Ahead of the trireme, a storm tosses the sand about violently … and against the better discretion of most trireme navigators, the ship bears directly for it. Off to the starboard, a single Nohbakim scout rides a sled drawn through the sand by several leashes that stretch forward and down into the sand … There is no sign of the creatures pulling the sled, save for little round mounds that rise from the sand, hinting at spherical creatures sliding underneath the surface.

Mage Envoy stands on the foredeck of the trireme, in the center of a large ritual circle chalked onto the deck. Instead of the traditional candles, the Aeolun is using various crystals and stones, and even small pieces of metal, placed strategically through the diagram.

The odd, two-voiced singing of the Mage begins to get louder, and she reaches her arms out in front of her as if trying to slip her fingers into an invisible crack. The pitch of the song-chant changes again, as Envoy begins to finally direct the Dispel Earth ritual against the storm.

Several of the Nohbakim pause in their activities to watch … as the storm is obviously agitated in its momentum … then presses inward on itself as the ship approaches. It is as if an invisible sphere had surrounded the trireme and its sled escort, pushing away the blasting winds and billowing dust of the eternal storm. The "fingers" find not a crack, but a handle, in Envoy's mind … a sensation that curiously feels as if she simply reached out, found a handle, turned it, and the door opened for her.

As the storm parts to make way for the craft, the kooshkie sled, emboldened by the display, speeds up, darting ahead of the ship … but not so far as to get outside of this little "bubble". In mere seconds, enough of a gap appears to show a clear, calm area in the center of this sandstorm … and in the center of that is the Earth Tower of Barabbas.

Envoy tries not to be distracted by the sight of the Tower until the ship is fully clear of the winds. She changes the pitch of her song once more, now working to keep the bubble active long enough for the ship to return through the maelstrom without her. The colors of the various stones and crystals used in the ritual begin to fade, and the Mage tells the nearest deckhand that they must be out of the storm again before the crystals have turned black.

The three-armed Nohbakim presses his hands together – one on each side, the third in the middle – and bows to Mage Envoy, the rest of his features hidden under voluminous and patched-up robes, though alas it does nothing to hide his rank odor. "Yes, honored Magus. We will hasten to take your supplies to their proper places … but not so hastily as to risk damaging anything!" He continues on along this line, emphasizing how diligently his people will carry out their work … while other Nohbakim back up his words with action as the sand-trireme glides to a stop near the base of the tower. Lochinvar is among the workers, having the luxury of not having to waste time and effort navigating the way with sand-shoes, or having to wait to ride across on a sled. The sled, after all, appears to be reserved for Envoy, as it glides up to a stop at the base of the ramp that the Nohbakim lower just a bowshot away from the tower itself.

By the number of boxes and bags unloaded by the Nohbakim, it would seem that the Wasir added a bit to Lochinvar's and Envoy's requests, despite all his act of fear that he should be saddled with yet more expenses to account for in the Emir's budget.

The tree is obviously alive, despite what reason would dictate. In fact, it has numerous plants – many of them oversized – wrapped about its trunk. A Xenean Man-Eater and its prehensile vines can be seen clinging to the west side of the tree, and some fairly nasty thorns are on the east side.

On the south side, it looks as if the tree has wept sap that has solidified into amber … and set into the trunk is a door fashioned of amber, numerous runes inscribed upon its surface, and countless insects trapped inside its translucent golden surface. It's an oddly asymmetrical door, its rounded features suggesting something organic rather than that which would be built.

The back of the tower shelters a giant flower growing in an odd way, with no visible stalk, but rather with its petals laying down flush to the sand. Far above this plant, on the trunk of the tree, can be seen a wooden door set between a couple of branches, well off of the ground.

Putting up the hood of her cloak, Envoy boards the sled and points towards the north side of the tower, with the odd flower. "Can you land us close to that?" she asks the pilot. With her face shadowed by the hood, it can be clearly seen now that her curved horn is glowing, no doubt from a held spell.

The vaguely Nohbakim driver, gender unknown, nods at Envoy's request. Several kooshkies bounce about on the sand, awaiting the chance to move. Each one is a spherical creature, surrounded in brightly colored spines that wiggle about.

At a call from the Nohbakim driver, the kooshkies dive into the sand, disappearing, their locations only hinted at as mounds moving under the surface. The sled soon starts moving, keeping a wide berth of the tower, coasting around to the north side. The Nohbakim bearers follow the sled's lead, carrying the supplies over that way.

The sled glides to a stop on the north side, part of the slowing being apparently by a little more resistance from the sand. The Nohbakim pulls out a pole and pokes at the sand to the starboard side of the sled. Sure enough, it holds, being as solid ground as sand gets.

The immediate area is shaded by the boughs of the gargantuan tree, and in the center is a large flower petal – big enough for a few people to stand on – flush with the sand. Off to the sides, some of the less friendly-looking vegetation can be seen, but nothing within easy vine reach, one might hope.

Before stepping onto the "shore", Envoy touches her horn with her right hand, and pulls the spell from it so it can be cast quickly. With her magic sense, she scans for any activity that might indicate that the sand creature Lochinvar told her about is nearby.

Yes, definitely, there is some magic active. If Envoy had not already received a warning about a sand golem, and had a chance to do a little research ahead of time on such dweomers, she would likely not have had a clue as to the exact nature of the spell … but it would seem that something magical is lurking about … but, for whatever reason, it seems to be waiting. Its exact location defies pinpointing, but Envoy gets a sense that the domain of the sand golem is limited to the area within the sandstorm.

The Nohbakim scurry about, deftly moving on their sand-shoes, depositing the crates and bags and other packages. Most of the crates are on little wooden sleds that allow them to be pulled across the sands without sinking. Some of the Nohbakim take the crates off the sleds, to pull the sleds back to the ship, but a few are left with the supplies.

"There is a dangerous creature that patrols the base of the tower," Envoy warns them. "So please be sure to stay close to the large flower." Turning to examine said flower, the exile wonders how much weight it can lift. There are a lot of supplies, after all.

Alas, the flower betrays no indication about how much it can lift, at a casual observation. No doubt, some sort of ritual could be tailored to learn more about the flower's makeup, but a simple testing of its actual power would probably be just as practical if not more so.

