Area O2 — The Hall of Blades - Additonal Narrative
Area O2 — The Hall of Blades
The passage opens into a round chamber nearly sixty feet across. Hundreds of rusted swords have been driven point-first into the stone floor, leaving only their chipped blades and worn hilts exposed. They stand so close together that crossing the room feels like walking through a dead forest of iron.
At the center of the chamber, one sword remains untouched by rust. Its polished blade catches the light as though it had been forged only yesterday. Beyond it, the northern passage is sealed by a shimmering wall of force.
The Broken Spiral
The swords are not arranged at random. A character who succeeds at a DC 18 Perception check notices that the blades form a large spiral across the floor. A successful DC 16 Religion check identifies the pattern as the spiral of Pharasma, symbolizing the journey of souls through life, death, and judgment.
The spiral is broken in seven places. In some spots, a sword is missing. In others, the wrong sword has been placed.
To open the northern passage, the party must find all seven breaks, choose the correct swords from the surrounding chamber, and place them in the proper positions. Once the spiral is complete, the polished longsword at the center must be turned.
A character examining one of the damaged sections can attempt a DC 17 Religion check or a DC 19 Perception check to identify the correct replacement sword. Other characters can Aid normally. Placing a sword takes one Interact action.
Placing the wrong sword, or turning the central blade before all seven breaks have been repaired, triggers the trap.
Blade Storm Hazard 3
MAGICAL TRAP
Stealth DC 20
Description Ancient magic shatters an incorrectly placed sword and hurls its fragments back at whoever disturbed the spiral.
Disable DC 18 Thievery to disrupt the runes around one broken section, or DC 17 Religion to place the correct sword and restore that part of the spiral. Completing the full spiral permanently disables the trap.
Shattering Blades [reaction]
Trigger A creature places the wrong sword into the spiral or turns the central longsword before the spiral is complete.
Effect The misplaced sword explodes into a spray of spectral iron. Creatures in a 15-foot cone aimed toward the triggering creature take 2d8+4 slashing damage, with a DC 20 basic Reflex save.
A creature that critically fails the save also takes 1d6 persistent bleed damage.
Reset The magic settles after 1 minute. The trap can then be triggered again. Any sword destroyed by the trap must be replaced before the spiral can be completed.
Completing the Spiral
When the final sword is set into place, pale silver light begins to travel along the spiral, moving inward toward the chamber’s center. Turning the polished longsword causes the northern barrier to flicker, crack, and vanish with a low metallic hum.
The central blade then loosens from the stone and can be removed. It is a +1 striking ghost touch longsword.