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"Yeah, alright. Just don't give it to Juliet, and whatever you do don't put it in the crack in the wall!" She opens her satchel and, with a bit of effort, lifts out a stone disc, which she hands to Cap.
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Steep, narrow stairs lead up to the platform with the sphere, thirty feet above the lower chambers. The platform faces south, with a commanding view of the Terwa Uplands. An immense ivory hemisphere fills the platform, leaving only a few feet of stone around its edges. If this balcony once had a railing, it has long since crumbled away, leaving a vertiginous drop to the stones below. Mosaics along the north wall of this platform depict sway-backed cyclopes spreading white dust upon their foreheads and helmets appearing upon their heads. The ivory sphere itself resembles the sphere you saw at Azlant Ridge; as you approach, you can see that it is, indeed, active. A soft white light glows from within, though it is difficult to see in the bright sunlight of this roofless chamber. Examining up close, you can also see that the sphere seems to be covered in a fine white powder; a smudge in the powder in one place allows the light to shine through even more brightly.
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Pethwen approaches the sphere. "Arletta mentioned that the dust on the sphere seemed to dispel the effect she was under and which Juliet and the rest of the group seem to be suffering from. Perhaps we should gather some of it and see if we can apply to the rest of her group?"
The cleric proceeds to put her words into action, collecting some of the dust in her pouch.
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Molly likes this idea, but might be able to figure out the answer beforehand. "We can have a tea-party!"
She brews a batch of Seer's Tea.
Aura faint divination; CL 3rd; Weight —
Slot none; Price 550 gp
DESCRIPTION
This rich tea can be made from any number of herbs. When the tea is brewed without a filter and imbibed, the drinker can read the patterns in the leaves remaining at the bottom of her cup, gaining the benefits of an augury spell.
Additionally, the unbrewed tea can be used as an extra material component when casting augury, removing the need for a focus. In this case, the caster instead reveals information as if she had cast divination instead.
School divination; Level cleric/oracle 2, shaman 2, witch 2; Subdomain fate 2
CASTING
Casting Time 1 minute
Components V, S, M (incense worth at least 25 gp), F (a set of marked sticks or bones worth at least 25 gp)
EFFECT
Range personal
Target you
Duration instantaneous
DESCRIPTION
An augury can tell you whether a particular action will bring good or bad results for you in the immediate future.
The base chance for receiving a meaningful reply is 70% + 1% per caster level, to a maximum of 90%; this roll is made secretly. A question may be so straightforward that a successful result is automatic, or so vague as to have no chance of success. If the augury succeeds, you get one of four results:
Weal (if the action will probably bring good results).
Woe (for bad results).
Weal and woe (for both).
Nothing (for actions that don't have especially good or bad results).
If the spell fails, you get the "nothing" result. A cleric who gets the "nothing" result has no way to tell whether it was the consequence of a failed or successful augury.
The augury can see into the future only about half an hour, so anything that might happen after that does not affect the result. Thus, the result might not take into account the long-term consequences of a contemplated action. All auguries cast by the same person about the same topic use the same die result as the first casting.
Molly proceeds with brewing the tea, which takes her about a minute and then focuses hard on the question of using the dust on the archaeologists.
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"Shall we split the doses up and approach one of the archaelogists each?" Pethwen suggests. "Just in case they don't take too kindly being covered in dust."
Pethwen will then approach Juliet. "We have spoken to Arletta. I know you are worried that she got sick. Let me apply this medicine to you. Trust me, I'm a cleric. I want to make sure you are well!"
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Touching the dust, your hand glows with a pale blue energy, and a feeling of lawful righteousness suffuses through you. Juliet is at first a bit hesitant, given her first impression of you, but Petrok wisely stays out of sight and with a little convincing she is willing to allow the holy aasimar to apply medicine to her. When the dust touches her forhead, the pale blue energy seems flow into her, and her eyes widen. "Oh! Oh, no!" She shakes her head to clear it. "Oh, what have we done? That thing, the spirit...it's not what I thought it was. I think it's dangerous, and here we are giving it those discs! Who knows what it wants them for? Please, you have to investigate. I don't want to fall under its sway again, but you all seem strong, maybe you can resist!"
