FR: Quest for the Forgotten Key IC (Oak)

[knewsom]

It was spring in Cormyr, and the wild grass that grew in green clumps and waves at the side of the Old Traveler's Road blew in the gentle morning breeze, re-grown now from a long cold winter - soft fluffy white clouds dotted a rich blue sky, and the sun warmed your skin, as you walked in and out of its patches dotting the well worn ruts of the road on the way to Ulryn's cottage. Perhaps you read the sign posted outside a few of the local taverns, or perhaps you simply heard the rumor that Ulryn was looking for a group of stouthearted adventurers to reclaim a lost item of some sentimental value, either way, you decided that the 500 gold reward sounded more than worth the trouble and headed to the north side of town, outside the city walls as directed. The sun lazily rose in the sky, and you arrived at the cottage at about 10:00 in the morning, as per the request on the advertisement. Upon sighting the cottage, you noticed that there was already a bit of a crowd gathering outside Ulryn's humble home. Assuming that he must know for sure that so many people have gathered outside, you didn't bother knocking on the door. The crowd continued to grow larger and more diverse. Mostly Humans, but certainly a couple Dwarves, Halflings, and Elves could be found amongst the crowd, as well as some other individuals whose origins you couldn't quite place. At about 11:00, people were beginning to get restless, and some of the adventurers and fortune seekers turned and left.

"I didn't come here to waste my whole morning," grumbled one short, balding, but burly looking monk.

"The old fool probably forgot that he posted an ad in the first place," spat a nimble looking half-elf.

"Why should I bother? There are so many others, there's no way I'd get noticed in this crowd," sighed a downtrodden gnome.

As the group thinned, you found yourself beginning to wonder if the trip was really worth it, the warmth of the day increasing as the sun now approached it's zenith.

[Toliudar]

Eberhart

Trudging stolidly through the spring mud, Eberhart tried to enjoy the sunshine. They'd gotten precious little of that for years, and it was a beautiful thing that Lager had taught him to enjoy its warmth on his face.

Shifting the shortbow on his back, the young dwarf thought back over all the twists of recent years that had brought him here, with this magnificent brother of his, and that maybe he should feel lucky after all.

Nah.

Arriving at the cottage to the existing crowd, and having met other travellers back in town who had suggested - by word or look - that they might be coming here too, Eberhart tried not to get too dispirited. The brothers found a place to wait outside the cottage. He shrugged to Lager.

Well, worst he can say is no. We'll get some work here this summer. You with the outdoors, me with the indoors, and together with a quick knock to the skull.

With a grim smile, he tugged one of his maces free and held it out to Lager in salute.

[1337_master]

Meh, This work had better be Worth it. Xaal Mumbles to himself

[Foobar]

Lager

Course. As usual. Got to say usually when it's your turn to pick our job, I don't get to spend this much time outside. Getting a little tired of waiting, though. Want to speed this up a bit?

Lager heads over to the house and knocks firmly on the door. Not waiting for the answer, he walks back over to his twin.

Maybe that'll bring the old coot out of his shell.

[PolkaBear]

Meiphren Dunapuros
A pacing human (?) with red eyes and silver hair.

I thought I was in trouble with Solun because of that incident with the barber; but apparently not. I guess he finally sees my potential. This is the first time he's trusted me with an assignment all to my own. The 500 gold isn't bad, either. I get to set a thief straight and pad my own pocket. A tithe to Hoar, of course.

Whoever this 'Ulryn' is, he won't be sorry he asked me to help him get back what was taken from him.

[Toliudar]

Eberhart

Tucking away his mace, Eberhart joined his brother at the door.

For someone complaining about spending time indoors, you're sure eager to get inside. What happened to the whole "The essence of a successful hunt is patience" stuff?

[1337_master]

After hearing What "Eberhart" said, I scuffle to myself.

[Fiendish_Dire_Moose]

Jericho

Jericho had read the sign on a tavern wall about a man names Ulryn looking for workers, and better yet, offering 500 gold no doubt.
A pretty good salary considering odd jobs and other jobs he'd taken paid considerably less.
So, on this bright day, as he cursed the sun, he made his way towards the large gathering. It was bright, and the large crowd was surely only going to add to the misery of the day. So, as he made his way, he decided to play a depressing little tune on his flute. Set in low keys.
Perform: (1d20+9)[25]

As the crowd grew restless and complained, he stopped, and scorned them in his heavy accent.
"Ye know lads and lasses. Iff'n it were me who had attracted a large number of people, indeed I'd make'em wait too. Thin out the impatient ones don't ye think? Iffn' ye can' e'en stick around for a mesely hour, I don' think ye'd be good fer the job."

