Singular pt 1

A single, wrapped box has been set jn front of the Guild of Explorers.

Needless to say, an unmarked package has set off a whole lot of alarm bells and that's why you, who happen to be on scene, are being asked to 'deal with it'.

In case it's trapped, see. Pretty much nobody sends unmarked packages to the Guild of Explroers. They're paranoid. Melora says, "And just like that, Melora's here.....and tilting her head as she looks at the package. "Jeez. they must be really really dumb to send a package here, of all places. Or desparate...""

Sylvi eyes the box, shes a gnome, she should know about clever things and the like, right? So far the best she has come up with smashing it with the big axe she has in her hands and shes not sure thats right. "Can... we just smash it? I mean... how bad could it be?" For the time being though she is doing the old standby of stare at it until you think of something better. Behind her, her pet jaguar licks its paw lazily. He only likes open boxes. r

Ilmig looks over from and overtop his mug. "I be thinkin someone really likes adventurers ta be sending gifts..." He takes a long pull. "Er really hatin. Gonna need te open't ta find out, eh?"

Melora stares at the package. "Well....if one of us is going to see to this package, I'll do it. Everyone get your weapons ready....."

Tirr glances at Melora, and umms, getting a little closer "I can cast Shield spell if need be." she offers curiously.

At the mentioning of readying weapons, Tirr shrugs and lifts her crossbow up and knocks a quarrel... "Only weapon I have..." she mutters and watches Melora with the box.

Sylvi looks over to Melora "Are you sure? Does anyone know about traps and the like? Or about crazy magic curses or horrible diseases that cause boils?!" she says with concern. "It could be anything!"

Sylvi adds "Could be cake too."

Melora says, "Just trying to be careful is all. I don't see a rogue stepping forward...."

"Know all about traps," Ilmig states before emptying the last of his mug and tromping casually towards the package. "I kin open't."

Serraphine is standing behind everyone, watching them for the moment. Truthfully, she kinda zoned out for the first ten minutes or so and just followed along, now that they all seem to be talking it's the perfect time for...

Cookies. Yep.

Serraphine fishes into her pouch, pulling out a coffin-shaped cookie. Crunch-munch-munch-munch-munch.

The package just sorta hangs out there in the middle of the floor. Nobody's entirely sure where it came from, it seems.

Melora looks behind her. "all right....ready?" She says starting to put a knife on the package to cut it open.....

"Like I was sayin, if'n ye wanna know what's in't 'r where't came from," Ilig gives out a laugh as Melora puts a knife to it. "Aye! Ye open it!"

Sylvi back up a dozen gnome sized steps and keeps Thunder behind her, to shield him in case of trouble. "Ready I suppose."

Galidor has arrived.

Serraphine has a cookie in one hand, which she bites into, in the other she reaches out to hold the package for Melora to open it. Munch-munch-munch-munch, pause, swallow, "If this thing blows up in my face, I'll not be happy." Crunch-munch-munch.

Melora says, "Three....two....one....." And she cuts the package......immediately running boackwards if possible....rolling over her rifle to bring it back to a raise position to aim at the box........"

Tirr studies the box curiously, not really knowing much about how to investigate traps and all, but she's staring at it curiously. She hears the crunching now and her gaze lifts off the box and then focusses on Serraphine... She can't reisit and and offers a suggestion she had heard several times while studying in a great library... "I hope you brought plenty for everyone?" She says to the cookie-muncher, the odd Sith, speaking in her usual prim and propper Oxford English accent.

Then the package is cut open, and Tirr's head snaps back toward it as she makes ready to throw up a shield spell over her self...

Serraphine stands there, not running for cover, just waiting with the box. As Tirr asks her she stuffs the rest of the first cookie in her mouth and holds out the pouch. She shakes it a little from side-to-side as the top is held open.

Ilmig's defensive reaction is one common to khazad. He crosses his arms a'fore his beard.

Galidor comes onto the scene and he smiles, "Hello everyone! I am Galidor Goldenclaws, Sorcerer of the First Circle, Scion of the Great Gold Dragons, in service to the Silver Empress, the Destroyer of Demons, the trolls know me as Acid Splasher, the undead know me as the Disrupter, the plants known me as the Pruner, and the spiders know me as the Missiler." He looks around, "So what's going on?"

