[Right][H2][color=#CA9BF7]Fia Blackfire[/color][/H2][/right] [hr] Giddy with their newly acquired treasures, the party ventured forth. “We can worry about splitting the gold once we are out of the caves and safe at camp” suggested Fia. This wasn’t her first excursion that uncovered hidden treasures, and it wasn’t likely to be her last. Stuck in the middle of a dungeon was not really a good place to start dividing loot. There were too many chances for things to go wrong. Especially if during the process one of the party members felt cheated. The gold was neatly contained within the wooden chest, so it wasn’t going anywhere anyway. Though the box was dingy, it was still sturdy. The only cumbersome thing about it was the size. Not exactly a small box, but small enough to try onto someone’s pack. After several minutes, the walls began to smooth, and the moisture lessen. The sounds of the creatures left behind deafened. What lay before them was a fork in the road. One way led down a path that Rezello’s flame could not penetrate. It was ominous, almost otherworldly. Whatever it was, the darkness worked well as both a wall and a deterrent. For the time being, it was silently decided to leave it alone. After all, the other path led to the very door Vesemir had been anticipating. Compared to normal elven architecture, or at least compared to much of what Fia had seen when it came to their architecture, the door war mostly plain. A minimalist look even, with the only intricate designs it had designating the lock. A solid block of metal otherwise. Truly, the best word to describe it was a vault, even if the true vault lay somewhere deeper within the structure. This place wasn’t built to be pretty, it was made to be sturdy and secure deep underground. As luck would have it, further treasures were to be found. More remains of travelers or victims past lay by each other, the cold steel door being their remaining obstacle for salvation. Though, evidence shown that it was one they could not overcome. Poor dears. To find themselves desperate and isolated in these caves. Whatever drove them here, they knew it was a door, but clearly lacked the key. Unlike those poor souls, the party did have a key. Vesemir produced a card and though the door didn’t open immediately, it was enough to get some kind of reaction out of it. “Jazdia is right about that. Gold it may be, but there is something tantalizing emanating from it. An enchantment? Some ancient magic, perhaps?” said Fia, “Yes, give me a second. Lets see what we have here.” Fia knelt down next to one of the skeletons. The person this once was died embracing a golden sceptre, a treasure Fia took notice of, but Stepan brought attention to. It must have had some importance or power because they died with their arms tightly around it. Even after so many years where the connective tissue had been rotted away, the bones remained in place. The sceptre was covered and dirtied by the passing of time. Yet even so, was still clearly a valuable item if only by the materials it was made. A short rod with three pointed crown on one end, and tapering to a point at the other. A vine motif wrapped around the shaft ending at the crown resembling the large bulb of a closed flower. Two thorns formed at the top of either side while a central spike formed the middle of the three points on the crown. There were inlays for eight gems, three of which were missing. An ornate item indeed, and one that held magical potential. “Oh, this was a neat find, my dear Stepan.” said Fia. Gingerly, she released the golden sceptre from the embrace of the skeleton, its arms finally able to relax after so many decades. The magic it held was drained, yet it still emanated power like a candle that refused to dim even as the wax had burned away. Attempting to activate it proved futile. It wasn’t a tool for channeling, but rather one that contained an enchantment of its own. Though Fia failed to actually activate the sceptre, she was able to glean what its purpose was. She looked over to the mercenary who shown interest in the sceptre even if it were for monetary reasons. “What we have here is teleportation.” said Fia flatly. Teleportation. At least proper teleportation had still managed to elude Fia after her countless hours studying creatures capable of it themselves, if in only limited capacity. Perhaps it was those limits that made it hard for her master it herself. To travel more than the distance of a city block was advanced magic. So to have something capable here, and somehow programmed into a magic item was intriguing. Truly ancient technology that has since been lost or stifled. “It’s dead, of course. It needs a new source of mana. I have to give credit to the people of the distant path. It managed to hold its identity even after several millennia. I’m not even sure if the elves alone are the ones who crafted it.”