IC Savage Tides (Take 2)

[Gwynfrid]

The sudden end of the attacking beast brings a welcome relief for Xeshanth and Onwym. "Thanks, guys. Having you around is a literal life-saver. I need to work on my aim, though..." While the young elf goes to retrieve the arrows logged into various parts of the woodwork, Xeshanth proceeds to explore the ship in full, starting with the captain's cabin, searching Lady Laviana's ring.

Spoiler

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Perception (1d20+8)[28]

[DarkOne-Rob]

As the party begins to search the ship - awkwardly leaving Soller Vark's thugs tied on the deck - they find that the Blue Nixie remains in excellent condition and ready to sail. Whatever the miscreants had planned, it was not going to take place in Sasserine. The hold is full of rare and exotic animals (or their remains), so they probably intended black market animal sales elsewhere.

Searching the captains cabin they uncover a large trunk with a leather pouch of 100 Platinum Plates insides - Lavinia Vanderboren's missing payment to the harbormaster. Xeshanth tries looking for hidden compartments and finds one behind the headboard of the captain's bunk. Inside the panel is a rolled-up parchment threaded through with a Venderboren signet ring. The parchment reads:

Chimera looks to sunrise
Cyclops looks to sunset
Medusa looks to sunrise
Umber hulk looks to sunset
Basilisk looks to sunrise

What do you do with Soller Vark and the remaining thugs? Do you dispose of the body in the hold? You could probably get the thugs to help steer the ship back into port in the morning with appropriate social skill checks.

[MuffinMan]

"...Basilisk looks to sunrise... Huh." Tarquin looks up from reading with a puzzled expression on his face. "It looks like some kind of riddle involving fantastical creatures. 'Sunrise' and 'sunset' probably refers to East and West, but other than that I don't have the slightest clue what it could mean. Or why it was hidden in the wall... Any ideas? At least we found the signet ring, and the payment."

A muffled groan from one of the bound thugs snaps him back to the present moment. "Right, what do we do about them? We've still got a few hours until sunrise. I'm no sailor but I don't think it's safe to try and maneuver this ship in the dark, even if we knew how. We could ferry them back to shore one at a time using the rowboat, maybe... and then turn them over to the City Watch? And then there's that carnage down in the hold. Lady Vanderboren will need to hire a proper cleaning crew to deal with all of the bodies. By Pelor what a mess!"

[Farmerbink]

Nathaniel sneers at the thugs. Gerald shrugs. "If they want to swim it, I say we let them loose now. 'Cept him." He points to Vark with the dagger he'd been using to pick at a fingernail. "He stays, until we can get lawful authorities involved. The rest of them are just hired goons. They probably won't be held for long, and it's not worth the headache to try."

"Same for the issues below. I suppose she's paid us well enough to get our hands dirty in a more literal sense, but that don't mean I want to, eh?" That draws a quiet chuckle from the soft-spoken brother. "Right?"

They share a glance. "Hole up till morning, keeping watch on Vark, and then call for a constable?"

[Gwynfrid]

"Yes, that would make sense", Xeshanth approves. "I don't think we want to maneuver the ship. Besides, it's at anchor, there's no particular risk with staying. We can let these go. Maybe we could ask a few questions to master Vark here... Before we deliver him to the closest prison. He has a few things to answer for, like the animals down there, where they aren't supposed to be."

He pauses to think. "Another thing, though. I think one of us should run to report to Lady Lavinia. This way, she can be here at the same time as the Watch. That will save us some explanations."

[DarkOne-Rob]

A brief bit of questioning and untying of thugs reveals that none of them really knew much except that they would receive 20 Gold Crowns for helping Vark at the end of the business. None know the buyer or destination of the animals and if given the opportunity all readily accept freedom and a brief swim. After identifying one of their party to go report to Lady Vanderboren, that individual takes the rowboat to return it and get to shore. At the Vanderboren manor they are greeted by the halfling woman, Kora, who then wakes Lady Vanderboren and escorts them into the sitting room. "Oh, do you have news? Have you all finished the task already?" Lavinia asks when she arrives several minutes later.

