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As he passes the plank, Korvin stops to eye it for a moment. Then he picks it up, turns it upside down, and leans it back against the wall where it was. He then gives a decisive nod and moves on.
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Arriving in the large cavern, the large Ulfen looks around curiously. "I wonder what this place is supposed to be?" He picks up one of the blue torches from the wall and brings it over to examine one of the carvings.
The sections of the holy text depicted are slightly different than those that appear in the known version of the History and Future of Humanity, suggesting that these might represent an earlier version of the work.
The Artist is depicted painting murals on the walls of impressive buildings, associated with Aroden having painted the city of Absalom with beautiful colors so that it might awe all who visited.
The Fisherman is depicted hauling in an enormous catch of small fish to take back to Absalom, illustrating Aroden’s declaration that a great host of creatures could accomplish a great task, whether that be taming the wilds or feeding a nation.
The Soldier is depicted bearing a lantern through the streets of a city, following the dead god’s prophecy that the vigilant shall carry light to the darkest corners of the world to banish the shadows.
The Tailor is depicted sewing together a long cloth of many patterns that wraps around a city like a moat, referencing Aroden’s proclamation that when the fate of all peoples is woven together, it shall be humanity’s greatest strength.
As you continue through the tunnel at the far side, the soft light of the surrounding fungus mixes with the flickering glow of the nearby torches to reveal a grand chamber. A large pool of water along the chamber’s southern edge reflects the blue and green radiance to illuminate the massive stalactites that cling to the ceiling overhead. Two other tunnels branch off from this area, leading to the east and west.
Rising up from the pool is a column of rock with steeply sloped sides and a flat top, as if someone had sawn off the top of a massive stalagmite. A miniature city carved from this same stone occupies nearly the entire surface. Tiny trinkets such as ancient coins, polished semiprecious stones, and ornately braided loops of string are scattered throughout the diorama, and pale cave frogs clamber atop it. The smooth cavern floor is covered in gravel and pebbles along the edge of the pool, and several foot-long centipedes prowl among the gravel in their search for prey.
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I would say this is old shrine to dead god...
He digs around in the pack.
Her pack contains many items - helpfully labelled - a potion of cure light wounds, a potion of feather step, a potion of vanish, a scroll of entangle, a scroll of gust of wind, a scroll of identify, a scroll of mage armor (CL 6), a scroll of obscuring mist, a wand of burning hands (CL 3rd, 4 charges), a wand of cure light wounds (CL 3rd, 8 charges), flasks of acid, alchemist’s fire (2), and holy water, a smokestick, a tanglefoot bag, a thunderstone, an antitoxin, and sunrods (2).
As you approach, you notice a lone gillman pilgrim kneeling in the pool.
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Azura turned to the others, "Does anyone speak Azlanti? He might not understand but I will try to speak to him." She joins Taro in greeting the Gillman. She pressed her palms together before her as if in prayer and raised them to her lips before bowing low to the gillman.
"We come in peaceful exploration and apologize if we have interrupted your prayer or meditation. May we speak with you about this place? It honors Aroden, is that correct? I would happily offer tribute if you would honor us."
The gillman stares intently as Tarō addresses him, then nods his understanding. When Azura speaks, he seems to be watching her lips. You can tell he didn't understand everything said, but he seems to get the general idea and shrugs indifferently.
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Looking nervous as Azura gives the gill man the cloak Liara can't help but feel like giving it what it wants without questioning it would be wrong. "soo what brings a fish man like you here not planning to overthrow humanity or anything hmmm? Liara says making sure to place herself behind Azura so that the fish person would have to rip thru the bard to get to her.. that is if he could catch her.
The gillman waches as Azura speaks, then nods and accepts the cloak with a smile and look of gratitude. He doesn't seem to notice Liara's comment.
"Thank you," he says. His speech is strange as though he's never actually heard the sounds he's attempting to make. "You are correct that this place was once sacred to Aroden; though, his influence is fading, and, if the creatures in the chambers to the east and west are any indication, I suspect that it will soon vanish completely," he says.
The gillman turns to regard the bloodrager as he approaches. He squints, trying to decipher the Ulfen man's words. "My apologies. I am unable to hear, and I couldn't make out what it was you were saying," he tells Korvin.
He has little trouble reading Azura's lips, though. "Some of my fallen brethren have been... defiled to the east, while living—but no less unfriendly—creatures have been encroaching on this sacred site from the west," he says.
