Clamps
2007-06-01, 01:36 AM
The Citadel of the Sun.
The Citadel of the Sun is designed with my Oceanfire setting (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45404) in mind, but can be used in any setting. It is designed for a party of around level 7-8.
In Oceanfire the Citadel is a gigantic bronze tower that appears in the Bifurbin desert on the morning of the day of a solar eclipse. On that day, and on that day only, the exact location of the rift to Corona can be predicted: The top of the tower. It appears for ten minutes during the eclipse, and will then disappear until the next one.
In other campaign settings the citadel is a gigantic bronze tower that appears in deserts during a solar eclipse. At the top is a treasure hoard that any dragon would kill its own mother and rape her skull for.
Regardless of setting, the appearance of the Citadel is the same: A tower some 300 feet tall, made of solid bronze, with spires jutting out at freakish angles. The higher up the tower, the more spires there are, eventually climaxing in a spiderweb of bronze cradling an altar. It's relatively featureless,
though. The altar looks interesting, but not from the base.
The entire tower is within a gigantic circle of protection against Law and Evil
Entrance
Read:
The entrance to the Citadel is a small altar fifteen feet from the ground. There is a grand staircase leading up to the altar, which is made of mirrors. Not mirrored glass, but small individual mirrors, no more than a few inches across, floating in the air in the rough shape of a table. There's enough space between the mirrors that it's clearly not a solid surface, yet a man sits on the altar anyway. He is ancient, wearing golden robes and a black blindfold. The only discernible facial features past his long white beard is an endless labyrinth of wrinkles.
"Hello, there." he says as you approach, his voice dusty and weak. "I'm trying to count how many mirrors there are. I'm told it's 'the smallest number not definable in under ten words', but I can't figure out what that means. Bugger it all. I quit." Without another word, he disappears into the air.
Examination: As the old man strongly hints, the altar is the way in, and you need to figure out how many mirrors there are. The altar is the only thing on top of the stairs, and there's no discernible entrance. If the players attempt to count the mirrors, they find it impossible, as the mirrors constantly jump around, and seem to be popping in and out of existence.
The altar reads as magical if scanned, though the fact that it's made of flying mirrors might have been a clue. If a character attempts to grab a mirror, it disappears and a new one appears to take its place. Characters who makes a DC 20 listen check notice that the mirrors aren't making any noise even as they fly through the air.
Solution: The Altar is a Minor Image. 'The smallest number not definable in under ten words' is a nine-word definition, and thus can't possibly apply to any number. Therefore, the puzzle is a paradox, and can not logically exist. If the Minor Image is dispelled, the entrance to the citadel appears behind it.
Hallway 1
Read:
You're in a hallway. It's made of pure gold, and lit by torches every ten feet. On the walls are a series of images showing a woman seducing a king. Between the torches, on each side, are statues of hares. (If in Oceanfire, anyone making a Knowledge (Religion) check DC 10 knows that this represents Ameter seducing the moon, and is related to the eclipse today. A separate but equal check reveals that the rabbits are Tetheter.) And the end of the hallway, 30 feet down, is a bronze door.
Examination: Each statue has 100 GP pearls for eyes. There are four statues, and the left eye of one of them (the right side, furthest from the entrance) is trapped with a Fusillade of Darts coming from the mouth.
Solution: No puzzle.
Room 1
Read:
You're in a honeycomb-shaped room. Each wall has a silver clock on it. Clockwise from the entrance, they read 1:40, 2:30, 3:20, 4:10, and 5:00. The final clock has the hour hand on the six, but the minute hand fell off and is on the floor. In the middle of the room is a circle of comfortable-looking leather chairs, surrounding a golden statue of a gargoyle that glows brightly enough to illuminate the room. The floor and walls are made of gold.
Examination: Nothing magical or mystical here. The gargoyle statue seems to be glowing under it's own power. The minute hand is made of silver. The leather chairs are nice.
Solution: The minute hand had be re-attched, and setting the final clock to 6:50 brings the gargoyle to life. That's what you get for being a pattern-catching smartass. Upon killing the gargoyle, it shatters. Without the light, the player can see the faint outline of the line behind a concealed door. It was also possible to kill the gargoyle by hitting with with the clock hand, or to find the door by make a search check DC 45.