Back on the Blue Nixie the rest of the party secures Soller Vark but finds him to be a tough nut to crack. He's not happy you have ruined his plans, but isn't intimidated by jail time. "Won't be my first stay in the clink - might not even be my longest," is all he says when threatened with the law.

With effort or magic you might get more from Soller Vark, but it will take skill checks at least. Who goes to the Vanderboren manor and what do they say to Lady Vanderboren? In the morning, how do you all get back into port to get the constable?

[MuffinMan]

"Good idea - I'll go!" Tarquin pipes up when Xeshanth mentions notifying Lavinia. "I need to stop and let my folks know I'm ok, anyway - my father will kill me if I'm gone for another night without giving notice! But I promise I'll be back right after - it'll just take an hour or two!" Making his farewells, he descends a rope ladder down to the rowboat and starts making his way back to the Vanderboren manor.

At the Vanderboren manor they are greeted by the halfling woman, Kora, who then wakes Lady Vanderboren and escorts them into the sitting room. "Oh, do you have news? Have you all finished the task already?" Lavinia asks when she arrives several minutes later.

"Yes! Um, sorry to wake you so late... but we thought you'd want to know! Things got a bit... complicated. We recovered your signet ring and the harbormaster's payment, but Vark wasn't alone on the ship and they were up to something devious - illegal, even! There were beasts and crossbows and a giant mantis-like insect, and..." In a rush he gives Lavinia a semi-coherent story of the party's activities since departing the manor. The only thing he leaves out (unintentionally, because it slips his mind) is having read the cryptic riddle on the scroll with the signet ring.

"So there you have it!" he finishes, somewhat breathlessly. "The others are guarding Vark now, and in the morning we'll turn him over to the constable. I think you should be down at the harbor first thing too, if you can - you can oversee getting the ship properly docked again and any necessary repairs. I'm afraid there's a bit of a mess down in the cargo hold..."

[Farmerbink]

Gerald and Nathaniel release the hired muscle without much excitement. A few scathing glances when one of the more industrious (or foolish) men wonders "But what about the money?" leaves the ship rapidly empty aside for the brothers, Vark, and the two academics. "'Spose one or the other of us aughta be up most of the night," Gerald grunts. "Meanin' no disrespect, I don't see Xeshanth holding him down, if it comes to it."

Nathaniel rolls his eyes, and nods towards the bound ringleader. "Here," he mutters, taking point on the relatively simple process of binding Vark and then tying him to the mast. Nathaniel then grunts, "Second watch," before disappearing into the deck cabin to find a place to lie down.

Gerald turns to their captive, talking more out of boredom than anything else. "Gonna be a long night, I figure. Especially for you. I don't plan on lettin' you sleep- even if you're able all tied up like that." He grunts at Vark's rebuttal. "I gotta ask, you ever get on the wrong side of nobility before? I know she ain't got the clout her folks did, but I gotta figure you're making some poor choices on enemies, here. To be frank, I don't much care about the laws involved, but you screwed over my boss, and I don't plan to get on her sour side."

Over the course of several hours, Gerald pokes and prods and irritates Vark, as much for amusement as information gathering.

Spoiler: OOC

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Might as well roll on it. If the dice say he wasn't very intimidating, I won't be heartbroken. (1d20+5)[20] (not using the trait bonus for wielding a 2-hander).

A few hours later, he rouses Nathaniel. "Your turn. We'll talk in the morning about what I learned."

Nathaniel's take is very different from his brother's, with the exception of the sleep deprivation. He watches impassively as Vark sits, bound to the main mast. Every time the thug nods off, he earns a rough (if not hard) kick to the feet, legs, or flank. Nathaniel paces occasionally, making a point to check the bindings on the rear of the mast (and keep himself awake). He never says a single word to Vark. About an hour and a half before dawn, he prods Xeshanth into consciousness, keeping Vark in his own peripherals until the mage is roused. He hands Xeshanth a dagger, hilt first. "If he tests the bonds, stab him. Or wake me. Or both?" He shrugs, with a wicked-looking smirk, and disappears into the cabin again.

