"This isn't funny at all" Niu says while giggling. "Mites, roaches, angry hair. You can't tell me you don't remember these attractions."
Stepping back toward the corner, Niu sprinkles more sand around Donovan.
Round 2
Agnimitra 7/13 Donovan 7/12 Etgar 7/9 Niu 7/7
Blue attacks Agni for 2 hps of damage. Factored above.
Yellow roach
Niu
Blue roach
Agni, Don, Etgar ✔
"Definitely not part of the regular tour," she growls through her teeth when the bug bites her. She retaliates with her mace.
Etgar slides around to the side of Agni, snaking out his spear at the roach on the other side.
Agni kills the blue roach.
Donovan attempts to smash the second bug.
Round 3
Agnimitra 9/13 Donovan 7/12 Etgar 7/9 Niu 7/7
Yellow continues with Agni.
Yellow roach
Niu, Agni, Don, Etgar ✔
"Time to join your friend," Agni growls out, repositioning to get a better vantage point before swinging to smash.
Move Action: Move 10'
Niu laughs loudly at Agnimitra's quip and awards her with a pinch of sand.
"Not on the tour! Ha!"
Etgar nearly cracks a smile...but not quite. He instead focuses on the next threat and stabs out.
Donovan is having a hard time trying to hit the creature, he hopes that the creature dodging from Agnimitra will allow him to hit the beast.
The flail strikes true and the Paladin lets out a "Yeah!"
Donovan kills the bug with one strike of his flail.
End initiative.
Agni resumes her inspection of the dead mites. They all died from puncture wounds. The wounds are not spherical, but shaped more like a blade of some sort. By the size of the perforations, your first guess would be a shortsword.
"Something or someone killed these fey creatures," she reports to the others, after having a moment to slow her breathing again. "They were using forged weapons."
Not wanting to touch the corpses more than she has to, the ifrit woman tries to gently move them aside with the head of her mace to see if there is anything underneath.
These mites have no armor, daggers, or darts on them. Nothing, in fact.
Curious about the altar, Niu starts walking over toward it, but stops half way there as he remembers Etgar's previous warnings.
"Maybe there is something interesting about the altar?"
The altar honors Arazni, the Red Crusader, and burns with a continual flame. Between you and the altar are nine 2-foot-square stones arranged in a 3 x 3 grid. The words “Follow Along Roslar’s Devotion” are carved around the grid. The nine symbols are arranged as follows. Row 1 is the northernmost row; the tiles in each row are listed from east (closest to the mural) to west (closest to the altar).
Row 1: A mailed fist, a tree, and a tower.
Row 2: A heart, a rapier, and a skull.
Row 3: A horse’s head, a round helm, and a pair of feathery wings.
Approaching from the east, the first row from south to north is a horse's head, a heart, a mailed fist.
Finding nothing among the bodies, Agni joins Niu. "A puzzle? What was Roslar's Devotion?"
Dice will not help you at this point. I believe you know enough to solve this.
"It would have started with combat, then the war against Tar-Baphon, and finally his infatuation with Arazni.
The question is, are we only supposed to touch the symbols that relate to Arazni, or press all nine symbols in chronological order?"
Niu considers the puzzle for a moment.
"The heart, rapier, and wings all seem to associate with Arazni. The tower and skull likely Tap-Baphon. The horse, helm and mailed fist perhaps his time in combat. I have no idea about the tree.
My guess would be that we have to press the wings, rapier, and heart. Probably in that order."
Is he gives his advice, Niu makes sure to step back well away from the altar.
"Or is there a certainly one in each row that we have to push...?" Agni counters.
"I suggest the mailed fist, to represent his time in the Crusades, the heart to represent his love for Arazni, and the wings to represent his great shame which caused her death."
"Nothing in this vault has pointed toward the shame. That is history that we know as outside observers. It would surprise me to find anything related to that shame here."
"Arazni's symbol is the winged Rapier. If the Alter is the destination, then..."
He look as the floor, "Rosler was a Knight, of Arazni that fought the tyrant at gallowspire." as he does he points first to the horses head, then the rapier and last to the tower, before looking at the others. "Should I try?"
Niu cocks an eyebrow at Donovan. "He was a Knight of Ozem. Arazni was a servitor of Aroden whom he obsessed over. Either could naturally be considered a devotion, but since every motif in this structure points to Arazni, I think it follows that the answer should be Arazni."
