As soon as Rose checks her companions for any magic on them, she suggests, "I propose we head to the meditation room and observe Master Iatzu's techniques. Afterwards, we can go to the library and see the works of literature this fine temple possesses. Where did you say the daily service takes place, Master Iatzu?"
As the conversation takes a sour turn Zinthar casually flexes his wrist to ensure that the springstheath is ready. Do not be hasty, this is getting difficult enough.
He sighs in relief as Rose is able to turn things back around. While the library piques his curiosity also it is not enough to openly disagree with Rose in front of the monks. United we stand....
Iatzu nods obligingly and midmeal ends. With a few other monks, he conducts you to the meditation room, a lofty, open space carved with several figures in meditative poses. A few mats covered with monks cover the floor. The only other furnishing is a rack containing a few wooden staves and several stacked glass spheres, each no bigger than a plumb.
Obligingly, Iatzu demonstrates the ritual, following the wall carvings. He gently stretches along a staff, sits in a lotus position, and then masterfully spins three glass spheres in the palm of his hand. As he does, this, he chants to himself a mantra-
"Light Combined,
My peace find,
Calm my soul,
To control;
Woes I sift,
Catching Gifts."
He opens his eyes, smiles, and asks if any of you would like to attempt the meditation.
"I'll give it a try. No harm in a bit of prayin."
And with that Karthan attempts the ritual.
Sleight of hand check.
I will try...if you have me patience
Ealasaid sits in the same lotus position and start trying to spind hte spheres
Kazmuk decides to see if he can perform the technique. Kazmuk isn't super limber, so getting into a true lotus position might be a little bit of a challenge. Having done that, Kazmuk takes the three spheres and tries to spin them.
And then he tries again.
Iatzu smiles and claps with delight and how quickly everyone learns the ritual. "Oh very well done. Many novices take years to fully master the skill but I must say you all seem very far along."
Ealasaid is not chanting, she had to focus every bit of her attention in not letting the spheres falls.
What is the purpose of this...If I may ask
Quite decent performance from everyone! I suppose I should add a dwarf in a lotus position to the list of things I've experienced. , smiles Rose as she sees Kazmuk succeed at the task.
Rose thoroughly observes the technique, paying close attention to everyone, and any observable changes. She then starts to write notes on the wall carvings, paying close attention to the drawings, planning to fill a complete report the first time she has a chance.
After they are done, she'll give the technique a couple of tries, in order to be able to provide a report from both ends of the ritual, the watcher and the partaker.
"Light Combined,
My peace find,
Calm my soul,
To control;
Woes I sift,
Catching Gifts."
"Oh, my. This is quite, focusing, I must admit."
"Oh, it is an exercise for calming the mind, the better for meditation."
Ealasaid stop spining the spheres and take a look around, mostly to see what hte other monks are doing.
The other monks are similarly practicing the exercise with greater mastery.
Having completed the task on her first try with no prior training in anything similar, Ealasaid positively beams with mild pride.
Ealasaid does feel... better...somehow...
Is there sometime else...a next step in the meditation? - She say genuinely interested.
Iatzu smiles and shakes his head no. "The meditation has its required mastery; once it is reached, all that is beyond that lies in ones meditation and enlightenment. There is no more physical technique to teach; it is what one does with it that creates a true master of Korada's teachings."
"Hmph, can't say it done much for me."
I see... -interesting
"Excellent. I believe I have all the notes required now, and experiencing this first hand was invigorating, to say the least.", Rose turns to her companions with some still wet writings in her hands."For some, apparently, more than others.", she says, smiling, looking at the beaming Ealasaid and the grumpy Karthan.
"Master Iatzu, would it be possible to the library? I heard that you have writings related to enlightenment techniques, and I'd love to study some of them. Thank you for your time, and could you please tell us who to talk to, when we get to your vault of knowledge? You needn't escort us, we'd much more rather take our time getting there and meet some of the other believers.", Rose turns to face the old monk.
And maybe eating a trail ration or two...
The wizard cannot help but be pleased with how well things are moving along. With Rose's notes complete they are one step closer to completing their mission but no closer to solving the mystery of this place and its inhabitants. As they prepare to move on to the library Zinthar refocuses his attention on the group and their surroundings.
