Archonia waits to see if Brant can open the moldy silk pouch, or if someone else must make the strength check. Silk is a very strong substance after all. ;)

As for the open chest, she would look to see if it had a hidden area or false bottom. Given how hard it was to claim in the first place, it is unlikely they double secured it, but one never knows. If nothing if found, then we can put it back in the gut of holding and take it along.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:23, Fri 10 May.

The outer hall beyond the Temple of Meditation stretches north for thirty feet before it is bisected by natural cave formations, after which it extends twenty feet or so further before dead-ending.



Predicably, Brant fumbles with the drawstrings of the silk purse, his clumsy ministrations only serving to tighten its knots, causing its slit-like opening to cinch up even more tightly. Frustrated, he tries to wedge his fingers into the tight opening only to be rebuffed once again. Politely, the other guests turn away, save perhaps for Archonia who follows her own alien code, thinking that their intent stares might be unmanning him. Breathing heavily, his cheeks reddened, Brant takes a step back. This silken purse is too much for him. How could he ever think its treasures could be his to taste?

Then he spies something else half-buried in the mud, a wine bottle with its head knocked off, labeled M*E*D*O and maybe a D or an L or a C. Still visible on the this label is a dancing harlequin wearing a parti-striped dress and a conical hat with bells.

Smiling, Brant severs the most troublesome of the knots with a jagged edge of glass and revels in the contents of the silken purse: a crystal key (1,000 sp value) with a red tassel.

I am just as baffled by the mud by the door as any of you.

Having stood by and watched the others up to this point, Bart takes an interest in the bottle of wine. He approaches, bends down, and picks it up to examine it more closely. "Hmm," he says. "It appears to be Medoc. I've sampled such a bottle in the past, though it had a different label."

He studies the depiction of the clownish figure then peers into the bottle. Presumably, it no longer holds its original contents, but perhaps there was something else inside?

With a roar of victory, Brant raises the key in a tightly clenched fist. What little murky light there is shines feebly along its crystal form.

But after a moment, his energy flags and his arm falls limply to his side. In a small, tired voice he whispers,"Redemption."

Whilst the others move through and do what they are doing, and after she has partly moved through the door and seen there is no immediate danger, Hieroman takes a greater interest in the door they are moving through.

Does it have a keyhole on the inside?  Does it have a working door handle on the inside that turns the latch?  Is the swing of the door such that it would look to close itself behind us, and if that were so, can she determine if it could be opened from the inside again?  She will also try the key in the lock from the inside, if there is a keyhole to make sure the lock works, still a little puzzled as to why the key looks to be so expensive.  These details aren't important (unless they are)  Essentially she is just making sure this isn't a one way trip if the door should close.

"Shall I keep that key safe with the jade key, now the purse is ruined?" she asks Brant.  "Perhaps the sum of these keys, if we are to find any more, is going to be more than their individual parts, and we should keep track of the order in which they are found, just in case." she shrugs not knowing if the idea has any merit.  "I don't know much about this place, but there might be a reason as to why the keys look to be so valuable.  First this exquisite jade key," she says holding the jade key up, "and now this silver one.  One expensive key is unusual, two is possibly more than just a coincidence."

I will assure you that this door has no further bearing on this adventure. And, just as a note, if I don't respond to a particular query or other, you can safely assume the results were negative.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:38, Sat 11 May.

In reply to Hieroman (msg # 279):

Brant gives Hieroman a look through narrowed eyes. He starts to extend his hand holding the crystal key but pauses. The twitch of muscles throughout his otherwise stoic face hint at an inner struggle but in the end he reaches out an open palm, offering the artifact to her.

'You seem to have an issue with me holding the key Brant.  It isn't important, unless you lose it.  Keep the key safe yourself, but don't let it break."  Hieroman doesn't seem offended at Brant's reluctance in handing over the key.  .

