IC 2: Treacherous Paths
After saying goodbye to the traveler, Tameku, Lutorian, and Velike continued down the wide valley road at the foot of the mountain. Only a few minutes later, having already lost sight of what lay behind them past a slight incline, the Matoran followed a curve in the road towards a narrower pass.
Lutorian's new device had begun making a faint ticking noise, which grew more rapid the closer they got to the temple. The leftmost meter's needle shivered near the bottom of the scale.
Just as the sun vanished fully beneath the horizon, they arrived at their destination: The Temple of the Elements. In the pass stood a grand stone gate very much like the one they had gone through earlier, and beyond it lay the temple grounds.
A flat stone floor was laid out in the center, surrounding a traditional statue of Mata Nui, the Great Spirit. Furrows were laid into the stone floor, each line beginning at the statue and flowing to a different part of the temple or adjacent areas. The base of the statue was raised a foot off the ground and adorned with a ring depicting the symbols of the elements.
Atop the base of the statue stood several small figurines depicting various beings of different species. There was no ceiling, allowing a clear view of the night sky. High above the red star shone brightly.
Encircling this area was a stone wall which isolated the temple from its natural surroundings. Wide square pillars divided the floor into natural sections. Each pillar appeared to hold something of interest: carvings, display pieces, sconces, and perhaps more.
The holy grounds were built from smooth chiseled stone slabs and felt ancient, covered as they were in thin cracks and dry vines obscuring old carvings and murals from the earliest known times in Matoran history. A few had been recently brushed clean of dust and growths. At least one mural wall also had an alcove set into it. The back wall of the alcove was marked with the elemental symbol of ice.
Open archways served as doors through the wall to adjacent parts of the temple grounds. These areas weren't as large as the central area, but still looked to hold more of the same features.
You have arrived a the temple. What do you do?
Lutorian
Your meter is reacting to something in the area.
[Tracking]: Someone have clearly been here recently, and have cleaned the vines off a select few things only. Based on tracks in the dust, the figurines have been moved around.
Tameku
[Observation]: At least one pillar has a furrow running up its side to the top of the pillar, and at least one furrow passes through a door out of sight.
Velike
[Myth knowledge (time-based)]: The ring of symbols includes even the more uncommon ones - light, shadow, and time. All of the symbols look like ornamental designs, not the simplified ones generally used.