Undaunted, Celia approaches the object and places a gloved hand on the obelisk.
As Celia approached, the smooth obsidian reflect her perfectly. She could see her self, awkwardly packed into her suit, not only in the broken spire, but in the broken shards scattered on the floor. Her hand was very close to the unnaturally black obelisk. After taking a deep breath, her hand came to rest upon it. And then, nothing.
"Well, it didn't really explode or anything, so that's good!"
The gnome took a few steps back and glanced at each of her party members.
"Whatdya say we follow the left-hand rule this time?"
"Works for me"
Booker picks up one of the broken obelisk shards and starts walking back towards the stairs.
"Keth, you think that effect'll come outta the shards too? Is it comin' from that broken thingy in the first place? Lemme know if them nanny nights keep on workin doubletime if I head away, y'hear?"
Entaro will also pick up one of the broken shards. Even if it is useless in its current state, perhaps someone much smarter than he can one day reverse engineer it back on Golarion.
"Who knows, maybe this could come in handy one day."
"Smart fella. With pockets like these, its not like you're losing out.
"The main obelisk seems to be the cause. The shards appear inert."
"Ain't that a shame. Keth, you ever gonna get tired of our dumb questions?
"No, it's my duty to answer the questions posed to me."
"I never really understood that whole duty thing. Don't itever make you mad oranything?"
"Why would I be upset?"
Well firstly, you just seem to be one big brain box and here we are just clamorin on about anything and everythin. I could see that gettin a mite annoying. But as for this duty thing, I guess what I mean is, do you like helping us out, or are you just doin it cuz that old man told you to? What do YOU like to do, little guy?"
"I am happy to help. It's my duty to answer the questions posed to me."
"Keth...we can talk about this later." Booker hoofs it on over to the left hallway and starts heading down it.
"No way to go that doesn't leave a ton of potential enemies at our back. So I suppose we're just about screwed equal no matter which way we go. Any one have a preference?"
Marshall peers down each hall looking for anything to recommend one choice from another.
"Left! Booker's already making his way, and I can't let 'im go off by himself!!" Celia trotted down the left highway after the Vanara.
"As good a route as any," Valai says. "Come, William." Valai follows Celia, recasting Detect Magic whenever it runs out. William Goat trots at her heels.
They traveled deeper. The walls glowed with an eerie light as they made thir way through the hall. At the end of the hall, they were presented with a set of closed doors before them and an intersection farther down a side hallway.
"I do not have any spells to open locked doors," Valai says. "But perhaps they are only closed, not barred?"
"Even if they are barred, there's more than one wattle skin a machine. Boodka and Entaro,you might be able to help us out."
"Even if they are barred, there's more than one way to skin a machine. Boodka and Entaro,you might be able to help us out."
Celia walks up and tries the doors.
The doors opened without a problem. Inside were various slabs of metal, that were curiously enough, levitated about a foot off the floor. The slabs themselves had carved out niches that appeared as if they could house a humanoid pretty easily.
Booker jumps into one.
Booker hopped into the nearest slab. The indent was a bit taller than him, but otherwise he fit just fine. It was cold to the touch and he shivered for a second, but soon he became very relaxed. A slight tingling moved throught his body, as if some strange energy was being fed into him.
"Oi! Booker! The hell?!"
Celia tries to peer over the side of the slab to see what was going on and gauge whether or not a rescue was necessary.
Valai scans the devices with her magic-enhanced senses before she enters the room.
"Whoa, y'all should try this, it's all tingly."
"But you don't know what it does!" Celia frets, her eyes looking from one area to the other, trying very hard to analyze the device (poorly, I'll add, as pirating does little to teach one about alien machinery).
Booker steps out. "Well fine, y'spoilsports. Don't seem like it's gonna steal our faces, anyway."
"I ain't setting one foot on one of those. Not until we know what it does. C'mon, lets check the other halls. Maybe we'll find something that tells us what these do. Unless, Keth, you know what these things are?"
"Well I guess I thought maybe I could fly it or something. " He starts to move his limbs around just to make sure everything's still working right.
"They appear to be places of rest, Master Quentin."
"Like for the whatchacallem thingies that built the place? Aren't they bunches a' gears an' such? What do they need places of rest for?"
"I don't know how you're sposed to be restful when you're all tingly. These machines are real weird if you ask me."
"The First Ones seem to have been at least partially alive," Valai notes. "Possibly they found these 'tingles' to be restful, or even restorative."
"The devices seem as if though they would recharge mechanical components."
Booker has a sneaking suspicion that all of his fur may be standing on end.
"I uh...do I look alright?"
"A bit fuzzy, but more or less the same," Valai says in a placid tone. "Shall we continue to the next room?"
"So you noticed, didja? How about they go ahead and we can stay in the sleeHOLY HELL ENERGIZED MECHANICAL CRUSHING HANDS"
Booker hastens a retreat further into the complex, calming down and slowing to peer around the corner by the time he gets there.
"I don't know what's going on! BUT I'VE ALREADY BEEN CRUSHED TODAY AND IT HURT!"
Celia follows after Booker, running as fast as her little legs can take her until she faceplants into Booker's furry back.
"Well then I reckon you oughtta stay outof the grips of them machines. Or anyone who might secretly BE ONE." He glares over at Calais as he sets Celia back on her feet.
"I see no giant, grasping hands," Valai says as she casually walks towards Booker and Celia. She glances at the Vanara's arms and quirks an eyebrow. "Not of the mechanical persuasion, anyway."
Celia stares at Valai blankly.
"I wouldn't really know anything about persuading machines, miss."
Booker gestures for the stragglers to follow and takes a longer look down the corridor.
Straight down the hall they could see various intersections. Off to the side, they saw that a long hallway emptied into a room.
"Let's see, then," Valai says, "what we might have here..." She peeks down the hallway to see what she can of the room.
As Valai peered down the hallway, her eyes took a moment to adjust to the dimly lit walls. Although the entire structure surrounding them was glowing, it only really allowed for clear vision in the immediate area. Thankfully, her elven eyes saw farther than most. The room down the far hall seemed to contain a few metal tables and not much else. However, just as she was to give the all clear, she noticed some movement in the room. There were two figures about in the shadows.