[Gwynfrid]

"No worries. It appears you have him trussed up all right." Never one to be sloppy, Xeshanth inspects the bonds as an extra precaution. He waits until Nathaniel is gone before he faces the exhausted Vark. He looks at him with his unsettling, solid white eyes. The absence of a pupil often makes people uncomfortable, since it's impossible to assess what he's looking at.

"These youngsters, they've not been nice to you, have they. You made them angry, not a good idea. Me? I don't mind either way. You want to talk, you might have something to negotiate. You don't want to talk, you're worth nothing to us. Up to you."

With feigned indifference, he sits cross-legged on the deck, opens his spellbook, and begins to peruse it, with the moon the only light he needs.

Spoiler

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A good cop - bad cop routine is cliché, but who knows, it might work.
Diplomacy (1d20+7)[12]

[DarkOne-Rob]

Lavinia listens closely to Tarquin tell what happened, occasionally interrupting with pointed questions that demonstrate a keen grasp of things in spite of her youth. "With the money from the family vault we should be able to pay to properly crew the ship and bring it into port - I will see you at dawn at the pier," she tells Tarquin before excusing herself to make preparations.

---

Vark proves to be at least as tough as his captors and refuses to tell them anything more about his plans. He speaks with Gerald only in short, rude sentences and otherwise seems unmoved by either threats or the more diplomatic efforts from Xeshanth.

In the morning a small team of sailors brings the Blue Nixie into port at Lady Vanderboren's direction, where a pair of men from the city watch takes Soller Vark into custody. The dead thug's body and the remains of the monster are removed from the hold and things seem to be moving in a very productive direction. The party gathers around their patroness to present her the signet ring, pouch of platinum, and the parchment. Upon receiving them Lavinia smiles broadly and says, "In one night you all have solved a problem I couldn't in several weeks. I want you all to stay in my employ, permanently. I will need troubleshooters, agents, and sometimes bodyguards, and I think you are the ones for it. I can pay you 100 golden crowns every month and provide you with a place to stay in my home if you wish. This comes with all the prestige one would expect from working for a noble family, of course. What do you all say?"

Assuming the party agrees, she continues, "Well, that settles it, then! Our next task is to secure funds from my family vault, using this ring. We will take a coach and then ferry to Castle Teraknian in the harbor. All of the nobility in the city have vaults there, though I have never seen any of them. They will know who I am and this ring will give us access to our vault. Father always warned that it had a small construct guardian, so I will need you in the role of bodyguards. Get ready and meet me back here in an hour - we will leave then.

Oh, and here is your payment for this month - 100 gold crowns for each of the five of you!" Lavinia says as she hands each of you a pouch of coins.

Let me know if anyone is upset with the payment system - Lavinia isn't likely to pay Beak, though mechanically Onwyn isn't a full PC either, yet she is paying him. If anyone is upset, let's resolve it OoC so that the players are happy and it makes sense in character. If you with to purchase anything with your payment, you have time.

After the designated hour has passed the team gathers into a well adorned coach for the ride to the ferry to the castle. Once at Castle Teraknian they waste no time, stopping only to speak to a clerk who identifies Lavinia's identity and her signet ring. They are then escorted down a spiral staircase into a large circular chamber under the castle.

Over a dozen five-foot-wide hallways radiate out from the central vault chamber; each of these halls is ten feet long and ends in a a single iron door. The clerk directs the party to the correct hallway and then excuses himself, leaving the party to their task. The Vanderboren vault door is emblazoned with a simple rune - an eight-pointed star. Above the door, inscribed in flowing script on a polished silver plaque is the family name. A single handle protrudes from the door, just below a circular depression bearing the mark of the Vanderboren signet.

Spoiler: Detect Magic and DC 17 Knowledge (Arcana) check

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The door is locked with a powerful Arcane Lock spell.

Spoiler: Knowledge (Local)

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The 8-pointed star symbol is the same as that found on the Seeker's Lodge in the Merchant's District.