It doesn't take much longer for the scurrying Nohbakim to finish. The kooshkie sled driver bows to Envoy … then, with a cry of "Hooska, kooshkies! Hooska!" the sled pulls away, heading back to the sand trireme.

Envoy watches the Nohbakim return to their ship, and checks that the ward is still place around the trireme.

While Envoy watches, Lochinvar emerges from around the other side of the tree. "It doesn't seem that different to how I remember it," he notes, "but as we enter the tower, we should be on our guard. I don't know if any of the traps may have been left on."

The sand trireme sails into view, circling the tree … and heading with haste for the sand storm. Just as it should, the storm parts way again, allowing the ship through to safety … and then it closes once more once the trireme is fully past.

Envoy says, "I was able to sense the sand guardian you told me about, but I don't know if it's active or not. Do you think the flower can carry us all in one trip?"

A couple of Khattan guards in billowy garb check out the perimeter of the area where the supplies have been set down.

"Probably not all of us and our gear," the Ranger answers, after a moment. "At least not all at once."

The Earth Mage perks up her ears, and starts to circle around the flower as if looking for something. "Something magical is happening, be on guard."

Lochinvar steps his alertness up a notch, and looks around warily.

The two Khattan warriors, Rajim and Avrim, spin about, polearms at the ready. They are armed with scimitars as well, though those are presently at their sides.

A bulge appears in the sand, a stone's throw away, much like one of the kooshkies as it might move through the Sea of Sand. The mound moves this way … then backtracks that way … coursing about, meandering … and slowly working its way toward the base.

Envoy clutches the horn-shaped spell manifestation in her right hand tighter, and moves towards the mound. "Will the flower come back down if someone is still on it?" she asks Lochinvar.

"I believe that it should go back down if no-one is on it," the Hekoye answers. "It may be an idea to use the flower to raise out of the way of the golem for the moment."

The mound continues to weave its way closer to the tree.

Lochinvar adds, "Last time, we avoided contact with it due to some kind of magic set up by the Mage that got us through the sandstorm. I do not think it would be a good idea to face it at this point."

The mound continues to approach. It is now half of the distance to the tree from where it was first visible.

One of the Khattas looks to Lochinvar. "Sir, what is your command? Shall we fight this monster?"

Envoy nods, "I've got a spell that might hold it off. Can you get the guards and supplies into the tower quickly? I can always fly up to escape the golem if my spell fails, but the supplies can be smashed by it if they remain on the ground."

Both guards glance at Lochinvar for confirmation.

The coyote gestures to the Khattans and Envoy, "Move as much of the equipment as you can onto the flower now. As Mage Envoy mentions, she can fly out of the way, as can I. You two, however, cannot, and should get on the flower and go up before it gets here."

Lochinvar starts moving equipment (vital things like food and water) onto the flower.

"At once!" repeat the guards, and they burst into motion, grabbing supplies and shoving them onto the flower.

Meanwhile, Envoy starts to chant-sing a cantrip as she watches the mobile mound of sand.

The flower petals rustle and quiver … and then lift up, picking up what supplies are on it and the surprised Khatta guards as well.

At that same moment, Envoy's cantrip is complete. The sand at Envoy's feet shifts ever so subtly.

The Mage starts to move away from the base of the Tower, to see if the golem will follow her … of if it can still sense her at all.

Lochinvar watches the flower rise with the guards, grabs what he can carry and takes to the air with it, following the flower-elevator.

Envoy leaves no footprints as she moves, thanks to her cantrip.

"When the flower stops," the Ranger calls out to the Khattans, "use the knocker on the door. It should open, but do not touch anything."

The flower rises and comes to a stop at a ledge and a wooden door set into the tree. An amber lion's head knocker is set in the door, with a single eye. One of the Khattans, at the Ranger's command, promptly grabs the knocker and raps on the door. Sure enough, it opens … and the Khattas quickly begin moving supplies into the dark chamber beyond.

The mound continues to wiggle and wave … and then slips right past Envoy, missing her entirely.

Lochinvar, hovering just level with the door, looks down at the Mage. "It working?" he asks.

Envoy calls up to Lochinvar, "I think it can only sense things in contact with the sand." She follows after the golem, but doesn't try to use her Dispel spell on it, since it isn't threatening anything yet.

Inside, the spiky ruby not-quite-grok is still standing guard on one side of the door to the amber hallway. The guards carefully keep clear of it, eyeing it warily.

The guards finish unloading the flower. "Done, sir!" one of the guards, Rajim, mrowls.

Flying forward a little, and depositing the pack he was carrying onto the flower for the guards to load in, the Hekoye calls down, "Right. Since both of us can keep above the sand, by flying or… otherwise… we two should finish loading the flower when it descends."

"Agreed," Envoy calls back, and heads towards the remaining supplies. She's not about to let go of her spell though.

The guards step off of the flower, waiting just inside the door. One of them turns to frown at the door knocker, staring at it intently.

The lump, meanwhile, continues to go this way, then that way … and then it suddenly shoots away from the tower … and disappears into the sand.

Envoy blinks at the sudden disappearance of the golem, and tries to sense if something new is becoming active instead, aware of how little time she has left before her anti-golem spell will dissipate.

Lochinvar, still airborne, frowns at the flower, waiting for it to descend.

"It's going back to sleep," the Aeolun calls up, and releases the cantrip that keeps her from disturbing the sand, so she can focus on recharging her held spell.

After a few seconds longer, the flower slowly descends back toward the ground … and then is flush with the sands once more.

The guards, meanwhile, set to the task of clearing the supplies away from the door so that nothing will have to be moved to make more room when the next load comes up.

The Ranger lands down by the supplies and continues loading the flower. "Let's get this done before it wakes up again then," he says.

Envoy chants while she helps load the flower, having returned the spell to her horn so she can use both of her hands.

The remaining supplies aren't so heavy as the water. Lochinvar is almost able to move it all himself, though Envoy's assistance gets it done at least a little more quickly.

Envoy looks out over the sand once more. "It's waking up again. I think it only reacts when there's something alive moving around near the tower base, or else it may have to recharge itself periodically."

