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The High Temple of Nalinivati, naga goddess of the nagaji. Famed through southern Tain Xia is was one of the keystone of the nagaji faith, attracting hundreds of pilgrims yearly, despite the isolated location.
Perched on the side of an active (and constantly rumbling volcano) the monastery ascent was not for the light-hearted. Hundreds of stairs had been carved into the living rock to help, but it was still an arduous climb that last days, even in good weather.
Sevak could feel the climb in his legs and arms. Despite being powerfully built, even the hardy Jungle Guide was feeling the result of days of steep incline. Even the air felt strange, being dry and cool, instead of the comfortable humid blanket he was used to. The ground was stony and hard, covered with ash and grit from ancient eruptions, not the thick mud of the lowlands.
But his own comfort was not his purpose. He was here to serve his Lord and Mistress, Royal Naga Iskassala. She had founded this very temple, centuries ago after the goddess had blessed her for some long-forgotten favor. Since then, she had helped the religious site grow in power and prominence. It was a sign of high favor to be sent here, even for a routine task.
Not that Iskassala had assigned it herself. Instead it had fallen to Sissiak, one of her more…ambitious courtiers, the nagaji who circled every naga looking for favor and power. Currently in ascendancy in the byzantine court, he had sent a message directly to Sevak. He was to go to the temple and retrieve a copy of the “Book of Long years” a text very much sought after by a foreign ally of Iskassala.
It had been a rough road, up into the high mountains that fringed his Mistresses domain, but he was finally here. Even now he could see the imposing gates, flung open wide, made of the finest steel. Towers, hewn from rock, flanked it, and ringer it with strong battlements. However…the place was abandoned. There were no priests, no pilgrims, no monks.
No one worked the small gardens on the slopes, or tended the roaming herds of goats and sheep. No smoke billowed upward or fire burned in hearth and grate. In the path leading up, small weeds were pushing up. No sound but the sighing of the wind…
Sevak was instantly wary when there was no one to greet him. This temple should have bustled with activity, in spite of the inhospitable climate here. For there to be no one...
Warily he advanced forward, eyes darting this way and that, looking for suspicious tracks or signs of battle... or of anything else that might yield a clue as to what had happened here.
Sevak paces among the small outbuildings and abandoned paths. There are few clues. There are a few signs of outward movement, of people fleeing. Considering he heard no rumors, either they were few or they didn't get too far.
He sees no strange tracks or other signs of violence. No wrecked buildings or dead bodies.
Sevak hesitates a moment. On the one hand, if he could track down where those who had fled had gone, he might find survivors, or at least clues to what had happened. On the other hand, there was no guarantee he could follow them on the rocky mountainside.
Finally he decides to keep investigating here. He has no way of knowing if there are survivors, and there might well be some here, given how little he knew of what was going on. Cautiously he made his way up to the entrance of the main temple, still warily watching and listening for signs of danger.
The 'main temple' is a giant facade carved out of the solid stone of the mountain side. The rooms, chambers, galleries and tunnels are carved into the living, volcanic rock. The carved living spaces are famously large.
Sevak approaches the gaping doors cautiously. He can peer inside, into the dim, unlit foyer. A massive room of carved rock, obsidian walls and statues to the great naga patrons of the lowlands below. A hot breeze wafts out, making Sevak blink in the dry heat.
In the middle of the doorway is a corpse, burned and charred beyond recognition.
Sevak freezes for a moment when he sees the corpse. Shaking off his shock, the nagaji takes a moment to prepare himself, calling upon the Naga Spirits to protect him , then casting a spell of Light upon his shield. He draws his Fang-Blade and carefully approaches the corpse, looking for signs of battle or scorching on the stone, anything to hint at what had done this, all the while wishing he had thought to prepare a spell of fire resistance this morning.
Thinking of what he knows about volcanic areas, he also does his best to stay aware of odd scents that might indicate poisonous gasses.
Sevak detects burn marks on the stone and the body. A charred and melted axe lays at hand, metal twisted beyond use. This was a violent death.
The nagaji smells nothing unusual, and event he corpse has been burned past scent.
