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.

Rasziel,

Looking at the chest, you come to the same conclusion as Alisande from the previous night. The chest has an arcane lock. The chest is made of solid oak with iron hinges and locking clasps. Aside from various scratches and wood chips, the chest is largely non-descript. No markings, no inscriptions.

 Alisande says, "Well, not much more I'm afraid. Vexing to be sure. I wish I had spent more time studying utility spells. I might have been better equipped than I am now." She finishes with a frown. She stands up and glares at the oathbreaker, Kithran. "Care to assist?" She says more out of frustration than actual expectation. "No, I thought not."

“Well, it appears that my already considerable sense of curiosity has now been elevated to an almost ludicrously hyper‑stimulated apex. Therefore, unless any among you harbor vehement objections of a particularly impassioned nature, I shall commence my immediate departure—posthaste, no less—bearing this exceedingly suspicious chest on a direct trajectory toward Neverwinter. There is an ineffable disquietude gnawing at the periphery of my intuition, and I deem it profoundly prudent that the esteemed scholars of the Order of the Many-Starred Cloaks assume custodianship of this enigmatic artifact and conduct a thoroughly exhaustive, academically rigorous investigation.”

Alisande begins binding the chest to her broom with a coil of rope and prepares to depart. She bids the group fairwell and even gives Meira a respectful nod and begins walking back to Neverwinter via the High Road.

What would you all like to do next?

Quote from owlbear89 >>

...Gareth sits down next to Zephyros and looks at the trident with curiosity. "I'm glad we were able to save her, as well as all the other poor souls those hags trapped," the ranger says. "So Silvara...she can speak to you still? That must be comforting."

The ranger removes the locket from around his neck, opening it to reveal a portrait of a beautiful human woman with blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. Gareth smiles as he looks at the image of his wife, so far away in Neverwinter, far away but thankfully safe from the threat of hags or any other monsters. "Silvara...Sylvie," the ranger laughs softly at the similarity of the names.

 Zephyros smiles, "Yes, she can and yes, it is. I thought I lost her forever." Sharing Gareth's laugh, Ironheart nods in appreciation at the ranger.

The bearded veteran listens to Meira's song with a quiet comfort and quickly falls fast asleep, feeling finally at peace inside.

Finally ready to move on, Zephyros bids Alisande goodbye and then begins to sift through the treasure horde. "I'll take that chainmail armor and shield. The ring of protection also interests me, but I already have a magical ring." He holds up the ring of free action he'd found back in Axeholm. 

Zephyros takes the amulet from Vyldara off and hands it to Lord Kithran, "Here, you should have this. It was your love's amulet and it belongs with you."

With the occasional lightning still flickering in the warriors eyes, he suggests the party continue to the Dragon Barrow where the fabled Dragon Slayer shortsword rests. "It's only a small detour on the way back to Phandalin. Shall we figure out how to carry all of this loot and get going?"

Kithran stares longingly at his love's amulet, and accepts it gratefully.

"Thank you, veteran... You have no idea how much this means to me."  He stops for a moment to listen to Meira's song. "A beautiful melody." He whispers to no-one in particular.

In return, Kithran hands Zephyros the Gem of Seeing. "It wont do me much good. It would be better off in your hands."

The death knight begin resting unless interrupted.

"I will leave with Lady Alisande, may fortune smile upon you all as you venture forth to deal with the dragon threat looming over Phandalin." Rasziel says with a small polite bow as he gets up to leave with the neverwintan lady.

You all benefit from a long rest and wake up the next morning feeling stronger and rejuvenated. 

You've all reached level 6!

Kithran,

In the early hours of the morning, you notice one piece of your plate armor no longer looks scorched. Your left boot looks a bit brighter, no longer blackened. 

Meira looks a bit concerned as Alisande announces her departure, but she keeps to herself as others bid her farewell. At least, until she makes her intention clear that she is going to simply take the other chest with her. A bit shocked, she stands to say something but suddenly realizes all the items and gold she is leaving behind. Just for this potentially dangerous chest. She stops, saying nothing. She is then a little surprised at the respectful nod she gets, and at that she gives her a well-practiced smile. "May your journeys be safe, Alisande. And maybe we will cross paths again and you can let us know what you discovered from that chest. I understand your curiosity." 

When Rasziel then announces his intention to go, she turns from watching Alisande to him. There's a momentary flash of concern that passes over her face with yet another companion departing. It's quickly replaced with a thin little grin. "Surely my ballad last night wasn't that bad!" She looks over to Gareth and Zephyros, then also Kithran. "There's two more parts to it! You'll see the tale gets better when you hear the whole of it! Really guys, I promise. You'll like it." Her voice is pleading, but there's a joking smile on her face making clear it's just a jest. 

