"False? What? These documents?" You can tell without much trouble they knew those documents weren't going to fool someone with a keen eye. "Ah no... those are fakes we were going to feed the consortium so we could pocket some of this gold. But the letter of credit is genuine, and we are trying to meet someone here..."
As you have this conversation, Amenopheus walks up and surveys the situation. "What are you all doing standing around out here?" The Sapphire Sage looks exhausted, his clothing is scorched and torn in places, though he seems otherwise healthy.
"Really? You searched them? I am sensing something of the gem on them." Amenopheus looks, and motions to Kafar, "That one. Check pockets, perhaps a hidden pocket. And why you're all still standing around out here is beyond me. I'm too old and it's too hot."
He walks up to the mountain, approximately the section that Kafar had been indicating, and places his hand... through the cliff face. A bit of effort and pushing, and then he entirely disappears into the rock.
You aren't certain what just happened, but your eyes saw it. Your minds are having trouble. Shortly thereafter, the illusion disappears. You see the cliff face has an entrance carved into it, grand doors visible and an entrance beyond. Amenopheus is no longer in sight, having entered the building.
While he protests, you do search Kafar, and he doesn't resist. You find on the alchemist the Topaz gem you were looking for, and once in hand the spirit of the Topaz Sage within reaches out to you, recognizing the power you have been given. It gives an impression of thanks to Farzinel, but does not appear to do more than give impressions.
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"You are quite welcome." Farzinel responds aloud to the jewel, before placing it among his belongings for safe keeping.
"We should follow Amenopheus, certainly." the elf says to his fellow Pathfinders, "but what should we do with our 'new friends' here? Do we think they could be trusted to help us?"
He then turns to Kafar. "It would seem that the individual you were planning to meet here has failed to show." Farzinel states.
"Or are they already inside?" Kafar asks, and proceeds to head that direction, with Nefti following closely, though Nefti eyes his weapons longingly as he walks away.
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Iago clicks his tongue, shaking his head as Nefti seemingly gives some thought in things he shouldn't even think about. "Come on New Friend. Lets do some pathfindering!" With that said, he herds the younger Aspis towards the entrance, his stance ambivalent as to whether he is going to protect the lad or use him as a shield.
"Well there were a number of creatures that seemed to object to my travels, and we had disagreements. I am hardy enough, my clothes less so." He welcomes you to the sanctum.
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.
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Iago is the first to snap out of the reveries induced by such ancient ruins.
"Well, looks well-preserved for something its age." He eyes Amenopheus before coughing and adding as he grips his blade in both hands: "Lets go on in before we get a sunstroke out here."
He moves through the first room cautiously.
"My once-aspis friends, I would suggest you stop looking through the doorway we just came in through and focused on moving forwards."
"Hmm. I know this is where the jeweled sages had their pig roasts, but did they really need the man-sized gem here?"
The group notices that any water taken from the fountains seems to be refilled, like magic.
Traversing into the next room with the crystal, those entering find that 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, keyshaped sliver breaks off of the crystal. Amenopheus nods, picks up the key, and tells the group that the north door will lead them onward; it opens as he approaches.
Kafar and Nefti attempt to follow the rest of you, but the crystal warns them that they are not allowed to enter. None of you sense this warning, as it is transmitted directly to them, but they alert you to the fact the crystal does not seem to want them to come in. "We can wait out here..." they say, and seem honest enough about it, though you obviously will have doubts. Amenopheus waits on you further in.
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"Is that so?" Farzinel responds, warily. He eyes the two men, trying to ascertain whether the speak the truth or are engaged within a ruse.
Realizing that the crystals work in mysterious ways and that he is not likely to know one way or the other, he decides to leave the men be and to follow the Sage in hopes of learning more of the mysteries of this place.
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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Iago, grumbling slightly at the convenience of the crystal's attitude, does sense that somehow they are being truthful.
"Alright. I certainly hope you aren't feeling adventurous enough to try and leave us. We are in the middle of the Pillars of the Sun after all. You barely got through one way, with all your preparations and gear" he warns, unhappily.
Stepping on as their rearguard, Iago strolls on into the room, an eye out for danger.
"Statues. I hate statues. The ones that are left in tombs especially" he comments, as he makes an idle moulinet with his weapon.
The items being held by the statues certainly do seem real. Amenopheus starts walking through the crystal, and then for an unknown reason as he is about to answer the question asked he becomes frozen within the crystal he was passing through. While it doesn't look painful, the statues that start moving DO look like they might inflict some pain.
Amenopheus is currently encased in crystal and appears paralyzed, like those bugs trapped in amber from the ancient tale Jurassic Park.
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Nitre quickly moves near the crystal that holds Amenopheus. Just don't touch it... she thinks, it's probably some kind of trap for a Sage, and you're carrying a Sage's power right now, don't forget! Still, better than being close to one of these statues!
She raises her crossbow, firing its bolt at one of the statues; she reloads the crossbow with astounding speed! She keeps darting her head around to look over her shoulder, clearly concerned about a surprise attack from a statue behind her.
One of the statues casts a spell, targeting itself and its ally, and it suddenly moves much faster. The other statue steps off its pedestal and comes after Iago!
Its quarterstaff strikes his armor but doesn't even put a dent in!
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Nitre's eyes dart to the open archway that they came through, and she notices Biter looking anxiously into the room. "Biter, come here! Don't just stand there watching!"
She pulls the trigger as soon as her eyes land on the animated statue again, and she--moving faster than reality again--immediately reloads and fires!
She backs up a step, making room for Biter. She notices the other statue on top of Iago, and she sees an opening. "Iago, there's some chink there, under the arm. Strike it now! Use the Sages' Power!!!"
As a swift action, you can expend one use of mythic power to give one ally within 30 feet the ability to immediately make a single melee or ranged attack on your turn. Add your tier as a bonus on the attack roll. The damage dealt by this attack bypasses all damage reduction. This attack doesn’t count toward the ally’s actions on its turn.
Biter scampers across the floor, weaving behind Iago's legs to avoid the statue near the door, and stops in front of Nitre, spinning to defend her.
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Iago's eyes widen as a voice in his mind goes: "Really, you're surprised by this?" Then all of a sudden, dearest Nitre's voice rings through. "Huh? Oh. Right. RIGHT!"
The adamantine blade arcs through the air, digging deep into the creature's armpit.
"I think you might be onto something!" he exclaims with joy as he pulls his blade out and swings again!, possibly lopping an arm and a stony head off.
"Nitre. Baby. I could kiss you right about now."
Iago does indeed drop the first statue, and moves to the second (careful to avoid grease), and wallops it as well.
Stormy spends a mythic point and calls lightning, the reverberations in the small chamber loud, and almost deafening the adjacent Iago.
The construct stays on its feet and tries to strike Iago.
It does so with a resounding crack as the quarterstaff dents the side of Iago's armor and may even have broken a rib or two.
Iago feels like his sword strikes are not going to connect, but he knows that he could potentially tap into his latent mythic power to correct the error in reality. Lightning strikes and biters bite.