#dungeon23 - January - Area 23

 

23. THE HALL OF ELEMENTS

• This grand chamber is the largest so far – with a huge statue of a 4-armed, regal-looking woman standing at the northern end (each of her hands are outstretched with the palm facing forwards).

• As well as the main (double door) entrance to the south, there are 4 more doors – each of them decorated with a bronze plaque bearing a triangular sigil.

REVELATIONS: The sigil on each of the doors is pictured below (with each one depicting one of the elemental symbols). Similarly, if a character examines the statue, they will find that, in the palm of each hand is carved another (different style of) elemental sigil (also pictured below).

Furthermore, each hand has also been fashioned so that the index finger is separate from the rest of the fingers – as shown below (this is so that the corresponding ‘elemental’ ring can be slid upon it).

  - an example of one of the hands -

And should all four rings (found in areas 21, ??, ??, and ??) be fitted onto the correct finger (for example, the elemental ring of air should be slid onto the finger of the hand with the ‘air’ sigil - pictured above), the whole statue slides forward to reveal a spiral stairway leading down to the next level.

However, should the rings be placed upon the wrong fingers – the stature will animate and attack the intruders the moment the last ring is slid into place (gaining any relevant benefits from each of the rings that are in the wrong position). Treat this statue as a gargoyle (but with four bludgeoning attacks, and 60HP), and once it has been reduced to half of its starting hit points, it will disengage and return to its starting position – appearing like a statue once more.