Well done Randu, lets see. Following the herd is for fools. So the obvious door probably a trap. Fear not the icy derision? Fear only thy Infernal lord. This suggest we have nothing to fear but our damnation. Let us have a look around.
Drogan cast guidance and steps into the room and takes a look around.
Darkvision
"I wonder how literal it is? Ice traps or the like?"
"I do not believe it will be that simple. If we were taught the same lesson over and over again it would not be nine lessons." Adriana will keep a look out for anything interesting just in case.
Lyrysa once again activates her Detect Magic and examines the room for auras. "True, but several false doors in a row could indeed be a trap in it's own."
"Mmm, maybe we may yet have to embarrass ourselves to pass some test," Randu clearly isn't happy about playing the fool for any reason, but the possibility is there.
"Standing here is not going to get us anywhere. We should probably go in and see what our next test is, I am sure it will be as easy as the last one."
Randu nods and moves ahead going on in.
Prying the door open the weak light of an oil lamp greats you, weaker than in the previous room but still sufficient to provide sight. Opening the door fully you see another stone room, this one is however covered in a fine layer of dust and mold grows on one of the four doors in the room, the western one.
Looking closer at the floor at least a dozen footprints can be seen leading to the eastern and southern doors. No one has approached the western door.
The mold feeds on warmth and is the reason the room is cold. It will damage any living creature touching it. Fire or a similar source of heat will allow it to grow rapidly. Only cold damage will destroy it.
Lyrysa scans the room for magical auras and anything else of note. "So we have three doors to choose from this time." She turns to the one covered in mold. "Perhaps a hint? "Following the herd is for fools. Fear not their icy derision. Instead, fear only thy Infernal Lord." The floor is covered in dust and that door is covered in mold. I suppose the dust could mean the path less traveled, but I fail to see how the mold plays into it."
"Makes as much sense as any other option" Randu concedes.
Reasonable I suppose... Does anyone know what this mold may be? Drogan approaches the door a bit.
It seems to get colder as I approach. Maybe I can scrape it away
Drogan will cast create water a few times on it and try and scrape it away with his long spear making a pile of it in a corner. I realize this may take some time but we do have a day so 30min or so to do this should be ok.
"Something tells me this is not going to be so easy. Where is the cold derision part of the verse come into play? Adriana will watch as Drogan scrapes the mold, waiting to see what happens next.
"Sadly of the many things I am versed in mold is not one of them. Icy Derision. So if it becomes colder the closer we approach, that must be the icy derision. The mold taunting us? Too bad we didn't bring a servant with us, they could have opened this doorway and let us through." Lyrysa also watches Drogan work on the mold, keeping an eye out.
It is painstakingly slow to use the spear to clear the western door of mold, but slowly and surely it falls to the ground collecting in a pile in front of the door. Once the task is complete the words "Thou hast made thy own path" are revealed.
Stepping closer to the door Erodin feels the temperature continuing to drop. Keeping his focus on the door he finds no traps but to late realises that the cold is more than just a drop in temperature. The mold pulses with life and grows a little as is steels warmth from his body.
"Sadly both are beyond my abilities, how about you Lyrsa dear? You are much more magically inclined than a poor dabbler such as myself."
"I have a spell to summon cold, but if it's fire we need we may have an issue. Stand back and I'll attempt it." Lyrysa waits for the others to stand away from the mold, the casts a freezing ray towards it.
The ray finds its intended target and in the blink of an eye the mold wither away leaving a fairly clean door and dust on the floor.
"Well let us see what is next in this chamber of horrors hmm. These seem less test and more annoyance by the moment. It almost insults our intelligence."
"Yes, but for now we must play this game set before us," Randu states simply.
The western exit takes you to yet another hallway. First it takes you south but then turns east, then north east and finally north. All in all you walks about 130 ft. You find yourself in front of a eastern facing door. Holding your source of light high you spot the words burned into the wood: Know your enemy. Shatter all that blinds you and then burn thy adversary to ashes.
"Possible, if the door is that which blinds us." She turns to Erodin. "Are you all right to continue or should we rest a moment? The chill from the mold seemed to have a severe impact on you earlier? We have until dusk, best to pace ourselves if needed rather than rush head on into unknown danger while weakened." Lyrysa does utter a spell to search for magical auras.
So the doors have been pretty literal so far and we have no Fire. This next room may be difficult. Maybe heed my words next time Erodin when I speak of the temperature dropping. Drogan smiles I guess patience harder for you humans with your short lives. I can call on some infernal healing if you like, but I think you will be fine. Doesn't seem to be any real damage and I will heal you when the time comes. What do you think?
"Why ever would I need a torch when we have so many workers of wonder." Light spell to necklace.
Well let us hope it is not a troll behind the door and we have other means of dealing with it.
Drogan opens the door.
"Evern an optimist, Drogan." Lyrysa stands towards the back, uncertain what spell to ready so instead concentrating on detecting any magic auras if they appear.
"Why ever would I need a torch when we have so many workers of wonder." Light spell to necklace.
"We may need it to 'burn our adversaries to ashes'," Randu reminds, "But thank you for the illumination regardless."
He chuckles at Drogan's comment
Opening the door an unlit room greets you. Upon closer examination you realise it is more than unlit, while Adriana's shining necklace illuminates as before, Erodin's sunrod sheds no light. In the centre of the room stands a pedestal and upon it lies an obsidian orb, the rest of the room is empty and matches the other rooms save some small holes in the floor. Two other doors exist in the room on on the north and on the east wall, both are barred
Lyrysa scans the room for any magical auras, and hoping to discern the nature of the effect before them.
Drogan waits a moment to see what happens with the dagger.
Well if what the room said is true that does look like it can be shattered, but where is the enemy that needs burned to ashes. I don't know why this one has holes in it, but if I get covered by bugs I will be furious.
"Another lovely image. And one I'm too inclined to agree with at this point. Perhaps it was too hasty to have destroyed that mold." Lyrysa thinks upon what items she has. "Perhaps we could pour some oil into the holes and ignite that. Depending on what our 'adversary' is." Lyrysa also waits.
I can't decide if he's rash or merely brave. Randu waits as well
The dagger strikes the orb at its centre and with a loud klnk breaks it, two evenly sized pieces tumble to the floor, shattering into more as they fall hit it. Suddently it is as if the sunrod flares back to life and sheds light once again.
Looking closely in the hole you see something move, like a mist.
It is a Vampiric Mist, noticeable for its resistance to normal damage and its vulnerability to fire.
Did you see that, I'm not sure what it is, It is not bugs though. Seems to be a red mist. Does anyone know what that thing is. I suggest preparing yourselves it seems to be moving toward us.
"And we're back to a need for fire then..." Randu states
Prying the door open the weak light of an oil lamp greats you, weaker than in the previous room but still sufficient to provide sight. Opening the door fully you see another stone room, this one is however covered in a fine layer of dust and mold grows on one of the four doors in the room, the western one.