The flower is fully loaded now, nothing left for sand golems to grab.

"Well, we're all done now," Lochinvar says, "so let's get moving."

Envoy steps onto the flower. "Up, up, and away?" she says to the petals.

Lochinvar steps on also before it rises. "Not really necessary to say such things," he comments.

"I know," Envoy says, "but I've always wanted to say that."

The Ranger folds his arms in front of him, waiting for the flower to rise, not having a replying comment that comes to mind.

The petals rustle … and the flower obligingly rises, bringing the twosome back up to the wooden ledge.

An amber door knocker shaped like a lion-Khatta's head is set in the open door, the ring in its mouth. It has a single eye … and it seems to stare directly at the two who are on the flower, even though it is askew due to the door being opened.

The guards immediately start hauling the supplies off of the flower and into the chamber.

"Let's move the gear down the passageway to where the stairs are," Lochinvar says, mainly to the guards. "Again, do not touch anything. Best move in single file."

Envoy lingers to examine the door knocker and grok-u-pine for any active enchantments.

It hardly requires a magical probe to notice something amiss about the door knocker. Its single eye stares at Envoy, and the ring shifts a bit in its mouth, as if the lion's head were chewing on it.

As for the spiny grok-like creature, it positively radiates magic. It looks somewhat like a grok … except that it actually has two beady little eyes visible, and it is covered in spines, rather than the smooth, hard surfaces that would normally typify a grok.

The corridor leading out of the chamber is made of amber – ceiling, walls and floor – save for some stone steps positioned at intervals. Following Lochinvar's lead, the guards carefully step on the stone blocks, avoiding coming into contact with the amber surfaces.

Envoy asks the knocker, "Hello there, got any messages?"

The knocker just glares at Envoy, and it makes some muffled-sounding noises as it moves its mouth, the ring shifting about in the process.

Meanwhile, it looks like the guards and Lochinvar have made good time, and have gotten the supplies down the corridor and into the much wider chamber beyond. It appears that, while this room is a bit dim, the chamber beyond is well lit.

Moving her spell to her left hand, just in case, the Mage tries to pull the knocker ring out of the amber lion's mouth with her right one.

The ring easily pops out. As soon as it does, the cyclopean lion-Khatta face stares at Envoy, wide-eyed, and its mouth contorts as it roars, "DOOM! DOOM! TURN BACK WHILE YOU CAN! DOOM!"

"Oh hush," Envoy tells the knocker, and tries to stuff the ring back into its mouth.

The door knocker looks most perplexed as the ring goes back into its mouth, and it makes several muffled protests, but it looks like the ring is there to stay.

Envoy follows the stone steps to join the others, looking a bit abashed about the knocker's message.

As Envoy passes through the amber hall, it's evident that the floor, walls and ceiling of this corridor are fashioned of amber, except for some wooden stumps that rise from the amber at irregular intervals, each having a smooth, flat surface. There are numerous bugs visible, trapped in the amber … but there are also shadows of larger creatures, some of them vaguely humanoid, that look to be caught in the amber.Below, in between the stepping stones set in the amber floor, there alsoappears to be a large section of cast-off Naga skin, and several broken branches,sunk into the amber.

The amber corridor comes to a halt in a large interior chamber … The tree appears to be hollow! A winding staircase of wood and leaves spirals along the wall of this somewhat cylindrical chamber, leading up and down quite some distance. Golden and emerald light is filtered by windows of amber, or through thick green leaves. Flowers sprout from the walls, each a different color … and many sporting petals that aren't even of the same color as the next.

The air is filled with the light whispers of wind chimes and the rustling of leaves … and with diamond-clear crystal sculptures of birds in flight that hover in the void described by the walls and staircase, running down the central shaft of the sizable stairwell. The crystal birds soar on imaginary winds, circling at fixed altitudes, their paths circumscribed by the spiral staircase.

Envoy's breath catches as she sees the interior. "Oh… ," she whispers, with wide eyes.

Far below, it appears that there is quite a bit of vegetation … a great deal of it dead and barren. There is a pool in the center of the floor far below, and around it a few wooden stakes and plaques of some sort. There is a single amber statue of what looks remotely like … well … it's hard to say just what it represents. Some sort of chimera. And there is visible a corridor that leads off to the south, no doubt back to the amber door visible from the "front" of the tower.

"I'll have to test the amber traps," Envoy says quietly to Lochinvar. "Those inside might be in suspended animation, and so still alive." She presses a hand to the wooden wall of the tower, feeling the bark.

Lochinvar comes down the staircase as Envoy enters, looking a little solemn. "So far, it looks like all of the traps here are operating again," he says to no-one in particular, before then looking at the guards. "Take the gear down the stairs – they'll not be a problem there now. Just do not touch the door that's down there yet – unless you want to end up like the bodies in there."

"At once!" the guards say, their favorite response to an order, it seems. They start hauling the supplies down the stairs, toward the garden at the bottom.

The bark has traces of sap here and there, but it's fairly solid. It is not as if this area were cut out of the wood … but rather as if the tree had somehow been grown in a cylindrical shape, with bark on the inside as well as the outside. Magic, obviously.

While Envoy inspects the wood, the guards busy themselves with setting up a camp at the bottom of the tower.

"Any sign of your previous companions, Lochinvar?" Envoy asks the Ranger, as she starts chanting a Commune spell to try and tell the condition of the tree.

"Sir!" mrowls one of the guards. "This statue is made of pure gold!"

The Ranger, who is also bringing some of the gear downstairs, shakes his head. "I've not seen any sign of them so far – or the creatures that they brought to life," he says.

Envoy continues her cantrip, trying to "ask" the tree how old it is, and whether or not it is in good health.

Envoy's cantrip is quickly finished, and she is able to do just as the spell suggests – commune with the tree. It is, indeed, alive … and it seems that quite a great deal of magic is intertwined with the tree's life force. Study of this construction could be an enormous potential for learning for an Earth Mage or a Life Mage.

The tree itself is in fine health, and centuries old.

The Earth Mage comes out of her trance, and solemnly heads down to the makeshift camp being built in the garden. "Amazing," she whispers to herself.

