Ishmael Mk III

[planswalker]

The narrow tunnel corkscrews back up to approximately where you thought the hidden room should be. In it, you find the crates that had disappeared.

[Monodominant]

Bingo! Ishmael things.

Still given all the precautions, its just as likely this place is guarded furthermore or other traps exists.

For this reason he approaches carefully and indirectly, scanning the area first.

If nothing seems amiss only then does he approach and check the boxes themselves but without at first touching or opening any of them.

[planswalker]

It's a good thing you approach cautiously, as there are indeed runes inscribed on the boxes. Now that you've found them, they hum iwth power in your ears.

[Monodominant]

Ishmael tries to figure out if the runes are some kind of traps/wards and if he can bypass them without removing them... or if he can actually remove those that would not become very obvious.

[planswalker]

Some indeed do seem to be traps of some sort that you can disable. The others... you're not sure.

[Monodominant]

Ishmael first takes 'inventory'.

He checks how many boxes there are and if each one has the same runes or different.

He also tries to determine if the traps would go off. Is the trigger moving them, touching them or opening them?

[planswalker]

There are a total of 20 crates, and they all seem warded. Without specific magical knowledge, you can really only tell the triggers. Most are triggered if the boxes are opened without the proper key. Some seem keyed to go off if something is read. Still others, these very recent, if someone touches the lid to the boxes wrong.

[Monodominant]

Spoiler

Show

They have actual locks? Its not just wooden crates?

A wild idea passes for a moment from Ishmael... he could break one from a distance and see what is in it that way!

He quickly dismisses it and proceed to examine these newest wards only to smile. Given his extensive knowledge of traps, even magical ones, he had realised one thing.

...boxes are opened without the proper key... ...touches the lid to the boxes wrong...

Ishmael grins and he proceeds to examine the farthest box from the entrance, hoping that by the time they have moved the other 19 boxes they wont pay attention to the last one.

Beeing very careful not to touch, or read, the wards he slowly and without touching the lid, tries to tip it to the side. This helps him determine the weight but also to see if similar wards exist at the bottom panel of the boxes.

[planswalker]

Spoiler

Show

the boxes don't have locks, but the lids are fastened securely on. The runes seem to be keyed to something. Not necessarily a key that would open a mundane lock. "Key" can mean several different related things in English. In this case, the specific item needed to bypass a protection other than a lock.

It is quite heavy, Trying to tip it will require significant effort from you, but you don't think it's outside your abilities to pull off, if you really try.

Spoiler

Show

str check

[Monodominant]

Spoiler

Show

Got it. By the way I hope you understand my reasoning... Very often traps and stuff have specific 'rules' keyed into them... so if 'opening' the box or 'touching the lead' are as accurate and specific as Ishmael expects and thinks... that means that he can take a peak using the bottom instead!

The skulk takes a few deep breaths and knowing that his strength is greatly augmented by the belt he wears will most likely be the judge of his success or failure. One more 'gift' from Kelemvor for ending the life of the half-drow slaver he had found in the sewers.

The fact that the box is heavy is already a useful clue...

With that in mind he puts his muscles, and magic, to work and tries to carefully tip the box.

Spoiler

Show

Well first off all I take 10 (for 13). If that doesnt work here go a few attempts. If none of these work then I will consider taking 20

(1d20+3)[22] Edit: Woohoo! Thank you Dice Gods!
(1d20+3)[22]
(1d20+3)[21]
(1d20+3)[11]
(1d20+3)[8]

[planswalker]

Spoiler

Show

yes, that is smart thinking. Good job.

Your first casual attempt does nothing, but when you put your back into it the box falls on its side with a loud bang.

The sides are warded as well, but the very bottom has only a simple reinforcing rune on it.

[Monodominant]

Ishmael grins to himself. Take that all you senior assassins thinking he was a weakling, only able to skulk!

As he sees the rune he frowns. Darnit... and only 1 charge left on his specialised tools.

Still he sets to work and tries to bypass, but not destroy if possible, the reinforcement rune.

Spoiler

Show

Disable Device (1d20+21)[39]

Edit: I really love today's dice! This high a result mean I can bypass without breaking any type of trap :D :D :D :D

[planswalker]

You bypass the reinforcement rune. It will be inactive for the next 10 minutes.

[Monodominant]

Once again he first checks the bottom carefully and proceeds to work.

Firstly he takes 2 minutes to ensure nothing can be heard from inside... just in case.

Spoiler

Show

Taking 20... for... 18 on listen

After he is satisfied he sets in motion the next part of his plan!

He takes out his portable hole and places it at the bottom making a small enough hole to see what's inside but not spill the contents.

[planswalker]

You peek inside and see....

The inside of your portable hole, a pocket extradimensional space. It includes such features as whatever you've put in there, blackness, and blank walls.

[Monodominant]

Spoiler

Show

Hmmm... wasnt there an item that allowed you to do ala 'comic' holes and stuff like that?

If it wasnt the portable hole I guess it was those strange pigments... something Marvellous pigments they were called... need to get me one of those.

Ishmael curses his sillyness. The portable hole was a useful, if somewhat glorified, bag of holdling and nothing more. Still he would need to discuss with Hagan about the creation of such an item for him...

