by Uncle Pervy » Fri Feb 20, 2004 5:34 am
As they go further in, the cavern inclines downward, gently. Quickly, the erosion goes from bad to worse. Finn guesses that the Cavern must have had a flooded period for some time.
The murals, when complete, depict several odd things. Every other one shows a nightime sky. There is not too much erosion can do to these to keep them from being recognizable. Judging from the placement of the stars, each one is a few weeks to a month apart, the earliest on the left side of the chamber and circling around to come to the latest on the right. Reading the reliefs, Andrew is able to piece together a couplet that each seems to have: "And above the stars did make their way, unchanged by the passing day."
The other murals, apparantly more elaborate works, did not survive the weathering so neatly. Sometimes, it is hard to tell what the carver desired to show; were they people, or were they trees? Is that meant to be a cloud or a winged creature? The reliefs below are less helpful. It seems that the symbol in Andrew's possession cannot translate damaged text.
A few of the reliefs have endured time and tide well enough. One depicts St. Cyrene going through a cavern, but it's relief is too faded to read. Another depicts what the relief identifies as Adrian of Falis, sitting and meditating in a forest. Behind him, a dragon seems to be sleeping. Another shows four dragons gathered around something obscured by their outstretched wings. "And the f- -ahs did gather, the- -might gathered in one."
The mural furthest to the right, not far from the way they came in, nor from where Jifael found the sapphire, depicts an empty beach at night time.. It's relief reads "Exile was the path the ones of Solisia took. To far a- -ent. Only years later, didst the faithful learn of his demise. With the final brick placed upo- -omb, was the peace assured, for the Faithful and for Igala
The statues are swiftly weathered too badly for anyone to really recognize. Some of the poses suggest that many of the statues are of the same person.
Most interesting is at the far end of the chamber where the chamber compacts into a corridor once again. It seems that part of the ceiling gave near here, on the right side. Part of a mural can be seen peeking out from behing the rubble. There seems to be no sign of whatever slew the luckless creature near the front of the chamber.