The circular lab smells of singed rosemary, cold metal, and rain on stone. Four tools stand around a floor inlaid with a doorway that opens onto no room at all; each tool breathes a differently colored flame, one at a time, while glass catchers slide along a brass rail. A pendulum chimes whenever a flame reaches its brightest point. The flames repeat their procession, and each time the chime sounds, the empty catchers tremble as if eager to close.
You step into a circular alchemy lab where four colored flames pass from tool to tool without touching the air. Glass catchers glide along a brass rail, and a pendulum swings through a doorway-shaped frame. Each time it chimes, one flame flares bright enough to cast your shadows in a different direction.
The sequence repeats after a brief pause. The silver strip shows four colored marks in order, and the slate's lettering is still legible. The catchers have matching colored rings; their lids click once at each chime. Let characters inspect, test tools, and plan before starting the timed attempt.
Give the group one full cycle to observe without pressure. If they miss the order, point out the repeating strip or the chime-and-click rhythm. Escalate only after they begin: describe the rail shifting and the pendulum speeding slightly, then offer a hint rather than imposing a hard real-time deadline.
The circular lab smells of singed rosemary, cold metal, and rain on stone. Four tools stand around a floor inlaid with a doorway that opens onto no room at all; each tool breathes a differently colored flame, one at a time, while glass catchers slide along a brass rail. A pendulum chimes whenever a flame reaches its brightest point. The flames repeat their procession, and each time the chime sounds, the empty catchers tremble as if eager to close.
The flames repeat in a stable four-part loop. The tarnished strip records their order, while the slate explains that each must be caught at its bright chime and sealed in the catcher bearing its color.
Watch the colors make their circuit.
At the bell's bright breath, close the matching mouth.
Copper wakes the road; blue remembers it.
Green binds the crossing; violet shuts the door.
When all four are held, turn to the unmarked place.
A row of colored marks, repeated twice: Copper → Blue → Green → Violet → Copper → Blue → Green → Violet.
The copper flame rises from the alembic. The blue flame rises from the retort. The green flame rises from the mortar. The violet flame rises from the condenser.
The party may study the display for one full cycle before touching the catcher wheel; this observation period has no penalty. The sequence is copper from the alembic, blue from the retort, green from the mortar, then violet from the condenser, and it repeats. On each pendulum chime, a player must open the catcher with the matching ring, position it beneath the currently flaring tool, and close its lid before the next chime. Treat each capture as one coordinated action, with a DC 13 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check for precise operation; if the catcher is across a shifting rail, require a DC 14 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to reach it, then the handling check. A success traps the flame and removes that tool from the cycle. A failed check does not automatically ruin the attempt unless the player catches the wrong color or misses the chime; describe the lid rattling and allow a retry on the next cycle. Once all four are caught in order, turn the wheel to the blank mark to seal them. Investigation, Arcana, and tool checks provide information or practical advantages, not mandatory pass-or-fail access. The apparatus telegraphs a valid catch with a clear glass tone and a steady colored glow.
Turning the catcher wheel from its resting notch begins the repeating flame cycle and starts the three-cycle attempt window.
| DC | Check | What it gives |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Investigation | Notice the etched sequence marks and infer that the looping flame display repeats in the same order. |
| 14 | Arcana | Recognize that each color is a distinct alchemical flame and that a captured flame must be held in its matching vessel. |
| 13 | Sleight of Hand | Seat a catcher smoothly without spilling or prematurely releasing its flame. |
| 14 | Acrobatics | Reach and operate a catcher while its narrow rail shifts across the chamber. |
| 13 | Alchemist's Supplies | Stabilize a catcher or interpret the residue left by a successful capture. |
| 13 | Brewer's Supplies | Use the condenser's vapor and bubbles to track the rhythm of the flame cycle. |
| 13 | Glassblower's Supplies | Shape or repair a glass guide so a flame can be redirected into a catcher. |
No hint given yet.
The four catchers ring in harmony, and the blank mark glows like a doorway at dusk. The rail locks in place and a narrow threshold opens into the lab's concealed safe passage.
The failed flame gutters out and the apparatus releases a harmless burst of black vapor. Each creature in the room makes a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 2d6 poison damage on a failure or half as much on a success. The sequence resets after one minute, and the party can try again; the slate's ink briefly brightens to reveal one correct color in the order.
The threshold alchemist Sere Vann built this apparatus to distill safe passage between adjoining planes. Its flames were gathered from the instant a candle gutters in one world and catches in another, so the order mattered as much as the ingredients. Vann trained apprentices to observe before acting, then designed the catchers to accept only a patient, correctly timed sequence. When the laboratory slipped partly out of the world, the apparatus kept repeating its lesson.
For a lower-pressure group, allow unlimited cycles and have a successful check steady the rail. For a more challenging group, make the chime interval shorter after each correct capture, but never obscure the sequence or remove the observation period.
Do not make observation depend on a successful check; checks should clarify the mechanism or improve handling. Keep the rhythm consistent and describe every color and chime clearly. A failed attempt should cost resources or create urgency, not block the adventure. Reward sensible tools, spells, and teamwork.
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