|
Vitarri watches as Mary disappears and looks torn between the rousing imp and what the hell she was upto! He looked to Evan and Muchiko nodding towards the hidden door. "Someone back her up in case that is trapped"
He shakes his head and chuckles at the inquisitive young paladin somewhat reckless action. "Only young once..."
|
Mary stops in her tracks. "Yes, you are probably right and wise to get information first. I'm just a bit curious about things since this is my first time away from my overbearing but well meaning trainers."
"I'll be right there once I know what's in here." Mary begins tapping her foot, as if waiting for some divine knowledge of what she might have seen in this room before moving on.
The box has seven masterwork locks, and they're all locked.
The hidden room seems to be some sort of library. As you look around you see many books with information on the occult and summoning devils from hell.
|
|
Mary walks back to the main room standing next to the imp. MAP
"You have been allowed to live for now devil. Whether you survive this depends upon your cooperation. First, you should be aware that the paracountess provided us with silver to attack you. Evan dear, show him the silver letter opener please." Mary pauses for a moment so Evan can show the devil the silver letter opener.
"Now, I think the reason she wanted you dead is because you failed in opening the box. Does that make you angry knowing that your master is behind us coming in here and nearly killing you? Indeed, I bet if she finds out that you aren't dead, she's going to be very upset and try to kill you. Perhaps knowing that, you'd like to get some revenge, am I right? She is the one who violated your contract after all, sending inside people who could see you while invisible and a paladin of Abadar. How outrageous, am I right?" Mary pauses for a second, letting it sink in to the devil to get revenge. Evil creatures are so predictable.
Mary continues. "You know, the first way to really get revenge upon her is to first talk to us. See, we're also interested in the box. If you could tell us what's in the box and why the Paracountess was so interested in it, that would be your first step on a path to revenge against her. We could ensure that she doesn't get what's inside. I bet that would really make the Paracountess mad."
The imp sits up when Mary talks to him, and looks at the paladin with his tiny evil eyes. "The boxes holds a dark leather bagses and a silver hookses. Those allow the userses to draw impses, subservient to the userses, directly from Hellses!"
Kreuvus looks down with a sad face. "Wanted to hide the bagses from mortalses to protect my kindses..."
"You can take the blasted boxes, and tell Mistresses I deserve what comes my wayses..."
Kreuvus grins an evil grin when Mary turns away from him. Even though he'll get punished by his mistress, he now knows where the secret doorses is.
|
|
Vitarri slaps the Imp across the face with the riding crop. Knocking it back into oblivion the moment it grinned at Marys backside. He gets it another thrashing for good measure before saying. "Best think twice before looking at anyone's backside again b@#%&." He turns to leave leaving the imp unconscious. He closes the secret door before exiting the bedroom. When he sees the Countess again he hands her her instrument of pain without a bit of mirth.
"You've got one tricky little beast in there maam I would watch out for him in the future."
With a smile at Vitarri the paracountess rises from her seat. "So you obtained the box, which Ambrus asked you to return to the vault? If you want to keep the letter opener or this riding crop," She walks up to Vitarri, "I don't mind. Though if you take them, you'll have to promise me you'll come back to play some time." With a wink the paracountess touches Vitarri's chest with one of her fingers.
She walks past Vitarri and Mary, into the bedroom. "Ah, Kreuvus, there you are." The paracountess only looks at the imp briefly, before addressing the party. "As you can see this room will need some work. I ask you all to leave now, so my servants can clean the place."
The paracountess calls for a servant, and the same man that let the party in answers her call. He escorts the party to the manor's exit, and closes the door behind them when they're all outside.
|
|
Vitarri returns the Paracountesses grin as he tuck the riding crop into his belt. "Sounds good, perhaps you can show me what other tricks are up your sleeves." Once they were dismissed he looked at their tasks again as they approached their cart. (Vitarri gave the man a gold piece, effectively paying for everyone and renting the cart for part of the day. "I think we should hit the wise quarter and save the task in the ascended court for last. What do you think?"
|
After being ushered outside. "Boy, she didn't even thank us for taking care of the pest of an Imp. What an ungrateful dark heart hag. I never want to go play with her or her "friends" again."
Evan jumps into the cart his mood shifting as quickly as the wind, with a smile on his face."Where to next?"
The Wise Quarter is the district in the city of Absalom where most of Absalom's government buildings are located, including the residence of the Primarch and the hall of the Grand Council. There are several large mansions the party passes by on their way to the rich estate of Grand Councilmember Dremdhet Salhar. While the party travels to the estate they get the feeling they’re being watched.
The party arrives at the rich estate of Grand Councilmember Dremdhet Salhar, and is greeted by a guard who is expecting the party as they reach the tall, wrought-iron gate. Once the party is inside, a servant walks up to the group. ”Master Salhar is not present. He was called away on important Council business. The Sapphire Sage, master’s most trusted advisor, will receive you. He is available to negotiate any business you may require.”
While the servant explains this he leads the group down welldecorated hallways, past expansive rooms. After a few minutes, the group arrives at a simple study near the end of a long hallway. Inside Amenopheus, the Sapphire Sage, 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 the group approaches the open door, the wise sage silently gestures the party into the study with one thin hand, while closing the tome with the other after finishing what he was reading. Once the party is 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.
