Quill: You vaguely recall hearing something about a holy gate that's opened only once a year for religious puposes, but can't recall why.

Esvaris: The surly guard side-eyes you as if perhaps he overheard you or suspects you may be up to mischief. Make a Religion check.

Korlan: The second, older, guard immediately brightens at the mention of that name. "You know Dawnlord Wintermoon?" His blue eyes sparkle with mirth, "How is the old elf, hisself? Bless me, I haven't seen him since I was a young recruit to the Solar Guard, me self!"    The first guard slams the butt of his glaive hard on the stone landing with a stern frown. The elderly second guard, who must surely be close to retirement age, flushes bright pink and stands back at strict attention, eyes forward.

Simeon: The young novice, clearly no older than 18 years old at most, gives you a grateful smile as you help him collect his wayward materials. Most of it is books on the goddess Usoara and the history of the church. There are a couple on obscure cults and the architecture/building of the basilica. Make a Perception check.

Everyone: "I'm so sorry," the clumsy fellow repeats. His mop of curls falls forward a bit over one eye. His hands now full of books and papers again, he puffs air from his bottom lip to blow the curls out of his face. "I'm horribly late and was supposed to be back in time to greet the new novices and present them to Dawnlord Menges." The tower of tomes he is looking over seems likely to topple again.

Simeon Grey

(Perception check...17)

Korlan

i look back for a second at all the commotion created by the clumsy fellow. Seems he has all the help he needs. I direct my attention back toward the pleasant guard.

”Dawnlord Wintermoon has been doing rather fine. Well,” I pause for a second. “He has decided with the low number of followers from where we hail, the Second Sun temple, to close the temple. Our orders were to meet him here for further guidance.” I turn around and look at the others in the group. “He has helped us all so much. Has he not yet made it to this glorious place in the sun?”

Simeon found something as he was collecting books and papers from the ground.  It's a very well drawn copy of a map of the Lichfield Basilica on a piece of parchment paper. Looks like it was recently drawn.

Korlan: The guards both continue to look straight ahead, not speaking to you further.

Esvaris

Religion Check: 19

 Korlan

Quote from ThirdLlama >>

Korlan: The guards both continue to look straight ahead, not speaking to you further.

Esvaris: You recall learning that the Solar Guard are a special ceremonial guard only deployed at the highest temple where the High Lord resides.  It is a lifelong position and sought after for the excellent pay and elite training required.  Thinking back to your early training in church lore, you recall that this holy door is thought to give great healing to any believer who passes through it. By tradition, it is only opened for one hour at dawn once a year and the faithful from all across Eloth line up for miles, hoping against hope to be lucky enough to enter.

Esvaris

Giving the guards and that almost irresistible door one last glance as I recall this information, I look for Simeon. When I see him, I jog back down the steps and ask, "Do you remember where we are supposed to go? I forgot."

Korlan: Thaumaturgy requires a voice component, and you are still very near the guards and your group.  Make a Deception check contested against the guards' (Perception: 5)  Also, there are several people walking about, studying, or meditating in the open atrium near the fountain. The two closest to the fountain, sitting on the low stone lip surrounding it, look like elderly female clerics, heads together bent over a book.  They are both startled by the tremors in the ground and, being quite weak, the one holding the book accidentally drops it into the fountain.  Frail voiced panic erupts as they both get in each other's way trying to retrieve the book from the water!  Make a Perception check as well.  The guards plant their feet to steady themselves, as they distantly feel the tremors, and they look around for any sign of danger, but do not leave their post.

Deception: 8

Perception: 19

Korlan: Though less stealthy in his actions then he would have liked, the halfling manages to cause a disturbance without being detected by the guards.  When the tremors occur, he hears a slight grinding noise as well, as of stone scraping against stone, that seemed to come from the area of the fountain.  However, with all the distraction of the older sisters and their flapping about, he cannot tell exactly what caused the unexpected sound.

Demoiselle blinked. "Sacrè Aube! I didn't know we were on a fault line!"

Simeon Grey

"Already making friends at our new place, eh?" I say to Esvaris as he approaches. "Let's see here. Where are we supposed to go? Well, I think this fine young fellow here" (I motion toward the youth holding the stack of books) "may be just the one to answer that question."

I turn toward the book-carrying novice and say, "You mentioned greeting the new novices, correct? I believe my friends and I are those novices." 

EDIT: I feel the trembling ground beneath my feet, but I also am mindful that Korlan is nearby. "I wonder if the two are connected..." I think to myself. 