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With the Help of Molly Petrok examines the dust It will subdue chaos this dust..you should apply to those enthralled.. Petrok hands the sack to Pethwen dismissively... I will not be the one to heal those who give themselves so easily to such as these spirits...you do it good Aasimir...they'll have more trust in your touch than mine.
Petrok struggles with the mystery surrounding this whole place. He is at unease and seeks somewhere to meditate alone while the others debrief and comfort the archaeologist. The spirit of chaos pervades in this place..I must find some balance! After an hour of meditation Petrok re-joins the group and says, I have consulted the spirits..though.. Petrok's brow furrows as if trying to concentrate, though it is difficult to reach out to spirits that are...are.... Petrok pauses as if trying to recall the correct words,...that are...helpful...yes spirits that are helpful..rare on this mountain. Petrok sniffs the steamy jungle air and looks around at the lush vegetation surrounding them. Spirits that battle chaos are rare in this place...this jungle... Petrok lets the last word hang for a moment implying that this place was more than a jungle of plants...but a jungle of thoughts and emotions too.
But, I have meditated on this, the rock will provide more dust if we wait till tomorrow....The spirits have spoken.. Petrok fails to mention much of his conclusion is also based on training he had received with his faction brothers and sisters of the Dark Archive/. I believe we should wait till tomorrow to investigate..I will prayer to the spirits for protective wards to aid us...we will also use the powder we harvest to combat whatever chaos presents itself... Petrok looks to his group with challenge. Would any of you defy the spirits of reason on this?
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"Arletta mentioned something trying to break into the room where they placed the other discs through the crack in the wall. I still here something smashing at a stone wall. Do you think waiting until tomorrow to investigate is prudent. I do not. The rest of you can wait here. I am going to find out what is going on."
Phosdlon heads towards the sound...
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Petrok implores his fellow Pathfinders to stop and, Not let the restless heat and chaos of this place cause you to make unwise decisions. He motions to the temple, I hear the pounding too! But, what good will it do us to go in unprepared? We should set guards tonight and recoup our resources and begin anew tomorrow... Petrok is vehement , Have you considered it is the spirit of chaos the prevails you to investigate now? Whatever, is trapped in there has been trapped for many years...another night should not matter!...Now you move closer to the center of it's power with the very objects that may free it in tow!
Petrok draws his falchion, and moves to block phosdlon's and Pethwen's path I've never bared steel on any of my brother's or sisters in the Society before...but, I ask you here and now...what compels you to go now rather than wait a day!?
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Phosdlon, followed by Pethwen, walk down the hallway toward the pounding noise. As they pass by, they can see a large alcove containing a stone fountain beneath a carving of a cyclops breaking free of clutching tentacles. The fountain’s basin is full of clear water.
Moving down the hallway, they arrive at another huge door that has been beaten down. Within, an enormous iron figure persistently beats on a closed stone door. The figure has clearly seen better days, its form degraded and worn by time. It steadfastly ignores the arriving pathfinders, continuing its relentless assault on the stone door. At first examination it's clear that the monolith has made slow but steady progress over the last two days as fresh cracks are readily apparent on the door and chips of freshly broken stone lie by its feat. Phosdlon and Pethwen can estimate that the door can only stand up to this assault for another 45 minutes or so.
The walls of this large, vaulted room are carved with stylized astronomical symbols. The south wall contains a pair of immense doors made of stone. Smaller doors on the east wall have been battered inward. The north wall contains four large panels, each eight feet above the ground with a central gap about seven inches wide and an inch deep. Above the four panels are blocky letters, and below them, mosaics featuring sway-backed cyclopes. The chamber’s floor displays a stylized depiction of Golarion and its moon traveling around the sun.
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Bolty heads down the hallway with 2/3rds of the party's Ps and peers at the door.
Bolty gets out a chalkboard, measures a couple cracks and gives a more accurate estimate for when the door will break down.
"48 minutes, I'm sure of it." says Bolty as he spits on the floor.
Pausing for a moment before looking back at the fountain. "Anybody else think it's odd that fountain's water is clean."
