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Kristen stands and bows. "I'm sure we would all be honored to undergo some portion of your training, especially if it would make us better Pathfinders. I do ask, though... if there is a religious aspect to these trials, please be respectful of the diverse faiths we may represent. The Pathfinder Society welcomes all faiths with open arms as long as their members are respectful and useful members of the society. I once met a lovely man with the unfortunate taint of the vampire in his blood, who also worshipped one of Golarion's more... uncomfortable goddesses... however, he is a true Pathfinder and scholar, and wishes no one ill will."
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"Fehe are greath! You gotta try fhome! Look, my eyefh can't thake it" Kiti says, her voice muffled by the sandwich in her mouth, and tears coming from her eyes because of the strong spices. She quickly swallows the rest, coughs a bit and gets her clear voice back.
"That really sounds fun! What kind on training you have? I haven't done monk stuff, but if I can use druid ones I'm really great. Can we use magic? How about Mimi? I'm kind of used to work with her. Did you taste the bread? My legs are a bit short but if I go with her we move really fast. Please, guys, can we go to train? And I didn't even say my name! I'm Anne Catherine White, or Hannah something here, or Kiti as my friends say. How long would it take to train? I hope it's not too hard, you know we have a lot of smart people at home, we are not all society can do", Kiti bursts into an exited babble on the mention of monk training.
"While our monastery is certainly founded on the principles of the Master of Masters, we recognize that there are many paths towards perfection, and that ours is not the only way." Itephta assures the Aasimar. "We try to respect other ways, but would merely ask you try to respect ours in return."
He raises a playful eyebrow at Kiti's rambling as well. "I feel as though some of the more basic tests of our order should reveal a sense of your worth and discipline. Your enthusiasm speaks in your favor however. As for magic, part of our teachings emphasize how one's inner strength is a path towards enlightenment. I suppose he inclines his head That magic from oneself is a part of inner strength, though I expect not all of my fellows may agree.
Iteptha smiles. ”Excellent! Now, I must again excuse myself – there is yet much business to attend to and an abbot’s job is never done. However, if you follow me, I shall introduce you to one of Tar Kuata’s most senior guides to escort you through your training.”
As Menkha excuses herself and heads into the caverns to the north, Itephta brings you back through the village into the monastery proper. Knocking briefly at a door, she opens it to reveal a small meditation room, in the middle of which sits an aging Garundi man whose sun-weathered features and kind face are traced with a network of wrinkles.
”Guests, this is Aeotsep” Itephta introduces them as the elderly monk rises and walks nimbly towards the party. ”A respected monk of Irori and one of the wisest teachers I have ever encountered. Aeotsep, these men and women come seeking one of the monastery’s relics. I ould be obliged if you would show them some of the training and tests our acolytes experience as they prove their worth.”
”Of course, of course!” the old monk grins as the abbot departs.”I would be delighted to teach all of you some of our ways. After all, any path to improvement must begin with experience after all.” He outstretches his arm, revealing a thin but well-toned limb beneath his clothes. ”Come, follow me.”
Aeotsep happily converse with Kiti as he guides you through the halls. The old monk is an excellent tour guide, regaling you about the monastery's history and its partnership with the dwarven Ouat monks as he points out a few tapestries and antiquities that are his personal favorites. Eventually, he brings you to another study room which contains several bookshelves, a small table. Upon the lectern lies an open copy of Unbinding the Fetters, the principle holy text of the Iroran faith.
Please, make yourself at home, the smiling Aeotsep says as he gestures to some chairs. I just need a few minutes to prepare your trials. Shouldn't be long, but" he looks wistfully around the book-filled room. "There are worse places to wait."
Your guide excuses yourself and leaves you to wait inside the room
And wait.
And wait.
Jory, Kristen, and Wyrgan, after a while, begin to suspect that between Aeotsep's demeanor upon leaving you here and his overlong absence that there may be more to this delay than simple tardiness.
Another five minutes pass. Looking around, you notice that the room is remarkably orderly, even for Irorans, with everything tidily placed aside and every surface clear except for the askew Unbinding the Fetters open on the table.
