Norveg's whiskers twitch. "We could turn it all the 'way 'round, loik, but Tragon's roit - it'd prolly release moar nasties. We either figger it out or get ready to foit."
He runs over the poem softly. "We've got oyes 'ere, roit enough. But not so much in the pome. Cyclops is one, but don't the rest 'ave two? Unless they've got more then one 'ed, like the ettin there. If it's loik a lock, we gotta do 'em in order. 'Ow many oyes a 'chimera' fing got?"
13Spider frowns
“Maybe the puzzle is to match the amount of eyes in each monster? The cyclops is the same as the Roper?”
"Roit, wich is why Oi was askin' bout the oyes on a chimera?" Norveg shrugs. "Oi dunno."
I agree 13Spiders it is certainly worth a try.
"Chimera looks to sunrise- so that seems to be 6 eyes so the gorilla.
Cyclops looks to sunset the roper
Medusa looks to sunrise maybe that is dragon?
Umber Hulk looks to sunset same as the ettin?
Basilisk looks to sunrise this one I am not certain as it would seem to be the same as the dragon? "
I agree 13Spiders it is certainly worth a try.
"Chimera looks to sunrise- so that seems to be 6 eyes so the gorilla.
Cyclops looks to sunset the roper
Medusa looks to sunrise maybe that is dragon?
Umber Hulk looks to sunset same as the ettin?
Basilisk looks to sunrise this one I am not certain as it would seem to be the same as the dragon? "
“That sounds correct. If north is straight ahead , then sunrise would be East, or to our right, then sunset would be to the left. If it is a simple combination lock if we move it in sequence it should unlock”
Narl goes ahead and tries the combination starting as 13Spiders suggests and going from there to see what happens.
Narl turns the pillar, the submerged clockworks clanking and ratcheting as the red needle rotates around the ceiling. Counterclockwise to the gorilla, clockwise to the roper, counterclockwise to the dragon, clockwise to the ettin, then finally counterclockwise back to the dragon. As the needle clicks into its final spot there is a rumbling sound. The seven panels retract into the floor, revealing seven alcoves beyond. Each alcove has 2-3 iron bound treasure chests within of various makes and sizes. The party can see a scattering of coins on the floor of one of the alcoves, and atop one chest is a collection of five empty glass vials.
Lavinia gasps and bows to Narl
“Well done sir!”
"Excellent indeed massterss Narl, 13." Taishe nods in approval.
"I confesss that I did not think it might usse the ssame symbol more than once. Mosst unwisse of me. I musst enlarge my conssiderations in future." Taishe adds, obviously disappointed in his mental processes.
He turns and bows to Lavinia.
"Where would you like to begin cataloging vault inventory, Misss?"
Lavinia looks around. She points to the alcove that once was fronted by the roper carving
“That alcove there has two big chests, we can begin there”
Taishe bows to Lavinia, then turns and begins wlaking towards the indicated alcove. He stops.
"Come Norveg. We get to count Shiniess!" The kobold says with a serpentine hissing chuckle.
Nahuatl ti notes one of the cests has empty vials atop it, but refocuses on approaching those indicated by Lavinia first.
Taishe and Nahuatl move towards the two chests. They are standard seafaring chests, built of solid ironwood with fittings of stout iron. There are no locks on them, but they could be secured by a lock if needed. These particular chests have rounded tops
Norveg follows Taishe so the short folk remain united.
Seeing that the kobold is overwhelmed by dragonish thoughts of gold, he pays special attention to the two chests, inspecting them carefully.
Norveg sees nothing trap looking around the chests. He does note a few silver and gold coins lying half-hidden between the chests. Also, there seems to have been a layer of dust on the chests that has been recently disturbed
"Oi fink someone's bin in 'ere, mum. 'Ow long's it bin since you was 'ere?" Norveg points at the new marks in the dust layer.
"His right. I doubt those vials over there are supposed to be empty."Nahuatl ti points out, moving to one of the chests and prodding it open with the butt of her spear.
Nahuatl flips a chest open. It reveals an empty space. A few silver and gold coins are revealed upon the bottom, likely missed by whoever emptied the chest. Lavinia cries in dismay as the chest is revealed
“NO!”
She hurries to the others, flipping them up as she goes. The story is the same until she gets to the last alcove. This alcove has one large chest and two smaller ones. The large chest reveals a pile of coins and gemstones. The two other chests are filled with thick vellum schools and a large book.
