Chaïa hoped that the revelation that Alastor’s family was gone wouldn’t set the young ghost off, and she waited to see how he would react to Janus’ suggestion. Just in case, she tried out arguments in her head that what was in the next room might help them reconsecrate the graveyard – if only by selling treasure that could be converted into a scroll or the services of a friendly cleric. Just a bit too explicit, that. Think harder.
Alastor considered everything the explorers had to say.
"I don't know where my family is," he said. "Or about anything else... But if you swear to the Watching Gods, then I guess I'll let you in now."
"Hmm. Still curious zough." Lu notes. She didn't mind simply being granted access to the door but it miffed her when this little mystery didn't want to present a satisfactory solution. "We'll keep an eye out ... Oh! Alastor - have you seen any other living people lurking around here ze last oh month or so?"
"I'll swear to the Watching Gods that I will do my best to track down the remains of your parents and sister, and return them to their graves, if such can be done. If not, I'll try and punish the one responsible for takeing their remains - if we find out who that was, that person will need to be stopped, anyway,", Janus answered.
They would find a resolution for this one, too, but it would save them from return trips to the temple, and give the expedition some results to tell yellowknife about.
"No other breathers around lately," Alastor said. "Except the thing in the balls that you killed."
Satisfied with their oaths, Alastor slipped through the wall and the door rose in due course.
"Remember what you said. The gods will," he told them, very gravely, as he came back out.
"Well all right zen." Lu nodded and reached out to pat the ghost on the back. Not that successful. "We'll do what we can yeah."
"Oh have you looked around in ze rest of zis place? Or are you stuck in here with ze balls?" She asks one more question while readying her sword for whatever lay beyond the door.
Having made her oath, Chaïa reassured the ghost that she would take it seriously. “I’m a priestess of the One and the Three: they watch, and I wouldn’t try to escape their gaze. They would also want us to see you and your family at peace, so it is my duty to do all that I can.”
Lu’s interjection led Chaïa to nod and add another comment of her own, “This cairn seems to be attracting more and more attention recently, not all of it innocent. We’re not sure yet what it all means, but what happened to your family might be related. If we can sort this place out, it should help us see our way to letting you cross over. Thank you for trusting us.”
"Breaking an oath to the gods is indeed a poor idea." Saeri agreed, moving forward to look into the next area and see what threats - or opportunities - might be present there.
"I can go a little ways inside. Not too far," Alastor said.
Beyond the door, the explorers found themselves within a cavernous chamber. A large stone walkway ringed a deep chasm, falling off into darkness. Four platforms reached from the walkway to a central ring, two of them broken in mid-span. Bright light, like a summer's day, filtered down from the ceiling above. Four wide galleries extend outward from the walkway, their far walls covered with great bas-reliefs. A sighing wind rose from the central ring, carrying stray dust toward the roof.
"Okay. I wasn't expecting zis." Lu admitted as they stepped into the chamber. First a brief glance towards the roof, to see if she could determine where the light came from, and then she turned towards the walkway and the chasm. "Zrow another glowing rock down - just because we are curious? And I zink we really ought to secure ourselves with rope before venturing out on zat old zing. Who knows if it will randomly fall apart - either from degradation or design?"
With another brief glance towards the roof Lu mutters something about silly wizards with too much time on their hands then looks for somewhere to secure the rope on this end.
"Okay. I wasn't expecting zis." Lu admitted as they stepped into the chamber. First a brief glance towards the roof, to see if she could determine where the light came from, and then she turned towards the walkway and the chasm. "Zrow another glowing rock down - just because we are curious? And I zink we really ought to secure ourselves with rope before venturing out on zat old zing. Who knows if it will randomly fall apart - either from degradation or design?"
With another brief glance towards the roof Lu mutters something about silly wizards with too much time on their hands then looks for somewhere to secure the rope on this end.
Lu saw that she could loop a rope around one of the bridges, which would take some dangling over the edge, or tie one around the door.
Briefly considering her options Lu goes to tie the rope to the door. If she was doing any dangling she'd like to be secured by rope and ... yeah.
As Lucrecia moved to tie the rope, Saeri moved over to grab it - it never hurt to have people holding onto your lifeline, after all, and she was quite ready to lend a hand whenever she could.
While Lucrecia and Saeri prepared a rope, Chaïa took a moment to admire the latest example of the cairn’s builders’ sense of scale. Sweeping her eyes around the bas-reliefs for a clue as to what this chamber was for, she resisted the impulse to saunter off around the circumference for a closer look on her own while the others were still getting ready. The two fallen bridges didn’t expire much confidence, and as she stooped down for a piece of rubble to plumb the depths of the pit, she assessed the safety of surviving bridges and the walkway around the edge of the pit with all of her architectural experience.
