[LPF] Faith and Good Works

[sblock=Cythera]It's not totally clear whether all the statues are of people that the Architect knew or traveled with or fought beside, though it seems probable. The Ketath are written of in a chapter that precedes the Architect's, so it's quite possible that there was a member of that tribe in his retinue, although Zeyal himself is not mentioned by name. And as Fury found, the Crow is mentioned in direct connection with the Architect.

Lucann has a separate chapter that covers the uses of arcane magic at some length. He appears to have been a theurge of no small power, and speaks at length of the uses of battle-magic. Lucann's chapter is relatively close to the Architect's so assuming the Scriptures are roughly in chronological order, the two might have been contemporaries.

The last two require a bit of deductive reasoning, but there are references to some of the Architect's lieutentants, who led various regiments under his command into battle. One was said to be "short and stout, as one of the races of the mountains" and "array'd about with great thicknesses of mail and shield." Another was "a woman from the deserts beyond the sea, who danced through battle as though she were a leaf on the wind, her spear dipping to draw blood, and her feet outracing counterattack."[/sblock]

[sblock=Fury]Fury finds that the mural is slowly descending -- due to close in an hour or so at a guess. Pressing the wall panel raises the mural fully back to the ceiling, so it's clearly intended as a way out for someone who finds himself stuck hidden chamber.

A thorough, painstaking search of the hidden room and the statues reveals nothing: the statues are statues, the walls are walls, and the floor is a floor. Whatever message the room is meant to convey must be in plain sight.[/sblock]

Fury finishes his searches pleased that his assumption concerning the panel is correct. He won't worry now when the mural returns to its original position and will feel a bit safer without the possibility of a 'spawn of some sort coming up behind them. Fury sits himself down in the center of the floor facing Vicente to consider the puzzle before him.

Abruptly he barks out in loud laughter. "Ha! In those Venzan stories about the Crow he has a sidekick, a buffoon named Archibaldi always getting into trouble and needing rescue. It's a twisting for sure, but if the Crow is this Vicente and Archibaldi is the Architect... Could be coincidence but if not..." He chuckles, highly amused at his turn of thoughts.

[sblock=OOC]Seriously, I just now made that connection. Oi! I can be thick-headed sometimes. lol[/sblock]


• Orlando Furioso •

[sblock=MiniStats][size=+1]Fury[/size] Human Rogue 5 / Bard 2
Initiative: +7 Perception: +10

AC: 23 (16 touch; 18 flat-footed)
HP: 56 Current: 56
CMB: +6 CMD: 21 Fort: +3 Ref: +13 Will: +5

In Hand:

Bard Spells
Spells Remaining: 1st: 2/2
Spells Known:
1st: Expedition Retreat, Feather Step, Vanish
0-level: Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Light, Prestidigitation, Sift[/sblock]

Cythera e'Kiernan, Bronze Dragon Disciple

After quite some time, Cythera rubs her temples and eyes, "Dammit, I am not a scholar. I am a dancer." She sighs and stretches from her cramped position on the floor and gets to her feet.

Carak yawns and stretches as well, scrambling to his feet when he realizes that his mistress is not lazying about any more.

After she shares what she learned, Cythera remarks, "Now, I am not sure what any of this means for our current situation. Any ideas, gentlemen?"

She ignores the husky's idea of scratching behind his ear with a hind foot.

[sblock=OOC]Hmmm, I am not too bright about all of this. Flummoxed.[/sblock][sblock=Mini Stats]Initiative: +8
AC: 24 (21 flat-footed, 15 Touch)
HP: 65 Current: 65
CMB: +10 CMD: 25 (26 vs. Sundering) Fort: +7 Reflex: +9 Will: +7
Conditions in Effect: Arcane Strike (+1 dmg), Power Attack (-2 Att/+6 dmg), Furious Focus (no penalty for 1st PA), Overhand Chop

Current Weapon in Hand: Glaive
Chakram: 8/8 Claws: 5/5 rounds remaining

Battle Dance: 14/14 Rounds Remaining
Spells Remaining: Cantrips: (Read Magic, Detect Magic, Resistance, Light, Prestidigitation, Mending)
1st Level 4/4 (Cure Light Wounds, Timely Inspiration, Grease(DC13), Vanish)

Carak
Initiative: +2; Senses: low-light vision, scent; Perception: +8
AC: 16 (flat-footed 14, touch 12) HP: 13/13
CMB: +3 CMD: 15 (19 vs. trip) Fort: +5(6) Reflex: +5(6) Will: +1(2)[/sblock]___________________________

Cythera e'Kiernan Carak

Bren scratches his head in consternation, then reaches down tentatively to scratch the dog around the ears. "Well, it doesn't look like there's anything more to be learned here . . . shall we check out the other arches?"