The foyer is large, with three exits. One climbs up a set of wide, well-made stairs. Another is a stout door shut and bound. Lastly a narrow side stair leads down into darkness. Sevak wasn't told where the Library was. Why would he?
An attack? By users of fire magic? Or by creatures of fire? Sevak wonders to himself as he finishes his examination of the body. He resolves to leave the corpse be--it is unlikely to have anything left intact that would help him, and it would be disrespectful to the dead to search on the off chance he is wrong.
Warily he considers the three exits. The stairs up seem the most likely direction to reach the library... but the stairs down might well lead closer to the volcano itself, which seems the most likely source of an attack. The door he dismisses for now, assuming any foe that would leave corpses lying about would not bother closing doors behind itself.
After a moment of debate, he cautiously makes his way to the upwards staircase. While anger is slowly building in Sevak's heart, his cool head says that he is unlikely to stand a chance of wreaking vengeance upon a force sufficient to kill all in this temple. Instead, it is his duty to accomplish his assigned task and then report, that a proper response can be organized.
He does, however, keep his ears as open as his eyes and nose as he first looks up the stairs, then climbs them.
Sevak carefully ascends the grand stairs. He passes dormitories, latrines, small storerooms and closets. Sometimes there are small landings, with several doors branching off, sometimes merely a door directly onto the stairs.
Very soon he realizes something is wrong. Here and there a stone is cunningly removed or a step missing. The workmanship is good, no mere vandal or bandit. They have been carefully removed. As he climbs, the missing stones become more common. In one small dorm room he peers in, the entire floor is missing, leaving a pit 20 feet deep.
At one turn on the curving main stairway Sevak senses something.
But he can't be sure what it is. The stairs here are a narrower, steeper, rougher.
Sevak has no idea what the significance of the missing stones could be, but the amount of work that has gone into removing them is staggering. Just what could have done this? And why?
Still... he must continue on. But the odd feeling he gets at this point puts him even more on edge. After a moment, he sheathes his Fang-Blade and pulls out his shortspear. He flips it over and starts using the butt of it to test steps before he puts his weight on them, worried that perhaps something has been undermined in the bizarre deconstruction of the temple.
The careful testing proves to be a smart move. A short stab with the spear and one of the steps falls, whole and noiselessly into darkness. After a moment he hears a loud splash of water. After that only silence.
Sevak pauses. Water? Why is there water underneath here? Curious, he searches about for a small pebble, casts Light upon it, and drops it in the hole, watching as it falls.
The Light pebble drops quickly, falling over fifteen feet and hits the water with a splash. It reveals a still pool stretching into the shadows, apparently carved out of the rock. There is no running water coming in or going out. As the pebble sinks, the light dims then fades back to pitch black.
Strange... perhaps the temple was built through a series of natural caverns? If only I knew more...
Sevak set the thought aside for now. There was little for him to do now but move forward. He continued being cautious, using his spear to test the steps.
He quickly reveals the next set of stairs are all trapped. Finally, he exposes the next true step, but it will require a sizable leap to bridge the gap. Sevak can get a running start though.
This grows too slow... Sevak thinks to himself as he considers the section of trapped steps. Fortunately, he has alternatives, though he had wished to save this one for later..
He pulls out his Everburning Torch and sets it carefully on a stable step, then changes form into an eagle. Grasping the torch with its heatless flame in his talons he takes off and starts to fly up the stairs, hoping he is not charging straight into an ambush.
Sevak, as an eagle, easily flies over the gaping pit. below, water glints back from the torch. He finds a surprise at the other side. Flying other he smacks into an invisible wall on the other side. being an eagle he recovers before plunging into the water but anyone jumping would have tumbled into the water.
Sevak lands back on one of the safe stairs for a moment to catch his breath. That had been far too close. It might be only water below, but he did not trust it... especially since he was none too strong of a swimmer.
The invisible wall, in spite of not sending him downward, still blocks his progress, and so, once his heartbeat has grown more normal, Sevak begins to look around the nearby area, searching for any possible way around. That someone would block this staircase indicates something of importance must be at the top... perhaps some answers to the mystery of what happened here?
