Part 41: Level Two: Citadel of Osmet Khan, Three Trials

Level Two: Citadel of Osmet Khan, Three Trials



Hassan has taken us as far as he can. Now we must face the trials set forth by Vizier Aboud to guard the Talisman of Chugotai. Our first test is a test of taste, which seems to be related to this wine rack...



I'll need an answer for this, but rather than stop the update here, I'll go through each trial in sequence and only reveal the outcomes next time. Our second trial...

The mist parts. You are still far underground, but before you, floating in the air, is a brass mask shining with interior light. It is a mask of a turbaned demon, its fangs glinting, its eyes burning red. Perhaps it is no mask, for the eyes focus on you and the lips part. "The second test," says the mask, "is a test of piety."



An answer for this as well. Shouldn't be hard, if you've been paying attention. And the third trial...



You come to a giant burning disk set in a sheer wall. It burns with a magical blue fire of horrific intensity. Somehow, you know that if you or anything you are in contact with touches the disk, you will be instantly incinerated. At the center of the disk, above your head, is a lead-lined tunnel leading away. Nearby there are several ladders of varying length. One of them must allow you to climb the tunnel. But which one?

If you choose a ladder that is too long or too short, it will touch the flames and you will die. How can you determine the distance from the floor to the tunnel at the center of the disk? You walk from one edge of the disk to another, but you cannot be certain of its diameter. There are two distances you can measure precisely, though. Reaching above your head, you could touch a point on the circle that is 8 feet above the floor. And the horizontal distance from the highest point you could touch along one edge of the circle and the highest point you could touch on the opposite edge is exactly 24 feet.

So... how long of a ladder will we need?