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"Polux, you have likely seen a greater variety of locks than I. Do you see anything unusual about this key?"
"I'm not sure Kito..." - Polux takes the key and twirls it around in his hands.
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Out of the corner of his eye, he spots Deseri and falls back next to her - "Are you ok?" - he asks with a smile - "Soon, we will be out of here, and back under the sun with a drink in our hands. Non-alcoholic for you of course" - he winks.
Harmose looks around the first bedroom, sadly. "This was Ariseti's bedroom. She was Pentheru the Younger's daughter... and a very talented young artist, apparently. The poor girl. Why didn't she leave with her love when she could?"
He looks thoughtful. "If that was her bedroom, than this one must be the one belonging to Pentheru the Younger's son, Harwam." He frowns as he looks around, nose wrinkling slightly at the smell. "Not as much of his personality shows with this decor, does it? I wonder what he was like."
Returning to Kiku, he pulls out his notebook. "I don't know if I'm exactly skilled, but I have been drawing things in this notebook since we entered the tomb of Akhentepi."
He sketches the designs on the wall of Ariseti's bedroom, getting the overall design and layout, if not the exquisite detail of the original.
At Polux's words, Harmose looks up from his sketch, concerned. "Do you need water, Desi? I could make some, if you like?"
While Harmose is busy with the requested sketch, Kito scans the area with Detect Magic.
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Kito detects a magical aura in one of the two rooms -- Ariseti's bedroom.
Buried amid the debris in the room is a large darkwood box.
Inside is a white silk Osirian wedding robe, several pieces of jewelry, a strand of pearls, a small sealed tube and a long scroll tube. The small sealed tube, or something inside, is magic.
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"This is interesting. Ariseti's hope chest?"
Looking in the chest, Kito frowns for a moment. "Unfortunately, it looks like the wedding garment is too fragile to move. Does anyone have ideas for how to handle this?"
She stands over the chest looking in, being careful to not bump into it for fear even that may damage the robe.
"Oh, and there is a small scroll tube in here that has something magic inside."
Harmose looks up from his sketch. Maybe what Des needs is something to do to build confidence.
"Deseri, you have magical mending, don't you? And as I recall, another spell to cast a servant that can handle things with delicacy? Can you get the scroll tube out so we can examine it without tearing the dress?"
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Spellcraft is in fact *not* a fail, because the item's caster level is only 1, requiring DC 16 to identify.
When applied to the eyes, kohl of uncanny discernment grants its wearer low-light vision and a +2 competence bonus on Perception checks. If the wearer already has low-light vision, the kohl doubles the distance the wearer can see. The wearer also gains a +2 resistance bonus on saving throws against gaze attacks, patterns, visual effects, and sight based attacks. These effects last for 1 hour. Applying the kohl is a full-round action, and it must be applied to both eyes to function. An unopened tube of kohl of uncanny discernment contains 5 applications.
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Turel stays outside of the rooms preferring to avoid getting in the way of the others and also allowing them to concentrate fully on their research. He instead keeps a sharp eye out on the hallway, knowing there was an as-yet unexplored room.
It seems the last room is the master bedroom...I shudder to think of what we may discover in there.
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"Interesting...magical makeup!" Kito says after having concentrated for a few moments.
She then tells the group about the item.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spots Deseri and falls back next to her - "Are you ok?" - he asks with a smile - "Soon, we will be out of here, and back under the sun with a drink in our hands. Non-alcoholic for you of course" - he winks.
Raising an eyebrow at Polux's words. I am still able to drink what I want for a little while longer. And I am ok this place is just unpleasant is all.
"Do you need water, Desi? I could make some, if you like?"
No but thank you. The alcohol maybe
"Deseri, you have magical mending, don't you? And as I recall, another spell to cast a servant that can handle things with delicacy? Can you get the scroll tube out so we can examine it without tearing the dress?"
Turning to Harmose, I can try to do that.
Deseri would take a moment to try and clear her mind then cast the necessary spells to fix the pretty dress and collect the tube. Having the unseen servant hand the tube off to Harmose. We should leave the dress in there though and collect it on the way out.|
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A mending spell fully restores the dress, making it as supple and unfragile as the day it was made. The tube is easily enough handled and handed over by the unseen servant.
Kohl of Uncanny Discernment has been added to the Found Treasure folder.
Smiling, Kito thanks Deseri. She then goes through the items in the chest making rough estimates of the values.
She then carefully inspects the long scroll case to see if there is anything in it.
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Kito thinks that the dress, jewelry and pearls are worthless.
Finally, a long scroll tube holds a rolled-up papyrus painting-a self-portrait of Ariseti, accompanied by her signature in Ancient Osiriani. Unlike the wedding robe , the painting has been protected from air for many years and can be safely handled without damaging it.
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After seeing that the papyrus is safe to handle, Kito takes the painting and examines it.
"A self-portrait, signed by Ariseti. Fairly realistic, a historian may want it just because it is so well preserved and shows what she considered a flattering pose. I wonder if her shoulders were really that wide, or some artistic license was taken?"
Deseri's tone of voice draws Turel to her like a moth to a flame. He moves behind her and gently lays a hand on her shoulder. "Rest easy, Deseri. You do not need to face your trials alone and we will be free of this place soon enough."
Moving back to the doorway, he glances around him a grim look on his face. The Ruby Prince will have much to answer for! Unearthing such places of death can only bring misery!
