Nesterin frowns as the beetle emerge. He knew of such creatures, they were fairly common in his homeland especially in the caves and tombs he had explored. Readying his bow he continued up the stairs, keeping a close eye on the beetles.

OOC: Move to K18.

Lipika remembers these creatures...

Jiri hurries up the stairs after Nesterin, eager to get to the Temple of Correlon.

The group watches the beetles, the beetles make steady progress towards you.  Not charging but walking antennae waving, as if trying to size up the party.

Giant beetles aren't exactly unknown creatures, though they tend to be found in less civilized places.  They aren't known for anything more than rudimentary intelligence.  Planning isn't their thing.


 

"I'm not sure of this exact species, but beetles tend to be carnivorous.  I don't know if we'd be on the menu, but I don't want to find out." Lipika said as she climbed the stairs readying the crossbow to shoot if the bugs became aggressive.

Action:ready crossbow to attack if the beetles attack

Move: to J20 to J21

Edit: I read the map wrong, Lipika could only get to J21 because there's already someone at J20
This message was last edited by the player at 14:46, Sun 13 June 2021.

Oda closes her eyes. She attempts to use Thaumaturgy to create minor tremors to confuse the creatures senses.

Rolen continues running towards the temple door.  His hands glowing with magical energy he focuses a 3 bolts energy across the space to where the beetles stand.

Rolen casts a magic missile spell at the beetle at W3 and moves far as he can near N14.

23:55, Today: Rolen rolled 5 using 1d4+1 with rolls of 4.  magic missile  spell damage.

23:55, Today: Rolen rolled 3 using 1d4+1 with rolls of 2.  magic missile  spell damage.

23:55, Today: Rolen rolled 3 using 1d4+1 with rolls of 2.  magic missile  spell damage.



This message was last edited by the player at 05:01, Sun 13 June 2021.

While Rolen manages to shoot and damage a beetle, causing it to decide to seek food in a different direction, Oda's sensory attack on the beetles is very effective.  They are basically instinctive creatures, they do not analyze or consider alternate possibilities.  Non localized tremors mean, to them, only a vague, unspecified danger, and the only thing they can do in such a situation is make a hasty dash back for their holes.

The beetles retreat.

This leaves the crew unperturbed for the rest of the trip to the great temple.

The walls of the temple are glass, or as the Elves know, material enchanted to be as transparent as glass, but strong enough to build with.  They travelled here in the evening, with the sun down after a good day's rest, and the outside reflects starlight.

The doors are large, made of silvery metal, and inscribed with Elven holy symbols.

Closed- which is perhaps a surprise given that so much time has passed with no one hear who could close them.  Supposedly.

Reflected and scattered by the glass walls there are echoes of moving light from the halls within.

Nesterin studies the doors, being closed after so many years is a bit odd. Especially with all the goblins wandering around. It was entirely possible they just avoided the temple due to superstition or something. But it would only take a moment to check it for any traps.

OOC: 08:54, Today: Nesterin Brightmoon rolled 26 using 1d20+6.  Perception.
08:54, Today: Nesterin Brightmoon rolled 22 using 1d20+3.  Investigation.

Oda follows Nesterin to watch him work but she gives the other space. She walks with an almost comical effort to place each foot down as lightly as possible.

"Any luck?"

Oda inquires after a moment.

Lipika exhaled in relief as the beetles scurried off.  Good, at least they weren't too aggressive.

While Nesterin examined the door, she took out her pen and paper, and made a quick sketch of the beetles with notes on the size and shiny carapace, and "They fled to their burrows when attacked."  The sketch could be determined to be some kind of bug, but it wasn't very good.  Then she tucked her note supplies away, and took up her crossbow.

Nesterin investigates the door.

One nice thing about being an Elf here:  though it's been abandoned for seventeen years- hardly any time at all from the longer view of older Elves- the design and look of many things here are familiar.  Nesterin has never been here, but cultures have a certain sense about them, and these feels Elven.

If something was strange about it, it would be easier to spot.

The great doors are metal, not wood, though.  That's an approach more in the style of the mountain Elves. Their cousins to the south would make most things out of wood.

There's no sign of a locking mechanism anywhere.  No bolt, no keyholes.  If the Elves did manage to lock up before they left, it was in a manner invisible from the outside.

Nestrin smiled, "Well thankfully we don't have to worry about it being locked and as far as I can tell no traps."

"It's incredibly well made and balanced to slowly close itself." Remaining crouched he pushed the door open slightly alert for any living threats that may be residing inside.

Rolen looks around the temple grounds to see if there are any other openings or entryways.  His owl familiar helps inspect the higher parts of the temple.....

Oda stepped forward and touched her hand to Nesterin as she offered a prayer of Guidance to her patron of Light and life.


OOC:
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V S
Duration: Up to 1 minute
Classes: Cleric, Druid
You touch one willing creature. Once before the spell ends, the target can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to one ability check of its choice. It can roll the die before or after making the ability check. The spell then ends.

Nesterin tries the door.

There is a fluttering of light within.  No sound, just a sudden change in illumination, like a fleeting cloud passing beneath a bright sun.

There is a universal element in basic plan of temples everywhere:  a sacred space where attention is centered, a gathering place for the attendees, and when possible a transitional space from outside to inside, serving to allow a change in mental focus.  For Humans the transition is often in the form of massive and exquisitely carved temple doors.  For the Elves, the ascent up the mountain to the terrace before the temple provides the transition, and the doors are merely the point of entry.

Inside it is dark.. much as it is outside as the party rested through the day.  But there is a soft light, as if the building caught some of the sunset, saved it, and is carefully rationing it to make it last through the evening.

