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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Seravin" data-source="post: 1970046" data-attributes="member: 6783">The VaultStanding at the end of the short, rough-cut, curving tunnel where deep, blue water roiled up to the edge, Kestral raised her magical amulet over her head to bring as much light as possible into the watery cavern beyond.  The ceiling curved overhead about fifteen feet up and was easily visible in the flickering light; however the walls to either side quickly curved away beyond the flickering light.  She wasn’t sure but Kestral thought she could just make out the far wall; she wasn’t betting on it though.  Satisfied nothing was lurking in the air or on the nearby walls, Kestral next examined the turbulent water itself.  The clean scent of the water filling the air told her that it was from a pure source while the low roar told her that the source was pouring into the cavern from above the water line.  Given that the water level appeared to be stable there was obviously an exit for the water too.  Her careful examination of the water was rewarded when she finally saw the narrow rock path about an arms-length beneath the bubbling, swirling water.  Ashimar came up beside her, his keen eyes peering into the darkness.  “Anything out there?”“No, but there’s a path just below the water.” Ashimar raised an eyebrow and looked to where she was pointing.  He quickly spotted the narrow pathway.  “I don’t trust it.”  He stated flatly as Kellron and Jallarzi moved up behind them.Kestral smiled sardonically.  “Who would?  There’s been a trap almost every step of the way.  The question is do we want to go forward?”The four conferred shortly and eventually decided that it was worth going forward but that there was no way they were going to take the proferred path.Kestral held up her left hand, showing the ring gifted to her by the Water King.  “I can get across at least.  Kellron looked to Jallarzi.  “Do you have a spell of flying.”Jallarzi shook her head.  “Not memorized.  Not even a levitate.”Ashimar cocked an eyebrow in thought.  “Kestral.  Question.  Do you still have the boots of levitation?”Kestral nodded.  “In my pack, in case they were required.  I thought the elven boots would be more appropriate down here.”“How about I wear the boots, levitate up, and you can tow me across with the rope?  If there’s a good place to touch down at the other end I’ll take them off and you can bring them back for the next person.”His three friends nodded at the clever idea and Kestral shrugged off her magical backback, rummaged through it pulled out the polished black leather boots.  Ashimar quickly put them on, so jaded with magic that he didn’t even marvel at their size-changing properties.  While he put the boots on Kestral pulled out a length of silk rope and quickly tied off a quick loop.When Ashimar had both the boots and rope affixed he invoked the command word and willed himself to rise up a few feet over the floor.  Then, Kestral took the other end of the rope, leaving about ten feet of slack, and began to walk across the turbulent water.  She raised her amulet up in her other hand the better to see the rest of the cave.She didn’t make it twenty feet before the turbulent water began to roil even faster and then exploded upward directly in front of her forming a wall of water; a living wall of water.  The courier, adventurer, and mortal representative of the Court of Water stood straighter at the sight of the elemental.  Kestral could feel the invisible power of the ocean’s tide ripple forth from her ring and knew the elemental recognized her authority.Her authority, not Ashimar’s.  The living wave tried to sidle around the young woman, but she was just as quick and moved to block the creature’s path.  “You cannot.”  She told the creature in the gurgling aquan tongue, though above the water her accent was horrid. The wave ignored her and tried to sidle the other way around, unwilling to approach too close to her but bound by some hidden purpose.  Ashimar who was now over the water with nowhere to land willed himself a little higher and pulled his rapier.Again, Kestral moved to block the creature’s path.  “No.  She told the elemental.  Kestral knew she could try and use the ring’s authority to force the elemental, but she was unsure how it would react.  “Who are you?”  She asked the creature.The elemental made a sound very similar to the sound of the water in the small cave and Kestral nodded with understanding.  She wasn’t going to be able to reproduce the name unless she stuck her head under the water.  “Nice to meet you.  She said politely.  “My name is Kestral and I’m here for the Water King.  Have you seen any of his sons around here?”The elemental paused, still agitated.  Then it’s body dipped low and flattened in negation.  “No.”  It burbled. Kestral shrugged, expecting the answer.  “What are you doing here?”  She then asked.“Bound to guard the cavern.  I must attack all who walk upon the path.”  Burbled the elemental.Kestral took a moment to look around the cavern, then at her feet, and finally at the path a few feet to her left and under the water.  “I’m not on the path.”  She pointed out.  “And neither is he.”  She said indicating her levitating friend.The elemental considered her words.  He could not attack her for she bore the mark of the Water King and her words were true.  The elemental was essentially a simple creature and could find no fault with the mortal’s logic.  The binder had specifically said all who walked upon the path.  Only the mortal was walking and she was exempted by the Water King.  The elemental spread itself low in a gesture of respect, satisfied that its oaths were not violated.  