The group returns to collect the three remaining magi, who accompany them to the fourth tier. When the group gets ready to leave the main path and head to their camp, Auriga bids his farewells.
"I think we can make it from here if we move quickly and quietly. Those gnolls do not seem to have penetrated this far yet. I... appreciate your help. I hope to get some reinforcements and reclaim the shrine, but the three of us cannot hold it alone."
"Good luck. I'll come looking this way for you if I return."
With that, Auriga and his two acolytes head deeper into the pyramid.
Will you stay here until we return or will you make for the city?"
Brathas is actually still invisible, BTW.
"Ah, no, not exactly. It's called a potion of trickery. It will enhance the training you already have. Someone without that training would get a basic understanding of the things that you have trained with."
"You are camping lower down in the pyramid, are you not? Perhaps we should wait and then travel with you as far as your camp. We can press on from there."
Ferrous Grimgond wrote:
Ferrous's eyes brighten when he sees the mace and hears it proclaimed as magical. Truly a weapon for a Dwarven Lord. Your gift is appreciated and I hope I may earn it quickly. Let's give chase to these dogs and cut them down.
"You are quite welcome. There are few in my order who train in its use."
"I'm afraid my magic is mostly spent. If you wish to pursue them, I could not be much help to you without some rest and the chance to renew my spells."
"But before you go, let me give you something. Even if you were not in time to save us, you did come to our aid when we called."
Auriga leads you back into the sanctuary. As his eyes view the destruction, he shakes his head grimly. "So... stupid. Such a waste. But look..." He goes over to the pools of blood on the floor. "Three more of my brothers died here... but their bodies are also gone."
After reflecting for a moment, he turns to the altar, and his hand goes to a small catch under the lip. A small panel opens, revealing a compartment inside. Within, there is a wand, a mace, and three vials.
"Here, take these. They may be of value to you. The wand allows you to detect magical enchantments, while the mace is enchanted to be more effective in battle. These two vials are simple holy water, but this," he indicates the third vial, and turns to Brathas, "should assist a magician of the hand and the coin, such as yourself." He winks.
"We may have lived, but it seems it was in vain. We cannot possibly hold this outpost with only three of us."
"I shall have to return to the city to report. Perhaps they will send me back with reinforcements. I do not know."
Auriga emerges from the room and surveys the carnage in the dormitory. HE shakes his head in disbelief. "All these lads dead... for what? Thrills for some savage beast-men? Perhaps they were truly demons."
"Wait... Anakos' body is missing. He fell over there, I saw it! What have they done with his corpse?"
The spot Auriga indicates has a pool of blood, and then a smear mark heading for the door.
the familiar mask of Auriga Sirkinos appears at the door.
"You came!" sighs Auriga. "As you said you would. But I'm afraid... it comes too late for many of us."
He opens the door and within you see a large bedchamber. Two other magi are within, while a third lies on the bed with a grievous wound, and looks ashen pale. There is also an odd-looking wolf with striped fur, which stands and growls softly at the party once they are visible. "Down, Ajax," says Auriga, and the wolf breaks off and curls up again at the foot of the bed.
"The sound of our gas trap woke us, and we chuckled when it went off, knowing that whatever thief tried to gain entry surely perished. But shortly thereafter it activated again, and whoever used it turned the lever the right way, and the wall pulled back to reveal the door to the sanctuary."
"We could hear them ransacking the place. I counseled caution, but my acolytes were enraged by the desecration of our chapel, so we attacked. At first a spell of sleep downed several of them, and we thought that we had the advantage, but among their number was some sort of witch doctor. He cast a spell of silence upon us, and our magic failed."
"Those creatures... they were like demons. With heads and fur like Ajax here. Their spears were deadly. Stronger than the Zargonites or the goblins. We fell back to my chambers here, and I used magic to seal the door. They pounded on it to be sure, but the magic held."
"Hmmm... are we a person short?" Auriga asks the others when they arrive. "Where's your lady friend?"
"Let me give you these rings," Auriga says. He presents Ferrous, Fistep, and Wallia with silver rings, marked with the face of Usamigaras.
"They mark you as friends of the Magi of Usamigaras. I suggest you wear them with the face inwards... not everyone who might see them is a friend of ours. But show them to any Magi you meet to indicate that you are an ally."
The silver rings, being only silver, are worth 2 gp each.
Brathas & Zynazyr: Do you wish to wear your masks of Usamigaras from now on? Do you plan to wear them when visiting the Madaruans?
