Its in the chase rules for mythic we keep forgetting about.
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Lhug again attacks Nefti, all four images of him, and beyond all hope actually hits the correct one. Instead of an image blinking from existence, Nefti grunts in horrible pain. He is now bleeding from various places and appears to be heavily injured.
Nefti takes a step back from Lhug and cast another spell. , but the spell is jumbled from the effects of the thunderstone. Lhug has no idea what the spell was doing to be.
Kafar moves into a defensive position, trying to block Lhug's way to Nefti. Why do you attack us on the bridge? Are you the guardian of the Santum?
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With her heavy blade drawn, Eadie moves to the natural bridge. There she spies a gnome cleric who appears a little out of breath … and a large, scarred man (who looks kinda familiar) fighting with two strangers.
*Excitedly* “Wow! So this is where the party’s at!”
The warrior positions herself so that any fleeing enemy must pass through the area she threatens and readies an action to attack anyone that makes a hostile move.
With an expectant tone, she adds “Lhug, are you going to introduce us to your friends?”
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Kafar responds to the Pathfinders requests, Why don't we get off of this bridge and move to the Sanctum. It is not our intent to fight and die in these mountains. Sorry friend.
He reaches out to Lhug in an effort to shake hands.
Looking at Eadie Nefti adds, Madam, can you lead the way to the Sanctum?
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After observing Kafar's staunch defense of Nefti and hearing Lhug's mention of the clan he belongs to ...
"... my people's traditional greeting ..."
Eadie reflects on the absence of family in her own life, before realising the Pathfinder Society and her companions are effectively her family now.
"I know we lead a precarious existence that makes setting long term goals foolish at best. But maybe for this very reason I should let you know, Lore that if I ever have a daughter of my own,
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At Nefti's mention of "Madam," Eadie automatically looks around for her Aunt or a priestess of Abadar, before realizing the Aspis agent is referring to her.
"Well, yeah. I can lead the way, but as a show of good faith, I think you guys need to first disarm yourselves and empty your pockets. Secondly, you need to tell us more about this 'client' you're meeting."
Eadie will keep a close eye on the duo, looking for the missing gems.
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Eadie returns Lore's embrace warmly before letting out a loud *SNIFF* and wiping something from her own eye. "You're welcome, Lore."
The warrior then turns to Kafar and Nefti, accepting their weapons but noting they have avoided her question about their client. She decides to let the issue drop for the time being, wondering if some healing attention might foster some goodwill between the two groups.
"Oh, don't be such a baby, Kafar. I'm a professional! Did you happen to meet a behir out in the desert?"
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Both of the agents wear bandages and Lore thinks that they were bitten by one of the monsters the Pathfinder's encountered earlier in the adventure. Though she doesn't know what the usual outcome of such an injury will be.
As the Pathfinders leas the Apsis agents to the Sanctum a friendly voice can be heard coming through the mountain pass. Amenopheus has finally caught up with you. He appears to have had to battle through similar obstacles but has been healed of his wounds.
Seeing the agents here and hearing your story, he demands that they be searched. Naturally Nefti and Kafar resist, but then Lhug just snarls.
Nefti and Kafar quickly give up the game and give you the topaz gem you are looking for. the Topaz Sage is able to speak with the mythic-enhanced Pathfinders. But she makes it clear that she needs to reunited with a worthy inheritor.
Amenospheus, the Saphire sage, leads the party up into the Sanctum. We are not done yet is all he offers.
Behind the seamless illusion of a rock wall lies the mountain pass to the Sanctum of the Sages. Beautifully engraved columns support the ornate entablature topped by a wide tapered cornice. The style hearkens back to Osirion’s golden age, and the impeccable design and craftsmanship lives up to the standards set by the ancient dynasties. A short flight of stairs ascends to stone door in the mountain.
The Sanctum of the Sages is an extensive underground complex set into the side of a mountain and veiled by illusions. While the Ruby Sage has some memories of the complex, they are incomplete and fractured at best.