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Kiti is sitting on the floor, leaning against her sleeping tiger, wiggling her feet. She is trying to guess the nature of test aloud, starting from stereotypical monk activities and moving to fantastic feats achievable only by high magic.
Getting a bit bored, she wonders:
"Are you sure it may be of patience? It seems silly to me to just push us into here and not tell. Is it really the best for you to just sit around here doing nothing? I mean, they do that, but just pushing people to rooms and not letting them do anything is kinda bullying. It's not very self-perfecting?"
She takes an unusually long pause for her, looking at the room, concentrated.
"We should make use of this time to get more monky! Let's see what they say!" she declares, jumps up and runs to the open book. She starts reading aloud from the open page, acting along according to the words, with exaggerated movements.
As Kiti starts reading the book, she notices that the open page is filled with veiled metaphors.
As Kiti and Ka Kaw pore over the open pages, it becomes clear that this section is full of heavy imagery and allegories about stages of perfection and the stages of creation. There are also bits referring to order from chaos and divinity, though the two of you don't quite grasp the full meaning of the author's words.
Almost a half an hour after he left you here, Aeotsep finally returns.
”I apologize for the delay," he says. ”But It took longer than I expected to curate a collection of tasks that could provide a fitting statement about the value of our ways.”
"Ah," he looks over at the gnome and Tengu at the table. "I can see you were spending your time wisely." Aeotsep shuffles over, and gazes down at Fetters. "Oh, you've come across one of my favorite passages. So many think of the pursuit of information as its own end, but much like this world's birth, the steps along the way have a greater purpose..."
He goes on to describe several ideas about the relationship between knowledge, divine strength, and order. Regularly he looks to you and asks for your thoughts on the subject.
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Jory nods. "We all made productive use of the time. Although many of us are used to be giving time to ourselves during training. Meditation and reflection and being well rested all add to a clear mind."
Jory makes no attempt to bluff. Guile is beyond him.
"Would you have a manual of calm reflection. I study those when they are available."
Aeotsep gives a polite smile towards Kiti but appears quite intrigued by Kristen's comments as she expounds on her own 'interpretation' of the text. "Hmm. that is an interesting thought. I have always seen these parables as showing how the spark of divinity that comes from our mortal knowledge is meant to create an order spun from the chaos. But your take on the inherent duality of such states...it is a new perspective I had not considered." He appears impressed with your understanding and insight
At Jory's question, Aeotsep puts his hand to his chin. "A Manual of Calm Reflection? It is quite possible we have such a text, though I am not entirely sure. Perhaps after these trails you can search through our library. Tar Kuata holds many texts and records about the history of this place and its occupants."
"But for now I would ask you to come with me," the old monk says. "My tardiness aside, there is still much I have to show you before we meet Itephta again"
Aeotsep brings you with him down a short hallway into the Hall of the Inward Gaze, a training room which currently contains several broad reed mats, racks holding wooden weapons, and a pile of small wooden boards. Your guide picks up one of the boards from the pile, then turns to your group.
"As I remind all my students: physical might is often mistaken for brute force. Too many forget that strength accomplishes little without control." To emphasize the point, the senior monk outstretches his arm, holding the board in front of his face. With a swift movement, he releases the plank and strikes it in mid-air, breaking the board into two symmetrical halves.
"Please," he smiles. "Repeat this feat."
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"Me next! Gimme one!"
Kiti runs to the stack of boards and grabs one. "How did you do that? Just throw it, shout something and hit? Well, here it goes! Kitiyaah!" the gnome girl tries to mimic Jory.
"Mimi, you try too!" she calls the tiger. Mimi slowly walks next to Kiti and stares at her. Kiti throws a board on front of the tiger. "Hit it hard!"
Both Jory and Kiti's aim is true, and their boards break cleanly with a satisfying *snap*. Aeotsep nods approvingly.
"Excellent form!" he responds to Jory. And to Kiti: "And you strike with great strength for a being of your stature. That is good. Use your foe's underestimations to your advantage."
Mimi in turn, hits the board, but her batting claw fails to split it. The monk looks a bit unsure of how to take such a thing.
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"I must admit, I am not one of much strength, brute or otherwise. Sometimes admitting your weaknesses and seeking out allies to complement them can equate to strength. But I will attempt the feat."