With a shrug, Chaïa lit up the loose stone she had gathered with a cantrip, and lobbed it easily into the gaping pit, watching the little light as it fell into darkness and waiting to see if she could hear it land.
While Lucrecia and Saeri prepared a rope, Chaïa took a moment to admire the latest example of the cairn’s builders’ sense of scale. Sweeping her eyes around the bas-reliefs for a clue as to what this chamber was for, she resisted the impulse to saunter off around the circumference for a closer look on her own while the others were still getting ready. The two fallen bridges didn’t expire much confidence, and as she stooped down for a piece of rubble to plumb the depths of the pit, she assessed the safety of surviving bridges and the walkway around the edge of the pit with all of her architectural experience. [dice=Knowledge (engineering)]1d20+8
With a shrug, Chaïa lit up the loose stone she had gathered with a cantrip, and lobbed it easily into the gaping pit, watching the little light as it fell into darkness and waiting to see if she could hear it land.
Chaia's stone clattered to a stop at the bottom of a featureless basin that looked to be about sixty feet deep.
“Well, everything looks alright, and it doesn’t seem that unfriendly,” Chaïa suggested hopefully, peering carefully into the pit. She shrugged, and started heading clockwise around the room toward the nearest unbroken bridge to the central platform, keeping one eye out for any surprises, and the other scanning the bas-reliefs on the walls along the way.
“Well, everything looks alright, and it doesn’t seem that unfriendly,” Chaïa suggested hopefully, peering carefully into the pit. She shrugged, and started heading clockwise around the room toward the nearest unbroken bridge to the central platform, keeping one eye out for any surprises, and the other scanning the bas-reliefs on the walls along the way. [dice=Perception]1d20+1
Nothing surged out of the pit or descended from above the slay Chaia as she walked forward. She found the first bas-relief indistinct, all blurred and distorted until she drew near. Then a sheet of steam rose up to billow across the carvings in intricate patterns that completed the image and even made it seem to move.
A peaceful scene of several genies relaxing in an idyllic countryside spread before her, with dozens of perfect circles filling the sky above. After a moment, dark, twisted shapes emerged from the edges and coalesced into a monstrous, blazing creature that stalked toward the genies. As it did, the circles in the sky burst one by one.
"Red things smacking blue things?" Lu raised an eyebrow and admired the art that Chaïa revealed. Not that it made any sense to her, but at least it was kinda cool. Hmm ... I wonder how much it would be worth if we could keep it working? But this wasn't the time for such idle thoughts! After making sure everyone was connected to the rope Lu headed out onto the platform as well.
Saeri took a few moments to appreciate the art that someone had clearly put a lot of effort into. "Personally, I think I'd try to avoid pissing genies off." she observed thoughtfully. "It seems... unlikely to end well."
Chaïa slowed, enthralled by the vision, her mind trying to process whatever was depicted. Some sort of grand conjuration? Or something more aggressive? She focused on the bursting circles, and tried to excavate dimly remembered lessons about the legends of very old magic.
Saeri’s words pierced through her reverie, and Chaïa nodded distractedly. Something from the days when high magic was young… mother and father would be thrilled to see this piece, if only as a curio!
Chaïa slowed, enthralled by the vision, her mind trying to process whatever was depicted. Some sort of grand conjuration? Or something more aggressive? She focused on the bursting circles, and tried to excavate dimly remembered lessons about the legends of very old magic.
Chaïa believes that the relief probably depicts the battles of the ancient Wind Dukes against Memnon, either in the Era of Skyfire or during the war in the outer spheres that drove them to the future Calimshan.
Janus, who had been carefully watching Chaia to make sure she did nothing...rushed, also took a moment to admire the artwork: "Partially true. More importantly, I'd avoid pissing something off that assaults genies like that and fully expects it to end well. Either it has reason to believe in it's success, or it's crazy enough to do so regardless...in either case it's a safe bet you don't want it as an enemy."
Secured by rope, Janus was ready to move on ahead towards the central platform.
Saeri had limited familiarity with these sorts of historical relics - she appreciated them, but she appreciated them more when she could simply read about them in a nice book. Cards at the ready, she followed Janus.
Janus, who had been carefully watching Chaia to make sure she did nothing...rushed, also took a moment to admire the artwork: "Partially true. More importantly, I'd avoid pissing something off that assaults genies like that and fully expects it to end well. Either it has reason to believe in it's success, or it's crazy enough to do so regardless...in either case it's a safe bet you don't want it as an enemy."
Secured by rope, Janus was ready to move on ahead towards the central platform.
Chaïa mused aloud about her gleanings from the enspelled carvings, responding vaguely to Saeri and Janus in an attempt to avoid being too sensational or alarmist. “It has been a long time since the world saw the use of such powers. If this happened anywhere on Faerûn, I would guess it was during the Era of Skyfire, when Calim was still living to give his name to what would be Calimshan. My people put forth their magic to intervene… In any case, it fits with what we’ve already found in this place. Let’s hope that whoever these people were, exactly, they’re long gone. Magic itself has changed since that age.”
