Erick snorts. "What part of "Do you want me to blast it or do you want to try to disable the security system" didn't make it past your earlobes, Ms. Steele?" He raises an eyebrow. "Or were you too busy playing saga hero in your head to listen?"
Tessa shoots a questioning look over at Erick, "Now, now. No need to get all uppity Erick. By all means-" She stiffens her posture in attempt to mimick Erick and deepens her voice. "Show it the rings!"
Tessa looks to Erick and smirks, "See, no reason to go 'blastin'"
Erick rolls his eyes. Apparently he doesn't see any reason to let Tessa drag him down to her level of inanity. After all, she has a lot more experience at being juvenile than he does, she'll be better at it.
"As I, and Ms. Saltenlock, were saying. The pillars appear to be the key. There's a design on four of them. Shall we inspect them in detail?" Erick points out the designs on the four pillars.
I and Misses Saltenlock. So much for team effort.
With eyes still on the eastern alcove Tessa nonchalantly moves up to inspect the closest pillar, rapier hanging low at her side.
"Thank you, Lady Lavinia. Perhaps you can keep the snake quiescent while we puzzle what the note means. In answer to someone's question, I believe an aboleth has three eyes. There was a picture on my bedroom wall. That was a look time ago so I could be wrong. But yes I think three.
Bedu concentrates on the pillars and walls looking for a mechanism of entry.
Kutsya shudders. "Don't think I'd sleep much with an aboleth staring at me. I think a basilisk has eight legs, so if Erick put his boomstick to my head I would guess it had four eyes, but that's just a guess."
Kutsya walks over to the pillar in the western alcove, not even noticing the lower ceiling height. She squints at it, trying to see if there are any carvings on that pillar.
Gavin sighs, digging into his coin purse. "Well, I'd say that snake thing approaching us is something, but since it didn't attack us and nothing blew up, in the spirit of our bet, I guess you win. It is better to lose 5 gold in this case than to win the bet, I suppose." Smirking, he hands Tessa her money, and then goes to stand by Kutsya, examining the closest pillar.
Chimeras, basilisks, aboleths? Is there a monster college one attends to study such things? Kneeling down on all fours, Gavin slowly circles the column, looking for any clues, especially some sort of turning mechanism, key or number combination or lock, or anything else that looks like the column might be part of a larger contraption. Slowly standing and circling, he makes his way around the pillar. Talking to no one in particular, he says, "I studied war - against people, not monsters. I'm afraid I don't have much to add about how many eyes a beeblepopple or whazzitneraz has. But if you all are correct about the number of creature eyes being clues, there must be some sort of combination lock, keypad, or opening mechanism in this room. Keep your eyes out for such a device, or part of it - it could be spread all around us."
Erick shakes his head. "I don't think it's the eyes since I think a basilisk has 2, but I could be mistaken about that, if it's 4 then that would work. I believe the two pillars on the ends..." He points to the two in alcoves. "Represent sunrise and sunset. East and west. I think the pillars in the center have to be turned or rotated so that something on them points toward either the sunrise or sunset pillar. Anyone see anything on the 5 pillars in the center that indicate which one represents each of the different creatures in the note?"
"Can any turn? Oh larger and stronger men."
As an afterthought, "..or woman."
"Huh, Erick, I think you are on to something." Gavin leans into the pillar closest to him and Kutsya, and puts some pressure on it, trying to rock it back and forth in its base to see if it would turn.
"The lever, does pulling it make anything move?" He asks, wondering as he stands in front of it. "I'll give it a push or pull. Everyone should stand back, it might be trapped." He offers, reaching out to grasp the lever. "Wouldn't want everyone hit by boiling oil or pitch." He chuckles.
|
When Erick pulls the lever, the snake forming the central pillar take semblance of life. it starts towards the edges of the hole in the wall that it was covering up forming an archway for the next room, then it freezes in place, like it was just a stone decoration carved in the wall itself.
with the stone snake out of your way you can now see the inner vault.
