Karu detects no poison within the chest. She does, however, detect a very faint magic aura coming from within the chest - so faint it almost seems dormant.
"Hrm, there's magic to be found within the chest. My spell didn't detect any poison, so perhaps this chest is just what it seems to be: locked, and waiting for us to reunite it with its long lost key!"
Cade looks to the group for a few moments. Then extends his little hand for the key. You check to make sure it is not trapped and I will open it.
***Talia BOT 2000***
After Talia checks for traps, Cade uses the key to open it up.
Talia finds no traps, so Cade goes to open the lock.
Cade looks to Talia for confirmation on the door. He sees that she is finished and informs him that there is no traps.
Cade is ready to react as he turns the key to the left.
Cade turns the key to the left. There's a click, and a rusty, jagged metal blade springs out of the lock, jabbing towards Cade's hand. Fortunately for the halfling, he's quick to release the key and jump back, avoiding any injury from the trap. The blade does not retract.
Stepping quickly back and to the side, Cade looks on at the blade sticking out of the lock.
Damn that was close.
He turns his head towards Talia.
I will assume that it is safe now...
He still has a smile on his face, trying to make light of the situation and keep things cordial.
Looking back at the others.
Well let us see if this worked? or if I made it harder for Talia...
Cade continues to be careful with the protruding blade as he tries to figure a way to open the small hidden door. He pushes on it, slides it gentle and pulls on it by way of the key. He even tries to turn the key to the right...all the while he is anticipating an attack of some sort. His posture is guarded and ready to act. His position is out of line with the door to make it harder for anything shooting out of the door to hit him.
Cade turns back to the chest and, deftly avoiding the blade, turns the key the other direction. It clicks, and the lock opens. Opening the chest reveals the stolen loot the goblins had claimed - it appears no one took it with them.
"What is it?" Riori asks. "It's not going to try to stab you again, is it?"
Cade looks inside the chest to see what is there.
I guess it is safe enough for now...
Within the chest you see a heavily unorganized pile of copper, silver, and gold, along with a glint of platinum. There is also a leather pouch containing 34 badly flawed gemstones, a human-sized chain shirt, a human sized masterwork scimitar, a pair of masterwork manacles, a gold holy symbol of Sarenrae, a jade necklace, and a fine blue silk gown with silver trim.
9,632 cp
4,590 sp
129 gp
5 pp
34 badly flawed gemstones (Appraise DC 20)
Medium chain shirt
Medium masterwork scimitar
Masterwork manacles
Gold Holy Symbol of Sarenrae (Appraise DC 20)
Jade Necklace (Appraise DC 20)
Fine Blue Silk Gown (Appraise DC 20)
Sitting on top is also a purple gemstone, immediately recognized by Cade as one of those missing from his sword.
Riori casts detect magic and takes some time to examine the items for magical auras.
Cade slowly reaches inside the chest and hesitates as his fingers come close to the gem. After some times passes, he runs his fingers together and reaches for the gem. The handsome Halfling lets out a breath he did not know he was holding as his eyes widen in joy.
...not dead yet father...
He turns to look at the rest of the group. His smile is huge and there is a slight moisture in his eyes.
This belongs to my family and I will claim only it as my share.
He stores the gem in a pouch and secures it closed.
...one down and one to go.
Talia checks the loot carefully, but pouts. "We're probably going to have a lot of people in Sandpoint wanting their goodies back." She sighs regretfully.
"Including this servant of Sarenrae, or their family," Riori observes, examining the holy symbol. Does she know anyone at the cathedral it might have belonged to?
"But we are not yet done exploring this place are we? If you are in search of riches, there are other opportunities."
Riori regards Cade a moment. Something washes over her, a mix of sympathy and envy, complex thoughts on family and family possessions bubbling up--but they are of no use to explore now, so she tamps them down and looks away. "Unless there is something here someone wants to use in a fight, we should probably pack the goods up and keep moving. Give me a moment and the magical auras Karu mentioned will become clear."
The purple gemstone Cade retrieves has a lingering, dormant magic aura about it - it isn't magical in and of itself, but it does seem to be part of something else that would be magical. As Cade picks it up, Riori notices that his rapier seems to have a resonant aura about it.
Talia and Riori appraise the goods in the chest. In their examination, they find that much of the contents are somewhat dusty. They have clearly been in the chest for some time. The chain shirt also bears faint signs of having been used in a fight - that, along with the wear on the scimitar, makes you think that whoever owned them fell afoul of the goblins and did not survive their encounter.
Riori knows that the only servant of Sarenrae in the Cathedral is Naffer Vosk, who keeps the graveyard clean and rings the church bells at dawn, noon, and dusk. He walks with a sinister, lurching gait due to a twisted spine he's had since birth, but despite that, he is one of the most devout people in the town.
Unlike Talia, Karu is all kinds of happy about the fact they might be making a ton of Sandportians happy by returning their items and valuables. "Look at it from the bright side, Talia! While you won't be able to sell all 'dis for silver and gold, at least you'll be able to trade it in for friendship and thankfulness! Ye can't put a proper value on that."
She then steps back to leave the others to the valuables. They don't really interest her and if they need carrying, they know where to find her and Karjys!
Let us continue clearing out this cesspool.
The final door in this floor reveals another stairwell down to the next floor.
"Perhaps we just go down the nearest stairwell rather than circle back?"
Down it is then.
