Samir says nothing at first as he listens to the others, his eyes flicking to the eagerness of Bjeorn and Talar. He then turns a gaze into the darkness of the passages around you and scowls at them.
Noting Talar’s ritual he says nothing as the man works, but paces back and forth somewhat as he waits and turns at the path to the valley from the dark temple and stare to the east over the ruins.
He looks back at the darkness of the black-stoned temple.
”Whoever does go down, if you do not have a light you will likely need one – but it should be easy enough to find the light of our target and his men…” he says somewhat uncertainly.
He then looks at the stones of the temple for some time.
”I have seen the like of these types of stone before, near to Khora… they were belched forth from deep fissures of the earth; molten rock like living flame poured forth and when it cooled the remains formed were like these… How did these folk get such stones of this quantity here?” he adds, almost to himself then shakes his head.
Know. Religion re feeling and light in temple: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28
Know. Arcana re feeling and light in temple: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12
The light comes from the Full Moon; this temple is dedicated to an ancient god of the moon, and one that brings vengeance to anyone who is deserving of it. You do not think that it is a coincidence that the moonlight seems to be behaving unusually given the fact that you are in such a temple.
Further; while you do not know from the light itself, you consider the fact that when you were in this temple before you felt a creeping sense of terror which is now absent, but for a gnawing sense of modest edginess. Whatever inspired that terror seems to have changed; you do not know how or why.
You recall that the place where the slaughter was committed was done by a person dedicated to the sun god; you recall that the moon god and sun god were at odds with each other at one time.
You do not know, but you believe it is possible that the creature that rose and journeyed to the east is likely aligned to the sun god; though you believe now the creature is long gone, you think that the power which drove him forward originated in this temple.
The tracks you noticed indicated that the company that travels before you has a large feline with them. You do not know why; but you remember Sabra’s earlier reaction – it is possible that whoever came here brought a feline to help against dark spirits. This is merely speculation, but it seems like a likely conclusion…
"...what is the significance of the stolen gem? This emerald? There are various parties interested in it, so it must be of some value beyond coin."[/smaller] Tairin's soft voice trailed away into silence.
Samir glances at Tairin.
”It is a certainty it was stolen; the contact I met at Abu Khafi mentioned it earlier this day… they both spoke of its value, each of them desiring to be the thief…” he says with a small grunt.
"The matter of this 'Lord' Osan is a troubling one. Their true allegiance weighs heavily on us, whether they know of us or not. And the emerald may well have value beyond mere coin."
Knowledge Religion on the nature of the emerald given new information: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (16) + 13 = 29
Knowledge Arcana on the nature of the emerald given new information: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (13) + 12 = 25
Knowledge Planes on the nature of the emerald given new information: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11
You recall hearing nothing via religion about this jewel; but you have heard tales of its value. You do not know if it is connected to any spiritual ore religious power, but it aligned with the Noble House of the governor of this city – so it is extremely valuable.
It occurs to you that its value may be far more than you were promised; the sort of wealth that such a gem could provide would be enough to buy quite a number of things; an expensive estate; a bevy of valuable slaves… indeed; such a gem could even be enough to even purchase the loyalty of minor nobles and their mercenaries…
"His man did refer to him as 'my lord Osan', but that could have simply been a means of showing respect or subservience as opposed to a formal title. I see no method to differentiate between the two from the short conversation I overheard."
”He may not be a lord in truth as you say, aye; in this we are in agreement. Yet it occurs to me that whoever he is would not trouble himself attempting to steal a gem from his master – yet even if he did, surely he would not waste his time hiring the likes of the woman who petitioned us earlier…”
He shakes his head and glances at the valley again and makes a strange warding sign that many sailors have made when dealing with something of dark superstition, then glances back at the temple.
”Whoever this whoreson is; why should he elect to wait in the lower halls of this place? If he is meeting anyone why not place a guard at the door – why head below? And whatever the reason he has to head below with his folk I would ask why he does not have torches, or – if he does – why we have not seen their light?” he mutters.
He shakes his head in frustration and looks at the others.
”When we are resolved on a course I would know our plan… this waiting… My apologies; I am merely eager to know what we shall do next,” he says after a moment, clearly nervous by this temple.
He then looks at the stones of the temple for some time.
”I have seen the like of these types of stone before, near to Khora… they were belched forth from deep fissures of the earth; molten rock like living flame poured forth and when it cooled the remains formed were like these… How did these folk get such stones of this quantity here?” he adds, almost to himself then shakes his head.
