Dragon of Icespire Peak ***CLOSED***

Arvi collapses into his centipede form at the scolding, hisses loudly at his master and scurries up the wall and into a dark corner to sulk, leaving the cloak in a heap on the floor, it’s tentacles still quivering with a faint remainder of their strange sentience.

Tabesha'l, suddenly - and rather unexpectedly - grows quiet as she looks at the folds of the cloak crumpled on the ground, frowning as she tries to recall if she ever heard mention of such item.

Minsys passes the book to Tab after all of that commotion.  He didn't understand a single thing that was said but that was most words that came out of Tab's mouth.  

With an aggravated huff, he says, "Less thinking more doing."  He then hurries over to the cape, grabs it and moves a good distance and dons it.

The cloak resizes from tiny demon to half-orc barbarian and the tentacles resume their random writhing about. Tabesha’l senses that the item possesses strong magic, but she can’t determine what school the magic belongs to.

Connak looks at Minsys, "Will those tentacles wipe after a number 2?  If you're tired of using leaves and pine cones..."

Minsys waits...  watching the tenticles.  If they just seem to be wondering aimlessly he lets but remains back from the others.  "Seems they are fine... might take work to get them to listen.  Bet they don't harm the wearer."

He keeps standing away and says, "I'm gonna try to handle this thing, yall try those keys."  He says as he holds his hands out like he is trying to balance but it doesn't seem to affect the waves tenticles.

Will try taking time to attune to it 

Connak watches Minsys wave his hands in the air trying to control the tentacles on his cloak, then looks at the others.

"Ok then.  If no one else is going to, then give me those keys. I will figure out which one goes in which keyhole.  Meanwhile, look for the fourth key?"

Connak finds that each of the three keys fits easily into anyone of three of the four slots...the fourth is shaped differently, looking almost like the opening to the scabbard of a blade. Regardless of which slot each key is placed in, they rattle loosely in their seats, but bind when trying to rotate them in the carriages.

From her previous observations of the device, Tabesha'l notes that the fourth key way - the different-shaped one - is situated in the secret compartment so that it lines up with a place on the bone staff about 10 inches below the top of the head (which is shaped like a dragon's claw holding a humanoid skull in its clutches.) She also notes that the housing of this key way appears to be made of the same material as the staff itself, while the others appear to be constructed of brass.

" Hum, if thee wouldst be so kind as to let me through here... yes... I thank thee..." Tabesha'l does a little curtsy as she makes her way towards the keyholes, brandishing the staff under Connak's nose and almost whacking him in the face with it in her eagerness to try her theory, as she exclaims:

" Of course yon staff was the answer we were all looking for ! See the small shape carved into the surface yonder ? Quite easy to spot, truly, yet I must admit my focus hath been a little wobbly of late. But nevertheless... I am now quite certain this will prove to be what we art looking for, Thuniviel dearest. Shall we try it forthwith ?"

As she says this, she tries to manipulate the staff to see if the top part can be removed. Perhaps this hides the last key ?

A small seam can barely been seen at a spot exactly 10 inches below the head of the staff. Tabesha'l twists and pulls, and the top of the instrument begins to separate from the bottom revealing a thinner metal shaft within...it has the serrations of a key, but as she continues to pull the metal just keeps coming out...much longer than a standard key. She continues to extract the top half of the staff until a marvelous, sparkling and heavily-serrated blade appears - a full two feet in length - complete with a blood groove that features elvish script along both sides.

Vaxis FINALLY enters the room with the group, after having said a prayer to Bahamut in the courtyard with the earlier tree. He observes his friends struggling with the lonk.

"Interesting...I am having yet seeing something as elaborate as this in the Dragonborn clans...can I be of assistance?"

Looking at the demon in centipede form, he growls slightly, loud enough for Arvi to hear, but soft enough that Tabesha'l has trouble hearing it.

Looking at Minsys, he approaches warily. "Are...you alright, friend Minsys?"

"Yes, pray....PRAY dragonborn! Pray as much as you can...." says Arvi in a high-pitched whisper which was even screechier than normal given his insectoid form. 

(OOC: Vaxis may make a History check with ADV to see if he recalls anything about the item, or one like it.)

(History check: 15)

Vaxis snarls, the frill on his head at full extension. Divine energy begins crackling between his fingers, and frost billows from his nostrils. "Be silent fiend, or the might of Bahamut shall eradicate you from this land. I have tolerated you longer than is necessary for friend Tabesha'l's sake, but patience is wearing thin."

Minsys continues to attune in the corner while the tentcle arms wander about.  "Oh ya know... probably being cursed right now while I try to figure this thing out.  Maybe help with the box?"  Minysenl responds.

Vaxis goes to assist Minsys with the box, eyeing the cloak warily as he struggles to recall details about it.

Meanwhile, Tabesha'l considers the elvish writ on the blade hidden within her grandmother's staff.

" Ahryehnërye Thunarethyr !  Well-oh well ! Fancy that..." she whispers, as she silently reads these ancient characters of her people.

Along one side, the elvish script reads: "The keys to unlocking a dragon's heart are these"

Along the other: "vanity, greed, knowledge and might"

Looking closely at the keys, Vaxis notices elvish script matching the words embossed on the blade for "vanity, greed and knowledge"

Tink having been lost in thought for awhile, finally rejoins the group. She enquire curiously, "So what do you all make of what is written? Does it mean anything to any of you?"

She then glances over at Vaxis, "You are a dragon right? Is there a lock on your heart or something? A special puzzle to set it free? Ooo I love puzzles!"

Connak quips, "I've always heard the way to a Dragonborn's heart is through his stomach.  I think they meant food is the key... but maybe it was literal?"

Minsys called out, "Rats found one of the keys in the pantry, closest to food ya probably gonna get.  Just put the darn keys in the order listed.  Or give them to me to do it."  He'll wait for them to unlock it or bring it to him to do it.  Then will do it.

Places keys in order and then tries blade for the last key