The party investigates the large northern room, as well as the linked southern room, and determines that they are in some sort of transportation complex, where the northern room is set up for departures and the southern room is set up for arrivals. They spend some time deciphering the possible methods of utilizing the sparkling glass hoop at the top of the stairway, finally determining that the glass vials they found in the room with the undead soldier contain the missing ingredient, and pour the contents into the empty silver cup on the hoop's left side.
Not one to dither about plans, Maul steps boldly up to the hoop and puts her hands on the cup and the flame, as illustrated in the wall fresco, and disappears. Owynka, not wanting Maul to be...wherever she went...alone for too long, quickly follows suit, followed by Roondar, then Carric.
Passing through the hoop, they each suddenly become very light and the large black circle hurtles toward them. Bracing for impact, they are relieved to pass through the blackness into a shimmering passage, where a warm breeze sweeps them along at a fantastic rate. Instants later, a brightly colored grille momentarily appears in front of them; it flashes brightly as their bodies separate into hundreds of dazzling pieces. But, within moments, pleasant sensations sweep through every part of their bodies as they reform on the other side of the grille. Exhilarated, they speed down the passage with more colors flashing through them, creating dazzling kaleidoscopic patterns and electrifying their senses. Then, without warning, everything goes dark and the weight returns to their bodies.
Maul arrives first, in complete darkness, at the top of a set of stairs. She carefully makes her way to the floor, followed by her colleagues. When some small amount of light is produced, they see a huge construct hovering motionless in one corner of the large room, emitting a tinny, slightly echoey voice devoid of emotion:
. . . Bay 0-4-2-F-7, sublevel 3, purge capsules 18 through 46. Transport to outtake vessel 17A for decontamination and disposal. Error: transport-calibration malfunction. Amend protocols for colonist retention and recalculate inhibition subsystem parameters. Error: protocols offline. Bay 8-6-5-H-2, sublevel 19, purge capsules 81 through 94. Transport to outtake vessel 12B for decontamination and disposal. Error: transport-calibration malfunction. Amend protocols for colonist retention and recalculate inhibition subsystem parameters. Error: protocols offline. . .
The voice continues, endlessly, repeating the same information but with differently numbered bays, sublevels, capsules, and vessels. Roondar investigates this new construct, crawling underneath it, rapping on its surface, and peering intently at its construction, but the object gives up none of its secrets, and doesn't react to his prodding. It merely continues to emit the interminable voice.
Maul and Owynka, meanwhile, investigate the room to the south, where they find dozens of shapeless, vaguely human blobs slowly sliding toward them, moaning in agony. The pitiful creatures swarm the party, but they prove to be no match and the party puts them out of their collective misery with relative ease.
Investigating the central hallway between the arrival and departure rooms, the party finds an empty room and another circular rod room, but with the rod itself smashed to pieces long ago. The sulphurous smell, first noticed when the party arrived in this section of the complex, is even stronger here, and leads the party south.
Opening the door on the hexagonal room to the south, the party finds sulphurous vapors hanging heavy in the air. Smoke issues from two brown concentric circles on the floor. Without warning fires flare up, bathing the chamber in a horrid red light. From the circles' center dark smoke streams upwards to the ceiling. Everyone's eyes begin to sting as an insubstantial shape appears in the center of the room and begins to take on solid form....
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