Perhaps this is exactly the case.

Elves never went in for glorious monuments and detailed decoration in their temples.  Their monuments were always the natural world itself, and the temples merely places for communal reflection.  There are no benches.  There are cushioned mats, many of which are now hung on pegs on the wall.  Many Elves had their own personal mats, and some of them were family heirlooms.  Some of the Elves who escaped brought their mats along and now they decorate the homes of the Mountain Elf diaspora.  But many were left here, it seems, by Elves who didn't leave, or perhaps couldn't spare the time or the space.  There must be dozens of them, of many different styles and designs, thin, thick, simple, deeply ornate.

The lower floor was the public area.  The upper floors of the temple were the private areas, used for special ceremonies, and as study areas by the priests. They are accessed by a staircase that winds up along one side. The staircase, other than the columns supporting it, is transparent.  But it seems damaged.

There is flicker of light again, from above.

Meanwhile, the Owl goes higher, on the outside.

There are no windows higher up.  This is to be expected, so much of the building is made of transparent material that having an actual window would be redundant.  But there are vents, small slots in the walls, high up, that allow for ventilation.  And three terraces with doors.  Those are all set on the same level, at a band of non-transparent white stonework.  The terraces are arranged symmetrically around the temple, eighty feet above the ground.  The views must be impressive, as the temple already occupies a high point on Mount Keru.  (not the highest point, that's actually unstable, not far away, but not a good place for construction!)

The owl, too, can see flickers of light from within (probably better than anyone else, considering the amazing night vision of owls).  But it is afraid to go inside on its own.  It merely circles the spire from the outside.  Oh look, mountain voles.  Furry and tasty.

Oda smiled as she entered the temple and looked over the wonder which was his construction. Her eyes were draw to the mats and she went to observe them, as if they where ethereal wisps of another time (a better time) she dared not touch them even though her hand raised unbidden.

Lipika was amazed by the grand temple; the red light of sunset gave it both a sacred aura, and the homey warm glow of a hearth.  her feet moved unbidden, following the others in.  She could wander about dumbstruck in such a beautiful place, but her reason called her back to the present.  They needed to find the ritual that would bring the others back from the realm of light.  "There's probably a ritual space where we can find out how they crossed the people over," she said, but her voice still held the dreamy quality of wonder that she felt,  "let's try upstairs."   She moved to the stairs keeping an eye out for danger.

Something approaches Lipika as it she nears the stairs.

It glows, and it's small, and it moves like a hummingbird made of light.  It wasn't there a moment ago... it just seems to have "gathered", as if the dim light in the room pulled itself together into a compact little shape.

The little wisp of light flutters around her for a moment, and then starts up the stairs.

It heads up... and pauses.  It's met by another little piece of light, coming down the stairs, and the two merge.  They become a bigger, clearer version of itself.  Still small, but now it really does look like a hummingbird.  It seems to be leading the way up the stairs- if anyone approaches it moves ahead, but it pauses if no one does.

Nesterin moved into the room, looking around at the splendid craftsmanship of the building. He could have spent a month here just examining the building and it layout. Along with it's possible hidden secrets, temples almost always had hidden places to investigate.

As Lipika moved farther into the building and the wisp of light showed itself he arched an eyebrow but moved forward to stand beside Lipika. In a voice just loud enough to be heard by everyone. "Well it appears we have been greeted and have a possible guide shall we follow. I can go first unless someone else wishes to lead."

Having entered the temple and making his way through the main room Rolen takes in the details around him.  As the lights start appearing on the staircase he begins to follow the lights upwards.  "If they wanted to kill us they could have done so by now."

Lipika met the wisp with a combination of surprise, caution, and wonder, but wonder won out.  She nodded in agreement with Nesterin, and Rolen, and followed up the stairs.

Oda begins to follow the others up the stairs after turning away from her study of the matts.

Rolen continues following the glowing hummingbird up the staircase; keeping it in sight as he proceeds.  He continues to glance around and take in the details of the building's interior; looking for any clues or the light elf from the previous encounter....

Up the stairs...

Once upon a time, it might have been presumptuous for the uninvited to go into the spire of the Temple of Corralon uninvited.  But, things are very different now.  And maybe, with that odd wisp of light ahead, the party isn't uninvited.

At least the temple seems welcoming.  As they go up, the stairs illuminate softly.  Not bringing good reading light into the temple, but enough for Elven vision to clearly see the steps, railings and walls.

Yes there are railings.  Long winding staircases and catwalks without railings are for Goblins.  Elves are more safety conscious.

As they go up, the temple gets narrower- quickly at first, as the structure as a whole has a profile like an inverted funnel.  And the first floor is a tall one, to create a high space for the great hall.  By the time they get to the "mezzanine" the temple is only about half as wide as it was on the ground floor.

This level is a ring, a walkway overlooking the hallway below.  It doesn't do much other than provide a useful observation level  (there are tall windows to the outside), some storage, and structural support, and the flickering light ignores it, beckoning the group higher.

To the shrine level, the next landing up.

Here, the temple is divided into smaller special private chambers once used by the priests for their own personal meditations.  Wizards have their laboratories, for clerics, this is where the serious stuff happens.

The doorway to one of the three chambers is open, and there is an aura of rainbow light from within.

Oda wonders around the area looking at the glory of elven craft, overlaid with other craftmanship of goblin make. She crept along as silently has she was able but was simply stricken with awe by the grandeur.

Oda peeks into the doorway of the chamber that the rainbow light is spilling out of.

Lipika followed oda standing back a bit behind her but looking in the door with the rainbow light.