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 Sent: 6/2/99

Guilliam gets the others and leads them through the illusionary wall. When they are all together, Guilliam slowly walks around the chests, getting as many vantage points of them as he can. Quietly and in a distant voice, as if his mind is thinking of many things, he speaks out "We came here to clear the mines. That was our mission. Have we done that? Hmmmm. I don't know. We killed that creature. But is that all that stands in the King's way between these tunnels and the precious metal to be found here? It seems not. If the metal in these rocks is so valuable, it would certainly attract others who desire power." Guilliam continues to look at the chests. He casually strokes his chin and rubs his forhead and then begins again "And the others seem to be a powerful group of mages. Can we fight them ourselves? It is one thing to destroy men and beasts with swords and a few well placed magics. But can we fight those whose mystical powers are both strong and evil? I don't think so. Not without some help. And the advantage that we seek may be found in these chests. Clues to their weakness, powerful potions, magical instruments or detailed plans."

Suddenly, as if quickly awaking from a dream, Guilliam looks to the others with his bright eyes and exclaims "How do we open them?" Then, just as suddenly and on the whim of an impulse, he picks up some rocks from the cavern floor, says "Stand back", and lightly tosses them at the chests.

The stones fly lightly through the air, landing on the chests on top and on the front side. They bounce off as they would any such chest. There appears to be no effect on the chests; they do not open, make any noise, or movement.

Cy defers to the more experienced in the ways of magic on the case of the chest. Stepping aside, he motions to Storm, "Do you care to try?"

Storm removes his (slightly longer) bastard sword from his back. He moves into position to poke at the chests from as far away as he can stand. He goes to prod at the lock of one of the chests with the point of the sword, hoping maybe something gives way. The tip of the sword enters the keyhole, and with some effort, gains some success. With a metallic "pop" the top plate of the lock lifts off, pried apart by Storm's strength.

With a proud smile, Storm walks forward, sheathing his sword. He looks around the party and leans down to open the first chest. He grips the lid tightly and pulls, but to no avail. He closes his eyes, pulling again much harder, but the lid still does not budge. Frustrated and a little embarrassed, Storm hits the stone wall behind the chests and moves aside.

Crayne looks at the chests before him and kneels down. Scratching his chin he turns to the rest of the group, "This place is certainly full of mysteries. What has the Red Dragon School been up to here and why have they left their belongings behind? Surely an Umber Hulk couldn't have taken out the powerful party of mages."

"Unless," Canter interjects, "it was just one mage. But we still have no way of knowing..."

Crayne nods, continuing, "We must be wary friends for there might well be something else in these passages that we haven't found yet. If you will excuse me now I would like to spend about ten minutes or so in meditation to try and see whether there are any traps on these chests and also to try and identify these rings that we found. Please!"

Crayne turns to Guilliam "do not touch these chests! If there is anybody here with any sort of mechanical trap law then that would be most appreciated! Canter? Do you have any skill in this sort of area?"

Canter shakes his head. "I'm a leatherman's son, not a locksmith's. I'm afraid even if I tried with my tools, they would merely break. I wonder if these chests are magically barred. Maybe you can shed some light on that..."

Crayne nods and walks over to the corner of the room and sits cross-legged and once begins his mumblings and readings. Meanwhile, Edryd addresses the rest of the group, "Biln needs some real healing, something none of us here can offer. I think we'd best head back down the mountain once we've opened these chests. Sir Nigel said we'd have to wait until the first shipment of ore was ready before returning to Parton, so that will give us all some time to recover from this last battle. And that time will tell whether we're really cleared this mine, or whether more threats lie deep inside her. What say you all?"

Canter nods his head, "I agree. We can accompany the miners up here in pairs while they dig, that way, if something else is up here, they are afforded a little protection. And the others can rest. We should also see if any of the miners in the camp below have any kind of healing powers, surely they would aid our friend Biln, here."

"This is all well and good," Guilliam begins, forcing himself to stow his curiosity and turn away from the chests for the moment, "but the question is: Biln, are you well enough to make it back down the mountain?"

Biln, who is standing next to Edryd, his arm around the paladin for support, clears his throat. "Aye. Methinks I c'n make it. Me needs ta..."

"Okay gentlemen, step aside," Crayne says, rising from his studies and putting his papers back into his bag. "These rings, they are not magical at all." Storm lets out a sigh, obviously disappointed. Crayne ignores this, turning on the chests. He begins to intone a few short words of magic, waving his hands slightly over the chests. As he finishes, the others can see both chests begin to glow slightly, a pale shade of yellowish-gold.

"Whoa! What is that?!" Guilliam exclaims, kneeling down next to a glowing chest.

"My friend, Guilliam, that means that there is some kind of magic placed upon or in these chests. Which, I cannot say for sure. But seeing as our best minds here could not figure out how to open them, I would venture to say that the magic is placed ON the chests, perhaps keeping them shut."