...the package, wrapped in brown paper and seeming rather solid, isn't going anywhere.

The other adventurers present are still hanging back. It's, perhaps, about two by two box of some kind on the inside, and it certainly looks solid enough. AAs it's moved, it certainly feels heavy enough. The wrapping paper is cut away to reveal it is, indeed, a rather ornate looking chest with a single, golden lock.

Tirr takes a cookie, then Galidor introduces them selves.... "Ok and we now know you as He of the Many, and constantly growing number of names." She says with a slight smirk, and yes in her ever-present prim brittish accent... She starts chewing on the cookie she's taken, and looks at Serraphine "Not bad." she says simply and gives a nod, before glancing now back to the Box.... Her eyes to shift slightly to Galidor, then to the gilded box... "Well that's pretty..."

GAME: Galidor refreshes spells.

Sylvi looks up from covering THunder with her arms "Oh... well a chest. Suppose that makes sense, is it locked? Look around for a key, maybe there was a key in the paper?" she offers as a suggestion, still a good deal away from the box. "Perhaps someone can smell if there is cake inside?"

Melora says, "You'll forgive me, He of many names, if I don't particularly care about your many names. I'll just stick with Galidor." Of course, as she saysall of this, she has her rifle still pointed at the chest. "Now....we need a locksmith.....""

Galidor hmms as he turns to look at the treasure chest and he moves his hands in front of his face as he says a word in draconic. His eyes glow with a golden hue as he starts to look at the chest, "Just give me a moment to concentrate on it and I can tell you if this is magical or not." He says as he starts to stare intently at the treasure chest. He ignores the japes about his name.

GAME: Galidor casts Detect Magic. Caster Level: 3 DC: 14

"Thank Kerbasi." Serraphine says to Tirr with a bob of her head, "He also made sweet trolls, but I forgot them. I delivered some made with holy water to Sandy. Maybe that will get the demon out of her." Crunch-munch-munch-munch. She stares down at the chest. Then she gestures at it with her hand, spraying crumbs with the cookie.

"Why're we starin' at this?" The Arvek looks at the others, and Fi takes another munching bite of cookie.

Melora says, "because there was a bomb that exploded in the guild a few months ago....so we're being very cautious...."

Sylvi ponders for a moment "Isn't there a locksmith over in the Market area? Place called Under Lock and Key, you think he will do dangerous things like this?" she suggests with a grin. "Otherwise it would be a shame to smash a nice chest like that."

"I have an axe..." Ilmig points out, reaching for it. "'S good as any key."

Tirr glances at Serraphine "Oh that's the one who made the pastry? I think I shall." she says and siles as she's finished the cookie and now studying the box curiously. "That's a lot of guilding for something that they might want to blow up in everyone's face..." She mutters curiously, and now moves closer to better study the box... NOt that she has any clue whatsoever on how to pick a lock...

Galidor hmms a little bit, "Nothing magical about the box. Does it look to be locked? It not then I would suggest the hardy of us open it, incase you know it's trapped." He looks over the box to see if there is any writing or inscriptions on it."

Melora looks to Ilmig. "I'll heal you if you get hurt....if you want to handle the chest...."

Serraphine has a cookie poking half way out of her mouth as she reaches down and then tries to open the box. She knows no fear! She's a Paladin!

The box ddoes indeed have a single golden lock on it. It is in all other respects an ordinary looking wooden chest.

Serraphine jostles the lid a few times, stops, stands back up and takes another bite of the cookie. "Ish wocked." She says with a mouth full of cookie. Munch-munch-munch.

Ilmig can see about checking whether its really locked. He finally pulls his axe free and raises it up. All to bring it down, aiming for the lock.

You are already on channel WhirlChan.

Sylvi keeps her distance. "Oh once your done, since the lock will be ruined can I have the box for Thunder? He likes boxes."

Galidor takes a couple steps back as he sees Ilmig ready to swing the axe at the lock. "Perhaps you should wait."

