Ulrich shrugs.
"Judging by Pahleg's reaction, the food is either spoiled or we haven't the palate for it anymore."
He walks down the stairwell toward the source of the cold, stepping cautiously as he remembers the mold incident from earlier.
Ulrich leads the way down the stairwell to the cold basement. This coldness feels different to the frostbite-inducing chill the mold caused. No, this feels a bit supernatural.
I hear you approaching, my friends. A mystical voice emerges from the stone walls. It is the One Embedded in Stone, and he is down there.
Reaching the bottom of the staircase, the party notices there is no basement. Not quite: they have arrived in a cave-like structure. The walls are jagged and slimy, and drops of water dribble from the stone ceiling. There is a way forward to the left.
As the Watcher, I have watched you roam and struggle. As the Listener, I have heard what you have heard, and you have heard so little. As the Keeper, I have kept a secret from you.
The relief, carved in the wall of the cave, overlooking the stairwell, is again very life-like. It depicts a person in robes or some other ceremonial garb — more detail is spent in the garments, but the face is kept largely hidden, under a hood.
Pahleg casts about for the source of the voice, giving a wary smile. "And tell us, oh keeper of the senses, what is it that you have kept hidden from us?"
Ulrich keeps his mouth shut, but rolls an eye as the stone presence speaks. He begins walking toward the left, his sword and shield at the ready.
Pahleg casts shield other on Tannan, anticipating a fight.
The Illusionist is the true enemy. Like her ancestors, she would surround us with the Labyrinth. She made a prison, where a sanctuary was needed. The Miraclemaker and the Illusionist: neither was the savior our land so desperately needed. She betrayed us.
It is hard to tell if the relief spoke as an answer to Pahleg. For a secret, this one was a bit difficult to comprehend.
Pahleg prepares for combat, and casts a protective spell on Tannan. The Stone's monologue goes on.
Listen to my wisdom of ages, roamers. Only by acquiring your Labyrinth Soul can you struggle free from the Illusionist's grasp. When you do, pitilessly strike her down, and save the world from her grand Illusion.
"And getting a Labyrinth Soul is a matter of wresting it from one that already has their own, yes? And what do you get out of imparting this information to us, Sage in the Stone?"
There is a pause. Maybe the Stone listens for what the others have to say, or maybe it thinks carefully about its answer.
The current holders of Labyrinth Souls have not assayed the necessary. It would not be wrongdoing to do what they have failed.
It seems the One Embedded in Stone truly does keep some things as secrets, seeing that it completely neglected Ulrich's second question.
"Didn't we speak with a similar stone impression on one of the upper floors?"
That was me, correct.
Indeed, the relief carved on the stone walls here looks almost identical to the one that was past "Dragon Cathedral". The mystical, telepathic voice sounds the same, too.
"There is an exit here to the left- let us proceed this way. Farewell, Embedded."
Ulrich begins walking toward the exit.
"Lead on!"
The party bids farewell to the relief in Stone, and moves on to the tunnel. It seems that there's a lot of dampness in the cave: the ground and walls are covered in slimy texture, and are a little slippery. It's a bit chilly, too.
Soon, the party begins to smell fresh air, and salt. Some might recognize it as the scent of sea air.
Then, the party reaches the cave's exit, and a majestic view opens for them.
For the first time in what has felt like years, the brave roamers see the outside world. A vast sea is right there in front of them. The waves are deep blue, restless, crashing to the shore. The sunless sky is dark and cloudy: it is a windy night. A lone rowboat is upside down on the beach.
Far in the distance, on the sea, stands a small platform. It is definitely man-made, such is its shape. Estimating its distance from the shore would be challenging.
But all of this opposes logic. Anyone with a slightest sense of direction will realize that above them should be the Sanatorium building, in the large forest: not the night sky. This is impossible, yet it seems so real. And then there's the hunger for souls, still inside each of the heroes. They are still in the Labyrinth.
Pahleg smiles for a moment, but it is brief. Surely trickery.
The smell of sea air, the texture of the shore rubble, the coldness of the night. It is very real. Even if supernatural trickery was involved (after all, the One Embedded in Stone warned about the Illusion), it would be a magnitude above the realms of normal: far beyond concepts of disbelieving. Whatever the case, it is obvious that regular magic cannot achieve this level of believable illusion.