be better not to touch them at all?"
Let me sneak in and see if anything wants to eat our faces?"
Talia slips into the room, looking for any dangers.
Talia doesn't find any dangers, but she does find a secret door in the western wall that she opens, revealing another passageway.
Very well...we will cover you.
Cade scratches the side of Bellum's neck as he mumbles to the dog.
Be ready...
"Shall we see where the secret passage goes?
Still sneaking Talia will check the secret passage for traps.
After just a few feet, Talia finds that she can either keep going to the end of the passage way, which turns to the right, or she can turn right partway down and head down a flight of stairs.
Cade and Bellum follow at a distance as to not disturb her.
Your call Talia...where to?
Talia looks at both passages and decides to continue to the end of the passageway.
Talia reaches the end of the hall, where it turns to the right and there are stairs to descend. Going down the stairs, she comes to another turn, and finds a door before her.
Not finding any traps, and the door unlocked, she opens it and finds a hallway that abruptly ends in a point of collapse, falling into sloshing water. It looks like most of this room has collapsed into a large tide pool. Talia can see the water flows to the right, further into the room, but she can't see around the corner without hopping into the water herself. She can, however, see the remains of what must have once been an incredible treasury. Shattered urns, crumbled stone chests, and rusting bits of weapons and armor lie within the water, along with other ruined ancient treasures. The most impressive treasure is a large, coral-encrusted helmet sized for a giant. The helm measures nearly 5 feet across, and its full face guard bears an expression of twisted fangs and rage. Beneath the coral, it appears to be made of gold.
"Seems this takes us down, maybe we should finish the level we were on first before going into the treasury?"
Cade rubs Bellum along the ears as he waits for Talia to report her findings. His hand not to far away from his weapon in case of trouble.
Talia will do a careful search of the room first, telling everyone what is in here and getting there input as to what to do? She is tempted by the helmet, but wary as well.
Talia scans the room from her precarious perch. She thinks that there's another part of the room to stand on around the corner, as she can see that some of the walls over there look to have carvings on them. She also spots that the giant helmet appears to have become home to some kind of incredibly large hermit crab.
Talia sighs at spotting the crab. "Ok, giant gold helmet, with crabby occupant. Shall we try for it?"
I see no other way out and it appears that they crab has made his home here. Mr. Crabby is going nowhere just yet. Let us save our strength and investigate the rest before we tackle this guy. We can always come back later.
Back upstairs?
Shall we move back upstairs and continue to search?
Talia shrugs and moves back to the other passage. "Steamed crab would be nice though." She remarks hungerily.
"We'll get to the crab, but best not leave anything dangerous at our back."
Talia finds no traps on the door, and it is unlocked. Opening it, she finds the other part of the sunken treasury. There is enough room for everyone to enter the room, and the walls of this section are mostly intact. Here, the walls are covered in detailed and impressive carvings of incredible treasuries filled to overflowing with gems, coins, jewelry, and other items of value. The eastern wall depicts a carving of a towering mountain, its peak carved in the shape of a stern face just above a great palace. Below, the side of the mountain's valley cradles an immense city of spires.
The carving is a representation of the fabled lost city of Xin-Shalast, whose streets were supposedly paved in gold and its buildings carved from massive gemstones. Although many explorers have tried to locate it (and died in the attempt), none has ever managed to do so. Most scholars believe that Xin-Shalast never existed and was simply a myth made up by the ancients.
It would appear that the crab is at home....We can come back for him.
Cade stares at the eastern wall...
What in the hells is this?
Talia sighs at finding her lack of Knowledge. "Make a note of it. We can get Brodert to look at it for us when we've cleared this midden."
"It appears to be a carved face in a mountain over a palace and city," says Riori. "Where or if it is even real I do not know. Perhaps it is from the Beyond--but that is entirely a guess."
Cade looks from the east wall picture to the other walls...
Treasure...Map? Maybe...
As the others move around...Cade examines the eastern wall trying to keep the details etched into his mind.
Sighing at the depths of her ignorance Talia will lead the party back to the last unexplored door. "Lets move people. I hear a warm bed and a well cooked meal calling for me."
"Too bad we don't have a giant piece of paper, we could take a rubbing."
"Lead the way Talia."
Talia leads the group back to the pillar of gold coins.
As she searches it, trying to find some way past it, she discovers that the pillar of gold coins isn't actually a pillar of gold coins, but more likely a stone pillar with an illusion of some kind on it.
This is a permanent image of a column of gold coins, overlaid on a stone column.
With Karu's help, Talia finds two coin slots, one each in the wall to the left and right of the pillar.
So what did you find?
"The pillar is an illusion. It's a stone pillar with two slots that would take a coin. Looks like that opens something?"
Talia hold her hand out to Cade expectantly.
Getting no response from Cade Talia pouts and carefully slips a coin into each slot.
As Talia reaches into her own pockets, Cade stops her and smiles.
Shaking his head with his trade mark smile.
One way or another they always make you pay....
He slips her two gold coins into her outstretched hand.
"Ah. That is a little more reassuring. That there isn't a giant pile of coins ready to bury us alive, I mean."
Cade gives Talia one of the coins taken from Nualia, then he takes another. Each of them puts a coin in the slot, then steps back. With a rumble, the pillar lowers itself into the ground, revealing a large room with three sets of double doors leading off of it.
Talia will cautiously check the three doors, "North door first, then the south then east last?" She asks the party.
"Sounds good!"
Tis a good plan as any. Let us finish this place and be home soon. I could use a stiff drink right about now.
Not finding any traps on the doors, and finding the door unlocked, Talia opens the door. This barren room contains an upraised dais on which sits a marble throne. To either side stand statues of a man clutching a book and a glaive. A ghostly figure seems to be seated in the throne, an image of the same man who appears in the statues. He seems to be addressing an audience as he moves his hands about, his fingers decorated with hooked rings, but the words issuing from his phantom mouth are difficult to make out and in a strange language.
“...is upon us, but I command you remain. Witness my power, how Alaznist’s petty wrath is but a flash compared to my strength. Take my final work to your graves, and let its memory be the last thing you...”
[spoiler=Knowledge (history) DC 30]
The statues and image are of Karzoug, the legendary Runelord of Greed. Alaznist, the name the image says, is reputed to have been the legendary Runelord of Wrath.
The doors to this room are made of stone but bear no handles. An indented outline of a seven-pointed star, its shape covered by hollows and slits, graces the spot where handles should be.
"We can drink after we are assured creatures from the Beyond will not be summoned to destroy Sandpoint."
As a Desnan and astrologer, Riori is especially drawn to the star--although she internally reminds herself it's unlikely related to Desna in a place that otherwise seems related to far darker entities. She examines the odd outline, wondering to its pattern or purpose.
“...is upon us, but I command you remain. Witness my power, how Alaznist’s petty wrath is but a flash compared to my strength. Take my final work to your graves, and let its memory be the last thing you...”
The statues and image are of Karzoug, the legendary Runelord of Greed. Alaznist, the name the image says, is reputed to have been the legendary Runelord of Wrath.
Riori is sure that the seven-pointed star has nothing to do with astrology, but could be in the shape of the Sihedron symbol that she saw on the amulet Nualia was wearing, as well as in a couple other points on this floor.
On her first attempt to pick the lock, Talia immediately finds that the workings are unlike any she's seen before. She's also fairly convinced that there's some kind of magic at work, as well, enhancing the lock's capabilities. While she thinks she can get it open, it will take some time.