Tirr glances to the others, looking at the metal lock... "Ummm, are any of you perhapse familiar with metals, especially when they are mightily cooled? Basically you cool a metal enough it becomes brittle... If I can cool the lock enough, the small internals will become brittle and break easy.. Then all you need is simply to stick a dagger into the hole give it a twist and the lock will come open, that or just whack the bar on the lock with a hammer and it should shatter." She says and glances to the others... "What say you? I can freeze the lock for us if you like..."

Ilmig pauses and looks over. "If ye gots other ideas, I'm all ears." Like the one about freezing and twisting. He lowers the axe, saving him fome filing and polishing later. "Go on ahead."

Melora stands back as well.....and she still keeps her rifle leveled at the chest....

Beaglefinder arrives, singing as she steps into the high grasses. Bluebirds sing.

Beaglefinder has arrived.

Serraphine steps back about a yard, just one step backward, she figures that's enough space as she fishes out yet another cookie from her pouch.

Galidor smiles brightly, "Well I can't help with the freezing, but we could try to melt the lock off. I just discovered a new spell one that will let me conjure flames that burn as hot as dragon fire."

Tirr glances to Galidor "And if there's an explosive at all in the box, and you over heat it, what then?" Tirr asks curiously... She glances to the bo again, and back to Galidor "That and I can do the ray of frost all day long without break... And I can severely limit any damage to the inside of the box, being that it will only affect the lock, rather than possibly damage the chest its self." She states, and since others seem willing to let her do such, she simply points a hand at the lock and mutters a couple words in ancient draconic, a blue beam leaps from those clawed digits and strikes the lock, starting to freeze it, instead of letting it simply end though she continues uttering the same phrase over and over again as iff chanting while she lets the spell simply do its work...

Galidor rubs his chin with his golden claws, "Interesting you could be right. I can still help though, acid often eats through metal. After you've frozen it I can use a bit of acid on it." He says as he waits for Tirr to complete her casting to see if it works.

Sylvi watches the others work from a few footsteps away, her curiosity outweighing her concern as she watches. "Thats pretty neat, I would have just smashed it."

Beaglefinder has left.

...this takes a while, but it does work. Eventually, the ice cold has damaged the lock enough that it can easily be snapped off by, say, an axe.

Serraphine stares as she pulls out a cookie from the pouch, this one too shaped like a coffin. "Sounds like a fun idea." Crunch-munch-munch. She watches the beam shooting from the Sith's fingers and then the others watching. "M'kay. Someone hit it now, right?" She looks toward the others, waiting for one of the others. I mean... her hands are full, she has a cookie.

There. He waited. Ilmig now brings the axe down on the cold lock. Axe really wanted to be introduced, anyhow. It loves meeting new people and things.

Tirr shrugs, and motions to someone with an axe "Just give it a sharp tap and it should shatter the lock." Tirr says and then umms "Quickly now before it gets too warm." she says, crest raising and jaw gaping just slightly as the corners of her scaly lips lift. Yes a smile, She bows slightly and steps aside... "When ya get the lock broke, I'll use Mage-hand and open the lock at a distance..." She says with a sligh tsmile. She then looks over at Galidor "Or he can if you like... Either way...." Then Ilig brings the axe on the padlock and the thing shatters into a bunch of little peaces...

Galidor steps back a bit, "Nah go ahead and shatter if how you like." He says as Ilmig does just that. "Sounds like a plan to me."

...with the lock snapped off, opening the chest is easy enough. It reveals a simple, golden half-disc set into a velvet interior.

It's completely plain to the eye.

Sylvi takes several hesitant steps forward to peer in the box, hands gripping her own axe in case of trouble. "Well uh... it didn't blow up but it doesn't look like cake." Miss Obvious on duty.

Serraphine stares at the disc in the box, then reaches down and pulls it out to give it a look over. Assuming it doesn't explode in her face she looks it over and waves it around, "Huh, wonder what it's worth."

