The blue pool provides no benefit or drawback prior to placing the items in the runic circles. It shows its true nature once the items are placed in the runic circles and the complex activates. At this point, it animates as elemental water, a malevolent vortex that lashes out and grabs creatures that enter this chamber.

Trap: Each round on its initiative, the Vortex attacks all creatures in its blast range.

Initiative: +6

Trigger

When the four items are placed in the runic circles, this trap rolls initiative.

Attack

Standard Action - Close Blast 5
Target: All creatures in blast
Attack: +6 vs. Ref
Hit: 2d10 + 3 damage, and the target is pulled 5. A creature pulled adjacent to the blue pool is grabbed (until escape). The trap can grab any number of creatures.

Countermeasures

♦ The vortex has 16 on all defenses but is immune to damage.

♦ If the vortex is hit by an attack that has the cold keyword, it cannot attack on its next turn.

♦ A DC 18 Arcana check (standard action) allows a character to disrupt the runes that power this trap. A character must be adjacent to the vortex to disable the runes. Four successful checks before attaining two failures neutralizes the trap. On a failure, the vortex make an attack against the creature that failed the check (using the attack and damage listed above).