The Quest to Return Ruby's Key

(Story by Ruby; Pictures by S'karlett and Phoenix)

Gathering in Magincia, I explained to everyone about the missing box. I explained that Hawk had place a 'dimension door' trap on the box, that was supposed to have worked in conjunction with the explosion trap. Basically, the idea was for the box to teleport to a 'safe' spot, and then explode. But hawk, not being a mage, messed the trap up. So, months later, the box disappeared on its own, taking the key to my warded virginity with it.

 

Reports came that the orcs of Cove had discovered a golden box within their midst. So, we gated to the city of Cove and began our raid on the fort.

The orcs and ettins were out in number, fighting with a determination that startled us. A few of us died, but the rest held fast. Soon, a path to the docks was cleared, and a couple of 'talkative' orcs were found.

These two orcs claimed to be 'ork priests', but they claimed to know nothing about a box. One orc, the female, said they had a gift from the orc gods that look like box, but was not a humie box, it was a gift from their gods. Merria offered 'shinies', and the female orc told her that the 'box that not humie' was sent to their brothers in yew, and that in turn it had been given to the 'dead humies' to hold. The group figured out that the orc was talking about liches, so together they went to south of Yew, to the lich ruins, to find... nothing. We had been tricked.

A new assault was launched on the Cove orc fort, where the two talkative orcs were again found. They were trying to steal the boat that Adian O'Rourke had brought in, but the tillerman wouldn't budge. They were captured and separated, and told two conflicting stories. They then called each other a liar and fought amongst themselves. The male orc was afraid the other orcs would kill him, while the female maintained that they had not lied, they had told us dead humies had the box. 

Someone mentioned the yew crypt, and both orcs vehemently denied that the box was there. "No box in crypt" "Me see dead people in crypt" "But we no see dead people, because not go crypt" "Yes, no crypt" "Yes, no" "no go crypt, box no there" "Yes, no"

 

So of course, we went to the crypt, dragging the orcs along with us as hostages. The female maintained that the box was *not* in the crypt the whole time. The male was pretty quiet at that point. 

The female remained adamant that the box was *not* in the crypt.. until Phoenix offered 20,000 gold pieces to whomever found the box. Suddenly the female shouted that she know where box is, she get 20,000 gold. 

Needless to say she was left in chains outside of the crypt while Xenomage found the golden box. In a generous gesture, Phoenix removed the key from the box, and gave the golden box back to the orc, who ran all the way back to Cove, clutching her prize.

Phoenix brought the key to the citadel, where I confirmed it was the correct key! So, all is well for the wedding night next week.

[Note from S'karlett: thanks to everyone who participated in the Quest. Special thanks to Ruby and Phoenix for planning this!]