Lochinvar cocks his head to one side, looking at Envoy. "Something to share?" he asks of her.

The "amber" statue viewed earlier does indeed appear to be fashioned of gold. Apparently at the instruction of Lochinvar, the guards keep clear of this marvelous treasure … though the subject of the statue is a bit odd for such precious metal. It looks like a six-legged beasthound with a wickedly barbed tail.

Envoy blinks and smiles to the Vartan-Hekoye. "Let's just say I feel very at home here." Turning to the statue, she asks, "Do you remember how these were reanimated? Or if this one in particular was ever revived?"

"The bodies in the amber door?" the coyote asks. "No – while I was here, we did not reanimate those. Just the other various creatures in here."

The Mage nods, and begins to explore the garden for signs of animal life.

There is a loud crunch as one of the guards steps on something. "Ah … sir! My apologies! I have … found something."

Underneath the guard's boot, as he pulls it back … is a strange fuzzy creature, on its back, several legs sticking right up in the air … like some sort of cross between a grabbit and a squirrel. Its body is shriveled, and looks like it might have been chewed on, but definitely died quite some time ago.

As Envoy searches around, she finds some bones. They look like they might belong to a winged reptile … a Creen?

There are also some fish bones lying beside the pool.

Lochinvar walks over to the guard, and looks at the corpse of the creature and hrms. "It looks like they couldn't get enough food for these creatures once re-animated… "

Envoy frowns, and kneels down to examine the various bones. "They may have required more than food to stay alive." She picks up a vertebrae from the Creen-like skeleton, and checks it for any lingering enchantments. "I once depended entirely on magic for my nourishment."

Nodding, the coyote says, "The companions I was with back then were not skilled with magic at all. These creatures would have starved in both manners."

One of the guards, the tan Khatta by the name of Rajim, asks, "What should we do with the corpses? Should they be cleaned up, or set aside for study?"

The Ranger looks to Envoy, and asks, "Would it be valuable for you to study these?"

"Set them aside," Envoy says, quietly. "We'll need to preserve them for study by Life Mages. Something chewed on just about everything here, it looks like, though." Looking to Lochinvar, she says, "If the food ran out, the other explorers may have taken their chances in the amber, so you might want to check on this side of the door."

"I suppose it's possible," the coyote says, and checks the amber carefully, being careful not to touch it.

The amber door is just as the winged coyote remembers it. The same mummified Nohbakim bodies are still trapped inside. There appear to be no additions of Skreeks or Nagas or any other species.

Looking up from the amber and returning to the rest of the group, Lochinvar states, "They're not there."

Envoy asks, "Did you see if the other traps had been reactivated?"

"I checked the one just at the top of the stairs. That's back on," the Hekoye replies. "It's likely all the others are on too."

Lochinvar says, "As for my previous companions, I'd say they either barricaded themselves at the top of the tower, or took their chances in the storm."

The Mage asks. "Do you remember how to get past the traps into the upper tower?"

Rajim returns to the business of setting up camp, meanwhile, taking care to watch where he steps.

The Ranger nods. "Most of them, I should think," he says. "At least, I can remember the basics of the puzzles if not the specifics."

Envoy looks around at the work being done to set up camp, and says, "I'd like to see them, if you feel up to it, Ranger."

"Of course," the winged coyote says, and starts up the stairs. "Follow me."

Lochinvar pauses to address the Khattan guards. "Continue setting up the camp down here. We will be back shortly."

The Aeolun follows along. "When I was a tower, I never laid traps for visitors," she says, making small-talk.

"The Mage of this tower, Barabbas, did not seem to expect, not want, visitors," Lochinvar answers succinctly, heading up past the level they entered at, continuing towards the room at the top.

The staircase leads the twosome up along the interior of the hollow tree, closer to the circling crystal birds – or, that is, crystal flying creatures, including birds and other beasts of the air. They are evidently the source of the chiming noises, although there is no evidence that they are colliding with each other at all, each having its own separate elevation to orbit about.

As the staircase rises, there are pebbles and bits of stone intermixed with the wood and plants, until, at last, the wooden staircase gives way to one of stone. There is an odd branch sticking out of a wooden section of wall, with bits of hardened amber reinforcing it and making a bulb-like "grip" that suggests some sort of lever that might be found in the Temple. Meanwhile, as the staircase rises to give way to stone, it ends in a much smaller stone chamber.

There are six gargoyles carved into the stone, all perched on pillars. Every one of them has a gaping mouth, large enough to stick one's fist into, if not for the sharp stone fangs that might call into question whether one could get it back out again without getting scratched. At the far end of the rounded chamber is a stone door. To one side of the door is a stone urn, filled with several polished pebbles, each about palm-sized.

The Ranger walks over to the urn, checks it, and nods to himself. "Good. All six here," he comments to no-one in particular, and picks up a handful of the pebbles, and hands them to Envoy.

"Put one pebble in each of the mouths of the gargoyles. Start at that side over there," Lochinvar says, gesturing to the gargoyle to the left of the door. "I'll do the rest."

Envoy nods and starts feeding the gargoyles on her side of the room. "A mechanical trap?" she asks, while probing for enchantments.

Each pebble, as stuck in the gullets, rolls down a gargoyle mouth and disappears.

"About half the traps here seem to be that way," Lochinvar says, putting the last pebble into the mouth of the gargoyle just to the left of the door.

As the last pebble is deposited … there is a faintly audible clicking noise somewhere behind the walls … and then nothing.

"Some magic involved, it feels like," the Mage says, waiting for something more.

Envoy finally asks, "I don't sense anything more happening… was that it? Do we open the door now?"

"I don't think so," says the Ranger, and walks over to the door, pulling on it to open. "Seems purely mechanical from this standpoint."

As Lochinvar pulls on the door, he asks, "What is it with mages? Everything has to be magically related?"

"Well," the Aeolun says, "you don't expect chefs to use rocks in their recipes, now do you?"

"This tower did belong to a Nohbakim," the coyote replies. "so who knows really what they use?"

Envoy peeks through the doorway.

At that moment, there is a rumble in the ceiling … and then, one by one, six pebbles plunk into the receptacle beside the door, falling from a hole above it.