It then subsided into the water, disappearing from sight.Kestral heaved a sigh of relief, mimicked by Ashimar floating above and behind her.  “That’s that.”  She said.  Then spying what looked to be the narrow mouth of a tunnel on the far side of the cavern, she hurried toward it with her friend in tow.  Nevertheless, Kestral made sure not to cross over the path.The pair was disappointed though when they saw that the mouth of the tunnel ended in a rough, rock wall.  “Wait a minute.”  Said Ashimar, carefully lowering himself to the water, trying to make sure he wasn’t over the hidden path.  “The path leads here and it has guardian.  Let’s look for a secret door.”Kestral eyed the wall doubtfully.  The dark, nearly black, rock looked completely unworked and there didn’t appear to be any seam between it and surrounding rock.  Still she joined Ashimar in the search and both of them saw the same obvious clue immediately.  They said it as one.  “The rock isn’t wet.”Ashimar slapped at the rock forcibly and watched his hand pass right through it.  “I’m guessing we’re almost there.”  He said.  Carefully he stuck his head through the illusionary rock.  The path beyond was illuminated by Kestral’s flickering light.  “I think I see a door up ahead.”  Ashimar quickly stepped onto the path and took his borrowed boots off.“I’ll get the others.”  Said Kestral as she took the proferred boots.  It was only the work of a few minutes to ferry Kellron and Jallarzi across.  Fortunately the elemental seem content to let matter stand as they were and didn’t bother them.When they were all past the illusionary wall, Kestral and Ashimar made their way cautiously to the door at the far end; meticulously examining every rock and depression.  They sensed that they were close to something important and hoped it was the resting place of Imych Thassel’s harp.The hallway itself was mercifully untrapped.  The heavy iron door though was inscribed with runes that spoke of menacing power.  Kestral grimaced and waved Ashimar and the others back while pulling out her tools.  “****!”  Kestral said a very unladylike word as her tools slipped against the door.  There was a flash of poisonous green light from the runes and then the door gushed forth with acid, covering the trapspringer.  The acid was strong and caught Kestral straight in the chest, burning through her clothes straight to the flesh.  “****!  ****! ****!”Kestral invoked the least power of her ring and began summoning water, drenching herself with it as Kellron moved up next to her and laid gentle hands onto her shoulders.  “Here you go.”  He told her as he channeled Sarath’s might into golden healing.The water and the healing helped and Kestral shook herself and examined the door again.  She cursed again, certain that the trap had reset itself.  Snarling, she went back to disarming the trap again, and this time she succeeded.  She almost stood up before she realized that she hadn’t touched the lock.  Still snarling Kestral went to work on the wickedly comple lock.  The lock had been put in place by someone who understood good lock design, but Kestral’s patience and effort were eventually rewarded.  Grabbing the iron pull ring Kestral heaved the door open.  Beyond was another hallway, this time made of worked stone and lined with eight doorways; three on the left, one at the end, and four on the right.  The doors were made of iron and looked to have similar locks as the entry door.--A dark cloaked man with his hood pulled low stood acroos the street from The Scabbard.  He had been watching the inn now for several hours.  The adventurers were staying here, but so far they had yet to show this evening.  He was starting to grow impatient but he disciplined himself to wait.  The adventurers had come back here every night without fail.  Inside the inn were his most trusted henchmen and some highly paid assassins.  It would be difficult and this was certain to cause quite a stir amongst the Watch but it couldn’t be helped.  These adventurers were apparently willing to do almost anything and were disrupting both revenue and carefully laid plans.  Besides, a little fear was good for the populace.That’s when the mental alarm began to pulse in the back of his head.  Three quick pulses accompanied by a flash of white light.  It was the alarm for the Vault being opened; but he knew where everyone who had Vault access was.  It didn’t take a genius to make a guess who entering.  First the warehouse, followed by the approaches to secure items into the ‘secret’ vault.  The adventurers had somehow found a trail and struck first.Swearing, the man gestured to one of his men hiding nearby.  “Get the others.  Everyone has to get back to The Diamond now.”  The man was confused but he knew to obey Father Dark’s orders.  He turned and ran into the inn while the one he knew as Father Dark dashed down the street to a waiting coach.  He had to get back fast.  --“It looks like a vault to me.”  Said Kestral.  “Which door first?”“Middle left?”  Suggest Jallarzi.Kestral shrugged.  One was as good as another.  She moved into the room with a minimum of caution, only fairly certain that the hall wasn’t trapped.  Apparently she was right because nothing bad happened.  The choosen door also appeared to be untrapped and the lock was indeed similar to the entry door.  Her experience with the first lock helped here and it gave way with a minimum of effort.  Beyond the door was a small room about fifteen feet square.  It was empty except for four large, ironbound wooden chests with heavy locks.  Kestral whistled tunelessly and approached the chests.  The locks were a little less complex then the door locks and she started to touch them when she caught a faint odor reminiscent of the color blue.  She caught herself at the odd though and wrinkled her nose.  