To be continued....
The Citadel of the Sun is designed with my Oceanfire setting (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45404) in mind, but can be used in any setting. It is designed for a party of around level 7-8.
In Oceanfire the Citadel is a gigantic bronze tower that appears in the Bifurbin desert on the morning of the day of a solar eclipse. On that day, and on that day only, the exact location of the rift to Corona can be predicted: The top of the tower. It appears for ten minutes during the eclipse, and will then disappear until the next one.
In other campaign settings the citadel is a gigantic bronze tower that appears in deserts during a solar eclipse. At the top is a treasure hoard that any dragon would kill its own mother and rape her skull for.
Regardless of setting, the appearance of the Citadel is the same: A tower some 300 feet tall, made of solid bronze, with spires jutting out at freakish angles. The higher up the tower, the more spires there are, eventually climaxing in a spiderweb of bronze cradling an altar. It's relatively featureless,
though. The altar looks interesting, but not from the base.
The entire tower is within a gigantic circle of protection against Law and Evil
Entrance
Read:
The entrance to the Citadel is a small altar fifteen feet from the ground. There is a grand staircase leading up to the altar, which is made of mirrors. Not mirrored glass, but small individual mirrors, no more than a few inches across, floating in the air in the rough shape of a table. There's enough space between the mirrors that it's clearly not a solid surface, yet a man sits on the altar anyway. He is ancient, wearing golden robes and a black blindfold. The only discernible facial features past his long white beard is an endless labyrinth of wrinkles.
"Hello, there." he says as you approach, his voice dusty and weak. "I'm trying to count how many mirrors there are. I'm told it's 'the smallest number not definable in under ten words', but I can't figure out what that means. Bugger it all. I quit." Without another word, he disappears into the air.
Examination: As the old man strongly hints, the altar is the way in, and you need to figure out how many mirrors there are. The altar is the only thing on top of the stairs, and there's no discernible entrance. If the players attempt to count the mirrors, they find it impossible, as the mirrors constantly jump around, and seem to be popping in and out of existence.
The altar reads as magical if scanned, though the fact that it's made of flying mirrors might have been a clue. If a character attempts to grab a mirror, it disappears and a new one appears to take its place. Characters who makes a DC 20 listen check notice that the mirrors aren't making any noise even as they fly through the air.
Solution: The Altar is a Minor Image. 'The smallest number not definable in under ten words' is a nine-word definition, and thus can't possibly apply to any number. Therefore, the puzzle is a paradox, and can not logically exist. If the Minor Image is dispelled, the entrance to the citadel appears behind it.
Hallway 1
Read:
You're in a hallway. It's made of pure gold, and lit by torches every ten feet. On the walls are a series of images showing a woman seducing a king. Between the torches, on each side, are statues of hares. (If in Oceanfire, anyone making a Knowledge (Religion) check DC 10 knows that this represents Ameter seducing the moon, and is related to the eclipse today. A separate but equal check reveals that the rabbits are Tetheter.) And the end of the hallway, 30 feet down, is a bronze door.
Examination: Each statue has 100 GP pearls for eyes. There are four statues, and the left eye of one of them (the right side, furthest from the entrance) is trapped with a Fusillade of Darts coming from the mouth.
Solution: No puzzle.
Room 1
Read:
You're in a honeycomb-shaped room. Each wall has a silver clock on it. Clockwise from the entrance, they read 1:40, 2:30, 3:20, 4:10, and 5:00. The final clock has the hour hand on the six, but the minute hand fell off and is on the floor. In the middle of the room is a circle of comfortable-looking leather chairs, surrounding a golden statue of a gargoyle that glows brightly enough to illuminate the room. The floor and walls are made of gold.
Examination: Nothing magical or mystical here. The gargoyle statue seems to be glowing under it's own power. The minute hand is made of silver. The leather chairs are nice.
Solution: The minute hand had be re-attched, and setting the final clock to 6:50 brings the gargoyle to life. That's what you get for being a pattern-catching smartass. Upon killing the gargoyle, it shatters. Without the light, the player can see the faint outline of the line behind a concealed door. It was also possible to kill the gargoyle by hitting with with the clock hand, or to find the door by make a search check DC 45.
To be continued....