The party steps through the portal and escapes the trap.  Sir Floradine's staff liquid levels empty.  He will need another vial to insert if he is to use the staff again.

The party continues down the hall, which narrows to five feet in width and begins a long descent down stairs hewn into the rock.

At the bottom of the stairs, you enter a long, narrow room with a low, vaulted ceiling.  A row of levers runs down the center of the floor.  Each of the five levers points ahead (north), and each one is a different color.  Starting with the farthest left, you see a red, yellow, green, blue, and purple lever.  A pair of gratings has been set in the floor at each end of the row of levers, and several grilles have been added to the ceiling above them.  In front of the levers, portcullises block two archways [the wavy lines you see].  The remains of two badly charred corpses lie nearby.  From their position, it looks like they fell while running away from the archways.



Beyond the archways and portcullises, you see a much larger and loftier chamber containing a flat topped pyramid surrounded by a stagnant moat.  Sickly flames flicker at the top of the pyramid, emitting a fiery orange glow.  You can catch a whiff of superheated rock.  Stone sluices, now closed, lead from the top of the pyramid to the moat.  Gratings in the floor at each corner of the pyramid look just like the ones next to the levers in the antechamber where you stand.

"This must be what the note I found referred to," Floradine says.  Then, just for good measure, he repeats the note for everyone:

"To unlock the levers, throw the one that rings the gong.
Drain the moat before moving the lava.
The blue lever drains the moat and sounds the horn.
The red and purple levers do not control the lava.
You hear a whistle if the lava drains away.
You hear a bell if the lava flows into the moat.
The lever that rings the bell is next to the green lever.
The lever that rings the gong is at one end of the row.
The purple lever does not ring anything.
The lever that blows the whistle is next to both the lever that rings the bell and the lever that sounds the horn.
The portcullises rise to a drumbeat.
The yellow and green levers do something to the lava."

"Any ideas?" he asks.  "My guess is that the top of the pyramid is filled with lava."

He tries to lift one of the portcullises to see what will happen.

Shae listens to Floradine as he reads out the dead man’s scroll again.  Her brow furrows in its usual fashion when she is in thought, pondering the words, the levers colours and how to get through this new obstacle.

“I think I know how we get past this. See if my thoughts are flawed though,” she says before quickly telling her companions the order in which she thinks the levers should be manipulated (as follows).

1. Red Lever: To ring the gong and unlock other levers
2. Blue Lever: To drain the moat before moving the lava
3. Yellow Lever: To have the lava flow into the moat
4. Green Lever: To drain the Lava away
5. Purple Lever: To open the portcullis’…..hopefully

“Of course, I am willing to do the testing on my solution, whilst you take cover” she says waving her good hand at her companions, “I still have one good hand left to do the pulling!”

She grins as she says the last.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:50, Mon 07 July 2003.

Illborn ponders Shae's idea and says, "Your plan sounds plausible to me.  I think it would be good to try.  But first let me send my crow in to check out the room."  He sends a crow forward and describes anything new that the crow sees.

[Check the site for recent updates (marked "NEW").  Remember to refresh the browser when you go there to get it updated.]

Through the crow's eyes, Illborn confirms that the top level of the stone pyramid is filled with lava.

Everyone steps back as Shae tries the levers.

First, she pulls the red lever.  As she does so, a gong can be heard sounding in the niche below the lever. You hear two audible clicks, but nothing seems to happen.

Then she pulls the blue lever.  You hear two audible clicks and the sound of a horn blowing from the niche below.  The water in the moat begins to drain.  You estimate it will take 4 rounds to completely drain (24 seconds).

You wait patiently but with anticipation.  [Please note that the drain in the moat is open.  Indicate whether you want it open or closed before pulling the yellow lever.]

Shae waits whilst the water drains away, her thoughts obviously still upon the lever puzzle.  After the water has drained away, she flicks the same lever back, closing the mechanism that let the water out.  She then continues with the rest of the levers.

Shae lets the water drain and then pushes the lever back, shutting off the drainage valves.

She then pulls the yellow lever.  You hear the sound of a bell ringing from below.  The sluices open, and lava drains from the interior of the pyramid into the moat where the water had been.

She then flips the purple lever. You hear the sound of a drum banging from the niche below.  Then you hear a click and the portcullises rise, allowing entry into the pyramid room.

