No Visible Means of Support
You jump to the last letter, and put your pom-poms down with a sigh of relief -- thank goodness that's over. Worst. Spelling bee. Ever. Past the tiles, a corridor continues even deeper into the temple. You follow it into another room.
The intricately vaulted ceiling of this chamber is supported by a series of ancient wooden beams. Unfortunately, it appears that the masonry hasn't entirely stood the test of time, as you feel water drip from a leak in the ceiling and splash on your head.
Wait -- sniff, sniff -- that's not water, it's oil! You run for the exit, only to discover that it has been sealed shut behind you. Rivers of oil now pour down the wooden supports, and with a WHOOSH the entire roof bursts into flames. The stonework starts to crumble and fall...
| Run around in a mad panic |
You run wildly around the room, flailing your arms and screaming like a little girl. Fortunately, you are saved the intense agony of burning to death when you are crushed beneath a falling block of granite. Uh, congratulations?
 | You lose (all) hit points. |
| Attempt to douse the flames |
Hrccch-ptoo!
Hrccch-ptoo!
Hrccch-ptoo!
Long before you run out of spit, you are crushed by piles of falling stone. Still, it was a good effort.
| You lose (all) hit points. |
| Do nothing |
You stand patiently in the center of the floor, waiting for the fire to burn itself out. Whether because of extreme luck or expert engineering, none of the falling stone blocks hit you, and when the violence subsides, sunlight pours through a gaping hole in the ceiling. A pile of ancient masonry lies beneath the hole, just tall enough to climb up to it. You make your way up into daylight, and find yourself on the roof of the Hidden Temple. Below you, you see a clearing in the trees, containing an ancient, ruined city that must have remained hidden for thousands of years.
You mark its location on your map, and carefully climb down the side of the Temple, back to ground level.
- The Hidden City is now unlocked.
Occurs at The Hidden Temple after Dvorak's Revenge as part of the Quest for the Holy MacGuffin (Level 11 Quest).
References
- The title of this adventure refers to a line from the Talking Heads song "Burning Down the House".
- The diary hints at the right choice by referencing the chorus of the song "The Roof Is on Fire" with the words "NOS NON NECESSITAS NULLAS AQUIA PERMISSIUM MATRISFORNICATIO EXURO".
