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A letter arrived from Venture-Captain Roderus, asking the party to come to the Winding Road Lodge just outside Katapesh, where they would meet the Diamond Sage, Tahonikepsu.
The Venture-Captain has secured the party passage aboard a ship from Absalom, and a teenage errand-runner is standing in the shade, waiting by the docks to lead them to the combination of inn and chapterhouse on the city’s outskirts.
Welcome to Katapesh, adventurers, Roderus, the aging Venture- Captain, hails the party. He secures them a footbath and meal of lamb and honeyed bread before escorting them to the lodge’s secret basement.
In the basement, Tahonikepsu sits,waiting, in the company of what seems like a mummified sphinx. Ah, you have arrived. It is good to see familiar faces. Ouroboreia, Hagnar, it is good seeing you again. Amontillado, Ceobryrn, Elindriel, your reputation has preceded you, and it is on that recommendaiton that I invited you. You have my thanks for agreeing to aid us.
Allow me to explain. I am Tahonikepsu, the bearer of the diamond sage jewel. I am also the leader the Jeweled Sages, an ancient order of scholars. Together with my colleague Amenopheus, I strive to restore lost secrets of the past for the benefit of the present.
To this end, I seek the missing sage jewels, each of which contains the memories of the sages who bore that gem before and the lost lore of the ancients. Last year—thanks to the efforts of brave Pathfinder Society agents—we secured a way to track these jewels, and I have since used that beacon to find the missing amethyst sage jewel. The gem lies in Nex’s northern desert, where magical interference has obstructed my attempts to divine the sage jewel’s location more accurately. Remote divination can do no more, and the Pathfinder Society has offered its assistance.
While I can point you in the right direction, you must find the exact location of the gem yourself. To aid you in this task, I will give you a magical crystal that is infused with the beacon’s power. I ask that you explore the area and, most importantly, retrieve the gem. Anything you can learn of what befell Amethyst Sage would also assist my order. Take care while searching the desert, though; while using the beacon, I could feel a strange resonance, as if something was not right with the sage jewel.
Tahonikepsu looks toward the ceiling as if watching something beyond. This coincides with the appearance of a strange visitor in our skies, and I must attend to it and confirm its intentions. I wish you fortune in your travels and offer my thanks for your contributions.
I have enlisted the aid of a special advisor. Saruna has served the Amethyst Sage..
The mummified sphinx Saruna speaks, referring to herself in the third person: As the head librarian, Saruna was tasked with cataloging tomes and relics. But the riddle remains as to whether the spirit within a shriveled body is Saruna still.
Common desert dangers include gnoll raiders, basilisks, jackals, jackalweres, sand eels, and scorpions of all sizes. Because the climate is arid and sand is much more prevalent than dirt or rock, sandstorms are common in the region.
Travelers also fear creatures commonly known as the scorpionfolk. Half human, half scorpion, they are peerless trackers and hunters, capable of killing caravan guards and porters in the night without anyone noticing until the morning.
Less well known is that the scorpionfolk—also known as girtablilus—are noble guardians of ancient secrets. They take their role very seriously, and despite their violent reputation, they rarely strike out of malice.
Some sandstorms occurring in the region are not quite natural. According to legend, these sandstorms are far ercer than any mundane storm and carry the taint of some evil curse.
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A young woman of otherworldly looks stands in the room, her gaze lost in the vague as if she was contemplating something invisible to the eye. She doesn't acknowledge Tahonikepsu's presence at once. Her physical appearance is weird to say the least. Despite her typical Varisian traits, her skin is ebony black. Her hair is medium-length and white with purple shades and wisps of longer hair. Yet the strangest thing about her is her eyes - purple iris surrounded in pure black. The young woman's clothes are Varisian in style, despite a few Mwangi lucky charms around her neck or wrist. She has a kapenia scarf wrapped around her waist. When the jewel sage and the sphinx have finished talking, she bows with the utmost respect for both.
"It is an honor to serve the jewel sages again, Great Tahonikepsu. As you know, my loyalty is yours. I thank you for allowing my humble person to assist in this endeavour of the highest importance."
Then she turns to Saruna, nodding at the sphinx she appears to recognize.
"Our paths cross again, through mist and sand we were bound to meet. The riddle you pose, nothing but acts can ascertain your nature. Is it time that changed you? Or a new loyalty, now bound to serve the renewed masters of the jewels? Whatever the answer, I am glad to count you as our ally."
In the moments that follow, Ouroboreia spends a good deal of time teaching her companions on the environment and possible dangers of their quest, still voicing her thoughts in her dehumanized, matter-of-fact tone.
"We should expect gnoll raiders, basilisks, jackals, jackalweres, sand eels, and scorpions of all sizes. Because the climate is arid and sand is much more prevalent than dirt or rock, sandstorms are common in the region.