This octagonal room is supported by a single large pillar with dozen of deep groves along its sides. The seven walls of this room each bear fantastically detailed bas-relief carvings of exotic monsters in threatening poses. Starting at the wall immediately to the west of the entrance of the room and moving clockwise, the carvings depict a tentacled monster with a glaring red eye and a mouth full of teeth, a looming dragon, a bizarre tentacled giant frog with three eyes, a two-headed giant wielding a pair of immense clubs, a spherical creature with four eyestalks and a bulging central eye over a drooling mouth, a gorilla-like beast with a fanged mouth and six eyes and finally, a towering black spider with seven eyes.
Each monster eyes consist of a glittering red stone. The ceiling above is only ten feet high, with the now familiar eight-pointed star pattern radiating out from the grooved pillar.
The arms of this star are black, save for one pointing south toward the entrance, which is red.
Erick looks through the door, and laughs. "Haha, right idea on the riddle, surely, but wrong room." It's probably the first time they've heard him really laugh out loud, the sound carries and echoes in the room, deep and booming.
Bedu skips in and places his hands together in mock prayer under one of his chins. He walks around in a clockwise direction frowning as he goes.
Then he looks at the rolled parchment again for any further inspiration.
Chimera looks to sunrise, Cyclops looks to sunset, Ogre looks to sunrise, Aboleth looks to sunset, Basilisk looks to sunrise. All my family do like such puzzles but this is interesting."
Then he walks around again slowly, naming the ones he recognises on the walls.
"Cyclops."
"Dragon."
"Aboleth."
"Two....headed...giant?"
"..hmmmm?"
"Six-eyed gorilla."
"A...seven eyed spider?"
Tessa silently takes the coins from Gavin with a knowing smile. As she follows the group and peers into the room with all the statues she shakes her head, not knowing what to make of this room.
Riddles are not my cup of tea unfortunately, good thing we have some people who know these creatures.
"So I was kind of expecting a room with big strong door behind which was tens of thousands of gold coins you could jump into."
She eyes each carving and mutters, "This is a little ... odd. Were you parents much into riddles then m'lady?"
Erick nods. "Seems those with the idea of the eyes were correct. One eye, two eye, three eye, four eye, five eye, six eye, and seven eye." Erick looks around to see if the paintings can be moved, also checks the back of the door, to see if there's an 8 eye creature on it, as there seems to be a space for an 8 eye, 8 pointed star. "Interesting, 8 pointed star, 7 creatures with black star points, door with red star point. Anything on the back of the door, something with 8 eyes? Anyone see anything that could be sunset or sunrise in this room, other than east and west?"
Gavin enters the room alongside Bedu, flail in hand, keeping an eye out for anything that could bring harm to his Katapheshi friend, and mumbling along with the halfling as Bedu talks his way through the riddle.
|
|
Now that you see the star in his fashion, with a red arm, many of you that have experience with navigation start to understand what it is supposed to be.
It's clearly a compass rose.
by pooling your knowledge on the matter you identify some of the beasts.
You can't recognize the first one but is definitely not a cyclops as it has no legs or arms or head really, is more like a single block with tentacles, a huge eye and a mouth.
You don't really have seen an aboleth before, but you heard it's in the shape of a strange fish with 3 eyes, not in the shape of a frog. that must be something else.
The two headed giant is commonly known as an ettin.
While the orb with eyestalks is called a beholder.
all the beasts are pointing towards the column so the only creatures pointing east and west are the dragon and the 6 eyed gorilla.
The walls with the pictures of the monsters seems indeed to be movable, but not by Erick, and not by the whole group actually. as you push a little on one side of the picture you get the impression that there are a series of gears or some other kind of mechanism. they are probably supposed to turn, but you had to be a master in disabling mechanisms or have the strength of a titan to force the panels to turn.
on the other side, looking at the room you find out what may be the key of the whole room.
The central pillar seems to be movable as well. The main section of it is clearly separated from the floor and seems to be separated from the ceiling as well.
The Column seems to be able to turn, not smoothly but rather in clicks.
Also, it seems to be linked to the 8 pointed star.
If you were to turn the column, the star would turn as well.
She eyes each carving and mutters, "This is a little ... odd. Were you parents much into riddles then m'lady?"
"I guess so" replies Lavinia. "They were scarcely around and I can't say I knew them that well. They cared for me, they made sure that I leaded a good life, but they didn't had that much personal touch. They were always somewhere else, chasing some lost treasure or charting a new island"
Lavinia looks at the notes in frustration "And they certainly overestimated my ability in solving riddles, do any of you have any Idea on how to proceed from here?"
