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I'll have a look at them Teric. I agree that it's very odd how many Pathfinders have been killed in this place; especially by what seem to have been unsophisticated traps.
Agreed Darvik, but let's be careful about this bridge; it would be unfortunate to find out the hard way that part of it is illusory or otherwise cleverly trapped.
Defah will poke the bridge with his spear as he crosses it.
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Defah has a little bit more luck than Teric as he identifies the wand as holding the spell protection from evil and the ring as a ring of maniacal devices, as evidenced by the dragon wrapped around the sole gemstone.
The rest of the bridge is just as sturdy and you are able to make it to the other side.
There, you notice yet another body! The charred corpse covered in flecks of glass is visible just inside the hallway. The arch around the north entrance to this hallway is covered with detailed carvings depicting the life and accomplishments of a female pharaoh.
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Borax identifies the woman in the carvings as the Song Pharaoh, whose death began the slow decline of the Ancient Osirion dynasties. He also notices that two aspects of the carving don’t match historical records; the carvings show her defeated by the Pharaoh of Forgotten Plagues, whom she famously overthrew, and her being born in Shiman-Sekh, when she is known to have founded that city.
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Prothero reaches the end of the bridge and can't help but roll his eyes as he notices the body lying in the doorway. This place seems deadly enough, but what the hell killed them all?
He moves closer, standing just outside the doorway, and gives the body a long look, to try to determine whether it was flying shards of glass, fire, or something altogether different, that killed this Pathfinder. He also studies the immediate area for any signs of a trigger that might cause either form of harm to appear.
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Prothero's diagnosis is that flaming hot sand killed this Pathfinder, hence the crudely constructed glass embedded in his skin. His pack, which landed on his chest, it seems, looks to be in relatively good condition, given the condition of the body. However, in order to reach it, you will have to either enter the hallway or use long tools to pull at it.
Teric only senses small magic auras coming from within the pack.
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"Uh, folks," says Prothero, "the reason this poor fellow is burned and covered in glass is that he was killed by burning hot sand, hot enough that it melted into glass." He looks at his companions and says, "I, for one, do not want to go that way. So let's see if we can't disable whatever magical surprise made this happen, eh? Borax, you see anything?"
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As Borax slips on the ring, his nose begins to twitch.
"It would seem there is some magic at work perverting many of the items we find. It may be advisable to collect but not use these items until we can reverse what every force is at work."
Borax does a thorough examination of the hallway before letting anyone enter.
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Borax sees a switch hidden within the carvings. It is currently switched to the left. The purpose of this switch is unknown.
-Posted with Wayfinder
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On a second search, the party discovers... another switch! This one, however, points to the right. Borax's analysis seems to connect these switches to something in the hallway but is unsure as to what.
-Posted with Wayfinder
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Sure, why not? Let's see what happens. What could go wrong? I can't really see what's comin' right now so it'll all be a surprise. Can't this get any better? I'm never travelling through a desert ever again.
If the party tries something with the switches he'll stand nearby in case an actual creature comes forth.
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The party flips both switches so the first switch is pointing to the right and the second to the left.
-Posted with Wayfinder
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From the entryway to the hallway, Prothero can also make out what look to be little holes bored into the walls near the ceiling within. Little scratch marks on the walls are barely visible with a slight glimmer of glass poking out. It would seem this may be the source of what killed the man lying just inside the hallway.
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Prothero points out the holes high along the walls and wonders how they'll avoid the fate of the poor fellow in the hallway. "Well, Borax, it seems those switches have to do something, right? And they don't seem to affect the bridge or the hallway, so maybe they do something to the archway between them. Would you flip the switches again?"
As Borax manipulates the switches, Prothero studies the archway.
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As Borax does as asked, he replies, 'I recall Halmet said that the traps set by the previous Pharaoh were all disabled by the Pharaoh of Song. An nothing radiates magic except the dead man's pack, this may explain why nothing happens."
"Let's toss a grappling hook on the body and pull it closer to us."
