In reply to Rasxif (msg # 263):

Brant glares then looks down and mutters something before trailing off in stream of perjoratives.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:06, Thu 09 May.

The chest coughs politely before opening. Tucked neatly within are 1,000 silver pieces, 60 gold pieces, and a jade key (worth 3,000 gold pieces) (that's a lot of jade concentrate).

Hieroman places a hand on Rasxif's shoulder for balance as she stands on her tippy toes to peer over him into the chest to see what's inside.  The gold and silver doesn't seem to do much for her, but she smiles without saying a word when she sees the key.

OOC:  Does the key look like the key for the door ahead?

Having recovered from his bout of sulking, Brant returns to give Rasxif a pat on the shoulder."Well done, sir." He peers into the chest to take inventory.

In reply to Cassandra (msg # 258):

Ornwin offers helpfully, "Ready to whack when the chest reaches the floor!" But when Raxsif succeeds in opening the chest, he gives him a congratulatory pat and says "Shrewd is better than crude." Unlike the others, he is very interested in the precious metals. He looks eagerly into the chest, murmuring "The heart is bold that looks on gold."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:39, Fri 10 May.

Cass assumes the jade key goes to the door in this room.

She will search for and attempt to disarm any traps on the door.

We won’t try the jade key or go through until we have stored the chest back in the bag and otherwise are prepared to move forward in this dungeon.

She will give Hieroman the honor of using the jade key on the door after she has finished the trap process.

11:41, Today: Cassandra rolled 47 using 1d100.  Detect traps. – 47
This message was last edited by the player at 16:42, Thu 09 May.

After having peered at the jade key long enough to exhaust the patience of the other guests, Rasxif shrugs and passes the large key (so much jade!) on to Hieroman for insertion in the large door at the end of room, the one with the large key hole. It fits like a charm.

Orwin opens the door and fresh, if sultry, air wafts in, redolent of creepers and nitre although there are no creepers to be seen.

Just on the other side of the door lying in the mud is a moldy silken pouch.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:39, Thu 09 May.

Brant pounces on the silken pouch then, with exquisite care, opens it away from his face before attempting to determine its contents.

After opening the door, Ornwin stands ready with his axe just in case some physical peril appears.

Observing the sudden flurry of activity by his fellow adventurers, Bart glances at Bercy, shrugs his shoulders, and raises his eyebrows.

Given Hieroman apparently turned the key to unlock the door, she'll remove the key, before Ornwin opens the door, holding it in her hand for now.  Other than a pouch in the mud, how muddy are we talking?  A muddy puddle on the floor, an expanse of mudflats of some kind, or something in-between.  Does the door open into a hallway, a room, or outside somewhere?  What's the scene.

"Be aware," she suggests, "the door was locked and the key very difficult to get to for a reason," but Brant had already moved before she found her voice.

Archonia waits to see if Brant can open the moldy silk pouch, or if someone else must make the strength check. Silk is a very strong substance after all. ;)

As for the open chest, she would look to see if it had a hidden area or false bottom. Given how hard it was to claim in the first place, it is unlikely they double secured it, but one never knows. If nothing if found, then we can put it back in the gut of holding and take it along.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:23, Fri 10 May.

The outer hall beyond the Temple of Meditation stretches north for thirty feet before it is bisected by natural cave formations, after which it extends twenty feet or so further before dead-ending.



Predicably, Brant fumbles with the drawstrings of the silk purse, his clumsy ministrations only serving to tighten its knots, causing its slit-like opening to cinch up even more tightly. Frustrated, he tries to wedge his fingers into the tight opening only to be rebuffed once again. Politely, the other guests turn away, save perhaps for Archonia who follows her own alien code, thinking that their intent stares might be unmanning him. Breathing heavily, his cheeks reddened, Brant takes a step back. This silken purse is too much for him. How could he ever think its treasures could be his to taste?

Then he spies something else half-buried in the mud, a wine bottle with its head knocked off, labeled M*E*D*O and maybe a D or an L or a C. Still visible on the this label is a dancing harlequin wearing a parti-striped dress and a conical hat with bells.