Kristen is actually able to strike the board dead-center, but unfortunately she is not able to get enough strength behind the blow, and the board clatters to the floor a few feet in front of her, intact.
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"I did it! I did it!" Kiti rejoices, jumping around with the board halves in hand.
"You don't need these? I'll take them home and show to sister. Now, we did board splitting, I guess there's something more? What else do monks do? Meditating of course but I already did mine in the morning. I could try again but with no spells to think it isn't easy. I hope it's not any book stuff, I can't do those."
Kiti stashes the board halves into her pack.
"Yes, yes, very good." Aeotsep says as he puts away the boards . "Even the greatest fighter does not begin ready to slay giants after all. And even those of you who missed showed speed and strength; practice is needed only to bring the two in harmony."
Moving to the wall, the monk takes out a quarterstaff and six blindfold from the weapon racks. "Now, one of the early things taught to our acolytes here is that consciousness is achieved through the sum of their senses. You rely on one, you create a false perception of the world."
He offers a blindfold to each of you and watches as you put them on. Then he paces quietly through you. "Listen to the sound of my footsteps. Smell the incense on my robes. Open your eyes to all that is there."
"Now, show you see."
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"So we kind of meditate to know who you whack? I'll try to do it the morning moment way. Except I'm all full of magic so it's just play. It's funny I cannot forget spells. Don't hit my head too hard then."
Kiti takes a blindfold, and ties it over her eyes, fumbling a bit with her thick white hair on the way. She sits on the floor, cross-legged.
"I'm all ready, go!" she declares, and suddenly goes totally quiet and motionless.
Wyrgan stands silently straining to her Aeotsep's approach, but is at a loss when he feels a soft blow from the quarterstaff bop him on the side. "Remember to concentrate." He hears the monk's voice say as it continues on. "Do not let anticipation overwhelm you. Accept a strike is coming and relax and open your senses."
Surprisingly, given how much noise Kiti usually creates, she proves quite adept in the silence. Her small ears pick up a creak in the floor to her left, and as she swivels and shoots out her hand she is rewarded with the satisfying feeling of blocked wood. "Excellent! You may have the makings of a monk yet"
Jory meanwhile, centers himself in his place. He hears the strike coming, but is slightly slow off the draw to dodge it. However, he feels his reflexes respond faster than usual, as if some strange force is lending him competence. He ducks down just in time, as he feels a whoos of air as the staff slices above him. Taking off his blindfold, Jory sees Aeotsep smile warmly at him. "Very good! you understand: know you can do this and it is so."
Jager and Ka Kaw both dodge gracefully, but each of them makes his move too soon and receives a light rap as they re-center themselves. Kristen meanwhile stands virtually still, right up to the point where she too feel a soft hit from the stick.
"So, you now see what a challenge it can be to achieve a full perspective." Aeotsep says as you hear him move back towards the weapon rack. "But as some of you can vouch, there are great benefits to expanding beyond the world your eyes show you. Please, remove your blindfolds now and follow me."
As you take the straps of cloth from your heads, the old monk bows once more and gestures towards the doorway. He leads you through the Down Valley, where the sight of your procession quickly attracts the attention of several curious villagers. Approaching the valley's edge, Aeotsep brings you up a narrow trail near the waterfall to a mountain ledge 40 feet above the water below. A series of wooden posts jut out from the mountainside to overlook the fall's plunge pool. Without hesitation, your guide hops out onto one of the protruding posts and calls back to you, raising his voice to be overheard above the steady crash of the waterfall.
"The journey to self-improvement is a long and challenging oneA sense of balance is important, but not as vital as one's resilience. Leave your armor where you stand and come and join me here, and remain in this position until you are instructed otherwise."
He looks at you warmly as he stands perfectly poised.
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"This is going to take a moment" Kiti says and starts to take off her pink dragonplate.
After a while, and lot of chatter about rest of the challenges, she finally has piled all pieces of her armor on the ground.
"I'd go bird if I really had to stay so high, but I'll try to stand this time. I'm not so good in this... but Mimi is! Mimi, you come too and stand there!"
Kiti and Mimi hop on to adjacent poles and try to balance.
Kiti
Mimi