The party heads down the western passageway, that eventually turns north for a long stretch. About half-way down the stretch is another hallway to the west that ends in a bronze door. Further down, the north-leading ends in a "T" that goes east and west.
"Do we want to try what's behind this door first, before checking the other directions?" Baheera asks, looking at the bronze portal.
Adonius grips his shield and staff and shrugs. "I've no strong opinion, m'lady."
”Let’s check out the door,” suggests Cayde, trying to keep a map of their travels in his head.
"Aye, best not to leave potential enemies at our back...again." Tekumbray says with a nod as he walks up to the door. He spends several seconds scrutinizing the big bronze barrier for any sign of traps or other trouble. But his mind isn't really on the task as he continues to envision the possible profits rolling in if he really could get in on the ground floor of a renewing and rebuilding city located on such a busy trade route.
Tekumbray distractedly checks the door and finds nothing untoward about the barrier and opens it to reveal a room containing three bunk beds. Lying on them are three Cynidecians wearing bright yellow robes. They wear masks of a boar, a tiger, and a wolf.
When the door opens the three begin to sit up.
Cayde pauses and bows slightly, saying to the three who rise, "I am Cayde. Who might you be?"
Adonius looks into the from behind Cayde and waves at the animal masks. ”Watcha’ waiting for?” He asks with genuine interest.
Tekumbray takes in the lounging residents and can't help but smirk. "A boar, a tiger, and a wolf." He says quietly with a short snort. "Either we've walked into the manifestation of some ancient lost city joke or discovered a Cynidecian druid's circle." Having not seen a tree, shrub, or even a patch of weeds or moss in the desert buried city, the gnome almost feels sorry for these potential nature wizards. However, he saves any real pity or concern until he knows whether they plan to try and gut him like a spring salmon or not.
"Waiting out the day to return to the city while the majority of the Zargonites sleep." the one in the tiger mask responds.
"Who are you?" the one wearing the boar mask asks.
Baheera studies the stranged robed and masked figures in silence. Were masks the norm in this entire region?
"We are working with those from the upper level who would bring down the Zargonites and retake your city." Tekumbray says. "It sounds like even though the city has been buried, the Zargonites still follow a day and night cycle? How soon until 'day' arrives?"
"It's not just the Zargonites." the one wearing the wolf mask states. "Day and night are really more terms of time passing than anything."
"You're welcome to stay if you like, but we're not going anywhere for a few more hours." the one wearing the boar mask says.
"Many thanks for your kind offer, but we've got to get about freeing your city from the evil Zargonite cultists." Tekumbray says, adding a flourishing twirl of his hand at the end. The attempt at heroic flair was just a bit too Rupert for the gnome. Tek's eyes glance about for the usually talkative and annoying paladin's ghost only to find him standing casually in the corner sporting a wry smirk.
"Anyway, I think it best we be on our way." The gnome mutters turning and heading back out the door. Could the ghost be able to directly affect his mind? He wondered, trying not to panic at the thought.
"Suit yourselves." the wolf-masked one says.
”Could you give us a map of this level? We would be quite appreciative,” entreats Cayde.
"Sorry don't have one. Is there someplace in particular you are trying to get to?"
”We are looking for the exit to the city, but we would also be interested in the general layout of this level,” responds Cayde.
Turning back around, Tek ponders the local's question. After a few seconds looks up at the wolf-masked person.
"Do you happen to know where the Zargonites like to congregate? Is there a temple or other area where their leaders might reside?"
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"Leave out of here and take a left and then a right. You'll go into a big room, gods only knows what is in there this time of day, make another left into another big room that will lead you to the exit of the pyramid and into the city proper." the boar masked Cynidecian says.
”Thanks for the information, citizens. Have an ale or three on me when you get back to the city,” he says, flipping each one of them a gold coin.
"Well that sounds promising." Baheera comments, ready to move forward.
Noting the directions, Tekumbray waves in thanks and then leaves going toward the T intersection. Quickly glancing in each direction he checks to see if anyone else is about before turning right.
Tek leads the way as the party heads off in the direction provided by the three yellow clad Cynidiceans, glancing to the left and right, Tek does not see anything unusual before continuing to the right, down a hall that ends in an ornate silvered door.
