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Alrighty. Roland uses the extra speed to move to the guardian, taking strategic positioning with Guilford. He swings twice with his hasted speed only to see that the statue still stands. Using his own mythic powers, he slices quickly against its stone body to chip away further.
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Guilford moves swiftly now. He takes a 5' step back, then grabs and downs one of his CLW potions.
He then unleashes a fiery ray at the construct.
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Under the single blow from Roland and the unrelenting pummeling from the elementals, the guardian crumbles!
As Ouroboreia studies the statues near her, she sees another statue which should reflect the proper light at the gem. Moving the lantern, she is satisfied to see a yellow beam appear between the effigy and the stone relief on the ground. One left before the pit disappears!
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Amenopheus frowns at you and apologizes. "I had thought that being blessed with the Ruby Sage's powers, you would be able to pass through the entryway as well. I did not fully comprehend what would happen. Still, we should press on before anything else unexpected happens."
As you pass through the space the gem once stood, you hear the sound of grating stone. Looking back, you see all of the statues moving, returning the lamps to their original location. Once so returned, the lamps extinguish and await their next visitor.
A broad, simple, flat-topped column of sandstone rises from a deep pit in this circular, domed chamber with a white tiled floor. Though no wind can be felt, particles of sand slowly blow around the pit as if circulated by a lazy breeze, their movement creating a soft, rasping susurrus.
The only occupant of this room is a Garundi woman bedecked in the style of an Osirian noblewoman. "Amenopheus," she says, her voice like a low grumble, "welcome home. I did not expect you to arrive before Kafar and Nefti. Out of curiosity, did you slay them to get to your prize or did you bring them under your wing? I do not see them here."
Turning to you, she opens her arms. [b]"And welcome to you as well, Pathfinders. Ah, yes, I do know of some of you. Always asking in the strangest of places as to my whereabouts. I have been following your work.
Amenopheus is cordial but cautious as he questions the Diamond Sage’s decision to remain hidden for so long, and he speculates how much more they might have accomplished in recent years had they met sooner. He voices his desire to rebuild the Jeweled Sages—a goal that he and Tahonikepsu share; however, despite this common ground, the two disagree on many nuances.
First, they disagree about the true cause of the Jeweled Sages’ destruction, which evolves into a disagreement about the lost order’s hierarchy. Amenopheus interprets the collapse of the Jeweled Sages as an unfortunate accident driven by outside forces, namely the invasion of Osirion by the Kelish thousands of years ago. Had it not been for this calamity, the Jeweled Sages would have continued to thrive. To Tahonikepsu, the invasion and subsequent purge of the Jeweled Sages reflects a critical weakness in the organization. She posits that, spread out and without a strong leader, the order could not respond quickly and effectively to a new threat. Amenopheus defends the order’s egalitarian organization structure as a key source of strength, allowing each member to act independently when needed. The Diamond Sage retorts that without consistent, decisive leadership, the Jeweled Sages will always be vulnerable and disorganized whenever a new threat strikes.
Second, the two sages disagree on how to rebuild the organization. Both accept that they will need to recover additional sage jewels and recruit new prospective sages. Amenopheus believes that the next generation of sages must be chosen from among the most learned scholars. Not only does this match the founding principles of the organization, but he theorizes that anything less than a well-trained mind would be unable to harness the millennia of memories within each sage jewel. To Tahonikepsu, the thought of populating the Jeweled Sages with cloistered academics might allow for easier retention of historic facts but would undermine the sages’ ability to actually use their knowledge to better the world. The Diamond Sage would rather recruit a generation of active and innovative sages who could act as advisors to powerful leaders, read the current events to predict future decisions, and participate in making history rather than simply recording it.
Finally, both sages have their doubts about each other, no matter how politely they engage in the discourse. From Tahonikepsu’s perspective, despite the Sapphire Sage’s talents, he has lost the trust of Osirion’s ruler. Although his failure is not wholly his fault, the incident may become a liability as the Jeweled Sages attempt to reclaim their place in Osirion. She also believes that Amenopheus’s insistence on embracing a failed model for the Jeweled Sages invites history to repeat itself. On the other hand, Amenopheus is skeptical about Tahonikepsu, for only moments ago she was a complete stranger to him and the Pathfinders. He has served faithfully as the Osirion faction leader for years. Ceding leadership of the restored Jeweled Sages to her seems like an irresponsible gambit, particularly when nobody knows of her qualifications, background, or motives.
In summary, Amenopheus wishes to recreate the Jeweled Sages as they were in ages past, whereas Tahonikepsu seeks innovation. Seeing that they have reached an impasse, Amenopheus invokes a Convocation of Sages, an old tradition of the sages to decide the organization’s future with a vote. Each Jeweled Sage receives one vote, though because you represent the Ruby Sage as a group, each of them receives a fraction of her vote. Understandably, Amenopheus and Tahonikepsu cast their votes in favor of their own policies.
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Roland listens to the long discussion, not fully understanding the nuances of their disagreements.
He bows to both and scratches his chin before speaking.
"I zhink you two should work out your differences and rule zhe sages as a team would be best, no? If zhis cannot be zhe case, zhen I must throw my lot with Amenopheus, as I have known of him longer and his association with zhe Society is well established. Not zhat I trust him any more than zhe any other."
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Ouroboreia ponders her thoughts for a long while, listening carefully to what both sages have to say. She shakes her head when Roland speaks up, but lets him finish before she chimes in.
"I'm sorry Roland, but I don't agree with you. While you make a good point about Amenopheus being a long-standing ally of the Society, it must not be this sole argument that should motivate our final choice. I think this choice relies on a question of vision-for the future of the Society, but more importantly of our faction. While I have learned much from Amenopheus and heed his advice, I do think that a new leadership would be invigorating for our faction. There is no doubt that the world -as well as the Society- is changing as we speak, and we need to adapt to it. Factions evolve, and we can't stay focused on the sole past. Moreover, studying the lessons of the past is only important in the light of events yet to come, despite how exceedingly exciting this can be in and by itself. The past withers, but it may yet help us regain much of our glory of yore. My vote goes to Tahonikepsu, and it has nothing personal against you, Amenopheus."
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Guilford is impressed by Amenopheus' position.
"Indeed, it is fitting that scholars such as ourselves safeguard dangerous artifacts and other important discoveries."
Still, he too sees the value in a more forward thinking approach, especially given the convictions of his allies who proved far more effective agents than he.
"Well, in the end I suppose that change is for the best. I know I have learned much from my esteemed associates on this venture. You have my support, noble Sage of Diamond"
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With a majority of the party leaning towards the Diamond Sage, Amenopheus bows his head. "And so the wisdom of the followers have chosen the one followed. Though I do not agree with your methods, your tactics are not unsound. I will follow you."
"I believe you, Amenopheus, the Sapphire Sage. You have brought the topaz jewel to this place. It is a shame the emerald is not also here. Where has it run off to?"
As you relate the information of the credit slips for the jewel, Amenopheus' brow furrows. "That name... Angvar Branmaz... This is dreadful news. That name is the pseudonym of Grandmaster Torch, enemy of the Society. With such a powerful artifact, who knows what scheme he can concoct. Upon my return, I shall use every contact and every resource to find him and get it back."
The Diamond Sage nods and smiles towards you, one hiding aeons of wisdom. "I expect we shall be needing your services again the future, bright warriors. If you discover any more secrets of the sage jewels, let us know immediately. The loss of the ruby gem will slow our plans considerably, but it is not insurmountable."
With that and a hasty farewell, Amenopheus and the Sage ensure safe passage for you back to Eto. From there, it is but a short boat ride elsewhere to further adventure...