After leaving Amenopheus’ study, the servant brings the group back through the spacious estate, leading them down sturdy stone steps into the cool basement. Down a hallway, after a couple turns, the party ends up at a plain wooden door. The servant opens the door, gesturing to the room with a bow, and waits silently for the party to enter.
|
|
Vitarri had been distracted by the promise the Paracountess had given him, the riding crop was firmly set in his belt in case of a sneak thief but for some reason he couldn't shake the feeling that seeing that woman again was completely and utter wrong. Unable to focus the cart ride went by in a flash, so did there introduction to the toothpick Sage and he quickly found himself at a open door with some sniveling servant waiting on them. He doesn't pay the man any more attention as one would an insect on their hand.
The Gorumite marched through the door with a condfident stride, assured in the fact they could reach some musty old vaulty with ease. "I don't know Mary it is open, no reason to trap an open door." He gives her a small grin as he strides past and into the room.
|
|
Evan is preoccupied by the beautiful surroundings. Asks question about everything he sees to no one in particular. "I wonder who lives in that big house. Look at that garden! The hedges are cut into shapes of animals. I bet they use magic to do that."
Evan sits in a comfortable chair his legs not quite touching the floor twiddling his thumbs while he listens to the Sage. ..the last two pathfinder contacts have been very interesting people...which I would never turn my back to.... I wonder if this old man is the same...
Turning to the servant. "Thank you good man. Now what do we do?"
Walking into the room Evan gets an uneasy feeling. ...I feel like I am being put in a jail cell..
for Spoiler
for Sage
for Sage and his room
for basement room
Once every member of the party is in the room, the servant shuts the door and locks it behind them. Written on the back of the door is the message: “Within these cases lies your quest and your way out.”
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.
The Wicker Basket: This 2-foot-round wicker basket requires no key to open, its lid resting gently atop its wide rim. Inside, a blue stone key rests atop a pile of crumpled linens.
------------------------------------
The Glass Jar: This gallon-sized clear glass jar is about half full with clear liquid. At the bottom of the vessel sits a jeweled brass key.
------------------------------------
The Copper-Banded Chest: This chest is made of smooth, dark wood.
------------------------------------
The Red Lacquered Chest: This smooth, red lacquered chest looks devious. The solid metal plate surrounding the gaping keyhole pulses with glowing amber runes.
------------------------------------
The Steel Chest
This steel cube has only the faintest crack where its lid meets the base, and would be completely featureless save for its narrow keyhole.
|
|
Mary steps back from the steel chest. "Hmmm, not all is as it appears. Typical. Evan, do you still have your extra set of masterwork tools? We're going to need them. The steel chest is trapped."
Mary begins thinking aloud. "You know, who puts a trap on a chest if it also requires a key? Why not just make a better lock or hide the key better? It's like some kind of trial by fire where we have to prove ourselves worthy of figuring it out, and if that's the case, why put that kind of test on breaking INTO the chest?" Mary is then quickly embarrassed, realizing that she's actually talking aloud rather than just thinking, and begins to blush.
|
|
Muchiko, normally neutral and serious, seems to show a faint smile.
"Weren't paladins the diplomatic types? They'd be more weary of me considering my looks You seem more charismatic than a woman who grew up in...",
she doesn't finish her sentence and turns her face away as if bothered by something she said.
|
|
Watching Evan reel back in imagined horror followed by a confused look when nothing happens amuses Vitarri greatly. He realized that ultimately he was quite useless wit these traps and so focused on the girls conversation. When Muchiko looked away he felt a bit of curiosity over why. However he didn't press her, he instead focused on Mary...
Smiling ever so slightly he steps up near her unprotected shoulder and takes advantage of her distracted state...
He slaps Mary on the shoulder, hard, in a somewhat blunt attempt to redirect her anger. "You hit the nail on the head a moment ago however... Your way with swaying people needs work but we are new at this and besides..." He gestures to Muchiko. "She does have a point, you have assets that you could use to bring someone's guard down." He emphasizes his last word with a hand gesture. "I am not saying sweet talk or bat your eye lashes at everyone you meet but your age in an enemies eye could be perceived as a weakness, if you come in to strong you'll be seen as blunt and inexperianced, which will likely lead to being ignored or greeted by fierce resistance. come in too meek and they will try to take advantage. Both ways have there advantages and pitfalls. You'll find your strong point but don't be afraid to test different approaches..." He paces himself, having done far more talking then he is used too.
He clears his throat as he adds one last thing. "My approach is easier, beat them til they fall and beat them again if they dare look at you cross ways. You don't get truthful answers but they won't dare cross your path again..." He subconsciously ran the palm of his hand over the handle of the riding crop and smiled again.
Evan's attempt at opening the chest fails. It appears the only way to open the chest is by playing along with the game set in front of you.
|
|
"Right, so we've got a snake in a basket, acid in a jar and a rigged chest.
We could stand back and break the jar by throwing it against the opposite corner of the room.", she then looked at the basket.
"If 2 of you would hold both sides of the basket, i'll take care of the snake. Then we can take the key."
If they hold it, Muchiko casually takes out her bow and point at the basket. (She would know the position of the snake's head after that perception won't she?)
Evan and Vitarri hold the basket for Muchiko while Mary's still blushing and self-aware. A hiss can be heard when the arrow pierces the basket, which could mean the snake was hit by it. Another look in the basket might tell if it still lives, or doesn't.
|
|
Holding one side of the basket."Let's see!!" Evan peers into the basket.
Pulling the snake out of the basket he throws it at Mary. "Watch out Mary!!.......It's dead. hahaha. What not funny?'
Evan grabs the key in the bottom of the basket. "Now to find out what chest it goes to." Evan sits down in front of the chests inspecting the key.