[Toliudar]

Eberhart

Turning his sun-bronzed face to Jericho, Eberhart turns his attention from his brother at the door.

Yup, and what's the point of saying that? If you're right, you just tellin' everyone to wait longer, smart boy, which means YOU'RE waiting longer too.

Shaking his head, Eberhart trundles around to examine the cottage's windows.

Spoiler

Show

He's not expecting to be able to see in, although that'd be great. He's actually trying to look for any magical wards on the windows. Not touching, just looking. He's going to do anything about that...yet. Since nothing's going on, he'll - what the heck - take twenty on the searches, giving a total search of 27.

[knewsom]

Lager grasped the large brass knocker, worn from years of exposure, and gave a hearty knock.


...and waited.





.....and waited.





........and waited.



By this point, Jericho's depressing tune had long since ended, almost everyone had left, still cursing under their breaths, and calling Jericho a fool to boot, and just when you were about to turn and leave, you heard.....

[Fiendish_Dire_Moose]

Jericho

The bard laughed at Eberhart's remark.
"Aye lad, it does mean I surely will. But is a man, who cnna' even wait a short day, worth the trouble of a lifetime?
What I meant was, if ye canna' wait, a short period of time, will ye have the patience, and the mental set, for what lies ahead of ye?"

[Fiendish_Dire_Moose]

Jericho

The bard laughed at Eberhart's remark.
"Aye lad, it does mean I surely will. But is a man, who cnna' even wait a short day, worth the trouble of a lifetime?
What I meant was, if ye canna' wait, a short period of time, will ye have the patience, and the mental set, for what lies ahead of ye?"
And then, he thought he'd heard something

[Toliudar]

Eberhart

Turning from his examination of the cottage window, Eberhart turned and squinted at the laughing man.

You know, I know a bunch a dwarves who talk just like you? You spend any time in the north?

[PolkaBear]

Meiphren Dunapuros

Annoyed by the delay, Meiphren amused himself by materializing a greenish blade out of thin air. Every time he flicked his wrist, the blade disappeared; and he grunted with frustration.

"Maybe somebody got to this guy already, to prevent him from reclaiming his property. Or maybe--" He stopped and cocked his head, as if straining to listen.

[knewsom]

Meiphren, Jericho, and Eberhart heard a barely stifled laugh coming from the direction of the gable directly above the porch. What started as a stifled snerk grew louder until you could all hear it, but when your eyes finally found the spot that the now rolling laughter was coming from, there appeared a well aged Elf sitting atop the gable - you could swear there was nothing there at all earlier.

"Ohh, I just couldn't take it anymore. The five of you were so good to wait - patience is such an important virture you know!"

Ulryn snapped his fingers and dissapeared again, leaving the gable empty, and only a moment later the front door of the cottage opened up, his thin form reappaering in the doorway, a hint of a laugh still on his face.

"Although you nearly spoiled my little test, now didn't you Jericho? tisk tisk, you've made me wait far longer than I should have had to wait, but no matter. Come in, come in. It may have been a very warm day, but it'll soon be a chilly evening."

[Foobar]

Lager

Not entirely certain of what happened, but sure that he was somehow the butt of the joke, Lager stiffens and seems ready to walk off.

500 gp, Lager, 500 gold. And it's not like it's the first time you've been laughed at.

Lager takes a deep breath and then walks into the cottage.

[Toliudar]

Eberhart

Throughout the elf's tomfoolery, Eberhart deliberately holds his arms at their sides, so as to avoid having them spring to his back to grab his bow. He took no pleasure from a test that would have been passed as easily by a stone. Sometimes, it felt like the young dwarf had spent his whole life waiting. He was ready, now, to act. Worse, he could tell that his brother felt the same way.

Ritually touching the doorjamb on the way into the cottage, Eberhart steps in, expecting the same jumbled mess that he glimpsed from outside.

A few good strikes at the joists there, there, and at the corners, and this bloody shack is falling in on the giggler's ears. See how much he's laughing THEN!

[PolkaBear]

Meiphren Dunapuros

And now he's laughing at us! As if it's hilarious! This sort of treatment won't go unremembered. If I can't find a fitting response to this sort of thing, then perhaps I'm no proper servant of Hoar.

