Dendillion follows Chark into the cavern, helping her with the search. And because she typically tends to their wounds he encourages the others to follow.
"Once were done searching here let's check out the closed door to the east, which we passed before."
Once Chark is satisfied that they've searched the dino room and the collapsed cavern, she'll agree with Den and they'll move that way.
That door is locked and reinforced with iron bars...
Chark frowns slightly. This is keeping something in, not keeping something out, she observes.
She raises her voice just a bit. Ulthadar, what know you of this chamber?
"It'll fall into one of two categories then," Dendillion says with a heavy sigh. "Extremely dangerous, or extremely benevolent. Nobody locks up anything in between."
"Maybe a threat to them is a friend to us?" Charlie wonders aloud.
Tiny shakes his head "Wishful thinking, I'm sure it's some horrible monster that'll try and kill us again."
"Sadly, I think you're right Tiny.""
"I've hardly ever met something benevolent that was a fun hang."
"I've hardly ever met something benevolent that was a fun hang."
We'll not find out standing here, she says, shaking her head at Ulthadar's silence. Please see if you can get through that security, Haldan.
Haldan gets to work on the lock, asking for Herman's help and casting Guidance.
Haldan fails to make progress on the lock, but he feels it's within his reach with a little bit of luck. Before adjusting his approach though, Ulthadar materializes, "be careful painted one. Priests after my time installed the doors and locks to protect something dangerous. I don’t know what it is, but I assume it’s locked away for a good reason."
He vanishes before there's even a chance to ask questions.
Hearing the ominous message from the old priest only spurs on Haldan more.
"I don't know if it's within my skills to do this, and not sure what everyone's feelings are on this, but I'll keep trying if nobody stops me."
It takes a bit, but Haldan gets it open.
Opalescent stones inlaid into the floor of this chamber form a spiral pattern reminiscent of a nautilus’s shell. A clay statue stands at the spiral’s center, its hands palm up and bearing a tin chalice with a rim of silver, gold, and ebony.
Detect Magic on and start looking around the room. Will suggest someone looks for traps as well.
Tiny keeps his shield up as he slowly heads in.
Charlie heads in looking around for small signs of snares and traps inlaid along the floor and walls.
The chalice is definitely magical. Nothing happens when Tiny steps in though.
Chark studies the spiral pattern on the floor, curious as to why a symbol of Pharasma is here in a former shrine to Aroden.
While it resembles the spiral of Pharasma, Chark concludes that the pattern is actually a magical way of keeping a golem from going berserk...
Tiny asks "These things have to be programmed, right? As long as we don't do what triggers it, it won't smoosh us, right?"
"And I'm willing to bet whatever programming it has relates to that chalice. It must be important if it's got such a potent guardian."
Oh it very much does.
"Maybe we should lasso it and run?" Suggests Tiny.
Chark shakes her head. This relic of Aroden should remain here with its guardian, she says. I know it is magical and probably valuable, but it belongs here in this shrine.
"My curiousity is piqued, but I will abide by your wishes, Chark."
Looking to the group he says, "We're done here? I think we have some news for those in power here. News about our competition..."
Leaving the chalice, the party turns around. Ulthadar materializes before you as you leave.
The ghostly priest bows his head and says, “You have driven the heretics from my home before they could corrupt the heart of our temple. For that, you have my thanks. You have proven yourselves dependable allies to my order. If you wish to peer into the moonstone pools properly, I will not stop you.” He removes the delicate circlet from his brow, which appears more solid than his translucent body. “This moonstone diadem can grant you sight into the pools here. I can teach you to unlock its power, but the truth carries a heavy weight. Who of you will take it?”
Chark, already accustomed to carrying the burden of the truth, volunteers to take the diadem, but will not interfere if someone else wants it.
Charlie watches nervously as Chark takes the diadem and places it on her brow. He is curious what she will see. "Is it the past? Future?"
"There is no need to wonder. It sees the past and if Chark holds hands, you can share in the vision. It will show all that has happened in its presence. Come. Let us return to the room of the Pool"
Tiny shrugs "Way better than getting smushed by a golem."
Charlie holds his hands out to help share the load and levity of the vision they are destined to share.
Dendillion takes up hands with the others. "Finally, something interesting and nonviolent."
There are three swirling memories that you feel drawn towards. One is tied closely to Ulthadar, one to recent events, and one to the ancient past. Which do you foccus on?
A vision materializes in the water. Mistress Dusklight was surprised to find xulgaths residing just beneath the city’s streets. She promised to help them unlock the temple’s secrets in exchange for her freedom to come and go. When the xulgaths demanded more, the ringmaster offered her own disloyal or unsuspecting circus hands as sacrifices for the xulgaths’ bloody rites. Meanwhile, she’s stealing everything of value from beneath the xulgaths’ snouts...