Upon inserting the signet ring into the round depression a brief flash of blue light erupts from the door before it gently swings open. Inside is a domed chamber of polished green marble. Two 15-ft wide alcoves with lower ceilings featuring marble pillars carved to resemble coiling snakes are found to the left and right. Looking up, the party can see the dome bears a huge representation of the 8-pointed star from before. In the center of the room are five pillars, set into the wall on both sides, with one in front. "Please go first - I don't know what the guardian is, but you will need to dispose of it before we can enter the vault proper," Lavinia says as she stands back and takes the ring from the depression again, placing it on her finger as she waits.

[Farmerbink]

Gerald takes his role as guardian seriously. Except when instructed otherwise, he stands immediately behind Lavinia's right shoulder, ready to push past her and interpose himself, should unexpected danger arise. He rides along almost giddy, unsure how to contain their fortune- to have a reputable patron with access to funding to the tune of 100g per month! Even the son of a nobleman himself, he didn't expect to earn anything like that anywhere near so soon. He shares several excited glances with Nathaniel, who hides his enthusiasm a little more effectively.

The brothers let out a low whistle at the obviously ostentatious series of vaults, in eerie unison. As the door swings open, magically, they step forward. "Not to be rude, but what's the point in smashing up a guardian that's supposed to work for you? Shouldn't he.... well, work for you?" Nonetheless, he grips his long-hafted hammer tightly, prepared to do exactly what said.

Nathaniel passes Lavinia on the left, Glaive at the ready.

[MuffinMan]

Upon receiving Lavinia's employment offer, Tarquin rushes home to tell his family the good news! This is his best chance to show up his older brother Eltan and provide that he, the forgotten middle son, can amount to something too! In his haste to get back on time he almost forgets to grab his longspear leaning against the doorframe, only remembering it when his mother asks, "Won't you need that to do your body-guarding?"

Down in the vault, it's all he can do to suppress a wide grin when Lavinia is looking. He shares Gerald's excitement, and he's pretty sure that Nathiel is excited too. He peeks into the Vanderboren vault over Lavinia's shoulder. "Ok, so we just have to defeat a simple construct... It can't be any worse than that monster on the ship, right?" He creeps into the room behind Nathaniel, grasping his spear before him. Perched on his shoulder, Beak's head swivels around at extreme angels, taking in the domed ceiling and especially the marble snake ornamentation.

[Farmerbink]

"Sure it can!" Gerald responds, cheerily. "That bug-eyed monster still bled, when you get down to it. We might well have to dismantle this thing piece by piece while it continues trying to bludgeon us with arms or legs that aren't even attached anymore. Magic can be funny, like that."

The elder brother grins, perhaps a little foolhardy, at the thought. It's obvious, after the adventure of the previous night and the windfall that came with the morning, he's feeling a little bit invincible.

[Gwynfrid]

Onwym is over the moon at the news of his official employment by the Lady Laviana! "That'll show Father..." he whispers. He nearly imitates Tarquin's rush to his own home, but a quiet smile from Xeshanth tells him there will be plenty of time for that - besides, he doesn't want to get grounded for spending the entire night out. The samsaran tutor is also very pleased, and thanks his new patron, with a deep bow. "It will be an honor to be of service, my Lady. I will endeavor not to disappoint." He's keenly aware of the fact that he never got close to landing so lucrative a position, at any point in his teaching career.

As the group reaches the Vanderboren door, he raises his hand in a warning to his overeager companions: "Let me examine this for a moment. Places like this are known to include wards, designed to be bypassed only by the owner... And we cannot know if such precautions are smart enough to recognize Lady Lavinia as such."

He steps forward and begins to cast.

"Y a-t-il une rune
Ici pour protéger
Des voleurs la fortune
Dont elle doit hériter?"

Spoiler

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Detect magic, and Knowledge (Arcana) [roll]1d20+9[roll] (rolled 12 in OOC).

"I cannot find anything dangerous at this point, but I recommend caution. Lady Lavinia, do you know if there was any sign your parents used to bypass the guardian? If not, then I'm afraid we will have to disable it."

[DarkOne-Rob]

"Wait! You don't think the signet ring would work to disable a construct, do you?" Lady Vanderboren asks as she steps back from the doorway, gently pulling on the most enthusiastic of her body guards to follow her. "If you think any construct would have to be destroyed instead, then we should try other options first, right?"