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Petrok shakes his head following the others in . He looks up at the strange symbols and writings , and then to the Goliath pounding on the door, seems you were right phosdlon Petrok turns his head away from the elf. let’s see what these inscriptions say... perhaps they reveal something useful. Petrok rummages through his pack and produces a scroll of comphrend language . He unfurls the scroll and cast the spell. The inscription reads “The MOON set within the VOID reflects the SUN but does not obscure the STARS”. The words the moon, void, sun, and stars are all engraved with a different font or style it seems. Perhaps they are the key to getting this brute. Petrok points to giagantic guardian, ....to stop shattering that stone door long enough for us to figure out what’s going on.
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Upon closer inspection, the mosaics above the panels reveal a sort of narrative. In the first mosaic, the large doors are ajar and three snake-like tails are slithering free. In the second, four cyclopes each place small stone discs into the panels. In the last mosaic, beams from the panels push back the serpentine tails. The discs in the mosaics look quite a bit like the one you got from Arletta, and the central gap in each panel looks to be the same size.
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Petrok points to the floor, Look there's a moon and the Sun! He begins to inspect the panels closer ..
But which of these panels refers to the stars and void? Petrok ponders for a moment, The third panel has beams pushing back the serpents so maybe it's represents the stars?...We don't want to block the beam..so maybe put the token in the crack of the 1st or second panel? Petrok shrugs as if admitting ...that's the best I got!
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Petrok examines the panels as best he can, though they are 8 feet up the wall. He thinks that, should someone be in possession of one of the discs while up at the level of the panels (such as one medium creature on a scaffolding or on another medium creature's shoulders), that person could place a disc into the gap in a panel with a some careful effort . Removing it again (such as if it were placed in the wrong panel) seems like it might be a little easier .
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The fountain is beautifully carved, and the water flowing into the basin is crystal clear.
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If no-one is able to determine the properties of the water remotely, Pethwen volunteers to give it a taste. "It looks so inviting and refreshing!" Her voice tinkles in tune and pitch with the running water in a completely enchanting way that almost imperceptibly seems to cause the water to ripple a little. She then steps forward and cups some up in her hands, taking a sip.
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Petrok looks up to notice some of the others have moved into the fountain area. He shakes his head as if to clear it from some invisible fog that hinders his insight. Petrok cautiously sticks his head in the room the moment Pethwen brings her cupped hand full of fountain water to her lips, No Peth...! Petrok waits several breathless moments to gauge the Aasimar’s reaction to the unusually clear water. When no choking or coughing occur Petrok lets out a relived *sigh*!...
Petrok then, quietly begins to inspect the room, he encourages the others to move on and keep searching while he investigates the spirits of purity and protection, that reside in this room and these waters
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Molly, while identifying the source of power, activates a spell known as Burst of Insight.
Casting Time 1 immediate action
Components V, S
EFFECT
Range personal
Target you
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
DESCRIPTION
You plumb the depths of your mind for insight, leaving you momentarily frazzled. When you are about to make a d20 roll based on Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma, you can cast this spell to gain a +8 enhancement bonus to Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma for that roll, but you are dazed for 1 round afterward.
After the effect of her spell wears off, she stumbles for a moment about to fall over. The Good Captain probably catches her before she can get hurt. She stares absentmindedly upwards, eyes seeming to glow with an arcane pulse. Her usual face of kind regard seems to darken somewhat, but it is so faint that it could almost be unnoticed.
She mumbles out with a voice that is more gruff for the doll. "The water from this fountain makes the drinker incredibly difficult to grapple, and much more likely to escape, should they be grappled. It would be worth our time to divulge from the sacred powers this water bestows."
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Petrok searches the area fully over the course of several minutes, finding no sinister secrets or hidden information. The rest of the party, convinced of its safety by Molly's burst of insight, drink from the well. The water remains cool, clean, and abundant, with no particular taste or obvious affect.
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The party moves down the hall toward the next door which, like all the others in this temple, is made of heavy stone and sized for a giant. On the far side of the wide hall is an ominous-looking crack in the wall.
The walls within the next room feature mosaics of a stylized cyclops wearing an ornate one-eyed mask and commanding other cyclopes. In the carving, the cyclops places the mask upon other cyclopes to reverse several aliments, including blindness and even death. A large slab in the northwestern corner holds only dust, but a smaller shelf above it bears a one-eyed mask.