Journey abroad (Jaela)

[Anastasia]

Strength check.

[Anastasia]

<Tohsaka> Roll 1d20+8
<Penuche> Tohsaka invokes Penuche's magic: < 10 > [d20=2]

No good. Mirima pats Jaela on the shoulder, "Don't worry, honey. I have this," she says, before trying to force it herself.

> roll 1d20+6 Mirima
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 12 > [d20=6]

Aaaand it doesn't budge. To this Ellese sighs a bit, before kicking the side of the chest herself.

> roll 1d20+5 Ellese
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 9 > [d20=4]

Which doesn't even scratch it.

[Corwin]

Jaela tries again.

[Anastasia]

> roll 1d20+8 Jaela again
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 28 > [d20=20]

Rolling for Jaela by request. Apparently I'm in the zone.

With a mighty pull, the top of the chest comes free. Within are neatly stacked golden bars, small but a great many of them, the chest entirely filled. Each is inlaid with a pattern of the stars, moon and sun.

[Corwin]

"Nice find!"

[Anastasia]

Ellese looks to them and shakes her head, "This feels like someone else's treasure. What happened here?" she asks, "You don't just find gold bars sitting about in the open, waiting to be found."

Mirima considers, eyeing the treasure, "A windfall, but you might be right. This smells of more than meets the eye."

[Corwin]

"I figured it was from a shipswreck," Jaela muses. "We'll take it with us. Antenora can tell us if it's something local."

[Anastasia]

How are you transporting it?

[Corwin]

Jaela summons Brokion, and them tips the chest in before unsummoning the armor once more. Not an elegant solution, but she would think on one afterwards.

[Anastasia]

"We should. That's a lot of money, especially to normal mortals," Ellese murmurs, barely heard from the distortions of water. Speaking louder after that, "There's an elven proverb about finding a bag of gold lying in the street. The happy elf left it, because he already had joy enough. The wise elf sought who lost it, because he knew that the it was not his gain, but another's loss. The greedy elf took it and made merry with the money, only to drink too much and die in his sleep."

"Yes, but if a warrior elf maiden found it," Mirima tries to toss her hair, which simply doesn't work underwater. It floats about, which makes her pause and scowl, a hand going to reign it back in. "If a warrior elf maiden found it, they'd use it to smite all the devils they could."

[Corwin]

"And if we move past the proverbs, sometimes the treasure's original owners have already passed on. Either way, let's get going?"

[Anastasia]

> roll 1d100 Jaela
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 48 > [d100=48]

Another hour or two of travel takes you out of the bay. You soon see a city ahead on the coastal plain, buildings of seastone beneath the waves. It's in the distance still but you can see it, all of it made with richly colored and varied sedimentary rock.

"Are we going in head long?" Mirima asks, checking Woven Gold. "The devil and his minions will notice."

"Yes, which is why-" Ellese begins, only for Mirima to laugh.

"That's why we do just that. Why hide? We're here to end a devil, not slip into its slimy graces. Come, it'll be exciting, as exciting as going in without our swimsuits." Mirima swims ahead at that, hurrying on.

"...eh?" Ellese stares, "Why would that be exciting and why is she throwing away any tactical advantage?" she asks aloud.

[Corwin]

"I'm not flashing any devils," Jaela says drily. "Not to mention that we're under a Veil. It's a pretty decent approach, so long as we come up with a valid reason for visiting. Maybe asking about that emblem on the gold?"

She glances over at Ellese. "How would you prefer to handle it?"

[Anastasia]

Mirima slows, enough not to get out of earshot, and finally stops.

"Well," Ellese says, "A devil will out plan and out politic me. But it's the angle a devil expects. So a feint there that opens them up to a decapitating blow otherwise."

[Corwin]

"That settles it,  then," Jaela decides. "We don't know anything about this place to plot and we look foreign no matter shat we do. Let's be treasure hunters looking for gold with the symbol we found and look around the village. If you two spot a lead on the devil or hear some relevant rumors, we'll act."