Victory in the Ruby Phoenix Tournament earned the Pathfinder Society a pick of the legendary treasures of the Tian sorceress Hao Jin, and the Decemvirate knew just what item to select: a frayed and dirty tapestry hidden deep in Hao Jin’s vault. This unassuming tapestry acts as a doorway to another dimension in which Hao Jin stored her most massive items, including entire buildings, battlefields, and the ruins of ancient civilizations. The Pathfinder Society is now methodically exploring and cataloging the diverse locales tucked within this extradimensional space.
Deep beneath Absalom’s Grand Lodge, the Pathfinder Society’s Master of Spells, Aram Zey, gestures at the tapestry hung on the wall, surrounded by ladders and scaffolds. Scholars and diviners scurry around the tapestry, analyzing its abstract patterns and comparing insights.
Zey snaps his finger to quiet the room and speaks rapidly. "The aasimar nation of Tianjing contains a handful of temples to Korada, Empyreal Lord of forgiveness and foresight. The Pathfinder Society is interested in exploring these holy sites, but the aasimar disciples in Tianjing are reluctant to grant the Pathfinder Society full access to their faith’s secrets. Fortunately, the custodian council of Tianjing gifted one such temple to Hao Jin centuries ago. This temple—the Temple of Empyreal Enlightenment—now sits vacant within the museum demiplane of the Hao Jin Tapestry. We need well-trained explorers to survey the isolated and abandoned site."
"We will transport you to the Temple of Empyreal Enlightenment within the Hao Jin Tapestry and provide you with a small cache of supplies. We need a complete report on the temple with a focus on four key locations. First, locate the temple’s meditation room, find evidence of any meditative techniques described there, and record any effects of performing those techniques. Second, prepare a comprehensive catalog of all works in the temple library. Third, find the temple gardens and draft a detailed plan of the garden’s layout. Finally, enter the temple’s crypt and take rubbings of the carvings on each sarcophagus."
"Those are for you to take," Zey says, pointing at a table with plenty of food, water, ink, charcoal, parchment, rice paper, and measuring twine. "You will enter the tapestry within the hour. Any questions?"
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Gunthorn listens intently to the Master's briefing while his eyes try and follow the many patterns of the tapestry.
"I've a couple of questions." Says the dwarf in a voice that is deep, gravely, and with a noticeable wheeze to it. Evidence that whatever caused the damage to his face also affected his vocal chords.
"Are we the first to attempt this exploration? If not, what was the result of the earlier expeditions?" He asks. "And how do we return, once we've completed our task?"
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A small dark skinned gnome dressed in a elaborate outfit that contains more lace sequins and frippery than, well gnome, and wearing a hat taller than he is and with significantly more feathers, peers dubiously at the tapestry,
"Well met all! I am Zandibus the Magnificent future satrap and ruler of all I survey - as long as I don't crane my neck. I shall be bringing my sorcerous self, specializing in illusions to confound the mind and spirit, and my trusty paciderm pal Ambroscious who specializes in being an elephant. Handle a lock if needs be, me not Ambroscious. I swear two missions two magical tapestries, is this going to become a theme? Well no matter. I presume we can expect undead, have living creatures been encountered within the tapestry?"
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An aasimar nation? Empyreal lords? These were only a few of the things that had pushed Valador into volunteering for this mission, hitting close to home with his own aasimar heritage.
Valador walks slowly around the tapestry as he listens to Zey's speech. His medium frame draped in a cloak and the majority of his facial features concealed by the cloaks hood. If you were very perceptive you may have been able to spot a tiny smirk on the mans bearded face when Zey spoke of the Empyreal lords temple. Korada... the name sounds very familiar...
As he walks towards the others, Valador ponders over any knowledge of Korada he may have.
Approaching Gunthorn, hands slip from under his cloak and rise to remove his hood, revealing his face to the others. Long blond locks are tied back neatly, save a few stray strands that fall over azure eyes. Valador appears as a normal man, not ugly nor overly handsome. Simple features for a simple person.
"Do not worry, master dwarf..." he tells Gunthor as he stands beside him.
"I'm sure the good people here are all very reliable..." he states with just a very tiny bit of sarcasm and a smile. "But on the off chance that something were to go wrong... well, I'm here to ensure that we all make it back in one piece."
Valador assures the dwarf before looking to Zey and giving the man a nod.
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Oliana nods to (almost) everyone, saying their names and greeting them"Master dwarf, your Magnificence, my aasimar lady and gentleman,"
Accustomed to nature and it's ways, Oliana reaches for the ink , parchment, and measuring twine, happy to contribute by taking measurements of the garden--perhaps with some help from the wild-looking gnome?
