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"Yes, I believe it is." Dario studies the symbols and the picture of Nethys for a bit.
"Nethys represents two sides of magic, the destructive side and the preserving
or protection side. Many of these glyphs speak to an aspect of this dual nature. Obviously 'Destruction' and 'Preservation' are self-explanatory. This one with bread means prosperity. It should probably go on the protection side. Knowledge of Death seems to go on the destruction side. The 'Rune' symbol means protection over the land. That seems to be preservation. That leaves knowledge of the world. You could argue that one either way, but the only slot left is on the Destruction side." He rearranges the glyphs as he believes they should go.
After Dario's actions you see that the secret door suddenly opens!
B8. Archive
The rich scent of palm wine, cinnamon, and myrrh fills this magically illuminated storehouse.
Each wall has deep slots filled with papyrus scrolls. A white-and-black marble altar enveloped in faint wisps of faerie fire sits squarely in the center of the room.
A ladder to the south leads up to a walkway, with more shelves and a golden sarcophagus.
The archive contains a trove of history from the Age of Destiny that the Jeweled Sages managed to preserve through the decline of the pharaohs and the purges directed against them.
The altar is consecrated to Nethys.
As Fiata moves back, a vaguely feminine humanoid shape made entirely of water slides from the surface of the pool to sit on the statue's base.
So far it hasn't made any threatening moves. The figure makes some sounds that sound like water gurgling at you.
This elemental seems to be angry.
"Are you doing anything reckless?!?" she grouchily spouts.
Fiata realizes that this is clearly an advanced medium water elemental.
The elemental shifts and water splashes in all directions.
"You are trespassing and I do not know you! I have not seen anybody in ages. The last companion I had just withered away! Who are you and what do you want?" she asks in Aquan.
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"Alone for a long time?? You poor soul. I am Fiata, and my friends and I are Pathfinders. Hmm... not sure if that means anything to you. Ah ha! We are explorers. We study the past see we can learn from it. We are looking for information about Jeweled Sages. We kinda work for thier leader at the moment. By the way, how would you like to be addressed?"
The figure leans forward and burbles back at you. Her 'face', such as it is, and her posture seem surly but become more relaxed after Fiata's words.
In Aquan the creature becomes quite chatty!
"You serve the sages? And you are Pathfinders? The man that was so weak and then died because I could not let him go was a Pathfinder, too!!"
She seems to be so glad to be able to converse with you.
"I am Sellana! I am bound to remain here until the last sage has left the Sanctum! And I know so much about you Pathfinders and your friends that were here! Listen well! I have not talked in ages so you have to be patient!" the elemental says and laughs!!
"There was a group and in this group a man called Ven Lorovox and it seems as if he was the sole survivor of the group to explore this sanctum years ago. The group’s leader, an elf wizard called Thanien Kiandal, was sent by the Decemvirate on a surreptitious mission into Osirion. In addition the group included Kiras Lithron, a male half-elf fighter, Rosarra Springale, a female halfling bard, and Asha Sandwalker a female human ranger. Most of the group believed they had stumbled on the ruins by happenstance, but Thanien had deliberately led them there to recover what the Society correctly believed was an invaluable record of ancient Osirian history. Kiras’s body is right here ... so dead! He was left to finish refilling the group’s waterskins and then began tampering with the carving on the east wall, prompting me of course to attack. But I kept him here as a companion until he eventually ... well I think he starved to death. He died cursing his companions for abandoning him." she says.
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Hearing about the last explorers, Fiata wants to make certain she and the team are safe. "So, if we serve the Sages, you won't attack us...right? I mean, we can look around and touch stuff? If not, can you tell us what would actions would force you to act so we can avoid any conflicts?" Then a thought occurs to her. "Oh! You mentioned a condition that would end your service. Are there any other ways we can help you return home?"
Skai looks as if she is following along, and then finally says "Starved to death? That is unfortunate. Hey, if you can help us free the last sage, then you too will be free. What do you think?"
[dice=Diplomacy Aid]1d20+1
After Skai mentions the last sage Sellana suddenly shifts and wavers.
"I ... I cannot feel the Sage of Plagues's curses anymore?! I ... I am free! You have freed me?!?" she shouts in Aquan.
