You enter a round chamber of damp basalt where the air smells of cold smoke and wet stone. Three waist-high rings are set into a low altar, their silver signs catching a faint red glow. A shallow dish of gray ash rests beside a stone hand with hinged fingers. Across the far doorway, a thin crimson seam throbs once whenever the rings move, as if the sealed door is listening.
You step into a round chamber of wet black stone. Three silver-marked rings sit on an altar, beside a dish of gray ash and a stone hand with hinged fingers. A red line seals the doorway ahead. As you approach, the line pulses softly, and somewhere beneath the floor a slow heartbeat answers.
The altar inscription is readable, and the rings turn by hand. Let players examine, test, or discuss the objects freely. The dish contains harmless ash, and the hand latch can be moved without triggering anything. Checks reveal context or reassurance, never a required missing clue.
Let the players work without a countdown at first. If discussion stalls, have a ring's matching glyph briefly glimmer when its meaning is mentioned. After two failed attempts, give the tier 1 hint; use later hints only if needed. Keep the pulse atmospheric rather than punitive.
You enter a round chamber of damp basalt where the air smells of cold smoke and wet stone. Three waist-high rings are set into a low altar, their silver signs catching a faint red glow. A shallow dish of gray ash rests beside a stone hand with hinged fingers. Across the far doorway, a thin crimson seam throbs once whenever the rings move, as if the sealed door is listening.
The three rings, dish, and stone hand are immediately visible. The inscription on the altar is legible; checks can clarify how the symbols and ward relate but are not required to solve it.
When the moon has hidden her face, Bring what remains when fire is done. Close the hand that would spill blood, And the silent gate shall open.
The players read the inscription and turn the three rings until each pointer indicates the symbol matching one phrase: the hour, the offering, and the gesture. They should set the rings in the order the inscription gives, then close the stone hand latch to complete the rite. The rings move freely and produce no penalty for exploration; when a ring is correctly aligned, its symbol glows silver, while a wrong final combination makes the red seam flare and triggers the mild failure consequence. The inscription and visible objects provide all information needed, so checks only clarify meanings or reassure the players.
The ward activates when a character turns any ritual ring or moves the stone hand latch.
| DC | Check | What it gives |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Intelligence (Investigation) | Notice that each of the three rings has a matching pointer and that the symbols on the inscription correspond to ring options. |
| 11 | Intelligence (Arcana) | Recognize that the ward is a sequential ritual lock rather than a damage-triggered trap, and that its three pulses correspond to the three rings. |
| 10 | Wisdom (Religion) | Identify the ash, moon, and closed-hand signs as cult ritual symbols for a night offering and a vow of restraint. |
No hint given yet.
The symbols shine silver in sequence. When the stone hand closes, the crimson seam fades, the door unlocks with a deep stone click, and the chamber's heartbeat stops.
The red seam flashes and releases a harmless wave of cold air. Each creature within 10 feet must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or take 1d4 necrotic damage; a successful save avoids the damage. The rings reset, and the ward gives a clear low pulse. After three failed attempts, the ward stops pulsing and the party can try again without further damage.
The Ashen Choir built this ward beneath a ruined hill shrine to keep intruders from disturbing a sealed reliquary. Its ritual was designed to be understood by initiates who knew the Choir's simple signs: the hour without moonlight, an offering of ash, and a hand closed against violence. After the cult's fall, the ward remained active, following its instructions without knowing whom it served.
For a less experienced or younger party, make correctly aligned rings stay visibly lit and have the inscription's three phrases glow in order. For a more capable party, add a second sealed container beyond the door that uses the same symbols in a different, clearly inscribed sequence. Keep damage at 1d4 necrotic for this level 2 encounter.
Make the symbols and inscription available without checks. Checks should reward attention with context, not gate progress. Treat reasonable demonstrations of the clues as valid; the ward tests understanding, not a precise password. Keep the failure sting mild for a level 2 party and never make the door permanently inaccessible.
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