The tunnels continue on, leading deeper beneath the Kortos Mounts until they eventually open into a large cavern. What must have once been beautifully carved reliefs and inscriptions on the walls have since weathered heavily, their features dulled and softened to the point that it is hard to distinguish what each of them once depicted. A wide tunnel exits the cavern on its far side, and blue-burning torches line the passageway’s walls.
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The tunnels continue on, leading deeper beneath the Kortos Mounts until they eventually open into a large cavern. What must have once been beautifully carved reliefs and inscriptions on the walls have since weathered heavily, their features dulled and softened to the point that it is hard to distinguish what each of them once depicted. A wide tunnel exits the cavern on its far side, and blue-burning torches line the passageway’s walls.
Gaius will inspect and makes notes and, where possible, drawings/chalk rubbings, of the carvings. He also casts Detect Magic on the blue-burning torches.
"I wonder how old this place is?"
He also checks the surroundings for any sign of anything unusual.
It's easy to miss things once in a while...just gotta stay sharp...like my great uncle Grondur says..."An axe must always have an edge...for it never knows when it will be needed..." Dorgan says as he sees where the tracks lead.
You reckon this is one of those things Janira wanted us to write about? Pretty peculiar, don't ya think? He checks the carvings, having no idea what they might mean.
The group stops in the large cavern chamber to inspect the carvings and take notes. The walls are more damp in here and the sounds similar to a babbling brook echo in the distance from the tunnel to the east, the dripping of water more pronounced. Scanning the room with torches and darkvision, there doesn't appear to be any dangerous creatures skulking about.
The carvings here are different in style from the petroglyphs found earlier in the caves. Scattered throughout the cave are inscriptions from the History and Future of Humanity, (which Gaius knows from his religion and philosophy studies and is able to relate to the group), the principle holy text of Aroden, and images that depict these passages. The carvings focus on parables that feature Aroden’s 12 guises, meant to illustrate his hopes for humanity: the artist, beggar, craftsman, farmer, fisherman, hunter, merchant, scholar, shepherd, soldier, tailor, and thief. However, only four of these parables are still decipherable due to their eroded state.
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Gemtorian headed to the first figure. "Hum, that looks like a farmer, see it's plowing rows in a field. I remember in one of the training classes at the temple, them talking about Aroden’s prophecy that humankind would prepare the rocky earth for planting and over generations wear the pebbles down into fertile soil. However, most farmers I have spoken with say the main thing they grow are rocks, just look at the piles of them on the edges of their fields" he said.
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"Yes I recognize this 2nd image for it's part of Taldor's foundation. The Fisherman is depicted hauling in an enormous catch of small fish to take back to Absalom, illustrating Aroden’s declaration that a great host of creatures could accomplish a great task, whether that be taming the wilds or feeding a nation. And our Armies of Exploration certainly tamed the wilds of the Inner Sea region and extended Taldor's reach to the shores of the Arcadian Ocean."
Gemtoran and Gaius are able to decipher all of the carvings.
Gaius is also able to identify that the sections of the holy text depicted are slightly different than those that appear in the known version of the History and Future of Humanity, suggesting that these might represent an earlier version of the work.
Gaius also knows that if one were able to perform a ritual based on the actions in each carving's description, one could be gifted with a minor blessing. However, as the group looks around the chamber, there doesn't appear to be a shrine to Aroden in this chamber to perform the rituals...
Could there be some sort of shrine in the next chamber?
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Dorgan walks up and closely examines the carvings.
Hmmm...interesting... as he ponders the meaning.
Well, it's certain then....it's rock! he says deadpan. He lets out a roar of laughter after his pronouncement.
Let's go...
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Dorgan walks up and closely examines the carvings.
Hmmm...interesting... as he ponders the meaning.
Well, it's certain then....it's rock! he says deadpan. He lets out a roar of laughter after his pronouncement.
Let's go...
Gaius sighs at the dwarf's lack of intellectual curiosity.
"Yes Dorgan let's go find something that might be more to your liking like combat."Keeping an eye out, Gaius scans the area for anything amiss.
After mapping the cavern, making rubbings and notes of the carvings as well, the group continues on through the eastern tunnel. Several everburning torches held in sconces on the walls emit a soft blue glow in the short tunnel.