Hearing about the last explorers, Fiata wants to make certain she and the team are safe. "So, if we serve the Sages, you won't attack us...right? I mean, we can look around and touch stuff? If not, can you tell us what would actions would force you to act so we can avoid any conflicts?" Then a thought occurs to her. "Oh! You mentioned a condition that would end your service. Are there any other ways we can help you return home?"
She looks at Fiata after realizing her new freedom and moves out of the basin!!
"I am released from my service thanks to you! You can recover all this room’s treasure as you are sent by the Sages!"
In the basin that the water elemental just left, you find a wand and wayfinder.
Detect magic also reveals that the belt of the starved Pathfinder is magical and that one of the scimitars on the columns is magical as well.
The female water elemental waves goodbye and you are standing in front of the last room that you have not checked so far.
B8. ArchiveThe rich scent of palm wine, cinnamon, and myrrh fills this magically illuminated storehouse.
Each wall has deep slots filled with papyrus scrolls. A white-and-black marble altar enveloped in faint wisps of faerie fire sits squarely in the center of the room.
A ladder to the south leads up to a walkway, with more shelves and a golden sarcophagus.
The archive contains a trove of history from the Age of Destiny that the Jeweled Sages managed to preserve through the decline of the pharaohs and the purges directed against them.
The altar is consecrated to Nethys.
Your detect magic spell reveals lots of magical scrolls.
B8. ArchiveThe rich scent of palm wine, cinnamon, and myrrh fills this magically illuminated storehouse.
Each wall has deep slots filled with papyrus scrolls. A white-and-black marble altar enveloped in faint wisps of faerie fire sits squarely in the center of the room.
A ladder to the south leads up to a walkway, with more shelves and a golden sarcophagus.
The archive contains a trove of history from the Age of Destiny that the Jeweled Sages managed to preserve through the decline of the pharaohs and the purges directed against them.
The altar is consecrated to Nethys.
Your detect magic spell reveals lots of magical scrolls.
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Dario enters the archive, then pauses for a moment, taking in the trove of information. "This is amazing! Let me check to ensure there are no traps before we start examining the documents. I would hate to lose all of this just because we were too excited."
Dario holds the others back and begins checking the floor, shelves, walls, and eventually the altar and sarcophagus for traps.
Dario detects no traps. He realizes that the Sarcophagus is magical as well.
He checks out everything! The sarcophagus contains a mummified corpse. A small shrine next to the sarcophagus holds coded notes in Ancient Osiriani.
The notes are question-and-answer sessions conducted with the scholar’s spirit. The questions concern the preservation of memory in magical jewels and the crafting and repair of such jewels.
You think that these information might be used by Amenopheus to be able to repair the Ruby Sage’s broken gem.
The notes explain that the sarcophagus allows a creature touching it to commune with any corpse placed inside.
This ability can be activated once per day, as the spell speak with dead, though the visage on the lid speaks the answers rather than the corpse.
Searching the shelves reveals a collection of spell scrolls which you can identify with read magic: a scroll of bless, a scroll of magic weapon, a scroll of ghostbane dirgeG, and a scroll of resist energy, a scroll of remove disease, a scroll of speak with dead, and a scroll of elemental speech.
The chest on the walkway contains five bottles of holy water, a stack of ancient platinum coins, five spell component pouches, and three scholar’s outfits in red, yellow, and green, cut in a style common millennia ago.
Dario investigates the notes again.
In life, the mummy was Halmrat a court librarian for the Song Pharaoh.
The notes are question-and-answer sessions conducted with the scholar’s spirit. The questions concern the preservation of memory in magical jewels and the crafting and repair of such jewels.
You think that these information might be used by Amenopheus to be able to repair the Ruby Sage’s broken gem.
The notes explain that the sarcophagus allows a creature touching it to commune with any corpse placed inside.
You have searched the whole complex and discovered a lot.
You think about the ghost sage that withered under the massed assault of you pathfinders, eventually dissipating into the ether that formed it.
~
When you get out the barbarian and his team look on impressed. "You are alive?!? Of course... you couldn't have done it without our help.." he mutters. But out numbered, and obviously out magiced, he stops pressing any claim.
"Should you ever need passage north, my ship will be at your disposal." he says eventually.
Looking back, you remember the feeling and memories that the shards of broken gems in of the ruby sage sent you.
With time on your side now, you will continue your exploration.
You report back to Amenopheus and he beams.
“You are excellent future Sages! But history connecting this place to Torch is concerning!!“
He teleports you back to Eto to resupply before you make the trek to the south.
