Ivan searches around but cannot find anything of interest among the rubble and other items in the room.
Kolris finds a sickle that has fallen from one of the statues, and there is some random coins laying about.
Brun enters the next room.
A great three-ringed iron portal stands in a position of prominence on a raised dais at the front of the chamber, as though venerated by the rows of statues on the other side of the curtain. A series of runes runs along the circumference of each of the portal’s rings, creating three distinct bands of writing. A large, sparkling crimson gemstone is embedded at the portal’s apex, the only marking on the portal’s exterior frame. In front of the portal, a strange podium with a circular depression covered with several small, square raised areas offers an alien interface. A metallic smell and the cling of static electricity permeate the noticeably dry air here.
Brun looks around.
"It is safe here master!"
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"What an absolutely fascinating discovery!" Reginald's cheerful grin is back as he starts jotting down notes on the strange device. "It's obviously magical - I would assume some type of planar transportation, but what if it were actually a divination chamber where the user just exists, deprived of all their senses while still observing everything? Though the question comes of how one would exit such a chamber. Would another person be able to reach in and pull them out, or would the helper themselves become stuck in the chamber too, and thus require another helper who would also get stuck... He clearly has a favorite theory, and it's not the sensible one.
Reginald detects no magic coming from the device. It looks like some sort of strange mechanism. The runes seem to be in line with those already encountered thus far ie. those associated with demon lords and the like.
Bartolomey's amulet fits into the mechanism. Rotating it rotates the rune circles.
With a few twists of the amulet you align the runes in the Order of Lamashtu, Areahkagal then Aldinach. The crimson gem glows with light for a few moments and the door opens.
Simultaneously a small bloated blue skinned toad appears out of thin air. Good day. My name is Teenoch. Who are you and why do you visit this temple?
As I said, I am Teenoch. For days I have watched these invaders defile this temple. I hid and followed you to see if you were invaders too. I see you are enemies of the invaders. I can help you.
I... I live here, within the temple. I know everything about it. I can help you, and you can help me by getting rid of these invaders. You have already seen to some, in the entrance. I was not sure if you were allies of theirs or not. You aren't their allies, are you?
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Kolris spits on the ground. "No! We're no friend to the Aspis, nor should you be. They are rivals of ours, and bitter." He pauses to glare around the room for no reason but his ire.
"We plan to run them out of this temple for good; we'll secure this side of the portal as well. What do you know of the portal, and the Aspis' movements or forces here? Can you help us make a plan for their elimination?"
Through this door, down the stairs and to the left are the holding cells. There the vile interlopers in Areshkagal’s profane paradise have made themselves at home. Little do they know that the true Diamond gate rests below this chamber. The one here is simply a decoy. They have killed everyone else from this temple. Will you avenge my master?
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”I knew it!” Reginald crows. ”An interdimensional observational space! And what a lovely exit mechanism - no need for people to keep crowding inside trying to end the effect. What a brilliant solution!” He joys down more notes on the purpose and structure of the “observational rift”, as well as a quick sketch of Teenoch’s face.
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Ivan observes his comrades' brilliance in solving the puzzle with wonderment. "Well I kin see that someone did their studyin'!"
When the toad arrives he studies it with interest. . When it makes its plea for vengeance, he speaks up. "Aye, the Aspis ain't no friends o' ours. But what o' yer master? Who were he? What were this place afore them Aspis came? And what would ye restore it to?"
My master was slain by these invaders. Before they came this place was a temple to Areshkagal, The Faceless Sphinx. I do not seek to restore it, only clear it of these vile interlopers. I seek to take my revenge upon them, then escape back into the Abyss through the Diamond Gate.
Brun enters the hallway.
Brun ventures along the corridor for a short distance. As et of stair descends 10 feet in front of them.
Brun enters the room.
This appears to be the priory, or was priorly the priory. The rooms here look to be set up as sleeping quarters. Each room contains 2 beds, 2 footlockers and one chamber pot. Otherwise, the rooms are empty and void of anything valuable.
Aglorn, my love,
Your skills have served the Consortium well, but your mission is not over yet. The Pathfinder Society has discovered your location, and even as I write this, the Decemvirate plans to send a team of their pesky agents to take our portal. I needn’t restate the importance of maintaining our hold on the Diamond Gate. Our allies who helped breach the Hao Jin Tapestry expect their ongoing payment, and our position in Varisia hinges upon the wealth we can take from the Society’s Tian playground. Hold nothing back—summon the very legions of Hell if you must—to protect our interests within Areshkagal’s shrine, for if the Society gets its filthy hands on that gate, our operations will be severely handicapped. Forget retaliation from the Pathfinders; I fear the coils of the Aspis Prophet infinitely more. Do not fail us.
May your scales shine brightly,
Pasha
Bartolomey sees three humans sitting around a table. Off to one side a single wolf is in a cage, but the door hangs open. As the door opens a low growl issues from the wolf and the three figures put down their cards and reach for their weapons.
Combat Round 1 - Bold May Act
Reginald
Mika
Red
Yellow
Bartolomey
Wolf (Green)
Ivan
Blue
Brun
Kolris
Perrine
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”...which only further goes to show that such an observational extradimensional space would be, at best, an extremely difficult endeavor to maintain - oh, wait, maybe these fine gentlemen could explain the process in more detail!” Now distracted, Reginald squints suspiciously at the swordsmen. ”You don’t think these sneaky folks could be Aspis agents, do you? They’re always slithering into places they aren’t wanted.” He guffaws at his own wit, pointing at the man in red as an example.