Athletics: 24

Seeing two of his comrades fall, Kirinar wraps the rope around his midsection and climbs down slowly, determined to make it down safely! The trick with the rope makes it look easy for the fighter, like perhaps he had done this before...

Kirinar uses his strength and easily makes it down the cliff side.  For a man who grew up in a flat marsh he rappels down the side of a cliff quite easily.

Gathered at the bottom the party finds themselves at the edge of the water.

Looking around, to the south they see thousands of bats swirl above a great ruin (20). Behind a 15-foot-high circular wall, you see crumbling arcades, vine-choked statues, empty plazas, and buildings overgrown with banyan roots. Streets that aren’t flooded are choked with rubble.

You also recall when looking from the top a number of buildings close to where you descended from that may be shrines or temples of some sort. (16,18)

All the way to the south you see a column of rock rise 200 feet above the lava. A walled ruin overgrown with palms perches on the summit. (6)

Checking the water, you find that while the area directly below the waterfall is quite deep, the rest seems to only be a couple feet deep.

(You are just south of where the 17 is, on the east side of the waterfall)

"Well, unless anybody else has strong opinions, I think we may as well start exploring some of these buildings," Keyleth says. "How about we start with this... temple, or whatever it is?" she continues. Unless others speak up with other ideas, she will begin wading over toward building 16, ever vigilant for possible threats.

Perception: 25

“We can’t have you going alone,” and Ransyl follows Keyleth toward the temple. 

You make your way through the water.  Crocodiles wallow in this muddy lake bed, from which rises a walled ruin. Two columns flank the entrance, carved with images of a long-legged bird with a needle-like beak. At the building’s front, slimy steps ascend to an entry arch.  The crocodiles seem to ignore you at this time.

A plaque above the shrine entrance displays an inscription in Old Omuan that Dr A is able to translate : “Papazotl teaches us to bow before no one.” 

Inside the entrance moss clings to the stonework throughout this hall. The mosaic floor depicts a tall bird using its long, pointy beak to pin a monstrous frog-like creature with tentacles sprouting from its shoulders. Set into the far wall is a set of heavy stone doors.

Inscriptions in Old Omuan surround the mosaic.Translating these, you learn the story of how Kubazan disobeyed Papazotl and was cursed.

When evening came, a wily eblis stepped from his reed hut. He didn’t like the Omuans, but without them he’d have no one to play his tricks on. The eblis sent a marsh frog to reason with Ubtao, but the frog was angry and decided to wrestle the god instead.

You realize that this is part of a greater story, part of a legend of Omu’s nine trickster gods who died with the Omuans who worshiped them.

"I've seen giant swamp frogs before, but not ones with tentacles for arms before..." Kirinar says. He heads to the giant stone doors and examines them for handles or locks or how they might be opened. "Anyone else curious about what's behind these big, ominous stone doors?"

Timber responds to Kirinar with a smile, "I am always curious, friend! Would you be kind enough to lead the way?"

"Before you do, maybe I should check this mosaic and the doors for traps..." Keyleth says.

Investigation: 21

Keyleth checks for traps but doesn't find any. 

You then push open the doors.   It takes the strength of both Kirinar and Ransyl together but you get then open.

Inside the next room you see an empty pedestal stands in the middle of this chamber. Six statues face it from alcoves on the walls. They depict bare-chested humans with the heads of different animals. From left to right, the heads resemble those of a lizard, a jaguar, a lobster, a toucan, a bat, and a frog.

“Be ever vigilant my friend and remember what I told you about these spirits and their predilection for traps and tests!” Dr A says

Kirinar walks to the frog-headed statue and examines it. "Like I said - giant swamp frogs. I wonder if we have to wrestle this statue to get a prize?"

Perception: 13

Ransyl walks to the opposite side of the room from Kirinar, keeping his eye out for anything suspicious. 

Perception 8

Keyleth walks up to the empty pedestal, cocks her head and narrows her eyes... and then bows before it.

As you look around the room you see, inscribed at the bottom of the pedestal

After staring at the inscription for a moment, Keyleth suddenly shouts out, "A shadow!"

Then, unless saying that out loud causes something to happen, she looks around for a light source and tries to stand between it and the pedestal, so as to cast her own shadow onto the pedestal... If there is none, she asks one of the others to light a torch or provide some light to accomplish this.

Kirinar spins around, weapon in hand, at Keyleth's shout. "Where?!? Stand in the light - it helps protect you from these dark creatures!" 

Seeing the look of surprise on the others' faces, Kirinar realizes that Keyleth was not shouting a warning, but seemed to be speaking an answer to some unspoken question. The fighter sheepishly puts the magical weapon away and turns back to the statue. (Unless, of course, something happens when Keyleth speaks the answer to the riddle...)

When Keyleth shouts the answer...

Nothing happens

"Hmm... if the trick isn't to cast your own shadow on the pedestal... maybe the answer has something to do with the shadow of one of these statues?" Keyleth ponders aloud.

OoC: Are there light sources in the chamber? Does Keyleth see any shadows being created?

Kirinar joins the hunt with Keyleth, looking for windows or openings on the walls. If they are covered up, like in the abandoned temple in the swamp where they cleared out the kobolds, then he will pull the covering off of the one behind the frog-headed statue.

“Ah but are we sure my friends that we want to wake up these beings” Dr A says somewhat questioningly.