Tairin heard Samir's question regarding the obsidian and replied in low voice, "The dig overseer, Makalani, spoke of the stone being quarried elsewhere and brought over great distance to this place. He believed the stone could have come from the south of Yar-Ammon, either near Tomb Hills or Stone Dragon Valley. One temple built and dedicated to the sun god and another to the moon god," she added as a last, lingering thought.
Appearing as if she deeply engrossed in thought, Tairin's gaze flicked to them all,
"I have been observing the moon light and it appears to behaving in an uncommon way in this temple. The ancient god of the moon, to whom this temple is dedicated, is said to bring vengeance against any deserving of it. I wonder if the god is displeased we are here and is judging our intentions. Earlier this day, I felt a creeping sense of terror in this place that I do not at present - now it is at most a gnawing, yet faint sense of unease. The source of the original, terrible feeling has changed and I do not know why." Her voice fell more like whisper upon the final words.
"The place where the diggers were slaughtered - it appears the killings may have been a dedication to the sun god, for it was the entrance of his temple they had unearthed. In ancient times the sun god and moon god were at odds. The creature that rose and journeyed east is likely aligned to the sun god and the power that drove it forward originates in the temple. The tracks we discovered revealed the presence of a large feline. Sabra sensed this other feline, I am certain, or at least caught her scent. I believe this other feline was brought along to protect those entering from dark spirits."
”Whoever this whoreson is; why should he elect to wait in the lower halls of this place? If he is meeting anyone why not place a guard at the door – why head below? And whatever the reason he has to head below with his folk I would ask why he does not have torches, or – if he does – why we have not seen their light?” he mutters.
When talk turned once more to the one named Osan, Tairin grew thoughtful, again.
"He may have felt that such a guard was unnecessary in a deserted place such as this or he possesses other means of protecting himself. If he has moved to the lower chambers, there must be something down there of note - possibly an important chamber? As to the lack of torches, they may have other means with which to see through the darkness of this temple. I have wished us to move with some discretion and have elected not to utilise my otherworldly light. I wonder if one can draw upon such magic in this dark temple or whether the darkness would simply swallow the light..."
"If we mean to discover what is going on here and what we must do, I feel as though we need to carefully move to the lower chambers and find some hiding place with which to observe and listen to these jackals...What say you?"
Yasala listens to the discussion and then nods at Tairin. "I agree with the lady. Let us head down slowly and find a place we can spy on these people and see what is going on. You mention otherworldly light, and that reminds me that I have a couple tricks that might assist us as well."
She returns to the temple entrance and runs her hands across the edges of the doorway, speaking softly to herself. "This is one method I have used in the past to help protect shipments that I was transporting. For a while this entrance is warded, and I will be aware of any creatures passing through it. This should help us know when any others arrive and hopefully keep us from being surprised by them and getting trapped between two enemies."
"I am ready to proceed downwards. I also have this lantern" she holds up a bullseye lantern "that only sheds light in one direction. Perhaps I could aim it behind us and use the ambient light to make our way. That would reduce the chance of them seeing our light before we can see theirs"
Patenemheb raises a hand before the others move.
"We have a more earthly concern on our hands. The emerald, if it is like tales I recall, is of truly immense value, if not necessarily great spiritual significance. Worth far more than our erstwhile employer has claimed. The sort of wealth that could buy our manse - or sway minor nobility to or from a cause. Perhaps Osan is attempting to buy position, or engineer a revolt. I believe we may be best served by seizing the emerald for ourselves, and either garner favour through keeping the status quo, or engineer a new status quo to our liking."
The party stands in the entrance; two sets of stairs before them - one to the north, one to the south.
The room is utterly dark but for the light that the companions may have kindled.
Only those with the ability to see as if they had Eyes of the Cat can make out the dim shape of openings leading down stairways.
Samir seems to shake off a shiver in his flesh and looks around; his own eyes keen as a cat's - but he is clever enough to know that is a very limited distance the deeper they go...
"Well; where shall we go - north or south?"
He glances at the dust on the floor and scowls a bit.
"The tracks in this filth say that those before us went west - what about us?" he prompts, eager to get started...
"I believe that we should follow his trail. Carefully, and warily.", whispers Patenemheb.
"Do not attack any person down here unless they are clearly seeking our blood. We watch *first*. Do all agree on this?", he says, his concern clear.
"I believe that we should follow his trail. Carefully, and warily.", whispers Patenemheb.
"Do not attack any person down here unless they are clearly seeking our blood. We watch *first*. Do all agree on this?", he says, his concern clear.
Yasala nods at Paten's suggestion and begins readying herself to move. She takes out her bullseye lantern and lights it, making sure to aim the cone of light towards her side or rear as much as possible. "As long as I do not aim this straight ahead of us, we should have some light while still not broadcasting our presence too far ahead of us. I also do not mind taking the lead if someone else is willing to hold the lantern."
