OOC: The Judge's read is that at least two of the pards want to handle the chest carefully. Understandably, the Texican is eager to find out what's inside, but the Judge suggests Tommy tries to unlock it before anyone attempts to move it or bust it open.

If anyone objects, please say so, otherwise, the Judge is looking for a roll from Tommy.

In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 55):

Listening to his pards speak for a bit, Tracy chimes in.

"If we're careful to support the rotting wood as we carry it, I think that we could move it a bit. I'm ready to try once Tommy unlocks it. Who's going to lift it with me?"

The Wolverine was game. They had accomplished much more difficult things than move a chest. Besides, the investigator desperately wanted to know what was inside.

He stoops down and looks over the chest once again. This time, he wanted to figure out where to best place their hands to avoid the possibility of breakage.

OOC:

10:50, Today: Tracy Windham rolled 4,2 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,2.  Notice check, plan to carry.

Edit: continuity issues
This message was last edited by the player at 14:53, Wed 30 Mar 2022.

In reply to Tracy Windham (msg # 56):

Tommy leans down and examines the lock on the chest. It's obviously old but does not appear to be any different from most of the standard key locks.

He begins to tinker with it, he pulls out his switchblade and needle nose pliers and gets to working on the mechanism.

"Let's just see if we can open this without breaking the whole box"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
16:57 Today: Thomas Pearce rolled 3,9 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,(6+3)9.  Pick lock - repair roll.

In reply to Thomas Pearce (msg # 57):

OOC: The Judge was expecting a Thievery roll from Pearce under the current circumstances. It sounded like the intent was to pick the lock (Thievery), rather than take it apart (Repair). However, Repair would apply if in fact the intent was to dismantle it. Either way, Tommy's Wild Die is a solid result that would have gone with either Trait roll, so the Judge is moving forward assuming, once again, that the Wild Die has spoken.

As part of this post, the Judge looked up the first known usage of "jimmy" as it seems a most appropriate verb here. MW says 1893, which seems close enough in this game's slightly different history.

----------------------------

Pearce finds himself a little out of practice when he tries to jimmy the lock on the rotting chest. With one ear still clogged up from yesterday's battle with the rat swarm, Tommy has to turn his good ear toward the lock as he works. Still, his mechanical skills serve him well, and after only a minute or so he hears the click of the gears releasing.

He lifts open the top and the four adventurers gaze at the contents under the lamplight.

A tangle of jewelry sits atop a line of silver bars. The jewelry is mostly fashioned from silver, it appears, with a few gold items mixed in. Necklaces, pendants, bracelets, brooches, and such. The lamplight catches the color of a few gems as well -- they appear to be set into the various baubles, as opposed to being loose stones.

In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 58):

Jake reached out a gloved hand towards the glittering treasure -- almost as if it were iron being involuntarily pulled towards a magnet -- then he suddenly jerked it back again, in the manner of one who has placed his flesh too close to a hot stove.

"Day-umn!" he managed to croak, staring fixedly at what lay before him in the ruined chest.

In reply to Jacob Richardsen (msg # 59):

Earnest looks bug-eyed at the chest, then around them nervously as if someone might suddenly jump out and yell at them, then back at the contents.

This is... astounding...

He manages to get out, for once lacking words.

In reply to Earnest Nicholas Samuel Ringgenberg (msg # 60):

It seemed to the Texican that the wonderment of what had been hidden away inside the chest had rendered Wool-verine and the Irishman speechless -- which, Jacob had to admit, had very nearly been the case with him, seeing as how he had managed only a single word upon catching sight of the dazzling treasure that lay glittering in the lantern-light.

Turning to Earnest, he muttered "Waal . . . what now, Perfesser?"

"You still in-tent on sal-vagin' the chest?"

In reply to Jacob Richardsen (msg # 61):

Tracy had obviously never seen such items. But he could not have even imagined them, either. He had spent his whole life scrounging and scrapping to survive; this much gold and silver astounded the investigator. Even though he was not particularly interested in the valuables for money's sake, he still could not help but fix his gaze on the bright shine of the treasure.

Shaking himself from his indefinite reverie, Windham addresses the others. He had a slightly different concern.