Meanwhile, Envoy gets a gander at the next room…

The walls, ceiling and floor of this room appear to be fashioned of quartz crystal, or something similar to it in appearance. The floor is irregular and bumpy, but close enough to flat to walk upon. The ceiling and walls, however, are very jagged, with sharp crystal spines that one could easily stab oneself with, if one is not careful. Rising from the floor, here and there, are five crystal columns, each rising about two feet from the floor, and the tip of each having a stone trapped within the crystal: One stone is blue, Lapis lazuli; another is turquoise; another is green, malachite; yet another is red, coral; and the last is black, onyx.

Envoy steps into the room, and examines the short columns. "A puzzle?" she asks.

Lochinvar pulls the door open a little more, and sighs a little. "Ah, I remember this room," he says, grinning from ear to ear. "I think this is my favorite room of all in this tower."

Envoy grins back, and says, "I thought magically-made shinies didn't count?"

"Mmmm? Oh… well. Yes," says the Ranger, pulling himself out of his little reverie. "That's so… but sometimes it's easy to forget."

"As for a puzzle," Lochinvar continues. "Yes – of sorts. I remember that one of these columns, when touched, would open a door. However, it was four years ago since I was last here… I can't quite remember which it was."

The Aeolun points to the red column. "That one doesn't have a stone in it, like the others do. Coral is made from the exoskeletons of microscopic marine animals."

"Ah… ," says the Hekoye. "The red one does seem familiar somehow. That could be the one. Would you like to do the honors? Just touch the crystal column."

Envoy does so, pressing her palm to the smooth surface.

As Envoy touches the column, the crystal lights up, and there is a tangible vibration and an audible hum as the column sinks into the floor.

At the opposite side of the room, a crystal wall shatters and splits apart … revealing another passage!

The next room is now visible…

The illumination in this room flickers and bobs, as light is reflected into the chamber through crystals dangling on zolken cords. The refracted light makes countless little rainbows that dance about, amongst fish and other water-dwellers sculpted from sapphire. The sapphire fish dangle about the room from zolken threads as well, slowly turning about this way and that. The resulting effect is quite surreal, though there's on evidence of anything obviously supernatural happening here, despite the many oddities elsewhere in the tower. Some zolken threads, however, do not hold any sapphire fish, and look as if they might have been cut free.

"I'm going to just go check on the guards downstairs," the Ranger says to Envoy. "I'll be back up in a short while."

Lochinvar turns to leave the room, then remembers something. "Oh – don't go into the passageway beyond that next room yet. I may need the guards' help with that particular trap."

"All right," the Exile says, nonplused to be left alone with the piscine menagerie. She goes about examining the remaining specimens for recognizable traits.

The sapphire "fish" sculptures represent various swimming creatures … or, that is, chimerical hybrids of several varieties thereof. It seems that someone made perfect sculptures from sapphire of bizarre combinations of different Sinai creatures of an aquatic nature. But they radiate a sense of magic with a similar "flavor" that the gold statue in the garden did, and as did the ruby statue in the entryway, and the crystal "birds". The stone gargoyles, however, seemed different, though.

"I wonder why they didn't revive more of you if they were starving?" Envoy says to the suspended fish as she studies them, trying to match up features to see if the parts were literally mixed from several individuals to create the hybrids, or if they were grown as part of the creatures themselves.

It appears that the hybrids are no examples of bizarre surgery, but rather some sort of magical combination … grown this way, evidently.

Finding no two fish alike, Envoy begins to wonder at the ultimate purpose of their creation. "What was Barabbas trying to prove with you, I wonder? I hope he left notes."

Boot-steps echo in the next chamber. It looks like Lochinvar is returning, this time with both of the Khattas accompanying him.

Envoy smiles to the trio. "I hope the Emir likes aquariums."

Lochinvar shrugs a little, and looks to the guards for confirmation of that?

"He adores fish," says Rajim. Avrim nods agreement.

"Anyway," the Ranger says, "just past this room, in the next corridor, is probably the most difficult of traps."

"Does it involve fresh-baked bread?" Envoy asks, curiously.

The Vartan-Hekoye gives the Mage an odd look and blinks. "Uh, no," he says, "Why should it?"

"It is very difficult to pass up," the Aeolun explains.

The stone corridor ahead looks to be quite plain compared to the rest of the castle. The floors are smooth, except for a few broken bits of bone and powder collected here and there, and for the seams between blocks that comprise the floor.

"Allow me to demonstrate," Lochinvar says, and looks to Rajim. "You have anything on you that you don't mind losing? Small enough to be thrown?"

Rajim digs around in a pouch and pulls out some chewed on fish bones. "This was from lunch."

Lochinvar puts out his hand to take the bones off of Rajim. "Hmm – they might do," he says. "Last time, I think that we used a whip."

The remains of a fish are put in Lochinvar's hand.

The Ranger weighs up the bones in his hand a little, then tosses them into the corridor.

Envoy watches closely.

The fish sails through the corridor … then it lands on one of the stones at the far end.

Then, a stone appendage materializes out of the top of the corridor … and stomps downward!

The Aeolun goes "Yeep!" and jumps back a step, grabbing for her held spell.

The fishy bones are ground into powder and gunk, and the appendage retracts into the ceiling. And then another one comes down, and then goes back up as well…

Lochinvar looks mildly surprised at the delay, but sighs also somewhat in relief.

The corridor is filled with much stomping and pounding, as first a foot, then a hand, then a hoof, then a tail materialize from the ceiling, one after the other, one appearing as the other is melting away, coming down to smash against the floor, then return again. Once the corridor finishes its cycle of foot, hand, hoof, tail, the tail comes back a second time, then continues a backwards cycle onward to hoof, hand and foot … and then it goes back again.

The Hekoye turns around to face the rest of the group. "Now," he says, "last time, we worked out the pattern of the 'pounders' and I managed to get through them. There is a switch at the end which turns them off."

Rajim watches the pounding appendages. "They go one, two, three, four, down the corridor … then four, three, two, one back … then repeat."

Avrim's ears flatten back. He hisses in displeasure at the cacophony of smashing stone appendages.