"In fact perhaps there is value in not having one person hold them both, so if it's okay with you, I'll swap with you.  Jade is a tougher stone than crystal, and given your front line position, it would take a beating better than a crystal one don't you think."  If Hieroman saw any value difference that concerned her, it wasn't apparent.  "It was a hard won key after all," she says referring to Brant's struggle with the pouch as a slight twitch of a smile hints at showing on her face.  "So it would be a shame to see it get smashed in battle."  Hieroman will happily handover the 3,000gp jade key to Brant in exchange for the 1,000sp crystal key if that is his preference.

Brants eyes dance between the crystal and the jade. He glances up and catches Hieroman's smile which elicits a brief look of suspician.
"So.... you carry the crystal and I carry the jade?"
A pause while he considers this.
"I grudgingly accept."
He holds out the crystal key with one hand and an open, empty palm with the other.

"You seem strangely attached to the crystal key Brant, or suspicious of me.  Why don't you just carry them both."  Hieroman says as she drops the jade key into his palm without taking the crystal key.  She is unconcerned who holds the keys, as long as they are kept safe.  'Just don't lose, or break either."

Ornwin watches the key discussion indifferently. He is just happy the party has the gold and silver.

Archonia does not particularly care who carries what key. They would all be going through the doors opened, and presumably at some point the keys would be sold as treasure anyway.

Brant looks around for a lock to insert the jade key into. He stows the cystal key for safety.

"Shall we thoroughly investigate the dead end before we attempt to traverse the natural cave formation?" Hieroman inquiries of the group.
OOC:  We've just come through the door that the jade key opened Brant.  :o)

The dead ends lead nowhere.

In that case I suppose we proceed? East? West?

OOC: As its newest member, Bart doesn't presume to speak for the party. Unless we don't have a designated "caller," and no one else wants the role.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:10, Wed 15 May.

oops.. I meant Brant is looking for somewhere to insert the crystal key

Is the floor of the natural cave formations pretty much flat with the floor of the worked passage?  I mean we're not really having to do proper caving like clambering over unworked stone are we?  It's pretty much a flat floor that can be traversed, though the walls and area above might be of various heights like a natural cave.   

Hieroman will check out the short fissure that dead ends to the right (east) of the worked passage to make sure there is nothing of any significance in that area, before she takes her assigned place in the line up, whether we proceed as single file or double.  She speaks to her companions as she readies herself.  "I'd say it's a safe bet we'll probably encounter bats, and possibly spiders in a natural stone area, but possibly creatures not so familiar to many of us.  Can anyone else think of other cave dwelling type creatures we should consider?"

"If the roof height varies like the walls, we need to be aware of what might be opening above us as we proceed."

OOC:  I'm happy with whoever calls as opposed to having one person always taking that spot, because I've always got something to post.

You are not spelunking.

The fissure to the east is a dead end.

Brant sees no candidates for his crystal key.

In that case, subject to Hieroman's approval, we'll proceed down the western corridor. Torches lit, if needed. Unless something else catches his attention, Bart will focus on attempting to detect evil in the direction of our path, both at the outset and if we arrive in short order at any doors or areas that open up into another section of the caves.

Brant pockets the crystal key and heads west.

West seems to be the only way to go here, unless the dead end had a secret door we missed.

So, Archonia goes west with the others.

With no one having any apparent experience in natural caves, Hieroman moves cautiously paying frequent attention to the caves ceiling above in particular.

West. The only direction that doesn’t dead end seems fine to Cass as well. She is fine if the Paladin wants to decide or call out which way to go from here. Cass is distracted looking for the spiders and bats that Hieroman suggested are likely in these caverns. But Cass is ready and available to check for traps and unlock doors if we encounter any doors in the natural cavern we seem to have entered…

After a long tromp to the west...

This chamber is evidently a blacksmith’s workshop. In the center of the room is a circular forge about 3 feet high. Connected to this is a large bellows apparatus. Stacked about the edges of the room are wooden shafts, crude iron bars, short swords, 3 tubs of liquids, a table of tools, a large stack of cordwood, a smaller mound of charcoal, and a large chest. Chained to the bellows are two young men, listless and exhausted looking. The ceiling is open to the sky, but is shrouded by many vines that form a network overhead. It is apparent that this chamber is actually some sort of shaft.