Seltyn also tries to help figure out what the sphere is. Is it a globe of Golarion?
Getting closer to the globe, you study the layout of the map. While some part of it do seem to be the world you know, there are some also some large differences. You locate what look like Varisia, but for some reason it isn't located by the ocean. West of it, you also see a large continent. As far as you know, there is no such thing there. The inner sea also seem to be missing.
This must be very old, from a time before the fall of Aroden.
Anyone see what we came here for? If not lets keep moving. We can come back and study this more if we need to.
According to the map, this is the room where one can get the mark.
Seltyn casts Detect Magic and tries to find where the mark could be. If that does nothing, he will try to touch or manipulate the globe.
"This globe must display a different point in history," surmises Alika.
Both the globe and the rods supporting it are magical. Analysing the auras reveal that the rods have a moderate transmutation aura. The globe has a strong divination aura.
The three rods are immovable rods. The globe is a powerfull divination item that allows the user to see the world from space. By touching the globe and willing yourself inside of it, your consciousness is projected in orbit way above, allowing you to explore the world from this room. To get back out, one just have to will himself back into his body.
His curiosity piqued, Seltyn touches the globe and wills himself inside it. He wants to see what it has to show him.
Kyras watches with interest. He also eyes the immovable rods. Those would be handy. he thinks.
You feel yourself flying up at an extreme speed, passing through the ceiling as if it wasn't there. After thirty seconds, the sky gives way to the blackness of space. Turning around, you face Golarion in all its glory. As you are floating there, admiring the view, you start feeling dizzy. Your vision blurs has multiple versions of the planet appears in front of you. One of them is hit by a large asteroid and the atmosphere is filled with dust blocking the view of the surface. Another is hit by a silvery object that was flying at incredible speed. You see another exploding in small shards. There are countless others evolving or getting destroyed before your eyes. The visions are hitting you at faster and faster speed, overwhelming your senses.
Garran watched as Seltyn put his hand into the globe, still keeping an eye out for whatever had made a loud noise.
Garran keeps a eye out for trouble, but don't see any. As for Seltyn, he is just standing there with his hand on the globe. After about three minutes, he finally let go of the globe, sweat beading on his forhead.
The intelligence drain took its tool, and he can't describe what he just experienced.
Hurr durr... derp.
Well man, what happened? Did you find what we are looking for?
I'm not sure. It's as if the entire history of Golarion happened in a flash before my eyes, as if I were witnessing its history from out in space. It was too much to take in.
Seltyn examines himself. Is there a mark? Has he changed?
Allistair nods.
He follows Garran's lead and he keeps his eyes open as he looks around.
Looking at the palm of your left hand, you notice a seven pointed star there. You successfully got what you came here for, now it id just a question of getting back out.
The Thrallkeeper's mark! I'm not sure how long I was gone, here, but it felt like an eternity. I saw so much. It's hard to explain. Anyway, we need to get out of here alive and make our next move. That should occupy us plenty for the time being.
I have a way I might could get past that boulder that plugged the hall we passed on the way in here. Might be worth a quick scout. It's plugged for a reason a bet. I'd like to try anyway.
"Only a few minutes, Seltyn - any detrimental effects from doing so? Do you feel okay?"
I fear I've lost a little acuity. My magical power is a bit weakened. Perhaps it's just temporary, I don't know. We'll see. At least I'm breathing.
He turns to Kayras. Yes, let's see if we can get past it.
Alika seems a bit concerned at Seltyn's description. "Can you sit down over here for a moment so I can see if it's left behind any other marks or symptoms?"
Seltyn lets Alika look him over.
Alika checks his hands for tremors, then inspects Seltyn's eyes closely, watching the pupil response and movement tracking.
"I think the device overtaxed your mind," she says. "Like concentrating too hard on a difficult problem for a long time. Your mind is just... overstretched, like a muscle that's been strained from overuse."
She grips her holy symbol with one hand and places her other hand on Seltyn's forehead, then intones a low, almost chanting paean in the fashion of Sarenrae.
"Fortunately this is treatable."
Seltyn feels like his old self again, the confusion fogging his brain dissipating.
Thank you, Alika. You're a fine friend.
Even though this globe provided what we needed it seems to be a trap. Should we leave it as it is for others to blunder into or should we drop it to the floor? These rods it perches upon are valuable and could be handy for all sorts of things. If no one objects I think I will try to lower the globe to the ground?
Seltyn tries to make sense of this powerful artifact.
I have mixed feelings. I fear that touching the globe at all could be dangerous, but 3 immovable rods would be very useful, indeed.
I could use a wall of force to hold the globe up while we take the rods, but we'd need to get far away in case something happens when the globe inevitably falls. Maybe nothing would happen. Maybe it would open a portal to a plane we don't want to open.
Just be careful...we got here easily enough. No defenses that we have seen. No guards. no traps. Nothing protecting such a treasure is unheard of. There is more that we are no seeing here.
I think we should not press our luck and get the hell out of here. We have what we came for so let us be on our way.
"I think we should leave the globe be. If the Shoanti view this place as sacred, they may take a dim view of us defiling it like that."
Seltyn studies the artifact carefully. This level of magic hasn't been seen since the fall of the Thassilon empire. The power and method of fabrication long lost to history. Any magical academy and museum would pay a fortune for just the chance to study it.
This is a very powerful item. We could get a lot for it, but Garran is right. Some things should just be left alone. Let's move on. We still have a lot to do.
With the decision reached to leave the artifact there, you make your way back to the blocked tunnel. The impressive stone is still blocking the path.
Kyras drinks an extract of Invisibility before drinking his Alchemical Allocation and the drinking his potion of Gaseous Form. Just before it takes effect he spits it back into the potion bottle. He then tries to bypass the stone and see what is on the other side.
Kyras turns into vapor and fly between the stone and the wall. As you get to the other side you find a mess of a room. A jumble of five crushed humanoid skeletons lie in the southeast corner of this chamber. Stone niches in the southern wall contain a few pieces of clutter. Some ofthe walls also present sign of damage as if something very large slammed agaisnt them multiple times.
Kyras floats about examining the room closely. He first looks for threats and traps and then anything valuable.
Kyras finds no sign of traps or any dangers. Inspecting the object in the room, he finds a nice collection of cups, bowl, and silverware. They would probably fetch a nice price. There are also some scrolls, about six in total on one of the shelves. On the skeletons, Kyras notices a crystal locket depicting a two-headed dove, a pair of sapphire earrings, and a bejeweled holy symbol of Lissala. There is also very nice dagger, a bright orange cloak, and a scabbard in perfect condition.
Identifying no threats and seeing items of some worth Kyras will end the Gaseous Form effect (Standard Action) and gather what valuables he can find. He wonders about the damage to the walls and about what might have caused it. He will also try to find an opening mechanism on this side of the wall.
After collecting what he can find, unless he finds another way out, he repeats the process and recasts Gaseous Form before exiting and re-joining the party.
After a while, Kyras finding no other way out, uses his potions to get back to the other side with the group. He has his hands full of items and would probably need help before dropping any.
Seltyn will do appraise checks.
Alika rushes to help Kyras offload his full arms.
"Looks like you found something, at least," she says. "Now, what do we want to do about the stone blocking the way out? If we have to spend the night here we can do that and I can try to magically get a way out for us tomorrow."