Envoy blinks at the Ranger and Rajim. "Hold on. You're going to try and get through that by knowing the timing? Maybe I should try to zap it first."

Lochinvar nods to Rajim. "That's the pattern – you think you can work out the… " he says, and stops to look at the Mage as she comments about "zapping" it. "You believe that you can stop it by 'other' means?"

Envoy pauses in her reply, and stares down the corridor. "Maybe … not. There's some sort of trigger spell in there, so maybe it will react to any spell I try."

Rajim just keeps intently watching the pattern of the pounding blocks.

"Are you sure you want to try weaving through it again though?" Envoy asks, having already memorized the pattern. "The timing isn't very forgiving."

"As long as you give me the instructions where to move and when precisely, I can do it," says Lochinvar. "I have done it before."

Envoy puts her spell back into her horn again. "All right, if you're confident."

Rajim looks questioningly to Lochinvar.

Lochinvar nods. "Just give me the cues to get through."

Envoy's cue comes between the first stomp of the foot and the second. Lochinvar, by getting through ahead of the foot, is able to just dash down the corridor as fast as his feet will take him … and get to the other side. It's all far more simple than it was the last time someone gave him cues to do this,and he ends up making it to the end with ample room between him and the next stompingappendage.

And lo and behold … Lochinvar is on the other side. And there's the switch.

The Ranger flips the lever on the other side, and steps back out from behind the corner into where the "pounders" were before.

The appendages have all retracted back into the ceiling … and it looks like they aren't coming back down. The Khattas let out sighs of relief that they don't have to try next.

Envoy steps carefully into the corridor, trying to feel out that latent spell she detected earlier.

Yes, that other "latent spell" is still there. And it's still latent. Alas, a casual perusal doesn't present anything more useful than that.

"Come on down," Lochinvar beckons. "It's safe now."

At the very least, though, nothing is smashing Envoy into little bitty pieces.

Envoy and the two guards make it down the corridor without incident, leading them to the next room…

"I think there's another trap hidden here," Envoy says. "I'll have to examine it in detail later."

The explorers find themselves in a room with a doorway on the other side. Atop the doorway is a strange visage, with the face of a female Khatta, but over the shoulders can be seen wings of a Vartan, and instead of hands, there are sharp talons. The rest of the figure disappears into the stone wall. At first, it seems like only an illusion, but, no, the eyes do move … and so does the mouth. In a grating, raspy voice, an ancient voice says, "To pass this way, lest you eaten be, you must tell the answer of a riddle to me."

"Ah yes – this would be the next trap," says Lochinvar.

"Riddles can be fun," Envoy says, encouragingly.

There is a pause, and then the stone Sphynx grates a question:

"How is a raven like a writing desk?"

Envoy blinks three times.

Lochinvar hrms. "Different question to the one it asked us," he notes.

"Because," Envoy answers, uncertainly, "they are both equipped with quills?"

"That is the correct answer," grates the stone Sphynx. "You may pass."

Envoy blinks again, and walks through the door.

In the chamber on the other side of the Sphynx Gate, there is another Sphynx directly opposite the first. The chamber is fashioned of stone, dominated by a giant balance that stands in the center of the floor, with two platforms hanging on each side, and a curious lever built into the base. Sitting about the room are nine stands, each one holding a different stone: ruby, sapphire, emerald, topaz, opal, diamond, onyx, agate, and amethyst. The door opposite is made of stone, and is closed, with no obvious handle or knocker, but with a depression set into its face, the same size as the little gems sitting around the chamber. The gems glow unnaturally, providing illumination to the chamber.

Once Envoy's comrades have passed through the doorway, the Sphynx's voice grates, "Another puzzle you must solve in order to pass. There are nine stones, each of equal weight, save for one. Use this balance to determine which of the nine is different, but you may only use the balance thrice, to see which side is heavier: the right, or the left. Then, once you have determined which stone is different, use it as your key, to unlock the door. If you fail, the stones will return to their places, and a new one will become the key. And to make your puzzle even more difficult, it may be lighter … or it may be heavier." And then the stone sentinel stops moving, and becomes silent once more.

Lochinvar says, "Ah, yes – I remember this one too, I think."

"Let's see if I can remember," says the Hekoye, as he walks to each of the stands and picks up the stones. "I believe that we split the stones into two even piles, with one stone spare, and try the two piles. If they balance, the spare stone is the heavier one."

Envoy ponders, then suggests, "If we weigh two groups of three stones first, and they balance, we will know the keystone is in the remaining three, so we can use the other two turns to find the odd weighted. If they don't balance, we use the third group against the heavier one, and see if those balance, so we'd know in two tries which group of three had the odd stone. We'd need to be lucky to pick the odd one in one weighing of the last three stones against each other though."

The Ranger shakes his head. "Let's try it the way I remember, first," he says. "We did get through this once already."

Envoy nods, and lets Lochinvar try his method first.

The coyote puts the ruby stone aside for the moment, places the sapphire, emerald, topaz, and opal stones in on one side of the scales, and the other stones on the other platform.

The scales sit there. But then, they don't move at all during the entire operation.

"The lever releases the scales?" Envoy asks.

Lochinvar gestures to Avrim. "Please pull the lever over there," he says.

Avrim pulls the lever. The scales tilt to one side. The side with the sapphire, emerald, topaz and opal lowers. The side with the diamond, onyx, agate and amethyst rises.

"It isn't the ruby," Envoy concludes.

"Okay – now we know that the heavy stone is in that pile," says the coyote, pointing to the platform that lowered. He walks over to the scales, removes the stones from the platforms – at which point, the scales reset themselves to level again. He puts the sapphire and emerald stones in one dish and the topaz and opal in the other, putting the other stones with the ruby.

Lochinvar nods to Avrim. "Again, please."

Envoy scratches her cheek. "The Sphynx said it could be a lighter stone or a heavier stone though."

Avrim nods and pulls the lever. The scales remain level.

The Hekoye frowns at the scales. "I think that we've just found out that it's a lighter stone."

Envoy says, "Well, you can weigh two of the four others. If they balance, there's a one in two chance of guessing the correct stone from the remaining two. If they don't balance, you'll have the lighter stone."