Kazmuk gets up and stretches a bit. He then goes over to talk to Rose and Iatzu. He says, "I would like to go to the library as well. I would be interested in finding more information about Korada's teachings and worship practices."
Iatzu nods obligingly. "Second door on the right; someone should be in there if you have any questions." He returns to leading the meditations.
Following his directions, you enter the library. It is a spacious room with narrow bookshelves and large tables; many shelves are empty and the remaining scrolls and tomes seemed tattered and sagging. A small, open door looks into a tidy office. The room is clean and bright despite a general atmosphere of abandonment. A young woman sits in the corner, poring over a tome. She looks up as you enter, frowns, makes a 'shh'ing sound towards the loudest Pathfinder, then goes back to reading her book.
Kazmuk gestures for everybody to follow him and goes to a spot in the library that's as far from the lady as the group can get. He then whispers as quietly as he can:
"I think most of us know by now that something isn't quite right here. For one thing, 3 of the monks who were eating lunch with us were trying to hide the fact that they were missing fingers. Which is both an odd injury and an odd reaction to it for a bunch of contemplative monks. Then there's the food looking fantastic and tasting like dirt."
"That is really bizarre, because we were all eating the same food created by the same spell. So either the monks here genuinely like food that tastes like dirt, or they're the best actors I have ever encountered, or for some reason the food tasted differently to them than it did to us. And I don't know why that last possibility would be, but right now I have to keep it open."
"Last for now, we just had a lunch at a monastery and I don't recall anybody officially saying some sort of grace or obvious meal blessing. Definitely odd, though that could be something peculiar to worshiping Korada."
I will look for more information about the food...the monks said something about it being Koradas blessing - I start reading.
Rose looks surprised at the mention of the missing fingers, but doesn't say anything on this subject. "I know of spells that curse someone with the inability to eat, and makes all food taste like ashes. Though I haven't been able to detect any of it on us. Has any of you tried to eliminate the variables by eating something else? Also, well spotted on the lack of blessing, darling." Rose joins the conversation.
Rose approaches the woman reading the book, and asks in a library appropriate tone, "Hello, are you the librarian of this monastery? My name is Rose, and I'm a scholar. Me and my companions were looking to enjoy the teaching of this library, though it appears that I can't quite follow your catalogueing technique. Is it possible for you to give us a list of your works, so that we can see what's available?"
If this doesn't work, Rose will go with Kazmuk's suggestion, since it seems reasonable. Rose still wants to go to the daily service to see who and what Dakang is, though.
"Divide and conquer seems the best way to get this done, Kazmuk." Zinthar's curiosity is certainly piqued both by the condition of the library as well as the condition of the works themselves. "And the sooner we uncover some truths about this place the better. Master Zey said this temple was gifted to Hao Jin 'centuries ago'. Based on the state of disrepair this place looks like it might be that old, but Iatzu talked of arriving 40 years ago."
He pauses thoughtfully. "Any chance they are trapped in some kind of stasis, repeating the same moments over and over without aging? Or....some kind of undead state?"
Zinthar looks around the library again. "Let us finish in here quickly. I cannot imagine that the answers we seek are going to be here."
"Ain't natural is what it is. Where does the food come from?" Karthan sees someoen already about to answer when he waves his hands dismissively. "Don't answer that. Let's just get this stuff copied down like Kazmuk suggests. Mess cook gave me an ugly look when I ate a big breakfast this mornin. Not regretting it now."
"If your curiosity does takes the better of you later, darling, I believe I could... simplify the arcane theory behind the sustainance-based incantations for you.", turns Rose to Karthan, in a slightly condescending tone implying that he wouldn't understand it anyway.
Turning to Zinthar, Rose then says, "It certaintly is a theory... I do believe that it is possible for some of these people to have arrived after the others. I do however wonder why the library is in such a state, the monks did say they are reading some meditative texts in here. Perhaps the master of the place forbids certain literature, and has taken the texts that were irrelevant or in opposition of Korada's teachings away?"
"At any rate, we would have to spend a night or two in here regardless, since I believe that our teleportation shard will not be ready soon. We don't have to complete everything now, is what I'm saying."