The soft light of the surrounding fungus mixes with the flickering glow of the nearby torches to reveal a grand chamber. A large pool of water along the chamber’s far eastern edge reflects the blue and green radiance to illuminate the massive stalactites that cling to the ceiling nearly 20 feet overhead. Two other tunnels branch off from this area, leading to the north and south.
Rising up from the pool is a column of rock with steeply sloped sides and a flat top, as if someone had sawn off the top of a massive stalagmite. A miniature city carved from this same stone occupies nearly the entire surface. Tiny trinkets such as ancient coins, polished semiprecious stones, and ornately braided loops of string are scattered throughout the diorama, and pale cave frogs clamber atop it. The smooth cavern floor is covered in gravel and pebbles along the edge of the pool, and several foot-long centipedes prowl among the gravel in their search for prey.
Kneeling in the water and facing the miniature stone city is a humanoid that appears human except for the gills on the sides of his neck. He mumbles and sings softly in prayer to himself, yet his tone fluctuates wildly as if completely tone deaf.
Gaius and Rahu slowly approach the humanoid, their forms casting flickering shadows on the man and the gurgling freshwater spring. The man quickly looks down at the shadows next to him on the water then turns to face the group, slightly startled. He doesn't respond to Gaius. He just eyes you warily up and down then gives an awkward smile and holds up a hand in greeting.
Dorgan hangs his axe over his shoulder, knowing this isn't a time to fight.
Dorgan's dwarven instincts causes him to eye the miniature city made of stone with great interest more than what seems to be going on around him.
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The gillman stares at you for another moment. He points at himself then speaks, but his pronunciation is strained and drawled.
"Ooo-ORR-eee."
He taps himself on the chest and strains to enunciate.
"I... Am... oOO-oRR-Eee."
He then points at his ears and shakes his head "no". Without a word, he then points at each of you and waits for an answer.
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"He's saying 'no' and pointing to his ears...perhaps he cannot hear us? He didn't respond to our words but rather our reflection in the water. I'll approach him and see if that's the issue; be ready in case it's a trap."
Gaius smiles and walks closer and attempts to mimic the gillman by pointing at him and slowly and exaggeratedly saying "Ooo-ORR-eee" and then pointing at himself and saying "Guh-I-us", making sure that his hands are clearly visible to the gillman.
Well that makes sense...hmm..think he can read the common tongue? we can jot down what we're saying...even if he can read, but not write...
Uori chuckles softly upon "hearing" Walks with Giant's name. He mouths and gestures in signs,
"You're pretty small for a giant. Ha ha ha!"
Uori bends down and gently pulls Halle's arm away from writing in the dirt and looks up at Gemtoran. Uori points at is lips, then taps a finger on Halle's lips. You understand that if you speak slow he can read your lips.
After introductions, Uori nods in satisfaction at each of you with a soft smile. He tells you in his way of gestures, hand signs, and sometimes-difficult-to-understand words as he motions at the miniature stone city that you are welcome here in the caverns and this sacred pool, but he wishes to continue his meditation and prayer.
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"Uori, our peoples know very little of your people. One of the few things we do know is that you sometimes refer to yourselves as 'Low Azlanti.' Why is that? Where I am from, the Grand Empire of Taldor, we are taught that our people are born from the Azlanti and the local humans who inhabited the area. So perhaps we share some long-distant relative? To whom are you praying? Aroden, the Last Azlanti?"
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Walks chuckles at the common misconception about his name. Folks from sensible tribes get their adult name based on the dreams they have on the initiation night. His name is one is pretty straight forward. Not one of the more odd ones and not plain like 'Sparrow Flying'. Far better than a name like 'Jack', no matter how plain though. Civilized folks typically have names that say nothing about themselves and don't even get a new name when they mature. Such a waste.
but who knows, the gillman might come from a tribe with more intelligence and imagination than most.
"I'll tell you how I got my name if you tell me about yours."
He counters with a smile.
Uori smiles at Gaius.
"We are called Low Azlanti because, we, the gillmen, and you, the humans, are descendents of the same ancient Azlanti people. You could say we are related, my friend."
He waves his arms in defense when asked about worshipping Aroden.