OOC: Yeah, I'm bum-fuzzled as well.
_______________


[sblock=Mini Stats]
Breninyr Hydref
Initiative: +0
AC: 22 (22 Flat-Footed, 19 Touch)
HP: 56/56
CMB: +7 CMD: 29 (+9/31 vs Grapple)
Fort: +10 Reflex: +07 Will: +16

Senses: DarkVision
Perception: +15, Sense Motive: +10

Current Weapon in Hand: None

Special Abilities: Advice (10/10 Rnds), Calming Touch (09/09), Channel Energy (10/10)
Special Abilities: Inspiring Command (09/09), Stunning Fist: Fatigue, Crushing Blow (07/07)
Special Abilities: Ki Pool (08/08)

Prayers Available
Orisons: Detect Magic, Guidance, Read Magic, Stabilize
1st Level: Bless, Bless, Divine Favor, Murderous Command, Ray of Sickening, Sanctuary
2nd Level: Bull's Strength, Prot from Evil (C), Prot from Evil (C), Shield Other, Spiritual Weapon
3rd Level: Archon's Aura, Invisibility Purge, Prayer
[/sblock]

Fury stands up and begins pacing around the room. Clearly he thinks better on his feet, or at the least, he is more comfortable in moving than sitting still. He glances over at Bren and Cythera but it is equally obvious that he is lost in some sort of puzzle-solving mania and is speaking his thoughts aloud and to himself rather than specifically to his companions.

"Maybe I've been thinking about this wrong. After we found the mural and this room I was thinking the way deeper into the Architect's tomb had to be through this room and that the three archways and door at the beginning were just misdirection. But, if this room was built solely to house the clues to the proper use of the archways and the door..."

The rogue steps over Carak in his circuit of the room and comes to stand in front of the statue of Vicente. "I think this fellow is key. 'Course, he's devilishly handsome and I don't know anything about those others so my thinking might be biased. Venzan tales, assuming there is a hint of truth to them, has Vicente keeping the Architect from falling into traps... Vicente will keep us from falling into the Architect's traps. Clever, eh?"

Fury eyes the shape of the room and the position of the statues. "I'm beginning to think the Architect didn't do anything without a reason. Why the shape of this room? Why should it match the other? I'm betting it's more than just aesthetics. How does good ol' Vicente stand in relation to the alcoves and the door?"

Fury crosses the room and goes down the hall to manipulate the panel and raise the mural once again so that he can compare Vicente's location with that of the alcoves, the mural, and the door.


• Orlando Furioso •

[sblock=MiniStats][size=+1]Fury[/size] Human Rogue 5 / Bard 2
Initiative: +7 Perception: +10

AC: 23 (16 touch; 18 flat-footed)
HP: 56 Current: 56
CMB: +6 CMD: 21 Fort: +3 Ref: +13 Will: +5

In Hand:

Bard Spells
Spells Remaining: 1st: 2/2
Spells Known:
1st: Expedition Retreat, Feather Step, Vanish
0-level: Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Light, Prestidigitation, Sift[/sblock]

The partially-descended mural raises easily when Fury touches the panel. Walking back into the main room, Fury is stuck by how much more symmetrical the room looks with the mural up, and how the mural didn't really match the rest of the tomb's ... well, the tomb's decor, for lack of a better word.

There's no obvious connection between the arrangement of the statues and the arrangement of the arches, although it is undoubtedly the same type of marble: gold, green, black, and rose. There is no white arch to be seen, however.

