Strawmen and The Red Herring

Descending Earth 3, R.Y. 778

Iron Shatters Oak had agreed to assist Ash in checking that The Geronimo remained water-worthy before pulling down the sail and dropping it into the sea for The Circle with No Name’s most recent mission. Though made for the skies, The Geronimo still made for an impressive naval vessel, and as Oak suspected all along there was nothing to be concerned about. Oak stuck around aboard the ship while the crew made preparations to disembark, visiting with familiar faces and admiring the craftsmanship of the first age flying machine. While performing the rare spring cleaning of the cargo hold they came across a most peculiar and unfamiliar box; one that Ash would later own up to having forgotten about. The chest had been stolen from Aleena’s house during the events of Mission 12 by Zealot and Ash, the Circle had attempted to open it but failed to do so, leading to Ash discarding and eventually forgetting about it on aboard The Geronimo. Oak offered to take a look at it while The Circle with No Name traveled west.

The Chest is magically sealed and locked by an intricate series of physical locks arranged in concentric circles along the top, all of which seem rigged to destroy whatever the chest contains if they are damaged. Oak took it back to his cabin to work on opening it at his own leisure, and throughout a day of working on it had accumulated a bit of help. Some of the help was more engaged in the process than others.

Oak’s cabin hardly resembles a cabin anymore, it had long taken on the personality of it’s owner and turned into a humble, working area just comfortable enough to live in, depending on who you asked. The ceiling had been vaulted allowing adequate space for sparring, though that function was less often used these days. The center of the peaked, thatched roof was open which allowed the smoke from the forge at the center of the room to escape, but not before giving the spacious single room cabin the distinct smell of soot. Most of Oak’s other possessions lined the border of the single circular room and included a modest straw bed and another fireplace that was geared more towards cooking. Between the two heat sources it was always warm in the cabin even during the coldest winters, during the summer it could be unbearable to spend more than a few minutes in the heat. It never seemed to bother him. A keg of ale was near the door and a keg of whiskey near the fireplace. The walls were lined, floor to ceiling in the finest crafted, intricate, unique, clever, and downright outrageous weapons in all of Creation. They ranged materials across all of creation, from bamboo to soul steel; and all varieties from simple bludgeoning staves to essence cannons. All created by Oak’s hand over the last three centuries.

Oak was currently sitting cross-legged in front of the fireplace with an old school lock pit set rolled out of it’s worn leather case at one side, his white jade smith-hammer at the other, and the small wooden chest directly between him and the hearth. He tinkered with the outermost lock gently as he pondered the perplexing box.

The One-Eyed Queen of Silk and Lace who had already tried her hand at opening the chest during Mission 12 was the first to join Oak in his attempt to safely crack it. She was sitting close by, at one edge of the hearth facing him and observing his methods for solving the tricky puzzle. Queen’s very nature seemed to be the opposite of Oak, her exquisite, fashionable dress like the beacon of a lighthouse in the soot-filled cabin. Yet she was completely comfortable here, perched on a dusty stone cooking hearth peering at a wooden box nestled into the dirt floor. The two had been silent for some time, their initial theory had gotten them nowhere and neither had gotten far enough along in their second thought to collaborate. She was occasionally sipping from a half full mug of tea as she stared at the box and thought.

Cello had joined the pair sometime during their first combined attempt at opening the chest after spending the night in the bowels of the manse with Samsarra, all she had really wanted to do was sleep, but somehow she ended up here instead. After Oak and Queen had failed the first time, Cello had stepped in and promptly summoned a 1st Circle Demon supposedly with the ability to solve any riddle. After one look at the chest the demon backed away and declared that it would not open the chest, though bound and commanded to do so by Cello it further explained that it was not physically incapable, but mentally incapable of performing the task. Frustrated, Cello banished the demon and promptly lost interest in helping. Since then she had been sprawled out on a thatched reed matt near the door, where airflow was the best as Cello did not appreciate the heat of Oak’s cabin, alternating between almost drifting into a nap and casually flipping through the pages of the only book Oak kept in his cabin. The mighty tome was actually a notebook, bound with the heartstring of a slain behemoth between two great slabs of Ironwood from the far east; inside Oak claimed to have notes and sketches on every weapon he has ever crafted. Even that did not hold her interest as Cello’s characteristic blase attitude was in prime form this afternoon.

Bran had picked up on the familiar, essence pattern of demon summoning when Cello had attempted to open the chest and had joined them shortly after. Once Queen filled him in on the details of the Mission and the chest they were attempting to open, he had decided to stay to see what would come of it. He was currently standing behind Oak, peering over his shoulder to study the enigmatic chest as he nursed a glass of whiskey from Oak’s barrel.

Carp strut confidently through the open door into Oak’s cabin chewing on the last bite of a piece of buffalo jerky, gnawing relentlessly at the tough meat. Not bothering to wait until he was finished chewing Carp broke the silence, "I hear you got a chest full of loot! I'll bet you I crank that son o' bitch before any of you."

