Edgar nods and advances slowly down the left-hand passage, leading with his left fist at the ready while holding the lantern above and slightly behind his head with his right. He cocks his head, straining to pick out any sounds that might indicate where their missing allies are - or their enemies. As he walks, he eyes the walls warily.
If they can come up through the ground, nothin' says they can't come through the walls...
Edgar, George, Thomas, Reagan and Lucretia head to the left cautiously down the dimly lit hall, a waft of damp, mold air fills the air. They notice a wooden door on the right just twenty feet ahead, 45 feet from the stairs where they entered.
George nods towards the door "Shall we?" he asks quietly.
With a nod to George, Edgar advances to the door and leans in close to listen at it before trying to open it.
Loaded for bear, Lucretia waits anxiously for Edgar to open the door. Seconds feel like minutes. Her heart races as the black bodice keeps rhythm with it. The shotgun starts to shake slowly in her hands.
Reagan takes a big swig from a smallish silver flask before reaching into her charge bag for a bit of bottled turmoil.
Edgar slowly turns the knob and releases the handle pushing the door open slowly. The room only catches light from the torch, but reveals dusty furnishings covered in white dust cloths and cobwebs.
Placed by itself against the wall opposite of the door, is a heavy wooden chest. Some shininess flashes back at the group as the torch is moved around the room. It is hard to make out any other details from their position in the doorframe.
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Edgar moves cautiously into the room, shining Reagan's lantern about in an attempt to catch sight of the reflection again while making his way across the middle of the room towards the heavy chest. Where the devil have they got ye, Altair?
Both Edgar and Thomas cannot see anything of interest except for the ornate brass and mahogany chest. It sits there against the wall opposite of the door that they just entered, dustless, with the brass trim reflecting light from the lantern when it passes over it.
George steps in and shines his eerie light-tube around the room, the actinic glow otherworldly compared to the friendly glow of open flame.
George sees the heavy wooden mahogany chest with ornate brass decorative plating, shining in contrast to the dust-covered furnishings.
"Good idea Thomas, I will cover you with the shotgun," Lucretia states.
"How would one get such an item in here?" George wonders "Yes - open it then."
"How would one get such an item in here?" George wonders "Yes - open it then."
Edgar shrugs. "Carry it, I'd wager." The armored bobby steps up to the chest and squats down in front of it. If Altair or the Madame's in 'ere, then we're definitely in a spot. "'Ere goes nothin'."
With that, Edgar attempts to open the lid.
Edgar attempts to open the chest, but discovers that it is locked and sturdy.
Fitzroy sighs "My kingdom for a locksmith."
"I'll give it a go! exclaims the nervous Lucretia as she pulls a slender needle-like key from here black waist coat and inserts it into the keyhole. After some jiggling and a quick turn to the right, the chest pops open.
Inside is a giant key, too big to fit any chest or keyhole ever seen and a scroll case, that she promptly hands off to whomever will grab it so that she can carefully regain her balance in order to stand up. Heeled boots and all.
George raises a single eyebrow in surprise, extending a hand to help Lucretia up. "An unusual talent, Miss Wyld.".
Edgar's brow furrows at the contents of the chest. What's this key about then? He takes the offered scroll case, giving it a quick inspection before popping it open and examining its contents.
With a quick side glance and grin, Lucretia remarks to George, " I haven't always been sheltered in the ivory tower, love."
Edgar pops the top of the case open easily and slowly unfurls it to reveal an odd papyrus with brilliant pictures of glyphs that look to be of an ancient Egyptian origin.
"Hmmm." Fitzroy ponders from over Stone's shoulder. "Egyptian. Well preserved too - or recently made. Been a long time since my Egyptology phase, but if you can give me twenty or thirty minutes in decent light I could probably puzzle it out."
Edgar shrugs and hands the papyrus and case to George. "Lady Stonecraft keeps an odd cellar," he remarks to no one in particular as he walks back to the open door. He glances down the hallway in either direction.
"Time's wastin' if we're hopin' t' find anybody alive down 'ere."
"By all means, Mr Stone. Lead on."
Edgar decides to continue exploring the new hallway, moving to its end and leaning out into the "T" intersection to quickly glance both ways for any signs of danger, noting the multiple doors to the left and the single door and passage turn to the right. The bloody cellar o' King Minos, this is!