"Let us begin at the beginning and take it step by step. That is what my father would say. He is a great qadi in Katapesh and much given to such thinking. So here goes.."
Bedu waddles up to the tall central pillar and points up at the compass rose. His smile broadens in a chubby grin.
"So the red arm points south. Turn the pillar one way, towards the east and that is sunrise. Turn the pillar west and that is towards the sunset. There are eight points. And each point could be one turn or eye. A seven eyed creature means turn the red arm and pillar almost all the way back to the beginning. Perhaps. Ha ha and now we just need to know what the number of eyes are for the creatures on the parchment."
Bedu unravels the words again and looks at the creatures named. He frowns as he goes.
"Chimera? Cyclops. One eye. Ogre. Two eyes. Aboleth. Three eyes. Basilisk? Turn it towards sunrise how many. Turn it back one. Turn it two towards sunrise again. Turn it back three. Then finish by turning it again towards sunrise but how many?"
The fat halfling looks around for inspiration. At the panels, pictures and walls.
"How many eyes does a chimera and basilisk have?"
Erick looks around the room, looking thoughtful. "We need more information. If the door doesn't have a picture, maybe it's the 'neutral' position. Zero on a standard vault lock. If it is eyes, and that is zero, then it would be clicks left and right. But is it clicks left or right of center, absolute clicks, or is it relational left or right clicks? In other words, if we click left once, and the next number is two, do we click right twice from where we are, relationally, or do we return to 0 and click right twice, absolute?" Erick shrugs. "I guess we'll have to guess then. Try six for chimera, they have 3 heads, and both 4 and 2 for basilisk? Four first. And try relational clicks first, then absolute." He readies both his weapons. "With our luck, every wrong entry will release a guardian, so we should be ready."
Kutsya enters the elaborate chamber. How many workers, she wondered, did it take to build all this? And how long did it take them?
After listening to Erick and Bedu, she nods.
"I agree. The only thing I wonder is whether we should be counting clicks, or pointing the arrow at the beast with that number of eyes. I'd have to see it in action."
"A chimera has three heads. I believe each head has two eyes -- so six total. I don't know about a basilisk. I imagine it is either two or four."
Too much discussion, let's make something happen here.
Tessa walks around the room and listens to the discussion. She walks a circle around the center pillar and says, "Let's just start turning it and see what happens."
Without waiting for a response, she wraps her hands around it and attempts to rotate the pillar around clockwise.
Well, a trap didn't open and swallow me up - that's good!
Tessa lets go and shrugs. She scratches her temple and tries to think. "It clicked. Maybe it's lock a safe combination? You know, four left, three right. Perhaps the parchment lists the directions we need to turn it back and forth?"
"That's exactly what I'm thinking. Call the combination 6-1-2-3-2 and see how that works." Kutsya smiles. "If that's wrong, I'm sure you can dispatch the guardian with ease."
Erick snorts, and refrains from pointing out to Tessa that that was exaclty what he said earlier. Have to use smaller words with her. He thinks to himself with a snort. Instead he just nods at Kutsya. "And change the 2 to a 4 and try again if that doesn't work."
Tessa looks to Kutsya with a smirk thinking, I think I like working with her.
She sets her hands back on the pillar and begins to rotate it around following the numbers called out from Kutsya. As she does so she shouts out, "Just to be clear. If the floor drops out and I fall or thousands of snakes fall from the ceiling, I do expect my friends to have my back on this, yes?"
Without showing any signs of being afraid, she looks up as she continues to spin the pillar and align the tip of the red star.
If it doesn't work, she makes the change Erick suggested.
|
|
As soon as Tessa completes her sequence you hear a mechanical sound.
The entire room rumbles as the alcoves rotates in place revealing several coffers and chests.
Lavinia, clearly happy to finally reach the family fortunes, compliments the group for solving the code and proceed to take a look at his heritage.
Her happiness is shot lived.
Soon you see her going from one chest to another as they all turn out empty except for a few silvers and coppers scattered on the bottom.
And now that the alcoves are turned you can also clearly see signs of infraction. Someone definitely tampered with the mechanism before.
