The shrine's ancient warding intelligence wants the gate opened correctly, preserving the warning that the Nova's Heart is a sleeping judge.

The party has limited time, but careful work reveals the gate's warning before the vault is opened.

• History or Arcana DC 13: identify the outer-to-inner flow.
• Insight or Investigation DC 12: identify the moss-free starting pillar.
• Perception DC 14: feel the pulse when the runes align.
• Perception DC 15: locate the three rune fragments.
• Investigation or Sleight of Hand DC 15: clean the pillars and reveal the full sequences.
• Intelligence or Arcana DC 16 per pillar: rotate each fragment into alignment.
• Concentration DC 14: trace each rune for 5 minutes without breaking the flow.

• Search the rubble before touching the pillars.
• Assign one character to brace the colonnade while others work.
• Use chalk, cloth, magic, or careful scraping to expose the hidden lines.
• Rotate the fragments until the fractal paths connect without a break.
• Trace from the widest loop toward the center, never crossing against the ley flow.
• Press the middle pillar's central symbol only after all three runes are complete.

• On a careful search: the ley pulses grow stronger near the three missing fragments.
• On a wrong rotation: the rune dims and releases a sharp burst of green light.
• On a successful alignment: the middle rune answers with a faint heartbeat.
• On reckless tampering: the colonnade shudders and loose stones fall.
• On success: the floor opens quietly, revealing the descending stairwell and warning inscription.