All of the slots, on the outside, have the circle with a triangle inside glowing in them.
As Serra places one of the stones back into the slot nothing happens.
He walks up to Serra smiles at her and obviously is thinking hard on this puzzle. Thinking out loud he says, "So we didn't have the stones inside before, so should we put them aside for now? Shall we try different combinations of where the rocks should be placed, or see if we can activate the runes in the slots? Perhaps by magic, an arcane symbol?"
He goes over and pushes on the left open spot back where it is glowing.
The halfling trips on himself as the acid begins to pour on him and he screams. "Ahhhhh, make it stop, make it stop!!!"
Above the door jets of acid salt shoot down and spray those close to the door.
Reflex DC 18 or be struck with a cone of acid. This would be for Xenia, Serra, and Zanthias. Save for half.
The halfling goes on a tirad and goes up to Serra and smacks her, "Hey heal me! That sure hurts! Ahhh it is still burning."
The acid continues to burn for 3 rounds unless diluted. Each of you take half damage of what you took initially. So Zanthias takes 4 each round to a total of 20 acid damage after the 3 rounds is over.
Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! The halfling says in pain and rolls on the ground.
As the trap triggers and the devouring fluid sprays over his compatriots, Donovan winces inwardly. "Something about curiosity and cats springs to mind," he thinks. Then he starts forward, his healer's training kicking in.
"Hold still, hold still! I need to get a look at it."
Donovan summons up everything he knows on ameliorating acid damage.
"You're all in luck, this isn't too bad," Donovan says in a clinical voice. Reaching to his belt he grabs a waterskin and uncorks it, pouring it out over the affected parts and washing away the offending liquid from all those afflicted.
"How does one live as long as you have without learning not to touch strange glowing things?" he chides Zanthias.
Serra is caught off-guard by the blast of acid that sprays out when Zanthias touches the symbol. She tries her best to move out of the way when she realizes it's spraying at her as well, but moves too slowly.
She winces as the acid hits her, although it's clear she suffers less than the others due to her natural resistance.
When she sees Donovan uncork a waterskin to cancel out the acid she tries to create water to help out, focusing on Zanthias and Xenia before focusing on herself.
After helping tend to Zanthias' and Xenia's wounds, she turns her attentions to the symbol, casting detect magic and identify in order to attempt to discern differences between the symbols and what they might do.
"Ahhh! That feels much better." He says and rubs himself as the water splashes him, he is glad to have some relief. "Normally I have better people with me that take care of me. I heal! Also dieing isn't that bad."
"Want me to try another one? At least we got some results a trap means it is protecting something. I will wait for you to move away this time." The halfling says almost as if he was not burning with acid just a few moments ago.
Hymn leaves the old man to find his new friends.
Walking up the halfling in pain. Hymn says "Can I be of any help? "
"Where have you been Hymn?! We are trying to get passed this door, but there is no obvious way of opening it. We found three loose rocks which had symbols on them. I pressed one of the symbols behind the rocks and acid sprayed us. Stand aside so you don't get hurt again, I am going to push another one." He says rather cheerily.
Xenia inspects the two remaining holes and sees a spell trigger for a trap in the one over the door but not on the left side of the door.
"I will try out the one with no effect then." He says cheerily and waits for everyone else to be out of the immediate area. Then he touches the glowing rune.
Once Zanthias touches the rune the door opens into your room magically. Now with some light entering into the closet of a room the three open spots have the same glowing runes.
_________________
Zanthias touches the rune in the closet room and the door closes. The group can hear muffled cries of pain.
"Oh great, now all we have are the same runes. Keeya took the stones and one of them likely told us which way we were suppose to go. Well here goes nothing." He says as he whines a bit. Then he touches the rune on the left.
Serra rushes to push the rune that Zanthias had pushed, trying to get the closet open to aid him. "Hold on Zanthias!"
As she presses the rune she begins mentally preparing to cast a spell on him when the door opens.
The door opens and the halfling stumbles forward after he is healed he thanks her, "Thank you that is much better... The button on left invigorates me... Oh you might not know what that means, electricity, the good stuff. Then fire straight ahead, which means the right button should work."
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Xenia simply shakes her head at the insane halfling's antics.
Perhaps I should investigate these buttons before you press them.
Looking at the small pile of stones.
Are these perchance magic? She looks to the various casters in the group as she says this.
Perception: <-- searching the closet for any traps or secret doors (+2 more to find traps)
"You should take a rest Zanthias. Let Xenia and I finish up. Donovan, could you help patch up Zanthias?" she says, before moving in behind Xenia to help look for anything odd.
"If and when you think it's safe, let me know and I'll hit the remaining glyph, Xenia."
Xenia you don't find any of the sort in the closet.
Serra thinks there is a secret door behind the left wall.
He goes over and sits, 10 feet away from the closet. He looks a bit dazed but healing. He dreamily says, "Well with Serra's jump start I should heal up nicely soon enough, though I won't say no to more healing."
"Do you require more healing, Zanthias? But be warned, I'll not expend my God's assistance if you keep touching every glowing thing in sight," Donovan says, half-joking. The divine might of Abadar should not be squandered on the overly foolish.
"Sorry, I was taking a look around outside to clear my head." Hymn pauses for a moment, pondering if he should mention the flame. Hymn holds up snake/flame. "I did find this. Which i spoke with the towers keeper about. I dont understand it but I think it likes me. Sometimes its a snake or flame which has not caused me any harm."