Giving a listen at the door, you do not hear anything beyond, and after a brief inspection you open the door to reveal, a large room that is or was obviously a place of worship. On each side of a broad center aisle are rows of high backed wooden benches. Narrow aisles along the walls run past ornate mosaics to two small fountains set into the walls. Just past the fountains, a large dais fills the southern end of the room. On the dais, near the stone altar, lies three toppled statues that would seem to be similar to the statues you have seen in quarters of each of the three factions above. A man and a woman stand near the toppled statues talking softly to each other. They wear brightly colored clothes and delicate bronze fox masks. Both have red hair and seem to be of a similar build and have similar mannerisms.
There is another silvered door on the wall opposite you and two more at the corners of the southern dais. A wide hallway leads north from the room into another large chamber.
Seeing that these folk are wearing masks similar to those worn by the people they just left, Tekumbray gambles on the assumption that they might be friendly.
"Greeting citizens." He says with a friendly wave. "Might you spare a moment for weary strangers to ask a few questions?"
Adonius follows along and lets Tekumbray lead.
The two fox masked individuals turn toward you and regard you curiously.
"I suppose that would be fine." the male of the pair says. "Care to trade?" he asks holding up an ornate helm that had previously tucked under his right arm.
Tekumbray looks over the helm, but eventually shakes his head and offers a shrug of his shoulders.
"Helms really aren't my style." He says with a smile. "Tend to block my vision. Even if I can find one that fits and doesn't feeling like I'm wearing a big old monkey on my head." He leans in and stage whispers across his hand. "Plus, I think it is just much safer to not get hit in the head in the first place."
Stepping back, he waves his hand toward the two bigger warriors. "But perhaps one of my friends would be interested."
Looking around at the fallen statues he tilts his head in their direction. "So the two of us..." A gesture toward Baheera. "Just arrived here in your fine city having discovered it in the middle of the desert. After meeting a few of your fellow citizens from the brotherhood and sisterhood we delved a bit deeper to see what other interesting folk we could meet. Most importantly, is there anything you could tell us about this Zargon and his followers?"
”I have no helmet to trade, but I do have a spare hunting trap,” offers Cayde.
Baheera simply smiles, having neither a familiarity with or use for armor.
The male of the pair shrugs. "I have no need for the trap."
The female addresses the other question, "The Zargonites? Very dangerous and zealous. You'd do well to stay clear of them."
Confusion starts to blossom across Tek's features as he realizes there seem to be even more factions or other citizenry within this lost city than just the four he had already encountered. Rubbing the stubble on his chin he looks at the two fox-masked folk.
"Hrmmm...yes, I'm sure we would. Can you tell me what your fox masks represent? They don't seem to match those of the warrior sister or magi or the other group that we encountered."
"Do the Zargonites still rule the city? Do you wish to be free of them?"
Who were they actually fighting for, he wondered to himself. Had those above led them astray? He'd expected a city full of evil cultists and hobgoblins and yet he was discovering what seemed to be average folk just going about their business and eeking out lives in this ruined place. It was getting messy and messy never leads anywhere good as far as the gnome was concerned.
"The fox masks?" the female asks in confirmation. "Animal masks have long been the custom of Cynideacia, only those in the service of the gods wear non-animal masks."
The male confirms, "Indeed, the Cult of Zargon rules the city...as much as anyone can. Life would certainly be easier if the Zargonites were to be eliminated."
Beginning to understand a little, Tek nods his head and looks at the fallen statues. "Can you tell me what this place is...or was?" He asks. "We were told the Zargonites often meet here or nearby. As you say, it might be better to avoid them, but being new to the city its hard to know how to do that." He shrugs his shoulders taking on the usual and expected roll of the lost out-of-towner.
Unless the citizens seem willing to offer additional assistance or information, he'll wave a pleasant good day and move along to the next chamber.
"I do not know for certain." the female says. "Zargon has been here longer than my memory, but based on the state of these statues," she says gesturing to the toppled figures, "I would guess that this was a temple dedicated to the Triad."
With the conversation dwindling, the party turns north and moves into the next chamber.
The high arched ceiling of this room is supported by a double row of pillars. Each pillar is carved into a statue of a king or queen of Cynideacia. A series of mosaic pictures decorate the walls of the room, seemingly telling a story starting in the northeast corner of the room and continuing clockwise around the chamber. In the center of the north wall is a pair of huge stone doors. At the base of the double doors, the floor is partially covered with sand.