She shook her head as if to clear it of the images that played over the relief. “Let’s see what else these walls can tell us.”
The explorers made their way around the circuit of the chamber, past the three other reliefs. Each came to life just as the first had:
A towering, barechested genie wearing the gylph you saw on the broken frame and Yellowknife identified as meaning something like Icosiel stands above a host of lesser genies, each bearing their own unique glyphs. As the steam plays out, they raise their curved blades and bow before him.
A group of seven proud genies present a great, tapering staff to a council of others. Each presenter wears a unique, complicated glyph. As the steam plays, the central figure raises the staff above his head, where it splits into seven irregular pieces.
The mighty genie from the previous relief -his glyph matches one of theirs'- holds the staff in his hand and thrusts it into a blazing, demonic being with four arms. As the staff makes contact with the demonic being, it, the staff, and the staff's wielder all vanish in a roil of steam. The demonic creature turns with its last moments and something lances from its eyes to pierce a genie bearing Icosiol's sign, who slumps dead to the ground.
In their circuit, the explorers also discover that two of the bridges to the central ring remain intact.
"Be on the lookout for ancient wizard shenanigans? Got it." Lu grunts, demonstrating what she took away from Chaïa's history lesson. In reality she was actually quite impressed by the craftsmanship of these reliefs but we couldn't simply just admit that could we?
When they have surveyed the rest of the chamber a clearer picture is emerging. Well a bit at least! "Hmph. So, it really feels like a monument to our friend's heroics yeah? But what we actually learn from zat - I dunno."
Lu pauses to retrieve her parchment and coal, intent on making some (very) rough sketches of the scenes. Lifelike drawings like these were way ahead of her ability - but stickfigures would at least convey the message!
"Be on the lookout for ancient wizard shenanigans? Got it." Lu grunts, demonstrating what she took away from Chaïa's history lesson. In reality she was actually quite impressed by the craftsmanship of these reliefs but we couldn't simply just admit that could we?
When they have surveyed the rest of the chamber a clearer picture is emerging. Well a bit at least! "Hmph. So, it really feels like a monument to our friend's heroics yeah? But what we actually learn from zat - I dunno."
Lu pauses to retrieve her parchment and coal, intent on making some (very) rough sketches of the scenes. Lifelike drawings like these were way ahead of her ability - but stickfigures would at least convey the message!
Secured by rope, walking out on the bridges seemed doable. But the fact that half of them had already collapsed didn't really make Lu feel good about it. Still though, there might be something nice out there. "All right. Who wants to go first?"
When they have surveyed the rest of the chamber a clearer picture is emerging. Well a bit at least! "Hmph. So, it really feels like a monument to our friend's heroics yeah? But what we actually learn from zat - I dunno."
“From what Janus and Yellowknife put together from the inscriptions we found, if this tomb is for our friend Icosiol, I wonder if that’s Calim himself,” Chaïa speculated, pointing out the central duel. “It’s not my field, so I’d have to do some digging, but this looks like it might be another version of what happened to that staff.”
Her finger moved to the staff-wielding genie’s opponent and its last revenge. “Also, death curses. If whatever’s poking around poor Alastor’s family plot isn’t a coincidence, I shudder to think what its interest might be in this place. And I’m not sure what that is, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard of efreeti with four arms.”
Secured by rope, walking out on the bridges seemed doable. But the fact that half of them had already collapsed didn't really make Lu feel good about it. Still though, there might be something nice out there. "All right. Who wants to go first?"
Following Lucrecia back to the nearest unbroken bridge to the central platform, Chaïa volunteered. “I made sure to prepare a feather fall spell again today, so that should help, if it comes to that!”
Janus, who had already fastened the rope around his waist previously, nodded to Chaia:"Aye, much appreciated if you cast it on me if needed."
Smiling at her, he grins:"What, you'd think I'd let you go over to that central spot by your own? Too dangerous, as far as we know, there may be more traps. Besides, I'm probably the heaviest among us...if the bridge holds me, it's probably save for each of you to pass over it."
"So, where do you think the pieces of the staff went?" Saeri asked curiously as the group moved forward. They might've been lost... or kept thoughtfully together. Either way, her sense of interest had definitely been triggered.
Her finger moved to the staff-wielding genie’s opponent and its last revenge. “Also, death curses. If whatever’s poking around poor Alastor’s family plot isn’t a coincidence, I shudder to think what its interest might be in this place. And I’m not sure what that is, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard of efreeti with four arms.”
Chaia has heard ambiguous mentions of multi-armed efreeti, usually associated with the mythic past. There some dispute over whether the references mean literally having many arms or being peerless and swift combatants. She doesn't know any recent authority that's claimed to see one and know for certain.
