After leaving Amenopheus’ study, the servant brings you back through the spacious estate, leading you down sturdy stone steps into the cool basement. Down a hallway, after a couple turns, the party ends up at a plain wooden door. The servant opens the door, gesturing to the room with a bow, and waits silently for you to enter. Beyond, a plain stone room contains three chests: a copper-banded chest of smooth, dark wood; a red lacquered chest; and what looks to be a cube of solid steel. Behind the chests sits a low table holding a clear glass jar half full of liquid and a covered wicker basket.
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Interesting, what are we supposed to do here kind sir? Fel looks imploringly at the servant. It's been a long day for us so far sir. I wonder if you could find some sympathy for us and offer some insight about the workings of this puzzle, for a puzzle it surely must be.
Fel conspiratorially whispers, I swear we won't breathe a word regarding any assistance you might offer! then the elf winks and grins at the man.
As Chud begins his examination with the halfling, the servent merely shifts his gaze from the elf to the door, and then closes you into the room. An ominous click signals that the door is locked. Fel follows the servant's gaze to the back of the door, "Within these cases lies your quest and your way out."
Dagnud goes up to the chests and inspects them, also without touching:
It's hard to sniff the contents of the glass with the wicker basket on top...
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These runes appear to have no meaning divorced of this little game we are playing.
Chud straightens and turns to face the rest of the group.
So, we have a serpent and who knows what else in a basket, which is peculiarly set atop a mysterious jar of liquid, two chests - one with strange runes, and a cube that appears to be made of solid steel. I think that my eyes alone have exhausted their usefulness. I recommend those that think they can see more, look. If nothing new is discovered and nobody can think of something obvious to do with these items yet, I vote to progress to more hands-on experimentation
The layout of the room does not seem to hold any historical or religious significance. The keyholes look normal sized, but clearly they each use a unique key
Chud, the cube is light, as if hollow, you notice a near imperceptible crack in the side running all the way around. On the back side is a keyhole, one that is exceedingly thin, maybe a 1/4 of a normal key.
Fel, the wicker basket is double layered and opaque.
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Gentlemen, I move that we should lift the cover off of this basket and see what sort of serpent is coiled within. Perhaps we could open it up and find a key ring in its belly. Maybe the liquid is an acid that could eat through the boxes. Maybe it is water and after a day or two trapped in this room we could wrestle for the privilege of drinking it. At this last, he glance at the burly dwarves and amends his position, Or perhaps we divvy up shares of the water in proportion to how tall we are. he says with his characteristic grin.
Fel is about to gingerly lift the basket off of the glass of liquid, unless someone objects...
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Chud sighs and folds his arms across his chest. His hooded stare shifts between the cube and the two chests. After a brief moment passes he turns to the party,
I may be able to lull the beast in the basket to sleep for a very short time. That could give one of you a chance to subdue the creature without suffering injury or, worse yet, poison. In order to solve this puzzle, I'm almost certain we'll need whatever else is in that basket, perhaps even the snake itself...I see no alternative to opening the basket, unless one of you is a locksmith...
Dagnud draws his sword and moves into position next to the basket.
Ready when you are.
I'm 2 hours early for an autopilot, but let us try Sumac first.....
Sumac extends a hand, gesturing to stay back. Uttering hisses he slowly makes his way towards the basket. With a slow and steady hand he lifts the cover. His swaying motion is connotes a serpent's motion (Wild Empathy check ). The snake is apparently too hungry or maltreated. Before it can lash out at the small druid, Chud's eyes flash and the snake (Will Save: ) drops over the edge of the basket and plops on the floor.
Fel quickly works on the snake, but 6 seconds is a short time. rounds. The snake begins to shake off the hex and Fel is about to switch to Plan B when Dagnud drops his blade on the snake. . The snake's head comes apart from it's body and ends up in Fel's hand..... Hopefully Amenopheus wasn't attached to the creature.
The snake's stomach is empty, and Sumac can tell you it's underfed, though it looks pretty round to you. You don't see anything out of place in the ceiling.
Dagnud casts Detect Poison on the jar of liquid. If it's not poisonous, he'll try to taste test it (Perception: ).
...Inside the wicker basket is a pile of old linen, and wrapped up haphazardly in the linen is a small metal key. Runes on it glow ever so faintly.
Dagnud, the liquid is not poisonous, but your taste taste goes horribly wrong. It's some kind of potash solution. You take 1 point of damage.
The runes on the key match the runes on the chest.
Chud turns the key, and a soft click signals the lock being released. The lid opens of it's own accord. Inside the chest holds a key forged
into the end of a jeweled scepter. There is also another click coming from the ceiling. In a crack that Fel missed, releases a small, golden
key from a slit in the ceiling, dropping it 6 inches down from the 15-foot-high ceiling.
The scepter is neither equipped with moving parts nor magical properties. Appraise: and the "gems and jewels" are colored glass, hardly worth a copper.
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Oi, ye durned elf. 'Ere, lemme giveye a boost.
Harnack gets under, but a litlte back from, the dangling key. He interlaces his fingers, cupping his hands in the universal "boost" pose, bracing himself in a slight crouch.
ONce Fel puts his foot in the makeshift boosting mechanism, Hack will give a mighty heave--way stronger than one might expect!!--aiming Fel for the key.
Me pappy says "Go hard or go home," eh?? Har har har! YOu get that thing, or you need another boost??
That's an Acrobatics skill check.
Fel misses horribly. Sumac, you're pretty sure that if you stack the boxes, a simple leap would net you the key.
Do the boxes look sturdy enough to support that weight? How is the key attached to the ceiling? Could it be knocked down by throwing or shooting something at it?