Checking, the Aucturn pillar will not move at all. The other pillars can be moved, many of them easily others requiring quite a bit of work.
Looking at the groves, you think you can use the straight paths that radiate out from the center to change which circular track a pillar is in. It would basically allow you to make the pillar ‘switch orbit’.
The wind is coming from about 42 degrees off the northern track.
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*nods* That would be interesting ... then the wind will hit all the pillars with equal force. Speaking of force, any attempt to push a pillar should be applied near the base - less chance of it falling.
And well done deciphering the symbols. I was on a similar path but you beat me to it. Would you be so kind as to direct the team where to put them please - We may as well start with Aballon and work outwards.
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Mel trundles back over having realized her lack of language knowledge has made it impossible to identify the pillars on their own. "All right then, sounds like you two have about worked this out. I've readjusted the actuators on this armor. So this time it should work right... Most likely. Where should I go?"
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Dr. Dov stands back and tries to get a view of the big picture, attempting to provide guidance and oversight. He doesn't get too loud though - he doesn't want to be overbearing.
~~~
Aside, with Teddington, before arrival on this site: "Exceptional! Given we're on Akiton, which can get very cold, I believe I have something that can help you! Would you mind letting me tinker with your armor for a few minutes?"
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(prior to departing our mustering area)
Dr. Dov will take a good 10 minutes to clean and prepare certain key joints and junctions of Teddington's armor, then will put on a jeweler's loupe and extract some blue crystalline Siccatite from a titanium box labeled "Starmetal Application" he keeps in a breast-pocket, infusing the crystals into the armor with care.
"There, that should do it!"
The combined might of Mel and Teddington is enough to get the pillars moving.
As they are moving things about, Dr. Dov and Patrick monitor the pillars. As they are moved, they notice a melodious humming coming from the pillars. Once a pillar has been moved to the northeast quadrant, it begins to glow and float off the ground, strange glyphs flickering across its surface.
When the Damiar and Iovo pillars are being moved, Dr. Dov and Patrick notice a discordant hum coming from them. They do not glow nor do the glyphs appear. The same is true of the Eox and Triaxus pillars.
Since the pillars are much easier to move once in the northeastern quadrant, Mel and Teddington continue moving them and allow the others to worry about why those three pillars aren’t responding like the others.
Alistair realizes that the pillars making the discordant hum must not be in the right place. He also discovers that the pillars aren’t in the order he expected.
Mel and Teddington move things around so that Triaxus is in the long curve. At first no one notices the hum changing but now they glow and have the strange symbols on them. Rechecking them, Dr. Dov and Patrick agree that the hum is melodious. The rest of you can’t tell the difference.
It seems the pillars need some minor adjustment.
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Alistair closes his eyes and meditates. All things in the universe exert a gravitational pull on all other things, however small. He tries to connect the pillars before him to the celestial bodies they represent and feel the forces moving through them.
In a voice oddly resonant, he intones "Behold"
Purple swirls in the blue of his solar armor as Alistair channels cosmic gravity.
The pillars move very slightly as Alistair concentrates, and then align. Now all of you can hear the melodious humming.
The central metal disc slides open, revealing a spiral staircase leading down. A ghostly hologram of a four-armed figure with gray skin, pointed ears, and three eyes appears above the stairs and speaks in an unfamiliar language. Their gestures make it apparent that they are welcoming you to the chambers below.
Celita takes her team into a large tent emblazoned with the symbol of the Dataphiles. As the Starfinders follow her in, she takes a position next to a map of the ruins projected onto the wall. She surveys everyone for a moment before nodding in satisfaction.
“There's no point wasting time on preambles,” she says. “Our early surveys of these ruins identified an intact section of the structure at its eastern corner.” She taps a pointer to the map, where an area is highlighted in red. “Judging from pictures taken of its exterior, it appears it was once some sort of shrine. A structural analysis indicates there's likely a basement or passage below the main floor, but we need you all to verify that theory and to ensure it's safe to proceed.”
She pulls up an image on her datapad of a crumbling stone structure, displaying it in hologram form at the center of the tent. “This is the site. If you learn who or what this shrine was once dedicated to, let me know.”
She then provides you with directions to the shrine and warns you to be careful not to damage the site. She also reminds you to hit the commissary before heading out if you need equipment.
The shrine is a crumbling complex of stone buildings connected by corridors; at its center is a large domed chamber. The stone walls have worn away in spots, though not enough to be passable from the outside, and ice coats the exterior. Ceilings in the complex are fifteen feet high unless otherwise noted.