GAME: Serraphine rolls knowledge/religion: (2)+7: 9

GAME: Melora rolls knowledge/religion: (2)+8: 10

GAME: Tirrynelth rolls knowledge/arcana: (10)+7: 17

GAME: Tirrynelth rolls knowledge/religion: Trained Use Only: 0

Serraphine waves the disc faster as she glares at it, "HEY! Isn't this Maugrim's symbol? This this could be evil! Quick, who's got holy water. We will bless it."

Melora says, "it's half a disc, Lancer. I don't think the Dictator would have a symbol that plain as his symbol..."

Melora says, "What the heck?"

Tirr stares at the doodad in the box curiously... "Ummm kinda looks like a religious symbol... " she says and shrugs, "That or a bit used in a golem or some such, or just some wierd way of forming a gold ingot..." she offers then adds... "Honestly, I don't have a foggy clue as to what it is, so I shall leave you experts to it."

Galidor hmms a bit as he looks at the symbol, "Well if one half is here where is the other half?" He asks curiously. "I can try to melt it."

Ilmig has disconnected.

Melora makes a bit of a face. "The Lancer may be right. the Dictator's symbol is a broken disc....

Granit has connected.

Sylvi has disconnected.

In one hand there's a cookie, in the other is the disc. Serraphine takes another bite of the cookie, not the disc, and looks toward Melora with a sage nod. She knew she was right.

Tirr glances at the half circle thingie some more... "Maybe bring in an expert on such things?" she asks curiously... "I mean it just looks like a part of a disk... There any runes, or other markings on it? Also could it be part of something else maybe? Hence markings and the like?" she asks again curiously, she's not one for destroying it and all till what it is can be thoroughly identified.

Galidor hmms as he concentrates on the disk and he ohs, "Hold on a moment, that is magical so you might not want to touch it. It could teleport you to the Dicator's throne or something even worse like his bathroom."

GAME: Galidor rolls spellcraft: (10)+6: 16

Serraphine stares at Galidor as she already is touching it, waving it around even. And so she figures she should do something about it before it explodes and does something she didn't expect all... magic like. She puts the cookie back in the box.

Wait.

She puts the disc back in the box after retrieving the cookie.

Granit ambles into the Guild, an easy smile on his face. He pauses. There's a box. And a disc. And a cookie. This can't be good -- but it could be profitable!

Galidor winces, "Well this isn't going to be good. Get ready everyone something is about to happen." He says as he quickly casts the spell of mage armor on himself.

GAME: Galidor casts Mage Armor. Caster Level: 3 DC: 15

Melora raises her rifle and backs up a bit....

A light flicekrs into existence, eminating from the golden disc. IT HAS SUMMONED A HEAD.

Okay, well... the image of a head. It begins scanning the room, slowly. THe head is phantasmal, a bit see through, and clearly humanoid, if bald and bearded.

"Ahhhhhh. The famed Guild of Explorers," says the floating, phantaszmal head.

Seriously. This is a thing.

Serraphine tries to put the rest of her cookie into the mouth of the talking head with a frown. Curiosity and all that.

Melora says, "So in return....it's given us a little head." She then sighs. "What do you want?""

Tirr stares agog at the floating head... "Oookay, that's a first one." she says and rubs at the back of her neck... "Least for me. "Sooo who are you?" she asks the head curiously. Her tail starting to lash as she stares at the phantasmal noggin...

Galidor leans over to stage whisper to Tiff, "I've heard about this apparently the villains of this city have a thing for being just heads. I find it a little weird, but they must think they can do better without their bodies." He clears his throat, "What business do you have here today?"

Granit just stops. Then he waves towards the head as it scans him. Also, he sidles towards a table that could provide cover.

"You have completed the first step in the Pontiphius Challenge! Excellent. You opened the box. Next is the second stage! Do you volunteer to accept this challenge and the great, magical rewards that come after?"

He crosses his eyes at Serraphine.

"I am afraid that won't -- stop putting something in my mouth! Ahem. Anyway, do you ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE and the GLORY that will -- that does look tasty -- thE GLORY that will come with it?"

Melora says, "the Pontiphius challenge? Okay, What IS the Pontiphius Challenge?" She then lowers her shotgun...."

