Sekathral, it does not appear to be trapped. However, you're not able to get the rusty lock open.
"It won't bloody budge - rusted solid" curses Sekathral. "Finn, have you got any acid, or oil, or can you turn yourself into smoke and seep in somehow? Failing that, let's try brute force. Dargon? "
If Sekathral isn't able to open the lock, Dargon has no problem just stomping on it with his huge feet until it pops.
Finn stands ready to help, finally quiet for once.
"Silvio, why ya cowerin’ from da smell? A heroes likes yurself ain't bothered by some stink, are ya" Dargon says and he takes in a whiff of the air.
"Haha, you jest with Silvio", the chelaxian laughs. "You know that a hero's lungs are meant for the free sea breeze, the earthy tones of a woodland forest and the flowers in a maiden's hair. We leave this ", he gestures dismissingly in the air, " to rats and gravediggers. You know, those that spend their existence in Silvio's shadow. Like our dead friend over there."
Sekathral, with enough fiddling, you're finally able to get the lock open, revealing a mass of coins (mostly silver and copper totaling 600 gp worth), a leather pouch that when opened reveals six small gems (apparently worth 150 gp each), an ivory wand topped with a small ruby and 4 small vials, two filled with a tourmaline liquid, one with a clear liquid and one with a red liquid.
Kyson takes in a deep breath as Sekathral opens the chest.
That was a neat skill to have. Why didn't he just break out of prison if he can open locks so easily?
Kyson will unstopper and sniff at the 4 potions.
Perception to ID Potion #1
Perception to ID Potion #2
Perception to ID Potion #3
Perception to ID Potion #4
Meh. Don't recognize any of them.
Zstelian, you believe the last two potions are an elixer of swimming and a potion of invisibility.
Sekathral gives Zstelian a quick, shark-like grin. "Cheers, matey. Suppose we'd better get the rest of this loot into sacks, unless we just drag the chest with us. Now all we need to do is live long enough to spend it..."
After they've finished stowing away the loot, Sekathral turns to Finn. "Don't know about you, but I want out of here. There's a tunnel under the pool leading north - do you want to get elixired up and check it out, and if so, do you want me along as backup or will I just get in your way?"
Kyson accepts the offered potion, but is willing to give it away if someone needs it to scout.
"Dunno what that is, but I've sold a few o' these meself."
Kyson practices holding his breath while he waits someone to scout ahead.
I could do it if I were only brave.
"Hhhhhooop!" Kyson takes a deep breath and holds it.
Silvio removes his chainshirt and ties it around his hip with his belt. "So, now we go to freedom, yes?" he says cheerily and jumps down into the water.
"More potions? Let me see those!"
He then joins Sekathral and Silvio, gets his pouch of urchin paste ready, and starts an elaborate ritual by which he enters a crouch and waves his arms around in large circles as he hyperventilates.
With a big thumbs-up, Finn walks into the water.
Seeing others going down, Kyson will hold his breath (good thing he's been practicing!) and go under as well.
Swim
Dargon enters the water with a brutish stride, walking and wading for as long as possible. Then after a couple huffs he drawes in a large breath of air and enters the water. Despite his bulky body, Dargon navigates the water with incredibly ease.
Sekathral will dive in gracefully and slither through the water as rapidly as possible before (hopefully) emerging out the other side.
Finn is able to identify the final potion as a cure light wounds draught.
Although it seems to take Kyson a bit longer than the rest of you, you're eventually all able to swim out of the tunnel, which twists for 70 feet before emerging from the sea bed a short distance from the Parrot Island shore. There, you can find your rowboat, which seems to have been submerged, though appears to be intact. It takes you a short time to drag it to shore and empty it, at which point you're stuck working by moon and starlight, with Eleder shining beautifully a couple hours away.
"You see, Kyson. Did not Silvio tell you that we would make it out to breath the free air once again! With a clue to where Vanderboren is hiding no less!"
