The party stand on the edge stare into the abyss, looking at the floating platform. Fria casts a resist energy lightning on herself and Leonora. Fria dimension doors Henry & Bjarni across, the rest fly being zapped by electricity, bashed by cloud fists and obscured by mist, but they make it (thanks in part to a timely resiste energy from Ahmumstut). Bjarni explores the corridor beyond and finds a warning in the stone not to go looking for trouble. The corridor has a secret door that Fria detects is a trigger that removes the floor (and reveals a pit of acid) Fria casts spider climb on those who cannot fly and it opens intoa further chamber revealign the horrible bubbling acid pit below. The room beyond is filled with 2 dozen braziers and a huge fire in the middle: the centre fire has steely eyes and says 'enter , great riches await those who solve the riddle of the fire“ .. “I am a thing, I give you 20 questions to guess or I eat you.”

We accidentally burn one question conversationally: and then Vulf wracks his brains to see if Worldweaver has done something lile this in history.

• 1 Vulf, are you elemental : no
• -2 Bj, what are you ? : was a fire elemental “I am pyree”

we discuss that we're guessing what he is thinking about not what is he

• 2 Jestix: Animal Veg Mineral? “Could be any, if it was one of those things it might be made of bits of dead animal”
• 3 Fria : Are you sentient? “Extremly unlikely, most of the thing I am thinking about are not”
• 4 Bjarni: Are you manufactured? : “Normally”
• 5 Jestix: Is it commonly used as a weapon ? “No”
• 6 Jestix: Am I commonly worn? “No, but there are instances that could be worn by creatures I suppose”
• 7 Vulf: Are you an item of furniture ? “Yes, in all normal uses and sense”

Bjarni suggests a throne..that can be mounted on an animal can be used in a fight

• 8 Vulf “Are you intended to be sat upon” ? “Yes, normally”
• 9 Fria “Are you a throne” ? “I could be”
• 10 Bjarni “Are you a chair?” “YES !!”

Fria casts resist energy fire and searches the room.. she is attacked by the fire elemental as we make the last guess: a spell to share any damange on him with her. It has no intention of a reward, there was always going to be a fight and everything kicks off.. He throws a crytal shard as Bjarni as a range touch attack. He stands up as a flaming humanoid, with an apparent force/ magical shield around him (mage armour) Fria tries a dispel on it, and it fails as the creature is using psionic powers (a first in this campaign) of which we know nothing. Ahmumstut blasts it magic missile, Isondel shoots it. Jestix in eagle form sqalks at it with a call lightning..which tickles it. In return it “energy bursts sonic” hurting the party somewhat. Bjarni decides it is evil and power attacks.. Fria disintegrates it but a psychic force helps it shrug most of it off. Ahmumstut continues blasting it..with an ice-storm. Jestix batters it a biood saves and a high DR and continues on …Fria feeble-minds it, it's shields go down and Vulf & Ahmumstut's attacks take it down. The end wall opens and we're back at the challenge central room. We heal up and exit, answering the obvious 4th question of who set the challenge and the 4 lights illuminated, and big double doors unlock Fria checks them out for traps and Vulf enters the passage beyond…

A long corridor with two of golden plates on the walls either side of the entrace with keyholes and along the walls of the long corridor there are open-mouthed dragon headed protusions . Using the entropy golem key disables the lightening bolt heads.. which is nice. The door at the end is not trapped or locked and opens to reveal a room with another door on the other side.

This is a more standard room, with a 10' ceiling, softly lit with half a dozen comfy chairs (ergo charis). Centre of the room has a smokey crystal tile. On the far wall is a blue steel door. Fria searches the room , the party sit around the table and place hands on the table surface trying to summon images. Vulf gets an image of the gauntlet area. There is a secret door in the north wall. Fria opens it.. Athe next room is a very noisy mechanism and control system for the challenge. Hanging into the middle is a longsword stuck in a block of metal. Bjarni reaches for the sword.. The magic users in the party determine it is a magical machine essentially pulling power from something and making reality: it is possible for a spell caster to draw energy directly from the mechanism. Any spell caster that touching it can cast any spell they know for free, but you suffer hit point damage of twice the level of skin.. Then you need a DC20 str check to escape and then take twice the damage to escape.

Bjarni grabs the sword and feels the power of a minor artifact called “Excelsior” silver blade golden hilt with outstreatched wings. +1 /4lvl of wealder. but he knows he cannot pull it out. Fria exchanges the evil soul-sucking mace for the longsword., and hands it to Bjarni in whoes hands it becomes a great sword. It was build by worshippers of the sun god. (Holy for paladin, etc..) anyone weilding gains fly but only upwards not down (down it feather falls and looses power until you land)!

The mechanism draws power from the same source as the pryamid.

• Acid trap
• lighning trap
• Air elementalw
• Fire elemental

• gain Excelsior

now we're just faced with the blue door. The party sleep/ rest , but Vulf says 'open door' and the blue door unlocks, revealing a corridor to a spiral stair down.

18th Level achieved for Bjarni

• 2040xp each for 17th Level characters
• 1530xp each for 18th Level characters

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