"You aren't the first team of Pathfinders to enter this extradimensional space, master dwarf," Zey answers Gunthorn. "but you will be the first team to explore this particular location. As for returning to this place; a creature entering the tapestry leaves a planar eddy in its wake. It looks like a ball of light about two feet across. The planar eddy is visible and usable only by that creature as long as it remains alive. Enter your planar eddy to return here."
Zey tries to process the flood of words coming from Zandibus' mouth. It takes a while, but when the gnome stops talking the Master of Spells answers. "We have no reason to think the temple is occupied. The temple is likely uninhabited except by ancient guardians or traps, although I suppose some scavengers may have found their way into the structure."
Devotees of Korada are scholars and mystics who are often contemplative pacifists. Korada’s worshipers meditate by spinning small glass spheres in their palms. Practiced disciples spin three glass spheres in each hand simultaneously while meditating.
The Spiral of Korada is a symbol sacred to the Empyreal Lord. The Spiral of Korada is an outward-sweeping arc balancing three circles. The circles represent reflection on the past, focus on the present, and contemplation of the future. This symbol is often prominently displayed in temples to the Empyreal Lord, and devotees take care to keep the sacred symbol unobstructed.
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As Zey finished voicing his theory on whether the temple is occupied or not, Valador followed up with some insight on Korada.
"Korada is the Empyreal Lord of foresight, forgiveness, and peace. He is a force of good, dedicated to peace and contemplation. Devotees of Korada are scholars and mystics who are often contemplative pacifists.
If I was a gambling man, I would bet that there is at least some sort of small group left within the temple in order to maintain it. But that's just my personal opinion... I could be wrong, but I don't see any truly devoted followers letting their holy site sit on the shelf and collect dust in a glass bottle, so to speak...
Hopefully if there are any occupants within the temple, they still practice the pacifism they're known for."
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"Right let me fetch Ambroscious and we can get going! Forward fearless friends for finding felicitous fortunes foundered from far flung foreign fates!" Zandibus says hurrying out, one hand steadying his hat.
He returns some minutes later with an elephant in tow, a small elephant about the size of a pony. The elephant wears a sequins embroidered cap, a red leather saddle decorated with an astonishing array of tassels, sequins and lavishly embroidered with gold and silver thread. Under the frippery is a set of red leather armor.
"Everybody this is Ambroscious, Ambroscious everyone."
Moving to the table the gnome opens a saddlebag and scoops in the remaining gear into it before moving over to the tapestry and looking back expectantly.
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"Gunthorn Durstan." Says the dwarf with a polite nod and bow to the others as they introduce themselves. When he bows to Espada, the hood on his robe falls back, openly revealing the terrible burn scars that cover most of the right side of his face and neck. Unlike most dwarves, his beard is trimmed short and is quite patchy where the scarring has prevented it from filling in.
Flushing slightly he quickly pulls the hood back over his face and turns back to listen to Master Zey's explanation of how the tapestry works and Valador's guess on the temple's inhabitants.
"Let's hope you are correct friend and that we'll not need any blades to complete this task." He says quietly before stepping toward the tapestry to join the gnome and his extravagantly attired companion to signal his readiness to begin.
Zey smiles while he looks at the gnome, elephant and dwarf. "I admire your eagerness to get started, but we're waiting for one more member of the team. He should arrive within the hour."
"Are there any other questions, or is everyone who's currently present ready to start exploring?"
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A smile settles over Oliana's face as she hears of the pacifist nature of the temple. The smile grows with the appearance of the small elephant. She galloped over to it, reached toward the animal's forehead, and petted it lightly, "Hello Ambroscious, you and Tsongre are going to be good friends, I can tell..."
"Where is that nuuta bird anyway?" She says standing erect and over her shoulder at the entrance, "I know we're underground, but-"
As if on cue, shouts from guards, scholars, and several other inhabitants of the Grand Lodge seem to follow a path from the main entrance to the room they're all in. In flutters a brown falcon with a white spotted belly. Oliana straps on her falconry gauntlet, so Tsongre can land. He does so gracefully and Oliana feeds him a small morsel of bird feed as a treat.
Tsongre eyes the rest of the group has he walks Oliana's arm to her studded leather-clad shoulder. "Everyone, this is Tsongre: Scout, Battle-Companion, and Friend."
After Zey asks his last question, she answers, "We're ready and raring...ah...Master Zey" Tsongre chirped as if to agree.
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Ambroscious shuts his eyes as Oliana rubs his forehead, while Zandibus responds, "Ambroscious is more fashion accessory, ride, apple thief - isn't that right you perfidious pachyderm?"
