Creating an artifact: What god / powerful being should it be associated with?

[chaoseffect]

So I'm making a powerful artifact safe that the party will soon find, but I have no idea which deity I should relate it to. Here's what I'm thinking it does so far:

Artifact safe:

This large black safe is made out of an unknown substance that absorbs all damage. There is a dial on the front with 1-100 and the combination is 10 numbers long. The safe can be opened either with the combination or a DC 40 Disable Device check. If an incorrect combination is entered or if the Disable Device check fails, the creature attempting entry is affected by the spell X, Y save negates. If the Disable Device check is failed by 10 or more, the creature is affected with no save.

The safe only truly answers to one owner. In order for someone to take possession of the safe, the current owner must dead. If the current owner is dead and the safe is opened, besides the items previously inside there will be a small statue of Z, seemingly made out of the same substance as the safe. If the statue is touched it liquifies and is absorbed into whoever touched it. This does not harm the target and that creature is now recognized as the safe's owner.

The owner of the safe automatically knows the safe's combination and by accessing it may change the combination once per week.

If a creature that is not the safe's owner attempts to remove an item from the safe, the creature is affected by Greater Bestow Curse for each item removed. For this purpose, a container counts as one item. The type of curse bestowed is chosen by the owner of the safe individually when an item is placed inside. If an item is placed inside the safe by a creature that is now the safe's owner, a default curse type is used instead. This default is chosen by the owner and can be changed any time he accesses the safe.

I had some blank spots there that I need to fill in, but I don't think I can do that until I decide which deity, demon lord, powerful named creature, etc. the artifact is related to... who do you think would be a good patron for such an item? I'm pretty much open to gods/creatures from any setting, not just Golarion, so any suggestions are welcome.

Really the only deity I'm iffy about using is Mammon; though he makes sense for an item like this, I've already established the current owner of the safe to be an enemy of his. That might make for its use to be a bit problematic unless I say it as a gift given before things turned ugly or if it was captured.

[thegreenteagamer]

Sounds kinda Abadar-y to me, what with him being the money deity and having protection as a listed domain and defense and metal as listed subdomains.

[thegreenteagamer]

Also, there's this, from PathfinderWiki "Abadar has long served as the guardian and protector of the First Vault in the city of Axis, a repository said to be crafted by the deity's own hand that contains perfect versions of everything ever created or seen by civilized peoples." So he's already used to making safes.

[Dafydd]

Artifacts do not need to be associated with a diety. Some of them spring into existence from primal energies or are created by ordinary (well, extraordinary) mortals. Some examples of this are the Shadowstaff and the Castle of the Storm King. Shadowstaff being an item created from the energies of the plane of shadows. The Castle was made by the Storm King.

For this safe, my first thought is Abadar. This is the kinda thing the Master of the First Vault would like.

[chaoseffect]

I hadn't considered Abadar, but perhaps I got tunnel sighted. With the Greater Bestow Curse on intruders I had considered the safe as something more in line with an evil patron, but now that you point it out, Abadar could definitely work. Recovering a decidedly non-evil artifact from some super evil people would also be good for the party.

What spell do you think should be cast on people who fail entry if it is associated with Abadar? Without him in mind I had considered things like Plane Shift, Hellfire Ray, or even Trap the Soul if the patron was evil enough (the gem forming inside the safe and protected by the Greater Bestow Curse of course).

[Rynjin]

Definitely Abadar.

As for failed entry consequences, perhaps a Plane Shift combined with a Modify Memory.

People who fail to open the safe are transported to a random plane with no earthly clue how they got there.

[Scott Wilhelm]

If you are running your own campaign, you should create your own deities. Most of the published deities in most of d20 aren't very fun.

But that's not what you asked for.

A divine artifact safe?

How about attributing it to Vecna, the undead God of Secrets and Magic.

What is the Pathfinder God of Secrets? Asmodeus?

Those are my recommendations: Asmodeus and Vecna.

I'd add some other enchantments like making the safe and it's contents impervious to scrying, locate object, and things like that. I'd have the safe open to false contents when opened by nonowners, and to get at the real contents would require special knowledge to even realize it was a false compartment. I'd have the safe equip its contents with fantasy LoJack: symbols of scrying that will mark the would-be thieves for the safe's powerful owners will have an easier time catching up with the thieves.

[Dafydd]

I like the Trap the Soul option. However, if that is too evil for you, plane shift or even just a greater teleport to send the intruder away is a fine choice.

Another option is, you fail to open the safe and it disappears, probally to a place the owner has predetermined. It is a defiantly non evil/harmful way to keep the safe safe.

[Bob Bob Bob]

Norgorber is the Pathfinder god of secrets. He's a mortal that took the test of the Starstone (allegedly). He then proceeded to wipe his name and past from history. Even the gods don't know who he is or was. He has four different aspects, the Reaper of Reputation (secrets), Gray Master (thieves), Blackfingers (poison), Father Skinsaw (murder). If he's the deity that made it the spell would be one that kills (preferably without leaving a soul behind so that nobody can know what's in the safe). He can literally work with or against anyone. His motivations are known only to him and he will totally kill/mislead/discredit/destroy anyone who tries to change that. Rumor is that should his name ever be discovered he loses his divinity.

Abadar is the deity of law and order and civilization. If he put a spell on the safe it'd probably be Geas/Quest to force the person to go turn themselves in to the nearest legal authority. Possibly Bestow Curse (tell only the truth).

[chaoseffect]

I considered making part of the enchantment of the safe being that the owner is able to know when someone opens it and let him know where the contents were, but the more I think about it the more I think of the artifact as more insidious then just protecting items. I mean sure, it does that, but really it seems like something that wants to be opened. It was made to hurt as much as protect; it could be seen as a trap for ambitious thieves. Break a nearly unbreakable safe filled with riches just get cursed into oblivion by the act of taking them.

I wasn't sure if that was the lore I wanted for the safe, but that is the idea of the current owner. The PCs have beaten him and chased him out of his ancient hideout. He has time to evacuate so he could take all of his valuables with him (including many items that actually belong to a PC who was captured by him), but he decides not to. Instead he leaves his safe and a note saying what's inside; maybe give them 9 out the 10 numbers needed to open it. Let them have fun with that.