The Master Of Zooz

[Malchik]

OOC> I was waiting to see if Aldhelm or Tiax wanted to add anything. But this is long enough.

 

On topic.

 

Face serves you each a portion of stewed lamb with a fiery dry rice curry and then escorts you across the town to the museum enclave. The hill is enclosed by a high marble wall with only one entrance, where you pay your rather steep entrance fee of 20 nipin per person.

 

Face waits outside, unless you elect to pay his fee too.

 

Within the wall the site comprises three white marble buildings set at some distance from each other and at different heights on the hill. Face has told you that the lowest building, to your left on entering, is the museum of arts and crafts, the middle building, to your right on entering, is fine art. The topmost building is devoted to the history of Bashkher and Ippikander in particular. He does not know where the sword would be but doubts if it is fine art as that is almost all paintings.

 

Asking at the entry to Arts and Crafts you learn that there are swords in all three buildings but the one by the Master of Zooz is considered part of Bashkheri history. You find it on the first floor (one above the ground floor). It is in a locked display case in a small windowless room that is clearly closed and locked at night. (As is the main building itself.) Four museum guards are standing around it looking bored out of their brains. The sword is not missing its tip.

 

The guards look as if they'd love to arrest you to add a bit of excitement to their day.

 

With the expensive entry fee (twice the average daily wage in Bashkher) the visitors are few.

[Malchik]

Anyone still around for this or should I close it?

[phawk69]

occ> Sorry, I was waiting for someone else to post first, but I don't want to continue it just for me. Hopefully there are a few more around.

 

ic> T'skar whispers to Kalmer "I'm not sure if these locks would be easy to pick or not. I wonder if there is another way in to the Museum?" She tries to study the door lock unobtrusively, hoping to get some idea as to it's complexity.

[Malchik]

OOC> Kalmer is around but has been away, Tiax cannot access the site atm, waiting to hear from Aldhelm.

 

On topic

 

The lock on the display case would be easy, even for an inexperienced thief. That on the room door would not be too much of a problem. However getting into the building would be difficult and breaking through the outer walls almost as hard.

 

This museum would be difficult to hide in without magical help.

 

As you walk around, you notice only one guard outside the room with the sword.

[DragonDudeAW]

OOC> Sorry for the long absence, school has been hell as of late.

 

Aldhelm studied the decrepit old mage in utter amazement. He fair flooded the room with an aura so strong, Aldhelm felt he should shield his eyes lest he go blind.

 

After T'Skar is done and the powerful sorcerer departs, Aldhelm begins to consume the food having been much hungrier than he realized. Hed becomes rather absorbed in eating and does not add to the conversation of plans. He feels that he should not interrupt the quest the others have so readily put him into.

 

After they enter the muesem, Aldhelm is rather shocked to see so much security for such a plain looking weapon. He feels no aura radiating from the weapon and decides to look around to see what else the muesem has in its displays, perhaps something related to Ruhir and the temple disturbances.

[Malchik]

The museum has nothing to say about Ruhir. There is a little about the unusual glowing statues found in several temples including Ippikander.

 

The museum displays a mock up of the relevant floor of the Skull Temple and a long-winded monologue.

 

Shorn of its verbiage the monologue states that five of the ancient temples exhibit these strange statues. The statues in the Sea Temple all glow a little. In Dohoti only the brown statue glows. In Golconar it is the golden statue and in Ippikander it is the purple statue. The Star Temple of Lopor is unique in having four statues only one of which glows and that is blood red. The temples of Kolokon, Veejani and Antinapura have no statues.

 

A custodian, a small man with long drooping moustaches, sits there waiting to answer any questions. He is almost asleep. Aldhelm has seen no one else in this part of the museum.

[DragonDudeAW]

Aldhelm decides to approach the sleepy old gentleman. He also decides to keep an eye on the old man to see perhaps if he has the keys to the muesem somewhere on his person and visible.

 

"Excuse me sir, perhaps you can help inform me of the background of the Master of Zooz? I am not from the area and would like to know all that I can about it."

[Malchik]

The man scowls. "You wanna know about swords, go and ask there. You wanna know about temples, you ask me. Got it?"

 

 

The man has no obvious keys about his personage.

[DragonDudeAW]

OOC > Malchik, in that package of local ingredients that Bharat provided did Aldhelm get the ingredients for a Detect Key potion?

 

If he did > Aldhelm walk into the temple room again and makes sure that the old man does not see him. He swiftly pulls out of his satchel his alchemy kit and tome and then lays out the necessary ingredients for a Detect Key Potion. He mixes the ingredients quickly but carefully.

 

If he doesn't > Aldhelm decides to question the old man about the temples, "Sir, do you perhaps no why some of the temples lack the strange glowing statues said to be in some of the temples?"

[Malchik]

As Aldhelm prepares the spell he suddenly realises he doesn't need to. He recalls only two possible locked doors other than the room containing the sword. The entrance to the complex itself and the entry into the museum. There were security guards at both entrances, checking staff as well as visitors.

 

(If you use the spell you will detect his own house keys.)

 

The man seems pleased that someone takes a interest.

 

"Trouble is, no one knows anything about the true nature of these statues. They were here before our current society even existed. It is rumoured that they contain trapped souls. Why some temples have them and others not, no one knows. Three ancient temples have nothing, three have three statues a different one of which glows brightly in each case. Lopor has four statues of which only the fourth is glowing. All these buildings contain the same design - top floor present day worship, middle floor the statues, lowest level the ossuary. The Sea Temple in Papred is different in that the statues are found on level one. There are three, all of which glow but not brightly and an empty plinth. Scholars argue that the Sea Temple was never a temple as such. What you see before you is a replica of the middle floor of the Skull Temple here in Ippikander. It was never easy to visit and is even harder now. Did you know there are rumours of spirits waking in these temples? Arminda Sagrami has taken all the bones from the ossuary and sent them to Antinapura. Antinapura is the holiest city in Bashkher. If there are problems, she believes the priests there are best placed to deal with them."

 

The man looks to see if you are really interested, then adds. "When I was young I visited all the ancient temples. Kolokon was disappointing but the others had more to offer."