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Several party members are quick to recognize the illusion of a wall on one side of the alcove, but are unable to pass through it. P'aqha solves this problem by scribbling the password onto the slate. The western wall suddenly vanishes, revealing a round stone slab further guarding whatever lies beyond. However, that too rolls aside, allowing entry into a cavernous passage!
This corridor is short and a bit roughly hewn, but clearly not natural; likely the work of terraforming magic. It is dark aside from any of the team's light sources, but for a faint glow from the end. There, several desks are arranged along the northern and eastern edges of this small stone alcove. Whereas the stonework leading to this chamber is rough, the walls in the alcove are polished. A single gem rests among the neatly filed papers on the desk, emitting a soft luminescence that brightens the small room.
The stone appears to be worth something, as well as being a strong source of magical light. But the real gem is the papers strewn about on and in the desk. Eylysia's treasure trove of research! Even if anyone present could read ancient Azlanti (which all the documents seem to be in), they are encoded with a cipher of some sort. These should be taken to the Grand Lodge with all haste.
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"Oh curious! Taizen can look at the shiny?" the tengu chirps at Raibert pleadingly. Hopefully getting a little glimpse at it and scanning it with detect magic. He notices people are gathering papers and feels a little embarrassed for not helping sooner. "I am sorry! I should be helping. It was such an interesting rock, though."
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The team grabs all of the documents and the gem, and make their way back down the passage. The shrine is still quiet, likely meaning that the crowds are still at the Cathedral. But as you are about to exit Doulgonlir's alcove, two men and two women stand just outside, waiting for you! The closest, a buff woman carrying a sword and shield , speaks solemnly. "We apologize, but it is necessary that you fall here. We thank you in advance for your sacrifice, given so Aroden may live again!" With no further explanation, they prepare for a fight!
One of the men near the back is the quickest of all present, and he lobs an unerring bolt of force at Raibert. He is dressed in mage's robes, and holds a dagger in his off hand. The other person at the back , a woman, is also wearing robes and carries a morningstar. The one next to the leader bears a simple yet massive and deadly club.
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Taizen gets frustrated at the intrusion of the group. He steps forward and as he speaks his voice grows deeper than usual much like a boom of thunder. "Rude things! We have not warranted this attack! Leave us..." he bellows and as the last word trails off a storm burst grows over the man to his right (Green).
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Raibert counters the assailant's argument with a solid and to-the-point one of his own, plus a few choice words. The soundness of his reasoning causes the mage to collapse on the ground in a spray of blood.
Meanwhile, Taizen's magic rolls over the brutish man, buffeting him about and severely distracting him.
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The big man, rough- and tough-looking as he is, lets out a shriek at P'aqha's spell, but not before Sirius takes a gash out of him! He runs like mad, leaving himself open to another strike. The woman at the back barely dodges the dino's teeth as she steps back and casts a spell. The leader takes a swing at the now-unarmed Raibert, but her sword clatters against his armor.
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A storm cloud whizzes past the caster harmlessly, but the dino's swipes and Sirius do anything but! She collapses in what can only be described as an explosion of blood. Raibert's reasoned argument devolves into more of a rude personal attack on his the mortality of his opponent's god, and his axe bounces off her shield. She responds with another fruitless swing, hardly noticing she is now devoid of allies. The brutish man continues to flee, now well out of sight.
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This time, Raibert's axe strikes home. The lone fighter goes down in a spray of blood. Just outside of the main shrine, P'aqha's spell expires on the brutish man, but he sees no reason to enter the fray once more with all his allies down. He leaves and is not seen again.
As does the team, shortly after, to deliver Eylysia's notes. The crowd around the Starstone Cathedral is dispersing; You hear disappointed muttering that Sir Reinhart fell to what could only be his death after trying to vault the chasm on horseback. Drandle Dreng seems very interested in your findings, expressing his confusion at the clue in the cellar. "I had no idea. But surely, this is quite the feather in your caps so early in your young careers," he grins knowingly.
Wherever you are later in the day, you each receive a handsome letter from Ambrus Valsin, plus a large sum of platinum coins.
Your recent investigations and recovery of agent Eylysia’s papers have already yielded results. Under my direction, a team of scholars has tracked down the long-retired Society ciphers the gnome used and translated many of her entries. Although many of these records present valuable leads, one is especially timely and exciting.
Several months ago, the Pathfinder Society recovered an incomplete relic called the Sky Key. Its missing components disappeared millennia ago, carried by dwarven refugees to the far corners of Avistan and beyond, and the Society has struggled to follow these faint trails to piece the potent device back together. It appears Eylysia may have found one of the pieces centuries ago! She writes of a visit to Tar Kuata in Osirion, where she not only met with the Iroran devotees there, but also the curious order of dwarven monks known as the Ouat. According to her journals, some of the resident dwarves’ ancestors arrived long ago from the distant north bearing a broken treasure of wire and steel. Based on additional context and several magical divinations, I have reason to believe Eylysia—and you—may have found one of the lost pieces of the Sky Key!
I have contacted Venture-Captain Norden Balentiir in Sothis to prepare for an expedition. You have already demonstrated your resourcefulness by uncovering this information; when I assemble a team to travel to Tar Kuata, I hope you will consider joining the expedition.
Highest regards,
Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin"
