Dungeon Guardians

The Dungeon Guardians are an invention of the NES-Port of Ultima V.

They are statues that stand at the entrance of each dungeon and only allow useage of the ladder down, after the correct word of power is given. A claer departure from the original game, where the word actually removed a physical obstacle, while here it merely is a glorified password.

Interestingly, the same portrait was also used from the shrines.