Auriga's eyebrows go up when the tale is recounted.
"Truly? It was not I that sent you that dream; I did not know you existed at that point, and without your membership here I would not be able to touch your mind... perhaps it was Usamigaras himself? Who else would have the power to bring you from the distant past, the time before the world was destroyed, to the present day?"
"Indeed, I take it as a sign that you were meant to join us. What else could it mean?"
He smiles.
"Come, let us begin the initiation."
If you haven't yet, go ahead and read through the experiences of Brathas in the spoilers, and then roll 1d3 which is temporary HP that work like the ones you got when you first arrived.
As far as "discounts" on spell instruction, remember that Auriga also hopes that you will be providing "donations." So it ends up being a wash.
What would change if I became a member as opposed to just an ally?"
Good question! The main benefits of joining really require only one person in the party to join. Early versions of D&D assumed that you needed to train under a more experienced person of your class to advance in level and these guys could do that for you, but we are not using that in this game.
You would get more temporary HP though. I don't know how much you recall about your original dream sequence but some of it might seem connected to the trappings of the Magi.
Auriga shrugs.
"A sense of divine purpose?" he chuckles. "I don't intend to coerce anyone who does not wish to be one of our number. But there is magic I am capable of that allows me to communicate with other members, even at great distances."
"As a member you would be entitled to reside here or in the main temple of the city below, though if you did you would be expected to do the usual chores that are needed for running those places. But I suspect you would prefer to continue your explorations."
"Allow me to present you with this," he says as he pulls a silver mask from a bag. It resembles the others that the acolytes are wearing; it is a representation of Usamigaras wrought in silver.
"You needn't wear it at all times. Many of our order take them off when they must go 'incognito' within the city. But certainly if you are participating in ceremonies you should wear it, or at any time you wish to be known as one of us."
Sorry to take so long... I had to look a bunch of things up.
While Brathas (and Zynazyr if he wishes) remain with the magi, the others retrieve their other trussed-up captive from the hallway and head off to the Madaruans.
Brathas and Zynazyr (if he stays):
Auriga leads the new convert(s) toward the altar. A number of other acolytes gather around.
"As you may already recall," Auriga begins, "Usamigaras is an immortal dedicated to Magic, Medicine, and Commerce. Also... of Guile. Usamigaras believes in gaining what you wish through cleverness instead of force. Above all we value the virtues of Knowledge, Insight, Ingenuity, and Reason. Among the Immortals Usamigaras commonly serves as their messenger."
"Usamigaras' holy symbol is called a cadeuceus. Here you can see that it represents a pair of serpents entwined around a staff. The serpent represents hidden knowledge and magical healing. As you know, we are also astronomers, and the constellation of the Northern Serpent is the most sacred of all to us. We watch the skies for portents but the most important ones of all occur in that constellation. My title in the church is the Master Auspex and I supervise this sacred duty. The five-pointed star is also a symbol of ours, though not as sacred as the cadeuceus."
"In the city below we have a walled temple. There are about fifty members of our sect. If the Zargonites came upon us in all their strength and with their goblin allies, they might overcome us, but then they would be easy prey to the Gormish and the Madaruans. So there is a kind of guarded truce in place. Though we typically disguise ourselves when we venture out into the city. Our high priest is named Baltsaros, but you likely will not meet him for some time. In the meantime, you will report to me for any instruction."
Auriga goes on to explain some of the salient ideas behind Usamigaras-worship.
Overall, Usamigaras is largely similar to the Apollo of Greek Myth or Hermes in Roman Myth. Except he looks more cherub-like.
"Now," says Auriga after having finished his lecture. "If you are ready, place your right hand on the top of the altar, and repeat after me:"
"I, (your name), do hereby pledge to serve and obey the Great Usamigaras."
If you do (see above):
After you recite your oath, Auriga raises his holy symbol and says, "May Usamigaras bless you, and guide you, and accept you into his holy covenant."
You feel a cold tickling in the palm of your hand upon the altar. When you lift it, you see a silver five-pointed star is now etched onto your palm.
Now roll 1d3 - you get this many temporary HP - basically the same as the ones you gained when first entering the pyramid. They last until they absorb damage.
Auriga smiles as you examine the silvery marks on your palms.
"And from me, may I say... Welcome!"
Auriga takes you to the dormitory and introduces you to the various acolytes of the order. The dormitory is accessed by South hallway, but can only be accessed when the statue has not moved in position. When the statue slides back (as it did when you first arrived), it blocks the route.
