Vogh and Kurat step into the tunnel once the command word is spoken and the tunnel opens up. As they walk to the other end, Vogh realizes that the tunnels are all the same length regardless of how far away the destination is. This seems consistent with the Dimension Door aspect of the spell that creates the tunnels.

At the end of the tunnel, before stepping out of it, you can see the area clearly enough. It's a town... or it was. The jagged ruins of a dozen towers reach up to the sky.

In the middle of the town, about a hundred yards away, is an intact building. Somewhat squat and square.

AS Vogh stepped out of another tunnel she checked her surroundings quickly to see if she knew where she was.  Unfortunately, she didn't once again.  Turning to Kurat she nodded towards the only building that seemed intact and said, "I think that is where we will find the boots.  Shall we check it out?  By the way, we haven't talked much as of yet.  What is your profession?  I am a bard, but I have also trained with oracles as well."

Kurat looked over the area at the ruins. Like the place he'd visited before it seemed lifeless and long ruined but they had found sounds of life there a guardian and such. He listened to Vogh's question and thought a moment.

"I'm a mercenary by trade, selling my services here and there throughout the north. Been doing that for a while now. It started when I found my ring among my father's vaults and that led me to a tome. From there I largely taught myself specializing largely in transmutation magic while at the same time making sure I was fit physically as well as mentally," he said.

"Self-taught?  Very impressive indeed." Vogh gave the hobgoblin a smile and then went back to the task at hand.

Nearing the structure, Vogh looked for an entrance or any other signs of ways to get in.


09:48, Today: Vogh Kath rolled 17 using 1d20+13.  Perception check

Kurat watched as Vogh looked about. He preferred to save his magics for when they were needed so he was happy to help look at the moment. He looked about as well hoping to help find an entrance for them to use or at least a clue.

17:08, Today: Kurat rolled 28 using 1d20+13.  Perception.

The first thing  you both notice is the inscription on the front of the building. It identifies the structure as the tomb of Zama Kindu. The wizard was killed by the three dragons that destroyed the town of Ylraphon. This tomb was built by the survivors.

As near as you can tell, the building was built as the tomb itself, not a structure to house the tomb. As such, then, there is no way to get inside since there's isn't anything inside but a body.

However, you quickly realize that the tomb shows signs of having been looted, possibly more than once.

You can see what appears to be the outline of a door. It might have been sealed once, but the seals have long since been broken.

The two-story building has the second story set back from the first story. The base is about 80 feet square; the second story about 60 feet square.

The outline o the doorway follows the running bond of the stone bricks that the building appears to be made of.

There's no obvious way to open it, though.

"Kurat, when you retrieved your item where was it?  Both of the ones I have gone after all I had to say was Green Star."  Vogh wasn't sure if the words would have an effect for the door they were now looking at but she gave it a shot.

"Saying 'green star' only made the guardian leave us alone," Kurat replied.

"We should expect a guardian here as well, though the tomb looks to have been looted. Would that have let the guardian out? I suppose it depends on what the guardian is."

"I suggest just trying to open the door. If that fails, we can look for some secret release button."

Vogh attempts to open the door and if it doesn't she says the magic word, "Green Star".

Saying the words produces no effect... at least, no clearly visible or otherwise discernible effect. The door remains closed.

"Well, that is interesting.  Nothing happened at least outright.  Take a look around and see if there is another way in."  Vogh says as she shakes her head and begins moving around the place and feeling for any new cracks or ways in.

17:14, Today: Vogh Kath rolled 23,14 using d20+13,d20+13.  perception, knowledge engineering.

Vogh can't find any other way in, but after circling it and examining it, she suspects getting in is like a puzzle box. She just has to figure out which blocks to push in the right order. It's either that, or it was never meant to be opened again--the door was the seal to keep out intruders and looters.

After a bit more consideration, she discards the second idea because she can't imagine Esmeralda wouldn't have known that, thereby requiring massive demolition or else teleporting in. If that was the case, why not have the portal tunnel just go inside?

After finding out that there wasn't any way in Vogh turned to Kurat and said, "Looks like we need to figure out how this rather large puzzle box works.  Any idea you might be able to add could help.  Otherwise, I think we just need to attempt working the stones."

Vogh gets in closer to look over the stone patterns and to see if anything looks like it may be more 'used' than the other.

Since I have time I will take 20 for a score of 33 on perception and engineering.If I need a roll then here it is 08:29, Today: Vogh Kath rolled 25 using 1d20+13.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:30, Fri 07 Jan 2022.

Having determined that the tomb was constructed as a sort of puzzle box, generally indicating that only the priests would know how to get back in since only they would have a reason to do so, Vogh has no problem determining which sections can move.

After that, it's determining which way they CAN move. The ones on the edges can clearly only move up or off the edge.

With no other ideas offered by Kurat, it comes down to trial and error.

It turns out to be easier than it looks. The true difficulty was in figuring out the secret in the first place.

The one of the edge slides to the left. That allows the stone above it to slide down into the slot made available. That, in turn, allows the stone over the door to slide sideways. Finally, the door then slides upward to give access to the interior.

It occurs to both of you that it'd be impossible to get out again if the stones were all slide back in place when you were inside.

There's a narrow hallway that penetrates into the tomb... and darkness.

"Well, I guess we should head inside or were not going to recover the boots.  I just hope that the stones don't move while we are inside.  Shall we?"  Vogh had asked and before Kurat could move in Vogh cast a set of dancing lights and moved them inside the structure so that she could see inside.

Cast Dancing Lights

The passage heads in for about 40 feet before it meets a cross hall. Both left and right go about 50 feet before turning further inward.

Somewhat unexpectedly, the walls are covered in frescoes that show a story about a wizard that defeated a dragon but died in the process. The grateful people of the town built this tomb to honor his bravery and memory.

Also somewhat strangely, the story is repeated on both walls, so it doesn't matter which way you go, the story still unfolds in the proper sequence.

Going left, you easily see that the hallway appears to circle the inside of the structure. About hallway down the side hall, there is an opening on the inner wall.

Going down to the opening, you see a chamber beyond. It's completely square, though there are stairs along the left-hand wall going down and along the right-hand wall going up.

In the center of the chamber is black slab pedestal with an hourglass on it. The sands are already running out of the top into the bottom chamber.

Looking at the frescoes on the wall, Vogh moves along the path.  When she got to the spot with the hourglass that was running she looked to Kurat.  "Now that is suspect.  I wonder what that means?  What happens when the sand runs out?"

How much sand has moved to the bottom bowl of the glass?

"Greenstar!"  Vogh said to the hourglass.  She was going to be saying that word a lot just in case.

If nothing happens, Vogh will say, "Shall we head up the stairs first?  This place is so much bigger than it looks from the outside doesn't it?"

"I think it means we have that long to do what we're going to do before the doors close again," Kurat responds after studying the hourglass for a few seconds. "I estimate about an hour."

"I don't believe the hourglass has anything to do with the Green Star Wonder. Remember, this was a commemorative tomb. Esmeralda merely found it convenient to but the Wonder here. No doubt her future-sight showed that it would still be here all those centuries later."

"Up the stairs or down the stairs, we could be wrong either way. It appears larger inside because we've lost perspective. If you were implying that there are extra-dimensional spaces inside the tomb, I don't think so."

He follows her up the stairs.

The stairs go up the equivalent of one level though it appears as if the stone floor of the upper level is a good 3 feet thick.

At the top of the stairs, you are in a room somewhat smaller than the one below. In the center of all four walls is a door that's been swung open. Beyond each door is an alcove or perhaps a closet with three shelves along the back of it. The shelves are all empty.