After the theatrics, Meira looks again to the scarred enigmatic man. "Well, if you two go together, make sure you both stay safe." As she watches them depart, she can't help but speculate whether there was something between the two that led them both to leave together. She hadn't thought so, but perhaps she'd just not really known either of them. Her thoughts led her to think of Lyra, and why she hadn't just stayed with the halfling. Or maybe why she hadn't been interested enough to stay with her. Without realizing it, she let out a sigh, her mood darkened a bit as she moves to gather up her things. And to help figure out how to move all this stuff they had recovered. 

"I agree we should head on to this Dragon Barrow. Best get to work packing!" she says in a somewhat flat voice.

"Well, I suppose this mysterious magically sealed chest is better off in your capable hands," says Gareth, the corner of his mouth twitching during Alisande's extended, impassioned, loquacious departure speech. "You are the expert in magic after all. I'll defer to your judgment. I wish you well on your journey back home. Since you're going to Neverwinter, would you mind taking this with you? Could you see it delivered to Sylvie Blackwood in the Protector's Enclave?" Gareth hands Alisande a sealed envelope with a letter inside, written to his wife. It had taken him quite a while to scribble down the events of the past several days and weeks, what with all the excitement they keep getting up to, but it was finally finished. 

The ranger is more surprised when Rasziel announces his intentions to leave as well. He stands up and extends a hand to the dour merchant. "What? You want to leave and miss out on our esteemed company? Not to mention the absolute honor and privilege of hunting down and possibly getting eaten by a white dragon?" Gareth jokes. "Oh and don't mind her." The ranger winks at Meira. "You can't believe a word she says. I'm pretty sure she even pretends to be an adolescent boy sometimes just to mess with us," the ranger confides with a grin. In a more serious tone, Gareth says, "It was a pleasure working with you. I wish you well in your future endeavors. May they all be extremely lucrative."

As Alisande and Rasziel depart, Gareth notices the smile slip from Meira's face. "Thinking about Lyra, aren't you?" he says in a more serious voice. "You'll see her again. After all, she's just in Gnomengarde. And look at all this gold. You could buy her something special, a token of your affection, show her how you feel about her." 

As their number dwindles from six to four, the ranger glances at the undead dwarven paladin. "Well, at least we made a new friend. Let's go find this Dragon Barrow. Kithran, you with us?"

Gareth,

Alisande agrees to take your letter and says, "I'll make sure she gets it." then departs.

Meira, Gareth, Zephyros, and Kithran take another hour to gather up their treasures and begin their journey towards the Dragon Barrow just as the sun begins to rise above the eastern mountain range. It's warmth gives the group gathered a sense of hope and optimism for the future even as the mornings cold air reminds you what your ultimate goal is. A slight breeze brings a scent of salt to your nostrils and the sky is painted a brilliant blue.

You travel for roughly six hours along the high road heading north towards Neverwinter before you encounter a group of five Neverwinter guards on horseback traveling south. They pull up on the reigns, slowing as they approach. The guard in front puts up a hand, beckoning you to stop. "Greetings strangers."

The two guards closest you wear chainmail armor with longswords sheathed at their sides while the back three wear leathers and have longbows strapped to their backs. The same guard speaks up again, "We're searching for a group of bandits in the area. Their leader has an eye patch and likes to think he's a pirate. They fled Neverwinter after they broke out one of their group from the stockade. They were all clad in green cloaks and black leathers. Have you seen anyone matching that description come this way?"

The lead guard's horse snorts, sending two jets of steaming breath into the space between you as he waits for your reply. 

1
 

At Gareth's remarks about pretending to be a boy, Meira gives him an exaggerated look of shock, as though she has no idea what he's talking about. 

Later, she is a bit startled by the ranger's comment, especially that he guessed her thoughts regarding Lyra. "Umm, yea. I was thinking about her."  She pauses, not really sure if she should say more. "It just seems odd that Rasziel has decided to run off with Alisande. I mean, they didn't seem close. But I thought Lyra and I were close, but we're not together." She sighs again a bit, the conversation drawing her back to her doubts when she'd hoped to busy herself and not think about it. "I suppose though Sylvie is not here with you, yet you're still close. She'll probably really appreciate that letter. Maybe you're right, I could buy something to send to her. I wonder what though. I'll have to think on it." 

The suggestion had at least given her something to think about and had seemed to lighten her mood a bit. 

When the five Neverwinter guards approach, Meira listens carefully to their questions. "Hello. We certainly would have remembered a group so distinctively dressed. Is this group particularly dangerous? I'd hate to have them catch us unaware. Were they last seen in Neverwinter? Perhaps we could lend you some aid in finding them."