14.1 - Deep Dive Report
General Summary
Initial report sent by sending ring, by Junaer. We passed through the doors and some kind of tile washed and dried us in an instant. There was no light inside, so we got a light spell up and running. Inside was smaller than expected. There's the central platform we entered on, and then 4 mirrored island platforms; 2 on either side. Nothing else but water and the cavern walls. Moss checked out the islands; they had a number of old, rusted weapons and trinkets, and faded potions. The furthest islands each have a running fountain. At the end of the central platform is a bowl or basin, full of water. But it didn't seem like... normal water. Both Celye and Tana felt something off about it. Sample retrieved. Moss's goggles picked up something fuzzy. A bit of figure, he thinks, standing near the basin. Nothing could be made out though, and this thing didn't move or react to us. Tana excused herself from remaining in the chamber any longer. She said she was feeling a pull—a call—to the water. She kept getting overwhelming feelings of blissful silence. A deep sleep. Complete rest. A cure for all her aches and pain. I allowed her to wait outside, grab rubbings of the Script above the doorframe. But after a while, I felt it, too. I've no doubt, Preserver; there's something down in those depths.
At this point, I gave approval to investigate the temple. I'm immensely disappointed I couldn't be there myself. These books on Vira's Aspiration only give so much insight. These old stones are mostly in Script. Any Old Common translations or related material only mention the temple's use as a resting place; a place where the sick and dying go to receive a merciful and peaceful end. Of course, this lines up with the properties around water magic, no surprises there. But what exactly was Vand? What were the "elements"? Each has a temple dedicated to them or at least the properties of them. Why?
Moss and me proceeded inside. We dropped Tana's light stone into the depths. The light vanished after a few. Wish you would've sent more rope, Preserver. This chasm was deep. We downed the water breathing potions and swam down.
It took a while. The descent was... strange. That sensation of peace washed over us. And we passed pillars of rock, bones scattered all over them. Probably the "death" part of this temple. There was a fresh body near the bottom, easily illuminated by a blue glow from the chasm floor. Not just a light. A rift. A perfectly circular and stable rift. We swam through; it's not our first time through a rift but this one is different.
Then, we're in a foggy area. The area is ringed by a curtain of water falling—barely any sound from it though. The "floor" doesn't look solid, but we don't fall. The only detail of note was a spear stabbed in the center of this area. Not just any spear, Preserver. Vira's Spear; Æ'Amalnyær, Balance Bringer. Well, a replica of it anyway.
It's stabbed right into a Script plate. It was a weird Script stone, though. There was something red swirled and mixed in there.
Moss grabs the spear and tries to tank it out. But it explodes into water droplets. And scatters pieces of the Script plate around the place. Don't worry, Preserver, we pieced it all back together and I'll send a paper replica after this report.
As soon as we pieced the stone together, it sort of... mended its cracks on its own. And the area went dark for a bit before a faint glow appeared behind us. We turned to face an absolutely gigantic creature. It was serpentine and composed mostly of water. I couldn't see where the creature's body ended.
Then it spoke to us, in our minds. "The seal is fixed, and now I can return. But your world still bleeds. Vand must be restored; Water himself must be restored. Lest we meet again in the Amalgamation."
Before we could respond, we were ejected through the floor and up through the waters of the Temple. I came outside to give this report.
One last thing, Preserver. The rain has stopped early. And Celye felt the balance shift in Nature's favor.
A seal? Likely between us and the space of the rifts? Is this the piece Paritet has been missing for so long? It's time to head to the remains of the Nature Temple in Ildsletten and reinvestigate.
- Junaer Jeighmoor
- Moss Dohmoel
Report Date
19 Feb 2021
Primary Location
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