"I am willing to hold the lantern. I do not need free hands as much as others.", Patenemheb adds with a slight smile.
Yasala nods and hands the lantern to Paten.
Bjoern takes his time and tries to be as silent as possible.
Deeper and deeper and the dark surrounding do not manage to give him one ounce of security. Pointing to the door to his right he takes a deep breath.
"Beware!"
Yasala follows along behind Talar and next to Bjoern
Standing in front of the darkened passage the thin, bright beam of Yasala’s lantern spreads like a cone into the opening of the stairwell. It is wide, perhaps ten feet in width, and as you study it you suspect it was made for folk to carry large or heavy items below the surface.
Talar will descend first while the others remain so they can hear his report.
As you descend into the dark stairway you notice it seems to be sloping down with a precise cut to the stones. They are all at sharp angles and after roughly descending what you would guess to be twenty-five feet the stairs are on a flat landing that is a ten foot by ten foot square.
You can see on this landing that the stairs turn and continue to go down below for what you would guess is another twenty-five feet.
You see that the stairway turns again, but whether it opens on to another landing or it opens to a different floor you are not certain from your current position as you cannot see around the corner unless you wish to proceed.
At this time you cannot see nor hear any noise coming from around the corner, though, but you start to feel a growing sense of unease in your limbs and body, though you cannot discern where it coming from.
As Talar descends Paten and Tairin go to examine the stonework and study it.
As the others wait for Talar to return they study the information, assuming that they will give him a few moments to begin before following.
Nothing of note except the stairs are ten feet wide and the opening to walk on the stairs is ten feet hall. Also, the height of the ceiling while descending (and width of the stairway) is consistent. It was cut with extremely precise attention to geometry; very precise cuts in the rock, though, strangely, you cannot see anything which would lead you to believe that the dark obsidian which lined the walls is, in fact, brick.
In short; there are no cuts or markings which suggest someone dug the tunnel and lined the walls with obsidian bricks. If the entire temple had been a giant block of obsidian which was carved out without error or mistake they could have done no better.
This is certainly odd, but your knowledge in such matters does not lead you to think any more about it...
On careful consideration you and Tairin believe that these stairs were cut and designed to bring heavy objects below the surface; you do not know, but you suspect, that things like a sarcophagus, or other heavy items that would require multiple people to lift or carry it, would require such an opening where two folk could walk down the stairs side by side and have a large opening above them.
However, you believe that such places would likely have idols or other similar monuments below to honor the gods; such things would likely be large, even if they were carried in parts and assembled below. It is likely that the stairways were left for such a purpose.
You believe that this is a place for worship like a temple; yet find it curious that the temple to a moon god would be so far below the surface of the ground, rather than have openings for the moonlight to flow within.
However, your knowledge of Religion recalls history from your people which suggest that folk would often petition the moon god for vengeance; yet such petitions were often directed against enemies, not all of whom a supplicant would wish to be known.
Thus, it is your conclusion that by having the place of worship deep below the stone it would allow folk to petition the moon god for vengeance on a particular subject with little fear of being watched or observed.
There are tracks in the sand that Samir had noted before. They descend into the depths of the stairs. You notice two things about them; the first, they are not – as Samir postulated – merely tracks of a “cat”; but, more accurately, tracks of a lion. At least, you suspect it is a lion’s footprint; yet the size and placement of them in the heavy sands laying on the stairs makes you believe that – if it were a lion – the lion would be a massive beast, larger than any lion you have ever seen…
Talar slips forward, opening his eyes wide to see the best he can with the poor lighting. He examines the walls carefully. Man-carved, definitely. He doesn't find anything in particular...but he feels his spine chill, and makes his way back to the others.
Talar sneaks up quietly, finger on his lips to quiet the rest of the party. "Stairs lead down. No enemies or traps, but something makes my spine crawl. Move down with me to examine it, then I will scout again."
Patenemheb nods at Talar's report.
"This is an odd construction. There are no visible bricks or stones. It is as if it were carved from a single giant piece of obsidian with unerring precision. The purpose of these tunnels is more clear - wide enough to allow passage of two men carrying heavy objects. Pieces of statuary - or treasures."
He clear his throat, very, very softly.
"The underground nature of this temple to the Moon God suggests secrecy, most likely for its patrons. Those who would petition the Moon God for vengeance, but not wish their identity known by casual passerbys. And...we must watch out for a lion, or similar creature. One of massive size. I strongly recommend that you shorten the distance that you remain ahead of us, if only slightly."
