Shackled City - Chapter II

[Verbatim]

Dropping the chest onto the stage, Zeric looked over to Raven and nodded towards the heavy oaken chest.

"I do not know if it is locked or not, but it is better to be safe than sorry. Keep your eyes sharp and your fingers nimble."

Reaching beside him, Zeric picked the mandolin up and placed it carefully on the stage. While he did not know if the dandy could even play it, Zeric saw the mandolin in the same light that he saw the gnomish paintings. The skill that went into the crafting of the instrument was obvious, and the fact that the skulks had not smashed it for kindling was in itself an amazing thing.

~Mayhaps they simply never took the time to look under here.~

Brushing the dust from his pants as he gathered his thoughts, Zeric looked once more towards the dandy before picking up the mandolin and walking towards him.

~Cuthbert..let this be painless...~

Clearing his throat when he stood behind the dandy, as the half-elf made no move to turn to face him, Zeric waited until he turned around before holding the mandolin out to him.

"I know not if you can play this, but if you can do it justice. If you can not, see to it that it goes to a fitting place. A place where the holder can see the skill in which this instrument was made, and know what a treasure he holds."

 

[Manzanita]

Raven

Raven will check for traps related to lifting the chest. If none, she'll try to pick it up and bring it to the deck, where she'll check for traps and try to open locks. She'll have a final look around underneath as well. If she can't pick it up, she'll have to do all that underneath the floor.

 

[hippocrachus]

Orpheus looks at Zeric and then to the presented mandolin with a cocked eyebrow.
"I can see its worth right here," the bard says calmly, accepting the instrument with tentative hands. "Thank you," he adds while he begins to try and tune it.
He fiddles with it until he remembers the note-structure, and then plays a few chords to accompany the illusionary play.

 

[Dhes]

Dunstand walks over to his companions, just in time to see Zeric climb back out of the hole with some kind of box and a musical instrument. Why would anyone hide a box and a musical instrument under a trap door?

Turning his head to Orpheus as he hears him play the mandolin. “Is that wise? Maybe we should se if it holds any kind of enchantment, I don’t think that they put it down there just because they needed the room. For all we know, playing on that thing summons some kind of demon or worse.”

 

[hippocrachus]

"My love for music is no greater than any gnome's. I doubt seriously the creator of this fine instrument would punish any skilled musician that played it," Orpheus says to the paranoid scribe.

 

[Dhes]

“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to insult you musical skills. I can safely say that I have never met someone as skilled a bard as you.” He tells Orpheus, spreading his hands in acquiesce. You are the only bard I’ve met, music is not a real skill.

 

[Majin]

Checking the box for traps Raven finds none, and surprisingly no lock either. The lid of the chest opens easily revealing on top, cushioned by what looks to be a fine folded cloak, a small spellbook with a tiny lock securing it shut. A wand is tucked away in the corner as well as a 5-inch-long steel rod with an engraved rune at one end and notches carved into the other. (The letter 'J' in gnomish.)

 

[kirinke]

Alinis nods. "We should take nothing for granted down here. I suggest we get all of these things checked for enchantments before we use them."

 

[Manzanita]

Raven

Raven smiles, her lips pulling back to reveal pointed teeth.

"This is nice." She passes the items around to anyone interested, prefering to keep the 'J' key herself. She'll take the first look at the cloak as well, perhaps trying it on, if it doens't look suspicious.

 

[Verbatim]

Zeric did not try to hide the frustration and disappointment he felt when the chest opened and only a single key was found inside of it and when the dandy could not wait until they had left this place before beginning to play the mandolin that he had just been handed.

~As if the play wasn't loud enough...now he will be playing with his new toy while they searched for the children...what was I thinking in handing it to him...~

As Raven pulled the others items out and unfolded the cloak, Zeric turned to face the scribe and tried to pull his attention away from the dandy long enough to be of some use to them all.

"Can you see if the items carry any enchantments upon them? Or are they merely stage props under a magical stage?"