"Hmmm... more creatures from your time, before the surface world was destroyed? That would explain why I haven't heard of them," Auriga thinks for a moment. "It is strange that two groups of time travellers would appear here at almost the same moment, you and these gnolls. Perhaps if some force brought you here to this time to do good, some other counter-force would have to bring something evil to balance things."
"Are gnolls vulnerable to magic? If so, we could defend ourselves from them in the same way that we defend ourselves from the goblins and the Zargonites, along with the Gormish and the Madaruans. And a wizard lock should keep them out, unless they try to smash the pyramid down."
Auriga rubs his chin.
"Are you certain that they were gnolls? The could have been humans wearing hyaena masks. That is much more plausible, don't you think?"
At Brathas' suggestion, Auriga thinks for a moment and takes Brathas aside.
Brathas:
"Is this what you truly wish? To become a member of our order? You would qualify... while most of our members are magicians and can cast spells, some of our members practice the magic of the light step and the swift hand, if you understand my meaning. Usamigaras is a patron of wealth and commerce, as well as magic."
"The duties of membership are not onerous, though every member must pledge an oath to honour and obey the Great Usamigaras. And the occasional offering or tithe would not go amiss. Otherwise, your current explorations seem to be bearing fruit, so I would see no reason to require you to remain with us. We would need to give you some instruction in our ways, but as an initiate you don't need to know all our lore. It would take, perhaps an hour to get you started."
"We would give your friends pendants to indicate that they are our allies, even if they are not actually members."
"Indeed, the use of magic is mostly limited to we Magi. The foul priests of Zargon have dark powers they can call on, though you seldom encounter more than one of them; they surround themselves with mundane guards. The goblins have one or two shamans, I think, but those are rare. It does not surprise me that they mistook you for us. Well, maybe a little; we don't usually use swords or axes. And with your dark skin and lack of masks, they might have mistook you for goblin sorcerers."
When Brathas mentions that he will come to the aid of the Magi, Auriga smiles.
"We appreciate the offer. I gather that you don't care to stand watch over our gates though? It's a shame you are not a member of our order. If you were I could send you a message from a great distance."
When Ferrous mentions poisons, Auriga shakes his head.
"I have never heard of the Zargonites using poison. Not that they wouldn't do so if they could, but they lack the ability to make any. The Zargonites do not care much about learning."
"As to the madness..." Auriga sighs. He shakes his head.
"I wish I knew what causes it, but it is safe to say that almost everyone in the city below has gone mad. Some are worse than others. Most can manage to go about the tasks that are needed for survival, but they have little else. We magi seem to be immune to it... I suspect it is the rigorous mental discipline that is required in our studies that keeps our minds strong enough to be free of it. Even the Gormish and the Madaruans, who ought to be our allies, have gone mad in their need for violence. With our guidance they could be something much greater. But I'm afraid we Magi are the last sane ones in this city."
"I would like to blame the church of Zargon, but they are as mad as everyone else, maybe more. Perhaps it is simply the influence of Zargon himself? It is a mystery."
"The goblins seem unaffected though. Perhaps their evil makes them proof against it? I wish I knew."
"Hello my friends!" Auriga beams. "Back again so soon? And what do you have here?"
After the situation is explained, Auriga calls three of his acolytes to take the prisoner.
"This man should not be allowed to defile our holy sanctuary... take him to the dormitory, and watch him until I arrive. I'll be along shortly."
After the man is taken away, Auriga turns back to the group.
"You came to the right man," he smiles. "There is a magical way that makes a man believe that you are his closest friend, despite all evidence to the contrary. Once we use such a spell, we can make use of him. He can become an agent of ours, without even realizing it."
"I hope none of you were hurt capturing this man?"
"Greetings, my friends! What a wonderful day to do 'business,'" he says enthusiastically. "Is that it?" He points at the book The Mystery of Fate.
Once he gets the chance to look at it, he caresses its pages almost lovingly. "Yes, this will do very nicely. Just what we need."
He looks back at the group, and explains, "We are trying to assemble an astrological chart for Zargon. We do have some records from when he appeared. A proper chart might tell us what his weaknesses are. The problem is, so much knowledge has been lost. This book might give us some insight we hadn't thought of before."
He looks over at the sacks of coin. "That is a lot of silver!" he says as he smiles again. "Oh no, don't worry. Silver is fine, though I expected gold, or perhaps some gemstones. But silver is quite useful when buying ordinary items in the city market."