Sevak explores side passages and rooms, looking for an alternate way up. More and more stones are missing, and all the doors smashed down. A few looked burned but not many.
Crossing a room Sevak finds a number of very thin, very hard to see lines stretched out. Tripwires of some type, hooked to shadowy niches in the wall. He detects nothing else unusual about the room though.
Is this all simply a trap? Sevak wonders to himself as he observes the tripwires. Kill those in the temple, and then kill those who come after? But then why the deconstruction? To desecrate it also?
Without any answers for his questions, Sevak does a careful search of the room, flying to the other side of the tripwires and starting with the other side of the room.
Their is nothing else of note in the room and the tripwires seem to be attached to a mechanism of some kind, but it is impossible to tell without setting them off.
Past the room, stairs start to climb upward, narrow and tightly winding.
Well, at least these stairs might provide another way upward...
Sevak flew over and up the stairs, staying wary, and doing his best to track how much longer his transformation would last.
He climbs the stairs, and they climb fast. He passes fewer rooms, and many have doors. Finally he comes to a small landing, with three doors. one leading upward, and two on either side. All are wooden and locked.
Sevak wonders at the temple even as he wonders at what has been done to it. This part seems less damaged, at least... perhaps the tripwires were original to the temple?
The doors, however, are not a problem an eagle can solve, and so Sevak landed, shifting back to his true form. He puts his torch away and again casts Light on his shield, though for now he does not again draw a weapon, wanting his hand free for other uses.
Without keys, he concludes he shall have to force the doors, as loud as that may be. But first, he examines all three for tripwires or other traps, wary after all he has already seen here in the temple.
The two side doors are simple wood, bound in iron. They look perfectly normal and unlocked. The third leads onward and is decorated in usual nagaji fashion, intricate designs and relief carvings of the naga and the world they dominate. It also appears normal except it seems...wet to the touch.
Cautiously, Sevak investigates one of the side doors, figuring he'll save the other for last.
It merely opens on a bare dormitory, with simple cots for the monks. The other doors is much the same, although this one has a window, letting in light through the thick wall. The day is bright and sunny, but a cool breeze is wafting in.
Sevak trusts this last door not at all, but it seems he has no other options left other than to abandon all progress. Steeling himself, every sense strained for signs of danger, every sinew tensed to react, he tries to open the ornate door.
The door is latched but not locked. As soon as the druid unlatches it though, the door bursts open in a torrent of water. As high as the door, it washes over Sevak nearly knocking him to the floor. It does push him back a few paces as it rages out, filling the entryway and pouring down the stairs behind him.
Finally it stops, thoroughly soaking the nagaji. But it is just water, not acid, not poison, not even very cold water. No evil monsters lurk within it, or did it turn to ice. Just a good, through soaking.
Then, out of a side wall, a face appears, as if emerging from water, smooth and easy. It is the face of a small earth elemental. It stares openly at Sevak for a second, blinks, then vanishes into the stonework.
On the inward lintel of the door reads the word Library with a decorated arrow pointing upward.
Sevak coughs, shaking himself slightly as he stands. Then he freezes a moment as he sees the elemental, watching it warily as it sinks back into the stone. Elementals would make... some sense here. At least, he thinks so, not truly knowing a great deal about them. But why would they have attacked?
He knew no answers, but he did know now he could not trust even the ground, if such beings lurked within it. Warily he again drew his Fang-Blade and advanced, stopping every now and again to glance behind himself.
Sevak slowly ascends the stairs. he reaches the top, or at least the stairs stop. A long passageway leads off into murky darkness but before he can go that way, a shape materializes ahead of him.
It is a huge face, as wide as the passage and taller then the powerfully built nagaji. It is a mask, of some sort, dark and ebony, soaking in the suddenly feeble light of his torch. The eyes are slanted and blue glowing orbs, while the cheeks are high and hard.
The mask laughs and booms, 'What trick is this? Who are you to violate by study and my diversions?"
Sevak can tell it is an illusion, but nothing else.
Keep your true purpose veiled, while learning your opponent's... Sevak thought to himself. Likely this is sent by the one who has done such harm to the temple. I had best be wary.
