IC - Tewfik's Spice Shop

[Raiko]

“You two go, I’ll keep an eye out for anyone coming,” Gwen takes cover just inside the back door. From here she has a good view into the small back yard and the alleyway beyond.

Nethaniel and Caroline move cautiously out of the store room into Tewfik’s unlit shop floor and then up the narrow staircase to his second story flat. The staircase bends sharply before opening into Tewfik’s living room. It’s warm up here a sizable oil heater against the far wall is still cooling down, apparently the shopkeeper likes to keep his apartment at the same temperature as his native land.

The living room is comfortably furnished; two cosy couches have been tastefully arranged around a large square coffee table upon which an exquisite copy of the Koran is piously displayed. A large prism glass case along the same wall as the heater contains stone statuettes of various ancient Egyptian gods. Their beastlike features cast creepy shadows in the torchlight.

Another wall bears a large and ornate mirror which is suspended over a polished roll-top desk. A short hallway in this same wall leads into the back of the flat; two doors are closed while the third opens into a bedroom.

There are two windows in the front wall that look out onto Arbour Street; the curtains of each window have been closed.

Between the windows stands a small cabinet with an incense burner on top. It isn’t lit at the moment, but the air of the living room is still faintly scented with the fragrant aroma of the incense.

[Decrepit]

Caroline takes a look around the living room, but apparently doesn't see anything out of the ordinary. She also can't seem to hear anything unusual. Given that, she heads over to the copy of the Koran and thumbs through it, having learned that books aren't always what they seem.

[DSIGFUSS]

Nethaniel nervously searches the Spice Shops's owner's flat as quickly as he is able. In his agitated state, it appears that the English scholar isn't much help in the burgling department. Nethaniel sticks to what he knows best and begins to search the shopp keeper's home for any relevant texts.

ooc - Fail Spot Hidden roll : rolled an 85

[Raiko]

Caroline leafs through the Koran, but the religious book is exactly what it appears to be – a particularly beautiful copy in this case.

Nethaniel also can’t find any suspicious texts in the room, although the roller top of the polished writing desk is securely locked. Unless the evidence is locked in the desk, it seems that it must be located in one of the back rooms – or perhaps Tewfik al-Sayed is an innocent party in this affair after all.

[DSIGFUSS]

Nethaniel takes out one of his pencils and finds himself a piece of scrap paper. He had seen this done in numerous mystery novels, some of which he kept in his store to draw in the customers. nethaniel thought he'd give it a show.

He then presses the paper against the desk and rubs the pencil along the paper, trying to get an imprint of what the spice shop owner was last writing.

ooc - Is this even possible on a rolltop

[Raiko]

OOC,Nice idea :) Unfortunately the main writing surface is, as you suspected, under the roller-top. The desk looks like this one: [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desk][img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Rolltop_desk.JPG/250px-Rolltop_desk.JPG[/img][/url] I’ll assume that Nethaniel did check any flat surfaces on the desk though, eg above the rollertop.

Nethaniel fails to find any indentations from writing on the desk, he suspects that he’ll need to get the roller-top open in order to find anything.

[DSIGFUSS]

Nethaniel looks to Caroline

Well then… If we’re up to burglary then lass... let’s burgle!

With that, Nethaniel open up his crossbow case and pulls out a long metal quarrel. He places the head of the quarrel on the lock and searches for anything heavy he could use to smash down on the end and break the lock.

[Raiko]

Nethaniel spots a heavy looking black marble paperweight on top of the roller-desk – perfect for the job.

Caroline watches silently, looking up from Tewfik's copy of the Koren, she looks uncomfortable with Nethaniel's actions, but says nothing. I remember not so long ago, back in New York being shocked at the very idea of burglary, and yet here I am, accompanied by an antique book dealer and a librarian!”

ooc,DSIG: Please make a 3 x d100 rolsl for some opposed STR tests. The paperweight and quarrel make good tools and they will grant a +2 STR bonus for the test. If Nethaniel fails on all three rolls, then the lock defeats his efforts.

