2. The Vault's Treasure
General Summary
As she examined the door, Marwa heard scuffing, then growling, from the direction of the stairs. Remembering the yapping she heard on the way down, she realized one of the ships dogs had caught her scent, and tried to get through the door quickly. Unfortunately, opening it triggered a gelatinous cube trap.
Moving fast, she slipped through the door, but the ooze began squeezing after her, and the dog had begun barking up a storm, which soon prompted shouting from above.
Shielding her hands from the caustic ooze with the force of air, Marwa jammed door shut with pitons. That secured, she took a look around the room.
The vault was protected by a wall of iron bars like a prison cell. This wall had a door featuring a comically-large keyhole. She began searching the secure lockers for a key, but coming up empty, decided she didn't have time to search the whole place. Time for lock-picking.
Unfortunately, the lock was a tricky one, and as the wrong tumbler fell fatefully out of place, she heard a click behind her. Four clicks, to be precise.
Turning around, she watched all four statues of wind warriors step off their shallow plinths and ready their halberds.
As she spun, looking for a way out, something caught her eye; a face - a huge face in the stone front of the vault. It spoke to her, in a voice like an earthquake:
"WHO GOES THERE."
"Oh hey!" she greeted, feigning nonchalance, "I'm Marwa, how's it going?"
The sentries marched nearer. The face frowned, its mouth grinding stone on stone.
"YOU ARE NOT THE CAPTAIN. YOU ARE NOT THE MATE. SPEAK THE PASSWORD."
"Jadeira sent me!" Marwa squeaked, jumping aside as the sentries took their first swing.
"THAT IS NOT THE PASSWORD. WHY ARE YOU HERE."
A breathing creature would have found reply difficult as the sentries swung at her from all sides, but Marwa was not a breathing creature. She floated and dodged, flinging dust in their eyes and getting their halberds lodged in various parts of the wall and floor.
"Jadeira sent me," she repeated. "I need to open that vault, so I can be free."
THUNK. A halberd pinned Marwa to the ceiling by her shirt collar. The door frowned.
"I was hired to infiltrate the security," she continued, speaking fast as she struggled to free herself without giving the sentry its weapon back, "and if I can prove that the defenses in this place aren't what they should be, then they'll unbind you and you can go home!"
RIIIP!
Marwa broke free, slightly less well-dressed than before, dropping a few feet and turning to face the door as it replied.
"I WAS MISTAKEN. YOUR PASSWORD WAS CORRECT."
The face disappeared, the face of the vault becoming smooth again. Hinges and a handle appeared.
Marwa wasted no time. She channelled her elemental magic, becoming mist to float between the bars. She took a moment to flip off the sentries who stabbed ineffectively after her, and pulled the door open.
As she opens it she thinks about all she's overheard about the cargo. How it was concealed from view on load-in, how the vault was enchanted specially for its transport. How the wall before it resembled a prison cell.
A blast of cold air hits her. Huddled against the far wall, her breath forming clouds in the cool air, is an ignian woman, an Efreet. She wore only a shift - a sort of underdress - her arms and feet bare. She had scratches and bruises on her skin, her lips were cracked, and her eyes and hair which must usually have resembled flames and glowing coal were dark and guttering.
She looks up, surprised and, taking in her appearance, blurts out: "Jadeira sent you."
Recognition flared on Marwa's face.
"She did, didn't she?" The stranger pressed, "Listen, this is a huge mistake, they don't know what they're doing, you have to get me out of here!"
Marwa responds by opening the door wide, channeling the warmer air of the airship's interior into the vault. She sees the prisoner's eyes grow wide as she sees the scene behind her, and hears the shouting of the two guards who just showed up through the southeast door.
Moving fast, she slipped through the door, but the ooze began squeezing after her, and the dog had begun barking up a storm, which soon prompted shouting from above.
Shielding her hands from the caustic ooze with the force of air, Marwa jammed door shut with pitons. That secured, she took a look around the room.
The vault was protected by a wall of iron bars like a prison cell. This wall had a door featuring a comically-large keyhole. She began searching the secure lockers for a key, but coming up empty, decided she didn't have time to search the whole place. Time for lock-picking.
Unfortunately, the lock was a tricky one, and as the wrong tumbler fell fatefully out of place, she heard a click behind her. Four clicks, to be precise.
Turning around, she watched all four statues of wind warriors step off their shallow plinths and ready their halberds.
As she spun, looking for a way out, something caught her eye; a face - a huge face in the stone front of the vault. It spoke to her, in a voice like an earthquake:
"WHO GOES THERE."
"Oh hey!" she greeted, feigning nonchalance, "I'm Marwa, how's it going?"
The sentries marched nearer. The face frowned, its mouth grinding stone on stone.
"YOU ARE NOT THE CAPTAIN. YOU ARE NOT THE MATE. SPEAK THE PASSWORD."
"Jadeira sent me!" Marwa squeaked, jumping aside as the sentries took their first swing.
"THAT IS NOT THE PASSWORD. WHY ARE YOU HERE."
A breathing creature would have found reply difficult as the sentries swung at her from all sides, but Marwa was not a breathing creature. She floated and dodged, flinging dust in their eyes and getting their halberds lodged in various parts of the wall and floor.
"Jadeira sent me," she repeated. "I need to open that vault, so I can be free."
THUNK. A halberd pinned Marwa to the ceiling by her shirt collar. The door frowned.
"I was hired to infiltrate the security," she continued, speaking fast as she struggled to free herself without giving the sentry its weapon back, "and if I can prove that the defenses in this place aren't what they should be, then they'll unbind you and you can go home!"
RIIIP!
Marwa broke free, slightly less well-dressed than before, dropping a few feet and turning to face the door as it replied.
"I WAS MISTAKEN. YOUR PASSWORD WAS CORRECT."
The face disappeared, the face of the vault becoming smooth again. Hinges and a handle appeared.
Marwa wasted no time. She channelled her elemental magic, becoming mist to float between the bars. She took a moment to flip off the sentries who stabbed ineffectively after her, and pulled the door open.
As she opens it she thinks about all she's overheard about the cargo. How it was concealed from view on load-in, how the vault was enchanted specially for its transport. How the wall before it resembled a prison cell.
A blast of cold air hits her. Huddled against the far wall, her breath forming clouds in the cool air, is an ignian woman, an Efreet. She wore only a shift - a sort of underdress - her arms and feet bare. She had scratches and bruises on her skin, her lips were cracked, and her eyes and hair which must usually have resembled flames and glowing coal were dark and guttering.
She looks up, surprised and, taking in her appearance, blurts out: "Jadeira sent you."
Recognition flared on Marwa's face.
"She did, didn't she?" The stranger pressed, "Listen, this is a huge mistake, they don't know what they're doing, you have to get me out of here!"
Marwa responds by opening the door wide, channeling the warmer air of the airship's interior into the vault. She sees the prisoner's eyes grow wide as she sees the scene behind her, and hears the shouting of the two guards who just showed up through the southeast door.
Report Date
13 May 2024
Primary Location
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