Galidor smiles brightly, "Of course I will accept this challenge with all the glory and rewards that follow for I am...Galidor Goldenclaws, Sorcerer of the First Circle, Scion of the Great Gold Dragons, in service to the Silver Empress, the Destroyer of Demons, the trolls know me as Acid Splasher, the undead know me as the Disrupter, the plants known me as the Pruner, and the spiders know me as the Missiler."

Granit gestures, then choruses with Melora. "You're going to have to tell us more about the Pontiphius Challenge to get informed agreement from at least some of us here."

Serraphine pulls the cookie back as it seems the head cannot eat it. She scratches her chin with her free hand and narrows her eyes for a moment, "Will we have to pntificate with you as one of the Pontiphius challenges? Because I swore off pontification for the next Serriel holiday." She leaves it up in the air which holiday that is, and takes a bite of the cookie.

Tirr stares at Seraphine curiously... "I think Pontiphius is a person, not a verb..." she says and glances to the disembodied head.... "Umm, suure, sounds like fun and something to do." She says to the disembodied head.. "I'll take up the challenge." she adds and offers a smile.. "Not so much for glory, but for learning, experience and all..." She then peers at Galidor curiously again "Again with the name bigger'n half a city?" she asks and stares, before shrugging "Just pick out one? "she suggests, before glancing back at the dissembodied head....

The Sith's eyes and head now swivel and lock on Serraphine "Better than swearing off cookies?" She suggests curiously... "Besides, pontificating isn't a bad thing... just means you're thinking and using your head, so less you intend to sleep the whole day away..."

AFter Tirr finishes off speaking, her agreement is noted by the floating head and she vanishes!

Melora looks to where the head disappeared, then looks to Tirr. "If you're goin', I'm going too. It also looks like to be less of a bomb and more of a good challenge...."

After Melora speaks, she suddenly vanishes in a little 'pop!'.

Granit gestures at the head as Melora disappears. "She didn't even agree!"

"No pontification if you don't want to! Really, it's a CHALLENGE! With the promise of a reward at the end!" He beams at Serraphine. "Also, a cookie."

Serraphine shakes her head, "That's not true, she said that she would go if the other was." A sigh and she looks to the head, "Wait... A cookie?" She pauses, takes another bite of her own. Munch-munch-munch-munch. A nod, "Alright, I'm in."

Granit sighs. "Liar. Fine, I'm in."

And then Granit and Serraphine are gone!

Announcement: Whirlpool shouts, "Oh, hey! The Spot of the DAy is the jail cells!

BONUX XP TO ANYONE WHO RPS GETTING ARRESTED AND RPS IN THE JAIL :D"

And then Gaalidor is gone!

One by one, you arrivbe somewhere msotly dark, though that changes quickly enough as a series of manalamps light up.

There's a closed door behind you, in this twenty by twenty room.

The walls are made of smooth stone and across the way from you is a portcullis. Behind it, another chest not dissimilar to the first one you saw earlier, with a similar golden lock. It is behind the lowered gate.

Tirr stares at the gate, then looks at the others... "Well, One thing is for sure... Detect magic is sure gonna find some." she says matter of factly, then starts to move over to the gate to investigate it.

Melora looks about and....spies the portcullis with the lock. "ooookay.....If this is going to become a theme....."

Granit looks around, and sits down, putting his face in his hands. "This is horrible."

Serraphine frowns... well frowns deeper anyway, she always frowns after all, and she looks at the chest on the other side. A tilt of her head and she walks over to the gate and tries to open it by lifting it up. Maybe it's a straight forward challenge.

"Yes! It has been a long time since I had an opportunity to test the mettle of famed warriors of Alexandria! I am doing a research study on your psyches and your participation is IN VALUABLE. Also, remember! cookies!"

His voice is coming from... no where in particular, but you hear it all the same.

Galidor hmms as he starts to look around for any magic as he's been keeping detect magic up. "Be sure to look for any false walls or floors."

Melora takes a deep breath at this, looking at the portcullis, and the chest beyond with the lock. "Mmmm...Well....this is going to be a diferent sort of challenge, I think."