"Whether we salvage the chest or not, how do we expect to bring all of this with us? I can't imagine it's a good idea to just show up back in town with a chest or even pockets full of these precious items. Should we just take a few things and leave it buried here? Or hide it somewhere else in the cave? It's very likely no one but us knows of this area's contents."

In reply to Tracy Windham (msg # 62):

Earnest snaps out of his stupor and takes a deep breath.

Good points Tracy... I think we should just leave most of it here for now and only take some samples. And yes Jake, I would still like to preserve the chest... All of these items came here somehow and everything is a clue!

He looks back at the contents and rubs his chin before bending down to examine the items closer.

Let's see what we can learn now...

06:54, Today: Earnest Nicholas Samuel Ringgenberg rolled 4,3 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 4,3.  Academics - Examine jewelry, bars.

OOC: Trying to determine origin and/or age of the items... do they correspond to the chest?

In reply to Earnest Nicholas Samuel Ringgenberg (msg # 63):

As Tommy releases the lock and opens the lid of the chest he is stunned by the sight of the treasure. For a few minutes he is speechless. He reaches down gently touching the coins and jewels, careful to not disturb them, he gently draws his fingers across them to make sure it was real and not some trick of this mysterious cave.

Memories and thoughts of his youth crossed his mind: when tales and stories of Irish pirates derring-do were read and told to him which always involved treasure. Here was one such treasure as real as can be, right in from of him.

When he had recovered a bit he joined the debate

"We may not get back here very soon. We should take what we can now and bury the rest. Maybe we split the gold and silver pieces which are easier to carry and leave the jewelry and bigger items hidden here. Those will be less easy to split up.

We should cut Red Shirt in for a share as well"

In reply to Earnest Nicholas Samuel Ringgenberg (msg # 63):

While Pearce gently slides his fingers over the jewelry, a few moments later Ringgenberg reaches in and extracts a silver bracelet from the tangled pile. He picks a piece he believes can be removed easily, which proves mostly true, although a few of the other pieces shift a mite when he pulls it out.

Before the professor gets a chance to examine the item, his eyes fall upon something alongside the silver bars underneath the tangle of jewelry.

It's a cylindrical, rolled up swath of cloth, which gets rubbed slightly by a couple of necklaces that were touching the bracelet. An odor rises to Earnest's nose -- in fact, everyone smells something like burnt sugar.

Pearce immediately recognizes a tell-tale sign -- a number of small crystalline bumps on the cloth. The full implications now reveal themselves to Tommy, who informs his pards without delay. It's an old stick of dynamite.

----------------------

OOC: The professor's action leads to this discovery. At this time, the Judge is ruling that nothing bad has happened, and that the men can (and do) put a little space between themselves and the chest as they comprehend more about what they have found. Earnest's Science and Tommy's Repair tell them (automatically, no roll needed) that they aren't in any immediate danger, but that moving the chest runs a real risk of exploding the dynamite, which shows signs of instability.

The men know -- evinced by Earnest's action -- they can extract items from the chest without causing the dynamite to explode. Again, the mechanic and the professor, believe it can be done safely, if they are careful. In game turns, it's a Repair roll, which can be Supported by Science or Athletics, and the obvious danger is in rolling a Critical Failure, while the Judge is keeping the result of a regular failure to himself for now.

For the sake of moving forward, the Judge will also state that Earnest doesn't see anything particular about the bracelet that would correlate to the age of the chest. Rather, much like all of their finds, it is his opinion that the silver and gold items are of various styles and manufacture that have no direct correlation to the chest.

In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 65):

Earnest catches his breath after the scare.

Well that's not centuries old! I'm beginning to think that a very few of the bandits, maybe only El Presidente himself, used these dung piles to hide stolen loot. It's also possible that some previous group may have stashed it...

He pauses to rub his chin.

We'll have to ask Red Shirt and the townsfolk about treasure legends of this area, but if it's recent, we may be asked to return it.

Earnest re-approaches the chest to look down into it at the cloth roll, trying to determine how difficult it would be to carefully remove it.

18:10, Today: Earnest Nicholas Samuel Ringgenberg rolled 7,11 using d10,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 7,(6+5)11.  Notice - ease of roll removal.