Oak didn't turn his head to respond to the grass spider behind him instead holding up one hand as if to pause the scene, "Carp, you know I don't gamble… With you... Anymore..."

"You learn quick for an old fella!" Carp bantered as he crossed the room towards the chest and trio studying it.

"Watch it young blood, I can still crush your skull with one hand." Oak replied, still without looking up from the chest.

"I'd pay to see that." Cello chimed in from across the room.

"I have," said a stone faced Bran. "Worth every penny."

"If you help us get it open we'll let you in on the split Carp." Oak declared.

"I think I know how to start it, " Queen interjected. "The locks are arranged in concentric circles, laid out in such a way to imply starting with the outside. However, if you start at the center and work out while spinning the locks counter clockwise the markings on the lock should align into a Old Realm inscription. The trick is you have to rotate all five at once."

“I concur, and the inscription is undoubtedly the key to breaking the magical seal.” Bran confirmed before adding a last comment. “Additionally, this chest has bathed in the Green Sun of Malfeas. We should proceed with caution.”

Oak nodded and wordlessly continued his work, though for the first time in several hours with some sort of purpose to his attempts. Though the heavy jade hammer might have been his preference to opening the box he had learned patience over the years. Instead he picked up four additional tools from the rolled out lock set, nimbly splitting them between his two massive, hardened hands and went to work on all five circular locks at once. The four Grass Spiders near the hearth gathered closer as they watched Oak work the locks, even with Oak's considerable skill it was a slow moving process. Back at the doorway, Cello lazily used her arm as a pillow and convincingly pretended to doze off.

--FyreFly 23:37, 24 January 2014 (EST)

---

Bran was probably one of the most careful members of the Grass Spiders. Luckily, he was used to his role as the cautious one. When Oak started working, Bran opened a bag of salt and made an unbroken circle around Oak and the table he was working on. After he finished, he pulled out a charcoal pencil and created two more circles written in Old Realm. Happy with his precautions, he stepped back, opened one of his journals, and started writing.

"Bet you we don't need those circles."

Bran looked up at a grinning Carp and responded dryly, "Unfortunately for you, I agree. I just know what happens to people who make that assumption and are wrong."

"Ah, well, in that case, I will bet you that we do need them." Bran just frowned in response, which caused Carp to wonder off. After completing come initial sketches and notes, Bran walked over to where Queen was sitting.

"So, Ash said that they just had this sitting in the cargo hold and forgot about it?"

Queen nodded, not taking her eyes off of Oak working.

"I don't care what anyone says. Those 5 are easily the scariest made members."

Queen smirked. "Just be glad you didn't get assigned to mentor one of them. I like Fay and all, but wow..."

Bran raised an eyebrow at her but made no response. Instead he switched from sketchings and descriptions of the box to working out what the inscription might be.

--Macabreengel 21:21, 26 January 2014 (EST)

---

Carp strode to the keg of ale, picking up a dusty pewter mug on his way there. After a cursory glance to confirm the mug was empty, Carp flipped the tap on the keg and filled his mug with the foamy, amber ale. He then made his way over to the sitting Oak, stopping just behind him and looking down at the wooden chest. He took a loud slurp of beer, placed his mug on the fireplace mantle, and squatted beside Oak.

"So you think you can do it?"

Oak, without turning his head to Carp, asked "Do what?" He didn't bother to hide the amicable, but growing annoyance his tone conveyed.

"Turn all five at once. We gotta turn all five at once."

Oak sighed, finally shooting a glance sideways at the Courier, and replied, "I was also here when we figured that out. And yes, I think I've got it."

"You don't want help?"

"Does this really seem like something two people should do? What are we gonna do, count to 3 and try to twist at the same time?"

"Just offerin'." A conciliatory Carp got back to feet and reclaimed his mug, taking another swill of beer as he watched Oak work.

After Carp stood, Oak muttered under his breath, "Counting to 3 is more planning ahead than you've done in your entire life anyway..."

Carp leaned in slightly and asked, "What?", a question to which Oak replied in turn.

"What?"

Oak's attention returned to his work; Carp watched intently for a bit before striking up a conversation with nobody in particular.

"How come the Circle With No Name keeps bringing back weird chests?"

Bran and Queen shared a silent gaze, with each senior member trying to wait out the other, not necessarily feeling like broaching the subject, particularly with Carp. Just as the silence was becoming awkward, Queen spoke up.

"Because the Fiends keep sending them on jobs relevant to the White Veil Society."

Carp nodded, sipping his beer as he thought for a moment. He replied, "Why is that? We're giving these guys some heavy stuff - jobs with some real fuckin' consequences. Read the newspaper lately? They're calling it the Three Rivers Republic - not officially, yet, but Lookshy and Nexus being strategic allies is going to have ramifications throughout the Scavenger Lands. And, before that, we send these guys to steal a map to the fuckin' Eye of Autochon. That ain't small potatoes! I'd expect we'd put Ruk and Tiamat on that motherfucker and not take any chances. Shit, for all we know, the Eye itself might be gathering dust in the Geronimo's cargo hold."

