You are escorted to a side room where stand five safes. You can address them in an order you prefer.
The Devil Dial The lock of this iron cask contains a laughing devil’s head.
The Box of Golden Faces This red box has been inset with a trio of golden faces: the first appears stern, the second angry, and the third fumes with hatred.
The Riddle Vault The lid of this stone chest is covered with a relief of carved ivy.
The Smooth Stone Chest This sealed stone chest has no visible lock or hinges. No decoration or writing of any kind can be found.
The Holed Chest A strange stylized writing wraps around the whole of this rectangular chest. Stranger still are the ten small pores that run along the box’s lid.
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If looks could kill, Donkey Teeth may have been hit with a thousand daggers after his suggestion of a "favour", the tengu not wanting another reason to be indebted to Torch for any period of time. Still--it turns out that the "favour" wasn't as bad as he expected. Mikhaere is nevertheless sullen and sulky as he follows the lot into the safe room.
Taking his time, Mikhaere views the cases from a reasonable distance, looking for anything odd (or dangerous) about them.
"Torch said he doesn't want a nutcracker," Mikhaere reminds Rekkr flatly. "If it was that easy to open 'em with a bit of nimble-fingered thievery, I'd say Torch has that down pat. Must be something else about 'em."
Examining the Devil Dial, Mikhaere learns nothing further.
Examining the Box of Golden Faces, he at first learns little, but notices that the eyes of the box's carvings follow him whenever he begins to get angry.
Examining the Riddle Vault, the tengu druid finds the individual letters of a riddle cleverly carved in between the leaves on the chest’s lid.
"Though different now sounds my name,
the spelling still remains the same.
Once prior leap of might, now becomes bird of white."
Examining the Smooth Stone Chest, Mikhaere learns nothing further.
Examining the Holed Chest, Mikhaere discovers a hidden panel on one side of the box, but no means to open it.
The strange lettering on the box is actually the notes to an ancient forgotten tune.
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Mikhaere begins to caw out the tune. It sounds a little like this and is only remotely similar to the notes written on the box.
When Donkey Teeth speaks the word "dove", the Riddle Vault pops open. Within is a collection of over 40 rare incenses along with a book.
Garret concurs with Mikhaere that the lettering on the Holed Chest is music. But Mikhaere's quorking does nothing to open the box.
Garret learns that all but the Devil Dial radiate magic. The Box of Golden Faces radiates abjuration and enchantment. The Riddle Vault radiates abjuration and divination. The Smooth Stone chest radiates abjuration and illusion. The Holed Chest radiates abjuration and divination.
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Leaving the song box be for now (the designer clearly didn't understand the amazing orchestra of the crow-people race), Mikhaere returns to the Box of Golden Faces.
He stares at it for a long while, neutral. Then he glares at it sternly. Then, recalling just how dumb this task was and how much Torch annoyed him, he starts getting angry. Finally, he starts thinking again about just what he'd like to do to the old cursed man's smug grin, he feels the hatred building up inside of him. By the end of his forced focus on negative feelings Mikhaere is in quite a state and takes out his irritation by kicking the box with a squawk.
Mikhaere, give me a Will save.
Garret doesn't perceive anything he can determine as illusory on the Smooth Stone Chest, but he does think that the Holed Chest might be -played- like an instrument.
As Mikhaere manages to focus all his anger and fury at the box, it snaps open in response to his emotion. Within lies a collection of ancient stone miniatures of a Viking army from the Land of the Linnorm Kings. Coincidentally, the tengu finds his anger is simply gone, replaced by a smooth calm.
Garret finds that the pores on the safe are actually the openings of a simple wind instrument which has been built into the workings of the safe. Blowing on the first hole while covering the correct pattern of the remaining holes allows him to to replicate the light an airy tune inscribed on the box, causing the hidden panel on the side to iris open. Inside rests a rolled and ancient scroll.
Three down! The Devil Dial and the Smooth Stone Chest remain closed.
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"Torch only wanted at least three of the chests open," Mikhaere comments dryly, feeling surprisingly calm after taking out his anger on the box. But that would never remove the sarcasm and bitterness. "And I needn't remind you that we've a sweeping omen of doom to take out. Let's not waste any more time with the old fool's requests."
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Garret moves to the Devil Dial and, hoping the name is meaningful, turns the devil's face like a dial. Assuming it turns, he will listen to the dial and try to hear if there are any telltale clicks or noises.
One way or the other, when his examination of the other chest is complete, he moves to the smooth stone chest and feels around it for a catch, hinges, and the like.
Donkey Teeth observes exactly what Mikhaere observed.
Garret finds that the devil's head does indeed spin both right and left, like a combination lock without any numbers marked on it. He can also hear the distinct but faint clicks of tumblers moving in the lock as he slowly spins the dial.
Garret can easily feel the lid of the smooth stone chest. There is no lock that he can see or feel.
Yep. Donkey Teeth learns with his detect magic exactly what Garret did with his.
He stares at the chest, but it looks no different to him after that.
"Very well," says Torch. "Three will have to do. A deal is a deal, after all. Nessian lairs in a new base of operations nicknamed the Pyramid of the Dog which he has carved out of a ruin of half-collapsed siege towers, just outside of Absalom."
"I remind you," he continues, "that should Nessian ever discover I disclosed this information, I would view that as most unprofessional and
would spread the word. I do trust we understand each other."
ACT 4: The Hymns of Oathday
You hasten out of the Siphons and head through the city towards the Pyramid of the Dog.
Everyone but Donkey Teeth notices an interchange of flashing green and orange lights coming from the cliffs in the distance. Once again Nessian carefully plants his signals away from his lair to prevent anyone from zeroing in on his hideout’s location.
No!" says Yargos when he sees the signal.
"It is one of the final and most important signals! The lights will
send a team of Black Echelon operatives to attack the Metro-Cathedral, an old church of Abadar. Although worshipers of Abadar have traveled to new parishes ever since the earthquake that laid low the Puddle District,
the Metro-Cathedral still has one use: every Oathday morning, the priests of Abadar still play the ritual tune on the Metro-Cathedral’s giant pipe organ to remind all of Absalom to honor its pacts."
"According to the codebook, when Black Echelon shuts down the giant organ in midtune, the sudden disruption becomes the signal for Silent Tide; the awaiting Armada is to approach to the city and begin its attack run!"
"Please, you must go to the Metro-Cathedral and stop the attack!"
"There are dozens of possible signals," says Yargos. "Until he uses them, we won't know which ones Nessian plans."
As you approach the cathedral, a magnificent tune is playing inside. As you get closer, the sound starts to break down and become patchy. Then a creepy moment ensues as the sound becomes a cacophony of off-key noise and then suddenly comes to an end.
Yargos screams "We have to hurry and continue the music, lest the attack ensue!"
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Anyone, go!
Sorry. They're Black Echelon. And it appears they've just slain the priests who were playing the organ. Others are climbing the organ pipes, with the result that their silence aura is causing the great organ to fall into silence.
Rekkr and Donkey Teeth spot a single cowering human female, tucked in beside the organ.
A moment later, the eastern side door opens and three more Black Echelon operatives pour out, running toward Machaero and Mikhaere.
Rounds of organ silence: 1
Anyone, go!