After an uneventful long rest, the party returns to the cobra woman statue room to have a look at the well-crafted doors which do not open conventionally. Friggiedi intuitively jams three fingers into an indent wheel built into the door, clicks the wheel outward into an unlocked position releasing a seal, and rolls the doors open.
Floating magical candles illuminate the immaculately, if not suspiciously, clean hallway beyond. The light is sufficient for all to closely examine a highly detailed bas relief sculpture of a nude, heavyset man playing a harp. Incessant joking fills the next several minutes. Exactly half of a smoothly severed, ten foot, uncollapsed pole lies at the foot of the carving inciting more bawdy levity. The bas relief exudes conjuration magic. An inscription on the harp promises, “Gaze upon me with bronze visage and secrets shall I reveal.” Janky, recalling the bronze mask looted from the hall of mirrors, dons his bronze visage and disappears, transported to a demi plane room.
Janky meets an apparition of Hallaster Blackcloak aka The Mad Mage seated on an oak chair with an upside-down portrait of his person on the wall. The apparition offers to consider three of Janky’s questions on the topic of the dungeon which will be answered by two truths and a lie. Janky confers with the group via Togy’s sendings, and the same question is asked three times to ensure an accurate answer.
Hey, old buddy. Are you alive? Where at? Can you get back? How can we help you? Morn says, hi. You can reply to this.
I am alive. Biggish room. Misty portal. Old man: Hallaster Blackcloak. Three questions, two truths, one lie. If you can, send questions.
One question three times to ensure accuracy: Where is Kressando Roznar? If that is not fun then you can ask how to get back. Whatever.
From this query it is determined that Kressando Roznar is not only deceased but scattered across the third dungeon level. His ring, as proof of unlife, may still be around. The apparition of Hallaster Blackcloak disappears for Janky.
Janky returns to the party using the bronze mask and naked man portal. Reade borrows the mask and discovers the question-answering apparition is freshly available for him. Reade deduces that each party member may reliably glean one certain piece of information, or three uncertain ones, by returning to this portal.
The revved-up party continues south to chase around some goblins that Morn has identified.