He pulls out a few coins, and looks at them. He seems happy at first, but then he frowns, and looks at the coins more closely. He holds up one of the coins with the holes in them to the light.
"Hm... Brother Alenikos, give me your dagger," he says to one of the acolytes. The man hands Auriga his dagger, and Auriga takes the coin and the dagger over to the altar. He forces the point into the hole, and widens it. Eventually he is able to bend the coin this way and that, until it breaks in two. He looks at the pieces of the coin, and turns to the party with a glare.
"What in Hades is this?" he asks angrily. He flings the broken coin at the party.
"Our bargain was fair. You really want to cheat me? Never cheat a wizard in a deal. Nobody can avenge an insult better than a wizard!" he growls.
The other acolytes turn and look at you. Some of them place their hands on their daggers.
"I agree it is important to collect books such as these. Knowledge is power. Unfortunately, some don't feel the same way," Zynazyr says, glancing over towards the fighters in the group. "Eventually, I would like to learn 3 of the spells you mentioned. As I doubt you have many travelers knocking on your door asking you to teach them, perhaps you would be willing to lower your price. What if we give you the books and 1500 gp to teach me stinking cloud, phantasmal force, and levitate? Each of the next 3 days I can bring you 2 of the books and 500 gp to learn a spell. What do you say? We both increase our knowledge, and you add to your coffers."
Auriga considers Zynazyr's offer.
Zynazyr's Charisma:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15
"Tell you what... make it 600 gold plus two books per spell, and you have a bargain. But make sure The Mystery of Fate is one of the ones you bring on the first day. Deal?"
"Well... that is quite a collection, especially for a group pf travellers. I recognize those names. I suppose we could take them all off your hands, though it is The Mystery of Fate that would particularly interest me. Our order is an order of Astrologers, you see."
"The Writings of Al-Razi also might be quite useful. We have a few alchemists in our order."
"The other ones are more... cultural. But it is important that this sort of knowledge not be lost. All the great books are from long ago. Nobody writes things like that any more."
Auriga rubs his chin, thinking.
"Assuming the tomes are in good condition, I could give you... say, 600 gold pieces for the lot? Or I could deduct that amount from my fee."
Wallia says, "... Led by a fellow named Nikos...."
"Hmm... Nikos, eh? Well, that's a pretty common name. One of my acolytes is named Nikos, though I doubt that's who you mean. Whomever it is, unless this was a Gormite no doubt he lives in the city below."
"A camel mask is a little unusual but non-religious people typically have a number of masks and switch them out according to their fancy. Tomorrow he might have a cat mask, or a rabbit."
Zynazyr wrote:
"...I feel I am ready to learn some more powerful spells and was hoping you could teach me some...."
"Good to hear! I always like to encourage those studying the arcane arts."
Zynazyr and Auriga spend a few minutes discussing the technical elements of arcane magic, which is just gibberish for the rest of the party (except Ana).
The two of you establish that you are interested in second-level spells.
"Second-order spells are difficult to master, but worth learning. My personal favourite is phantasmal force. You can conjure just about anything as long as your enemy doesn't see through the illusion. But I can also teach continual light, levitate, and stinking cloud. All quite useful. Whichever it is, I'll need to know to prepare them a day in advance, obviously."
"For a second-order spell, I will charge a teaching fee of, shall we say... 1000 gold pieces? Quite reasonable, you'll agree. From the sound your clinking friend is making," Auriga nods towards Ferrous, "It sounds as if you can afford it."
As before, this is between 5 and 10 times what a wizard would charge in the outside world.
When the Mage returns, he gives the waterskins to Auriga, who turns them over to the party. Two waterskins are full; a third is half full.
"I'm afraid that's all we have on hand at the moment. But this should be plenty to tide you over until you get down to the fountains. If you need more water later on, we'd be happy to accept something else in trade."
The party brings Auriga to see that supplies have been returned.
"Oh, wonderful! That will save us some trouble." He turns and looks at the group. "Well, I suppose you would like some water? Give me some of your waterskins."
Once you return to the ritual chamber, he gives the waterskins to one of the other Magi. The Mage goes to the south door of the chamber and presses a small button; you can hear the wall with the statue rumble back into its original position. While you chat with Auriga, he goes through the door, and returns a few minutes later with skins full of water.
How much he gives you will depend on how much of the supplies you 'recovered.'
"Well then... good luck in your explorations. We may have some more water later on if you find anything else worth trading for it." He smiles.