Everyone ready to go down?
Riori nods and heads down with the party.
The stairs end in a door. Opening the door reveals a room dominated by a table and chairs. A slate board to the north is covered with chalk, but the map of Sandpoint that has been carefully inscribed on it leaves no doubt as to the purpose of this room - this is doubtless where the recent raid was planned.
Riori examines the map to see if there's any signs of any future plans.
She also listens at the doors for any noise.
Cade urges Bellum towards the eastern door.
How about this way. Talia...would can you tell us about this door..Safe to enter or not?
Shaking her head to bring herself back from where her mind had wandered, but still feeling slightly disassociated Talia checks both doors.
Riori, listening at both doors, doesn't hear anything to the east or west. Talia, doing the same, also hears nothing to the east, but to the west she hears a very faint sound - almost like the scratching of a quill. After a moment, she hears a couple of steps, then the sound of something being set down on a crate or table.
If Talia warns them of the noise, Riori unhooks her best starknife and then gestures a suggestion that one of the tougher folks well suited to hand to hand combat to open the door.
Cade moves forwards and looks to the others...
mouthing the words with no sound at all
one...two...three...
He opens the door as he Bellum remains beside him.
"... and into the frying pan with ye ...", the dwarf finishes the halfling's countdown. She has no idea why she said that, but going by the way she tightens the grip on her oversized dwarven spear, Karu might be rather nervous.
Cade opens the door, revealing a room about 20 feet wide by 30 feet long. A large wooden worktable sits in the middle of the room, its surface cluttered with scrolls, books, stone tablets covered with dense, spiky runes, and fragments of carvings that appear to have been chipped off of statues and bas-reliefs. To the north, a floor-to-ceiling wooden bookshelf sags under the weight of picks, shovels, brushes, lanterns, and other equipment one might expect to see at an archaeological dig site. On the opposite wall, what was clearly supposed to be a secret door hangs slightly ajar, the floor showing signs of heavy traffic to and from it.
Standing behind the table is a dark-skinned woman with long hair braided into corn rows, about early 20's. She looks up as the door opens, and her eyes widen as she recognizes Cade. "You! How did you find us?" she shouts, clearly caught off-guard.
The woman casts a spell, and magical armor appears around her.
Riori's eyes flicker, fascinated by the array of scholarly supplies, things she has only dreamed of being able to access. "How long have you been here? For my comrades have already been here and back. We are looking for a woman named Nualia, and forgive me if I am wrong, but you don't match her description that I am aware of. You seem to recognize Mr. Goodbarrel. Perhaps we can help one another?"
Help her...she is working inside the GOBLINS home. B@*&~~~s!
Moving forward, Cade keeps his weapon leveled at the woman. His faithful dog follows and closes the gap between them and the women.
My apologies me lady but you have me at a disadvantage. Who are you? Now before you get any ideas. Keep your hands where I can see them and make any gesture that I deem threatening or I just do not like...I will be most upset but more importantly...Bellum here will rip your throat out before you finish said gesture.
He smiles brightly as Bellum growls softly.
Now...care to explain yourself. I really hope you have a good excuse as I am getting tired of killing every longshank that is working with these f+~+ing Goblins.
Talia steps to one side of the room and casually readies her crossbow.
Behind his head, Riori rolls her eyes at Cade's threats. So much for a chance at getting some information... it's odd she would be with the goblins and not know the earlier ruckus when this group attacked. But I guess it'll be a fight now...
Her hand remains gripped around her starknife, as it has been the whole time.
Karu's eyes grow wide as Cade unleashes a torrent of verbal intimidation upon the woman. With king-sized pearls of white she observes, hoping Cade's aggressive push won't result in violence. Ai! These are fighting words, not words of reconciliation!
Cade's torrent of insults causes the woman's face to grow more and more angry. Riori's kinder words fail to do anything to settle the situation. The woman shouts, "I am Lyrie Akenja, and you interfere with things beyond your comprehension! Die, interlopers! I will avenge Tsuto!"
Lyrie then takes a step back and begins casting a spell. Talia's aimed shot goes off, striking the spellcaster.
Talia's shot causes her spell to fizzle, and Lyrie screams in frustration.
Karu continues to stare at the woman as she calls upon magic, but the dwarf fails to comprehend what kind of magic Lyrie tried to work. But, as Talia's crossbow bolt strikes true, the dwarf shrugs off her doubts and rushes forward with Karjys at her side.
As she strikes, however, the young dwarf finds her spear weighed down by questions. It seems she hasn't quite managed to shrug off all of her doubts. Questions such as, what has this woman done to deserve being stabbed to death? The dwarf's animal companion knows no such doubts and Karjys dives onto the wizard with reckless abandon.
Well, we know she was with Tsuto, at least.
The flurry of melee activity ahead of her makes joining in unlikely, so Riori leaves the starknife on its hook and instead casts bless on the party.
She moves to the edge of the wall, away from clustering up with the rest of the party.
Case's eye widen slightly when the name tsuto is mentioned.
...that was unexpected. So she is working with them. Oh well...time to put the b#~@! down.
Still smiling cade step towards the women.
Bad form Lady Akenja...bad form indeed. Hello my name is Cade Goodbarrel. I killed your Tsuto. Prepare to die.
Cade laughs out loud as he misses his target.
even I can not keep a straight face with that one. Tsuto was a b@#~& to say the least.