Resonant Reliquary of the Sevenfold Choir
The Resonant Reliquary is a complex magical hazard made from seven crystalline glass shards that react to movement, sound, and one another. It does not simply punish intruders. Instead, it cycles through distinct resonances, each producing a different supernatural effect. The shifting pattern gives observant characters opportunities to predict, redirect, and suppress the hazard.
Resonant Reliquary of the Sevenfold Choir
Defenses
Detection
“Seven translucent glass shards hang in a rough halo above a cracked stone dais. Each shard contains a different color of trapped radiance: pearl white, ember red, deep blue, sickly green, violet, gold, and black. Fine silver channels in the floor connect the shards to an ancient altar. When the hazard activates, the shards vibrate with a sound like distant singing glasses.”
Standard Engagement
The hazard activates when a creature enters the dais area, touches the altar, damages a shard, or produces a loud sound such as shouting, thunder, or a sonic spell within the chamber.
The reliquary has 3 actions per round. On its first action, one intact shard resonates. The GM can choose a shard or roll randomly among the intact shards. The chosen shard produces its effect. On its second action, the resonance jumps to a second intact shard adjacent to the first in the halo, producing that shard's effect with a 10-foot emanation instead of its normal area. On its third action, the reliquary draws energy through the floor channels. Each creature standing on a silver channel takes 1d6 electricity damage with a basic Reflex save against DC 20. If two or more shards were suppressed during the previous round, the reliquary instead uses its third action to restore one suppressed shard.
The hazard resets at the start of the next day if at least four shards remain intact. If disabled by the temple's antiphon, it resets after 1 hour. The hazard does not reset if all seven shards are destroyed.
The white shard releases a pulse of weightless radiance. Each creature in the temple chamber must attempt a DC 20 Fortitude save. On a critical success, the creature is unaffected. On a success, it is pushed 5 feet. On a failure, it is pushed 15 feet and falls prone. On a critical failure, it is pushed 15 feet, falls prone, and is dazzled until the end of its next turn.
The red shard flashes and fills the chamber with cutting heat. Creatures in a 15-foot emanation take 3d6 fire damage with a basic Reflex save against DC 20. Flammable unattended objects in the area ignite.
The blue shard emits a note that freezes motion. Each creature in a 20-foot emanation must attempt a DC 20 Will save. On a success, it is unaffected. On a failure, it is slowed 1 until the end of its next turn. On a critical failure, it is immobilized until the end of its next turn.
The green shard produces a wet, chiming breath. Each creature in a 15-foot emanation must attempt a DC 20 Fortitude save. On a failure, the creature takes 2d6 poison damage and is sickened 1. On a critical failure, it takes 4d6 poison damage and is sickened 2.
The violet shard bends the chamber's distances. Each creature in a 20-foot emanation must attempt a DC 20 Will save. On a failure, the creature is teleported 10 feet in a random direction chosen by the GM. If this would place it in a solid object, it instead appears in the nearest open space and takes 2d6 force damage.
The gold shard reveals every hidden thing in a brilliant flash. Creatures in the chamber are outlined in golden light until the end of their next turn. Affected creatures cannot be concealed or hidden during this time, and invisible creatures become visible. A creature that was already invisible takes 2d6 spirit damage with no save.
The black shard swallows sound and light. The chamber becomes dim light, and creatures in a 15-foot emanation must attempt a DC 20 Will save. On a failure, they are frightened 1 and cannot use auditory actions until the end of their next turn. On a critical failure, they are frightened 2 instead.
At the beginning of each round, the GM determines the active resonance sequence. A shard used during the previous round cannot be chosen as the first resonance this round unless only one intact shard remains. This prevents the hazard from repeating the same effect indefinitely.
A creature can spend an action to listen closely to the shards and attempt a DC 19 Perception, Arcana, Occultism, or Performance check. On a success, it learns which shard will resonate first during the next round. On a critical success, it also learns the second shard. A critical failure makes the creature off-guard until the start of its next turn as the conflicting tones disorient it.
The hazard's effects are magical sonic manifestations. A creature with a circumstance bonus against auditory or sonic effects gains that bonus against the reliquary's Fortitude and Will effects, but not against the physical damage from Ember Resonance or channel discharges.
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