This hall is devoted to speculation on whatever fate befell the Annwyn Empire.
At the entrance of the hall is a set of displays chronicling the timeline of The Recall, piecing together fragments of information from all over the western Annwyn sphere of influence. It's obvious that the retreat of the Empire was sudden and unexpected and that those being summoned home had no idea what crisis had befallen their homeland.
General Description
Running down the center of this long hall are three exhibits, massive dioramas. Each diorama is presided over by a translucent figure, a ghost, illusion, or some other creature or creation. The hall is long and shadowed, so it's only possible to make out the details of the first massive diorama. This massive table holds a large and intricate model of a city at the foot of a smoldering volcano. As you observe, you make out tiny figures, small as ants, move around inside the diorama. They appear to be milling around and pointing up at the volcano. On the walls surrounding the diorama are murals depicting more volcanoes in the distance, spitting fire.
As you approach the entrance, the nearest figure turns toward you.
Each table is presenting three main theories. Each theory is sponsored by the illusion of a talking head of the primary scholar who expounded it, —sponsored loudly. The three heads yell back and forth at each other, each presenting the evidence of their viewpoint. Since the evidence is scanty and they are very opinionated, they've been arguing for a hundred years.
Theory of Natural Calamity
This theory, sponsored by Scholar Ramundi, posits that the Annwyn home islands were destroyed by some great natural calamity, such as an earthquake, tsunami, or volcanic eruption. Ramundi is adamant that his theory is the most straightforward and best supported by evidence. He points to several documented examples of islands and coastlines being decimated by such events.
The diorama is a massive table featuring an erupting volcano, drenching a coastal city in ash and lava. Anyone attempting to walk past the table will be sucked into the diorama. They will emerge on the top of a tall hill near a massive temp where they will clearly see the river of lava approaching the city. To escape they will have to deal with both the eruption, the ash fall, and the crowd of desperate refugees fleeing toward the ocean.
If they reach the ocean, they will find the water is superheating and offers no refuge. At that point, they will be ejected from the diorama
It takes ten rounds of movement to reach the table edge. However, a river of lava and a large crowd block the characters from moving. The lava moves at 20'
Theory of Supernatural Calamity
This theory, sponsored by Biblioghast Arabella, posits that a supernatural event destroyed the Empire. Either some spell or enchantment the Annwyn were working went horribly wrong, or the Empire earned the enmity of a powerful deity.
This diorama is similar to the first, a coastal city in the shadow of a tall mountain. However, instead of an erupting volcano, a huge bearded deity figure with a crackling lightning bolt in his hand stands astride the mountain.
Again, any attempt to walk past the table results in the characters being sucked into the scene. In order to escape, they must reach the far side of the table (the Ocean), dodging lightening bolts as they run.
It takes ten rounds of movement to reach the table edge. The lightening bolts become more severe each round, 1 bolt on rounds 1-3, 2 bolts rounds 4-6, three rounds on 7-9 and four on round ten+
In addition after the characters leave the city (which takes 120' movement they will harrased by Erinyes with Ropes. These devils will swoop out of the ashen sky and attempt to entangle and restrain the PC's. One new Erinyes arrives every 2 rounds.
Theory of Ascension
This theory, sponsored by Scholar ParShopta, posits the Annwyn ascended to one of the planes of Elysium where they now coexist with the gods. Evidence of such ascension is strong, though normally only in the case of an individual, not an entire people.
The table is split into two sections, one shows the same coastal city as the others, the second shows an idyllic pastoral scene of golden fields.
This diorama is the simplest and, on the surface, the least threatening. Any attempt to circumvent it plunges the PCs into the cityscape. Once a round, one of them will be raptured into the pastoral scene.
Once in the pastoral scene, a profound sense of peace and wellbeing will wash over the PC. Taking any action other than merely enjoying the surrounding requires a willpower save. The save starts out DC 10, but each subsequent save grows in difficulty by +2.
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