In reply to Earnest Nicholas Samuel Ringgenberg (msg # 66):

OOC: No problem with Earnest's roll, but it wasn't necessary. The Judge already indicated this is a relatively easy task in msg #65.

A successful repair roll is good enough to remove the items safely. And others can Support with Athletics or Science (or Repair, I should have noted that, too). A Critical Failure will detonate the dynamite. The result of a failure won't be known until it happens, but it won't cause detonation.

"Why, them no-good, back-stabbin', belly-crawlin', toad-lickin' sumbitches!" the Texican growled when the full extent of the perfidy of the dynamite-riggers' scheme had been revealed. The very idea of trying to blow up treasure that dated all the way back to the days of the old-timey knights!

"Dunkin' 'em in oil, then rollin' 'em in tar an' danglin' 'em head-down oh-ver a slow fiere is too good for the likes uhv 'em!"

"Then bury 'em up to their scrawny, worthless necks in a fiere-ant mound for good mez-shure!" he huffed.

After expending some of his ire in thinking up appropriate punishments for the evil-doers, Jacob seemingly calmed down a little.

"All rieght. I'm ready to haelp rem-edy this-here trav-esty uhv all that is rieght an' ah-prop-ree-at. Sumbody who unnerstands what needs doin' jest sing out an' let me know the hows an' whats uhv what needs a-doin'."

---

OOC:

12:45, Today: Jacob Richardsen rolled 1,3 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,3.  Support Roll (Athletics).


12:45, Today: Jacob Richardsen rolled 2,3 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,3.  Benny Re-Roll (Support).

Comments: Hunh. Well, the Dice-Roller is not being very cooperative today. Perhaps the Texican is still too agitated to be of much assistance. :) Jake's Benny Total has been reduced by one.

Edit: Tweaked Jake's drawl in a few places. No substantive changes.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:03, Fri 08 Apr 2022.

In reply to Jacob Richardsen (msg # 68):

Upon seeing the dynamite, the investigator felt a brief jolt of excitement. He had always been curious about explosives. His first thought was to reach out and grab some, but he quickly shook it off. ~Those things are dangerous,~ Tracy reminded himself. ~I've got to help my friends get these items out safely.~

OOC:

11:43, Today: Tracy Windham rolled 1,5 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,5.  Athletics, support.

OOC: That’s +1 from Tracy towards a Repair roll, presumably by Tommy. Waiting for Earnest’s Support roll.

In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 70):

Earnest looks back at the others.

Tommy, would you be okay with removing the dynamite after we clear away some of the jewelry? I think there are only two sticks in there, if we can get them outside the cave using the nearby opening and out in the open then Jake can set them off with a rifle shot!

Earnest looks back into the chest for further assessment, advising Tommy on how to proceed based on his science knowledge.

19:05, Today: Earnest Nicholas Samuel Ringgenberg rolled 1,3 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,3.  Science - Assess how to remove dynamite.

19:05, Today: Earnest Nicholas Samuel Ringgenberg rolled 1,9 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,(6+3)9.  Science - Assess how to remove dynamite, reroll.

OOC: Good result from the use of a benny!

OOC: Yep. That’s total of +3 to Tommy’s Repair roll whenever he is ready to make it.

In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 72):

Tommy considers Earnest's request

"Well I'm not sure professor...old dynamite has a very bad reputation as being awfully tricky stuff. I remember we had an incident with it one time when I was working the railroad.

I'm not sure about moving it but I guess you would know better than me though. Maybe let's just see how we get on with removing the valuables"

"You gents better stand back and take cover. There is no sense in all of us getting killed if this goes off"

Tommy studies the open chest for a minute. In the mix of jewelry and coins he decides to avoid the necklaces with chains as those are most likely tangled up under the surface and would start pulling on other items in the box. He reaches down and pulls up what he sees as the most interesting item that lies on the top of the silver bars. It's a relatively large silver cross with encrusted jewels.
------------------------------------------------------------------
OOC - I didn't add the +3 for support in the dice roller, so this is an 8 I believe
08:25, Today: Thomas Pearce rolled 5,2 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,2.  Repair roll - remove treasure.

In reply to Thomas Pearce (msg # 73):

After studying the chest and its contents, the mechanic sets himself to the work. He remembers a few unexpected explosions during his time working on the railroad -- even under relatively favorable conditions. One task at a time, he thinks.