Meiphren shook his head and followed the elf.

[Fiendish_Dire_Moose]

Jericho

Jericho smiled triumphantly to himself. None-the-less he followed the old man into the cottage.

[knewsom]

The old elf raised an eyebrow suspiciously at the dwarf as he touched the entryway to the cottage, almost as if examining it for weaknesses.

"Take no offense at my laughter dear friends, I was merely pleased with how well my little test worked - after all, everything in this life is a test, or so it would seem. That was just my way of screening out the bad apples. Make yourselves at home in the parlor, I need to fetch something from upstairs."

You sat on musty old couches and trunks in a cluttered sitting area by a hearth that must have raged constantly in the winter months, but that now sat cold and unburning. The room was cluttered beyond belief, with bits of spell components, prescious metals, gems, paintings, sticks, stones, and countless baubles scattered throughout the room on dusty shelves. The room, and even the whole cabin had a very warm and familiar feel about it, and you immediately felt comfortable here. He skittered down the narrow stair hiding something behind his back, and approached the group.

"The reason I have called you here today is to fetch an item of mine which has great personal importance to me."

Ulryn brought the item from behind his back, and you all saw before you a strange looking box with a single drawer. It was made out of wood (oak, you presumed), and had a beautiful golden inlay pattern. The handle was detailed and as ornate as the drawer and the box itself. The box had no lid, and it appeared that the only access to the interior was through the drawer.

"You see, I have no way of knowing what I've put in this drawer, and the key is what's missing. This is no ordinary drawer or box - it has properties beyond imagination - it's name, is the Drawer of Forgetting."

[Toliudar]

Eberhart

The dwarf settles on the floor of the cottage, placing a hand to the floor as if to steady himself. He grinned at his brother - we're in!

As the box is brought forward, Eberhart gives the others a minute to examine it, then thrusts his head forward, staring intently at it. All previous thoughts of haggling a deal with the elf are forgotten as the dwarf is caught up in conundrum of it.

So, this chest thing is called the Drawer of Forgetting, and you forget whatever you put in it? Do you at least remember where you last put the key?

Spoiler

Show

Searching the box without touching (unless permission to touch is given through the elf's body language) - taking 20 for a total of 27 on the check). Looking for writing, decoration, scratches, marks, and any guesses he could make about the size and shape of key that the drawer would take.

[Foobar]

Lager

Seeing his brother's grin, he smiles slowly and nods.

He sees it, too. This job is a good fit for us. I do the the big searches, he does the small scales. And it looks like there are enough others to round out our skills. This may have promise. Of course, it's probably just his recipe for that Act Like An Idiot potion. Elves. Well, as long as his gold is good.

Lager watches Eberhart inspecting the furniture, becoming interested in spite of himself.

Why can't you just pick it? Or force it open? Or use magic to open it? You could always get a new lock made for it.

[Fiendish_Dire_Moose]

Jericho

Jericho got as good a look as he could at the item without straining himself.
It was a strange little curiosity, but the answer itself could have been very simple.
"Aye, tis a strange thing indeed. But I have to ask....Did ye perchance put the key inside th' box? Not tha' ye'd really know now."

Spoiler

Show

Bardic Knowledge to see if there's anything more to this Drawer of Forgetting.
(1d20+5)[11]

[PolkaBear]

Meiphren Dunapuros

Meiphren's left eyebrow formed a silver arch. "So the key's been stolen, eh? But if you don't even know what's inside the box, why would opening it be of 'great personal importance'?"

His tone became slightly obnoxious and superior: "Hoar does not designate his servants to pursue petty matters. The injustice in this world is too great to waste time chasing...trinkets and oddments."

His voice warmed slightly, losing its edge; and his red eyes glinted. "Now if the box contained treasure beyond words, or if the thief were taunting with your loss, then it would be a different situation entirely. Such things are worthy of 'creative' solutions and imaginative retribution."

Although worship of Hoar is not as popular as, say, devotion to the Church of Tyr, you might still have heard enough of his doctrine to know that this man's words are probably not entirely orthodox.

[Toliudar]

Eberhart

Hoar...Hoar...one of those upstart human gods with an inflated sense of their own importance, no doubt.

The dwarf's eyes twinkle with sudden amusement.

The great Hoar smiles, then, on those who pursue profit in their retributions? How enlightened.