He tells you that the gillmen have known of these caves for generations, treating them as sacred pilgrimage sites because of the sacred freshwater spring that creates a pool near the caverns’ center. Gillman miracle workers, priests, and other spiritual leaders seeking enlightenment often make the overland trek here during the full moon and use the pool as a means of rehydrating before making the return trip to the sea. Each visitor carves a petroglyph into the innermost caves, though they avoid carving anything near the now nearly eroded reliefs that depict Aroden’s twelve guises. Though the gillmen care little for Aroden as a failed god of land-born humanity, they also cannot explain how the reliefs appeared or why they are gradually fading as if worn away by waves that never touch those walls.
Uori then turns to Walks With Giants.
"Uori means 'He Who Can Dive the Deepest and Gather the Most Pearls',"
he says while holding the string of pearls around his neck.
"When I was a small fry, I could dive deeper and stay underwater longer than any of the other small fry in my tribe. I won every pearl gathering contest at the Festival of the Waves each year before reaching adulthood."
He smiles proudly.
Although, he admits that diving incredibly deep for almost two dozen years has, unfortunately, caused him to go deaf.
"Water gets heavier the deeper one goes. It can be very harmful to the body in many ways."
Dorgan... the stout axeman says as he holds his hand to his chest,
That is a heavy price to pay for earning a living. I suppose it's not that much different from dwarves getting hurt during mining...which is often if they are brash and use untested gnome explosives... Dorgan says as he sits for a brief moment.
Gotta rest when you can get it...
And apologies for our intrusion in to your shrine...we had no idea. We will respect it and not touch anything.
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Uori smiles at Gaius.
"We are called Low Azlanti because, we, the gillmen, and you, the humans, are descendents of the same ancient Azlanti people. You could say we are related, my friend."He waves his arms in defense when asked about worshipping Aroden.
He tells you that the gillmen have known of these caves for generations, treating them as sacred pilgrimage sites because of the sacred freshwater spring that creates a pool near the caverns’ center. Gillman miracle workers, priests, and other spiritual leaders seeking enlightenment often make the overland trek here during the full moon and use the pool as a means of rehydrating before making the return trip to the sea. Each visitor carves a petroglyph into the innermost caves, though they avoid carving anything near the now nearly eroded reliefs that depict Aroden’s twelve guises. Though the gillmen care little for Aroden as a failed god of land-born humanity, they also cannot explain how the reliefs appeared or why they are gradually fading as if worn away by waves that never touch those walls.
Gaius removes his writing materials from his backpack and writes down the stories Uori tells the group.
"Fascinating. Do you know when and where your people first 'emerged' so to speak? How closely descended from the Azlanti are the gillmen? As far as the carvings depicting Aroden perhaps the reliefs appeared and disappeared for the same reasons: magic. And their fading could be emblematic of the 'failing' of Aroden's power and influence as the last of his clerics and worshippers pass. Each of you carves a petroglyph you say?"
Gaius pauses for a moment, thinks, then nods his head and speaks to Uori again:
"When we entered the cave system that led us here, we encountered a pit trap. At the bottom of the trap was this cloak (he'll gesture to whomever decided to wear it)...it looks much like yours so perhaps it belonged to one of your people? We did not find any remains; just the cloak. What's the significance or purpose of your carvings? And have you carved one yet?"
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When given a chance, Walk's explains his own name.
"When men from our tribe reach adulthood we undergo a vision quest to find our new name and, inevitably, something about ourselves. In a very vivid dream I saw myself as a small man among giants. The giants were folks of other civilized races and I had to dodge and weave to avoid being crushed. Without even noticing they were threatening to kill me. In my dream I tried desperately to make them notice to no avail until I pulled down the stars and made the light shine upon me. It was such a powerful, and it turns out appropo vision, that I was apprenticed as a Shaman, which is a sort of spirit guide and holy man. Later I was able to prevent our tribe from being destroyed by outside cultures using a little sweet talking, bribery, and ostentatious displays of magic. And here I am, trying to learn more about how these other cultures work so that my tribe may survive, for there will always be more giants."