Finn rises out of the water, having been mostly content to crawl along the bottom of the sea. Brine sloughing off his frame, the gnome thrusts his mouth in the air, blowing water out of his lungs like a fountain. He spreads his arms wide, and inhales deeply in a prolonged, continuing, marathon-like, extreme, interminable gasp. He shakes his head, his navy hair near-instantly frizzing back out. He smacks the side of his head, causing a rivulet to gush from his ear.
"Well, then," Finn imediately starts back up, "what next? Should we walk back to town? I'm thinking that this might be a fine night for a starlit campout on the beach, myself. C'mon, it'll be fun!"
"Drink!" cries Sekathral, fervently. "Girls! Rot me vitals, there's nothing like a few hours' underground getting chewed on by walking corpses to make you appreciate life." He sniffs himself, grimacing. "Feh! Might need a bath first, though - I smell like a gnoll's larder. Come on, you lubbers - let's see if we can get this tub back to town without anyone drowning, then it's a round of Viper's Breaths and two birds each! Three for Kyson, who's got a lot of catching up to do." He grins at the cleric, not expecting to be taken seriously.
Kyson takes a moment to pray in the direction of the setting sun after he breaks the surface and realizes that he didn't die (surprisingly).
Wow. Sarenrae blessed us.
Kyson will re-armor himself (except for his shield) before getting back on the boat, still smiling from being alive.
"Yes, Silvio, you were right."
I wonder if he's always right.
Kyson smiles at the offer of the drink by Sekathral (happily surprised by the offer) and vows to think it over while manning an oar on the way home.
On one hand, this might be my only chance to have Sekathral be nice to me, on the other hand, bars scare me and, well, for that matter, so does Sekathral. Maybe if Silvio is there...
Kyson continues to row as he ponders.
"Drinks and women sounds like music to Silvio's ears", Silvio says as he takes his rightful place in the aft of the rowboat after donning his chainshirt.
Dargon takes out his Lost Halls Porter ale and drinks it intermittently as he helps to row the boat back to Eleder. He'll share a sip to any who ask for one but being concerned that his companions can't handle the strong dwarven ale he doesn't offer it up otherwise.
You are able to make it back to Eleder safely, your arrival apparently going unnoticed in the middle of the night.
Kyson takes leave of the party when they return safely to the docks.
"I really think I should go get some sleep...my arms are tired from rowing and it's very late. Besides we have a destination tomorrow that I should be ready for," Kyson says nervously about the offer of drinks.
I hope Sekathral's not mad. I just want to be sure to see another sunrise and not get knifed in some bar.
"Let's meet tomorrow at noon where we met yesterday? And we'll go get our revenge," Kyson says seriously.
It almost appears that he's angry.
Really.
* * *
Kyson will return to his apartment, grateful for a night of rest that's not in a wet cave of doom.
Awakening, Kyson feels different. More alive and in touch with Sarenrae.
On the morning, Kyson will spend a bit of time admiring the sun...and saying repeated prayers to Sarenrae for his continued not-dying.
He will spend 2 hours scribing one scroll:
EDIT(screwed up): #3: Magic Weapon, Magic Stone, Shield of Faith, Remove Fear (-50gp)
Sekathral remembers his religious duty and, considering that vengeance is more important than recreation at this point, trances for a couple of hours then sneaks out to stake out Vanthus's hideout
I think Sarenrae has granted me some inside into the nature of magic...or things that I've read in the past are coming more clear. They make sense now.
Spellcraft on the wand
While waiting for others to come in the morning, Kyson will take the 6 gems to a few local dealers to sell.
Back in town, Finn opens his backpack. He grins from ear to ear as it becomes apparent that he has stuffed it full of sea urchins. Finding some stinky detritus discarded by the dockside, Finn raids the steaming pile for something unrecognizable. He combines it with some urchin innards and lets out an excited chuckle as the mixture starts flaring up instantly, singeing his hand. "Perfect..." he proclaims.
"I'll see you in the morning, gentlemen? These urchins are proving to be more valuable than I originally expected!"