A vision materializes in the water. In life, Ulthadar was a cleric of Aroden and one of the founding priests of Moonstone Hall. Ulthadar was a young adult when the temple’s foundations were laid, and he remained active in the temple’s hierarchy until his death, dedicating his life to serving his deity through administration, prayer, and scholarship. Though he served as the temple’s first high priest for 20 years before his death, Ulthadar never excelled at ministering to the public. Like many who once dwelled within Moonstone Hall, he was an ascetic who preferred meditation and study to preaching and proselytizing. As high priest, he grudgingly spent time away from his true calling to give weekly sermons, but he was never a charismatic figure among his order. In fact, those who knew him considered him peevish at best; yet they suffered his abrasive personality for his deep well of religious knowledge and his talents for administering the many functions Moonstone Hall provided to the city of Escadar. Ulthadar left Moonstone Hall as rarely as possible, seeing in its gleaming walls and stately fixtures the truest connection to his god. When Ulthadar passed away in his sleep, his attachment to Moonstone Hall tethered his soul to it.
Ripples appear on the pool’s placid surface, then a vision swims clearly into view. The god Aroden stands atop a lofty peak. Across the islands below him, five towers crowned with five gleaming orbs rise into the dawn sky. Aroden’s hands have touched each aeon orb, and the reflection from each orb sparkles upon him. He lifts a longsword and gemstone cut into a five‑pointed star and begins to chant in a powerful, ancient language. His words evoke images of green growth, clear flowing waters, and radiant sunlight. As he completes his ritual, the aeon orbs flare and brilliant lines of golden light link each tower, crossing the miles between the structures and flowing toward the mountain where Aroden stands.
The sun rises and sinks overhead, first slowly, then repeating the pattern at dizzying speeds. The land flourishes, and humans walk its surface. Above them, the five orbs orbit their towers like jewels in glistening crowns.
Suddenly, the throne atop the peak is empty: mighty Aroden has died. The orbs lose their links to one another and begin to fade. Desolation creeps across the land as the bounty provided by the aeon orbs fades. Then, faintly, a new figure arises, the figure’s indistinct features overlaid with five separate, gleaming reflections. This new figure reaches out, light emerging from outstretched fingers to bolster the failing orbs.
Tiny holds hands.
Dendillion tries to understand...
Charlies eyes glaze over as the strange visions sweep across his mind. "Oh no..."
Suddenly something clicks... The last reflection had no face, but you think this new face is related to the last vision.
Suddenly the vision fast forwards again to a living Ulthadar. He turns from what he is doing in life to look directly at you “Aroden is gone! The aeon orbs fail! Who can save us?” He rushes forward, as if directly in front of you. “You! You possess his touch, his reflection, but how can this be? You must gain a reflection from each of his five aeon orbs. As Aroden poured his essence into them, so must you gain the reflections of these essences. Then you can reignite their power from his high throne in the Kortos Mountains.”
The vision ends.... his ghost no longer appears either.
Chark opens her eyes. It is no surprise to learn who is behind the xulgath incursion. Yet the aeon orbs serve a higher purpose, and should be our guiding star in this journey. She pauses for a heartbeat, then: We will need to prepare.
Charlie looks worried. "But where a..a..are the rest of them? And what ab..ab..about Dusklight, she is behind this..."
Dendillion can't help thinking of the troupe, and how this little adventure is pulling them away from their life as performers. "Mistress Dusklight, it seems has moves on from the performing arts. She's pursuing some other nefarious purpose. And it seems like the aeon orbs are part of whatever she's after. So if we want to stop her we must get ahead of her."
He then looks directly at Chark. "I know that your faith guides you. That's great. But the gods have largely let me be. Pursuing some calling from a dead priest of a dead god is not something I ever expected to do. I won't do this for Aroden. But you are one of us, so... I will do this for you."
” Anything that’ll piss off Dusklight sounds like fun to me, I’m in. Powers of a god will just be a divine cherry on top of that sundae of revenge.”
Haldan pauses for a moment.
”Charlie’s right though, how do we find the other orbs? I would have thought one of them would have been here but, so far, nothing right? We didn’t pick up godly powers and I missed it?”
Haldan stops to wave his hands about.
”Maybe Dusklight has some notes on the orbs or really anything of interest that we could read about. Maybe invading her private sanctum while she’s distracted would be a fun fact finding mission?”
I don't do it for Aroden, either, Chark says with a smile. It seems...I don't know, imprudent? ...to do anything on behalf of a long-dead god.
She continues. But these aeon orbs are — or at least, were — warding magic, and their fading magic threatens Absalom and the Isle of Kortos. That's significant, no?