After a quick trip to Savah’s Armory (to trade, sell, and buy weapons), they group made their way to the Cathedral. Tansy’s upbringing placed her in the large Church of Erastil on many occasions, like Planter’s Week, Archer’s Day, and the Harvest Feast, but they did not prepare her for entering the massive domed structure.
The vaulted, stained-glass ceiling hung at least two hundred feet overhead, while the darkwood paneling and lush tapestries gave the room a touch of warmth. Cut flagstone lay beneath their feet, causing her boots to clack and echo in the nearly vacant foyer. A young cleric stood at attention behind a circular desk; Sabacen spoke with her quietly before leading them down the Eastern, sunlit hallway.
The hallway was wide, but not very long, and quickly they arrived in front of two sets of double doors, standing sixty feet tall and half as wide. Tansy recognized the carved symbol of Desna, a Swallowtail Butterfly in flight, but followed Sabacen to a small alcove barred with an old, cracked wooden door -- clearly not part of this new construction.
Father Zantus greeted them, deducing correctly that they came to speak with him about the fallen tower once more, leading them to a meeting area within the Temple of Desna. Zevran began to unfurl the cloak containing the jade statue as the group gathered around Father Zantus, taking seats where they could.
“Erastil! This is an ancient depiction, though not surprising considering how old the tower is thought to be. This...this could be worth quite a lot of money; though, I am sure the church would be very grateful for this relic. Are you familiar with Mother Sheeda Kazi at the Church of Erastil? She just came down from Turtleback Ferry a few weeks ago to run the Church of Erastil here in Sandpoint.” Father Zantus spoke quickly and decisively, seemingly more practical than many other clerics Tansy had known. He gave directions to the group quickly, sending them on their way with a word of blessing.
Following Sabacen again through the Eastern wing, they re-enter the foyer before turning down the central Southern hallway, finding more wood and carvings along the hall, stained-glass pictures of animals in the forest and the city of Sandpoint, and a stone inscription to the four noble houses of Sandpoint, thanking them for their founding and support. Another set of wooden doors lay before them, mirroring the doors of the Eastern wing, but light wood with iron workings. Sabacen slides the door open, allowing the group to enter before him.
The familiarity hits Tansy, giving her a sense of peace. Simple design, framed, clear glass windows overlooking the town, though a stronger presence of nature here as trees grow into the room, branches and leaves blanketing the ceiling above. Near the plain altar, a half-even woman turns to face them, smiling and gracefully moving towards them. “Hello, I am Mother Kazi; how can I help you?”
“Father Zantus sent us to speak with you...is there somewhere more private we can speak?” Sabacen spoke quietly and almost gently; for the first time his profession as a cleric became apparent in Tansy’s mind.
“Yes, I have a study we can speak in. Is this of a serious nature?” Though her voice sounded full of concern and worry, Mother Kazi’s face remained passive as she looked over the group. Sabacen seemed to explain well enough to her, that she led them through the Temple into her study -- large, carpeted, leather chairs, hide/fur blankets and coverings, warm and welcoming.
For what seemed like the hundredth time today, Sabacen explained their journey to the tower and a synopsis of what they had found. Tansy found herself starting to zone out a bit, fully taking in her surroundings, when Sabacen’s gruff voice broke through, “...statue of Erastil that we found there.” He motioned to Zevran, who then pulled the statue from the cloak once more.
Mother Kazi looks over the statue carefully, pointing out details here and there, finally connecting the dots between the current symbol (a drawn bow) and this jade piece of three faces. She finally looks up at the group, “And you say you found this nearby? I’ve never seen a depiction in jade. We normally worship through more natural means...”
Zevran steps up to explain the tower’s age and how they found it tucked in a corner, and how they had it appraised, being priced at 500 gold. At this point, Tansy speaks up, “You may want to be careful with it. The town and the church have had some problems in the past. We don’t want this to cause any other problems for you.”
“Perhaps...perhaps I will tuck this away until after the Festival.” Mother Kazi reaches behind her desk, pulling on an empty drawer and depositing the statue carefully inside. “Thank you for recovering this.”
Zevran steps forward again, “It was quite dangerous, so if you ever need any help, you know who to call.” She hesitates a moment before offering a gift for their trouble (2 potions of cure light wounds), which Zevran snatches up quickly as the group departs her office.