[sblock=Updated map][/sblock]

Bren follows the rogue back out into the central area and looks around, obviously putting his cognitive map together. "So, Vicente's statue marks the entrance . . . or exit? Making the statue room the one that would correspond to Lucann the Wise. The door is unmatched in the statue room."
_______________


[sblock=Mini Stats]
Breninyr Hydref
Initiative: +0
AC: 22 (22 Flat-Footed, 19 Touch)
HP: 56/56
CMB: +7 CMD: 29 (+9/31 vs Grapple)
Fort: +10 Reflex: +07 Will: +16

Senses: DarkVision
Perception: +15, Sense Motive: +10

Current Weapon in Hand: None

Special Abilities: Advice (10/10 Rnds), Calming Touch (09/09), Channel Energy (10/10)
Special Abilities: Inspiring Command (09/09), Stunning Fist: Fatigue, Crushing Blow (07/07)
Special Abilities: Ki Pool (08/08)

Prayers Available
Orisons: Detect Magic, Guidance, Read Magic, Stabilize
1st Level: Bless, Bless, Divine Favor, Murderous Command, Ray of Sickening, Sanctuary
2nd Level: Bull's Strength, Prot from Evil (C), Prot from Evil (C), Shield Other, Spiritual Weapon
3rd Level: Archon's Aura, Invisibility Purge, Prayer
[/sblock]

Cythera e'Kiernan, Bronze Dragon Disciple

Cythera perks up as Fury appears to have come upon some insight. She shakes her head at Bren's suggestion and comments, "Actually, I think you got it wrong, Bren. No offense. Something might have just fell into place for me."

She points to the colored marble of the statue of Zeyal and then to the rose colored archway.

"I think there is the key to getting past the arches. Something about Zeyal should apply to that one. Yumi towards the green archway and finally Mansa Vayl for the orange."

"I think Vicente corresponds to this room. Leaving Lucann the Wise for the door... or perhaps something else? Hmmm, let's focus on the other three for now. One thing at a time."

[sblock=OOC]I did not repeat what Systole wrote in Cythera's spoilers, but I had her share that knowledge. Both Bren and Fury know what she knows, just in case you guys missed that.[/sblock][sblock=Mini Stats]Initiative: +8
AC: 24 (21 flat-footed, 15 Touch)
HP: 65 Current: 65
CMB: +10 CMD: 25 (26 vs. Sundering) Fort: +7 Reflex: +9 Will: +7
Conditions in Effect: Arcane Strike (+1 dmg), Power Attack (-2 Att/+6 dmg), Furious Focus (no penalty for 1st PA), Overhand Chop

Current Weapon in Hand: Glaive
Chakram: 8/8 Claws: 5/5 rounds remaining

Battle Dance: 14/14 Rounds Remaining
Spells Remaining: Cantrips: (Read Magic, Detect Magic, Resistance, Light, Prestidigitation, Mending)
1st Level 4/4 (Cure Light Wounds, Timely Inspiration, Grease(DC13), Vanish)

Carak
Initiative: +2; Senses: low-light vision, scent; Perception: +8
AC: 16 (flat-footed 14, touch 12) HP: 13/13
CMB: +3 CMD: 15 (19 vs. trip) Fort: +5(6) Reflex: +5(6) Will: +1(2)[/sblock]___________________________

Cythera e'Kiernan Carak

"I think... you are both right." Fury points around the room at the three colored-stone statues. "Those three, Zeyal, Yumi, and Mansa, match the positions of the archways if you rotate this room two positions deosil." He frowns. "But Vicente and Lucann don't quite fit that pattern... That rotation would put Lucann at the mural, as Bren suggested, which works in a way listening to Serroth's wisdom and all that, and Vicente at the entrance we used. Leaving the door deeper free. I wonder..."

He moves back into the statue room and attempts to move the statue of Zeyal seeing if he can slide or otherwise move it into the rose archway.


• Orlando Furioso •

[sblock=MiniStats][size=+1]Fury[/size] Human Rogue 5 / Bard 2
Initiative: +7 Perception: +10

AC: 23 (16 touch; 18 flat-footed)
HP: 56 Current: 56
CMB: +6 CMD: 21 Fort: +3 Ref: +13 Will: +5

In Hand:

Bard Spells
Spells Remaining: 1st: 2/2
Spells Known:
1st: Expedition Retreat, Feather Step, Vanish
0-level: Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Light, Prestidigitation, Sift[/sblock]

The statue of Zeyal -- and the rest -- are firmly planted and do not move.