Dr. Rit—OOH! Sylva flits back in the room (with her hand raised). “Ooh! I just thought of a quesh…ton.”
Seeing the oozy creature is gone, Sylva lowers her hand and fades into the shadows.
Sir Batman dumbly follows along. The bronzed-colored bat-shaped Sprite seems a bit weirded out by the Not Talking Fish that knows stuff.
So, we seem to be working for a Fish now? Just when one thought things couldn't get any weirder.
"It is mightily perplexing, indeed."
The dry sewer tunnel ends at an equally dry pool with ledges to either side. The western ledge is empty, but the eastern ledge is cluttered with carpentry and bricklaying supplies, along with a workbench. The brick wall to the south looks newer than the surrounding walls. A door is set in the east wall.
The notes here confirm that Etward has been bribing officials and using contractors to help build this secret laboratory, walling over tunnels to ensure privacy and installing numerous secret doors. In fact, one of those secret doors is located here, in the west wall!
You find another sheet of paper that’s slid off the desk and lies almost hidden against the wall by the table’s leg. This sheet contains a complex diagram of a three-door locking mechanism.
Finally, a few asides in the form of notes or glosses in margins reveal one of Etward’s deeper secrets—a casual mention of “now that my little fire did the job on the river, I’ve finally got total control of the family finances.
Sylva stares at the diagram, but her mind is wandering. It’s the telepathic ooze whale. Or so she tells herself. Yeah, when you f+~# up, blame the ooze whale…
“The oo… well… uhh… yeah. This is way over my head.”
Don’t blame the ooze whale when you can make a self-deprecating short-joke. Good save, she tries to convince herself.
Sir Batman seems to redden with each mentioning of the Doctor's infractions, misdeeds, crappy shananagins (which are way different than wacky, fun shananagins). The Champion of Mazludeh tries to busy himself by looking over Sylva's shoulder as she stares hard at the diagram.
Good thing you are acquainted with such devices, Sylva. It's all Greek to me.
The bronzed-colored bat-shaped Sprite doesn't seem to notice anything particular about the Rogue's self-deprecating short joke....
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"Best not disparage yourself, my sylvan friend. Your efforts are commendable. Now, let me have a look."
"Hmm, this IS very complicated. Now this part here... and you see how this connects here... and this mechanism, see how it balances... no, that's not right..."
He flips the diagram upside down (rightside up).
"There, see, yes, it all comes together now."
The eastern door leads to a long hallway. Another regular door sits at the end of it. A solid iron door sits in the south wall. Instead of a typical handle, the door features a single wheel in its center. At the center of the wheel is a dial numbered one to fifty.
The door appears to be part of the three-door locking mechanism that Zienvus deciphered. In order to pass into the vault beyond, one must enter the correct combination on the northern door, step into the 5-foot-square chamber beyond, close the northern door, enter the correct combination on the middle door, step into the 5-foot-square chamber beyond, close the central door, and then enter the correct combination on the southern door. Doing so will grant you access to the vault, which is where Etvard's notes indicated that "the Guest" is being contained.
Before opening the vault, Zienvus pauses to consider, "Well through here is our distinguished 'Guest', a creature brought back from beyond the gate. It may have answers, it may also try to destroy us. Shall we confront it now or explore further?"
Sir Batman knocks on the door...
Nobody home. Let's explore a bit more before properly announcing ourselves to the Guest.
The east door leads into a trapezoidal room that seems to be a trophy hall. To the north and south of the door, several humanoid skulls are mounted on stands. Each of the skulls has been altered so that the top can be removed, and each skull is accompanied by a plaque bearing the name of a gatewalker—including Bolan Nogasso, the rebel Oaksteward you faced outside of Sevenarches.
In the northeast corner looms a huge, white-furred, horned humanoid, while to the southeast sits a diorama of a strange city surrounded by six stone spires. The largest display is to the east: an immense flickering image of shadow and smoke that looks vaguely like a whale—a whale with tentacles and far too many eyes.
“Okay… Brain removal. There’s never a good reason for that, or else our skulls would have come with a separate Lid-Bone. Skulls don’t have a natural opening, and that’s not a design flaw. Hahaha.”
He laugh is not a laugh to be cute or because she thinks she’s funny. It’s definitely a nervous laugh. Sylva is terrified and her bravado is, at the moment, unconvincing.
Zienus is most immediately drawn to the white, furry, horned monster , recalling the dreams related to him by Takuzo. "Hmm... A costume..."
Then of course, his eye is drawn to the flickering image of the vaguish whale, "Is this our main quarry? Osoyo?"
"Hmm. This diorama here must be the enigmatic Nameless Spires, rumored to be located deep in the Crown of the World. I must conclude then this is our destination."
"The skulls are troubling indeed, Sylva. I for one would prefer keeping my own intact."
Sir Batman cautiously circles the room. His shield raised before him. His blue eyes jumping from freaky statue to freaky skull display to freaky diorama.
The bronze-color bat-shaped Sprite stops in front of the whale with tentacles and far too many eyes.
Anyone else already played Strange Aeons?
The Champion of Mazludeh makes a few signs of protection absently sprinkling smoking incense around the chamber.
At Zienvus' pronouncement of destination, Sir Batman shivers.
Better quickly continue our purpose here prior to being caught.
The Champion Raises his Shield to continue to lead the way....