Chapter 2.27: The Enochian Tower

“There once was this satyr named Bruq.
He entered a maze for a crystal to look.
But traps lied ahead
And left him for dead.
Now give him back the blood that it took.”

He opens his eyes and sees how Lyssa hangs over him.
“Thank whatever god or goddess brings goats back from the dead.”
He lifts his eyebrows and clears his throat. “Did you just call me a goat? And I didn’t die, Lyssa. It was actually less painful than the previous time, but painful nonetheless.”
He sits up and tries to fight off the dizziness. She holds her arm around him to make sure he doesn't hit the floor if he faints.
“That was supposed to be a limerick, right?”
She looks back at Bruq with an indignant expression. “What do you mean by that?” She pulls back her arm.
“It rhymed, but the amount of words isn’t correct. You do know that, don’t you?”
She stands up and waves the comment away with her hand. “Well, it was good enough for you to regain consciousness. Goat.”

As they discuss if it’s Oslando’s turn or if Bruq has to go in again, Mero is still bothering the disguised priest.
“What’s the reason you’re being so secretive about your god?”
Dargothoth squeezes the part of his nose bridge that’s between his eyes. He is getting tired of this conversation, but he has nowhere to go.
“It’s not a secret, puppet. It is, however, none of your business or anyone’s for that matter, so you can drop the subject.”
The sorcerer keeps staring at him. “Do you know what thought keeps me busy?” Mero receives a very loud and obnoxious sigh as response. “When you and Hadriel had that argument, he said your god no longer lives. Why do you worship someone who isn’t around anymore? Don’t you want your prayers to be heard?”
Dargothoth stands up again so he can look down at Mero. His teeth and eyes shift back to their original form and his voice becoming a hissing sound.
“A true follower will know the will of his master, even in silence, even in death. Maybe it’s time for you to enter the maze. You are bloodless, maybe you will return less drained than these two. Whatever the outcome is, it will give me rest for at least the coming minutes.”
He speaks so loudly at this point that the others are starting to overhear a part of the conversation.
“Calm your temper, dragonman. I have enough strength left in me to give it another go. If I fail again, I’m happy to let Mero give it a shot. Agreed, Mero?”
The puppet nods in response to the half-elf’s words.
“And when I pass through the maze without harm”, Mero says, ”you owe me that name.” He points his cartoonish finger at Dargothoth and the squiggly line of his mouth turns into a smile.
He sighs again, louder than before. “Fine, but only if you leave me alone now!”
Without giving it too much attention, Oslando walks to the door once again, his heart beating faster in excruciating anticipation of the pain he might receive.
“When you’re inside”, Lyssa says, “you have to go right, forward, left, forward. That route is without traps. Let me know when you’re there.”

(DC 14 versus constitution 10)
“I’m there”, he says, having only the crimson lights around the tiles for orientation. “Bruq went to the left, if I remember correctly. Shall I go to the right?”
She looks down at the map. “Yes, go there. There should be a wall behind you. Do you feel something else?”
He swiftly shifts to the next tile, somewhat fearing what might happen if the trap would activate while still in between tiles.
“I only feel one behind. All the other directions are free. Shall I continue moving forward?”
She looks at how many rows will be left between Oslando and the gem. She marked it in the line of the door, but she doesn’t know if it’s completely at the end of the maze.
“Yes, do that. After that, can you tell me how many tiles you have left before you reach the crystal?”
He steps forward and starts counting as he feels around. “Four tiles forward and one tile to the left before I’m there. There’s only a wall to my right. Now what?”
Maybe she’s overthinking it. They all passed these challenges with not all too much trouble and injuries. Maybe they’ve passed all the traps. Yes, that’s a nice thought.
“Never change a winning strategy”, she laughs with a bit more comfort than before. “Go forward again.”
He makes the step.
“We’re getting somewhere, Lyssa. There’s a wall to my left and in front of me. All other… Damnit! All doom and damnation for who created this slaughterhouse of traps. See you in a bit.”