Smiling, Brant severs the most troublesome of the knots with a jagged edge of glass and revels in the contents of the silken purse: a crystal key (1,000 sp value) with a red tassel.

I am just as baffled by the mud by the door as any of you.

Having stood by and watched the others up to this point, Bart takes an interest in the bottle of wine. He approaches, bends down, and picks it up to examine it more closely. "Hmm," he says. "It appears to be Medoc. I've sampled such a bottle in the past, though it had a different label."

He studies the depiction of the clownish figure then peers into the bottle. Presumably, it no longer holds its original contents, but perhaps there was something else inside?

With a roar of victory, Brant raises the key in a tightly clenched fist. What little murky light there is shines feebly along its crystal form.

But after a moment, his energy flags and his arm falls limply to his side. In a small, tired voice he whispers,"Redemption."

Whilst the others move through and do what they are doing, and after she has partly moved through the door and seen there is no immediate danger, Hieroman takes a greater interest in the door they are moving through.

Does it have a keyhole on the inside?  Does it have a working door handle on the inside that turns the latch?  Is the swing of the door such that it would look to close itself behind us, and if that were so, can she determine if it could be opened from the inside again?  She will also try the key in the lock from the inside, if there is a keyhole to make sure the lock works, still a little puzzled as to why the key looks to be so expensive.  These details aren't important (unless they are)  Essentially she is just making sure this isn't a one way trip if the door should close.

"Shall I keep that key safe with the jade key, now the purse is ruined?" she asks Brant.  "Perhaps the sum of these keys, if we are to find any more, is going to be more than their individual parts, and we should keep track of the order in which they are found, just in case." she shrugs not knowing if the idea has any merit.  "I don't know much about this place, but there might be a reason as to why the keys look to be so valuable.  First this exquisite jade key," she says holding the jade key up, "and now this silver one.  One expensive key is unusual, two is possibly more than just a coincidence."

I will assure you that this door has no further bearing on this adventure. And, just as a note, if I don't respond to a particular query or other, you can safely assume the results were negative.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:38, Sat 11 May.

In reply to Hieroman (msg # 279):

Brant gives Hieroman a look through narrowed eyes. He starts to extend his hand holding the crystal key but pauses. The twitch of muscles throughout his otherwise stoic face hint at an inner struggle but in the end he reaches out an open palm, offering the artifact to her.

'You seem to have an issue with me holding the key Brant.  It isn't important, unless you lose it.  Keep the key safe yourself, but don't let it break."  Hieroman doesn't seem offended at Brant's reluctance in handing over the key.  .

"In fact perhaps there is value in not having one person hold them both, so if it's okay with you, I'll swap with you.  Jade is a tougher stone than crystal, and given your front line position, it would take a beating better than a crystal one don't you think."  If Hieroman saw any value difference that concerned her, it wasn't apparent.  "It was a hard won key after all," she says referring to Brant's struggle with the pouch as a slight twitch of a smile hints at showing on her face.  "So it would be a shame to see it get smashed in battle."  Hieroman will happily handover the 3,000gp jade key to Brant in exchange for the 1,000sp crystal key if that is his preference.

Brants eyes dance between the crystal and the jade. He glances up and catches Hieroman's smile which elicits a brief look of suspician.
"So.... you carry the crystal and I carry the jade?"
A pause while he considers this.
"I grudgingly accept."
He holds out the crystal key with one hand and an open, empty palm with the other.

"You seem strangely attached to the crystal key Brant, or suspicious of me.  Why don't you just carry them both."  Hieroman says as she drops the jade key into his palm without taking the crystal key.  She is unconcerned who holds the keys, as long as they are kept safe.  'Just don't lose, or break either."

Ornwin watches the key discussion indifferently. He is just happy the party has the gold and silver.

Archonia does not particularly care who carries what key. They would all be going through the doors opened, and presumably at some point the keys would be sold as treasure anyway.

Brant looks around for a lock to insert the jade key into. He stows the cystal key for safety.

"Shall we thoroughly investigate the dead end before we attempt to traverse the natural cave formation?" Hieroman inquiries of the group.
OOC:  We've just come through the door that the jade key opened Brant.  :o)