Amenopheus opens the grand door and enters the Sanctum. He nods for everyone to follow him. Water gurgles in fountains set at either end of thiscrescent-shaped chamber. Fourteen columns support the vaulted ceiling, and the walls are polished to a smooth finish that reflects and scatters any light that is introduced or that shines in from outside. Spouts in the wall replace any water removed from the fountain, replicating the effects of a decanter of endless water. Much of the sanctum is sealed to anyone not of the order of the Jeweled Sages, so this room provides pilgrims and petitioners a safe place to take shelter until a sage might acknowledge them.
Amenopheus doesn't bother with the fountains and moves to the door leading into the next room. The Pathfinders have to hustle to keep up with the Sage.
Open the door, this chamber’s floor angles upward as it meets the walls, which in turn angle inward like those of a pyramid, creating a space shaped like a cut diamond. The walls are smooth and somewhat transparent, like foggy quartz, save for where three opaque doors stand to the north, east, and west. In the center of the room, a clear 5-foot diameter crystal hovers a short distances from the floor and spins slowly.
Amenopheus recognizes this crystal as a gatekeeper built to prevent non-sages from traveling deeper into the sanctum. He presents himself as the Sapphire Sage and announces that he seeks the Diamond Sage. The crystal briefly shows an image of a Garundi man walking toward the north door in the room, then a small, key shaped sliver breaks off of the crystal. Amenopheus nods, picks up the key, and tells the Pathfinders that the north door will lead them onward; it opens as he approaches.
Again Amenopheus nods and suggest that you copy his actions. When you approache within 10 feet of the crystal, you receive an empathic feeling of curiosity and inquiry, as
though the crystal is trying to determine who you are.
Assuming you announce who you are and state your intention to visit the Diamond Sage or accompany Amenopheus, the crystal accepts you and briefly reflects an image of
the whole ruby sage jewel to illustrate its understanding of your identity. Once you have introduced herself to the jewel, you can will the north door to open and travel
through it without activating the chamber’s defenses.
However, Kafar and Nefti are neither Jeweled Sages nor chosen custodians of a sage jewel. As a result, the crystal sends them an empathic warning not to travel further. The two agents refuse to move further, convinced that something bad will happen if they try to pass through this room.
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"Yeah, I think it's a good idea to tie them up, Lore. Though if we take their water skins and component pouch as Lhug suggested, it's unlikely they'll survive if they try to escape back into the desert."
Eadie pauses to scratch her chin. "Unless this mysterious client of theirs turns up."
Eadie turns to the grumpy gnome. "Ahn, it might be a good time for the Mythic recharge ritual. I think Lhug or I might benefit from it the most, but I'll leave it up to you to decide."
As the group approaches the Sanctum, having been there all ready, Eadie can't help spoil the sight they're about to see. In a sing-song voice, reminiscent of a pushy property agent from Absalom or Korvosa, she interrupts the Sapphire Sage, saying ...
"Behind the seamless illusion of a rock wall lies the mountain pass to the Sanctum of the Sages. Beautifully engraved columns support the ornate entablature topped by a wide tapered cornice. The style hearkens back to Osirion’s golden age, and the impeccable design and craftsmanship lives up to the standards set by the ancient dynasties."
"It's perfect for solitary magical research - or a growing family!"
As the party enters the fountain chamber, Eadie will ask Lore to detect magic before adding, "Would a blessing of the Sanctum be out of place, Lore?"
If she feels it's safe to do so, the young warrior then kneels to wash the desert sand from her face and hands, before drinking from the Sanctum's waters, offering her own thanks to the Ruby Sage and the Master of the First Vault for their safe passage so far.
When it's her turn to approach the crystal guardian ...
So he's the gatekeeper. Does that make me the key master?
Eadie tentatively approaches, conjuring up an image of the Ruby Sage in her mind's eye. As she opens her mouth to speak, her golden armor takes the form of a single flawless ruby.
"My name is Eadie Navhelan, uh ... sir? Mythic Champion of the Ruby Sage and loyal servant of the Scarab Sages of Osirion."
