Meadow 12, 802

After an uneventful night we approach the tower. The tower is shear rock for the first 30 feet before the start of the main stairs. The main entrance consists of a set of very large stone doors.

Finding that climbing the rock unassisted is beyond any of our abilities we decide to have Jaden cast Spider Climb on Élensûl and have him climb the face and secure a rope.

A large gothic type arch frames the 18 foot doors. The doors do not have any handles but do have some simple geometric lines that converge where a handle would be expected. There is a slight sign of scorching but they seem undamaged. With Élensûl supporting the rope and with his increased grip we all climb to join him at the entrance. After trying various attempts to persuade the doors to open Jaden used the Wand of Knock. Stephen seemed surprised that such a simple spell would open the portal but yet after casting the spell the doors glow slightly and the right hand door opened. This temple was attack by fire wizards why would the simple Knock spell allow us access?

The entrance chamber is dark but as our eyes adjust to the low light we can see it is a 50x50 foot room that is adorn with fine ornamentation carved out of white or off white stone. There are signs of frescos and artwork that once decorated the room but a lot of it has been destroyed. There are hooks for robes and a large two tiered fountain in the center. A large column of water appears in the air above the fountain and falls over the 2 tiers and into a grate at its base. The water looks very clean and when tasted is quite refreshing. The only other feature in the room are a pair of gilded doors that have been torn off their frames. After studying the walls it seem evident that whoever damaged this room did so with great care. It seems that the artwork has been left undamaged but any writing or runes have been destroyed.

Continuing on to the next room we find another tall chamber that once was covered in marble. 2/3 of the room is an entrance then opens onto an area with a marble altar. The room and altar is carved with white Uli flowers. Behind it is a small opening about 2 ? foot wide and 5 foot tall. The surface of the altar and the floor in front of the opening seem worn from ages of use. Jaden decides to try putting his Uli flower on the altar. At the same time Stephen hears a pure tone. It is faint and has no directions or distance but seems to come from within himself. Stephen places his flower on the altar and hears the tone again but now coming from the left and right. As Élensûl adds his Uli flower on the altar Stephen hears the same tone but now from 3 directions and then when I place the 4th one the tone seams to grow stronger within Stephen and then slowly dies to silence. We retrieve our flowers and decide to go through the doorway.

We enter what must be the central chamber. It is very large with a towering domed ceiling. It is adorned with many rings and carved shapes of angels, gargoyles and wiled figures. Almost every inch is carved in fine detail. The very center of the dome is open to the sky creating a beam of light that at noon would track across the floor. The floor is composed of a fine mosaic, mostly blue and blue green. Set into the floor are many metal rings that range from 5 to 40 feet in diameter and are all interlocked. Many are gold but some seem to be made of lead, copper and even strange metals that reflect a rainbow of colors. Also covering the floor are vary small marble plaques that have runes or names carved into them but most of them have been meticulously defaced. As we are looking at the floor we notice the light is dancing in the room. The light is coming from thousands and thousands of pyreflies.

Jaden casts a detect magic and is thrown to the floor, but is uninjured. The walls are ringed with many balconies similar to the exterior of the tower. Élensûl decides to climb up to one of the balconies to get a better perspective of the room and the patterns on the floor. The rest of us continue to examine the chamber. The walls have all been defaced with a precision that only someone with knowledge of the magic of this place could have done. Any artistic work has been preserved but anything with names or runes have been carefully carved away.

From above Élensûl directs Jaden over to what looks like a crack in the floor on the far side. It seems that something very hot melted the mosaic here and the intense heat opened a large crack in the floor. It is large enough to enter and what may be rooms can be seen below.

Élensûl calls out from above that the balcony he is on has a room associated with it and enters to investigate. The room has two small alcoves and in its center is a raised area. The floor has a similar mosaic pattern, probably used for summoning as well.

Stephen finds a set of gilded metal doors on the far side of the enormous room. The doors and their frame have been crumbled and twisted to the point that they can no longer open. As Stephen continues to examine the doors the pyreflies start to swarm around him.

Jaden climbs up to join Élensûl who has found some writing that has not been defaced. With the help of some magic Jaden is able to read something that he translated as By the Power of the thrones and the dominions and the powers of the houses É. I ajour theÉ

Élensûl continues to some of the other balconies many of which show signs of damage from extreme heat, heat so intense as to melt through the floors and seal doors in place. Only a few of the balconies have rooms associated with them but most have corridors that would have lead to the outer wall of the tower if they have not been sealed by the melting of the stone.

Jaden climbs over to one of the angel carvings. It is done in extreme lifelike detail and looks like it could have been created yesterday instead of a thousand years ago. He greets it softly in Celestial and to all our surprise the chamber rings with such a reverberation we are thrown to the ground. It is as if each ring was resonating with his Celestial utterances. Jaden falls some 70 feet to the floor from his precarious position on the wall.

Luckily his protections spells take much of the damage and Stephen takes care of the rest.

Jaden decides to try speaking to the room again but only after Élensûl joins us on the ground.

We all sit in a circle holding hands while Jaden calls out "We seek to aide". There is a great vibration as if all the rings have been struck by hammers causing the chamber to resonate with a tone. Stephen suddenly falls back. The circle right behind him has turned into what seems like a silvery liquid and he is sliding into it. We keep him from falling but his rear has sunk deep into the circle. As we are trying to pull Stephen free of what I could only describe as a portal, he sees something high above us. As soon as he brings it to our attention it vanishes. But something is slowly drifting down to the party. It looks like a feather floating down from the 600 foot tall ceiling. As it gets closer it turns out to be a silk scarf. Stephen describes the being as not necessarily a woman or a man, just something with dark hair standing on one of the high balconies. Jaden catches the scarf and holds it very close, breathing in deeply. It is finely crafted with a geometric pattern but it is the fragrance that has him almost entranced, or more to the point aroused. It smells of perfume and spices and is very stimulating. I try and get a closer look at the scarf but Jaden will not release it. We struggle briefly before I notice the circle behind Stephen has developed a duller appearance. Fearing something may emerge from it I move away until it becomes solid once again.

With the spider climb spell still active on Élensûl he carries us up to one of the nearby balconies to the one Stephen thinks he saw the person with dark hair. When we get to the balcony Élensûl calls to Barta's light to show any evil here. There is an opening in the wall where a balcony used to exist and out of this a great shimmering silver light gleams forth.

Jaden raises his arms, gets down on his knees and calls out something in Celestial. He is asking for divine intervention from Rafael. The room again shakes with Jaden's words. Stephen removes his harp and starts to sing a song of Inspire Courage and a Hymn of Holiness. Élensûl approaches the opening and looks in. The room is similar to the one he explored earlier with a raised platform apparently used for summoning. Above it he sees a thin trail of smoke.

As I am standing next to Jaden I get a second whiff from the scarf, It seems familiar some how. I remember it was that same fragrance that the distant sister of Lyerial wore when I met her on the Day of Chaos. Jaden also looks surprised for he hears the same woman's voice whispering in his ear "that wasn't nice" apparently referring to the Divine Intervention he called for.

Since we are pressed for time we decide to head back to Arbor and leave the exploration of the lower levels for another time.

Scribed by BlackHawk Fox