Taishe turns slowly to Norveg.
"I think, we will not be counting as much as I would have hoped." The kobold murmurs to his friend.
Taishe looks around at the various alcoves.
"It would sseem that ssomeone elsse possessess the other ring-key, after all." He murmurs, stroking his tendril-mustache.
Norveg looks rather puzzled. "Seems loik plenty ta me, mum. Y'ain't so bad off."
Taishe elbows Norveg gently.
"One is always happy to have slice of pie. But when one iss expecting WHOLE pie, iss sstill disssapointing." He murmurs to his friend.
"Sstill, You are right. Ssome iss alwayss better than none. Let uss ssee what iss left." The kobold moves forward to gather what little is left in the emptied chests, and examine the remaining full ones.
Lavinia takes a deep breath and composes herself
“You are correct. I am grateful to have this chest. It will at least allow me to pay my most pressing debts”
She counts out 200 gold coins for each of them
“As I promised”
She begins to read through the sheaves of vellum scrolls. Her face clears a bit
“Well, it seems as if my parents lent large sums of money to various peers. I have several very large promissory notes here”
She looks at the large book, looks puzzled, and puts it aside to concentrate on the scrolls. She also pulls out a rolled up haversack from her belt pouch
“Would you please collect whatever coins remain in this haversack? “
Tragon dutifully steps forward and takes the haversack. He kneels down and starts stuffing it full of coins. Never in his life has he seen so much wealth, but he tries not to think about it as he stuffs it all in the bag.
"There's some little bits of coins near the other chests - Oi'll git 'em." Norveg does as he says and scrapes the various coins from the other alcoves, dropping them into the haversack Tragon hold.
"Lady Lavinia ... seems as though as my compatriots pointed out that someone has arrived before us ... would the esteemed guardians of this place might have record of someone else coming to the family vault? this way we may determine who drank those potions and took the family fortune with them? Also when they may have come? If you'd like perhaps Taishe and I could inquire further about this while the accounting is done here?"
"Seems we will want to find out who absconded with the money and when and see if we can recoup that for you? Taishe I think you'd agree the sooner we begin the work the sooner we may catch the culprits?"
Narl attempts to be as diplomatic as possible here but also feels as though time is wasting and wants to see his client happy and financially secure as this dismay also effects the groups potential to earn.
Lavinia looks up from the scrolls
“Of course, I will inquire who has been down here after we collect the funds. This vault should only have been accessible by my signet ring, you saw the security the Falcon’s Roost has. Plus, there is no sign of forced entry. The construct sentry was still intact and on guard, the mechanisms of the vaults were all in place.”
she glances at the empty vials. A dried pinkish residue coats the bottoms of them. They sport small parchment labels with a stylized cat upon them
“I do not know what those vials portend”
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”If the ring was in the possession of pirates, they might have used it,” Tragon says simply, as he finishes emptying the chest into the haversack.
Norveg scampers over to the vials, sniffing them, then casts detect magic to see if they have any magical residue.
"They wasn't so much poirates as em-ploy-ees of that 'arbormaster's assistant, roit? 'E's ded now - but oo'd 'e work fer?"
There is a faint residue of magic on the vials
"Them was magical, but ain't no more. Oi know nuffin' 'bout 'em, tho, 'cept they moit relate to cats. Some'ow."
”If the ring was in the possession of pirates, they might have used it,” Tragon says simply, as he finishes emptying the chest into the haversack.
Lavinia frowns
“I cannot imagine the vault’s overseer would allow some ruffians down into this vault”
She looks grim.
“I am afraid I know who must have been here”
As Tragon finishes up, she leads them all back to the winding stair. Tragon hefts the haversack, which is ensorcelled to carry large weights easily. As they depart, the door closes behind them and they can hear a clanking and grinding as the alcoves reset themselves. They make their way back up the narrow stairs to the main foyer. The same court official awaits their return, his compliment of guards attending him
“Is everything to your satisfaction, my lady?” He inquires
Lavinia frowns
“Castellan, was there any member of the Vellasca family down in the vaults recently?”
The castellan consults a large ledger on a lectern nearby
“Yes, my lady. Your brother Vanthus paid a visit some ten days ago”
Lavinia pales
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"An' now we know 'oo's employed Vark," Norveg mutters darkly.
