Corran quickly concludes that the prism doesn't fit into the floor slot.
It takes some trial and error, but after spreading out, the party concludes that the switches have strange, but predictable effects.
SW -> switches NW and NE
NW -> switches NE
NE -> switches NW and SE
SE -> switches SW and NW
Okay... Someone check me...
But if we start with all lights OFF
1. Flip SW.
NW and NE are ON.
2. Flip SE.
SW is ON, NE is ON, NW is now OFF.
3. Flip NE.
NW is ON, SW is ON, SE is On, and NE is ON
Right?
Let's try it.
After we try getting all the lights to on, Corran tries the big ornate key in the floor slot.
Aurelia agrees with Corran's approach and helps him to enact it. She occasionally whispers the words to a simple spell as they do so, seeking magic as they work.
Sadly the combination of lights all on doesn't reveal anything, and the key does not fit the slot.
Aurelia doesn't detect any new magic.
With all the lights on, what happens when we put the prism in the crystal ball?
"Corran, can we put the prism where it is best served? After all, it doesn't seem we need it for turning on the lights," Aurelia suggests, trying to figure out this puzzle. "Regardless, I think it's enough if we leave the lights on for now."
Aurelia then heads over to the slot in the master bedroom. "Does anyone have a gold coin they don't mind parting with? As you can probably imagine, this dress is not really designed for carrying wealth. A true failing of the fashion designers of our era, I would say."
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Corran smiles and tosses a coin to his Arcanist.
Sadly, Lady Aurelia's coin experiment doesn't work.
BUT when Corran places the prism in the crystal ball, something does. The ball apparently scries the southeast room. Before it seemed to have shown nothing because the lights were off and there were boxes in the way of the sensor. The crystal ball shows the massive fresco in the room.
There's no reason to look at that Fresco... Unless... Maybe that's the door.
Corran begins searching the fresco for anything out of place. I'll be gentle with everything but get my hands on all of it.
Then... He'll touch the brass plaque with the ornate brass key.
Perception is +5 if you want a roll.
Aurelia appreciates Corran's valley of plenty, but shrugs when her experiment doesn't pay off.
"A fresco? I wonder what of," she says, heading over to inspect it in more detail.
Add +3 for Nobility.
" I knew it!" LEo laughs with a smile. He heads to help Corran look the fresco over.
Corran doesn't notice anything out of place or interesting in the room. When he touches the plate (touching with the key), nothing happens.
Corran doesn't notice anything out of place or interesting in the room. When he touches the southeastern switch (touching with the key), he turns the lights off in the two western rooms.
No, not the switch. We have a big brass ornate key. I was touching the key to the brass plaque that entitles the fresco.
Corran makes sure the boxes are not obscuring the sensor in the SE room. He enlists Xavien and Leo and Kenton to help if they are.
With the view clear, he clicks switches to get the SE room in darkness and returns to the bar to look at the fresco in the dark. Maybe something is only visible through the crystal ball.
Aurelia, waiting for the lights to switch, takes a look at the crates in the room. She finds find three daggers, two longswords, a halberd, a masterwork rapier, 12 masterwork darts, and a masterwork suit of studded leather armor!
Once the lights go out in the southeast room, Aurelia sees nothing.
But in the room with the crystal ball, Corran sees something new! In the crystal ball, the scabbard of the great general glows.
Aurelia still sees nothing, nor does it detect as magic.
Corran, excited, runs to the SE room, casts Light and investigates the scabbard on the fresco.
Corran runs into the room, but sees no glow. He examines the scabbard, and even runs his hand over it, but sees absolutely nothing of note in person...
Corran and Leo investigate the scabbard again.
-Is it, or the sword that goes into it, pointing at anything interesting?
-Is the General's weapon drawn? What kind of weapon is it?
You don't happen to have a handout of the fresco do you?
I'm also of a mind to press the corresponding type of physical weapon to the image of the scabbard.
When Corran left the room to look at the fresco, you didn't see anything, but the instant the rays from his light spell entered the room, the glow within the crystal ball vanished.