Rahu pulls his pant legs up to his knees and wades knee deep into the cool spring water to get a better look at the miniature city. With his knowledge of engineering, he realizes that the diorama is an intricately detailed model of Absalom, easily identifiable by its Starstone
Cathedral.
Uori nods to Dorgan, acknowledging the apology and promise to be respectful in the caverns.
"Fascinating. Do you know when and where your people first 'emerged' so to speak? How closely descended from the Azlanti are the gillmen? As far as the carvings depicting Aroden..."
Not really knowing the answers, Uori relays what he does know.
"Thousands of years after their creation, a contingent of azarketis (the formal term for gillmen) visited the newly established democratic nation of Andoran. They presented the government with the keystone of the Arch of Aroden, which they had dragged there from the bottom of the Hespereth Strait, symbolizing their support for Andoran's commitment to freedom and equality."He also tells you,
"The town of Escadar (located on the Isle of Kortos and within the domain of Absalom) is the only terrestrial city with an embassy of the Low Azlanti. It can be found in the House of the Cresting Wave, locally known as Wet-House. The azarketis offer information on the sea, meet with officials from Absalom's Low Council, and train the hippocampi instructor for the city's Sea Cavalry. The azarketis are often seen worshipping at the Azlanti ruins at the town's center, or partaking in Escadar's many warrens of vice."
"When we entered the cave system that led us here, we encountered a pit trap. At the bottom of the trap was this cloak..."
Uori inspects the cloak and confirms it is gillman in make and style.
"One of the gillmen to come through here before me must have dropped it.""Yes. I made a carving. The stylized tortoise with wavy lines behind it. The tortoise is my favorite sea creature and is known to be a deep diver, just like me."
He smiles.
Uori "listens" with rapt attention to Walks With Giants as the Shaman tells his story.
"Fascinating!," he signs by throwing his arms up in the air, shaking his hands excitedly, and punctuating it with a loud clap of his hands.
"You and I are much alike."
He signs as he points at Walks.
He goes on to explain that he is an Oracle of the Waves.
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Gaius writes down the information provided by Uori as fast as he can, asking for him to repeat information when necessary.
"The tortoise, indeed appropriate given your ability to dive deep. Would you mind if I cast a spell to Detect Magic in this area? I'm curious if the spell might tell me more about the freshwater spring and how it came to be here."
Uori signs, gestures, and speaks slow enough that you don't find it difficult whatsoever to take notes.
He says it is fine if you cast detect magic, however, he tells you he already did when he first arrived as a precautionary measure. He didn't find any magical auras.
He tells you that the water bubbles up from deep underground, much like natural springs found in the wilderness. He also jokes that he wishes it was a hot spring for some nice spa treatments, but, this place would probably turn into a tourist trap, which wouldn't be good.
Those of you with religious training or blessed with divine power (Gaius, Rahu, & Walks) realize that the miniature city would be a perfect fit for an altar to perform the rituals. You also know how to perform the rituals and are able to instruct the others.
At the mention of performing the rituals to Uori, he moves aside and looks on with curiosity.
The Farmer: To complete the Farmer’s ritual, a PC must use a finger, a scabbard, or another object to form at least four furrows in the gravel near the pool.
Spoiler:Completing this ritual grants all of the PCs a +1 luck bonus on Fortitude saves against poison for the next 24 hours.The Fisherman: To complete the Fisherman’s ritual, a PC must snatch one of the blind cave fish that swim in the pool (requiring a successful unarmed attack roll against AC 15) and place it in the miniature city.
Spoiler:Completing this ritual grants each of the PCs a +2 insight bonus on a single combat maneuver check made over the next 24 hours.The Scholar: To complete the Scholar’s ritual, a PC must record a historical fact, axiom, or other piece of wisdom on a scrap of paper and place it in the miniature city.
Spoiler:Completing this ritual grants all of the PCs a +1 competence bonus on Knowledge checks made to identify the abilities and weaknesses of creatures for the next 24 hours.The Tailor: To complete the Tailor’s ritual, a PC must wrap one or more pieces of cloth around the miniature city. The circumference is approximately 10 feet, requiring two Medium cloaks, a particularly long scarf, or some other combination of garments.
Spoiler:Completing the ritual grants each of the PCs a +1 bonus on a single attack roll made against a flanked target within 24 hours.