Jofram, after retrieving his equipment, wanders cautiously down to the end of the Corridor of Crypts, taking a close look at the statues. All of their various bits of equipment are sculpted, not real. Some figures wear pieces of ornate armor over their robes. Others don't. Each figure is unique and, having seen them all, Jofram has the distinct impression they were sculpted based on real people.
More importantly, as Jofram walks the length of the corridor... nothing happens.
Ushari slowly approaches the Statue corridor, fascinated by the realistic carvings. She moves next to Jofram, asking softly "What do you think, Jofram? Maybe there is a hidden passage down this way. Let me help you search this."
Nowhere in the Star Chamber or Corridor of Crypts does the team find hidden caches, secret doors, or any items of interest. Aside from the northern corridor, the only other openings appear to be the statuary crypts. Around each one, you spy faint creases. In short, each one of the 24 statues and the bit of wall they are in, is the 'lid' to a standing sarcophagus.
Ushari sniffs, "I really don't feel like becoming a tomb raider now." She points to the northern corridor, "We should check that out."
Jayse can't help but eyeball the statues curiously, but shakes his head. "Let's check out the northern corridor first. We may end up coming back this way, but I'd rather not disturb those guys until we've exhausted other options." He takes Orin's offered stick with a thankful nod, playfully prodding Strae with the end of it. "Stick works," he says as he moves towards their chosen path.
The monk and sorcerer lead off, cautiously following the corridor which quickly switches from East to Northeast. It runs about 30' before it dead-ends. Or rather, it dead-ends in a horizontal sense. Looking up, the scouts note the passageway above is lit with yet another ornate lamp. It look like an upward leap of some 6' on one side or 10' on the other will give them access to a strange, sinuously curved corridor. The ceiling of which (about 30' above them) is black and scaled - like a serpent's skin.
MAP: Corridor
What do you guys prefer, rope and grappling hook, or ladder? I have a ladder that can get you close enough to inspect the ceiling, if you want.
Rather than use Orin's ladder, Jayse leaps towards the higher wall, relying on his magical slippers to grip the surface. He is barely half-way through his jump when he is pulled violently sideways. The monk slaps into the side wall. Fortunately, his training allows him to absorb the blow without harm. For an odd moment, he looks like a fly stuck to a honeyed strip. Tentatively, the monk stands 'up' fully. From the perspective of his compatriots, Jayse is standing on a vertical wall yet none of his clothing or equipment are hanging 'down'. He stands on a wall in an up-and-down undulating corridor.
From Jayse's perspective, he is standing on a solid floor in a left-and-right undulating corridor and his friends are suddenly standing on a wall in a long diagonal chute they should be falling down.
MAP: Update
"That's a clever trick," Jayse mutters as he tests a few steps to his right and left. He looks back at Straehan, "Hey, see if you can just walk up here to me. Maybe the shift from "sideways" to "down" happens closer to you."
While he waits, he gives the room a long look. "I guess we'll want to watch for other rooms where the gravity shifts… could become difficult in a fight."
Jayse sees that he is in something that looks more like a wide undulating corridor than an actual room. The corridor is mostly round, save the floor, with a distinct flattening and indention along the ceiling - similar to a spine. It's very much like walking down the gullet of a snake except that the nubbly skin is on the inside. Judging from the direction of the scales, heading left will take you towards the 'head' and the going right will lead towards the 'tail'.
Following Jayse's suggestion, Straehan walks cautiously towards the wall and then, slowly up it. Over the first few feet, there seems to be a war between the relative gravities in the space away from the ground. The gnome's hair flows along a weird diagonal line. But the further he walks up the wall, the more the 'wall gravity' takes hold and becomes 'down' for him.
"OK, that was a strange feeling. The pull at floor level is definitely stronger than above it. I never felt like my feet would slip... but I definitely had to use some muscle to keep from falling backwards there on the first couple of steps. I'd suggest moving quickly across the border to keep from toppling over. It might be worse for you tall types." Straehan joins Jayse in the snake corridor.
"So," Jayse says with a smirk, "heads or tails?"
He looks left and right, not seeing any details that help him make the decision. "I've heard the buisness end of a snake is its head, so whos' for heading towards its tail and hoping the shell is there?"
Ushari eyes the spot where she sees the gravity switch from the floor and takes a running jump, gracefully leaping onto the wall.
As she rolls to her feet, she glances down each side of the corridor but cannot determine anything further. She shrugs in response to Jayse, "Seems like a plan to me."
All the compatriots cross the gravity border with only a moderate level of disorientation. Seeing no better option, you head towards what you hope is the tail end of the snake...
The passageway narrows as it winds 'deeper' into the Shaudran structure. The 'tail' terminates in a small circular room capped by a dome. The ornate floating lamp cast a cold white light which illuminates a mosaic in the center of the floor - a small white star. From what you can see from the entrance, there may be an exit to the room off to your right.
MAP: Update
Jofram whistles to Vaelos, then takes a running leap towards the others, flipping in midair and landing deftly on the tiles above.
