A Vault With No Key
Drifting away, the Dreamer pulls us into the past, slowly revealing an adventure we've missed -- the Sunburst Festival of Absalom. But instead of the tournament itself, we travel to the days before it, in the fabled halls of Azlanti Keep...
Ez: "I think it's broken."
Euridice: “It's not. Try harder.”
Aziz: "If you would just let me hold--"
Ez: "I got it! It's al-most therrrrr--" A puff of crimson smoke dominates our field of view as we drift into the chamber, followed by the smell of rotten eggs, and a disgusting, gritty texture on the tongue. Ez, Aziz, and Euridice start coughing violently, and we hear the distinct sound of someone being smacked on the side of the head. Ez: "Ow!"
Euridice: “I told you to be careful!”
Ez: "You told me to try harder!"
Aziz: "Perhaps I could--"
Ez: "I know how it w--" There is a huff, seen in the displacement of glitterdust, and Aziz's hand cuts through the mess, snatching the Archive Stone from Ez's hand. The two glare at each other for a moment before Euridice growls at them, and then the Orc puts a pair of spectacles across his nose, and focuses in. Aziz: "Not a crystal... Gemstone. A ruby."
Ez: "Duh."
Euridice: “Esmerelda.”
Aziz: "Artifact for sure. But it's... What's this pattern?"
Ez: "The fractals? They're like leylines. But they don't make any sense."
Euridice: “They must. Or else the stone wouldn't function.”
Aziz: "Hm... It's almost like..." There was a moment of silence as Aziz muttered to himself, and the last of the crimson dust cleared. Ez was staring at the stone from afar, making her own observations to herself. Euridice simply waited, one leg still kipped up on a stand, and wrapped in bandages. She'd made a slow recovery, even with magic, as the wounds had been given time to fester. It was Aziz who finally spoke. Aziz: "It's like a lockbox."
Ez: "What? Don't you see the time thing? It's like a clock!" Aziz lifted an eyebrow, turning the stone over in his hands, and grunted. Ez seemed to be doing the same, but on the side now revealed to her. The two looked at each other for a moment, and something unspoken passed between them. If Euridice could have done it without interrupting them, she would have laughed. Aziz: "It's a vault. A vault with a timelock. And other components besides..."
Euridice: “I saw that too. It's a newer enchantment, laced over the original. It takes more than one person to open it. Maybe even five or six. And it has an owner, but the new enchantment muddies that definition...”
Ez: "You saw it already? Why didn't you--" Euridice made a face. Ez changed the subject. Ez: "So it bonded to... All of us?"
Aziz: "I think you're right. But then how did that shaman use it? I don't think the other Goblins were helping."
Ez: "A patron... Has to be. Probably a Demon." Euridice nodded in silent agreement, and then gently took the stone from Aziz's hands. Euridice: “Go get your friends... Let's see if we can't crack this thing open.”
Euridice: “It's not. Try harder.”
Aziz: "If you would just let me hold--"
Ez: "I got it! It's al-most therrrrr--" A puff of crimson smoke dominates our field of view as we drift into the chamber, followed by the smell of rotten eggs, and a disgusting, gritty texture on the tongue. Ez, Aziz, and Euridice start coughing violently, and we hear the distinct sound of someone being smacked on the side of the head. Ez: "Ow!"
Euridice: “I told you to be careful!”
Ez: "You told me to try harder!"
Aziz: "Perhaps I could--"
Ez: "I know how it w--" There is a huff, seen in the displacement of glitterdust, and Aziz's hand cuts through the mess, snatching the Archive Stone from Ez's hand. The two glare at each other for a moment before Euridice growls at them, and then the Orc puts a pair of spectacles across his nose, and focuses in. Aziz: "Not a crystal... Gemstone. A ruby."
Ez: "Duh."
Euridice: “Esmerelda.”
Aziz: "Artifact for sure. But it's... What's this pattern?"
Ez: "The fractals? They're like leylines. But they don't make any sense."
Euridice: “They must. Or else the stone wouldn't function.”
Aziz: "Hm... It's almost like..." There was a moment of silence as Aziz muttered to himself, and the last of the crimson dust cleared. Ez was staring at the stone from afar, making her own observations to herself. Euridice simply waited, one leg still kipped up on a stand, and wrapped in bandages. She'd made a slow recovery, even with magic, as the wounds had been given time to fester. It was Aziz who finally spoke. Aziz: "It's like a lockbox."
Ez: "What? Don't you see the time thing? It's like a clock!" Aziz lifted an eyebrow, turning the stone over in his hands, and grunted. Ez seemed to be doing the same, but on the side now revealed to her. The two looked at each other for a moment, and something unspoken passed between them. If Euridice could have done it without interrupting them, she would have laughed. Aziz: "It's a vault. A vault with a timelock. And other components besides..."
Euridice: “I saw that too. It's a newer enchantment, laced over the original. It takes more than one person to open it. Maybe even five or six. And it has an owner, but the new enchantment muddies that definition...”
Ez: "You saw it already? Why didn't you--" Euridice made a face. Ez changed the subject. Ez: "So it bonded to... All of us?"
Aziz: "I think you're right. But then how did that shaman use it? I don't think the other Goblins were helping."
Ez: "A patron... Has to be. Probably a Demon." Euridice nodded in silent agreement, and then gently took the stone from Aziz's hands. Euridice: “Go get your friends... Let's see if we can't crack this thing open.”
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