Hopefully for Lavinia, one of the alcoves seems untouched, despite signs of attempted opening whoever broke into the vault did not manage to open all the alcoves.
Aside from a generous amount of gold coins and gems, along with a large number of ledgers and a small iron coffer containing a thick pile of documents.
Most of the ledgers list debts owed to the Vanderborens from guilds and noble houses in Sasserine.
It seems that Lavinia's parents made a practice of doing dangerous favors for numerous organizations in Sasserine, yet rarely bothered to collect rewards. Instead, they allowed their patrons to keep the rewards with the understanding that they could collect at any time.
The documents in the iron coffer are another story. These documents are written in her mother's handwriting but in a strange language LAvinia doesn't recognize (and none of you does as well) althoug she and the ones who know the language recognizes it uses the elven alphabet.
Included in the map are several maps of jungles, coastlines , and other regions that seems to represent some unknown tropical location.
The document also includes dozen of sketches of strange. exotic creatures.
Although is clear that she is deeply concerned about the missing money, Lavinia forces herself to smile at you and thanks you for your precious help that you offered her and she makes sure to let you know that despite everything else, she now has enough cash and debts to collect that will easily allow her to pay you the 300 gp she owes you, top pay all her taxes and debts her parents had, and to ensure your employement as her retinue as promised.
Erick holds his silence until speculation begins as to the missing funds. When it comes to that, he winces, but speaks. He looks as if he wishes he did not have to. "I hate to say it.. Ms. Vanderboen, but I suspect your brother is the most likely suspect." He holds up a hand against any protest. "Let me speak first. The ring would not have gotten anyone else into the room, it's keyed to your blood. Someone of your blood had to use it, or someone with magic. Same for the guardian snake. It too required your ring and blood, and even voice, to turn it aside. I suspect if we ask around, we will find that your brother accessed the catacombs, and recently. It wasn't your parents that took this, they would not have had to force the doors. So, it would be someone who knew your family vault and knew the rings were the key and had the magic to force and fool the locks, or it was someone with your blood and knowledge of a family member. The simplest explanation is usually the correct one, as we saw with the ship. Without the scrap of paper, we would have had to try to force the mechanism, and you and your brother had the same information."
Once he's done, he looks up at the ceiling. "I think we need to investigate this business that uses this symbol. I suspect it belongs to you as well. And I suspect there is information about it in that book. There are scrolls and magic that can allow one to read writing that one does not understand."
Bedu claps his hands together in appreciation when the vault opens. But that soon turns to dust. He too flicks and aimlessly wanders around at the documents, expecting large piles of gold and finding none.
"Perhaps there is more to your brother than we have been told? My lady now might be a good time and place for such secrets to be spoken. That snake makes a fine guardian but Erick is right someone in your family did this, probably your brother unless there is a black sheep we do not know?"
Gavin looks up at the symbol. "Bedu, do you remember where you saw the symbol in town? Perhaps we should pay a visit to that building?"
Turning to face the Lady Vanderboren, a concerned look passes over the young man's face. "Lady Vanderboren, I'm afraid that Erick is probably correct. All the signs point to your brother being involved. You said you haven't seen him in awhile? When was the last time you spoke? Are you friendly with each other? Do you know where your brother is? I suppose the other option is that there is another member of your bloodline out there somewhere - are you aware of any other relatives with Vanderboren blood?"
Gavin fidgets a bit and then says, "I am very sorry for this to come to a head - to find your vault robbed and your brother possibly involved is a horrible turn of circumstance. If there is anything that we can do for you, of course all you need to do is ask."
Kutsya laughed as soon as Gavin finished. "Especially since that's now our job."
To the others she said, "Master Kratzenklau has taught me a spell of translation, however I am not prepared to cast it today. I should be able to take a look at the papers tomorrow, once he has reminded me of the details."
Of course, there's a third possibility, someone with some fell magic killed her brother and used bits of his remains to access the vault. But no need to bring that up at this point. More likely is he's a thief, given her description of him earlier. Erick continues to think against the wall, but finally he clears his throat. "This vault is no longer safe. Can you arrange a new vault here? And also, is there a record kept of who accesses the vaults, and when? It would help if we could pinpoint when the vault was looted." And fortunately nobody has brought up the idea that her brother had something to do with the parent's deaths. The young lady is in danger, even if she doesn't know about it. Gonna have to talk to the rest of the group and her keeper about it, but again, now's not the time. As long as we're all living in the house with her, we can keep an eye on her.