Gas traps.Sighing, she went to work on the chest trying to find a release trap or something.  She was getting tired of all the traps and the stupid locks.  Unfortunately her inattention cost her while trying to disable what she thought was part of the trap mechanism.  Instead she slipped and punctured a hidden bladder, releasing a purplish mist into the room.  Kestral began coughing on the blue-scented mist and her mind began to wander.  Fortunately she had the presence to stumble outside of the room and her friends closed the door behind her.  She faced the wall and spoke.  “I’m feeling a little woozy.”  She explained.  Ashimar was already there with a scroll and begin speaking the words of a lesser restoration spell.  Kestral immediately felt better.  “Thank you.”  She nodded towards the closed door.  “Insanity mist.  It should clear away soon.”The group paused for a moment, and then Kestral decided to examine the other doors while they waited.  The next door down on the same side was spell trapped while the door at the far end was surrounded with hidden gas nozzles.  The far door on the right was unlocked and apparently untrapped and the vault beyond was empty.  Of the three remaining doors on the right side, only the one closest to the entry was trapped.  The first door on the left that she had ignored was also untrapped.  Shrugging, Kestral began diabling the traps next.  Through a combination of luck and skill she managed to disable most of them without incident, though she took a nasty shock from one of the spell-trapped doors.  At last all the traps were disabled (or at least believed disabled) and the group began to enter the vaults one at a time.The vault with the heavy chests contained coins; thousands of coins.  One chest for each denomination.  Kestral did the math and came up with a quick estimate.  “Thirty, maybe forty thousand pieces of copper.  Maybe fifteen thousand silver, and five thousand gold lions.”  She announced.  The next vault on the left held a single stand upon which rested a dozen potions a single, amulet made of wood carved into an abstract shape.  Fortunately the stand wasn’t trapped.The far vault held the gems which were divided by type and quality.  Again the group relied on Kestral’s estimate and they were impressed with her valuation of eight thousand gold pieces.Two of the vaults on the right side were empty, but the electrified door held a variety of art objects, from paintings to vases, to a single intricately carved harp made of some light colored wood.  Everyone smiled in satisfaction at seeing it.The first vault on the right, spell trapped with acid (which Kestral dodged this time), contained weapons.  These were not just ordinary weapons though; these were arms and armor stolen from the various noble families around Corlean.  None of the adventurers could identify he family crests stamped on the items within but they were all complex and looked important.  The only oddity in the room was an unadorned shortsword made of some dull metal, chained and locked to a heavy metal stand.  It looked decidedly out of place.  Aware of the passing time, Ashimar picked up the entire stand and placed it in his enchanted bag.  They could look at later.  He wasn’t certain but he thought the metal of the sword and the chains might be adamantine.That left the first vault which they had ignored the first time through.  The door was apparently untrapped but was locked.  Kestral bypassed the lock quickly enough and swung open the door.  The vault was similar to the others and the room was nearly empty except for a single pedestal in the middle of the room.  Atop the pedestal was a large, multi-faceted gem, similar to quartz or an impossibly huge diamond.  Her friends were still in the weapon room; so shrugging, Kestral entered the room, strode up to the pedestal, and picked the gem up.  There was a soft popping sound from behind her.“GROARR!”Kestral didn’t even have time to turn before four large claws ripped into her, buffeting her this way and that.  Recovering she yelled with pain and drew her sword.  Before her stood an eight foot tall man-like beast with four arms.  The creature had dark reddish fur and an evil glint in soft-glowing red eyes. Kestral couldn’t name the thing, but Jallarzi shouted “It’s a fiendish Girallon!” as she came out of the weapon’s vault.  The fight was short, though Kestral was driven into unconsciousness by the creature’s next claw attacks.  Fortunately Ashimar and Kellron were there to fight the creature before it killed the badly wounded woman.  Within a few seconds the creature’s body was so badly wounded that the magics that summoned it discorporated leaving only Kestral’s body as proof that it had been there.More healing was expended to get Kestral on her feet while the others filled the bags with what they could.  They understood that whatever they didn’t take on this trip would disappear before they could return.  They intended to deliver what items they could back to the city and their original owners.Except the coins which were practically untraceable.  Kestral had estimated over fifty thousand copper and silver coins, which would weigh over a thousand pounds.  Their enchanted bags and backpacks were already near capacity with the other recovered items.  They were loath to leave the thieves any coinage however.  Fortunately Kestral had a solution.“Bring the chests to the water.”  She told the men (there was no illusion on her part that she could actually move any of the chests).  Once the chests were at the tunnel’s edge she stuck her head into the water.  “This is all for the Water King.”  She shouted.  With that she and the men upended the chests containing the silver and copper coins into the water.</blockquote>

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