And Lager, it's so good to see you coming around to my way of thinking. Because when you've got is a set of locksmith's tools, everything starts to look like a lock. Still, I'm guessing that if this is some kinda fancy forgetting-magic-thingy, it's not going to be as easy as that.

[knewsom]

"Oh, I'm afraid you're mistaken about the nature of this drawer. Forgetting an item or where you've put it is no uncommon thing. Neither would forgetting a birthday, or the favorite food of a loved one. But can you imagine forgetting whole stretches of your life? Days? Weeks? MONTHS, just GONE in an instant? People coming to talk to you whom you've never laid eyes on, treating you with familiarity, but it doesn't ring a bell. Can you imagine forgetting a lover? A friend? A birth? A death? The power of the drawer is deep and unpredictable. Generally you will lose any memories attached directly or sometimes even indirectly to whatever object is placed inside. It can be a great blessing, or a terrible curse. If it were broken or forced open, I'm afraid any memories you had attached to the item inside would be lost forever. Were the KEY inside the box, I'm sure that would account for my forgetting where it was, but how on earth would I have locked it in there if that was so? I never said that the key was stolen, only lost. I need the five of you to solve this mystery for me - I'm too old to go galivanting about looking for lost memories. When you get to be as old as me, though I suspect most of you won't live a third as long as I have, your memories become the single most prescious posession you have. So yes, the treasure inside could be unimaginable. It could be anything. And I suppose it's easily worh the gold you'll be paid for your trouble... Well, the gold and the supplies you'll be recieving."

[PolkaBear]

Meiphren Dunapuros

The tiefling had the decency--imagine that!--to look abashed at the dwarf's observation. His mouth opened, but his retort was strangled before it could come out.

If there's a tithe given to further the work, then surely it's a fitting repayment...right? After all, the worker is worthy of his wage; so it's only just that the one who rebalances the scales be recompensed for his intervention.

But is it right that the one to whom justice is restored be the one to provide the recompense? Surely it is more fitting that it be the offender that pays what is due.

His mouth clapped shut. Oh, I wish I had paid more attention to Solun during his lectures. I know he addressed this issue; I just can't remember what he said.

The elf's explanation interrupted these thoughts.

"So wait--it wasn't stolen? Why did you contact our temple for help then?"

Spoiler

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Ulryn didn't, in fact, contact the temple. The cleric Solun had heard the of the general call for help that the elf had published. He (Solun) was annoyed with Meiphren, and thought that this was an easy way to get the tiefling out of his hair for a while--and perhaps give him some experiences which would mature him.

Despite his pious proclamations, the avaricious aspect of his fiendish blood was simmering at the mention of the gold and supplies.

[Fiendish_Dire_Moose]

Jericho

"Well, with breaking it open out of the question, I guess that starts us off then.
Would ye happen to have any leads where we should start?"


Jericho wasn't sure searching for a key was going to be a story worth telling later in life, but his knowledge of such stories and items, told him it was probably going to grow on a much larger scale.
Atleast, with an item that removes memories associated with the contents, must surely be powerful, and if someone took the key, they must have had a very good reason indeed.

[Foobar]

Lager

Knowing that this was more his brother's sort of thing, Lager is content to relax, listen, and observe his comrades. He glances out the windows, perks up to listen as birds chirp or at any natural sounds from outside. Other than that, he looks slightly bored.

[knewsom]

From what Eberhart could tell from his inspection of the drawer, they key would be a typical looking skeleton key, about two inches in length, and probably made of gold. There was indeed writing on the box, in fact, two distinctly different sets of text, which you don't even recognise - it's not elven, dwarvish, or any of the languages used by men that you've seen.

Ulryn scratched his chin. "Yes Jericho, I do have a general idea of where would be a good place to start looking. The last memory I have of the key was the feeling of it in my pouch as I felt for gold to pay the inkeeper in the town of Forrest Gate to the west of Arabel, set amongst the King's Forrest. Here is a map. I will also help equip you for this journey. My many years of wizardry and adventuring have left me with a great many things for which I have very little use. Please, tell me a bit about each of you - your strengths, your weaknesses, so I might better know what would help you, and so that each of you might get to know each other a bit better. The journey may not be incredibly far, but it could take some time, and is bound to be difficult. If you have any specific needs, let me know, and I'll try to meet them. My cottage may look small, but believe me, I've a great many more places to keep things than it would appear. And Meiphren, I haven't a clue as to what you're talking about, but I suppose it's possible it was stolen - I simply don't remember, which is really quite a connundrum."