'beneath the sands' ** SPOILERS **

i did the '4 sphinxes' quest and made it all the way to [what i think is] the end, killed the big-bad in the /placeablehere/ at the end, got a pretty cool /item/ that he was wearing -- but still can't figure out what the alabaster pedestal a few levels up is for. this is in a very dangerous yet unassuming little room on the 2nd[?] level. i click it and... nothing. what am i missing? [clues only please, not looking for a solution, just a pointer in the right direction. ]

also, in the ziggurat in the middle of the calithian desert, there is a plot-locked door on the 3rd level i just can't get through. it leads farther down. i've gone down as far as i can go. there's a philactery on a pedestal [these damn pedestals again! ;p] on the same level, and it's indestructible and spells don't do anything to it. examining it also does nothing. nothing the /monsters/ were wearing helps either. can sb give me a clue?

excellent! problem solved.
thank you! i'll have to start using that more, i guess. i've been depending on using 'detect mode'.