D&D Dwarven Puzzle: The Altar of Runes

• Type: Logic puzzle
• Location: a dwarven altar
• Difficulty: Medium

Background:

The party has come across a small, secluded dwarven temple deep in the heart of the underground tunnels. As they explore the temple, they notice a strange stone altar at the center of the room.

Upon closer inspection, the party realizes that the altar is actually a puzzle. It is covered in a series of ancient, intricately carved runestones, each one marked with a different symbol. There are also four small, shallow bowls arranged around the altar.

The Puzzle:

The party must figure out how to unlock the puzzle altar in order to uncover whatever treasure or clue lies within. They notice that there are four small levers on the side of the altar, each one marked with a different symbol. They also see that there are four corresponding symbols etched into the surface of the altar, just above the keyhole.

The party realizes that they must manipulate the levers in a specific order in order to unlock the puzzle altar. They also see that there are a series of numbers etched into the surface of the altar, each one corresponding to a different lever.

1. The “Gundur” symbol, which represents the concept of planning ahead and looking to the future. This could be associated with a lever that points north.
2. The “Throndur” symbol, which represents the idea of remembrance and history. This could be associated with a lever that points south.
3. The “Durnehviir” symbol, which represents the concept of right and justice. This could be associated with a lever that points right.
4. The “Bofur” symbol, which represents the idea of endurance and perseverance. This could be associated with a lever that points left (also the dwarven shield arm).

Of course, players can make knowlegde checks to get some clues or experiment with the levers. But each mistake will cost them as gold pieces start to magically disappear from their pockets; a very painful punishment for greedy dwarfs.

The Solution:

The party must use their puzzle-solving skills to figure out the correct order in which to manipulate the levers. They may need to make use of their knowledge of math, logic, and symbols in order to solve the puzzle.

One helpful clue is to examine the runestones on the altar. Each runestone corresponds to one of the levers, and the party must determine which lever goes with which runestone.

Once they have successfully unlocked the puzzle altar, they may find a valuable treasure inside, or a clue to their next adventure.

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