A double door leads into this stone-walled chamber, one of the few portions of the complex that appears intact. Three pillars, carved with geometric designs and weathered with age, stand on either side of the room. Rubble that may have once been additional wall carvings lays scattered across the floor, and two windows look out onto the ice fields. A door across from the entrance leads further in.
The side chambers of the building contain only rubble from collapsed portions of the ceiling and appear impassable.
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Mel gives a firm salute to Celita before falling into line with the rest of the group.
"Well what do you all say? Should we start heading further in? I'm no historian but I'm all raring to keep those of you who are safe." As she says that her armor makes a loud buzzing noise as the three massive mounted guns power up, and she slides her Doshakari into her right hand. With her left hand, she attempts to open the door before them.
As Mel is about to open the door in front of her, things suddenly get weird.
The weather-beaten walls flicker, reforming into elaborately carved stone arching up to the dome above. Outside the shrine's windows, the icy fields surrounding the building have been replaced by a sparkling lake, this building now sitting at the center of a small island. The lake's waves lap gently against the shore. Through the door walks a robed figure, its features covered. It passes through the chamber to the door across from the entrance.
Round 1:
Undetected Trap
Alistair
Teddington
Mel
Patrick
Persephone
Dr. Dov
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Between missions, Dr. Dov will examine everyone, but remark that the medicines he carries only work on severe injuries rather than bruises or cracked armor plates
---
GM: If this is a mind-affecting effect, and if you would allow me a reaction, I'd like to use Soothing Telepathy to grant all allies within range of telepathic communication (60ft) a +2 insight bonus vs. mind-affecting effects until end of my next turn.
(+2 insight vs. mind-affecting)
Dov glances around, hoping his senses aren't hibernating...
(Blindsense: Thought 60' - in case anyone except the party is lurking around)
As the environment changes, you all feel a reassuring presence helping you keep oriented.
Even with that, Mel and Alistair feel disoriented.
None of you is able to find the source of the effect nor identify exactly what is happening. You do think it would be mysticism to disable it if you could find the source.
Dr. Dov does not sense anyone else in this room.
Round 1:
Undetected Trap
Alistair -1 Will saves
Teddington
Mel 29 damage -1 Will saves
Patrick
Persephone still need Will save, +2 insight from Dr. Dov
Dr. Dov
Persephone is a little disoriented by the new vista, and looks around for the source of the weirdness.
No doubt the weirdness of the situation threw Persephone off.
The dome collapses and reforms a few times, like someone was randomly switching the play speed and direction of a vid stream. Walls crumbling upwards into good walls is disorienting.
Round 2:
Still Undetected Trap
Alistair -1 Will saves
Teddington
Mel 29 damage -1 Will saves
Patrick
Persephone -1 Will saves
Dr. Dov
Mel and Alistair start having bewildering visions where past, present and future get mixed together. Although both try to help search for the cause, only Alistair provides any useful help in searching.
Patrick suffers some disorientation. He does detect a magical aura covering the room.
Round 2:
Undetected Trap
Alistair -1 circumstance Will saves, –1 circumstance penalty to attack rolls and skill checks
Teddington
Mel 29 damage -1 circumstance Will saves, –1 circumstance penalty to attack rolls and skill checks
Patrick -1 Will saves
Persephone -1 Will saves +2 Aid to Perception
Dr. Dov
The continued exposure gets to Teddington, he is now feeling the disorientation that others have had.
Dr. Dov continues to fight off the effects of the room, but does not locate the source of it.
Round 2:
Undetected Trap
Alistair -1 circumstance Will saves, –1 circumstance penalty to attack rolls and skill checks
Teddington -1 circumstance Will saves
Mel 29 damage -1 circumstance Will saves, –1 circumstance penalty to attack rolls and skill checks
Patrick -1 Will saves
Persephone -1 Will saves +2 Aid to Perception
Dr. Dov
Persephone is distracted by the disorienting effects of the room.
Although Persephone is able to avoid becoming more disoriented, she is not able to locate the cause of the problem.
Round 3:
Undetected Trap
Alistair -1 circumstance Will saves, –1 circumstance penalty to attack rolls and skill checks
Teddington -1 circumstance Will saves
Mel 29 damage -1 circumstance Will saves, –1 circumstance penalty to attack rolls and skill checks
Patrick -1 Will saves
Persephone -1 Will saves
Dr. Dov