If anyone has anything they want to say to Auriga at this point you can stick it in here, but otherwise I am moving ahead.
Do you know about mold, and how it might be defeated?
"Hah! I know the room you are talking about. Our solution is to close the door."
Zynazyr wrote:
"Oh yes, and do you know what kind of creature is in the abandoned ritual room to the north?...."
"The last time we went up that way there was nothing up there. So whatever it is, it must have gotten in there recently. There are a variety of creatures native to the caverns below that make their way up here, looking for new hunting grounds. We usually try to avoid them."
"If we set guards on the lower entrance we might be able to keep them out, but then the Gormites and Madaruans and even the Zargonites would attack us to get access to the pyramid. We can't afford that."
"That abandoned chamber was once used by the Priests of Zargon. But they lost interest in this part of the pyramid before I was born."
No, not as of yet. I did have a question. When you had mentioned the 'main hall' before, did you mean passage way #6 through the carousel?
"So you've numbered them, have you? That is practical. And yes, the north one, which you can access by pressing the sixth button, leads to the stairs down."
"Oh, a trifling amount. Do your people use gold coins for currency? Then shall we say... 250 gold coins? Or something of equivalent value. I will also need a day's notice, so I can prepare the spell to be taught."
This amount is 5-10 times what you might expect to pay back in "civilization."
"I am able to put creatures to sleep and to send a missle of force at them. What are you able to cast?" he says with anticipation.
Auriga nods. "Both are useful spells. But both are known to us."
"If you wish us to teach you spells we know, we would be willing to do so - for a fee, of course." Auriga smiles.
Practially speaking, the Magi can teach any of the first level spells available. Auriga also knows some second level spells but is cagey as to which ones.
Also, FYI: When you use your lightning specialty to substitute magic missile for a prepared spell, it manifests as lightning, not as "force." You aren't actually able to teach this spell, as it is intuitive for you. You can learn the "regular" version of magic missile which would be prepared in the normal way and could be reversed, unlike your spontaneous version.
"First, what is the easiest way back to the main hallway? Through that door?"
"Either that door or the diagonal one in the hallway you came through."
Zynazyr wrote:
Secondly, we noticed there are buttons with symbols at the doors in the main hall. Are you able to tell us what to push to open them?
"If there is one button, just push it. Where there is a selection of eight buttons, it depends on which direction you want to go. The center of this level is a turntable. "
"I've never quite understood why it was built, actually."
Zynazyr wrote:
Do you need to memorize your spells or do they come to you naturally?"
"I prepare them using a spellbook. You?"
Fistep wrote:
What route to do you follow on the laborious task of bringing up supplies from the city? Can you provide us a map?
"The route is very simple. When you return to the main hall, go to the end and take the stairs down. On the next tier, follow the main hall until you get to the stairs down again; wherever it branches keep to the right. The next level down, go to the main temple, and out the main doors. There is a big hall with a spiral staircase in the corner; go down that. You are then in a long sloping passage which goes for about a mile. At the end you find the City."
Do you have any advice for us on how we may approach the Brotherhood and the Warrior Maidens in peace?
Auriga chuckles. "Well, if you want to fit in with the Gormites, you could beat your chest with your fists like a gorilla and say things like 'Me hit tings wif sword reel gud.' You'll fit right in. Heh."
"As to the 'Warrior Maidens,' only one of you has a real chance of fitting in," he looks at Ana for a moment. "That is, unless you happen to be good at wearing a dress and speaking in a falsetto. But if you have a good disguise, just spend your time shrieking and talking about how you hate men."
Auriga laughs for a moment.
"Really, the Warrior Maidens and the Brotherhood are both a bunch of violent fools. You would be best to steer clear of both of them."
Fistep wrote:
How do you survive? Where is your hearth?...
"There is a dormitory in a nearby chamber where the Magi sleep. There is a hearth there, among other things."
"But the rest of our supplies must be brought up from the city below. Around the city are mushroom forests where a variety of edible crops grow, and certain animals that live in the underworld are raised for meat. The City sits on the shore of the Silent Sea and there are fish there too. Oh, we don't starve."
"The chore of bringing such things here is tedious, and were it not for our religious duties we would have abandoned this little outpost long ago."
Brathas wrote:
We can find their supplies in exchange for some water...
"Zargon is of course one of the gods or demigods,...."
Auriga's eyes narrow.
"And what is your basis for that assertion? That he is worshipped? Worship alone does not make one an immortal. If you found a group of people worshipping a giant snake, or a crocodile, would you then assume that the snake or the crocodile had to be a god? Or would you conclude that the people were worshipping falsely, and had been duped or misled somehow?"