Narl will take a close look at the vials to see if he can recognize anything.
Narl bites his tongue at the mention of the brother and wanting to say I told you so but guessing this might not be the best time for him to discuss his panache for being right about people.
Once they leave ear shot of others Narl will ask a question of the Lady.
"My Lady by chance have you heard of a group called the Skull Brotherhood?" "Of for that matter has anyone else in our band heard of them?"
Narl has seen these potions in local apothecaries before. They are cats grace potions, often in high demand with criminals who need to perform dexterous feats
Lavinia looks at Narl
“I have heard stories, of course. They are infamous foul necromancers, peddlers in animated corpses. The lowest form of scum”
She brings the party back to the carriage. They return to the Vellasca manse. Lavinia’s retainers prepare a luncheon of fruit and Ximiche*. Lavinia sits with them and speaks
“When we first spoke yesterday evening, I was loath to discuss my brother Vanthus. I know that some of you had suspicions, but I disliked bringing up family issues”
She takes a deep breath and continues
“My brother and I were very close as children. We were always participating in pranks and other tomfoolery. We stole an elixir of love from an apothecary shop and spiked the punch bowl at one of our parent’s soirées “
He mouth quirks in a small smile
“That last prank decided our parents. I was sent to boarding school to further my education and polish my graces. Vanthus was sent to my family’s plantation upriver to learn about farming and management.
“After five years apart we both returned here, but Vanthus had changed. He resented the five years he had spent out in the jungle, and he had become bitter and argumentative. He began staying out all night and associating with a rough crowd of scoundrels. He and my parents quarreled and he quit the house. He didn’t say where he was going, but rumors got back to my parents that he had taken a lover and was living with her in the Driftwood District.
“When my parents died, he returned to the house for a while, and I had hopes that he had changed. However it soon became apparent that he hadn’t. He began holding raucous parties here, and he spent what little monies were left on hand. I quarreled with him and he struck me. I think he initially felt remorse, but he soon blamed me for provoking him. He left the house a month ago, and I have not seen him since.”
Lavinia sighs
“Somehow he must have stolen my mother’s missing ring without her noticing. I now see why he moved back home. He likely wanted to find the combination to the vault. I know he went through my father’s papers thoroughly. Although what monies and promissory notes were left will keep the house and ship for now, it will be a tight year unless the Jade Ravens return with good news from my uncle. “
*Ximiche is a local dish of fresh fish and shellfish marinated in citrus juices
"Ah." Taishe replies at the Castellan's revelation that Lavinia's brother beat them to the vault.
He listens to Lavinia's tale of her and her brother silently, nodding his head as he notes certain points in the story.
"All musst walk their own path. Thosse who choosse a dark path willingly, are the hardesst to convince to leave it." He says sagely.
"Am ssorry that your brother hass betrayed you. Very dark when family turnss against their own." Taishe bows slightly to Lavinia.
"Sso ssorry. Musst assk,... you make it ssound like Vanthuss is mere partyer, debaucher. Only wanted money to finance own party life sstyle. But if thiss iss all he wanted, he could have taken only what he needed, little at time. It would likely have been long time before you noticed money wass misssing. Yess? But he cleaned out vault. And took painss to make ssure that ship wass out of reach, could not eassily get ssecond ring. Indicatess long-term thinking. Other planss for money. Sso begss quesstion,... What doess Vanthuss need with ssuch wealth, all at once?" he asks soberly.
Lavinia nods
“What indeed? And although I love my brother, I am fearful of what he might do, or what might be done to him. He has stolen the family fortune, one which he was disowned from. My parents had written him out of their wills. It is the only reason my family still owns anything. He cannot legally touch any of our property.”
She sighs
“Despite this, he is my brother. I would help him if I can. “
She looks the group over
“I think your first mission as my retainers shall be to locate my brother and see what he is up to. From there perhaps I can meet with him and talk some sense into him. “
She looks at Taishe
“Are you sure that he was involved in the Nixie? That might have just been venality on Vark’s orders. Unless he confessed to working with Vanthus?”
"'E didn't get no chance to confess, mum. Could be co-incidence," Norveg says darkly, fiddling with the feather in his new hat. "There's plenty uv evil in this sad world, and the worst blows are from them ones as we trust."
"I suppose we will have to find out, while we look for your brother." Nahuatl ti says solemnly.