With a pleased smile, the druid moves off into the pyramid room, her younger sister still held closely in her arms.

"Its nice to do something right." she comments quietly to herself.

Sir Floradine follows Shae in, but he stands by the portcullises to make sure they don't come crashing down and lock part of the party in and part of the party out.

The party moves back into the room with the levers.  Shae and Shanjalae move into the pyramid room, noting the intense heat.  Sir Floradine hovers near one of the portcullises.

Illborn, staring idly, suddenly gasps as his crow flies over the now emptied top chamber of the pyramid.  You hear a muffled squawk before seeing a stone-like hand, glowing red and dripping lava, reach up and snatch the creature out of the air.  The ruined and melted body of the bird is then flung and falls at Shae's feet.

Then it stands up, a humanoid creature apparently made from lava, standing about six feet high and with glowing eyes.  Small wings stretch out as it stands and stares down at the intruders.  Lava oozes from its skin.  It has a hooked nose, pointed ears, wide eyes and a protruding chin.  It opens its mouth and lets out a deep rumbling sound.  Its fang-like teeth are completely black.  Its eyes glance momentarily at the lava drained from its sleeping place and then focus on Shae, Shanjalae, and Sir Floradine.  It is clearly not happy.


This message was last edited by the GM at 11:55, Tue 08 July 2003.

"I would eat my last words if I could," Shae murmurs as she edges away from the dead crow at her feet, her eyes glancing between the sister in her arms and the lava loving monster.

She tries to edge closer to Floradine obviously hoping that he might protect her should the need arise.

Joseph did not feel so good after the fight with the Orcs and Gan.  Knowing that he probably couldn't stand up in a fight he pulls out his bow and notches an arrow while standing back by the levers.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:14, Wed 09 July 2003.

Kallad rushes forward with sword drawn, ordering Shae to take Shanjalae back out of harm's way.  He will hurdle over the moat of lava and strike at the lava creature.

Illborn draws a dagger and goes to the green lever.  "Should I flip the green lever?" he asks aloud to any who will listen.

Floradine follows Kallad's lead and strikes at the creature with his two handed sword.

[Everyone, sorry, my mistake.  I forgot to include the green lever.  However, with the order in which Shae pulled the levers, the green lever wouldn't do anything (and thus I forgot to include it).  When she pulled the green lever, a whistle could be heard from the niche underneath.]

Illborn goes ahead and pulls the green lever again.

Shae moves back to where Joseph stands ready with his bow.  She quickly places Shanjalae beside the ranger, knowing that he will protect her should the need arise.

As she rises to her feet she notices the many wounds that mark Joseph's body. She grimaces in sympathy, before launching into a quick prayer to her totem, begging the spirit-god to heal her companion. [Casts Cure Light on Joseph].

The lava creature holds up one hand to the side and makes unintelligible sounds.  There seems to be a heat ripple, a wave of coalescing superheated air that then turns into a swirling fire and then a round fiery hoop.  Another of the creatures steps through the gated portal, and it closes behind him.  You now face two of the lava creatures.

Kallad swings his sword around.  He hits the first lava creature in the chest.  (10 hp dmg).  When he draws back his sword, it is glowing red from the heat.  Kallad himself is injured by being so close to the heat-intensive creature.  (2 hp dmg).

Sir Floradine swings his two handed sword, hitting the creature at the base of the neck.  (12 hp dmg).  He too is damaged by the heat.  (2 hp dmg).  The creature, angered and deeply wounded, strikes out with its fist, hitting Floradine. Although the impact of the fist is only minor, Floradine's clothes burst into flames.  (1+6=7 hp dmg)  Floradine falls back and must spend the next turn putting out the flames or be burnt.  His sword also glows red from the heat.

Joseph fires an arrow, just missing the creature.

Shae casts a spell, healing Joseph.  (+6 hp).

Illborn pulls the lever.  You hear the whistle in the niche and a click from the top of the pyramid where the first creature stands.

The second lava creature stands still but begins making a strange gurgling sound.

Joseph lets loose another arrow, this time hitting the lava monster.  (5 hp dmg).  The creature grasps at the arrow and falls back over the pyramid and into the molten lava moat.  He seems to dissolve directly into the moat.