The elephant looks down at the gnome with large sad eyes, even as his trunk snakes out to his packs and returns with an apple which vanishes into the elephants mouth with a practised motion.
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A middle-aged man rushes into the study area, wide brimmed hat slid back from the wind of his mad dash to arrive even close to on time. His usually neatly trimmed beard is slightly bedraggled, and beads of perspiration rolls down the sides of his face. His cloths, usually impeccably cared for, are rumpled and creased, and his pack looks hastily tossed together. ”My apologies, Venture Captain…” he pants, trying to catch his breath a bit before continuing, ”I had unforeseen delays.”
Turning to the assembled pathfinders, he offers a slight bow with a flourish of his hat, cleverly using the move to place the chapeau correctly on his brow. ”Name is Will Thatcher, and I am seeking to rise above my humble beginnings with your illustrious company. So what is our mission? Dragons need slaying? Damsels in distress need rescuing?”
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Zandibus sweeps his huge befeathered monstrosity of a hat from his head and bows, using the hat to point at the group in turn, "Greetings Will, I am Zandibus the Magnificent, and these are my worthy cohorts Oliana, Tsongre , Gunthorn Durstan, Valador Iscariot, Espada, Alia Charybdis, and Ambroscious the dreaded Applefiend."
He replaces his hat, adjusting it to a jaunty angle before adding, "Our mission is to nip into this magic tapestry explore an Aasimar temple, give a report on it. Find the meditation room learning meditation techniques if we can and recording there effects; make a catalogue of works in the library; make a plan of the temple gardens; and lastly take rubbing of the sarcophagi in the temple's crypt. Now let's go!"
With that the dark skinned gnome clambers up into his elephants ostentatious saddle and rides into the tapestry raising a wand in one hand like a sceptre.
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"Hi all, I'm Alia", Alia says, quickly rising to her feet, giving a quick, self-conscious grin and half-hearted wave to everyone.
"I'm a healer, but Sarenrae willing, we won't need that." She sits down, and then remembering something, quickly stands again. "But feel free to see me, if you do!"
Looking a bit abashed, she unceremoniously sits down again. Under her breath a bit, and to no one in particular, she says "Umm, I'm ready to go, whenever."
When you're all ready to proceed, Aram Zey escorts you one by one onto the scaffold and instructs you to place your fingers upon a symbol of three linked circles the tapestry’s weave. The Master of Spells utters a trigger word and the person touching the tapestry disappears from the Material Plane, whisked into Hao Jin’s demiplane. He repeats the process with each of you, but needs some help from Oliana and Zandibus when he transports the animals. Transporting Ambroscious requires the tapestry to be placed on the floor, to prevent the table from breaking when Ambroscious places a foot on the tapestry.
You arrive in the Hao Jin Tapestry instantaneously, finding yourselves standing atop a forested hill in front of a large, wide building of burnished white stone. The sky above is bright and the air smells clean and fresh. Behind each arriving person or creature floats a 2-foot-diameter sphere of pulsing blue light, each visible only to the one whose journey to the tapestry created it.
The Temple of Empyreal Enlightenment is a wide structure atop a forested hill. The graceful building has no sharp corners; the white marble walls are carved with soft, round edges. The edifice appears well-scrubbed, but despite this obvious care black flecks of mold cover its surface. A gravel path leads into an airy courtyard and up to a pair of large wooden double doors. The doors are carved with an image of four spheres resting inside an open lotus flower.
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Zandibus gazes about curiously, and then admonishes his elephant, "Don't forget about your portal Ambroscious there probably aren't many apples in here."
"Much better weather than the last tapestry portal I went into, it was freezing there!" Zandibus says urging Ambroscious forward after he has cast a spell, "Just checking for magics, you never know!"
He approaches the doors looking for magical auras and then examining the door in great detail searching for traps.
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"Hmmm... that was interesting..." Valador whispers to himself as he suddenly appears on the hilltop, traversing from one plane to another for the first time.
Stepping forward just a bit from his arrival point, he takes a moment to look around, ensuring everyone made it safely.
"Everyone make it all right? Got all your fingers and toes?" he asks before taking in a panoramic view of the area while everyone arrives and gets situated.
Noticing the spheres on the door he provides a little more insight.
"Korada’s worshipers meditate by spinning small glass spheres in their palms. Practiced disciples spin three glass spheres in each hand simultaneously while meditating.
The Spiral of Korada is a symbol sacred to the Empyreal Lord. The Spiral of Korada is an outward-sweeping arc balancing three circles. The circles represent reflection on the past, focus on the present, and contemplation of the future. This symbol is often prominently displayed in temples to the Empyreal Lord, and devotees take care to keep the sacred symbol unobstructed."