Niu shrugs. "Perhaps you are right and we need to push one tile from each row. Perhaps even one from each column. The two of you have both pointed to opposite diagonals."
He shrugs again and looks to Etgar. "Three of us, and three different solutions. What say you, Etgar?"
Etgar shakes his head slowly. But was the Tyrant his true devotion, or was his true devotion to Arazni? I agree in that the heart represents his ultimate devotion to Arazni, but I think we're to follow the evolution of this devotion. So, first something related to his time in the military, then his devotion to Arazni, and then his sacrifice perhaps? Wasn't his final act to throw himself into the thickest of the fighting...thus sacrificing himself through battle?
But, if we're simply to associate them all with Arazni, then...yes, I suppose Nui would be right.
Etgar looks at Nui again, shrugs, and steps onto the heart tile.
The tile glows.
After taking a tentative pause, Etgar then steps on the rapier, in the next row.
That tile glows.
Here goes nothing.. He steps into the winga
As Etgar steps on the winga, it too glows. You hear a loud crack that emanates from the wall behind the altar. You then hear the sound of stone grinding on stone. A secret panel behind the altar swings open revealing a mithral breastplate and masterwork steel shield. Both are emblazoned with a red-winged rapier, the symbol of Arazni.
Niu claps his hands happily and dances, glad to be right, but even more relieved that nobody got hurt by a deadly trap.
Rushing forward, he casts Detect Magic and scans the items, but does not attempt to draw them out of their alcove.
They are not magical.
"Not magical, though they are fabulous. Worthy equipment for either of you, Agnimitra and Donovan. Though, the insignia does cause them to stick out to anyone who knows where they were."
Agnimitra stares in surprise, then awe, as Etgar reveals the cache of Arazni-emblazoned regalia. "That is some beautiful armor," she says softly. "I would love to wear something as well made. I'm not sure that it would be right, though." She looks over at Donovan. "What of you?"
"Ma taught me to revere the just gods, I admit I had never heard of Arazni before today, but based on what I have seen I do not believe that Grandmother Crow would not mind if I carried this shield."
Agni absently touches the tattoo on her collar bone, an ankh-shaped angel with outspread wings - the symbol of Saraenrae. "You're not wrong," she says, almost absently. "The Dawnflower knows my heart, and she would want me to protect myself to the best of my ability. Thought I will have to make sure that this is not covered," she adds, again touching the tattoo.
Closer inspection reveals that inscribed on the inside of the armor and back of the shield are the words "Ervin Roslar Commander Red Shrikes".
Agni, your tramp stamp will remain visible :-)
Agni will gingerly pull the armor off of the rack and, after removing her splint mail and packing it away, slips into the super-light breastplate.
Etgar nods in satisfaction and inclines a nod to Niu. Well done, my friend. It seems you're particularly clued in to the mysteries of this place.
He looks to the northern doors. When you're ready, let's move along. I'd be done with this place...or at least the terrible dangers within it. The mysteries...well, that we can explore when we deem it safe.
The northwest door does not appear to be trapped. The northeast door is slightly ajar the southwest door is closed.
Etgar nods to himself as he passes the northwest door and continues on to the northeast. Going with the open one, he kicks the door slightly more ajar with his foot as he looks into the room.
The shelves along the walls of this room are crammed with ornamental weapons, tapestries, and trophies. Most have been torn or broken, and several lie smashed on the floor.
Agni comes up behind Etgar, resplendent in her borrowed armor, weapon and shield ready. "Best to have a quick look. I'd rather not have any animated knick-knacks attacking us from behind."
Etgar nods and heads into the room. Agreed. One can never be too sure, in this place.
Donovan kneels behind his new shield, giving a silent prayer. The sound of the kicked door draws his attention and he moves to see what is going on.
Wit Agnimitra and Etgar making sure the room is safe, Niu moves up to the door and scans the shelves with Detect Magic.
Agnimitra notices a mite hiding in the southernmost shelf. Niu has not had enough time for detect magic to work. If you continue that you will get a one round reading.
Etgar
Donovan
Niu
Agnimitra
Mite
?
??
Round 1
Agnimitra 9/13 Donovan 7/12 Etgar 7/9 Niu 7/7
Etgar, Agni, Niu ✔
?
Don
??, mite
Etgar slips into the room past Agni, deftly lashing out with his spear once he enters the room.
Etgar kills the mite. You have never seen a lone mite. Others must be hiding.
Only slightly surprised at the mite in the room, Agni scans the room for any more stragglers.