He bowed to the illusion. "I am but a humble servant, sent to see what has become of this place," Sevak half-lied.
"A humble servant?" the voice laughs again, rich and powerful, echoing off the walls and down the stairs. 'A servant of whom? My enemies or my friends?"
A slight pause, then more seriously, 'What do you see then, Watchful Servant? How do you judge my new realm?"
"I would think one so clearly powerful and knowledgeable as yourself could well guess who I serve," Sevak replied, cautiously, "As for the changes you have made to this temple, I cannot say I care for random destruction."
The mask grins widely, showing dark, pointed teeth. "You have only seen us at war. After I have won, I shall create a paradise! A land of my own design, wretched out of this miserable plane.."
Then the mask grows hard again and the voice booms angrily, 'But answer me, servant. Who do you serve and why should I not strike you down where you stand?"
"I serve the Mistress of this land," Sevak answers, noting the apparent extraplanar origin of this being, "Who would likely send much greater than I should I not return, for she would assume the worst if she does not soon hear from this sacred place. Is it not better to treat than make war when one can?"
The mask narrows the glowing blue eyes, bearing down on Sevak. The smell of cinnamon and sand fills the chamber, and the feeling of a rising breeze. "Begone, leave and take your threats with you. If you wish to treat, go to the lower levels and consult the one of fire! See how he deals with you.F or myself, I am done, Leave now or I shall unleash my servants!" The voice fills with menace.
Sevak has the feeling the being behind the mask is faking about being an all powerful god with the power to create and uncreate but a frontal charge may be unwise.
Sevak give the face a mocking bow. "Perhaps I shall, oh great one. But I spoke truth, not idle threats," his voice hardened, "For you have slain my kin and desecrated the great temple of Nalinivati, for which crimes you shall be called to account, whether by my blade or by that of those who will follow. But for now, I depart."
With that, he turned to go, though he stayed wary of any threats, thinking of grasping arms coming from the stone to match the face he had seen.
Sevak makes his way down the stairs, and finds a way around the pool of water he flew over. There are a few traps, but Sevak manages to dodge them, now expecting them. Soon he stands in the main entrance, again facing the stout closed door and the narrow stairs leading down into darkness.
From the words of the illusory face he suspects the stairs downward lead to the 'one of fire'--and given the state of the corpse still in the room, he has little interest in facing that one without preparation. That leaves this door...
Wary of traps, he first does his best to look for dangers and listen for sounds through the door before trying to open it.
He hears nothing but the door feels warm to the touch. Not hot, but warmer then the rest of the, so far, cool and dark temple.
Or perhaps the 'one of fire' dwells here? There is still too much I do not know about the situation here.
Again wishing he had prepared a spell to protect himself against fire this day, Sevak cautiously opens the door, ready to spring aside if some gout of flame shoots through.
There is no gout of flame, just a rush of hot air. Inside, Sevak can see the monastery kitchens, ruined and abandoned. there are no missing stones here, but everything is charred or burned, tables, chairs, metal all heated and destroyed.
Doors lead on, and the heat increases with every step forward.
Earth and fire... Sevak thinks to himself. And perhaps water also, given the traps above? Then perhaps here is fire and air...
He considers turning back and going downstairs first. Any who did not flee outside are unlikely to have sheltered here, if this truly is now the domain of this fiery one. But it is possible some may yet be here... I will see how far I may go, and then go below, he decided.
In keeping with his resolution he continues forward.
Sevak pushes forward, making his way through broken doorways and scorched rooms. The heat grows, and even Sevak, child of the lowland jungle, starts to feel it.
But keeps focused on the task at hand.
As he enters a large dining room, (the old table is a heap of ashes), two figures erupt from the rocky floor. They look somewhat like the earth elementals above, but instead are glowing red, with veins of magma pulsing through them.
Without hesitation they attack, arms grabbing toward Sevak.
Sevak little fancied getting flanked by these creatures, and so retreated to the doorway.
"Come at me, kinslayers!" Sevak hissed at them, shield up and sword ready to strike. He only hoped his blade would not melt on striking them...