4 Eleasis 2993

Huzzah!, Grexes, and Fenpenny Copperleaf discover that Fernweh and Vincent have arrived at the Dancing Horse. After catching up, the group heads out into the clear and nippy morning to make their way to the lost city and potentially all the way to the Pyramid of Thoth within it.

The first several miles pass uneventfully. However, even a few miles out from the Tears of Arden they can hear the sound of the waterfall, and with just a mile to go it becomes difficult just to have a conversation over the thunder of falling water. Some 500’ from the base of the falls the group discovers a watchtower, maybe 250 years old, with collapsed upper floors and missing a door. Looking around inside reveals little at first, until closer investigation turns up a trapdoor, its pull ring cold to the touch. Vincent opens it, revealing a ghost who calls out “Nyema?”

Vincent and Fernweh keep their cool, the latter offering the ghost a simple “greetings, creature!” But Huzzah! acts immediately, employing his radiant breath weapon. While Fen and Grexes also hold back to see what happens, the ghost – which apparently was already feeling threatened by Fernweh’s bow – is driven to attack, flying straight through Fernweh.

This is enough for Vincent, who hits the ghost with his sword but misses with his claws. Fernweh draws his sword and hits the ghost as well, and Huzzah! continues as well, but none of it seems to be hurting the ghost as much as one would hope. Fen attempts to parley with the ghost, and Grexes holds off further attacks to see what happens. Despite this, Grexes is knocked unconscious by the ghost before it returns through the floor to the cellar, where it sobs. Entreaties from Fen to learn more about “Nyema” are fruitless.

Heading out from the tower, the group arrives at the 275’ diameter pool of roiling water at the foot of the falls, and pass the colossus Arden on their way to the Long Stair – in reality a ramp originally sheathed in large flagstones switchbacking its way up the cliff. Seeing how slick the mist has made the ramp, the group uses rope to secure themselves to each other and sends Grexes ahead to tie them off.

At the second switchback the group has climbed about 500ft and is even with Arden’s shoulder. Here there is an empty room.

At the third switchback there is another room littered with trash. This one appears to have two corridors branching off from it. The party demurs investigation and continues on.

The fourth and fifth switchbacks have no such rooms.

At the top the group reaches the plateau and what would have at one point been a gate to the city. Now only two round towers remain, the western dilapidated, the eastern in better shape save for the top floor, which has collapsed. The party does not investigate either tower. These are built into a city wall that in better days must have been about 20’ tall and 15’ thick. Already from here the group can see the ruins – much of the city seems to have been chopped off at about 3’, though some larger buildings remain, including the ziggurat that must be the Pyramid of Thoth. To the west is a large lake and then swamp.

From the entrance to the city a boulevard leads towards a square with an obelisk. As the party approaches, they find that the square is about 50ft by 50ft. The obelisk is made of granite, with a square base 10ft by 10ft. It is covered with inscriptions and images, including depictions of The Twelve (original gods of old Arcontos) and the names of the first 327 emperors. Below 8ft there are depictions of humans and lizards, humans riding lizards, humans putting other creatures to the sword. Above 8ft there are only depictions of the sun. On the south face of the obelisk, about 5ft above ground, there is a clear stripe save for a deeply incised ankh that looks like a place to insert an actual ankh, and a quote:

“The Beacon shall be revealed to those who bring midday Life to the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars.”

Beyond this, the group discovered a plaza much like the Forum in the capital, just smaller, some 200ft to a side. On the east face of the square is a tower, some 45’ tall and 40’ on each side, apparently undamaged. The square looks like a war zone, with pillars broken off between 3 and 8 ft and busts on the ground. Grexes turns them face down, disturbed to have them looking at him. The square contains three large trees: an ancient, gigantic oak and two maples. When Vincent remarks about the how many books the wood could produce, the ground shakes and an eye briefly appears in the oak, before disappearing.

The group reaches the temple of Thoth, a 45’ tall stepped pyramid with 90’ square base. To the east a path leads to two towers on the edge of the city, about 400’ away, with another small plaza along the way.

The stairs facing south are well-worn in the middle. On each side the risers of the stairs feature repeating images:

• Ibis-headed Thoth pointing both arms out towards robed humans descending stairs
• Ibis-headed Thoth pointing left arm at bowing humans presenting plates with scrolls and coins
• Ibis-headed Thoth spewing a long scroll with writing into the hands of grateful humans
• a baboon squatting with an open book on its thighs and a pen in its paw gazing at humans with a feather in the air between them

Looking out from the pyramid the party sees the river to the west, coming in on the northwest side of the city. To the west-northwest is a building complex that might be the Sign of the Broken Head. The river splits at one point after a water gate, with the ruins of a palace on one island and then another island, as well as docks on the east side of the river.

Atop the pyramid the group finds a grey granite roof 30’ supported by columns above the 30’ x 30’ floor. Crouching at the foot of each pillar is a baboon statue, its mouth open as though barking. The focus is a 20’ tall statue of Thoth made of solid porphyry with a white marble Ibis head and jade eyes the side of grapefruits. It stands with its arms at its sides. Before it is a 5’ by 10’ rectangle in the ground with arcane symbols.

Fernweh investigates the baboon statues and discovers the faint smell of brimstone around the open mouths.

The party decides against taking the eyes – if they are still here after all this time, there must be a reason. Following Vincent’s example, everybody steps off the top platform and Vincent lands his wineskin on the rectangle. Nothing happens. Fen approaches the rectangle professing his (legitimate) quest for knowledge, in keeping with Thoth’s interests. Nothing happens when he enters the rectangle. Finally, at Vincent’s suggestion, the party manipulates the arms of the statue (both arms moved parallel to the ground) to reveal a stairway heading north and down into the pyramid.

With the better part of the day gone and a long trip back yet to go, the party decides to return to the Dancing Horse in Gosterwick.