pukunui
Legend
Last session, we reached the Throne Gate Ruins in the jungles of Xen'drik. It was only then, while describing it to my players, that I realized that the layout as shown on the maps doesn't make sense.
First, let's look at the side view of the ruins:
As you can see here, each level sits squarely above the one below it. In particular, note how the Dark Level extends beyond the edges of both the Gallery Level and the Temple Level.
Next, let's look at the overhead maps of the Gallery, Dark, and Temple Levels:
On the Gallery Level map, the stairs marked 5 (on the left) ascend to Area 9 on the Dark Level, while the stairs marked 3 (on the right) ascend to Area 14 on the Temple Level. Leaving aside the odd fact of the humanoid-scaled stairs switching sides between levels, how is it possible to ascend from the Gallery Level to the Temple Level without passing through the Dark Level? There is a friggin' step pyramid on the Dark Level right where the Temple Level staircase ought to be!
When I pointed it out to my players, I just made some comment about magic being involved. One of them joked that the ruins must have been built by MC Escher. We all had a laugh and moved on.
(So far they have only explored the Gallery and Dark Levels.)
First, let's look at the side view of the ruins:
As you can see here, each level sits squarely above the one below it. In particular, note how the Dark Level extends beyond the edges of both the Gallery Level and the Temple Level.
Next, let's look at the overhead maps of the Gallery, Dark, and Temple Levels:
On the Gallery Level map, the stairs marked 5 (on the left) ascend to Area 9 on the Dark Level, while the stairs marked 3 (on the right) ascend to Area 14 on the Temple Level. Leaving aside the odd fact of the humanoid-scaled stairs switching sides between levels, how is it possible to ascend from the Gallery Level to the Temple Level without passing through the Dark Level? There is a friggin' step pyramid on the Dark Level right where the Temple Level staircase ought to be!
When I pointed it out to my players, I just made some comment about magic being involved. One of them joked that the ruins must have been built by MC Escher. We all had a laugh and moved on.
(So far they have only explored the Gallery and Dark Levels.)