Eadie looks down and shuffles her feet nervously. "In truth, I have not always been the best agent for the Sapphire Sage. On a mission to the Glass River in Razmir, I failed to contact our agent - a Pehmet dwarf, one Amauhak of Reth Bezel and so missed passing on that the Diamond Sage had been sighted in Azir, Rahadoum."
"So I see this mission as a chance to redeem myself in the eyes of Amenopheus, by making peaceful contact with the Diamond Sage, offering my services and hopefully helping her to restore glory to the Order."
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Lhug moves behind the group with an eye out for ambushes and hiding places. "So where is your client? It's not like your kind to be on a fool's errand."
When Eadie resolves to tie them up, he takes his boot knife and cuts their water skins and component pouches loose. "You can have these back if you behave."
He approaches the guardian and his shadow suddenly flares to the deepest black and grows to many times its normal size, "I am The Black Dragon. Seeker of Problems. I am not known by my identity, but by my actions. Beholding to none, ...and to all. My intention is to get this over with so we can return to the drinking and carousing."
Lhug gives the room one last look knowing that there will most certainly be an ambush for them upon their return. He mouths "I'm watching you two," as he turns to follow.
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"Thank-you, Ahn."
Eadie settles on her knees, closes her eyes and says a silent prayer to her Patron, as the gnome paladin chants over her.
As Ahnastasios ends the ceremony, Eadie receives a vision of a gigantic gold-clad construct raising a war hammer above her. The Outsider is flanked by a beautiful woman wearing a diamond-encrusted tiara in her snowy hair. There is something not quite right about the noble lady's shadow ... it looms larger than it ought to and its shape is clearly not human ...
The golden warrior must be the Lawgiver! Abadar's Herald ... but who is the lady?
Eadie's speculation ends as the the Holy Messenger smites her with it's hammer - sending waves of Mythic power churning through her body. The young Pathfinder awakens with the triumphant cry of a desert dervish on the floor of the Sanctum of Sages.
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Kafar and Nefti submit to being bound. Eadie is comfortable that they will not be moving anywhere.
Each of the Mythic Pathfinders move through the Screening Stone and down a short corridor. It empties into a large half-circle shaped room. Two curved ramps ascend gently from one end of this semicircular room toward its northwest entrance. More than a dozen statues line the intricately painted walls, and all face toward an immense crystal that projects from the southeast wall. The statues are carved in the Osiran fashion, some bearing the heads of animals, and many holding objects like staves, ankhs, oil lamps, and scepters in their supple marble hands. Four engravings in the likeness of gemstones are set into shallow circular recesses in the floor arrayed before the huge jewel.
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Falchion drawn, Eadie frowns at the four gem recesses as she gazes about the Sanctum.
The Ruby is destroyed … that leaves Topaz, Emerald, Sapphire? Diamond, maybe?
“Amenopheus, didn’t you say the Order had misplaced both the emerald and topaz gems? We only found the topaz on Kafar and Nefti, right? Does that mean the emerald is still out there somewhere? Do you possess the Order’s Sapphire?”
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Ahna scans the wall and sees wall paintings that portray many scenes of Garundi scholars carrying Osirian treasures, using architectural tools, surveying a mountain range, cutting gems, and receiving gifts from three supernatural figures. These figures in the painting are Nethys depicted in an archaic style; Ptah, the ancient Osirian god of architecture and inventions; and Thoth, the god of wisdom and writing.
The rest of the Pathfinders notice that one figure that appears in several illustrations and that looks remarkably like Amenopheus.
Amenopheus points to the sapphire in his turbin and moves towards the end of the room. But he doesn't answer any of the inevitable questions that follow.
Amenopheus attempts to use the key to open the crystalline door. As soon as he places the key on the crystal, the door flashes with blinding light. When the light fades, Amenopheus is trapped within a crystalline prism like an insect sealed in amber, and the four oil lamps held by the statues have lit with bright white light. At the same time, a spoken message in Ancient Osiriani echoes through the room: As the light aligns, so too do the
sages stand.
Suddenly, two of the statues animate and move to attack you!