Granit gets up, scowling, and starts searching walls for alternate exits. "Wizards."

Galidor looks over at Granit, "I know wizards are so overrated. Luckily I'm a sorcerer." He says before he looks around, "Probably."

There is only the door behind you, of course, and the portcullis in front of you.

GAME: Serraphine rolls strength: (11)+2: 13

Tirr stares at Galidor "Ooy, the flexibility and study Wizards require to perfect their craft are not to be made lightly..." She says and watches Serraphine try to lift the gate... She looks around some more, trying to take in the sights as best she can, wondering if there's something else to the puzzle "Soo y'all think if several of us try to lift and someone slip through or under, then we can get to it easily I can attempt to freeze the lock off again...." she says.

Melora says, "Wizards will only bother you if you let them." She says as she nudges the portcullis, after Serraphine tries to lift it. "hmmm....Wonder if teamwork will help.""

Granit looks over towards Serraphine. "Do you need help?"

GAME: Tirrynelth rolls perception: (8)+6: 14

Galidor looks over at Tirr, "Yes, but it makes them so stuffy. At least the ones that I've met." He hmms, "I'd be willing to help if there is enough room." He says as he continues to look around.

GAME: Galidor rolls perception: (14)+2: 16

Serraphine makes a grunt as she tries to lift it and... it drops back down. She glances back toward Granit, "Yeah, I think it'll move. Just could use a little more... Oomph."

GAME: Melora rolls strength: (11)+2: 13

GAME: Serraphine rolls strength: (3)+2: 5

GAME: Granit rolls strength +2: (1)+3+2: 6 (EPIC FAIL)

Granit grips the portcullis, bending his knees, doing it biomechanically correctly. He heaves, and just can't find a grip. Finally, he gets the angle right and then immediately pulls back, holding his back.

...unfortuantely, it does not budge too far, no. There's resistance! It sinks back to the arth and then, it would appear, a very, very loud alarm begins blaring.

REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

Melora lets go of the portcullis and raises her rifle behind her. "We're gonna have company...."

Tirr watches the people try to lift the gate. She sits back and stares curiously for a moment, studying the thing again... "Ummm maybe if we climb the portcullis and see how its attached we can maybe find a mechanism to lift it?" She asks curiously... "Ummm nevermind... " She mutters at the alarm... "Soo he said he wants to see us fight something, so I imagine the something is gonna come after us now?" She says and sighs....

Granit winces, hand on the small of his back. "Ow. Owow." He turns in a circle. "Well, we'll find out about alternative modes of ingress soon, I imagine."

Galidor hmms as he looks around as he hears the alarm. "We'll have to see, perhaps after we defeat whatever comes the gate will open or one of them will have the key."

Serraphine frowns as her grip slips on the gate, she glares at it. Clearly the thing is just too slippery, because it wasn't her fault! She turns about though at the alarm and looks to see where it's coming from.

The sound just keeps going.

And going.

No monsters appear.

Granit nods. "Right." He goes back to looking for secret doors, trying to block out the sound. "He was going to test our psyche."

Melora says, "strange......" She says starting to look up and around them....making sure nothing sneaks up on them. "Anyone see anything?""

Galidor looks around, "I don't see anything. Let's try again to get the gate up again? Maybe then it will turn off?"

Tirr stares again and looks up at the gate curiously, trying to see how its slotted into the wall, and what can be used to lift it and all, see if it's connected to anything... She also peers to see what exactly the gate is made of... If it's metal she can maybe use the same trick to start freezing bits of it and break through the thingie too.

Serraphine grumbles and looks back at the gate once more, "Yeah. I'm with you." She nods to Galidor and waits for the other two to come back over so they can try lifting it again.

GAME: Serraphine rolls Strength: (5)+2: 7

GAME: Melora rolls strength: (20)+2: 22

GAME: Granit rolls granit +2: (13)+granit+2: 15

....welp, there's some good news!

The portcullis sloooowly lifts up and is heldin place. The sound finally stops.

That's when the chest grows legs and runs forward on them towrads the opposite door.

Really.