Janus, who had already fastened the rope around his waist previously, nodded to Chaia:"Aye, much appreciated if you cast it on me if needed."
Smiling at her, he grins:"What, you'd think I'd let you go over to that central spot by your own? Too dangerous, as far as we know, there may be more traps. Besides, I'm probably the heaviest among us...if the bridge holds me, it's probably save for each of you to pass over it."
Safely tethered, Janus forged ahead toward the center ring. He arrived in due course. So near to it, the hair on his head was caught in a stiff, silent wind blowing straight up through the hole in the ring's center. As he came to its verge, he had the sudden, powerful sense of being watched.
Seeing that Janus was able to cross over safely, and noticing the strange wind that blew past him, Chaïa followed, curious. Her glance briefly flickered up towards the roof of the chamber, trying to figure out if this could just be a natural flow of air from passages below up through some sort of vents leading to the warmer air outside. She cast a cantrip to scan for magic, and carefully extended her hand into the stream of cold air, trying to get a better sense of its strength beyond the mess it was making as it teased her hair.
"Oi! Be careful with zat yeah?!" Lu cries out to Janus and Chaïa offering advice and moral support. "Don't want to scrape either of you off any walls you hear!"
The feeling...alarmed Janus. There's times and situations when one did not want to be watched. During a bathroom break, when laying with a lover, when trying to sneak past a guard...but those situations at least had a meaningful explanation.
Here, in a tomb centuries old, in a chamber sealed almost as long, there simply should not BE something that could watch them...except Alastor, and while he was childish, he didn't seem to be big on pranks and practical jokes.
"Something's here.", he said with a normal voice, as he scanned the room, adding "I think" a moment later.
"...Could you be a little more specific?" Saeri asked as Janus suggested the presence of a... thing... that might be present. Out of an abundance of caution, though, she held cards in both hands so they'd be ready to be thrown.
Chaia found that the whole column of moving air radiated conjuration magic.
Janus had the vague sense that the presence watching him came from below...and above.
Chaïa frowned at Janus’ news, but kept her eyes and her magic on the column of enspelled air as long as things seemed relatively safe, trying to get a better sense of what she was seeing herself. “There’s some sort of conjuration shaping this wind. I wonder what it’s calling?”
There was a brief pause as Chaïa briefly searched for ways that might conceivably make her next question sound reasonable. “Do we have any more of that rope, or do you think we could climb down through this?”
Chaïa frowned at Janus’ news, but kept her eyes and her magic on the column of enspelled air as long as things seemed relatively safe, trying to get a better sense of what she was seeing herself. “There’s some sort of conjuration shaping this wind. I wonder what it’s calling?”
There was a brief pause as Chaïa briefly searched for ways that might conceivably make her next question sound reasonable. “Do we have any more of that rope, or do you think we could climb down through this?”
Chaia believes that the conjury definitely sustains the column of air, but she has the sense that there's more to it as well. Some of the Art seems to be hanging in abeyance, as though waiting for a trigger.
Janus holds perfectly still, watching his surroundings:"Nothing to be specific about...yet, but there is something. But wether this is some final safety mechanism or something else? Can't say."
The whole purpose of this chamber was unknown to Janus, but clearly, it had been hidden deep in the complex behind a number of obstacles and traps.
Considering the option that something might have been called to judge their worthyness, Janus goes down on one knee. It wouldn't really stop him from jumping into action if necessary, but it was a gesture, and, conveniently, allowed him to better shield himself with his buckler, courtesy of a smaller frame.
"With all the traps before and the wind here, whatever presence is here may be related to the honorable hero Icosiol.", he calmly continues, his eyes searching for the source of his feeling, trying not to make hasty movements.
"Climbing down?" Lu wasn't sure that was the best idea. But ... Hmm. If it wasn't for all this mysterious wind maybe Arun could have taken a look. But the little bird wouldn't really like to fly around now. "Hmph. Hmm. Maybe."
"Climbing down?" Lu wasn't sure that was the best idea. But ... Hmm. If it wasn't for all this mysterious wind maybe Arun could have taken a look. But the little bird wouldn't really like to fly around now. "Hmph. Hmm. Maybe."
Janus knelt and made his supplication. As he spoke the name, he felt the attention sharpen on him. He received no response.
"Well zat didn't do much." Lu noted, just in case Janus missed that. "What if you say it in zeir language instead? Maybe ze wind doesn't speak common ..."
Chaïa’s mouth twitched at Janus’ flattering reference to their dead genie. It was only polite, and thus sensible, so she kept her trust in the soundness of her ancestors’ decision to intervene to herself. She let her cantrip unravel itself and shook her head. “Whatever it is, it’s waiting for something. It can’t be the lanterns, because they’re needed to get up here…”