Farther along in the southern passage the party finds another hexagonal room with an inlaid silver circle, similiar to but slightly different from the circle in the previous hexagonal room far to the west. This hexagonal room is also littered with rubble that has fallen from the ceiling, and which continues to fall as the party investigates it. They check the door in this room, which leads to a short set of stairs down and another long hallway leading to a bright room with a floor-to-ceiling rod containing a chalcedony gem.
To the east of this room, the party finds the apparent end of the long southern corridor, which terminates in a magical, spongy darkness that cannot be traversed by normal means. So the party decides to follow the tunnel west, where they eventually run into a colorful grille composed of differently sized interlocking pentagrams, constructed in such a way that the largest opening is only an inch or two across. When they're about 20 feet away, the grille turns bright red and an alarm bell begins to sound.
The party considers their options and decides to backtrack to the easternmost area. There, they continue through the hallway accessed by the southern hexagonal room, where they find a doorway to the east, branching off from the circular room with the rod and gem. Inside that room is a large humanoid in plate mail and holding an electrified glaive, surrounded by eight small orbs that activate when the creature attacks Maul. The party--with the help of the orbs--defeats the creature, after which the orbs seem to return to their dormant state.
Maul thinks about donning the creature's impressive, seemingly magical armor, but decides against it after Roondar advises her that doing so could have negative repercussions, what with the tubes and wires that connect to whoever is wearing it. Furthermore, it's clear that the creature inside the armor was dead long before the party defeated him in combat. Roondar also examines one of the deactivated orbs that were guarding the creature and determines that the orbs are truly ancient constructs. With some tinkering, he is able to create some usable technology from the creature's armor.
Investigating the metal locker, which is the one intact piece of furniture in the room, Roondar finds some tattered robes and cloaks, a rotted leather bag, a leather book that crumbles to dust when he picks it up, a metal box containing a small ornamental scepter and 500 gold pieces, and, on the top shelf, ten crystal flasks filled with clear, odorless liquid. The flasks each bear an inscription of an enamelled red flame burning on an inlaid silver base in the shape of a cup.
The hallway beyond this room branches in three directions. Proceeding through the door to the north, the party finds a large room illuminated from above. Filling the center of the western wall is a large black circle (very similar in appearence to the magical, spongy darkness at the end of the southern corridor). In front of this circle is a flight of dark steps leading up to a sparkling glass hoop. The hoop is ten feet in diameter and stands upright and parallel to the circle. A bright blue flame burns upon a small silver platform on the right side of the hoop. A silver cup glints opposite it.
The frescoes on the north and south walls are mirror images of each other and depict a city adjacent to a mountain range. The mountains are at the eastern end of the room and the city is at the western end. The ceiling shows the sky and a depiction of the sun, which is the source of the room's illumination.
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