The group scouts out what they can see of the second floor of the Keep. They’re hesitant to enter the room where they saw the suits of armor’s eyes begin to glow, so they head into the central room.
They see a table set against the far wall with five bottles of differing sizes upon it. Coratana and Audir begin to investigate to table, but as soon as they touch it, the doors into the room are sealed, and a hissing sound and faint odor begin to fill the room. They look again and see a line of text appear on the wall behind the table, saying “I am your way forward.”
The group investigates the table further, shifting the bottles slightly on the table. As they do so, more text appears on the wall: "I am neither first nor last. Deadly poison sit on my right and left. My tallest brother will neither help nor hurt."
Quickly, the party pinpoints the potion the text indicates. Without speaking to the rest of his fellows, Sulyex steps forward and drinks the potion. The hissing sound ceases and a previously-hidden door opens in the wall behind the table. The adventurers walk into a small room containing a metal safe (holding a bag containing 200 gold pieces and a smaller bag containing high quality diamonds, rubies, and sapphires - about 100 gold pieces worth of each type of gem), a suit of studded leather armor, and two enchanted daggers.
The party returns to the previous room to find the doors outward still sealed. A ‘Detect Magic’ ritual reveals two enchanted stones inset into the walls- one by each door. All efforts to open the door by brute force are thwarted by a magical shield protecting the doors, until Sulyex had the bright idea to punch one of the magical stones. At his touch, the corresponding door opens, and the group progresses into the room with the armor.
Quickly realizing things are not as simple as they appear - and forewarned by Quaesitor’s divination - Sulyex and Coratana release attacks into the room, impacting two creatures that had disguised themselves as curtains. Battle ensues! Early in the combat, Sulyex has one of the aberrations wrap itself around his face and Audir is swallowed by a rug that rises up to envelop her small form. Quaesitor uses a spell to heat the metal on one of the suits of armor, and in turn, that armor grapples the Bard in a bear hug, scorching Quaesitor with his own spell. The group ultimately strikes down the cloak-like aberrations, animated armor, and rug of smothering.
The adventurers attempt to take a short rest, but they are interrupted when a floating set of eyes begins to approach the doorway to the room they are in. The eyes flare into a brighter green light, revealing a flameskull, followed by several others. A total of six flameskulls reveal themselves over the next few seconds… Sulyex quickly marshals the party to attempt to use a table to barricade the doorway, but a fireball quickly destroys the table and sends shards of wood spraying into the room. The party enters combat with these grinning skulls and finds them fairly brittle and easily-damaged… However, as each flameskull is destroyed, in the next room over, a candle glowing with an eerie green light flares brightly and spawns a new flameskull. The party quickly realizes that the candles must be destroyed to stem the tide of enemies, and manage to do so.
With their foes destroyed - and with no sign of returning - the party finally settles down for that rest they crave.