All three players have mentioned hesitance and reasonable expectations regarding the construct guardian's behavior. The campaign materials state it will attack you when you go in first, but I don't want to force that when you are all making the right, smart call here.

After a moment of deliberation, Lavinia Vanderboren enters first, with the party close behind. Once everyone is inside a three-foot long serpentine construct slithers out from an alcove on the right-hand side of the room. Its metal plates make a quiet rasping sound as they glide over themselves and the floor as it approaches the young noblewoman deliberately. When she presents her signet ring to the mechanical guardian it coils into a docile pose, watching the party as they continue inside.

"Whew! That was a bit frightening, but thank you for the good advice, everyone. Now, how to get into the rest of the vault..." Lavinia says as she walks around the chamber, looking at the columns and walls. "I am sure mother and father would have told me how to do this had they been able. Please help me look for a latch or lever - anything to open up another door into the inner vault."

[Farmerbink]

Gerald frowns appreciatively at the construct and it's quasi-domestic behavior. "Neat, that." He stays close to his patron, and eyes the construct distrustfully as they walk past, but quickly is satisfied that the thing isn't going to strike as soon as he turns his back. "Hmm," he mutters, as he walks the walls searching for hidden levers or doors. As Nathaniel takes the opposite direction, they cross on the further side of the small chamber.

"Remind me," Gerald whispers to his brother, "when I'm fabulously rich and have kids of my own, to teach them how to open the vault when they're fairly young." Nathaniel snorts. Gerald gives him a wink.

They keep looking.

Spoiler: Perceptions

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(1d20)[14] Gerald
(1d20+7)[14] Nathaniel

[MuffinMan]

Tarquin does his part to help, focusing on the carved pillars. It's a bit unnerving to have the construct staring at them, but he runs his hands over the length of the marble serpents, looking for a hidden catch or pressure plate.

Spoiler: Perception

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(1d20+8)[13]

[Gwynfrid]

"Father always says I have great elven eyesight...", Onwym mutters as he goes about the room, looking for clues. His mentor stops, closes his eyes, and intones:

"Avec du lynx les yeux,
Et de la chouette l'ouïe,
C'est ainsi que l'on peut
De ce lieu trouver l'huis."

Spoiler

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Onwym: Perception (1d20+5)[9]

Xeshanth:
Casting keen senses.

Perception (1d20+10)[16]

[DarkOne-Rob]

Xeshanth is about to pass over the column in the center of the wall, directly opposite the door to the chamber, when his hand feels a catch in the stone. Probing gently on the switch he seems to activate something that causes the many carvings of snakes and other serpent-like creatures to writhe away, revealing a portal into another chamber, an octagonal room supported by a single large pillar with dozens of deep grooves along its sides no larger than about 15-ft in radius.

The seven walls (not counting the entryway) each bear fantastically detailed bas-relief carvings of exotic monsters in threatening poses. Staring at the wall immediately to the left of the entrance to the room and moving clockwise the carvings depict a tentacled monster with a glaring red eye and a mouth full of teeth, a looming dragon, a fish-like creature with three eyes and four tentacles, a two-headed giant wielding a pair of immense clubs, a spherical creature with four eye stalks and a bulging central eye over a drooling maw, a gorilla-like beast with a fanged maw and six eyes, and finally a towering black spider with seven eyes. Each monster's eyes consist of a glittering red stone.

Spoiler: Images of the creatures depicted

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The ceiling above is only ten feet high, with the now-familiar eight-pointed star pattern radiating out from the grooved pillar. The arms of this star are black, save for the one pointing directly back at the entrance, which is red.

The room has no obvious chests, safes, or vaults in which treasure might be found. Lady Vanderboren looks around the room in wonder, momentarily distracted by the fine quality carvings on the walls.

Spoiler: Perception DC 20

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The central pillar can rotate in either direction with a bit of effort. When it rotates, it clicks into pace with the red point of the star aimed at either the door to the chamber or one of the monsters on the walls.

