Io's Labyrinth

[Anastasia]

"I doubt we'll find an easy answer reflecting on it here," Jetina says, "No matter how disturbing revelations may make it be."

"There's a puzzle here, even if I don't have the pieces to solve it," Antenora says, "The Father was a false holy man when he took mortal guise, or so I understand. Yet all he brought was consumption. He was sealed away in a book. He was rejected by his mother." A longer pause, "Why does Pale Night have spawn, if she's trapped? Is she forced to? Or do they serve a greater purpose? If she's trapped so desperately, would she stop at anything to find an escape?"

As Antenora ruminates on that, you reach the hall. It is sapphire blue, nothing in your way now. It goes on a ways before a passage curves to the west and downwards, while a passage east opposite it goes straight in that direction. It continues past those, to a curve to the east further on.

https://i.imgur.com/IuejfxN.png

[Ebiris]

"Perhaps she hopes her offspring may be the key to ending her captivity, or else she just enjoys copulating," Alicia says, making a face and trying the downwards curving West path.

Spoiler: ShowHide

Alicia: 696/696
Active spells: Extended nondetection (CL 33, 65hrs), extended repelling shield (CL 33, 43m), keen edge (CL 32, 298m), sensual blessing (CL 32, 10m), vision of the omniscient eye (CL 32, 10m), greater heroism (CL 32, 10m), death ward (CL 32, 10m), extended ray deflection (CL 33, 44m), divine insight (CL 32, 32hrs), foresight (CL 32, 307m), dance of the unicorn (CL 32, 19m), recitation (CL 32, 3m), greater visage of the deity (CL 32, 3m), ghost touch weapon (CL 32, 22m), many moments of prescience (CL 32, 32 hrs)
Defences: AC 79 (touch 40), CMD 105 spell resistance 47, status immunity (dazzled, blinding, polymorph, petrification, disease, poison, stunning, sleep, paralysis, death effects, disintegration, energy drain, ability damage, ability drain, mind-affecting, and fear), energy immunity (fire, cold, negative energy), energy resist 10 (acid), nondetection (DC 48), ray deflection
Stat buffs/penalties: +9 shield AC, 17-20 crit range, +25 competence perception, +10 insight perception, +4 morale skills/saves, +2 insight AC/reflex, +3 luck attack/saves, +1 natural armour, +4 str, +2 dex, +4 con, +2 int, +4 wis, +4 cha, +18 morale attack/damage
Perceptions: Darkvision 2 miles, scent, low-light vision, tremorsense/blindsight 2 miles, arcane sight, perception +88
Sorcerer spell slots: 6/15/16/13/5/7/12/6/4/4/5/2/6/2
Duskblade spell slots: 6/22/20/19/6/7
Quick-casts left: 2

[Anastasia]

That rather kills the conversation there, several grimaces at that.

To the west the path slopes down and down, sharper and sharp. No obstacle since you can all fly, eventually coming down a straight shaft. At the bottom it continues westward before turning south, but there is a barrier here. A barrier in the form of a looming figure of nothingness, of pure suction given form. A vacuum elemental, blocking your way. In a hissing whisper it asks, "Halt, you who approach further."

[Corwin]

"Alright," Seira readily agrees. "What lies ahead?"

[Anastasia]

"Treasure," The elemental replies in that soft, hissing voice, like air hissing out and away. "Long ago, I accepted a gift from Lord Io, and in exchange I would spend forever attempting to understand the true nature of oblivion and nothingness. His gift was the understanding of everything that is not Vacuum. I have not yet found the answer I seek, yet I have learned much lore thanks to Lord Io's will."

[Ebiris]

"Io certainly likes having people contemplate things forever in here," Alicia says before asking, "Are you satisfied with the exchange?"

[Anastasia]

"Yes," The elemental says right away. "I have gained vastly more than I could ever exchange. Yet...I crave more knowledge."

[Ebiris]

"We could catch you up on recent events?" Alicia offers. "But when you say you were gifted with understanding of everything..."

[Corwin]

"Are you interested in knowledge of creation, as opposed to oblivion?"

[Anastasia]

"I care little of current events. I wish to know of important things, primal things," The elemental says, "I am interested in any knowledge like that. Doubly so knowledge hidden away and forgotten by its own nature."

[Nephrite]

"I don't know that I have a lot of insight on anathemic knowledge, but it is something I'm working to overcome." Moore says. "It seems like divinity is one way to be able to recall it, at least in my experience."

[Corwin]

Seira nods, fishing out the purple key. "How about this? Will you let us pass in exchange for it?"

[Ebiris]

"Some things are hidden for good reason," Alicia says, certainly not about to share any of her forbidden knowledge. Hopefully Seira's idea about primal creation knowledge will satisfy.

[Anastasia]

The key is eyed, "I will take it," The elemental agrees, taking it from Seira's grasp and stepping aside.

[Corwin]

"Excellent," Seira responds, all smiles, and proceeds past him!