"Mundane travelers also fear creatures commonly known as the scorpionfolk. Half human, half scorpion, they are peerless trackers and hunters, capable of killing caravan guards and porters in the night without anyone noticing until the morning.
"Less well known is that the scorpionfolk—also known as girtablilus—are noble guardians of ancient secrets. They take their role very seriously, and despite their violent reputation, they rarely strike out of malice.
"Finally, we should expect some sandstorms occurring in the region are not quite natural. According to legend, these sandstorms are far ercer than any mundane storm and carry the taint of some evil curse."
Tahonikepsu answers Ceobryrn with a shake If I but knew, to which Saruna adds that which may have no form may yet fly.
Saruna then goes on to talk about the Amethyst sage: He asked for loyalty but was loyal only to his ideals. Whosoever trusts him shall be rewarded like Saruna.
Hagnar nods in greetings to the Amethyst Sage, but remains otherwise silent and absorbs all of the information in this meeting.
Saruna's voice deepens when she speaks of the Amethyst sage, and her memories of him: The sage asked Saruna to trust him; the reward was a cold stone where the heart once was. Saruna does not wish to exist, but it is not yet her time; the shameful wrong must be righted before the wronged can depart.
Over countless dynasties, across countless ages, which kings and queens predate the sages? To know their acts and know their names, preserved is so few extant pages. Yet some eared death and thwart it still, refusing to rest in carved stone cages. My onetime master learned these and more. What did he study?
"Sounds like necromancy to me." Hagnar says to Saruna. He remembered his last meeting with the undead creature and was not entirely certain he trusted her...
If you attack the amethyst sage you will bring down a great warrior, the sphinx says.
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After Roderus provides the party with the equipment they need to travel the deep desert - two mules loaded withents, maps, food, water, dried dung for making fires, and some other supplies, as well as camels for those who need them - Tahonikepsu hands over a stone. This crystal has been imbued with the power of the Crystal Beacon beneath the Sanctum of the Sages. It will show you the way to the Amethyst sage.
The party sets off, folowing a trail marked on the map for more than a week. Just as the scrape of the sand becomes unbearable, the stone picks up a signal.
The next day, the wind begins to pick up, sending dust flying in the air, and oppressive clouds gather in the sky. The sun darkens as if a heavy veil had been pulled in front of it; only a gleaming crescent remains visible. The wind grows into a howling gale, and soon after, a massive wall of sand starts rising in the distance and approaching at a high speed.
Staying out in the open during a sandstorm as fierce as this one is highly dangerous; wind-propelled sand can cause painful injuries, su ocation, and blindness, and the high winds can also fling heavier objects. The best course of action is to run to higher ground, find shelter, and wait out the storm.
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As soon as the word is out, the void wizardess casts heroism to bolster her will in the face of the ordeal to come.
Ouroboreia nods at the Keleshite's wise words, and extends her gaze as far as she can see, trying to predict how the storm moves.
Seeing it coming straight to them, she tries to calm down the camels, but her own fear proves too much for the animals to bear. The beasts quickly panick, putting the wizardess off saddle and to the ground.
Soon, the locusts are here, overwhelming the frail wizard. Instinctively, or maybe out of fear, she tries to barge through them.
After much effort and undoubtedly help from her companions, she's able to make her way out of the insect swarm. She glances around, seeking a path leading to the higher ground.
However, the winds are changing and the wizard is slow to adapt to her environment. She seeks cover, but doesn't manage to find any.
When lightning comes down from the sky, the spellcaster attempts to apply her knowledge of magical energies to predict the pattern of the thundering bolts of electricity.
Ouroboreia is utterly in shock when blood starts dripping on her robes, then face, coming down from the skies. It takes her a few moments to try to convince herself it is but an illusion.
Seeing that what separates her from salvation is a steep slope, she decides to use improvised grapnels to facilitate her ascent.
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Ceobryrn tries to predict the Rising Storm
Rising Storm:
He uses his ranger training to Keep Calm and Move It
Move It:
Cutting through the Locusts
Locusts:
Heading for Highter Ground
Higher Ground:
With the Changing Winds he seeks cover
Changing Winds:
Predicting the Patterns to avoid the Thunderstruck
Thunderstruck:
When it starts to rain Blood
Raining Blood:
Seeing the Caves the ranger makes an improvised Grapnel
To the Caves:
The whistling storm darkens the sky, and even though the adventurers are tardy in realizing the threat, they break off at the storm start to black out the sky. The camels start to panic, making driving them hard, but with the guidance of Elindriel the beasts flee in an ordently fashion.
