The Fireball Gazette

A Giant Leap into a Tiny World
Returning to the Treasury with the exhausted Moon Priestess Selene, the party braced for their next task. However, Tiyana, nursing a sprained wrist, stayed behind, and Ace rejoined the group, cured of his lingering cold. Selene explained that to pursue the rogue mask spirits, the party would need to shrink to miniature size and venture into the pages of the Great Portal Book.
Before anyone could protest or ask further questions, Selene began her spell. In the blink of an eye, the adventurers were reduced to a fraction of their size, standing at the very edge of the book’s bottom page. They gazed up at the towering figure of Selene, whose voice now boomed as if spoken by a god. After ensuring they were unharmed, she retreated into the distance, leaving them to their mission.
The party’s journey into the mysterious book world had begun.

Stars, Trees, and Mysterious Candles Deciding to investigate the left page first, the party found themselves at the foot of a massive star chart. As Deva explored, she identified several familiar constellations but noticed something unusual: within the Pisces constellation, a single star had been replaced by a shimmering purple amethyst. Walking onto the chart’s trampoline-like surface, Deva confirmed the gemstone was securely affixed and immovable.
Nearby, a large tree rose from the page, its branches covered in both drawn and real wax candles. Some burned steadily, but most were out. Ace tried to ignite one of the drawn candles but discovered they weren’t flammable. Marina climbed the tree to investigate the real candles but found nothing suspicious at first glance.
Deva then uncovered a section of elvish text inscribed on the page. Though it required careful transcription due to its oversized lettering, the poem revealed a crucial riddle:

Through the book you wander, tiny and small,
seeking the gems, hidden for all.
Six lie concealed in a careful line,
from top to bottom – follow each sign!
Press then the buttons, without any haste,
in the same order you carefully traced.
The gate will open, no longer sealed tight,
when you honour the puzzle and get it right.

Beside the riddle, a drawing of a dragon clutched a blue sapphire, while Mabel, circling the page’s edge, found a green emerald tucked into the top corner. With three gems identified, they turned their attention to the right page.

The Stone Door and an Unexpected Attack
On the opposing page stood a colossal stone door, nearly filling the sheet. Beneath it lay six protruding buttons, each a different colour: Green, Blue, Purple, Yellow, Orange, and Red. Eager to test the riddle’s instructions, Ace pressed the buttons corresponding to the gemstones they’d discovered so far - Purple, Blue, and Green. But as they lacked the full sequence, they returned to search the forest illustrated on the left page.
Peering into the drawn trees, Ace felt an eerie presence as two glowing eyes stared back at him. With a sudden charge, a lynx emerged from the depths of the paper forest, its claws aimed at Ace. Though he deflected the initial attack, his alarmed cry alerted the rest of the party.
Ace retaliated with his electrified rapier, landing a critical blow and skewering the lynx’s head, only for two more lynxes to emerge. Mabel, hesitant to harm the creatures, took a defensive stance, while Marina rained crossbow bolts from the tree above. Meanwhile, Deva transformed into a horse, closing the distance before reverting to human form and taming one lynx using Animal Friendship.
The remaining lynx attacked Deva, slashing her with its claws. Ace stepped in to free her, delivering a flurry of strikes. Together with Marina’s sniper support and Deva’s Flame Blade, they defeated the second lynx. The final lynx, now tame, revealed vital information: It said the orange gem lay within the flames and the yellow one was in the forest, but it knew nothing of the red gem. After tossing a mouse to distract the lynx, the creature vanished into the forest, leaving the party to continue their search.

Uncovering the Final Gems
Marina and Deva climbed the tree to examine the burning candles more closely. In the centre of one flame, they found an orange amber stone glowing brightly. Meanwhile, Mabel, guided by the lynx’s earlier clue, explored the forest again. A massive mama lynx emerged, her yellow, topaz-like eye glowing softly. Sensing Mabel’s gentle demeanour, the creature retreated into the depths of the forest, leaving her unchallenged.
Finally, Marina examined the ornate red border framing the book and discovered a hidden ruby nestled among the intricate designs. With all six gemstones identified, the party returned to the stone door to test the riddle’s solution.

Unlocking the Gate
Ace, standing before the buttons, pressed the remaining ones in the order the party had found the gems: Orange, Yellow, Red. As he hit the final button, he felt an electric shock in his arm as the buttons sprang back, having entered a wrong combination.
The party put their heads together and then tried pressing the buttons in the𝒮 order of top to bottom, as they appear on the page. As the last purple button was pressed, a faint hum filled the air, and the massive stone door began to retract, revealing a spiral staircase descending deep into the book. At the top, an ornate golden gate awaited, beyond which stood a resplendent palace shimmering with untold treasures and mysteries. The party stepped forward, eager to uncover what lay ahead. What secrets would the book reveal? What dangers awaited in the golden palace?

– TO BE CONTINUED –