The battle began in the bowels of the trapworks, deep beneath the grinding machinery that guarded the corrupted keep. Royce found himself in immediate danger as the grease coating his body revealed its true nature. Gray oozes emerged from the filth, creeping forward with hungry intent. With Raha's assistance, Royce escaped the cramped maintenance tunnels before the creatures could overwhelm him.

Above, the rest of the party faced a different challenge.

The first trap chamber still churned with deadly mechanical force. Massive walls ground forward while the floor threatened to carry the unwary into destruction. Chronaur's magic hastened the group, granting precious speed when they needed it most. Hilda planted herself against one of the moving walls, helping hold back the mechanism where the party had already managed to jam part of the trap.

Bit by bit, the party crossed.

Not all victories came through steel and spells. As the group struggled to coordinate across separated chambers, Morpho's unique method of communication became increasingly important. Unable to speak any known language, the eidolon instead pulsed the glowing energy of its body in simple patterns. What began as an improvised system of yes, no, and now quickly became enough to relay crucial information between scouts and companions.

Once reunited, the party turned its attention back below.

The oozes never stood a chance.

Standing safely above the crawlspace entrance, the adventurers rained attacks down into the confined maintenance corridors. The creatures were trapped below with nowhere to retreat. What had begun as a dangerous encounter quickly became a massacre.

With the threat eliminated, attention returned to the traps.

The group had little interest in running a second deadly gauntlet.

Instead, they devised a more elegant solution.

Using a combination of magic, flight, and careful planning, Chronaur, Royce, and Morpho bypassed the second chamber entirely. Teleportation and Morpho's aerial mobility carried them across hazards that would have challenged the rest of the party. Beyond the room, they discovered what they had hoped for—a control station connected to the larger trap system.

The trio descended once more into the machinery below.

There they found a sprawling control room filled with gears, pistons, valves, and mechanisms beyond the understanding of most adventurers. The controls themselves were covered in Goblin script and engineering notation.

Fortunately, Chronaur was no ordinary adventurer.

As both a gunslinger and an accomplished engineer, he recognized the purpose behind the machinery. Better still, he could read the instructions. With careful adjustments and more than a little skill, he deciphered the controls and brought the entire trap complex to a halt.

The grinding ceased.

The walls stopped.

The deathtrap was finally silent.

The party crossed the remaining chambers without incident, stepping through obstacles that only moments before could have torn them apart.

At the far end stood a heavy metal door.

But another mystery remained.

Royce and Chronaur had noticed an alternate route beneath the chambers and informed the others. While the majority of the party gathered near the metal door, Al took position at the front, prepared to charge whatever waited beyond. Meanwhile, Royce, Chronaur, and Raja descended once more to investigate.

The lower passage appeared to end in a dead end.

At first.

Closer inspection revealed a metal grate set into the ceiling.

They opened it and climbed through.

The three explorers pressed onward as quietly as possible.

Every step was measured.

Every movement cautious.

Then Royce accidentally struck a loose piece of metal.

The sound echoed through the workshop.

The small object bounced across the stone floor.

One clatter.

Then another.

The room fell silent.

Several iron golems stopped working.

Their heads turned.

Eyes that had been dark suddenly glowed red.

Weapons shifted into ready positions.

Across the mental bond, Raja sent a single message to Morpho.

"Now."