Jofram dives into the room and... the wrath of the heavens does not descend upon his head. He stands on the white star mosaic, very much unhurt. The rest of the team follows him in. From the center of the room, they see a corridor heading Southeast. It ends almost as quickly as it leaves the room - shooting up at an odd angle - another strange and widening chute.
After quickly testing the wall, you determine it is another variable gravity area. A quick walk up the wall - which your realise is actually upside-down from Miir's normal orientation - leads to a large circular room shrouded in darkness. There is no lamp here but the center of the floor bears a mosaic of a very large red star.
MAP: Update
Ushari softly whispers to Straehan. "Can you detect any magical auras in this room?"
Those with darkvision scan the dark domed room and see nothing out of the ordinary. The room appears empty save for the red star motif on the floor. There isn't even dust here.
Straehan scans the room with eldritch vision and shakes his head. "I'm seeing nothing but the magical radiance that suffuses this whole place."
MAP: Update
Jofram kneels, examining the "floor" for any scratches, scrapes or signs of travel. He runs his fingers along the stone, feeling out the history of this place.
Jofram can't decipher much from the floor. There is perhaps the tell-tale dusty paw prints of a some large dog, moving at speed, traveling from the corridor you stand in, through the room ahead, and out the other obvious exit.
When Ushari is told of the tracks possible origins, she pulls on a stray braid of her hair. "It seems to me that was one of those shadow mutts we fought earlier." She glances up to the ceiling before turning her gaze to the star. "Strae, we should check for surprises before continuing on."
The acrobat and sorcerer cautiously inspect the room and find that it is clear of traps and nothing evil and obvious lurks in the dome above.
The team moves through the room and out the corridor going Southwest. The odd truncating passageway ends in a drop-off. Looking down, a chute veers away at an odd angle for perhaps 10' before entering another small domed room. This one is well lit by a blazing yellow lamp. Given the orientation of the floor to the portion of the dome you can see, you imagine you can walk over the edge of the drop and be caught by the gravity of the chute... unless the Shaudran have a sick sense of humor.
MAP: Update
Reaching into his pouch, Jofram pulls out a copper coin. He flicks it forward into the air, over the red line.
Jofram's coin drops towards the room before it is sucked to the wall. It bounces twice, then rolls on a staggered path before falling over - still sticking to the wall.
Our heroes step over the edge and fall briefly before the wall's gravity asserts itself and turns their tumble into a walk. As they enter the room they see an unsurprising blazing, but small yellow star mosaic embedded in the floor. The light is so intense, they blink against it but appreciate that it allows no shadows or dark corners to exist in the room.
The light blasts down the funnel-shaped hallway to the Southeast almost penetrating into the room at the far end. From that room, a bare flicker of a blue-white lamp can be seen along with the reflected glare from yet another unseen lantern from somewhere else.
MAP: Update
Ushari touches Straehan's shoulder blessing him with a measure of her deities blessing.
She then cautiously creeps down with Straehan, watching for traps.
The cleric and the sorcerer inch forward along the corridor, only considering after the fact that the bright light behind them casts their silhouettes into the room ahead. Moreover, the gnome scuffs his feet more than once.
They've barely entered the room (and seen no traps at first glance) when the unexpected happens. From the drop-chute on the far side, the unseen light is eclipsed by a shadow. The final Mastiff runs up the chute wall and leaps expertly - riding one gravity field into the next. Its leap is a perfect, high, parabolic arc landing it squarely in the room facing off against the scouts. Disturbingly, some of the wounds it received seemed to have healed in the minutes since our heroes last fought it. The beast raises its muzzle and lets out an unearthly and ear-bleedlingly loud howl amplified by the hard domes and confined corridors. It is so loud, in fact, that you can't imagine that at least a whisper of it hasn't reached every inch of the Ruin.
ORDER: ???, Mastiff, ???
MAP: Update
70|70
79|79
72|72
52|52
60|60
What the accounts agree on is that the Shaudran were fixated on cosmology and that penchant was reflected in the construction of their edifices. Circular room repesent stars, the size of the room relates to the brightness of the represented star. Corridors run between the circular 'star' rooms in a configuration that mirrors their revered constellations. It is speculated...
The only Shaudran constellations where records have been found to identify their ancient names are:
- The Soul Serpent - the image of a winding snake swallows an egg
- The Night Reaper - the image of a running man with a low sweeping scythe cleaves sheaves of wheat
- The Water Pourer - the image of a woman with an amphora over her shoulder pours forth a cascading stream of water
- The Lord of the Leaden Sky - the image of a strongly built naked man wields dual mattocks and screams at a blank sky
- The First Scorpion - the image of an eight-legged angular black scorpion stands with claws open, its tail poised to strike a setting sun
- The Sea Gate - the image of a massive circular portal sits half submerged in a choppy sea
Pretty much you can assume that the color of the each star is most likely related to the Spectral Color Type of the stars in the constellation represented.