The Clockwork Maze

Doors and Levers

A long zig-zagging stairway led down to a small chamber. Their descent was hampered by Thyrus meticulously checking every landing for traps - but at least it gave Sir Godfrey opportunity to eat his sandwiches! On the north wall, a panel with two bronze levers - one red and one black - was set chest-high in the wall. To the east, an archway led to an alcove. Distant ticking echoed through the walls, as if several large clocks were operating simultaneously. There were no exits.

After pondering the levers for some time, Seawyr eventually pushed one down, causing a distant grinding of gears to echo, but noting visibly changed. Eventually pushing the other lever, another sound of grinding clockwork opened a passageway in the alcove.

The passageway turned sharply left then led to  a set of double doors. Once Thyrus proclaimed them "trap-free2, Yangrit opened the doors. Beyond a variety of artwork and keepsakes were displayed on the walls of the chamber: a tapestry depicting a royal court, an oddly melted lump of iron on a pedestal, a heavy mace hanging on the wall, and a broken staff lay on another pedestal. While Thyrus went to examine the mace, which seemed, oddly, to be made of wood, Seawyr's attention was drawn to the broken staff. As he picked it up however a jagged arc of lightning jumped across the room, catching him and Yangrit, while Thyrus managed to evade it.

After shaking off the jolt of electricity and perusing the staff  carefully, Seawyr was bale to decipher the name "Jharun" carved into the wood, Thyrus observed that was the name of one of the missing wizards they had been asked to keep and eye out for. Deciding to take the mace, Thyrus carefully checked the doors leading out of this room for traps.

The doors led to a passageway beyond which, after Thyrus unlocked a heavy wooden door, they found some cells, where an unconscious wizard lay in a heap. After some medical attention from both Tamarie and Yangrit the wizard recovered enough to  inform them he was indeed Jharun and he and his companion Tiawask had been captured by a brass minotaur and then dragged before the master of this level, a Numerian wizard named Klarkosh. Klarkosh had accused them of spying on him and then had them beaten and imprisoned. Tiawask had managed to escape using a potion of gaseous form hidden in her boot-heel and had left to get help. However, after her escape had been discovered,  Jharun had been subject to being beaten and starved over the intervening days and seemed traumatised by what had happened to him.

Pressing on, and passing by what seemed to be a bathhouse, they Party arrived at what looked like a reception chamber. A padded chair stood on a low dais at the eastern end of the room. A large emblem made from hammered brass hung on the wall behind the chair, depicting an automation’s head between interlocking gears. The remaining walls were draped with blue coloured tapestries, except in the northeast corner, where a curving wall of green crystal intruded into the chamber—the Emerald Spire. On the northern wall was a control panel with one black lever. Two doors exited through opposite sides of a small nook to the southeast. A pair of seven-foot tall automatons armed with pole-arms stood guard in the chamber. Eerie green light flickers in the joints of their armour.

The emerald automatons proved formidable foes, but Tamarie managed to keep everyone alive and  eventually the combined attacks of the Party wore them down. After the combat was over,  the Party found one of the doors in the nook  led to a sleeping chamber where they liberated some treasure from a chest and a notebook full of automaton designs. The other door seeming led to a blank wall, but moving the black lever revealed a passageway heading east.

The Machine Room

Exhausted by their efforts and nearly out of spells, the Party decided to rest in the bedchamber near the Reception Chamber. This proved to be a mis-step as part way through the night several Emerald Automatons arrived to eject them. At first the Party thought that they were trapped, but Juntrik spotted a secret door that allowed them to flee, hidden by an obscuring mist from Seawyr. Strangely, the Emerald Automatons did not pursue them.

The headed back towards the exit but found that the passageway had now reconfigured and led to a set of doors that Jhaurn informed them let to the "metal bull" that had easily captured him and Tiawask. There were no levers nearby to move things around again, so the Party slumped, believing themselves to be trapped.

After an exhausting search of the surrounding area Yangrit revealed a secret door in the Trophy Chamber, which led to a huge chamber. A heavy brass housing in the middle of the room covered a clockwork arrangement of gears and cogs, that clanked loudly as they slowly move. Revolving camshafts and rocker mechanisms extended from the housing to various points in the ceiling, driving unseen mechanisms. The room also seemed to serve as a workshop. Nine alcoves contained unfinished automatons in various stages of assembly. There was also a  panel with a red lever and a black lever set in a curved wall at the west end of the room. Doors lead east and north. Quickly experimenting with the levers Seawyr eventually managed to reopen a way to the exit. The Party retreated to the long stairway that led down to this level and rested on one of the landings.

After a nights sleep, Jhaurn felt strong enough to take himself out of the dungeon, especially after Seawyr walked him through the maps of the various levels  that Thyrus had been compiling. The Party returned to the dungeon to find that the levers had been reset to the neutral position. Seawyr quickly moved the levers around until he had opened a path back to Trophy Room. Yangrit led the way back to the secret door that led to the Machine Room, finding that this time the room was occupied!

A tall and gaunt man worked there; gold plating was joined to his flesh, making him half man, half automaton. Two Emerald Automatons guarded him. On seeing Yangrit and Seawyr, Klarkosh flew into a rage accusing them of being spies and stealing his designs!  He immediately ordered the automatons to seize Yangrit. As one of the automatons grabbed the druid, Seawyr cast a grease spell, causing both to fall to the ground in a tangle. The second automaton following its companion also slipped on the greasy patch. This caused Klarkosh to fly into a rage and the spells began to fly, Seawyr retaliating in kind. Eventually, things turned in the Party's favour, Seawyr and Yangrit both using flaming sphere spells to dramatic effect!