The stone settled, the lava splashing horribly close to the Gembounds with hissing, smoking spots left behind. The room was hot, this close to the lava flow: boiling, in fact, and most creatures would be glad to pass through the dark gap past the ramp and into the room beyond.

Not that this next room was cool. Far from it: it was searing hot, too, and filled with a smoke too thick to easily pass through. But it wasn't burning their skin, at least, though it was sweltering on its own. A dim glow permeated from narrow cracks that glowed with the light of the lava far beneath. Farther still, another doorway led beyond, its gap illuminated by lava light. The entire room also sloped downward: stalagmites and stalagtites jutted here and there along a rocky slope, one easy to lose balance on.

Passing through this room would be tricky, and this one was nearly empty of bodies and of treasure, or even any visible threats. But the smoke was, in and of itself, a barrier to passage: they would need to protect themselves to pass through to whatever lay beyond.

---

Characters should roll to pass through the smoke and move on to the next room, thus far only a glowing red doorway. They may use any roll type and strategy they deem viable. Rolls that can have AoE effects will find that the smoke can be cleared a little for those around them, but as the room is enclosed, the effects will be somewhat limited.

Critical Success rolls may find stray coins lying among the rocks; a GM will post the exact amount later.

Successful rolls can pass through unhindered.

Those who fail will suffer from some smoke inhalation, finding it more difficult to breathe for the rest of the thread. They may instead injure themselves in a fall or on sharp stones, if their player so chooses.

Those who critically fail will suffer the above effects, along with burning eyes, making it a little harder to see clearly past running eyes, assuming they possess eyes. (This is Origin. Not everybody does.)

The next post will take place in four days, on June 15th, afternoon/evening GMT.

Treasure!

In the meantime, two of the Gembounds had already come away with treasure.

Bauxite-T-One's new treasure was a war-axe. Designed to be held in one hand, and bereft of magical enchantment, it was nonetheless a work of art--and war, of course. Formed of a silver alloy with swirling gold inlay, it was both sturdy and relentlessly sharp, not even tarnished by the smoke or passage of time. Now taken from the skeleton of what might've been its former owner, its shining edge (and the rest of it, of course) belonged to the Bauxite.

Hargrave lifted another weapon from charred bone hands: a dagger, sadly missing any sheathe. This one was a strange, dark metal--like steel but with a permanent, dull finish, one that left it matte. The black ribbon that tied in a hole through the hilt would allow her to carry it around her neck, but it didn't look like much. Sharp, yes, and long, but fairly small and light, without flourish or decoration. It looked like an assassin's blade, meant to be hidden and carried with subtlety--and indeed, if she wielded it (or had it examined by one who could tell such things), Hargrave would find that it was Enchanted with Ephemevenom.