Still he had other options, albeit not as 'clean' as this one had been.

He rummages -through- the portable hole and pulls out the various sets of artisans tools that he has. Selecting a hammer, nails, pliers, screwdriver and crowbar and also a small wooden wedge.

Then with care he uses the wedge at the joints of the wooden crate pushing the adjoining part slightly apart and then uses the crowbar and the pliers to remove the nails. (if there are actually screws instead of nails he uses the screwdriver instead).

[planswalker]

Spoiler

Show

I'm sure an item that silly exists. I don't know what it is and refuse to look one up. If you want something ala looney tunes, find it yourself. If it's from an AVB acceptable source, I'll allow it.

still, it gave me great laughter to be able to post the results of your portable hole. 150 xp for making me laugh that hard.

You begin work prying a corner loose from where it is nailed in.

Spoiler

Show

intelligence check or a craft (carpentry) or associated check to see if you can do so without destroying the corner.

[Monodominant]

Spoiler

Show

I asked on 3.5 general... it would be heck of an item to have :D

I recently replayed King's Quest VI by Sierra and thats where I found this type of portable hole :D and thanks for the XP!

Ishmael is by no means a carpenter. He takes care not to damage the wood and does his best.

Spoiler

Show

As you can imagine I dont really have craft carpentry, so straight intelligence it is.

(1d20+4)[23]

Just to point out this shouldnt be terribly difficult... in real life I do stuff like that around the house all the time I am NOT intelligence 18 or carpentry person :D

[planswalker]

Spoiler

Show

Aye, it's not terribly difficult to get it open without destroying the corner, that's a dc 10. Opening it without leaving a permanent mark to attract suspicion is dc 15.

Your average guy can take 10 and pull off the maneuver if he doesn't mind a minor scuff on the corner. For your purposes, I assumed the ever-paranoid Ish would try to leave no evidence.

You pry it open just wide enough to peek inside.

There are long, narrow iron boxes inside the crate.

[Monodominant]

Truly Kelemvor is favouring Ishmael tonight... this can only mean his actions are justified and supported since yet again he manages to succeed without a hitch...

What he finds inside bothers him...

A box within a box... and if these people have any sense of irony there will be one more box inside.

Ishmael examines the narrow iron boxes first, ensuring that they are not also trapped somehow and then picks one up to test its weight and details.

[planswalker]

Spoiler

Show

sorry, I didn't make it clear. There are about three iron boxes in each crate, about 5' long and 1.5'x1.5' across.

[Monodominant]

Ishmael examines 1 of the three iron boxes in the crate. He searches in case its trapped and generally tries to figure out what it is, at least from the outside.

If he is satisfied that there are no traps on it (i.e. take 20 for 29 search) he opens it.

[planswalker]

You find no traps on it, and it isn't locked.

Spoiler

Show

reminding you: that's 4 minutes plus change used up in your 10 minute suppression of the reinforcement rune. That rune will be destroyed if the box isn't back together at the end of the suppression.

You open the iron box, and it is padded on the inside, almost as if it was a coffin...

only problem is that it's kinda small for an adult.

[Monodominant]

Ishmaels eyes widden.

Coffin... for a small child... in an orphanage full of them.

He quickly dismisses the thought... even the Pelorites could not fall so low... it would make no sense.

He opens the other 2 boxes of this crate just to make sure its the same thing and then actually takes the one that he opened first if nothing more is found.

He then tries to 're-close' the crate.

[planswalker]

You succeed in your stated actions. They are indeed just like the first.

[Monodominant]

All these done Ishmael ponders how to proceed. If indeed children are in danger even he would have an issue with this...

Unfortunately him being semi-possessed by a demon means he cant once again go to the temple of Kelemvor and ask for guidance.

After a few moments of indecision he decides to try one more thing. He puts on his bracers of object reading and tries to get as much info as he can from the iron box he took with him.

Spoiler

Show

Using the gloves to figure out some info about these boxes. Object reading gloves/bracers is from MIC

[planswalker]

The latest owner was a female vampire spawn age 60 who was Lawful Evil. She gained the coffin when the previous owner died and lost the coffin when she died.

Before her, it was owned by a female vampire spawn age 17 who was Lawful Evil. She gained the coffin when the previous owner had it confiscated and lost the coffin when she died.

Before her, it was owned by a female vampire spawn age 13 who was Chaotic Evil. She gained the coffin when she was turned and lost the coffin when it was taken from her.

Before her, it was owned by a human male age 25 who was Lawful Evil. He gained it when he paid the blacksmith for his work and lost it when he gave it to the next owner.

Before him, it was owned by a human male age 50 who was Neutral Good. He gained it when he created it and lost it when he sold it to the one who commissioned it.

[Monodominant]

Spoiler

Show

!!!

And there I was thinking object reading gloves are pretty useless...

Ishmael gapes for a while. Vampire spawns... god darn it... were the Pelorites vampire spawn controllers or were they inflitrated by them?

So many questions... so many possibilities and of them truly horrible...

Well one thing was for sure... he was attending that meeting.

With all this information collected Ishmael first checks the door he couldnt figure out how to open from the inside, in case its easier this way to figure out the mechanism.

[planswalker]

From this side, you merely slide it open.

[planswalker]

From this side, you merely slide it open.