Chimwemwe gestures toward Akoril and then the cloak.
”Mmm. Maybe we may find keys or means to pass these doors if we continue to search down the stairs on the opposite side of the first,” he suggests.
"Sounds like a good idea."
You head down the stairs to the lower level, This area of the temple seems less finished, rough stone appears in places on the walls, and the sun-keyed and moon-keyed double door frame ahead is unfinished.
Akoril wonders outloud "Why do you think it's less finished down here? Built later and didn't finish or saw less use and so was a lower priority, or just harder to work down here?"
Kiri holds up a paw, then gestures forward. "Voices ahead." They pad forward, as quietly as a possible to get a better listen to the voices.
Kiri pads forward, they see a dining hall laid lout with ghostly foodstuff — the spirits of the temple's faithful are gathered around a table, ready to relive a moment in time when they gathered over a communal meal of cooked vegetables. Most of them look like peasants or normal working folk, albeit marked with religious symbology.
Half of the spirits feature tattoos that glimmer with silvery moonlight, casting a silvery pall upon the ectoplasmic repast. The other half have markings that glow with the light of the sun, flickering like flames across the ancient stone benches.
A sun-marked priest intones a blessing over the meal: "Soon, the sun will eclipse. This moment will be the dawn of the Daughter of Chohar, and the eclipse of the Council of Mwanyisa.
A moon-marked priestess continues: Peace and blessings be upon us. We gather for Her bounty, and pray for her Strength, exalting in Dajermube's upcoming moment of apotheosis.
Together the two finish the incantation: "The sun and the moon do not eclipse for death or life. They they are two signs amongst the signs of Her apotheosis. A darkness in which meditate, to gather power… and the blinding flames that burn the wicked. In this very hour, She ascends to free the people of Mzali-Jimbuani from Tyranny of the Council. A new ——"
It's suddenly dead quiet. Then, in the temple above someone screams… the echoes of a terrible slaughter from the past ring through the old temple: iron footsteps pounding down the stairs, a mad councilman laughing as temple goers scream in fear and pain. Clashing weapons. BOOM! BOOM! The feet of the iron golems step closer… down the stairs…
The ghosts look up in fear, seeing Kiri… unable to distinguish their eternal past from a present they do not undersatand.
My friends, weeps the sun-lit priest. The council's found us. They're here. He points at Kiri.
We may delay them long enough, even with our bare hands… our bodies… says the silver-glowing priestess. She stands and stares balefully at Kiri.
Be brave, for Dajermube, they say together as dozens of spirits rise up and rush forward.
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
──────────
➤ Kiri
➤ Chimwemwe
Ghost Troop (sun)
Ghost Troop (moon)
Wisps
Akoril
Kiri casts a spell and vanishes from sight, then retreats back to their friends, hoping that removing themself from sight will help to calm the spirits.
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Kiri blinks out of view, almost stumbling on a serving tray loaded with dishes, but then remembering it's incorporeal. They glide smoothly though it.
The sound of slaughter above fades as the ghosts relive a more pleasant memory, now that they feel safe from an intruder who is not of their flock.
The priest intones… "Soon, the sun will eclipse. This moment will be the dawn of the Daughter of Chohar…"
Kiri reports what they have seen. The ghosts are incorporeal creatures who linger here.
While you are unable to identify exactly what kind of creatures these are, they exhibit traits similar to like troops of incorporeal spirits.
Perhaps there is a way to calm them, or to slip through among as one of them, without fighting them. They seem to have forgotten Kiri was even there, and are enjoying their feast at the moment, reliving a far more pleasant communal memory than their brutal slaughter at the hands of the Old Council.
Akoril smiles and notes "Nicely done. maybe we can find costumes are something else to pass by elsewhere."
"Perhaps if we greet them in tradition--Blessings of the sun's daughter--and do so well before the traumatic event begins?" Chimwemwe suggests.