Lowering her tone, Rose goes near the party, and whispers, "I believe I have a plan for the crypt, though I may need your help. I am able to make people invisible for a couple of minutes, so I though I could sneak in unseen, take drafts of the etchings when I'm in, and then cast it again before leaving. If it works, none would be the wiser. I'd still like to get one of the guards to draft the objects in there, so that I know how much time it would take and basic guidance."
Low tone: We will need way more information to even attempt entering the crypt
Kazmuk whispers, "At a minimum we should have two people in the crypt. However, if circumstances dictate we can only get one person in there it should be me. I can see in the dark and I have a reasonable chance of detecting traps before I trip them. It would be better if we could get two people in, and I should be one of them."
The elf crosses his arms across his chest and gives Rose a stern look. "Perhaps we need to step back and regroup on our strategy. I'm fairly certain if the Society wanted you to do this entire mission yourself they would not have sent the rest of us along, so let us make sure we are pooling our resources and working together to get this done."
"There is quite a bit of experience here in many different areas of expertise. We would be foolish to not leverage all of it."
He turns to Ealasaid. "And I agree, one step at a time. Let us deal with this mystery first." I am the voice of reason? How Father would laugh.....
Well, let finish here first then - Ealasaid start catalogueing, but looking for any information about The food that is supposed to be a blessing from Korada.
Rose returns the chilly gaze and says, "It was merely a suggestion. I am more than happy to lend my magical abilities to your aid. Kazmuk's ability to see in the dark would certainly come in handy, shall we choose to depart there. Although, since we know nothing of the place, I suggest not planning any further, and focus at the task at hand."
Having said what he felt needed to be said, Kazmuk starts the task of trying to catalog the books and scrolls.
The girl is reading 'The Planes: A Spotter's Guide' by one of Nex's acolytes.
She looks up at the question grumpily. "Hrm? There might be an old catalog in the office back there." She sticks a thumb in the direction of an open door to a cluttered and disorganized office. "Help yourselves, if you can find it." She goes back to reading.
What a pathetic excuse for a librarian...
"Thank you, darling!" Rose then turns to her companions, and asks, "Do you think that we should find this catalog first? I believe that it may help us, though if not, I will resume the manual work alongside you."
If Rose doesn't find it, she will wait a bit for assistance, then go to Ealasaid and start cataloguing.
Rose looks and looks, but doesn't find the catalog.
Kazmuk checks out the office to see if he can find the catalog.
Kazmuk digs out an old catalog, hidden in an old folder of prayer chants. It will take half as long to catalog the library.
Working through the library, the Pathfinders manage to catalog what remains of the library. Confusingly, based off the old catalog, it seems as though half of the works are missing.
Kazmuk manages to dig up a few books on Korada and the practices of his worshipers; he passes them to Rose to look over. They refer to Korada's holy city of Vantian the Unshuttered, which continually crumbles into the sea of Ishiar while residents continually rebuild on the far side of the city. The books also describe the double-arrow symbol of 'Celestial Silance and Contemplation' to be drawn over the mouth and eyes of adherents of Korada.
Looking over the books, Rose recalls that none of the rites or symbols described are connected with Korada; there is no such 'symbol of celestial silence and contemplation.' The books have been altered.
Something defintely wronge here...
"Nawwww, what makes you think that?" Karthan says with a greasy thick sarcasm.
"I believe it is possible that someone took the books that were deemed filled with Koradan philosophy, and replaced them with somebody else's."
How cunning... train people who don't even know they serve you... admirably diabolical...
"I suggest we finish with the catalogs first, darlings, and then try to figure out why. I believe that we can find clues as to who's philosophy fills these pages. If you don't mind, I could go and ask someone about an actual librarian, so that we can ask them about what happened to the other works.", says Rose, while giving a more thorough look at a philosophy book.
Kazmuk looks thoughtful. He asks, "If it's not Korada's symbol, whose symbol is it?"
According to the ookt of various enity.s and gatherings to promote calmness and serenity.s and gatherings to promote calmness and serenity.
"At least that's done.", says Rose, putting the last catalog in the scroll case. "Any preferences where to go next? I would suggest the gardens, but it may get dark any time now. Not that that would be a problem for some of you... If we can, we should also try and see this Dakang, seeing as things are not as they appear, and he would be the de-facto leader of this gathering."