Kyson offers up the wand to Zstelian.
"I think I might know what it is...maybe."
Dargon spends a few hours tavern hoping until he finds a place that suits him, where he sits drinking and making friends for a few hours.
If Silvio joins him he randomly boasts about himself trying to upstage the Chelaxian, usually failing miserably and embarrassing himself, which likely ends up just adding to Silvio's already inflated ego.
Sekathral, you do not know where the Taxidermist's Hall is. I don't think you sold the loot from the Blue Nixie smugglers, so you should still have a crossbow available.
Kyson, it's a wand of mage armor, but with only 11 charges left. You also had one more potion, I blieve, which you can identify as [irestoration[/i]. (Zstelian, you can also tell, after a bit that it is in fact a wand of mage armor.) And, yes, it was 900 gp in gems.
With all your business settled and feeling well-rested after your harrowing adventure on Parrot Isle, you gather again near the docks. As you get close, you all hear the rumor that seems to be flying from dockhand to tavern girl to sailor: Apparently Keltar Islaran, the harbormaster of Sasserine, was murdered!
Several of you hear that some sort of beast got into his quarters late last night, while others claim that it was in fact summoned and sic'd on him. Other rumors claim to have seen a Red Mantis assassin leaving his room, blood dripping from her jaws; no, it was in fact a priestess of Calistria!
While no one seems to agree on exactly how, all seem certain that he was eviscerated sometime late last night in his bed.
Kyson lets Zstelian keep the wand, but does go buy a Wand of CLW.
"Maybe you, Finn, or you Zstelian, should hold onto this wand. If I need to heal, I'll use the blessings of Sarenrae. Might be better off in another's hands."
* * *
Kyson wrings his hands.
"Did you all hear about the harbormaster? Horrible stuff."
"Did you all hear about the harbormaster? Horrible stuff."
"Yeah - getting a bit lively round here at the moment, isn't it? Oh, for the peace and quiet of a Starday night in Bloodcove. What are we doing now? Is it time to go and force-feed Vanthus his own knackers yet?
Kyson looks around for Taxidermist's Hall, as if a glowing sign might be hanging just over them.
"Maybe I'll go to the Sunrise District and see if I can find out where tbe Taxidermist's Hall might be."
No way I'm asking questions around here. Knife meet back.
Diplomacy (Gather Info)
Silvio dismisses the harbor masters death with a wink of his hand. "There is plenty of death in the world and most is of little concern to Silvio. Right now it is the demise of Vanthus Vanderboren that interest Silvio. He tried to remove Silvio, now we will se how he likes Silvio's reply", he says and spins his dagger on the table so it balances on its edge. Then he snatches it back and stands up. "The day is young. Silvio will go and find out where the trecherous snakes lives, yes?"
Finn accepts the wand of CLW with a thank you.
"Yes, I think Vanthus is still our more pressing concern. Back in the day, I would flitter from idea to idea, paying attention only to the thing presented before me at any moment! Oh, the blissful ignorance of living in the present! At least, up until the point you get sacrificed for some dark god, that is. No, now I'm going to focus on a more long-term goal, and right now, that goal is Vanthus. Discipline and focus! Those are the things that make men great! Does one bout of meditative exercise improve the body and soul? Yes, but only imperceptibly! Rely on your eyes alone, and you'll never see tomorrow! Off to Vanthus!"
After a little effort, Kyson learns he's in the right place to find the Taxidermist's Hall, which is on the western edge of the northern island in the Sunrise District, on Water Street.
As Kyson's looking for directions, however, Zstelian and Sekathral notice a dirty-looking teen urchin who seemingly accidentally bumps into the young priest try to slip a folded piece of paper into one of his pouches.
Dargon:
Finn:
Kyson:
Sekathral:
Silvio:
Zstelian:
Dargon looks to Zstelian after noticing him whisping to his bird, "Ya see somethin' fishy old man?"
Kyson scratches his armpit, wondering why Zstelian and Sekathral are staring at him.
Uh oh...what did I do now?