Once the treasure had been picked through, and the Gembounds had taken what they wished, it was time to move on.
Ahead lay a long, ruined stairwell: a little overgrown,
very dark, and treacherous in terms of missing bricks and areas crumbled long ago to sand. It was hard to tell what might lurk in the shadowed edges, or what traps might be sprung as they made their way down.
Click for Loot Results!
Zephiran finds a Ruby. Though he does not know it, the gemstone holds life, and its revival will automatically succeed. The creature that last held it will not be known unless otherwise discovered, until revived. He also finds a whopping 17 Coins.
Genghis uncovers a large, strange piece of armor consisting of two pieces of steel connected by straps. It appears to be intended to hang over the shoulders, held in place by a canine-type harness of old leather (which could really use some repairs); the metal itself then forms an almost body armor-like shape over the shoulders and ribs. It follows the shape of the dog's ribcage, and while engraved, is not very ornate. It has been deliberately darkened with smoke, so that it is less reflective and more matte. He also finds 2 Coins.
Spark, with some searching, does find something that appears to be a set of tools. This set in particular consists of three metal-forged objects, strong and set into a toolbelt-like design of worn leather. These objects include a small but sturdy hammer with a wooden handle, a chisel, and a device almost like a crowbar. Likely these were used to deal with traps, but could be adapted to artwork, or just breaking open doors. Interestingly, the chisel was dual-purpose, Enchanted with Fire Trap, so that if used against an enemy as a weapon it would emit a small blast of flame. This might be difficult to uncover, but the faint buzz of magic on the thing could lead Spark to experimentation. Spark also finds 2 Coins.
V-Chaos-Eleven procures a gemstone: a large, impressive-looking fang made of sapphire. Whether it belonged to someone lost here, or was actually used as a weapon, is unclear, but it's wicked. This gemstone's revival will be a guaranteed success, though the creature it belonged to will only be revealed once revived, unless she finds another method. She also finds 19 Coins.
Menkheperre would not find journals among the treasure: they were looting not the dead, but chests overflowing with special loot. But he could locate what appeared to be a book, at least. The cover was leather, extremely worn but ornate, with beautiful golden corners and sigils engraved and dyed on its front. The problem was that this place was... well, ancient. And while some magic of preservation had done some work, the leatherbound tome's leather had hardly survived, the parchment had almost all crumbled to dust. The moment he opened the book, it would begin to decay. If he were quick, he could recognize it as a wizard's spellbook, and glean knowledge of a single spell from the pages before it fell apart. The cover he could keep and reuse to bind a new book, if he wished. Menkheperre receives an empty but beautiful bookcover, and may claim any rank of Spell Borrow in Update Me. He also finds 6 Coins.
Audland procures... a steak knife. It could, if one squinted, and if it were nighttime, be mistaken for a combat weapon. It was relatively small, with a serrated edge and simple black wooden handle. And maybe it was a good thing he'd nicked himself on the blade, which could indeed use a sharpening, as it'd teach him an important fact: the knife was Enchanted with Decay. Its strikes inflicted a necrotic fungus that would prevent a target's healing, and cause pain. This wouldn't really affect Audland until the infection spread through the wound, and it could certainly be treated, but the uses of such an object were interesting. And questionable. But the buzz of magic would assure him that this item was worth taking. He also finds 1 Coin.
Yew finds a strange little ring made of wood, twined to look like wreathing vines or branches--or maybe it was grown that way. Incredibly delicate, detailed little blossoms are carved along its length. The ring is Enchanted with Blossom, and Yew may discover over time that it increases the rate of plant growth all around it. Yew also finds 14 Coins.
Angel finds a small hand mirror, though such a description does not do it justice. It is shining glass, an oval, framed in labradorite; a hinge of silver latches a matching labradorite cover that swings shut to close over it. The mirror is extremely well-made, with truly reflective mirror glass being a rarity in the caves. It is suitable for travelling with, with the protective cover and its silver clasp to keep it shut. He also finds 19 Coins.
Halcyon finds a cloak. At first glance it's plain gray-brown where it lays folded against the stone, a little ways away from the treasure. Maybe this is the cue for a practical mind: the cloth has survived the test of time where little else organic has, despite a clearly organic origin of rough, thick wool. The cloak is Enchanted with Camouflage, changing to match the hue of its surroundings: a worthwhile treasure for a stealth mission, for keeping one of Mother's chosen hidden beneath its embrace. Halcyon also finds A single, shining Gemcoin.
Callista finds a mask, heavy for its thin size--made of solid gold. It was molded and forged to look like a horrific, grinning, fanged face: a war-mask of some kind. It is inlaid with horrifying ruby eyes over the actual eye-slits, which almost seem to glow red, and two curled horns twist back from the war mask's top. It looks valuable--and as though it might have history. Callista also finds 8 Coins.
Fleas finds an item that's a bit bizarre in the context of a treasure dungeon, at least at first: a steel-encased mercury thermometer. This is a small object hanging on a silver chain, and is quite ornate rather than utilitarian, its mercury gleaming between the fine notches intended to indicate temperature--either in the surrounding air or beneath a creature's tongue, perhaps. Even stranger is that the thermometer is Enchanted, with White Sense. Perhaps it was intended for use by a medic, to detect infection from fever, or even to warn of a trap of disease. The stronger the bacterial or viral presence, the brighter the white glow shrouding the silver object would become. FLeas also finds 18 Coins.
Thalia finds a small silver flute. While sweet in its music, it's simple, unadorned. However, it is Enchanted with Pause, causing the passage of time close around it to slightly slow. This makes carrying it, too, a little strange: events outside its "bubble" will appear to move faster to Thalia while she carries it. She also finds 7 Coins.
Players may add the Coins found to their characters' accounts. Those who found Enchanted loot may optionally post in Update Me to have simple icons added to their Enchanted Items profile field. (Please link to the loot post in your request!)
Gembounds should
roll Perception or any form of
self-protection they deem useful to safely traverse the long, dark stairwell and any hidden dangers.
The next post will take place on
June 29th in the evening GMT.
Mai is at risk of chrysalizing. If her player wishes to continue, her WIP post should be completed and the missed round posted for. (If Mai departs, the WIP post should be edited into an exit.)