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Oliana arrived head spinning..."That was new eh boy?" she said to her feathered friend. He was looking behind him, and staring intently. She looked and saw nothing, but then saw her orb behind her and realized that he was being distracted by his.
"I know it's shiny, Little Brother, but I need you to focus!" She said, snapping her fingers, and he looked straight. "Look for baddies and traps with us, okay?"
Tsongre fluttered up to obey his master and seek out any danger or oddities.
The ground in the open courtyard the party ended up in is covered with crushed white gravel. An ornate set of wooden double doors leads west into the temple, clearly the structure’s main entrance. There are no signs of traps, and nothing dangerous or odd is to be seen.
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Will takes the skidoo into the tapestry well enough, holding onto his hat to keep it from falling off into the twisting nether. Looking around their new location, he can’t help but mutter, ”Facinating” Then, seeing the others beginning to examine their surroundings, straightens his hat and nods in agreement to the others findings, having very little to no skill in anything they were currently doing.
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Gunthorn catches his balance and blinks his eyes rapidly giving the vertigo of the teleportation a few seconds to pass. He notes his portal back and then focuses on the temple.
Listening to Valador's explanation of Korada's general philosophy the dwarf pulls charcoal and parchment from his pack and begins to make rough sketches of the building and the ornaments on the doors.
"Might as well get a few quick sketches and notes down while we wait for the others to get the doors open." He says casually to Espada and Alia.
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Noticing everyone's hesitation, he decides to take some initiative. After all, the occupants, if any, should be pacifists... right..?
"I'll check it out..." Valador says as he slips through the group and moves inside the door, stopping shortly past the entree way.
A few feet in he stops and begins to look about. "Hello..?"
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Alia looks about, at her myriad compatriots: I've been assigned to more overtly dangerous missions with less pathfinders. We may be here to explore, but there is nothing simple about this. Validor, the other aasimar in the party, moves to the main entrance.
"I'll check it out..."
Amendment to the "Always Follow The Ranger Rule: If there are no rangers, follow the extremely knowledgeable, and ruggedly good-looking paladin. Alia tightens her jerkin, and follows Validor into the holy temple, her senses straining to capture any hint of danger.
This wide entrance is a communal center of the temple. The floor here contains an engraved Spiral of Korada, but the spiral is badly scuffed from centuries of traffic.
Valador and Alia see a pair of doors in front of them, and another door to their left. To their right are several corridors.
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Valador proceeds slightly further in, stepping around the spiral on the floor, admiring it momentarily...
"The Spiral of Korada. Though it's seen better days. It appears to be scuffed up quite a bit."
His gaze lifts to Alia in order to address her. "Perhaps it's as I thought and there are people still within the temple... These scuffs may be from people traffic, or perhaps I'm wrong and the place is just running down. Anyways..."
Valador spots the door to the left, nearest the main entrance.
"Considering we have many routes and rooms to take into consideration, perhaps we should begin out search by working from the outter rooms into the center of the temple. Just to cover everything..."
Valador looks over his shoulder to the people still in the rear.
"What say you..?"
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Finishing up his quick sketch of the exterior, Gunthorn follow Valador and Alia into the temple. His eyes take in the spiral and he stops briefly to do another quick charcoal drawing.
"Seems like a good enough idea to me." He says to the paladin while his hand works to efficiently capture the spiral. "We've got to check to whole place out anyway, might as well do it in an orderly fashion."
From the center of the spiral comes a weak mote of light that drifts up the ceiling. Once it reaches the ceiling the mote dissipates.
Valador opens the door to the south, and a oom is revealed. This room contains mundane stores used by the temple’s inhabitants. These include blankets, bandages, tools, empty barrels and crates, some wooden stools, several empty shelves, and rolls of the same white cloth the worshipers’ robes are made of.
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Valador's head turns to Alia.
"Well, nothing went boom. So that's good." followed by a smirk.
"Shall we?
Head forward, he takes a step into the room, checking right and left before branching off to the left.
Valador calls back over his shoulder to Alia. "It seems clear in here. It appears to be a storage room. Nothing extraordinary so far... But it would appear that perhaps this place isn't as deserted as our employers may have thought... Be on guard..."
As he steps he takes time to glance around at all the mundane items in the room, checking to see if there's anything odd in the midst.
Valador notices nothing out of the ordinary in the storage room.
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"Hmmm... blankets, tools, robes. Seems like basic mundane junk in here... Best not to disturbed anything." he talks quietly to himself before heading back to the door to check in with Alia.
"Nothing of interest in there. Just a bunch of random supplies and junk for the most part. Feel free to check it out though if you guys like, for your report and what not." he informs them, giving a slight, unimpressed shrug.