Spoiler: Disable Device DC 30, performed five times successfully

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Text me in private on Discord for more details.

[Farmerbink]

"Uhh, Miss Vanderboren?" Gerald begins, a little embarrassed to be breaking the silence among the finely detailed carvings. "You've still got that little parchment we found rolled up in the ring, yeah? I think someone must have figured out your families code, 'kuz that" he points at the ceiling- in particular it's red arrow- "looks like a compass rose."

[MuffinMan]

"Oh yeah, that's right!" In his eagerness to see the text Tarquin crowds unseemingly close to Lavinia, peering over her shoulder to read out the words...

Chimera looks to sunrise
Cyclops looks to sunset
Medusa looks to sunrise
Umber hulk looks to sunset
Basilisk looks to sunrise

"That's it! Those monsters must refer to the walls in this room! But..." he scratches his head. "They're solid carvings. Assuming the red point is "north", how can we make them face east and west?"

[Gwynfrid]

"This is very, very interesting... Well spotted, Gerald. However, none of these monsters look like a medusa to me. There must be a twist to it. The monsters on the walls relate to the monsters on this little ditty. Would it be... A game of counting eyes? The carvings have one to seven eyes, a glaringly obvious property! Well, if you will pardon me that lazy pun." He blushes lightly - or at least, that's what an observer might call the darkening of the light blue skin of his cheeks to more like a navy hue.

"Now, let me see this list. How many eyes do all of these have? One, cyclops. Then..." He scratches his head.

Meanwhile, Onwym continues to scrutinize the room closely, looking for hidden mechanisms. Engrossed in the details of the carvings, he briefly loses his bearings and bumps into Tarquin. Xeshanth follows, more cautiously, and even as he searches his mind for memories of monster depictions, he absentmindedly touches the pillar. That when he feels a very tiny movement.

"Oh. That's odd. The pillar, look, it can rotate."

Spoiler

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Xeshanth
Knowledge (add +9 if Arcana, +5 if Planes, Dungeoneering or Religion, but the latter are untrained) (1d20)[9]
Perception (1d20+10)[25] with keen senses.

Onwym
Perception (1d20+5)[6]

[Farmerbink]

Gerald's eyes widen as Xeshanth points out the number of eyes on each carving. "I hadn't noticed," he admits, with a faint flush. Nathaniel snorts quietly, but keeps his peace. As Xeshanth elaborates about the other ultimately unfamiliar monsters, the brothers continue to be largely useless.

"I knew the cyclops only had one- father made us read the uhhh... Odys Pilgrimage I think it was? Anyway, uhhh, don't think they discussed how many Medusa had..." He ponders silently for a minute. "Isn't a chimera that 3-headed thing? So he'd have 6 eyes?"

[MuffinMan]

"I read that too! So dry, except for the fight scenes... Anyway, Medusa was the woman with snakes on her head, right? That would be, like, a lot of eyes! Unless the snakes don't count, in which case it would only be two... oh, unless she had an eyepatch!" Tarquin frowns a falls silent for a (brief) moment, contemplating.

"So we have monsters with different numbers of eyes, and the riddle seems to list them in a certain order. We have a pillar that can rotate in two directions, and a compass-like indicator of North. Finally "looks to sunrise" and "looks to sunset" can only refer to East and West, right? Argh, so many riddles! What could it all mean?"

Spoiler: OOC

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I'm 90% confident that I remember the solution to the puzzle from the last playthrough... will give others a chance to speculate / solve it before I blurt it out

[DarkOne-Rob]

After listening to everyone muse about the puzzling lock (all three of you have played this adventure before - so I won't wait any longer for you to be polite and let others come to the solution) Lavinia Vanderboren says, "Try turning it clockwise and counterclockwise for 'east and west' and line up the number of eyes. My father must have left this note as a clue for the combination..." Several moments of trial and error later and the vault opens (the combo was 6-clockwise, 1-counter, 2-clockwise, 4-counter, and finally 2-clockwise). The entire room rumbles as five alcoves rotate into place in the walls, revealing several coffers and chests.