Corran dismisses the light spell and re-enters the darkened SE Room with the Fresco.
Corran dismisses the light spell, hoping that it helps. It does not....
....Until Ianthe and Kenton speak up. The scabbard no longer glows, but the shield of a fellow knight glows in the crystal ball.
Those in the fresco room see nothing different.
“Out of the senate. Stavian’s soldiers still pursuing. Fighting throughout the entire senate building. Wherever you are, keep your heads down!”
Right after the message comes through, there's a flash from your senate badges. Unsure of what it means, everyone quickly checks their badge, to find that the magic has stopped working!
Corran kicks something nearby in frustration.
Ianthe, what exactly do you see? The Shield now appears in the crystal?
What if... What if an additional person comes in the SE room in the dark?
They confirm that the only glow is now the shield. Xavien comes in to the fresco room, but nothing changes. Nothing changes on the fresco, nothing changes in the crystal.
Wait a second...
Corran waits for instruction from Ianthe. He touches the shield, then waits to see if another item in the fresco glows and will then touch that one. And so on.
Yes, the shield. Would someone else like to join Corran in the room? I'll keep an eye on the ball.
Corran touches the shield in the dark room.
His sister immediately reports back that the glow vanishes and now the helmet of another crusader glows. Corran still sees nothing.
Corran touches the shield in the dark room.
His sister immediately reports back that the glow vanishes and now the helmet of another crusader glows. Corran still sees nothing.
We keep doing this. I'll touch what glows with guidance from Ianthe, then onto the next item.
Touch the helmet of the crusader to the left of the one you just touched, Corran!
Aurelia takes one of longswords. "Could be useful if we come across any feral rats."
She then joins Corran, dismissing her own light spell before arriving. "What else needs to be touched?"
The party starts. The helmet gives way to a saddle, then to a holy symbol of Aroden, and finally to a key hanging from the general's belt.
When the final light is touched, they all go out. A breeze hits the rooms and stale are rushes out. A door somewhere opens! no one sees the new door from their current position.
"A sturdier jacket than I deigned to wear to the ball," Xavien smiles sheepishly, eyeing the studded leather. He dons it.
* * *
"Looks like we are truly on our own now," he says, frowning, when the badges stop working. "I hope Martella is alright. She knows how to handle herself though." This last bit sounds more apprehensive than hopeful, however.
* * *
"Well done!" Xavien exclaims, clapping his hands as the puzzle comes together. He does a circuit with his floating lights, looking for the exit.
Corran follows the breeze, looking for whatever, "door", made the sound.
Someone should take the MW Rapier. Leo?
A quick walk doesn't reveal a door out.... but once light again shines in the fresco room, the source of the breeze is revealed. A small closet, too large to walk into, appears in the wall. You're all absolutely confident that it wasn't there before. Within is a haversack laden with coins. The coins within are twenty in number, and each is substantially bigger than a normal coin. Looks like one of these coins is made of 5 gold coins.
Corran takes down the haversack and searches it, looking for particulars in the appearance or construction. He will use Detect Magic as well.
What did you find there, brother of mine?
Ianthe casts Detect Magic and takes a look at the haversack and closet.
Gold. Someone's emergency I-need-to-escape-Taldor nest egg, I suspect.
The twins look over the items. Corran reports that they're not magical, but his sister can tell that their construction makes them prime candidates to be foci of a conjuration spell...
Aurelia? Do you know of any conjuration spells that use something like this as a focus?
I'm not trained in Spellcraft, but... Knowledge (Arcana):
I'm standing right here, Corran.
I'm standing right here, Corran.
[dice=Spellcraft]1d20+9
[dice=Arcana]1d20+9
Yes, and I trust you to know what you're looking at and tell me what you know without being told.
Corran knows that some spells require props called a "focus." Unlike a material component, a focus is not consumed when the spell is cast and can be reused. Most spell component pouches include numerous foci. Spellcasters who channel divine magic often use a holy symbol for a focus. Spell that require expensive foci are often, though not always powerful.
Blast! I really thought we'd found the door.