"Though, it's possible that if we use the wrong one as the key, it'll reset itself also," says the winged coyote.

Rajim looks about the room. "What happens if we fail? Will a trap be sprung?"

"It just said the stones would be reset and a new key selected if we fail," Envoy tells the guard.

The guard nods, and stands back, giving Lochinvar plenty of room to work.

The Hekoye Ranger switches the stones on the scales again – now there are the diamond and onyx stones on one platform, agate and amethyst on the other.

"Avrim, if you will?" Lochinvar asks of the guard.

Avrim pulls the lever. The scales tilt this time … the diamond and onyx side going down, and the agate and amethyst side going up.

Lochinvar picks up the agate and amethyst stones, and walks over to Envoy. "Care to make your best guess?"

Envoy checks to see if either stone shows more detectable enchantment than the other.

No such luck. If only it were that easy.

The Aeolun can only shrug. "Your guess is as good as mine."

Lochinvar heads over to the door, and tries the amethyst stone in the lock.

The stone fits in the lock … and fails to grab.

"You have chosen … poorly," the Sphynx grates.

The amethyst stone suddenly feels less solid … and turns liquid in Lochinvar's hand!

The Hekoye steps back from the door, and tries to drop the stone/liquid from his hand.

Envoy looks towards the other stones as the amethyst turns liquid.

The other stones turn liquid as well … and shoot across the room … returning to their original positions … and then they solidify once more. It would seem that the puzzle has been reset.

Envoy asks, "May I try next?"

Looking slightly put out, Lochinvar nods and gestures to the stones. "Be my guest."

The Aeolun smiles and collects the stones from their stands. She places the ruby, sapphire and emerald in the left cup of the balance and the topaz, opal and diamond into the right one. "Okay, try the lever now, Avrim."

Avrim pulls the lever. The scale balances.

Envoy grins. "Okay, it has to be the onyx, agate, or amethyst." She clears out the cups, and replaces those six stones onto their stands. Then, she places the onyx and agate stones into the cups. "I'm ready, Avrim."

Avrim pulls the lever. The onyx lowers. The agate rises.

Envoy nods, and replaces the agate stone with the amethyst one. "If they balance, then the agate is the key. If the onyx is heavier again, then it is the key. Pull away, Avrim."

Avrim pulls the lever. The onyx lowers once again, while the amethyst rises.

Lochinvar watches silently.

Envoy picks out the onyx stone, and tries it in the key-spot on the door.

The onyx seems to click in place as if drawn there like a magnet. It glows brightly … and the door slides open.

Beyond the doorway … is a staircase leading further upward.

The Mage steps aside so Lochinvar can lead the way. "Are there more traps after this one?"

The Hekoye nods and hrms. "At least we got it that time," he notes. "As for traps, not really. This should lead up to the chamber where all the traps can be controlled."

A staircase leads up to the top of the tower, where stone gives way to metal … hammered copper, stainless steel, polished brass, stained bronze, and even trimming of silver and gold! When this room was built, it would have been worth a king's ransom and then some … and even though the steel isn't worth very much (and comprises most of the walls), it's still downright extravagant to say the very least.

Envoy frowns at all of the metal. "Not very inviting, to my eye anyway."

Lochinvar shrugs a little, and leads the way up the staircase.

The stairway leads on up to a new level … and judging from the view out the windows, it seems that the top has been reached…

Multiple rooms branch off from the center chamber, which is roughly donut shaped, with multiple doors leading into another room in its center, open to the sky. Through one doorway can be seen what looks like some sort of bedroom. Another doorway leads to what looks like an eating area. Another doorway leads to what appears to be nothing more than just a place to view the surroundings. Some of the other doors are closed, with no apparent way to open them.

The semi-domed "donut" ceiling, with its crystal paneled skylights, has suspended from it many strange metal constructions, some of them looking like spherical framework shells, and others looking like other geometric shapes combined with strange runes rendered in hammered metal. The constructions are all suspended from tracks in the ceiling and walls, and some of them can be seen slowly moving. Something about it is reminiscent of a Chronotopian clock, though there are no visible (or audible) gears, and due to the ring-like shape of the chamber, it's impossible to see all of the ceiling at once, so it'd be an inconvenient way to try to tell time, even if it were possible.

Alcoves ring the "donut" corridor, in between doorways leading to outer chambers. In each alcove is a different statue carved from tiger-eye agate, each representing some small burrowing creature.

There is also another agate statue right at the top of the stairs, resembling a dwarf Dromodon with a head is very strangely shaped, giving it a plow-like appearance.

Envoy homes in on the statues. "It doesn't look like anyone tried to animate these either," she says, after examining the dromoplow critter.

"The controls for the traps are in here," Lochinvar says, walking into the center chamber.

This central area is open to the sky, with a table in its center upon which are scattered four solid cylinder discs. One is made of gray stone. One appears to be made of packed sand, keeping surprisingly solid. One is made of burnished bronze, green copper, rusty iron and tarnished brass, all melded together. A fourth is made of wood, somehow sprouting a couple of leaves. In the center of the table is a circular depression, about the size of one of the discs.

Elsewhere in the room is a misshapen chair of asymmetric proportions, seated before an array of levers and panels, made of wood, stone, crystal, amber, metal, and even packed sand. There are several colored crystals set on the wall above the array of levers, and what looks like an etched representation of the tower, and cross-sections thereof. Some of the crystals appear to correspond to some of the rooms that the party has visited, while other crystals are positioned in a way that seems to represent the doors between them. Some glow faintly, some are dark.

The Ranger walks over to the levers, looks at them for a moment, and then flips them until all the crystals in the map are dark.

Envoy goes to the central table, and looks at the discs. "They look like they match the levels of the tower, although I wonder about the sand. Perhaps there is a sub-level we haven't found yet."

Lochinvar looks over to Envoy. "You are right about the levels. As for the sand – it's all around us. That's the disc that should be on the bottom," he says.

"Oh, they're meant to be stacked?" the Aeolun asks, and tries to fit the packed-sand disc into the central depression in the table.

The winged coyote nods. "That's right."

