Abishai's Dragons of Icespire Peak

Gareth,

You try to open the chest, but find it locked.

Gareth snorts. "I didn't suggest you open it and abscond into the night with its contents," he says. "I'm merely curious as to what's inside. Perhaps it can be of assistance in defeating our pair of meddlesome dragons."

The ranger eyes the veritable hoard of treasure laid out before them. "It's likely that these items and this coin once belonged to the many victims of those awful hags. The last thing I'd suggest is to make off with it and leave the residents of Phandalin high and dry. No, we should use whatever we find to help the town, if we can. I believe Zephyros mentioned using some of the coin to hire mercenaries to form a town militia or something of the sort."

With Rasziel unable or unwilling to try and open the magically sealed chest, Gareth turns to Alisande. "You've already done so much in identifying these items for us. Are you able to ascertain the nature of this magical seal and perhaps break it?"

With the first chest locked, Gareth nods at Meira. "Do you have anything to crack this thing open? This lock, at least, doesn't seem magical."

"I'm not saying you did, I just meant that if you are good at opening locked chests it is likely that you are also into stealing things." Rasziel answers with a small smile and a few coughs.

Meira started to come over to look at the chest after Gareth calls over to her. She just catches what Rasziel says. "Hmm. I find that mysterious looking businessmen with invisible 'accountants' to also likely be into stealing things."

She soon had her thieves' tools out and peers at the lock, checking for possible traps. (Investigation: 15) As she works, she says, "Not sure in any case though that appearances necessarily tell the whole story."

Assuming there seem to be no traps she will try to pick the lock. (Sleight of Hand: 25)

Gareth,

Alisande responds, (Arcana check: 23) "There is a protection ward on this chest. It's curious though... It appears to be both inwardly and outwardly facing. Whatever is in this chest is protected from people getting in and...something getting out. It may be possible for Meira to pick this lock as well, but I lack the skill to dispel this magical seal,. I do believe it is dangerous to meddle with, but I'm unsure as to how."

 Meira,

You inspect the locked chest and find it trapped with a simple mechanism. A small needle is hidden inside the locking clasp. With your tools you trigger the trap and the small needle shoots out two inches harmlessly. You break off the needle and unlock the chest. Opening the chest you find...

[[OOC: Will update shortly with more. The suspense! I know, I know. Lol ]]

... the inside filled with straw. On top of the straw is an exquisite shortbow with a quiver of arrows. A pair of gloves, bracers, and boots. With Alisande's assistance you learn these items are:

• Boots of Speed
• Bracers of Archery
• Gloves of Thievery
• Mundane quiver with 20 arrows.
• Shortbow (+2)

I've added the items to the party inventory.

Once she has the chest opened, Meira is entranced by the shortbow. "Ah! Something I can use!" she says excitedly, especially after only the longbow she had carried out turned out to be magical of those she'd grabbed. She however waits patiently until Alisande gets a chance to look over the items, somewhat avoiding the woman. She didn't want to upset her any more than she already had. 

As a result, she took a moment to very carefully examine the other chest, primarily for more mundane traps. She didn't think she'd have much luck in understanding the arcane aspects of how it was protected. (Investigation: 24) She is reluctant to actually open the chest after what had been said. "If what is inside is sealed in, we should probably be really cautious with this. I'm not sure what more we would want to do, but we should proceed carefully," she says to the others. 

"What is our plan for tomorrow anyhow?" she asks. "Do we head back to Phandalin? Do we have other places to go first?"  

As the evening winds down, Meira would find a spot to sit by herself and watch the fading sunset sink down into the ocean waves. Playing on her dulcimer, she sings: 

‘O! tell me, father, for I loved you well,
if still you have words for me,
of things strange in the remembering
in the long and lonely sea,
of islands by deep spells beguiled
where dwell the Elven-kind:
in seven long years the road to Heaven
or the Living Land did you find?’

The things I have seen, the many things,
have long now faded far;
only three come clear now back to me:
a Cloud, a Tree, a Star.
We sailed for a year and a day and hailed
no field nor coast of mean;
no boat nor bird saw we ever afloat
for forty days and ten.
We saw no sun at set or dawn,
but a dun cloud lay ahead,
and a drumming there was like thunder coming
and a gleam of fiery red.

Upreared from sea to cloud then sheer
a shoreless mountain stood;
its sides were black from the sullen tide
to the red lining of its hood.
No cloak of cloud, no lowering smoke,
no looming storm of thunder
in the world of men saw I ever unfurled
like the pall that we passed under.
We turned away, and we left astern
the rumbling and the gloom;
then the smoking cloud asunder broke,
and we saw the Tower of Doom:
in its ashen head was a crown of red,
where the fishes flamed and fell.
Tall as a column in High Heaven’s hall,
its feet were deep as Hell;
grounded in chasms the water drowned
and buried long ago,
it stands, I ween, in forgotten lands
where the kings of kings lie low.'

The notes play on for a bit, even as her voice fades. While it seems the tale goes on, she ends it here for tonight. Finally, in the dark she sets aside her dulcimer. Sitting on her bedroll, she draws her knees up to her chest and rests her chin on her knees. Eventually It is hard to tell if she's awake or asleep as she holds her place for the night.  

As Alisande reveals the items in the chest, she smiles at Meira. "Indeed this chests original owner may have had similar interests as you Ms. Dheran."

As the discussion turns to the still sealed chest, Alisande agrees, "Meira is right. Caution is warranted."

The next morning, Alisande wakes early before the sun begins to rise in the East. She sits with her legs crisscrossed in front of the magically sealed chest, contemplating.

Realizing that the chest offers a real challenge to open, Rasziel would join Alisande in her contemplation, taking a seat by the chest opposite the neverwintan lady, starting with studying the chest closely for markings and inscriptions.

Perception: 8
Investigation: 14

"What have you found out so far milady? Perhaps I can be of some help." He offers her with a small smile.