Just as they start building some distance from the storm, a swarm of locusts overtakes the group, fleeing from the gathering storm, something Amontillado deals with by burning them down.
The group arrive at a ledge, where a winding path offers some shelter from the winds. Unfortunately, the group makes little progress in getting out of the wind. Worse still, the wind changes direction - this is no ordinary storm!
Ouroboreia successfully predicts the pattern of the changing wind. The sky is now completely overcast, and it even starts to rain in the desert. Thick drops of blood splat down, casting a sticky red sheet on the armor and clothes of the group. Ceobryrn and Ourboreia manage to see through the illusion and spot a safe haven: a cave that is just a short - but steep - climb up in a rockface. Monty and Kyra make improvised grapnels to climb up, and get out of harm's way...
When the storm passes, the onward journey leads the group into a canyon.
The rock formation of this canyon suggests it was once a riverbed, once lush with vegetation.
The path is initially narrow, but then broadens. The rocky sides are approximately a hundred feet apart, and two weathered stone columns that mark the beginning of somebody's realm. All this while, the Crystal Beacon glows.
As the party presses on, suddenly a javelin lands in front of the feet of Monty
Turn back! Weaklings like you find nothing but death here!
Blocking the path are two half-man-half-scorpions, a man and a woman. The man was the first to speak, and now the woman adds “And you have no right to enter this ancient place!”
These creatures are girtablilus, which are devoted guardians of ancient secrets, and as such, they may have useful information about the ancient ruins.
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"It looks like the rock formation of this canyon suggests it was once a riverbed, once lush with vegetation. Maybe the presence of the Amethyst jewel has something to do with it? As fates would have it, we'll surely learn that in due time." observes the void wizardess.
"Hold - these are the girtablilus I told you about earlier. Allow me to explain our presence to them." she whispers to her companions, before adressing the creatures with a soft, dehumanized yet cleverly worded speech.
"Ancient guardians of these ruins, wardens of the sacrosanct knowledge of ages past, I greet you. My name is Ouroboreia, scholar, historian and seeker of knowledge. Me and my companions have come to this place to seek enlightenment, learning from the past's wisdom. Undoubtedly meeting sacred guardians such as the noble girtablilus would be a unique occasion to share tidbits of knowledge. We come in peace, and wish only to partake lore with you, if you'll accept us. Would you be willing to talk about these ancient ruins you keep?"
You seek the knowledge that lies within? Your cause seems just, but can you survive the danger within? Prove to us that you are stong enough, and we shall grant you passage.
The girtablilus doesn't seem to set a challenge as such, but a display of martial prowess would probably convince him.
Hagnar quietly states he would be of no use in this situation.
...and so does the scorpion-creature. I see that you are worthy then. Do know that we will be watching you. Our ancestors found this place over five thousand years ago. They noticed a corrupting influence within and deemed it necessary to keep intruders out so that the evil may not escape or grow. Foolish adventurers and tomb robbers dying in the temple would only feed it.
The two guardians present the adventurers with a key This will grant you access to the complex. Let not your trust be misplaced.
Moving into the canyon, there are some stairs carved into the wall, that lead to a bronze door.
Hagnar hastily sketches the scorpion creatures in his journal as they talk, using his keen eye for detail to capture as much as he could in the limited time available.
Neither Monty nor Ceobryrn find anything dangerous on the stone stairs. The door doesn't show any signs of traps, and the key gifted by the scorpion-men open the locks with ease, as if it hasn't aged at all.
Beyond the door, carvings on the stone walls of a staircase depict groups of humans huddled together, cowering from some unseen menace. Their faces look up toward the sky with despair evident in their eyes.
The stair lead up, into a long hallway that opens into three large rooms on the west side of the temple. On the east side, there are two staircases, one leading up, the other down. Many cracks mar the stone surfaces in this part of the temple.
Hagnar quickly downs a couple of potions once they enter the temple, then checks the area inside for traps as they go... He looks into the first of the large rooms to the west.
Hagnar closely examines the carvings and the entrance hall.
The time period depicted is the Age of Darkness, when Earthfall caused ash in the atmosphere to block the sun for a thousand years.
The style of the carvings suggests they were made before the Osirion’s founding.
The cracks in the floor in the main hall contain some arrowheads
The arrowhead design matches was popular during the height of Ancient Osirion. The arrowheads also bear miniature hieroglyphs.
The hieropglyphs read "Glory of Sarenrae" in Ancient Osiriani
At the heart of the vaulted hall stands a twenty-foot-tall stone statue that depicts a beautiful woman wearing a tunic and wielding a khopesh of polished bronze. Ornate columns bulge from the walls bearing carvings of wheat stalks and snakes eating their own tails. Set on the walls between the columns, there are six bronze mirrors.