To your question regarding the model he nods. "Perhaps once... though my people do not share your reverence for the dead god of humanity."
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Azura nodded solemnly, her eyes turning a steely blue-grey. "Then you have come to see them returned to their eternal rest, yes? A worthy goal, I will aid you in this."
She thought back to what they had learned from the carvings in the previous room and wondered aloud. "Do you think the guises of Aroden are meant to be carried out somehow using the model? If the soldier bears a light into the darkness, perhaps we should as well?"
She moved closer, recasting light on the bead and placing it in the darkest area of the miniature city, making sure to avoid the centipedes.
The sections of the holy text depicted are slightly different than those that appear in the known version of the History and Future of Humanity, suggesting that these might represent an earlier version of the work.
The Artist is depicted painting murals on the walls of impressive buildings, associated with Aroden having painted the city of Absalom with beautiful colors so that it might awe all who visited.
The Fisherman is depicted hauling in an enormous catch of small fish to take back to Absalom, illustrating Aroden’s declaration that a great host of creatures could accomplish a great task, whether that be taming the wilds or feeding a nation.
The Soldier is depicted bearing a lantern through the streets of a city, following the dead god’s prophecy that the vigilant shall carry light to the darkest corners of the world to banish the shadows.
The Tailor is depicted sewing together a long cloth of many patterns that wraps around a city like a moat, referencing Aroden’s proclamation that when the fate of all peoples is woven together, it shall be humanity’s greatest strength.
As the light from the bead banishes the darkness from the miniature city, a faint tone seems to echo through the cavern. It happens again as Liara wraps the model in the ornately braided material.
An amused half-smile crosses the gillman's face . "Perhaps your Aroden has not entirely left this place," he comments. "The water whispers of his blessing."
He nods. "You have given me no reason to think that you mean to desecrate this sacred site, but please take care."
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Azura cocks her head wonderingly, listening to the strange tones.
"Well, it seems to have done something, but I am not sure what. Is it a tune?" She retrieves some chalk from her pack and sets about making a mural of a butterfly resting on a flower on the side of one of the larger buildings of the model, activating her detect magic to see if she can determine what the strange tone means or does.
"That leaves the fisherman. I have brought twine, but I'm afraid I have no fishhook. Hmmm... There were twelve guises of Aroden, were there not?" She thought back, trying to recall if the room with the carvings had spaces for all 12, even though they might have worn away. She tries to recall from her teachings what the other 8 guises were.
Azura decorates one of the small buildings with a mural eliciting another seemingly source-less tone from the cavern.
Also, the previous area indeed had space for all 12 guises of Aroden though the others were too worn to make out. You are able to recall what they are though without the depiction you can't be certain how the carvings might differ from what you've read in modern copies of The History and Future of Humanity. The 12 guises are the artist, beggar, craftsman, farmer, fisherman, hunter, merchant, scholar, shepherd, soldier, tailor, and thief.
The gillman tries to read the lips of Korvin and Elise, but the lighting and distance prevents him from making out their words. "I'm sorry; I didn't catch that. Could you repeat it?" he asks Korvin.
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Korvin replies to the criticism with a shrug. "I guess it doesn't matter, since he didn't understand me anyway." Instead, he motions to get the gillman's attention, then makes a grab for a fish.
He then motions towards the creature, and the water, then shrugs and tries to look helpless as he spreads his hands.
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Azura tries as well, but as she lunges to grab a fish, she loses her footing and splashes face first into the water, scaring them away. "Well, we may be pathfinders, but Fishermen, we are not!" She says in frustration as she climbs out and begins ringing out her hair.
"I suppose this puzzle will remain unsolved, for now. Thank you for your help." Azura bows again to the gillman makes notes about the strange model of Absalom and nods that she is ready to proceed.
After a few unsuccessful attempts, one of the Pathfinders manages to catch one of the fish swimming around the pool and places it in the model city. A fourth tone echoes through the cavern.
The cave’s damp air becomes increasingly stale as you continue down through this tunnel, and as you approach this area, the stench of decay grows increasingly evident. The passage turns to the east and opens into a small cavern littered with bits of broken glass, rotting pieces of paper, and other unusable detritus. The body of a male dhampir lies facedown toward the back of the cavern. Three zombified gillmen mindlessly mill around the area. They don't appear to have noticed you... yet.