The sand disc clicks into place with a seemingly magnetic pull.

Envoy places the wooden disc on top of the sand one, and asks, "Do any of those levers control the storm?"

"No," says Lochinvar. "The storm is ever-present."

The wooden disc clicks into place firmly, just like the sand disc did.

The Mage places the stone disc atop the stack next. "What happens when the stack is complete?"

The stone disc, in turn, snaps into place.

"And spoil the surprise?" Lochinvar asks. "Oh, I couldn't. I'm sure that you'll appreciate it though."

Envoy blinks at the Ranger while picking up the metal disc. "Because I'm a Mage, or because I'm an Exile?"

The two Khatta guards look around warily for whatever surprise might pop up next.

"I got the impression that this was more of a 'mage' thing," the coyote says.

Envoy ohs and grins, then places the metal disc into place on top of the stack and stands back.

As the four discs are stacked one atop the other … sand at bottom, then wood, then stone, then metal on top … they fuse together, and the stack of discs changes shape, quickly turning into a miniature representation of the tree and the tower built within it, set upon a base of sand. A wind picks up in the open-aired chamber … and with a rustling of leaves, some of the branches can be seen extending, rising up high enough to be seen, as they begin to twine together. Stones and sprays of sand lift as well, joined by odd pieces of metal and flowing amber. They fly about, then fuse together, as the tower seems to increase in height, the topmost level being an amalgam of all the materials used to make the tower below. A staircase spirals on upward to some distant place far above.

Envoy gapes upwards, and finally says, "I wish I could have met this mage."

Lochinvar looks like he's about to say something, then decides not to. "Would you like to go first?" he asks Envoy.

The Aeolun's eyes light up like a child's, and she answers by bounding up the stairs.

"I'll take that as a yes," Lochinvar says, then gestures over to the Khattan guards to follow up the stairs.

The staircase at last reaches a new chamber high above the tower, with open gaps providing a view of the desert expanse spreading out far below. Though the room is partially open to the air, no gusts of sand reach this high. The chamber is filled with strange apparati and cages, work tables and shelves, with books and vials upon them (and jars filled with preserved things floating in them, and the occasional bone book-end). What light filters in from outside is supplemented by glowing pieces of crystal and amber set in the walls, floor, ceiling, and pieces of furniture.

About the chamber are also several statues of hybrid creatures. Nay, not just several. Lots.

Envoy practically bounces on her heels, looking like a cub in a candy shop. "It's wonderful! Just look at it all, Earth and Life merged like they were meant to be."

Perhaps the oddest statue of all, though, would be a vaguely humanoid statue standing in the middle of the room, fashioned of black, slightly cracked stone.

The black statue has a hunched over appearance, with a turtle shell back, an insectoid face, and six arms – two tentacles, two pincers, and two hands. The two hands are held out, one hand held as if it were grasping some unseen object … the other held out palm up.

After coming up through the trapdoor, Lochinvar walks over to the black statue, gives it a cursory nod, then wanders around the rest of the level, trying to see if anything's out of place since that he remembers from his last visit.

In particular, Lochinvar is looking for the keys to the rooms downstairs.

As for the other statues, many of them look much like the other statues found elsewhere in the tower. There are several ruby statues, agate statues, gold statues, sapphire statues, and crystal statues. In fact, it looks like there are matches for some of the curious creatures found elsewhere in the tower.

"This must be … him," Envoy says, circling the statue but being very careful not to touch it. "It's magic, certainly, and there's something that can be triggered."

Lochinvar finds the set of keys on the floor. "Ah … I thought they might have taken them with them," he says to himself.

Envoy stands before the black statue and bows formally. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Master Barabbas. I am Envoy of Lothrhyn, Mage of the Sphere of Earth, and Exile."

The statue, alas, does not reply to Envoy, or betray any other sign of reaction.

"I don't think that Barabbas can be woken from… that," the Ranger states.

"What have you found, Lochinvar?" Envoy asks, turning back towards the coyote. "Oh, I think it's a very old suspension state, like the animals are in, but I can't tell if he's still alive or not. Still, sometimes people in these states can still sense the outside world."

The coyote holds up the keys that he found, and jangles them a little. "Keys – for the locked doors downstairs," he explains. "One of which is to the library downstairs."

Envoy's ears perk up at the sound of one of her favorite words. "I'd like to see the library please, Ranger Lochinvar. Where those originally held in the statue's hand?"

"No," replies the Hekoye. "I believe these were on a table. He did hold a small scroll, written on which was his last will and testament."

Lochinvar takes a look around for the note.

While Lochinvar hunts around, he finds Barabbas' journal … and his translation notes.

"He didn't expect to be woken up then," Envoy says, a bit soberly.

Lochinvar's search further produces another note, which he reads aloud … "I am Barabbas and I welcome you… my successor. I have grown old and I know my time on this side of the Procession is short, so I have sealed up my children and my home so that only one worthy of inheriting my power could make it here."

"As my final gift, I have focused my powers on one final spell. Place your hand in mine and ask me any three questions. If the answer is within my knowledge, I will give it to you."

Envoy looks over the cracked condition of the statue, and asks, "How many questions where asked last time, do you know?"

Lochinvar says, "I believe just one."

"While I was here anyway," Lochinvar adds. "I don't know if they asked any more after I left."

"I doubt the statue would still be here if they'd asked all three," the Mage says. "So there is at least one left." She examines some of the odder shapes on the statue, and concludes, "He couldn't cure himself. He may have been suffering from homeostatic cancer or radiation damage, which can be treated with modern Life Magic. It would be best to have an accomplished Life Mage examine the statue, just in case there is a chance of reviving him."

"Maybe," says the Hekoye, "however, he did say in his note that he was old and that his time was short. It could just be natural old age."

Envoy asks, "Are all of the books in the library written in Zerdan as well? If so, can you teach me to read it in the next few days, Lochinvar?"

"Some are, but a lot are written in Khattan," the Ranger replies. "As for Zerdan, I could offer a few pointers in the language."

Envoy claps her hands together, suddenly and loudly. "Good! What's for dinner? I haven't used this much magic since the big food fight with the School of Water… "