Tessa puts both hands on her hips and says loudly while shaking her head, "Well ain't that some shit! You've been officially done over I'd say.
Tessa considers all that is spoken and adds, "Hey don't get me wrong, I'm not against throwing this all on -- What did you say your brothers name was again? Anyway, if you have never been here before, how do we know that your parents didn't move the treasure out of here? I'm not saying that whatshisface didn't do it or anything?"
Erick points to the damaged gears and pry marks on the one door that had things in it. "Her parents wouldn't have had to break into the storage areas, they knew how to open it." He points out to Tessa, keeping his voice even in order to not make it sound like he's explaining the concept of pregnant or not pregnant.
|
|
"My brother should not be in Sasserine at all. But I have to think you may be right. If he's the one who did this he kept his presence in town hidden to me." Lavinia seems to think, a little bit overwhelmed by the events.
"I'll ask the clerks if they let my brother in. If my brother is really in town I definitely need you to find him for me.
Let me carry those chests into my property. then I can finally give you what I owe you and talk about my brother."
Lavinia excuses herself while se go to the clerks office to question him and to arrange the transportation of her family possessions to Vanderboren's mansion
"You should bring the snake too. It is yours after all."
Tessa shrugs at Erick's comment. "Just trying to cover all possibilities before we immediately incriminate a man who isn't even supposed to be in town is all. I didn't say he didn't do it."
Tessa looks around the vault. "And if you're not coming back, you might be able to pry those red gems out of those depictions and that star?"
Once Lavinia leaves, Gavin turns to the group. "What do you all think is the best way to locate the Lord Vanderboren? Should we split up and ask our contacts? I could spend some time in some bars, press some coin into some palms, and see if anyone matching Vanderboren's description has been seen around, or if any local toughs have been in on a big score, or are big spenders today. Erick, could you send your kids out to do the same? Bedu, do you recall where you say that building with the 8-point star?"
Erick is unwilling to allow Ms. Vanderboren to run off by herself to talk to the clerks. Muttering something about 'inside men' and 'bodyguard' he insists on at least two people going with her, and at least two remaining to guard the vault. He will be extremely intransigent on this matter.
Erick rubs his chin. "I can ask them, but I'm not holding my breath. If it's her brother, he was supposed to be out of town. He likely has out of town help with him. We might find something if we look for out of town toughs. By the same token, that assumes it is her brother." He waves off Tessa's objection. "Yes, I know, but that was while Ms. Vanderboren was there. I didn't see any reason to worry her further, a live brother who steals from you is usually preferred to a brother who's tortured for the family secrets, killed, and has body parts used to bypass the vault locks." He shakes his head. "No need to get her planning funerals in her head. We do need to make sure she doesn't go anywhere alone anymore. She needs to hire a bodyguard or two from a reputable firm when we're not with her. I didn't want to say it in the vault, but the fire her parents died in is suspicious, as is the timing, considering the ransacking of the vault. Her brother is either the killer, or her brother's killers are, either of which puts her in similar danger."
|
|
Erick accompanies Lavinia to the clerk. She ask about posible visitings of her brother and she receives confirmation. Her brother came several times at the beginning of the month.
As a family member with a signet ring and given the sudden disappearing of the family head, nobody suspected he came in the vaults for anything but legitimate business. He is actually quite shocked at the news that Vanthus has been missing for the whole month and his family did not knew he was even in town.
Lavinia makes it very clear to the clerk that they are to deny to vanthus any access to the family vault unless they receive her personal authorization to do so.
The clerks apologize and mumble an half-excuses on not being used to noble family members so brazenly trying to take advantage of their own relatives.
after the discussion with the clerks, the coffers have been loaded into a small boat and brought to the Vanderboren's mansion. The only thing remaining on the vault is the metal snake as Lavinia is not sure of its functioning and is afraid it might attack her halfling servant while she sleeps.
A few hours later, she meet with you in the same hall she proposed her first job to you.
She offers you fresh beverages and a few sweets if you would like them.
Then she smiles at you.