Akoril shrugs, "I was thinking more of matching dinner jackets, but your idea makes more sense, unless I can just sneak by invisibly, I may need some help with a disguise though. "
Kiri nods, then realizes their still invisible and whispers an agreement with Akoril. When everyone is ready to go, they pad silently behind the party, ready to leap into action if needed but otherwise hoping to follow them through unseen.
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Chimwemwe thinks on what he has learned this past day and over his Magaambya curriculum. Then he concentrates. An ephemeral blue light begins tracing a medallion in close approximation to the holy symbol of Dajermube. The madelion blinks into existence once the outlines are complete.
Wisps uses her spirit sense to observe them and see if she can pick up any gestures or movements that seem to be important.
You move through carefully, Wisps makes the wrong gestures but Chim's medallion distracts the ghosts enough for you to pass on. The ghosts pray and eat, anxiously whispering about Dajermube and hoping they stay hidden long enough that the Council won't find them — they whisper rumors that the Council is here in the area…
To the right are broken sun- and moon-keyed doors, to your left are locked sun- and moon-keyed doors, and head is a hallway.
Chimwemwe points toward the broken doors while keeping an eye on the ghosts.
You move through the broken doors.
This large room contains several rotted bed frames and footlockers. The room is in disarray, with many of the bed frames turned over and footlockers strewn about. The walls feature an elaborate engraved night sky motif.
You find two greater potions of fire resistance, goggles of night, and old Mzali coins worth about 2000 gp.
On the floor is an elegant hooded lantern is made from onyx-black metal. Flecks of white metal speckled within the lantern’s housing resemble stars in a night sky. There is enough oil left in the lantern for a few hours.
Activate [one-action] envision; Effect You concentrate on the lantern’s light and reduce or increase its radius. The light can have a minimum radius of 5 feet and a maximum radius equal to triple the light’s standard radius.
Activate [two-actions] envision, Interact; Frequency once per day; Effect You raise the lantern and unleash a beam of powerful moonlight, targeting a darkness effect within 60 feet. The lantern attempts to counteract the effect with a counteract modifier of +21.
Akoril examines the lantern carefully.
"A greater twilight lantern. It's moonlight is adjustable and it can dispel various kids of darkness."
That should open a few doors for us."
The ghosts pass friendly greetings to you when they see you with the lantern. You can pass through the ancient dining hall without further trouble.
Akoril says "Lets cross over to the celestial doors to the north."
You open the door; blinding light dazzles you and voices scream in your minds: LET US OUT SO LONG TRAPPED SO LONG THE GHOSTS WON'T LET US OUT NO MORE THINGS TO LEARN HERE HUNGRY FOR LEARNING SO HUNGRY TRAPPED SO LONG CAN THEY TEACH US WHATS UNDER THEIR SKIN AND SKULLS THESE ARE NO GHOSTS CAN THEY BE HURT RIPPED APART BURNT WE CAN LEARN WE CAN MAKE THEM LET US OUT LET US OUT LET US OUT LET US OUT
You have a but beat in time before the mad creatures attack, unless you can somehow reason with them.
Wisps clasps her hands over her eyes.
Akoril blinks and keeps his eyes clear but doesn't understand the mad creatures.
"Wisps... can you try talking to them maybe?"
Kiri quickly irises the aperture over their strange eyes mostly closed, shielding themself from the worst of the glare.
"Shining children! But they normally seek much more esoteric things than anything on this plane. What are they doing here?"
"We will let you out! We will get you past the ghosts!"
Wisps keeps her hands over her eyes, but tries to plead with them.
Chimwemwe is beginning to wonder if his mask is working like he intended.
"We want no quarrel with you, but no one should be left trapped. If you give us your word you won't attack, we can help you."
LIES!
Your calls for rational action seem to only trigger the strange creatures more. They move to attack — to get out or die trying. Kiri yowls, frightening their nearest target.