Fortunately, the work proceeds without incident. After Tommy removes a silver cross, a tangle of necklaces, and a silver bracer, he starts to feel comfortable. His pards help from time to time: Tracy moving or lifting a piece at Pearce's instruction -- or taking an item from the Irishman -- and Earnest offering suggestions for avoiding the dynamite until Tommy is ready to handle it.

Before long, the mechnaic concurs with the professor's observation. There are two sticks of oozing, crusty dynamite wrapped in the cloth. He believes he could extract them safely, in due course, and finally that time comes as Pearce has removed most of the jewelry. The silver bars and the dynamite are wedged together at the bottom, now clear of the other items. Pearce decides to lift out the dynamite next. He tells his pards to move away, just in case. Taking a deep breath and exhaling fully, the mechanic extracts the cloth bundle and lays it gently on a small mound of dug up earth near the chest. He then steps back a few steps, slowly, rejoining the others and breathing deeply.

OOC: The Judge is speeding this up a bit. Only one roll is needed and Tommy got a raise with the Support. The Judge is ruling heroes have extracted the dynamite, but they haven't tried to move it beyond Tommy's initial action. Also, they can remove all the chest's contents if they want to, without needing any further rolls, but since there was discussion about what to take or not take, the Judge isn't assuming that has happened.

The heroes need to confirm IC or OOC what they are taking or leaving -- and how. Obviously, the chest is still fragile, even if becomes empty, so any attempts to move or handle it will require rolls as noted before. Any attempt to further handle or move the dynamite will require a roll. Players should resume free posting to decide their next steps.

In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 74):

Tracy could feel their entire party exhale as Tommy backed away from the dynamite. They weren't out of the woods yet, though.

"So what's the plan? Are we hiding this stuff? Bringing some with us?" He pauses a moment. "And what about the dynamite? Tommy, is there a good way to dispose of it? If there is, I'll help with that."

OOC:

Judge, could Tracy roll Notice on the dynamite? Would he have to get a bit closer?

In reply to Tracy Windham (msg # 75):

Tommy has done good work! But I still think the dynamite needs to be taken outside... As it is now, a rat could set it off!

Earnest rubs his chin a moment.

Another, more disturbing thought occurs... What if whoever placed this chest here also buried more of this dynamite elsewhere? Future excavations will need to be made more carefully I fear.

OOC: What needs to be rolled to carefully take the dynamite outside Judge? No need for Tommy to take all the risk!

In reply to Tracy Windham (msg #75) and Earnest Nicholas Samuel Ringgenberg (msg # 76):

OOC: There's nothing new about the dynamite anyone can notice now, after it has been extracted.

Handling explosives requires the Repair skill. The Judge will again allow Science and Athletics for Support; however, only two people can make Support rolls, with one being a Science roll and the other an Athletics roll.

In reply to Judge Messalen (msg # 77):

"I think you're right Earnest. Keeping that old dynamite here might be a bad idea. We should probably get it outside and dispose of it.... but setting it off will call attention to us as of course the explosion will be heard for miles around"

Looking at the pile of treasure, now spread out neatly on the floor of the cavern, Tommy returns the other question at hand

"I guess we should decide exactly what to do about all of this. I doesn't make much sense to me to leave it in here...I'd like to bring it out"
This message was last edited by the player at 14:54, Sun 17 Apr 2022.

In reply to Thomas Pearce (msg # 78):

Well, the area outside is in yet another canyon so I don't think anyone would locate it even if they do hear it... As for carrying this all out, I guess we'll have to assess how much it will burden us all, but first the dynamite.

Earnest will discuss the safest way to transport it outside with Tommy. He will also accompany him to make sure there are no unseen drops or trip hazards.

09:22, Today: Earnest Nicholas Samuel Ringgenberg rolled 10,4 using d8,d6, rerolling max with rolls of (8+2)10,4.  Science - dynamite disposal.

---

OOC: Apologies! I was waiting for Tommy's post but totally missed his Sunday post!

Judge: Can Earnest quickly estimate the weight of all the treasure (including the large knife and coins previously found)?
This message was last edited by the player at 15:25, Tue 19 Apr 2022.