"No, Zargon is no god. His religion is a false one."
"Indeed," Auriga smiles. "They don't call us Magi for nothing! Most of those initiated into the order can use magic. Not all, but most."
Anastoria wrote:
"Perhaps we should slay this "god" Zargon, and install a king who displays wisdom and virtue," Ana says. By the look on her face, you can tell that she is only half-joking.
"Did you have anyone in mind to be our new king?" Auriga asks, chuckling.
"Slaying Zargon would be an achievement. We can worry about what happens afterwards once Zargon is dead."
Anastoria wrote:
"I strongly suspect that Zargon is little more than a petty dictator with delusions of grandeur."
"You think Zargon is a hoax? Well, I suppose you have to consider all the possibilities. I admit I have never seen Zargon. And I hope this happy state continues."
"But all accounts describe Zargon as a huge beast, taller than a Fire Giant, with a huge toothy maw and a mass of tentacles. He has a single eye in the midst of his forehead, like a cyclops. His symbol is a mass of tentacles with an eye in the middle."
"When the priests of Zargon initiate new priests, they take them down to witness Zargon feeding. They come back... changed."
"We don't know what Zargon is. We call Zargon 'he' but it could just as easily be a 'she,' or more likely an 'it.' As far as we know Zargon does not speak, which leaves the priests to interpret his will however they like, as long as Zargon is fed. Zargon could easily be some dumb beast with no mind at all. Though he is said to be cunning as well as strong."
"Who knows what Zargon is? But I very much doubt he is a man in disguise."
"Could you tell me a little about this stronghold?"
"'Monument' would probably be a better term than 'stronghold,' I think. As I mentioned before, this pyramid was meant to be the King's tomb. But after he was dead the planners decided to make it a religious center as well, on the grounds that the building was so large to begin with and far larger than was necessary to house a tomb. So you could call it a temple as well, I suppose."
"So aside from tombs and common areas the pyramid was divided up into zones for the use of the Gormites, Madaruans, and of course, us Magi. The central chamber on the main level is a huge temple that was dedicated to all three deities. Rituals were also performed outside once. I would have liked to see this place in those days."
"You may have noticed all sorts of noxious creatures roaming the halls. They wander around like they own the place! Creatures occasionally come up from the depths is search of food or a place to lair. Anyone that tried to guard the entrances to the pyramid would be an easy target for the other factions, so they have a free rein here. We just try to avoid the monsters when possible."
"So while we still hold this little enclave, most of the pyramid is now under the control of various critters, intelligent or otherwise. The whole place could use a good fumigation! Heh heh. But a great deal has been lost as a result. Great knowledge, surely, and who knows what else."
We encountered a man who said he served King Alexander. What can you tell us of this king?
"Hah ha hahh!" Auriga gives a deep belly laugh.
"Yes, I think I know the one you speak of. We've had to chase him away a few times. Did he call you rebels? Hah!"
"King Alexander is regarded as Cynidicea's greatest king. He lived in the golden age, before Zargon and the cataclysm. So he's been dead for some 600 years or so. This structure was begun after his death, and it is his tomb, among other things. No one is sure exactly where his tomb lies, but surely it is in the complex somewhere. He and Queen Zenobia died around the same time and are buried together, or so it is said."
"Before you get all excited about becoming tomb robbers, you should know that a variety of dire traps and wards surround the tombs. Wise men leave them alone."
"Anyway, after the cataclysm, the church of Zargon assumed control, and they have ruled ever since. There hasn't been a king since then."
"If you go back the way you came past the statue, and then turn south, there is another door. The storeroom is beyond. Of course, I'm sure you had nothing to do with the missing materials."
But who else inhabits the remains of this great city.
"When the cataclysm struck, the survivors fled to the great caverns deep below the city. There is a living city there to this day, and though no one has ever done a census, I would guess there are somewhere around 1,000 people down there. Most of them live under the heel of the Church of Zargon."
"There are two other religious orders here. While they also oppose Zargon, they do so in ways that are either useless or do more harm than good."
"There is the Brotherhood of Gorm. Gorm is a god of war and bloody vengeance. They just want to kill Zargonites. While I have no love for the Zargonites, killing their fanatics is rather useless. They can always recruit more, whereas it is difficult for us who oppose them to replace our losses."