”Do we have time to read the story?,” asks Cayde, wishing to read the mosaic in order. He starts drifting to the northeast corner of the room where the first mosaic is.
In the mosaic room, Adonius calls everyone over to whisper, "Something seems off about the yellow robed trio who were waiting out the Zargonites. Likewise, something is not quite right about the fox masked duo too. Something about the speach pattern doesn't fit. Most of the citizens of the city below are in a drug induced haze, but these seemed too lucid, too helpful."
"What do you think?"
"So you believe that they're lying?"
"I don't know. Maybe they're Zargonites keeping watch. I just don't know other than the bad feeling that I've got."
”Perhaps they are Zargonite sentries, here to detect new entrants to the city. The masks do provide a convenient ways to hide one’s identity,” says Cayde.
As he starts perusing the mosaics, Cayde tries to remember the Zargonites he fought, if there were any defining characteristics he could recall that would allow him to identify their kind.
Tek freezes in place when his companion mentions his suspicions and his feeling of danger. "One should never discount those little warnings. Sometimes our body and spirit pick up hints or signs that the mind is all too unaware of." He says with a quiet nod at Adonius. "If these be foes, better to deal with them now with the odds in our favor rather than later when Lady Fate may have played us for fools."
He slyly taps the hilt of his sword to signal his companions to be ready. He then spins on his heel and steps back toward the chamber where the fox-masked duo were loitering.
"Greetings again friends." He says waving a hand. "But it seems that I forgot to mention that we are here to put a end to that puss-filled, pile of horse offal called Zargon and all of his inbred, ugly followers. Much as we did with that useless bag of flesh, Darius. So if you'd be kind enough to direct us to whatever filth encrusted hovel those dimwitted cultists call a temple to their pathetic butt pimple of a god, I'd be most grateful."
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Nothing comes to Cayde's mind as it pertains to the Cynidiceans in yellow nor the fox masked pair in the other room, although that could be to his perusal of mosaics in the current chamber
Mosaic 1: A tribe of squat, heavy-browed humans weilding crude stone weapons worship a lizard headed god.
Mosaic 2: A band of tall, black-haired humans battle the humanoids and take over their hunting ground.
Mosaic 3: A village rises over the scene of the battle. In the arid lands around the village are fields of grain and vast herds of cattle and sheep.
Mosaic 4: A great leader arises in time of need and gathers the villagers into an army that destroys the an enemy army of snake-headed humanoids.
Mosaic 5: The victorius leader is crowned king, thus founding the line of the rulers of Cynidecia.
Tek, approaches the fox-masked pair again, and with nothing resembling kind words for Zargon nor his followers tries to goad the pair into revealing themselves as Zargonites, if they are.
The two look at each other (quizzically? it's hard to tell from behind the masks) before asking, "Who's Darius?"
Cayde listens to the conversation, but is not alarmed by it. He keeps looking the mosaics and using them to jog his memory of their shared history.
"Who's Darius?!" Tek growls, not buying the whole innocent act for a second. These two were just more determined to keep their cover than the usual fanatical evil cultists.
Uhhhh....Tekumbray, are you sure about your actions? They seem like little more than citizens struggling to survive to me." Rupert says into the gnome's ear, his own ghostly gaze peering at the mask wearing bystanders.
Turning to the ghost only he can see, the gnome scowls and waves a hand dismissively. "Bah! Of course you'd think they're innocent. Never attack first. Never sneak up and strike unaware. Trust your fellow until they give you reason not too. Pffft!" He turns back to the two citizens. "That's why he's a ghost and I'm still standing here in the flesh. I don't trust. I don't have a problem sticking a knife in a back. And I sure as all the devil's in the Abyss don't believe that you two don't know the Zargonite priest who owned the gambling hall not so very far from here."
The ghost sighs and crosses his arms. Bloody fool of a gnome. He mutters wondering exactly what transgression had stuck him here with such a lowly, daft companion.
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The two fox-masked individuals take a step back from the seemingly mad gnome.
Looking to the others, the female asks, "Who is your friend talking to?"
Mosaic 6: The stone city of Cynidecia is built on the site on which the village once stood.
Mosaic 7: Scenes of the splendor of the kingdom at its height.
Mosaic 8: The births of King Alexander and Queen Zenobia.
Mosaic 9: The great pyramid is built.
Mosaic 10: Slave digging under the pyramid uncover the foundations of a prehistoric temple.