"That stair idea of yours would work beautifully if we had some kind of debris." After a quick scan of the all too silent frozen surroundings, he grunted in disapproval.
"Nothing. I do have to believe though that if the bricks are warm, there's a purpose for that. Maybe we do have to feel our way past them..." He started from the bit of the tower he could reach with his hands, then ran them down the edifice, feeling for any kind of a switch. A moment later, he stumbled forward, his torso hitting brick while his upper half was seemingly trapped inside the tower. He looked at his new context and whistled softly.
"This...this is impressive." Shaking his head, he pulled himself out of the false part of the wall and motioned for Aria to follow him.
"You've got to see what's on the other side." 

After the duo hopped through the illusion, they found themselves at the base of a winding staircase consisting solely of ornate, shimmering marble that snaked up through the tower to the very top. The interior walls were made of a near-white granite that had flecks of some kind of sparkling substance that contrasted with the obsidian colored granite floor they were standing on. Torches were mounted at various points on the staircase, viridian colored flames dancing on their mounts. There were no doors or platforms save one, which was located at the top of the tower. The door was ajar, allowing Yerbol to see rays of light streaming in from the outside. 
"To think that the True Sith were so...extravagant in their choice of decor." 
"Extravagant or tactful?" A few feet above the beginning of the staircase stood the same tendril bearing alien that they had encountered in the temple. A disarming smile was on his lips as he descended, telling the duo:
"It has been far too long since we have seen acolytes perform so well. Alas, the last acolyte to pass the trials left here long ago." 
"How long?"
"It does not matter; what is of import now is your continued success." He motioned to the interior of the tower with a grand sweep of his left arm. 
"You see this? The finest materials were used to construct our temples, our homes, our places of government. It was a matter of showing our power."
"Power? Through wealth?"
"Of course, acolyte. Wealth breeds desire, which in turn breeds weakness. We exploited them for as long as could."
"What happened to you all?" The Sith sighed. 
"Many decided that our code was too weak, too ineffectual. Those in the highest order of government rebelled, drunk with the greed for power. Our own wealth corrupted us and turned us against each other." He cast a glare at Aria.
"I sense their teachings in you, young one. Tell me: why do you seek the path of the Sith?"