Carp's monologue elicited a chuckle from all present, even extracting a smirk from the indifferent Cello; everyone could relate to the sheer audacity of the Circle With No Name's not-so-occasional carelessness. Another uncomfortable silence followed the laughter, however. It was Bran who spoke up this time.

"Actually, we don't know. We've discussed this among ourselves. Many of these missions, with direct consequences for the Veil War, are indeed being assigned to the Circle With No Name, despite their relative inexperience. It almost seems as if the Fiends are trying to make the Circle With No Name the Order's public face - or, if not public, at least the face that we show to the White Veil Society. Another hypothesis, perhaps a complementary one, is that the Fiends are trying to avoid... sullying the more senior members of the organization with these arguably less-pure tasks, preferring instead to continue assigning us jobs that are related only to advancing the art assassination."

Queen chimed in as Bran finished his statement, "But we don't know, and so far, we haven't asked. Even without directly participating in missions, most of us agree that we've all experienced too much of the Veil War already. They are the most social circle on the whole, but our circles have people who'd be capable of doing the same if we were assigned those tasks. What Bran says is likely correct - the Fiends probably view participation in these more-worldly matters as a rite of passage for the younger members of the Order, nothing more. There is... " Queen visibly hesitated, but continued after a moment, "... another theory."

Before Queen could continue, however, Oak interjected, "Hey, guys, I think I've got something."

---

Though Oak was listening to the conversation of the room, he was far more focused on the task sitting in front of him. Carp was right about one thing, it was not an easy task to pick five incredibly intricate locks simultaneously, followed by spinning all five at once until they aligned. However, Oak was the man for the job, while his overall larcenous talent was not extraordinary among The Order, his cracking ability was top notch. He still boasted The Order’s record for quickest entrance into The Guild’s main vault in Nexus. A virtual right of passage among the elite Members of The Order, no less than half a dozen current members had cracked the safe, most just for bragging rights and a shot at Oak’s record. Apollo technically accomplished entrance quicker, but entered the vault without actually cracking the lock. The Circle With No Name had confirmed Aleena as a mortal following the events of the mission, it was clear that this chest was beyond mortal craftsmanship.

As he spoke, the five locks aligned with an audible click, connecting like a set of gears and dropping down into the chest so the interlocked mechanism was inset into the wood of the chest. Oak read the inscription aloud in effortless Old Realm, “It cannot be seen, cannot be felt, Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt. It lies behind stars and under hills, And empty holes it fills. It comes first and follows after, Ends life, kills laughter.”

The cabin fell silent after Oak’s baritone reading of the Old Realm inscription put the ongoing conversation on hold. The trio gathered around the hearth looked to Oak and the chest with equal parts anticipation and nervousness. It was an ominous inscription and one could only wonder if it reflected on the contents of the chest, if it did what were they preparing to open? Perhaps Bran’s circles might be needed after all.

Queen broke the silence of the room, she spoke in a hushed tone that reflected the mood of the room, speaking in the commonly spoken language of River Tongue, “Answering the riddle correctly must be the last measure to open the chest. Answering incorrectly will almost certainly trigger the chest to destroy it’s contents.”

Bran spoke next, his tone conveyed the weight of his words without moving into urgency, “No one speak in Old Realm, it will likely interpret it as a response, we should agree on how to respond first.”

Everyone naturally looked over to Carp who was taking a slurping drink of ale and standing nearest to Oak and the chest. Carp was looking down at it until he realized the eyes of the room were on him, he shrugged as he responded to the stares, “Why are you looking at me? Like I’m going to blow it and say the wrong thing!”

Oak eased the tension in the room, “Bran’s right. We’ll come to an agreement and respond…” Oak paused as he looked to Bran and Queen, “Thoughts?”

Bran and Queen were two of the most knowledgeable, well studied members of The Order, not to mention most intelligent. Oak was willing to follow their lead when it came to solving an ancient inscription carved into a box crafted in Malfeas. He sure as hell wasn't following Carp’s lead on this one.

“The Dark” Cello spoke in Old Realm with authority from the back of the room, almost forgotten about as she lazily sprawled near the door.

Bran and Queen turned sharply back to look at Cello, who had just completely ignored their agreement not to answer until they had collectively solved the riddle. Bran’s look of steady disappointment countered by Queen’s look of genuine anger; Oak and Carp for their part were focused on the chest. Oak grasped the large white, jade hammer at his side and Carp squatted down to be at eye level with the chest as it hissed with the sound of escaping, pressurized air. A seam of green light grew at the seams of the opening between lid and base, the hissing sound grew for several seconds before it crescendoed with a POP and sprang open. All four Grass Spiders near enough looked eagerly inside and Cello sat up, suddenly much more engaged.

--FyreFly 12:25, 2 March 2014 (EST)

((Up to you guys who wants to post next. Dan K if you want Dan H to respond to reveal the contents we can shuffle the order and have you respond next to that.))