At this point the company then elects to move down to the landing which Talar described. Given its width the party elects to move down slowly to the landing while Talar moves around the corner to see what is going on there.
The party waits on the landing and Talar rounds the curve with Yasala at the edge of the landing peering down the stairs to offer him some light by directly her lantern.
Unfortunately, while the light does shine to the base of the stairs it is dim and does little beyond - yet with Talar's eyes he is able to perceive things once he reaches the bottom of the next set of stairs.
Talar, as you round the stairs and move cautiously out you notice that the room opens into a huge open space with rows of long columns stretching down its width.
At the far side you think you can make out some dim lighting gathered, but you cannot be sure.
What you are sure is that there, crouching in the dirt before you, is a lion of massive size, its back almost the height of your shoulder.
It is only forty feet from you and it lets out a roar and begins to attack...
"The underground nature of this temple to the Moon God suggests secrecy, most likely for its patrons. Those who would petition the Moon God for vengeance, but not wish their identity known by casual passerbys. And...we must watch out for a lion, or similar creature. One of massive size. I strongly recommend that you shorten the distance that you remain ahead of us, if only slightly."
Talar nods, taking Paten's wisdom to heart. He decides he will go room by room, exploring it and moving the party up to keep them close together. It may slightly increase their chance of being heard, but it will hopefully prevent him from being caught out too far away.
Talar freezes upon seeing the lion and locking gazes with it. He starts to raise his bow. Ah, both of our eyes are sharper than our stealth skills. But who is faster?..
Hearing the roar, Bjoern quickly picks up the pace.
"Don´t get killed Talar before I am there!"
Patenemheb jogs steadily, keeping the lantern safe in hand.
Yasala quickly heads down the stairs, sword at the ready.
With a sudden growl the beast rushes forward and charges you!
At the sound of the roar Tairin realizes that Talar must have been spotted and quickly casts Dancing Lights and directs them down the stairway...
She follows the lights and gives a 5 Foot gape between her and the lion so that the others can move past her to attack it...
Seeing the cat holding Talar down, Yasala rushes in and swipes at the beast, hoping to distract it from her new companion.
Still with lantern in hand, Patenemheb says in Tharag Thulan:
"Bjoerm, strike now!"
Moving in Bjoern almost flies down the stairs. Seeing the feline creature he jumps down with his shield leading and thrusting his magical blade deep towards the animal.
Talar's bow comes too slowly and he feels the onslaught land in his flesh. He cries out in shock and pain, frantically trying to keep his arms between the creature's teeth and his own neck.
Knowing he likely has little chance to out-wrestle the creature and his only hope is to kill it (or wound it so greatly it decides the meal isn't worth it), he takes out his new magical dagger and frantically stabs at it with a snarl!
The blades of Bjeorn and Talar manage to strike the creature and do brutal damage to it.
At this time the lion bites Talar and also uses its "Rake" ability to attack the grappled ranger with two claw attacks...
Yasala braces her feet and brings her sword back up and into the lion after her initial miss.
Patenemheb ceases moving and returns to Sushranite:
"Talar, on your feet!"
Talar freezes for a moment, doing nothing but trying to keep his arms between himself and the creature. But at Paten's words he feels a sudden spike of clarity. "Right!" He rolls out of the way, trying to establish a little distance.
Seeing Talar still in mortal pursuit with the cat Bjoern moves in looks for an opening. "Hold still, beast!"
But in his fear not to hurt Talar he is a bit to cautious.
Standing behind Bjeorn Tairin flicks out her scorpion whip and lashes it forward past Bjeorn into the beast...
The lion watches Talar crawl away and then turns an almost condescending look in its bright eyes toward the Northman.
The creature's eyes glitter with an evil light, and mark it as a fell beast filled with a dark cunning.
It then assails Bjeorn with a full attack...
As the great cat turns to assault the northman, Yasala takes another great swing at it, hoping to take it down so she can get out of the restrictive doorway.
Talar gets back to his feet, scrambling as he his eyes flicker from the sudden blood loss. Focus, focus! He raises his bow and bites his tongue hard, causing a fresh well of blood to fill his mouth, but sharpening his senses. He pulls out one of his nastier arrows, aiming to put a vicious wound in the creature.
Talar and Yasala's weapons strike hard, but the creature turns up.
As it continues to gnaw on the northman it turns its heavy head to stare at Talar with a cruel gleam in its eyes...
Seeing the dire situation, Patenemheb calls to the burly northman:
"Bjoern! Withdraw!"
Feeling the scratches and the pain Bjoern takes a moment and then quickly draws his kukri to ram it deep into the cat.