The grenado explodes as expected, destroying each of the suits of armor and in the process sending fragments of metal flying throughout the air. One of those fragments gets lodged in your shield... it would have taken your head clean off, if not for your shield!

Through the rubble, the debris and a cloud of smoke you advance slowly....

The story will continue at the start of your next turn.

Suddently out of nowhere non-contestant Undeadcow runs through the dungeon cheering about poison mist, dances with a broken silver wolf armor helmet, kisses the old witch, then mysteriously disappears into a puff of smoke... if he was ever really there at all... [Bump]

You follow the sounds. Slowly and carefully you sneak around the large pit of fire in the middle of the room, until you observe two figures. They don long brown cloaks and golden hoods. Their backs are turned to you.

They are both kneeling upon the ground, examining what appears to be a large treasure chest. They take turns smashing a hammer against the lock on the chest.

They appear to be unaware of your presence.

There is a door just a few feet away, which leads further to the west.

Higashi Wakamura, it is now your turn. How will you proceed?

Withdrawing behind the fire, I pull out two pieces of paper. I fold one into a centipede, and the other into a wasp. Searching the firepit, I locate the wrought iron stoker that stirs the coals and quietly withdraw it. I then send the centipede scuttling across the floor to crawl under the cloak of one figure, while dispatching the wasp to hover behind the second.

All at once I rise, bellowing with the fire raging before me, and strike the fire with the stoker so that flaming wood splinters and coals scatter towards the two. This is the cue for the centipede to make itself known within the first figure's garments, while the wasp suddenly moves to menace the second. I raise the stoker aggressively and try to convey with body language that this is my room and my treasure chest that they are tinkering with. I point towards the poisonous hallway that I just came up through and hope that this flurry of sudden activity, combined with the proddings of my origami animals, confuses and frightens the figures enough that they seek escape that way.

Startled by your trickery, the thieves turn and flee. They have left behind a cloth sigil emblazoned with the image of a crimson stallion. You pick it up and examine it, but it doesn't look like anything special.***

The lock has been shattered, and the chest begins to creak open. Peering within, you spy a bright blue light...

*** = if you would like to keep the sigil, say so. If not, your character will drop it.

The story will continue when your next turn begins.

Yes, he places it in his folio, intending to study it later in a moment of calm, and perhaps then copying it onto paper to see if it contains any symbolic powers.

You pass through the rubble of the broken suits of armor, as the smoke of your grenado dissipates.

You have entered an expansive, circular room. A hundred lit torches line the walls of this room, and nearly as many suits of armor - identical to the ones you encountered in the last room, but with different symbols upon their chests: they bear a crest that features a bird, outlined in yellow.

There is a small balcony to the south of this room. It is high off the ground, but there is no staircase by which you can reach it.

In the middle of this room is the portal to the floor below you. The portal is currently inoperable. If you wish to assure your passage to the next level, you must fight off anyone who enters this room.

Antsy, it is now your turn. How will you proceed?

I scowl as I look around. I swing my shield on my back, take out my tools and carefully begin, always minding the suits of armor around me, to fill the room with deadly traps filled with explosives. No-one shall sneak upon me. After a couple of minutes I'm satisfied with the pattern and mumble to myself. That portal must activate from somewhere. Then I shift my attention to the small balcony. I take out my crossbow, put in on the ground. I search my pockets and find a strong rope in one of them. After tying the rope's end to a steel bolt, I load the bolt into the crossbow and aim between the balcony's balustrades. The bolt swooshes through the air, lands on the balcony and after a careful tug on the rope it looks lodged safely between the balustrades. I take a sip from my trusted flask since my mouth is dry, then I climb the rope to the balcony and look around to find anything useful. While searching the balcony, I prepare my crossbow to set an ambush against whomever would enter the room. I load it with an explosive-tipped crossbow bolt and resume the search of the balcony.

There is nothing of interest on this balcony. There are stairs that lead down into a dark tunnel to the south, but that's about it. It is, however, a convenient hiding place.

The story will continue when your next turn begins...

The treasure chest cracks open, revealing what appears to be a writing pad... except that, when you press ink against it, the ink will not hold.

The pad shines a brilliant shade of blue. The image of a spinning hourglass appears on the pad. Then, the hourglass disappears and the number "12" shows up on the pad.

There is a door to the west, if you wish to continue your journey.

There are two doors to the east: one to the northeast (unexplored), one to the southeast (the poison room).

How do you proceed?

I begin stow the curious pad to my folio, hoping to consult it further to see if I can divine the significance of its cryptic clue. As I am putting it away I notice the sigil I retrieved earlier from the two thieves. Struck with an inspiration, I lay the cloth over the glowing screen and trace the outline of the emblem with my finger. Removing the cloth, it seems that the pad is changing, the number having been replaced with motes of changing colours.

While waiting for the pad to bring forth new wonders, I carefully open the door to the west a sliver and peer towards what awaits.

Unfortunately, applying the sigil to the pad produces no effect. It still blinks, "12."

You have determined that the room ahead is the portal room: your intended destination.

The story will continue when your next turn begins.

You hear the creak of the door to your east: your opponent is trying to enter the portal room!

Thus begins round 1 of combat.

How will you proceed?

I lay down on the balcony floor, cradling the crossbow loaded with an explosive-tipped bolt between the balustrades and carefully aim in the direction of the noise. Being an old veteran though, I remember that honor is the most important thing a fighting man can have. Damn this would've made a nice ambush. Thus I shout towards the door:
- Whoever you are, if you enter that door, you'll end up in tiny bits and pieces! Best turn back the way you came! Don't say that Antsy hasn't warned you!
In the mean time I rise myself from the ground and lean the crossbow on the rail, holding it in one hand, my finger gently touching the release. I swing down my shield from my shoulder to lean it against the balcony in front of me and quickly check that my sword is loose in its scabbard. When done I ready a grenado in my free hand, for the case I need to toss it quickly after firing the bolt.
Alas, I stand on the balcony patiently waiting for my opponent to make his move, either to retreat or to enter the room, in which case he'll have to face my bolt flying towards him.

Combat has begun. Your turn for round 1.