"Don't heal me then! Yeah I go stick my neck, body out there for the group to help start getting through this puzzle and all I get is don't do that again! I don't need this and no one cares about how I feel." The halfling starts to rant a bit, by the time he is done talking he is walking and almost out of the room. Then he mumbles under his breath, DC 10 Perception check, "Ungrateful. Not even a thanks, or a good job, nooo... just be glad I started to like some of them." He stares at Flame as he passes him and runs off.
Serra sighs at Donovan's mistreatment of the halfling. "Donovan, he was just trying to get this infernal puzzle to open... He may have brute forced it, but he did figure out what we need to press. For that we should be grateful" she says as Zanthias storms off. Deciding not to waste any further time, she gets everyone to step back and hits the right glyph quickly, bracing herself for whatever might happen.
Once the glyph is activated, she turns to Xenia and says "Can you finish up here, I'm going to go talk down Zanthias," and then excuses herself to go talk to him.
When she finally catches up to him she apologizes for Donovan's remark. "Don't take it personally, I think those glyphs had everyone a bit wound up, Zan. Is it alright if I call you that? I appreciate the help you've given, and I'm certain Xenia and the others do as well, even if they haven't said so yet. They're just adjusting to what we learned about you during the joining. Give them time, they'll come around." With that she puts her hand on Zan's shoulder and heals him again.
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Xenia licks her lips as she examines the second set of buttons.
One of these opens the door. The others are trapped. Let me see if I can disarm the trap on them first. Everyone else should step back in case I mix it up again.
Once everyone else has stepped back, Xenia begins to work. Unfortunately, the first thing she does is sneeze from some dust that was kicked up, causing her to jam her finger into the hole.
Disable Device: <-- oops, time to roll a new character?
"Hm, a touchy little thing," Donovan muses as Zanthias storms away.
"You may be grateful for what you please, Miss. I myself will not be thankful for foolishness, less it be that of an enemy," Donovan answers Serra. Then he turns and looks to the door. "Furthermore, this puzzle, whatever its purpose may be, is not our task. I would much prefer to be on our way."
"I do not seem to be needed. I will be on the ship, when we are ready." Hymn pauses for a moment. "Zanthias youre more than welcome to join me. But keep in mind the captain is not much for antics."
Hymn returns to the ship. He'll wait in his cabin till the others or captain notifies him.
While waiting Hymn will communicate with the weapon by concentrating. Willing it to shift forms. Seeing if it will have any response.
(Will checks)
First a sword:
Then a shield:
Then willing iito take a form of its choice:
Finally returning to Flame/Snake:
Serra pushes the right button and the left wall groans open. Behind is a dark hallway.
Str DC 10 to push or pull the door open, the hinges are nearly rusted off and with your action they will break off.
The next room has one torch on the far wall. It is 30 feet by 20 feet. Several hanging tapestries of a white raven are on the walls, several chests lay around the room, a bed with a sleeping woman on it, and a desk with paper, quills and several ink bottles on it.
The halfling stops and walks back to Serra as she tries to stop him. Though out of the room.
As the halfling comes back with Serra he smiles at Hymn, and thankfully disinclines, "Thank you Hymn but I will stay beside them as they explore, we will be up thereonce we finish checking out the tower."
"Zanthias it is then! I understand your frustration, but I'm certain they'll come around. Lets go see what's inside that compartment." she says with a reassuring pat on his shoulder.
When they get the secret door open, Serra allows Xenia to check for traps. When she's satisfied, Serra heads to the door at the end of the hall and attempts to budge it open.
Going inside, she looks around the room until she sees a woman lying on the bed there.
Not expecting to find someone here in the tower, Serra was immediately alarmed by the woman's presence. Without approaching any closer she did her best to try and get a look at the woman.
She appears to be sleeping, she is in a green and blue gown of some kind, a veil covers her body from foot to temple. She appears to be rather pretty if not beautiful, though her skin did not look white but perhaps olive colored.
"Donovan, Xenia, there's a woman in here." she calls back to the others. She then pauses for a moment, first casting detect magic and looking about, before attempting to discern whether the woman is evil or not.
Donovan ear twitches as he overhears the not-really-a-halfling, but he does not react to the statements. At Serra's beckoning, he enters the room to see the sleeping woman. He makes a slow, careful scan of the rooms contents.
"Strange," he mutters, as he too uses Detect Magic to augment his search.
The woman is not evil, and the veil is magical or a spell is affecting her you can't tell immediately. Even after 3 rounds of observing them, you are not for sure. It could be both. (both moderate necromancy)
The next room has one torch on the far wall. It is 30 feet by 20 feet. Several hanging tapestries of a white raven are on the walls, several chests lay around the room, a bed with a sleeping woman on it, and a desk with paper, quills and several ink bottles on it.
Other items in the room that are magical: torch, throw rug in the middle of the room (moderate enchantment), one of the chests(moderate enchantment), several of the papers (moderate enchantment), one of the ink bottles(moderate universal), and one of the quills(moderate universal).
symbol of sleep
ditto
quest/contract
magical items.
The halfling waits outside of the room...
Hymn ponders the shapes. The weapons it chose were those of a theif or rogue. Maybe those choices of a previous owner? Not his choice though. If it can make its own choice, I should not take that away.