With a happy sound Lavinia goes to the nearest chest and begins to open it. Her expression falls upon seeing it mostly empty, however. "What is...how...?" she says as she looks at the next, and the next and so on. With each mostly empty chest Lady Vanderboren grows more and more distraught. Finally, in the last alcove is a reprieve - several of the chests here remain untouched. Looking at the ledgers and documents in a small iron coffer she estimates that there may be as much as 3,000 gold crowns worth of coin and gems left. Many of the ledgers are essentially "I Owe You" documents from guilds and noble families in Sasserine, so while they aren't gold per se, they will become coin given enough time.

"This will be enough to pay my taxes and set my parents' estate in order," Lady Vanderboren says, her voice steady despite the disappointment of the empty chests. "But this will be a tough year - I expected much, much more here. I will have to begin calling in debts and favors owed to my family, as well as reaching out to my uncle in Cauldron...but you don't need to dwell on that. You have done your duties so well! Each of you, take one of these bags of coin and purchase gear and equipment. This afternoon meet me at my manor house at tea time. I will have your next assignment ready by then."

Everyone receives 200 gold crowns in a good leather bag before Lady Vanderboren re-secures the vault. As they pass the clerk on the way out Lavinia turns and asks him, "Sir, has anyone else been by recently to the Vanderboren vault?"

"Why, of course, my Lady. Lord Vanthus Vanderboren was here just last week. Didn't you know?"

With a gasp she barely conceals Lady Vanderboren answers, "My brother has been missing for over a month...Inform me immediately - day or night - should he or anyone else attempt to enter my vault. Understand?" When the surprised clerk agrees she leads the way out of the castle, her face a storm cloud of emotions.

[Gwynfrid]

"That's clever indeed!" Onwym is all excited with the solution to the puzzle, but his mentor is more cautious. "True, but it isn't foolproof. The passphrase was written on this document, and someone with enough knowledge and wits could have found it just as we did."

Xeshanth's concerns are justified, as Lady Lavinia soon finds. The samsaran turns to his patron. "This is concerning news, my Lady. I understand Lord Vanthus did this without your knowledge. One question, though. The guardian was undamaged, so it didn't fight an intruder. Did Lord Vanthus own a copy of your late father's signet?"

[DarkOne-Rob]

"He must have Mother's copy - it went missing several months ago..." Lady Vanderboren answers, her expression unhappy as she considers the implications.

[MuffinMan]

Tarquin's emotions ride the rollercoaster of shock at the discovery, amazement at the substantial payment, and then confusion at the mention of Vanthus. "Wait, your brother was here? Why wouldn't he say anything? You don't think he was the one who opened the! - oh no..." His face pales as the idea of a family member's betrayal occurs to him, too horrible to contemplate. "Meet at the manner at teatime. Yes, of course. Um, we should be going!" Anxious to escape Lavinia's obvious discomfort, he starts ushering the others out of the room.

Spoiler: Shopping

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By reselling his chain shirt for 50% value, Tarquin can just afford a masterwork breastplate. I figure he'll do this in the downtime before regrouping at Lavinia's estate.

[Farmerbink]

Gerald and Nathaniel share a knowing glance at their patron's brother's deception. For the most part, their familial shenanigans have been light hearted and playful, but more than a few times one Sotheby heir or another has become upset and lashed out in anger. With rueful expressions, they acknowledge both the pleasantness of a family that has always managed to work through its issues and the obvious potential difficulties with a family that hasn't. "If you need us to, uhh... intercede for you, you've only to say the word, mistress." Gerald offers, a little awkwardly.

When they're dismissed, the pair goes directly to an armorer. It takes some haggling, the sale of Gerald's first scale, and the better part of his entire life savings, but when they leave, the elder Sotheby brother is garbed in a fair quality set of banded mail. Nathaniel turns his nose up at such, utterly convinced that the immobility will kill you just as dead as less metal.

They venture to a weapon smith, where Nathaniel's errand proves less fruitful. He openly eyes a gleaming glaive, more ornate than his own blade, and better weighted for control. Only begrudgingly does he admit that he'll just have to wait until next month's pay to make the purchase. On the other hand, the gleam of excitement in his eye gives away his excitement over the plan.