"Can you dispell it?" Cy asks, lowering his visor and drawing his sword, "or do we just need to try harder to break in?"

Crayne chuckles, "No, no, Cy. Try as you might, your mighty strength cannot break into a magically sealed chest. And no, I know any spells now that would..." he trails off, thinking for a moment. "...One moment, I might have something." Crayne fumbles around in his backpack, pulling out a different set of papers.

"That's the spellbook we found at Mazen's lair!" Guilliam says excitedly.

Crayne smiles, "Exactly. Let me see if there's anything in here that can help us." He flips through the pages, mumbling to himself as he skims the directions for each spell. "Hmm!" He exclaims. "I think I have something! Stand back."

With that said, he holds the spellbook up in front of him and begins to read. The words are unfamiliar, none Crayne has intoned before. He opens and closes his hand over the chests, finishing the spell with a closed fist. Then there is silence in the cavern.

"Well that really didn't do much," Canter says.

Exhaling loudly, Crayne flips the book closed with one hand, and unclenches his fist with the other, reaching for his bag. As he unclenches his fist, the remaining lock pops open and the two lids rise slightly. Guilliam lets out a yelp, "you did it!"

"Well done, Crayne," Cy says, patting the mage on the back.

The party quickly sorts through the chests' contents. One chest is filled with coins, both silver and gold. "This'll take time t'count," Storm says, "but I be thinkin' there be at least 200 er so of golders and silvers!"

Guilliam, peers into the other chest. His eyes widen as he reaches in and pulls out two shiny objects. As they come into the light, all can see they are golden goblets. "There are four of them!" he calls to the others, "plus two flasks and what looks like two of these other things." He holds up a cylindrical container.

Crayne swipes it from his hand. "These are scrolls. Now THIS could be really useful."

"I think it's best if we don't dwell on the loot here," Edryd cautions. "Let us take it down to the base camp with us where it is safer."

"Right," Crayne says, handing the scroll case back to Guilliam. Guilliam tosses it back into the chests and slams down the lid. "Be careful with those things!" Crayne cautions with a smile.

Storm closes the other chests and leans down to pick it up. Guilliam attempts to lift the one with the scrolls, flasks and goblets, but find it a little too heavy. "Uh, Cy? Can you help me with this?" Cy nods, sheathing his sword, raising his visor, and picking up the chest.

"Okay," Canter says, addressing the group, "let's head back to camp."

The party emerges from the Raimead Mine, finding the sun at mid-afternoon. They begin the trip down carefully, Edryd helping Biln along the way, Storm and Cy carrying chests, and the others on lookout. By early evening the group can see the base camp and the nearby stream. The tents are set up just as when they left, and a large cooking fire is already burning. Sitting around the fire, the ten remaining miners (a mix of humans and dwarves) keep their heads low, assuming that their leader has been lost.

"Darn be lookin' so down, men!" Biln cries out as best he can as the party enters the camp. One can clearly see the delight on the faces of the miners, both at the fact that Biln made it back and that all of the party made it back. Questions are asked about the mine, the monsters, and especially about the chests.

Soon food is prepared, some game caught with Storm's traps laid days earlier. As the sun sets, the miners and Rinder's Six gather around the fire for some eating, drinking, and storytelling.

"These here men," Biln says loudly to his miners from a makeshift chair, raising a goblet of wine, "saved me life! Cheers be to them!" The miners all respond with cheers, gladly drinking from their own goblets and cups. As the cheers ensue, Biln leans over to Edryd, sitting at his side, and whispers quietly. "As a small token fer me life, I be willin' to part with me share of the loot. But I warn ye, me men'll want a cut. They already be seen them chests and suspicions been aroused." Edryd nods, turning to the others to make sure they heard, too.

"This would be a good time," one of the other miners begins, "for a story." He turns to face Guilliam, who had been light strumming his mandolin. "You look like one who would tell yer story good..."

1. The spell Crayne used from Mazen's Mage's spellbook was "Knock." If you'd like, Crayne can copy that spell into his own spellbook while at the base camp over the next couple of days. In addition, he can attempt to learn other level two spells from the Mage's book, too, and copy those as well...if you'd like.

2. The chest of coins, when counted, will reveal 275 gp and 350 sp. The other chest contains:

-the golden goblets (a set of 4)

-2 flasks of potions/oils

-2 scroll cases (presumably with scrolls inside)

Bear in mind, also, that Guilliam has a flask found in Mazen's lair that has yet to be identified.

WHAT WILL YOU DO ABOUT DISTRIBUTING THE TREASURE? WHAT ABOUT THE MINERS, WILL YOU GIVE ANY TO THEM?

3. WHAT NEXT? Will you send people up with the miners to the mine? What will you do for the couple of days while the first shipment of ore is being extracted from the mountain? (Storm--perhaps a journey back to that town to pick up the suit of armor your ordered?) Also, Guilliam, how much about the mine will you tell the miners?

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