"Then there are the Warrior Maidens of Madarua. Madarua is a goddess of death. She is sometimes called 'the Reaper.' They like to fight Zargonites too, and they sometimes try to capture those intended for sacrifice to Zargon. This is particularly foolish. If Zargon is not fed he will come forth, and all the steel of the Madaruans and the Gormites will not stop him."
"If you were outside then you have seen the statues of Gorm, Usamigaras, and Madarua on top of the pyramid."
"Like us, these orders have enclaves within the pyramid, because they also must occasionally visit the surface, for oraclular reasons."
Ferrous Grimgond wrote:
Is there any service that we may do for you in exchange for some fresh water? Perhaps you can share where there is water below and we can gather some ourselves.
"I'm not sure there is a 'service' we need... are you good housekeepers? Or cooks? What sort of work can you do?"
"But the location of available water is no secret. Two levels down... well, sort of three levels down actually... down from here there is a large temple chamber that is no longer used. There are several fountains there that have clean water."
Fistep wrote:
Nods,Yes, water... what might you need in exchange?
"Hmmm... well, there is something you might be able to help with. At some point yesterday our storeroom was broken into and a large quantity of our supplies were stolen. We're not sure how the thieves got in... you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" Auriga eyes the party warily.
"If you could track down and recover the missing supplies, I'm sure that we can furnish you with some water. Or do you have something else to offer?"
"Goblins are not noted for their intelligence, either. They may be unable to reach such a conclusion. Better we should slaughter them all." Ana's smile at the thought is a bit unsettling.
Auriga looks at Ana oddly for a long moment.
Then, "Ah, yes. The goblins are an ancient enemy of your people, aren't they?" He nods sagely.
"Nobody here would mourn their passing. But... we Magi would prefer a more elegant solution. Putting people to the sword, even goblins, is not our way. You will note that we don't carry swords."
"There are others who think as you do. But their knee-jerk urge to respond with violence often makes things worse rather than better."
Might you have some materials so I could make a mask for myself?
"Hmmm.... I'm not sure we have anything like that. You could use cloth, or leather or something like that I suppose. The only spare masks we have are like these ones," Auriga indicates their own masks, "and they are only for members of our order."
Brathas wrote:
...even though their 'god' had failed to protect Cynidicea from the demon worshipers?
"That's not the kind of 'god' Zargon is. One worships Zargon because one wants protection from Zargon."
"Mind you, it would have been... interesting... if Zargon had come forth while the barbarians were sacking the city. Heh. I don't know that it would have saved the city though."
Brathas wrote:
But perhaps in the past centuries these priests have learned some weakness of this demon...
"An interesting thought. The priests of Zargon do engage in a variety or rituals that we do not understand. I'm not sure that the priests themselves are actually looking for that though. Zargon is their meal ticket. Whatever real knowledge they hold is no doubt held only by the highest priests."
Brathas wrote:
Do you think the goblins could be turned against the priests?
"The goblins serve for gold, and have no loyalty beyond that. Sometimes they can be bribed, but the Church of Zargon has deep pockets. They have been forcing 'offerings' from the city for years."
"I doubt spreading a rumor would be enough to turn them... but on the other hand it couldn't hurt."
"This, Zargon, that you speak of; who, or what, is it?"
"Zargon... it must be nice to have never heard that name."
Auriga shakes his head and stares at the floor for a little while.
"Zargon is... a creature of unspeakable horror and terrible power. He came forth in the latter days of the city, before the cataclysm. No-one is sure from where, though we believe he is a creature of the outer planes. He is certainly no natural being of this world."
"For a time he rampaged through the city, killing hundreds. Perhaps thousands. Zargon hungered and fed on our people. The warriors of the city stood before him and fought, but against Zargon they could do nothing but be killed."
"After a time, the people of the city gathered to offer Zargon captives, to appease him. Sacrifices. And this worked. As long as Zargon was fed, he was content to remain in his lair, though if unfed for too long he would emerge again."
"Eventually, those who organized these 'Sacrifices' began to think of themselves as priests, and Zargon their god. A vile religion was born. What was once done out of dire necessity became an act of gleeful religious fervor."
Auriga lets out a sigh. "After the cataclysm, the Church of Zargon came to rule over my people. The Zargonites rule through fear and intimidation. They hired the goblins as mercenary enforcers and set them over their own people. Only a few continued to hold to the true faith, the old religion of our city, practicing in secret or behind stout walls."
Auriga pauses for a moment, and then looks at Zynazyr and the others.