Now I noticed in the vault there were all those potions. I was able have seen the coloration of those potions and they seem to be cat's grace potions likely they were used by individuals who make their livings using dexterity. if your brother was last found in the Driftwood District might be a good place to start and find out who is lover was and perhaps track him that way? At least to start the process.
Lavinia nods
“It’s as good a place to start as any. I tried to absent when he had his ‘get-togethers’, but I know that the people he was inviting were Driftwood for certain “
“Are you sure that he was involved in the Nixie? That might have just been venality on Vark’s orders. Unless he confessed to working with Vanthus?”
Taishe shrugs.
"I think,... my intuition tellss me, your brother consorted with Vark to make sure you did not find ssecond ring in time to disscover and sstop hiss theft. I believe that Nixie being ussed to aid in ssmuggling wass merely Vark making mosst of ssituation. 'Killing two birdss with one sstone' I believe iss the correct phrasse?"
Taishe nods at the wizard.
"Excellent deduction friend Narl. Perhapss, if you have sseen thesse ssame potions for sale in Drift wood, we might alsso sspeak with likely sseller? If I may ssay sso, I am quite good with potionss. If enough ressidue iss left, I may be able to identify exact ressipe. Make eassier to ID potion vendor."
Taishe bows his head to Lavinia.
"We shall find your brother my Lady. I am, confident."
"We 'ad someone from Driftwood moita 'elped, an you lot let 'er go," Norveg grumbles quietly to himself.
"To be fair, if you had your way she wouldn't be much help at the bottom of the ocean." Nahuatl ti says with a quiet smirk.
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At Norveg's comment, Tragon opens his mouth to speak. Once Nahuatl ti finishes, he settles back with a satisfied smirk and an approving nod at the shaman.
Norveg chuckles good-naturedly, a surprisingly deep sound from the diminutive ratman. "Roit enuff, luv, and a good 'it... fer about ten minutes. But to be fair, Oi didn't unnerstand wy we'd turn our only witness loose insteada leavin' 'er wif 'Er Ladyship's men or the Guard."
Lavinia looks up from her meal, her mouth tightening
“Those people I used to regain the boat were sailors. They are employed by my family, but they have no training in military matters, or guardIng prisoners. “
Lavinia looks at the group
“What could we do with her? For one, we are on shaky ground as it is. Vark will be missed, he is a harbor employee. I doubt that the harbor master will make much of his disappearance in light of the use the Nixie was being put to. Im sure he will be willing to let the matter blow over, especially once the back docking fees are paid, but I thought it best not to add kidnapping to our list of deeds”
She looks at Norveg and Taishe
“I am still not convinced that my brother had anything to do with Vark. My brother wouldn’t have known my fathers ring was on the ship, and if he had, he certainly wouldn’t have rested until he recovered it, and the combination to the lock. As it was it looks as if he used magical potions to enable him to open the vaults. He had plenty of time to find the other ring, had he known it was in my parent’s onboard quarters. Without the ring I could have never gotten into the vault. My brother could have looted it at his leisure “
She looks at the group
“Even assuming Vanthus was privy to Vark’s smuggling, you think some hired hand would hold the key? From what you explained from your interrogation of her she knew little and less, which makes sense. Retainers aren’t told everything. You can’t divulge what you don’t know “
She shakes her head and returns to her plate, stabbing at her meal angrily
"Oi only meant she knew the Driftwood, mum, an' moit uv known uv 'im," Norveg says gently. "We'd best git to it, eh lads?"
Taishe nods to Lavinia.
"Ah. I presssumed under falsse asssumptions. I misstakenly thought that your brother had known of the sseecond ringss location, but ssimply did not find it. And ssso consspired with Vark to prevent you from recovering it. My misstake. I,... jumped to conclussionss. My ssincere apologiesss." Taishe bows his head. He seems, ashamed.
"Problem with having keen intellect and vivid imagination. One can eassily force factss to fit theoriess. Insstead of allowing factss to form theoriess."
"It iss asss you ssay My Lady. All we can do now iss proceed forward. And assscertain truth of ssituation.
Taishe nods to Norveg.
"Indeed. No time like pressent."
”One thing that puzzles me,” Tragon says with furrowed brow, ”is why he left you anything at all. Why leave one chest full of coin? Unless perhaps the family bond still means something to him...”