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As Darvik holds up his grappling arrow, Prothero puts out a hand and asks, "Do you mind? I imagine any of us could hit a dead man at ten feet, but arrows are my specialty." He ties the end of his rope to the arrow's eyelet, commenting, "Normally I'd want to use a lighter line on something like this, but it's such a short shot it'll hardly matter."
He nocks the arrow and gently pulls it back, dropping it on the far side of the body and pulling it taut. He then enlists Darvik's help and carefully pulls the body out of the hallway.
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The pack contains a wayfinder, a scroll, no small amount of notes, and a very familiar looking missive.
Thanien,
Our agents in Qadira unearthed documents that were taken out of Osirion during the interregnum. They speak of an ancient group of scholar revolutionaries that were suppressed by the pharaohs during the Second Age. We believe we’ve pinpointed the abandoned fortress where some of these sages hid from the purges with their treasures. The documents say these scholars held priceless histories of Ancient Osirion, which we need you to retrieve and return to Absalom.
Assemble a team of the Scarab Seekers and follow the instructions that arrived with this letter. We’ve set up a cover for you as merchants and prepared a caravan that should see you close to the fortress and provide transport for anything you recover.
If the Osirians discover your purpose, we can’t have it traced back to the Society. Once you go in, you’re on your own. Burn this letter and the other documents once you’ve memorized them, and keep the information they conveyed to yourself.
Like any good Pathfinder, it seems he forgot a step.
As mentioned, there is also many notes on the place, including some notes about this very entryway.
With the inaccuracies of the wall carvings, it was easy to spot the switch to deactivate the trap. It would make sense that the switch pointing to the left would make the hallway sinister. I must keep this information to myself for now. Though I trust the other Scarab Seekers, Ven seems to have been pulling them away from me. Kiras, Rosarra, and especially Asha. I must keep this to myself if ever I need to make use of it. Soon the gems will be in our possession and back to the Decemvirate for whatever purposes they choose.
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"So the trap has something to do with the carvings," says Prothero after they've read the notes, "and the strange differences from history as you know it, that you pointed out, Borax." After a pause, he adds, "and we're not the first Pathfinders sent here, though I hope we don't follow the example of our colleagues."
He reaches out and manipulates the switches, as he does so carefully studying the inaccurate carvings of the Song Pharaoh's defeat by the Pharaoh of Forgotten Plagues and of her birth in Shiman-Sekh.
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Both inaccuracies hide a switch previously seen and manipulated. In which direction do you flip the switches?
-Posted with Wayfinder
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"I believe it says moving it to the left would make it sinister, which is generally bad. So perhaps we should move both to the right." Teric examines the notes again.
"Interesting. We have found scrolls of history, but those were not in the main temple area. I wonder if there are more. Also, it appears he wrote this note before any of them died, yet he seems the farthest into the complex."
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Prothero gives a quick glance at each of his companions, then responds to Teric's question, "There's not much I want less than to test this, but it seems someone must, and poor Darvik is still a bit adrift from whatever came out of that pillar. I will go." He lays down his bow, arrows and pack, to avoid damaging them and ensure he can move as quickly as possible, then takes a tentative step into the hallway.
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Prothero moves into the hallway... and nothing happens. As he goes along, nothing continues to happen. Finally, he finds himself within the large hall.
This large columned chamber shows signs of past comforts, but an ancient battle scorched the walls and ceiling, and cracked and smashed the floor and columns. The remnants of furniture are scattered against the walls, and piles of bodies are stacked in the sleeping alcoves along the south and west walls. A dais crowned with a great, round table rises from the floor in the south part of the room. Three corpses sit around the table as if in conference, each dressed in fine silk robes. A slight breeze whistles through with a sound like a distant, murmuring voice, but there is no sense or meaning in it. Stairs lead downward in the northeast corner of the room, but were buried in stone when the wall collapsed.
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Prothero sighs with relief after passing through the hallway safely. Once in the large, battle-scarred chamber, he studies the strange conference before him and thinks, That looks like an unfortunately long meeting. He accepts his bow and other equipment from Teric with a nod, and at the sound of the boots and voices, he says, "Weren't we worried about ghosts in this place? Can't help but wonder if that's what we're hearing, since I don't see anyone around."