"Make no mistake. Zargon is our enemy. For centuries we have struggled to discover some way that he can be defeated, banished back to whatever nightmare dimension he comes from. Perhaps then our city can be returned to its former glory."
Auriga shakes his head.
"I am sorry to speak of such dark things. Hah! Some host I am! You are already suffering hardship. I wish I had more cheerful news for you. But perhaps you can take some comfort in the fact that we still stand here and oppose Zargon."
"The custom of wearing masks started several centuries ago. It is now considered vulgar to show one's face in public. Showing one's face in public is much like showing one's privates."
Auriga looks around at the party, a little embarrassed.
"Ahem. Well, I can see that is not your custom, of course. We consider the goblins to be most uncouth for not wearing them, but they don't care about that sort of thing."
"For a long time it has been the fashion for most people to have many masks, and one would don a mask that suits one's mood. Many wear masks that show the faces of animals. We, of course, show the face of our Lord Usamigaras, to show our religious devotion."
Auriga pauses, then continues.
"As to the cataclysm, that happened many centuries ago. I don't recall the exact date; perhaps 500 years? I think we have it recorded somewhere."
"Before that, we lived in the city you see above ground. There isn't much remaining, though you can see the city was quite large. Back then the land was green with gardens, and orchards, and fields, and a river flowed through the city. Cynidicea was a mighty nation then. Other nations paid us homage from all around. No more, though."
"A horde of demon worshipers came from the north and burned the city to the ground; those few that survived did so by hiding underground. The demonic masters of these barbarians, their work complete, turned on the barbarians and burned the world to sand and dust, and it remains this way to this day."
"The city had already fallen into decline by the time of the cataclysm. Zargon had already revealed himself at that stage."
The way that Auriga says the word 'Zargon' makes it sound like a curse.
"Doesn't it strike you as strange?" Auriga asks the young magi.
"These people appear out of nowhere, and among them are members of races thought long lost to time. Their clothing and gear is strange, and they walk about with shamelessly uncovered faces."
"No offense," he says to Fistep.
He turns back to the magi. "In the hall of kings the statues of the older kings have uncovered faces, though the latter ones wear masks as we do. On top of that, they clearly believe the world to be whole, and not destroyed as we are taught."
The acolyte shrugs, not understanding what Auriga is getting at.
"Perhaps these people come from a time before the great cataclysm. They would then know nothing of it, and their customs would be like those of old. So our ways would seem as strange to them as theirs do to us."
"How they would travel forward in time I do not know, but it fits the facts. Perhaps Usamigaras sent them to aid us."
He shrugs and looks at the party. "I don't know how to test this theory, of course. But it would explain things."
Ana:
You know enough about history to know that while this area might have once been less arid than it is now, it has been a dry region for at least 1000 or 2000 years.
You may know that the land outside this structure is a vast desert. But there are inhabited lands beyond....
Auriga rubs his chin in thought. "So not all the world was destroyed in the great cataclysm, eh? Hmmm... I wonder. It is hard to believe, but then, here you are."
Auriga motions for the rest of the party to enter.
Unless I hear otherwise I assume everyone is entering the Magi's ceremonial chamber.
"We have always been told that nothing remained of the surface world. Missions that were sent out in the past reported only endless desert. Many explorers never returned. So what you say is hard to accept."
Auriga looks at Fistep, then at Ana and Ferrous. He looks back at Fistep.
"Dwarves and Elves? Many would have thought that a fairy tale, but I know that once long ago such people lived here in the city, though never in great numbers. I did not know if your peoples still survived."
He turns back to Ferrous and Ana, and gives a short bow.
"I am happy to welcome the Dwarves and Elves to Cynidicea once again."
He looks again at Fistep, Brathas, and Zynazyr.
"But you say you are human? I'm not sure I believe you. You don't look much like humans to me. How did your skin and hair get so dark? Were you burnt by the sun outside?"
He turns back to Fistep. "As for water, like I said before we have some fresh water on hand, and are able to get more. I would be happy to offer it in trade."
"Indeed, I had already come to that conclusion. But what are you?"
Ferrous Grimgond wrote:
A caravan is...
"I know what the word caravan means, little one. But there haven't been any caravans for centuries."
Ferrous Grimgond wrote:
Do you know where there is a source of water? We have goods to trade or perhaps there is a service you need done?
"Well..." Auriga smiles. "Trade, eh? Now you are talking my language! We have a bit of water here right now. Periodically we have to send some of our people lower down to refill our casks. What sort of 'goods' do you have for trade?"
