"Very well," the demon replied. "Just know that my offer still stands..."<br/><br/>Although they were given their leave, Shelna could not help but worriedly look back and around for some ambush.<br/><br/>"Do you...can you tell if he's nearby?" she asked.<br/><br/><hr/><br/><strong>OOC:</strong>Although the next couple of rooms can be resolved by skill checks, saves, etc by default, other alternatives you think up are permitted as well. Even on a failed check you can get through, albeit a little worse for wear due to damage!<br/><br/><strong>Room 10:</strong>Going up another flight of stairs, the already narrow halls of the pyramid seemed to close in on Tora and Shelna, although it was a trick of the light and the gradual tapering towards the structure's top. The next large room had a tunnel with twin sloping passages of smooth stone at 45 degree angles in a v-shape, with the flat center forming a sort of "road" to the next door. At the top of the slopes one could barely make out the tops of archways.<br/><br/>There was a thump, then the sound of something...no, several things, rolling! Out from one of the archways came a boulder rushing down the slope, barely missing Tora to go up the other slope! Several more followed in its wake at different points.<br/><br/>"Thoth's fingers," Shelna swore. "It's like a pendulum of death here..."<br/><br/><em>The smooth stone walls require a DC 25 Climb or DC 30 Acrobatics check to scale. Those with a Climb speed can scale them automatically, as can Spider Climb and similar spells.<br/><br/>The boulders will eventually come to a resting point at the center of the "v" at various points. There's so many that simply staying in one place will guarantee a hit. Roll a DC 22 Reflex Save. Success avoids damage, and a 27 or better is enough to guide 1 additional party member across the room. Failure results in 1d6 damage, with an additional 1d6 for every margin of failure by 5 or more points (maximum 5d6 on a 2 result).</em><br/><br/><strong>Room 11:</strong>The next room was but a series of tiles of alternating red and blue hexes. They shimmered at various points in the dim light of the ceiling. With a quick observation, a pattern could be seen going all the way to the next doorway.<br/><br/>"Maybe think of it...as a platform?" Shelna asked. Cautiously tossing a rock at a shimmering red tile, it was fine at first, but then caught on fire as the tile stopped shimmering.<br/><br/>"Well, that answers my question..."<br/><br/><em>A DC 18 Reflex or DC 15 Knowledge Engineering can be used to time the shimmering pattern to safely cross. Every 10 feet above or below 30 feet of movement imposes a +4/-4 increment respectively.<br/><br/>Failure on the check imposes 3d6 points of damage (half fire, half cold) but manages to cross. Failure by 5 or more causes you to be stranded and forced to roll again in order to make it to the other side, or suffer an additional 3d6 damage on a failure! No more damage is incurred after this.<br/><br/>A PC who's still conscious after all this can find a lever at the opposite side to disable the trapped floor.</em><br/><br/><strong>Room 12:</strong>A constant howling sound permeates this room. The sound's source is from a  huge, shimmering, green orb floating in the air, about 20 feet in diameter. The room's foundations are a featureless black; no hieroglyphs, no tiles, just a single smooth feature of shaped black stone...<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Knowledge Engineering or Spellcraft DC 20</div><div class="spoiler_body">This room was forged out of a single huge piece of obsidian via <em>stone shape.</em> Such a task would only be capable of by an archmage.</div></div><br/>Shelna looked quizzically at the orb. "Hmm, do you think that-"<br/><br/>It moved with her. Then, it shot out a long, worm-like tunnel of wind at her!<br/><br/>Fortunately she dodged out of the way, but just barely.<br/><br/>"What in the Hells is that thing?!" the monk exclaimed as she soared through the air.<br/><br/><em>The orb can cast a gust of wind spell (Caster Level 8th) as an immediate action. The gust of wind stays put as a stationary wind cyclone for one round. It can also fly at a speed of 60 feet (perfect).<br/><br/>Although the orb is not a monster, it will try hindering a PC's passage by physically blocking their way, and shooting gusts at other intruders.<br/><br/>The orb, however, is a construct, and it can be disabled. Provided someone succeeds at dispelling the gust of wind, succeeds at a DC 20 Acrobatics or CMB check to maneuver closer to it, or evades its it detection via invisibility or the like, they can get close enough to notice a series of runes. A DC 20 Disable Device check can scratch out a rune and thereby disable the orb.<br/><br/>Failure causes you to be hit for 1d6 nonlethal damage by the orb's wind or massive form. Eventually, after 3 rounds Shelna will get close enough to it in the fracas and disable it with a well-time flurry of blows to a rune on top, shattering the orb.</em><br/><br/><strong>Room 13:</strong>The final room before the pyramid's peak, there is only a strange platform with guardrails and a handcrank. Turning it around causes the platform to shift around, gradually making its way up a ramp to the top. Shelna looks about worriedly, yet no demons nor traps nor chained spirits come...<br/><br/><hr/><br/><strong>Room 14/15:</strong>The final room is a seething bright rose red, ghastly infernal lanterns in the shape of monstrous skulls hanging from each compass direction. At the center of the room is an empty throne of stone, containing but a single ruby at its top.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Appraise DC 15</div><div class="spoiler_body">The ruby is of exquisite craftsmanship and easily worth 4,000 gp.</div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Knowledge Religon DC 15</div><div class="spoiler_body">This once served as a temple to Anubis, but was perverted by one of the archfiends of the Eleven Hells. The entire area is <em>desecrated (as the spell).</em></div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Knowledge Planes DC 13</div><div class="spoiler_body">The ruby acts as an anchor connecting a portion of the Eleven Hells to the pyramid. The lanterns are but reinforcement, acting as portals for people (likely fiends) to come through.</div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Perception DC 22</div><div class="spoiler_body">You are not alone. There's someone watching from the ceiling. A pair of glowing eyes blinks from a hidden hole above (Room 15, not marked on the map).</div></div>