Terrill fires as Trippen throws both striking the imp with their shots. Callanto lobs an orb of acid but it hits to the left, fizzling against the cool stone. Polami closes with the Imp. Omar pulls out his bow and readies for the fight, as Rilmor watches intently to see where the battle leads.
The imp realizing it is under siege simply vanishes from sight.
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"Yup, mission accomplished." Trippen casually trots over to the lockbox and retrieve it before the imp comes back.
"It's pretty banged up, but i think it will be fine. Hopefully some spells won't blow us up while we are taking it back" Trippen says as he wipes it off on his shirt and grinning sheepishly as he shows it to Polami beside him.
Trippen walks over to where the imp was but doesn't see the box anywhere around. Trippen you get an odd feeling when you walk toward where the imp aws but you're not sure what.
You think you hear something but can't really place it. A moment later you see the box fly from the bed and hit the wall behind the bed, where it clinks against the wall to rest on the ground.
The orb of acid flys toward the bed, passing it up and sizzling against the wall.
Polami feels her weapon actually connect with something that she can not see.
Trippen swings where Polami says she hit something invisible, but doesn't seem to connect.
Omar takes a shot at the location where the imp was.
He let's loss an arrow and it seems to stick in place. Moments later the imp returns into view. Throwing his hands up in the air, waving "Please, please stop... I do not wish to leave so soon and I have not harmed you. Take the blasted box and tell Mistress Dralneen I deserve what comes my way."
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Clutching the box in both hands, Terrill moves across the room, saying "Right, then, on to the next simple task." He pulls the door open and heads through it and into Dralneen's study. Assuming she is there, he says "Not sure what the problem was, your imp happily handed over the box and we popped it open. It'll be a pleasure to tell the Venture-Captain what we found."
Looking over his shoulder to confirm his companions are with him, he continues towards the exit without pause.
Continuing on their pre-agreed upon route the group heads to the Wise Quarter. You make your way to the rich estate of Grand Councilmember Dremdhet Salhar, and are greeted by a guard who is expecting you as you reach the tall, wrought-iron gate. Once you are inside, a servant tells the group Salhar is not present, called away on important Council business, but his most trusted advisor is available to negotiate any business you may require. The servant explains this while leading the group down well decorated hallways, past expansive rooms. After a few minutes, the group arrives at a simple study near the end of a long hallway.
Inside a tan-skinned old man sits behind a desk flipping through pages in a large tome. Scraps of paper jut from the book marking over two dozen different places. As you approach the open door, the wise sage silently gestures the group into the study with one thin hand, while closing the tome with the other after finishing what he was reading. Once you are all inside the study, he addresses the group.
“Good day to you, Pathfinders. I am Amenopheus, the Sapphire Sage, advisor to Master Salhar. I understand you were sent here to discuss archaeological permissions. Knowing this was coming, I spoke with Master Salhar at length on the subject and have this to say."
“Since Osirion was reopened to exploration a decade ago, adventurers, historians, and treasure-seekers flock to my country by the hundreds, perhaps thousands. While most families with ancestral burial vaults maintain guards and keep their sites out of the hands of casual thieves, not all families have the wealth or power to restrict everyone, and as we all know, not every defense is perfectly secure. Unscrupulous tomb robbers and maligned merchant organizations cause Osirion to bleed relics into the Inner Sea—something the descendents of Ancient Osirion cannot afford. We Osiriani have thousands of years of rich history coursing through our veins, and while that power has been out of focus in recent years, we are content to wait, knowing our enemies will wear themselves down. As they fall into arrogance, folly, or greed, we wait for our return to power, knowing we bear the riches of our ancestors at our feet."
“Master Salhar remains impressed by the Pathfinder Society, orating in their favor a handful of times in front of Absalom’s Grand Council, in fact. Due to previous relationships between him and the Society, Master Salhar has agreed to grant permission to the Pathfinder Society to explore his family’s vaults below Sothis. The only thing he requires is that you retrieve the map of the vaults from his own vault here. The servant will lead you to the basement and show you the room.”
The Sapphire Sage’s eyes twinkle as he smirks knowingly, then he turns back to reading his book as though he had never been disturbed.
The servant comes in and ushers you out of the room before you have a chance to ask any questions, as to leave the Sapphire Sage to his studies. After leaving Amenopheus’ study, the servant brings you back through the spacious estate, leading you down sturdy stone steps into the cool basement. Down a hallway, after a couple turns, you end up at a plain wooden door. The servant opens the door, gesturing to the room with a bow, and waits silently for you to enter.
The groups steps into the room and you hear the door close and lock behind you.
A plain stone room contains three chests: a copper-banded chest of smooth, dark wood; a red lacquered chest; and what looks to be a cube of solid steel. Behind the chests sits a low table holding a clear glass jar half full of liquid and a covered wicker basket.
Looking back at the door you see some writing that says “Within these cases lies your quest and your way out.”
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Looking up from the basket, Terrill calls out, ”Hey Trippen, looks like another thing for you to check out. There’s what looks like a key, made out of some kind of blue stone, sitting on some rumpled cloth. If you could check it out a bit before anybody sticks a hand in there, might be a good idea. I like surprises generally, but I don’t think I’d like whatever surprises this place has to offer.”
Examining the copper banded chest you realize this chest is an illusion. When you touch the chest it fades into a faint outline.
This steel cube has only the faintest crack where its lid meets the base, and would be completely featureless save for its narrow keyhole.
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"Well, it looks like the copper chest is an illusion." Rilmor sticks his hand through the top of chest to show everyone.
He makes his way over to the steel chest and examines it. "It looks like this steel one is real and it's not solid. There's definitely a small keyhole and a lid part to it."
"So far, we've got one key, two chests, and some odd glass of liquid. Did you find anything else interesting in the basket?"
Reaching into the basket you grab the key and feel something strike out at you.
Quickly removing your hand with the key before getting bit, and looking into the basket you see a green viper hidden among the wadded cloth on which the rune-etched blue stone key sat.