"First of all I have to thank you for your precious support. I have collected what remained of my parents fortunes and took a look at the ledgers and I can finally say that my immediate financial problems are finally taken care of."[b]
Her smile dies out and she becomes more serious, with a vein of melancholy.
[b]"Unfortunately, as you suspected, my brother seems to have taken much of the Vanderboren's riches.
You should know that me and Vanthus used to be quite close growing up, Especially since our parents were never really around. We were the whole family to each other.
Not having our parents around to discipline us meant we were also enjoying a certain lack of responsibilities. We used to get in troubles, a lot.
One day after one of our pranks involving several of love emptied in the watertower of the district, we caused enough uproar to call our parents into action.
We have been separated, I was sent to the Thenalar accademy for the next 5 years, while Vanthus has been shipped away to work on a plantation. five years later when we returned home we both changed.
I like to think I benefited from the time I spent at Thenalar.
For Vanthus on the othre hand, the time spent away from home seems to have done nothing but nurturing his bitterness.
He no longer had time for me, he spent most of the day sleeping and most of the night with... associates of doubtful character.
Eventually he moved out entirely. I heard he might have had a lover of sorts in the Azure district.
When my parents died Vanthus returned home for almost a week, but he had changed even more.
We had several arguments until he struck me with his fist.
I was shocked, and I believe he was shocked as well.
After that episode he gathered all his things and leaved.
Even when he was away from home I always had news of him but this time I did not heard from him anymore. I assumed he left town but I was clearly wrong.
I know my brother deep down. Something have happened to him.
He clearly fell into a bad crowd. Maybe smugglers, thieves, or even killers. I would like to have a chance to talk some sense into him and see if there is anything that can be done to bring my old brother back before he falls too far away from my reach.
Could you find him for me?
He is probably hiding somewhere in town.
I don't have much clues to give you on his whereabouts, the only clue I have is this woman I heard he lived with on the Azure District."
As Lavinia finishes speaking, she stand up and reaches for a nearby cabinet she takes 5 small leather bags from it and present them to you.
All the bags have the Vanderboren sigil impressed on them and contains 300 gold pieces each.
"before I forget... You definitely earned these."
Erick takes the gold, he did earn it. "My condolences on your brother, Ms. Vanderboren. I am saddened my suspicions were correct, but heartened that he is alive, at the least." He looks thoughtful. "We can certainly look into the woman's whereabouts, and talk to her if possible, but we should have another line of inquiry, should she not prove talkative, or if she's since broken up with him. Bedu mentioned a house with the sigil in the vault, that too might prove a good place to look. Your brother will have become used to using family resources, and a family resource you didn't know about would be useful." He looks mildly pained. "May I ask, Ms. Vanderboren, what dates specifically did your parents die on? What date did your mother first notice her ring was missing? And, finally, what was the first date your brother made a visit to the vaults?"
|
|
"I have thought about that house and I doubt it is a family estate. all my family properties were documented in papers I already had at home.
I am pretty sure Vanthus would have no use for any papers that could have been on the vault. Sure, he can use the gold and spend them without questions asked, but a property, he would be under way more scrutiny if he tried to take possession of that. people would ask question and find out he is not the heir of the family.
Also, I have found that same symbol scattered around the journals.
I would appreciate if you want to investigate on that since it's clearily linked with my parents constant travels, but I doubt it will be relevant to their fortunes or to my brother location.
Nonetheless, please, let me know if you happen to discovery anything of note about that.
About the dates..."
Lavinia looks at the ceiling trying to place all the dates correctly.
"I believe I learned about the missing ring around the start of Calistril. They died on Calistril the 20th.
The clerk said Vanthus startetd to visit the vaults around the start of the month, so I assume 1st, 2nd or 3rd of the month.
anyway it seems to be few days after he left home, he stayed here from Calistril 21th to 27th"
Gavin accepts the coin purse with both hands, and bowing to the Lady, tucks it wordlessly into his traveller's outfit. As Lavinia speaks he pays close attention, listening for avenues of investigation in the words she speaks. "The Azure District, eh? I have spent a lot of time in bars along the docks since my parents' tavern burned down. I'll go and press the flesh in taverns of the district, with some silver here and there, and see if I can dig up any information about your brother."