He warns you that the Pillars of the Sun are a very dangerous region of towering rocks, searing wind, and terrible beasts.
“With the fate of our order riding on your success, I will of course accompany you to the Sanctum of the Sages!!!“ Amenopheus says.
The growing light of predawn filters in through a window of the two-story building that Amenopheus has rented in Eto, and the aging Garundi man takes a seat on one of the cushions set out for this meeting. He produces a sealed letter from his robe, placing it in the middle of the floor before speaking.
“Good morning, Pathfinders. As you know, we have had our share of setbacks recently. Not only have the emerald and topaz gems sacred to my order slipped through our fingers, but we also faced the frustration of finding nothing but fragments of the once great ruby. Thankfully, its power is not lost entirely, and through the Ruby Sage’s blessing, it lives on in you. I am thankful that you have agreed to act on her behalf and see this through to the end.
“As we speak, the scoundrels who seized the two gems cross the Pillars of the Sun to meet their employer, the cryptic Diamond Sage.” He sighs heavily. “What she intends to do with the gems is a mystery, but the sage jewels are too important for me to take risks with. If the power that you wield is representative of a shattered jewel’s potential, imagine what one might accomplish with three undamaged stones! Until we know what her plans are, it is paramount that we get to the jewels first.
“Kafar and Nefti have a rudimentary map of the Pillars of the Sun, and last night I found a bartender who spotted them poring over it between drinks. She recalled little of the map, and she could not make sense of the marks or annotations; however, the right spells have allowed me to probe her mind and determine Kafar and Nefti’s entry point into the mountains. We will follow them from there.” With a somewhat chagrined smile, Amenopheus adds, “It may be that they will lead us to the Sanctum of the Sages, a hidden complex I have long suspected might be in this area.”
He stands and announces, “Prepare yourselves quickly. We shall leave momentarily.”
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Kenji looks at Dario and nods.
”Amenopheus, we have always served the scarab sages and continue to do so! Irori tells us to find our own path to perfection and the Ruby Sage’s power shows that you and the Sages know a lot about perfection… but what exactly do you believe we will need to do? I hope you do not expect us to just kill those two that stole the sage jewels?!“ Kenji asks concerned.
A funny and curious red creature flies into the room. It is the size of a large dragonfly and has the same wings, but otherwise it is a real red dragon but with large bulging eyes. It also wears a masterwork chainshirt that fits its diminutive size.
- Welcome! - you might assume that the voice will be ringing, but it turns out to be unexpectedly low. - My name is Vellestir. I am escorting lady Zeta, mighty warrior of the Silver Crusade. And here she is...
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Following this message, a woman enters the room, dressed in black fullplate which looks like it was made up of pieces from taldan and kelish heavy armor. She has a lot of gold and silver jewelry that slightly tinkling with each step and a scarf that can easily be turned into a hijab.
Her skin is dark brown, her hair is bright red, and her red eyes are like two smoldering embers that can ignite at any moment. On top of everything else, she has small horns on the head and veins of bright red on the neck and hands.
- Greetings to you! - she smiles playfully. Her tone is not nearly as serious as her herald's. - I was told that fellow pathfinders need help. You Scarab Sages has always been fanned by legends and secrets that you carefully hide... Well, you can rely on me! - and she smiles mysteriously again.
(Later you will notice that this is just her normal state - to smile mischievously at her thoughts. She seems to have a lot of ideas in her head and not one of them leads to balanced decisions...)
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Green eyes twinkle as the chestnut-haired human woman smiles warmly. "Wellcome! Nice to meet you both. I'm Fiata." She offers a hand in greeting. Over her thick leather armor hangs a bow and arrow symbol of Erastil. While a shortbow is slung to her back, it clearly has not seen much use. What does stand out is the longspear held firmly in her hand. Hanging from the weapon is a large piece of fabric emblazoned with the symbol of the open road. Just being near the young woman seems to bolster the confidence of those around her.
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First of all, Zeta makes a polite bow to Amenofeus, after which she begins to communicate with colleagues. The diminutive dragon makes a couple of circles around the room and seems to be going to sit on the shoulder of the warrioress, but instead in the last moment chooses to hover over a plate of fruit.
- Nice to meet you, Fiata. - Zeta shakes her hand and looks around the banner of open roads. - Impressive! There is some spirit of chivalry and honor in this - to go on an adventure openly with the banner of our glorious organization. I like that.