Tensing at the unexpected contact Deseri turns to Turel. I.. I know that and thank you.
Distracted by the restored dress, I had no idea I could do that. Deseri crouches at the chest once Kito has moved on.
"Wonderful job, Des!" He takes a moment to admire the dress and the other items found. That dress would be stunning on Aleris, but I don't think she'd want to wear a dead girl's clothes in addition to a dead girl's ring.
Harmose does the last finishing touches on his sketch and says, "Shall we move on to the Master Bedroom? Everyone, get in place. When we're ready, we'll open the door."
When his team has positioned themselves, Harmose casts mage hand and attempts to open the last door.
When told how much the dress is worth, Kito is surprised. "Really? Seems like an awful lot just for some clothing."
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Kito uses her small blessing on Turel, Ra-Khefer and herself before the door opens.
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B25. MASTER BEDROOM
This spacious room has entrances in the southern and eastern walls. The aged remains of dressers, a large bed, and a divan lie in ruins. The husk of large hornet’s nest, gray, papery, and devoid of life, occupies one corner of the ceiling. The spaces in the northeast and northwest corners appear to be closets. Their wooden doors have all but fallen off their hinges, and heaps of disintegrated fabric mingle on the floor. Between the closets stands a single lacquered dresser covered in dust.
"This is where Pentheru the younger lived with his wife, Sadekre. Do you think they knew of Ariseti's affair, even though she tried to hide it from them?"
Harmose looks warily at the hornet's nest, closets and the lacquered dresser. "Team, you know the drill. Let's search this place... carefully. There may be traps or swarms or worse."
When told how much the dress is worth, Kito is surprised. "Really? Seems like an awful lot just for some clothing."
It is well made and has a remarkable amount of detail on it. Though its historical value is most likely more.
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Falling back into her position Deseri tenses and waits for the next unknown evil to wonder out.
Qari waited for the others to lure out any possible evil, ready to blast away with her cold
Energy.
Harmose detects a magical aura coming from the hornet's nest.
"Of course there is." Harmose mutters under his breath. "Team, something in the hornet's nest is detecting as magical. Now it's possible that someone had a laugh and hid something valuable in there, thinking that no sane adventurer would look inside, but still... I gave out two alchemist's fires. Whoever has them, ready them now please."
He concentrates with detect magic. What sort of aura does he sense in that lovely "defunct" hornet's nest? Can he hear buzzing? Any other sort of insect noise?
"The rest of you, stand back and prepare to shut the door if we have to run out."
To the ones standing ready with alchemist's fires, he nods. "This really is looking less and less like a honeymoon destination. We'll have to inform the Church of Pharasma that any plans they might have had to turn this into a Bed and Breakfast will need more work than they might have budgeted for."
"Or it's behind the nest." Harmose nods. "Des, I think I have a job for your Unseen Servant..."
Luckily it cannot complain about it.
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"I appreciate the lack of hornets, at least."
"Rather grim design. One moment and I will try to figure out what it does."
Kito then casts Detect Magic and concentrates on the item for a few moments.
"The item enhances fear effects, whether that is a spell that is harder to resist or just a threat." Chuckling, she adds "It does have on practical effect as well -- keeping your head wear in place even in the worst of weather!"
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"I actually like the design" - Polux shrugs, looking at the headband.
[b]"We should be able to get a good price on that one! Nice work with the spellcraft, Kito. Shall we search the rest of the room now? Des, do you want your servant to open the lacquered chest?
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Curiosity pulls her forward to poke at the hornets nest. I think this was someone having a laugh as Harmose put it. This nest cannot be that old. So I do not know if it belonged to this family.
Polux moves close to the chest, carefully inspecting it for traps.
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Unless I'm being confounded by the language barrier, I think you are talking about the lacquered dresser, as in something like this, as no chest has been mentioned in this room so far. However, as it turns out with Polux's inspection:
The dresser has no actual drawers, only handles on the front face, which is carved to look like drawers. The entire fixture is more akin to a box with an open back. When placed against the wall, the dresser conceals a bronze chest, which is revealed when the dresser is pulled away from the wall. The chest is tarnished, but otherwise in perfect working order.
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"A hidden chest behind a false dresser? Ingenious!"
Harmose casts detect magic again. (Because one cannot cast that cantrip too many times.)
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Indeed Polux needs to check again, as the previous Perception did not cover the at-the-time hidden chest. It is fortunate that Polux checks the revealed chest, as he discovers a poisoned bolt trap.
When the top is lifted off the chest, a cocked crossbow mechanism rises upward at an angle and fires a poisoned bolt at the chest of the individual opening the chest.
However, Polux not only spots it, but also manages to disable it. After disabling the trap, however, the chest is still locked.
No magic radiates from within the chest.
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"Nice job disabling! That looked like an insidious little trap -- exactly the kind of thing my Osiriani ancestors would have delighted in." Harmose admires the deftness of Polux's touch, and the ease with which he's able to handle such things. What else could those deft fingers could manipulate?
No. Back to the matter at hand...
The unfortunate turn of phrase diverts Harmose once again, and he fails his will save. His brain keeps going down a rabbit hole of naughty fantasies until Harmose remembers he's supposed to set a good example as a leader and manages, just barely, to appear like a studious and focused adult.
That's it! Fake it until you make it, Harmose!
"Polux, that key you were playing with earlier... Does it look perchance like it might fit the chest's lock?"