Simeon: "Oh! Are you the new...  Ah... ahh... ACHOO!" the book laden youth sneezes so hard midsentence that several papers go flying off the top of his stack of books and flutter down around him and his unbalanced stack wobbles once more.  He sniffles with an embarrassed look. "Sorry, again.  Allergies." He gives Simeon a lopsided smile. "If you're the new ones, then I'd greatly appreciate a hand!" Anyone who'd like to help him takes a few books, greatly lightening his burden.  "I'm Emungo, second year novice here.  Mostly I tend to the gardens and run errands for Sister Delayna. She's in charge of the stacks, of course. Today, though," he shakes his head ruefully, "it seems I'm not getting anything accomplished.  Everyone thinks I have time to add just one more 'little task' to my list." As he speaks to you, he starts up the stairs again and through the tall main doors into the atrium.  You pass briefly into cool shadow and then back out into the warming morning sun.  The atrium is a large courtyard, surrounded by covered walkways with arched doorways trailing vines and bordered by beautifully painted stone urns, squared at the top and full of blooming flowers of all sorts and varieties.  The smell of honeysuckle fills the air and the gentle fall of the fountain can finally be heard now that the women have retrieved their book and are tsking in quiet dismay over it's soaked condition.

"Let me give you the list of daily work you can choose from." Shifting the still precarious pile of books to his left arm he attempts to remove a sheet of parchment paper from the stack.  The whole mess almost tumbles, so instead he uses his mouth to pull it out and offer it to Simeon.  Finally, as you pass the large enclosed fountain of Usoara, facing west, arms raised as if to greet the sun, he concludes. "You can all look that over and decide what you'd like to assist with as we walk. I'll take you to make your introductions to Dawnlord Menges, he's temporarily in charge while High Lord Emeritus is... unavailable. And then you can stow your gear in the rectory, that's just north of the Basilica, you can't miss it."

 (After you each make a decision, you can ask any questions or for directions to Emungo, who is younger than you, but technically a year ahead of you in rank)

Looking over list Demoiselle hmm'd in thought. "What skills are to be developed and what does Sister Naphtali need in terms of Hospitality?" She asked.

Demoiselle: "Skills?" Emungo leans over carefully to look at this list, as if to refresh his memory. "Ah! Friar Bernard, teaches several classes, depending on the day, of course."  The young novice looks thoughtful for a moment. "This week, I think he's teaching the use of the glaive and a specialized quarterstaff technique.  Also," and now he grins conspiratorially, "all us novices are pretty excited that he is again offering a class in a skill that would shock our parents to know we learned in church!" He laughs, boyishly. "You'll have to ask him, yourself, about that.  He doesn't teach everyone that one, just the ones he thinks seem trustworthy." Looking around dubiously at some of the new novices gathered, Emungo doesn't seem to think that includes everyone here. "And next week he'll be starting up an ancient language class! Yuan-ti!"  A happy expression makes him seem even younger.  "As for 'hospitality', that's just a fancy term for help with cleaning and cooking and such at the rectory.  You know the Dawnlords and High Lord don't feel they have to clean up their own rooms or empty their own chamber pots!" He laughs and almost drops the pile of books again.

Korlan

Ill follow suit and grab a few of the smaller books to carry up. I listen to what Emungo has to say to Simeon. As I follow everyone inside and past the fountain I stop for a second to speak with the two elderly clerics and the water laden book. “That was something of a rattle I do say myself. Had a few of those where I’m from. Does this happen a lot around here?” I look the fountain over for for some type of moving parts. “Quite a shame about your book. Hopefully something like that can be replaced.” I continue on my way with the others. 

Investigation: 12

Esvaris

I follow Simeon and Edmungo into the atrium. I frown at the task list. None of those seem too fun to me. But at the mention of quarterstaves, I perk up. "I like using quarterstaves," I exclaim, "where is the class? Do they have quarterstaves I can use, 'cause, uh"--I look down at my feet sheepishly--"I forgot mine."

Korlan: The two women, both gray haired, and one clearly of half-elven descent, both look at you in surprise. "Why, no!" the more elvish looking one exclaims. "It's quite unusual! We never have earth tremors here!" They both look sadly again at the book, which is about the religious implications of cross-pollinating flowers.  They seem to be distressed over the water-logged pages that are beginning to tear from the spine of the book.  You quickly take a look at the statue, which seems to be two pieces, the goddess Usoara standing, facing west, arms raised is set upon a round stone base which is, in turn, set upon a square foundation. Water pours from four small tipped stone urns on each of the four corners of the foundation, down into a shallow trough below, which is surrounded by a low stone wall. The low wall has a marbled pillar at each corner supporting the laticed stone gazebo above.  You see no immediately obvious moving parts.