They reconvene at the Vanderboren estate a few hours later, several minute prior to their scheduled appointment. Gerald fishes for compliments from Kora while they wait. Nathaniel leans against a wall and smirks.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Once all the PCs are back at the Vanderboren home they are escorted by Kora into the garden where they find Lavinia sipping tea as she reads over documents from the vault. "Ah! My champions - I am glad you are all back. I've been thinking about what we discovered today and have decided on our next step. But first, let me tell you about my brother..."

Spoiler: Image of Vanthus Vanderboren, seen hanging in the dining room over the chair at the head of the table

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"We were very close growing up, with Mom and Dad out adventuring and such, but after one of our pranks went badly..."

Spoiler: Knowledge (History) DC 20

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A particularly complex prank involving several elixirs of love being emptied into the nearby water tower...this was known as the "Water Incident" by most of the locals, though the young romantics of the time described it in much more salacious ways...

"I was sent to the Thenalar Academy for five years while Vanthus was sent to work on a local plantation."

Spoiler: Knowledge (Local) DC 15

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The Thenalar Academy is a well known finishing school in the city of Cauldron. Vanthus worked on a plantation outside of town owned by Knowlern Family.

"We both came home last year, but he was different...distant and bitter. He slept all day, was gone all night, generally with associates of doubtful character. Eventually he moved out entirely. Last I heard of him he was with a lover in the Azure District."

Taking a deep breath, Lavinia sips her tea while looking into the distance. "So...Mom and Dad died in the ship fire and...well...he came back for a week or so. When the will left the entire estate to me he stormed off. I haven't seen him since."

Turning to look back at her team of troubleshooters, Lavinia says, "So you can imagine my surprise and feelings of betrayal to learn that not only have I been robbed, but I have been robbed by my own brother. I would have given him what he needed - within reason - had he asked. His theft hurts, but I hope it's not too late. I want you all to find him. Find out what he has been doing and see if he can be convinced to come see me. If I can redeem him it will make things so much better. He is most of the family I have left and I love him..." As she struggles to keep her emotions in check you can see tears in her eyes in spite of her efforts. "I don't know where he's gone, but someone in Sasserine will. Find him for me."

This bit is open-ended. Diplomacy Checks made throughout the city will provide different clues though. Make some plans, rolls some checks, and I will respond accordingly. The districts are:

1. Azure District - Sasserine's true waterfront. Consists of two sections, the east and west. The eastern section is concerned with internal waterways. The western section with the city's booming whaling industry.
2. Champion's District - towering over the western skyline, this district of soldiers, gladiators, mercenaries, and warriors generally follows in the storied footsteps of Sasserine's first lord-mayor, a priest of Kord named Teraknian. Generally not-so-friendly with the Noble District, the citizens here see themselvs as the true and rightful leaders of the city.
3. Cudgel District - Primarily residential. Due to the vigilance of the local watch and the church of St. Cuthbert, it's also the safest district in Sasserine. The citizens of the district know this, yet they are not soft; instead, they remain ever vigilant to the threat of attack from without in the form of bullywugs or pirates, or from within in the form of thieves and traitors.
4. Merchant District - The Heart of Sasserine, perhaps its soul too. The first district most visitors ever see, its often the only one they need ever explore. Shops run the gamut from grocers to potion emporiums, dagger sellers to exotic pet dealers, and magic item bazaars.
5. Noble District - Traditionally the ruling district, though Castle Teraknian is not in this district. However, recent history has shattered the trust of the people in their noble houses, and most families spend their time and effort bickering and jockeying for power these days.
6. Shadowshore - The most notorious of Sasserine's districts, this strip of land nestled in the shadow of the Champion's District has long been a haven for thieves, thugs, and criminals. The city watch has all but given up on this district, and as long as nothing too disastrous occurs they leave it alone.
7. Sunrise - Also primarily residential. The folks who live here are generally well off and own many of the plantations that dot the countryside around Sasserine.

Spoiler: Image of Sasserine

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The Vanderboren house is in the Merchant district.