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
──────────
➤ Wisps
Shining Child 3
Chimwemwe
Akoril
Shining child 2
Kiri
Shining child 1
"Please! We can help you another way!"
Wisps attempts to calm them magically.
Quietly, to her allies, "Be ready to fight if we must."
Wisps remembers that Calm Emotions will have little effect, and instead steps inside and casts 6th level slow, targeting all three enemies.
Shining child 3 is slow and frightened; it drops a burst of pure suinlight right onto itself — and you!
Success The creature takes half damage.
Failure The creature takes full damage.
Critical Failure The creature takes full damage and becomes blinded permanently. If the globe overlaps with an area of magical darkness, sunburst attempts to counteract the darkness effect.
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
──────────
Wisps
Shining Child 3
➤ Chimwemwe
➤ Akoril
Shining child 2
Kiri
Shining child 1
Akoril just barely dodges the worst of the fire. Akoril fires at the far back child of light, swirling the standard debris around his arrow.
Akoril does his best to retain his focus.
Chimwemwe raises his arm as burning light floods over them. The lines in his armor glow softly as they absorb what they can. He immediately traces the invisible tattoos that link his body to his armor, and light flares along them.
He moves past Curling-Wisps-of-Smoke to split the creatures' attention. He tries to knock the creature out with his shield.
+
Fire swirls but thus far you avoid the worst of the blast.
Akoril's arrow misses by a mere sliver of light. Chim strikes the creature but finds it's immune to fire.
The other creature, slow or perhaps lacking creativity, drops a sunburst upon itself too, thriving in the flames!
Flalmes whoosh, howl, and roil while the dining ghosts chatter happily away in the room behind. How bizarre.
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
──────────
Wisps
Shining Child 3
Chimwemwe
Akoril
Shining child 2
➤ Kiri
Shining child 1
Kiri dances through the flames, emerging unscathed and claws bared as they slash at the creature engaged with Chimwemwe.
Kiri dances, slashes… catching the creature along a main artery.
The slowed creature skitters back then punches at Kiri:
— feebly.
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
──────────
➤ Wisps
Shining Child 3
Chimwemwe
Akoril
Shining child 2
Kiri
Shining child 1
Significantly singed, Wisps heals herself. "Don't worry. We'll get them one way or another."
Wisps burns… then heals herself.
I. Must. ESCAPE. says the Shining creature… as it drops another Sunburst.
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
──────────
Wisps
Shining Child 3
➤ Chimwemwe
➤ Akoril
Shining child 2
Kiri
Shining child 1
Safely outside the room, and now inspired, Akoril continues the assault, this time casting true strike and targetting #2.
Chimwemwe raises his arms reflexively. He armor pulses and seethes as he pushes its limits on raw thermal absorption.
He chases after the bruised shining being and tries to subdue it.
The harried astral being steps through the aether, translocating to the other corner of the room!
It flings a fire ray at Wisps, but the flames flocker on the stone at her feet.
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
──────────
Wisps
Shining Child 3
Chimwemwe
Akoril
Shining child 2
➤ Kiri
Shining child 1
Kiri darts toward the creature, attempting to tumble beneath its floating feet and slash at it as they go.
Kiri slips by and slashes…
the other astral creature conjures up a wall of force. TRAP AND KILL.
Wall of force is immune to effects of its rank or lower that attempt to counteract it. The wall is automatically destroyed by a disintegrate spell of any rank.
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
──────────
➤ Wisps
Shining Child 3
Chimwemwe
Akoril
Shining child 2
Kiri
Shining child 1
Wisps heals herself again, while putting on a brave face for her allies.
Wisps heals herself to near full, safe behind the wall of force.
The slowed creature steps around and flings a bolt of fire at Kiri:
Kiri's shield saves them from being critically hit by the flames.
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
──────────
Wisps
Shining Child 3
➤ Chimwemwe
➤ Akoril
Shining child 2
Kiri
Shining child 1
Akoril closes the distance and casts Haste on Chimwemwe.