The Elemental Trials
The next morning, Veris calls the party together to explain privately how they can solve the refugee influx. To the north of Nuono is a chasm called the Everdeep; partway down is a chamber used to lock away the Metamorphic Horn to prevent its misuse. The Horn is locked behind a series of elementally-themed trials, ensuring that whoever overcomes the trial understands innately the strengths of that element, ensuring that they fully understand the ramifications of the Horn.
Setting out on seahorseback, Ysildea and the party make it to the Everdeep, then descend into the trial chamber. The chamber contains an ominous statue standing before the horn itself, as well as an altar with a number of medallion-shaped discs and several doors with elemental symbols upon them. Touching them causes the statue to briefly awaken and speak what ‘wisdom’ the element represents, then allows the person who touched the door to enter to undergo a trial.
- Poison: Moderation. Serafina enters the poison trial and finds a great feast made up of every food she has ever made or enjoyed on her journey, as well as a terrifically comfortable looking bed. Since she does not need to eat or sleep, technically, she eats the bare minimum to be full without overindulging, then wanders into the darkened corners of the trial, away from the feast. In the darkness, she finds the Poison Medallion, away from the feast.
- Lightning: Wits and speed. Ysildea, claiming she has passed the lightning trial before, does so again — floating platforms over a seemingly endless chasm of roiling storms, traversed to retrieve the Lightning Medallion.
- Ice: Wisdom and self-control. Irving enters the ice trial and finds a maze of mirrors made of ice, seemingly containing a multitude of exits and the Ice Medallion. Taking a moment to study the room, the scholar finds the true path and makes his way to the Medallion.
- Air: Dexterity and ingenuity. Cynthia finds the air trial seemingly empty save for the medallion on the other side of the room; however, on entering it becomes clear that the room is home to cutting winds that push the trial contestant back and damages them. Testing the air currents using a paper airplane, Cynthia uses a ritual to turn herself weightless and fly across the room, floating on a high air current and retrieving the Air Medallion.
- Earth: Resilience and willpower. Serafina finds a whirling sandstorm awaiting her, and, seeing no option other than to just push through it, finds her way to the Earth Medallion waiting in the calm point at the center.
- Fire: Courage and strength. Ysildea enters, finding a room full of sheets of flame that flicker in and out of existence, washing over the path before receding. She pushes through despite the danger and returns bearing the Fire Medallion, slightly scorched but successful.
- Light: Honor and charisma. Irving enters and finds, seemingly, the Horn sitting on an unguarded altar in the center of a blank white room. It begins to send him visions of redemption and proving himself a hero, as well as breaking free of the dishonor that nags at his heels, if he only picks up the Horn now and leaves, abandoning his allies. Irving steels his resolve, sits down with his back to the Horn, and lets the visions wash over them, denying him; eventually he hears a clatter as the Light Medallion falls to the altar in the place of the illusionary Horn.
- Darkness: Desire and growth. Cynthia enters the trial and finds… Lehrenstein. Gradually the city’s upper-class district fades into view around her. She finds her way to her family estate and finds its gates locked; the Darkness Medallion sits on a table before the gate, and the lock has a conveniently medallion-shaped hole in it. She is filled with the certainty that she can have her heart’s deepest desire — going home — if she just inserts the medallion in the lock. After bracing herself, Cynthia turns away… and finds herself back in the trial chamber with the Darkness Medallion.
Finally, there is one last trial: a physical trial to fight the Tutela Elementum, the statue that guards the horn itself. Facing off against it, the party emerged successful and retrieved the Metamorphic Horn from its resting place, ready to head back to Nuono.