[Decrepit]

OOC,See, you hardly need me here at all. You know just what [b]Caroline[/b] would think.

[Raiko]

Dice Rolls,[color=#FF0000][u][b]Dice Rolls for Nethaniel: [/b][/u][/color] [color=#00BF00]3 x STR Resistance Rolls (3d100) = [83][19][17][/color] :) The first roll failed, the last two didn't, so [b]Nethaniel [/b]breaks the lock. [color=#00BF00]Luck Roll (d100) = [31][/color] This is needed to operate the secret drawer.

Picking up the heavy marble block Nethaniel bashes down hard on the crossbow bolt. His first blow has little effect, but the second splinters the wood around the roll top desk's lock. The third bash finishes the job, separating the lock from the rest of the roller top.

"Right luv, shall we have a gander inside then?"

Nethaniel grins at Caroline and slides open the desk's ruined cover.

There are writing instruments, invoices, sales records and various other shop records in the desk, but nothing incriminating. However as Nethaniel rummages around he disturbs a small shelf of pens and inks...

There is a quiet, but distinct click and a panel on the outside of the desk slides out, protruding an inch from the right hand side. Nethaniel has unlocked a secret drawer!

[Decrepit]

"Now this is more like it," Caroline says, grinning. If Nethaniel doesn't prevent her, she reaches inside without really thinking her action through.

[DSIGFUSS]

Nethaniel steps back, offering up whatever prize he had uncovered to Caroline in as chivalrous a manner as he can muster. The librarian rubs his hands together, eager with anticipation.

C'mon now luv? What have we here then?

[Raiko]

The secret compartment in the reading desk contains several items: two sandstone vials with caps - carved with the same designs as the frame of the big mirror, a folded black silk robe, a black inverted ankh on a metal chain, a crumbling papyrus scroll, and a black skullcap embroidered with inverted ankhs. The same embroidered design turn out to be on the robe as well.

[Raiko]

OOC,[color=#FF0000][u][b]OOC:[/b][/u][/color] I'm going to try one more time to contact Decrepit, before setting both Caroline and Nethaniel as NPCs for now (until DSIGFUSS can post regularly again in a few weeks). Jtull can post, so I don't want to leave this thread on hold for much longer.

[DSIGFUSS]

Nethaniel's eyes widen greedily as he scans the items...

Heavens!

He scratches his chin pondering the significance of everything in the hidden compartment. The scholar in him counts and catalog's the items in his mind.

ooc- http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2235790/ rolled a 92 for occult.

The excitement must be getting to him. Flustereed he looks to Caroline.

An odd assortment of ritualistic skullduggery no doubt. Wouldn't you agree luv?

[Raiko]

OOC,[color=#FF0000][u][b]OOC:[/b][/u][/color] I've sent Decrepit an email, to let him know that the game is active again. Looking back through my emails, the last time that I heard from him was in May when he was moving house. I'll NPC Caroline for the time being, if I don't hear from Decrepit before your characters are hopefully reunited, then she can take Andrei somewhere safe (ie be semi-permanently retired). Caroline rolled a 74 for occult, so she can't help much. See rolled a 22 for spot hidden though, so she definitely noticed the similarity between the vials and the mirror. She also notices something else about the mirror now. See below.

Caroline looks at the items in the drawer, "Well
the drawer is wrecked now, so we might as well take everything."

"Those stone vials have the same carvings on them as the mirror," she
indicates the big ornate mirror hanging on the wall over the desk. "You
know Nethaniel, that mirror looks rather strange doesn't it? It's
not even symmetrical, but the weird carvings make it difficult to judge
why it's not symmetrical..."

"It's a shame we can't take the mirror as well. I'm sure you and Andrei
could have a field day figuring out if these carvings have a hidden
meaning, but we'd look rather suspicious returning to the car with two
of us carrying a huge antique mirror!"
[/spoiler]

[DSIGFUSS]

Nethaniel quickly gathers up the items in the drawer and looks to Caroline with a devilish grin.

He picks up a paperweight or some other equally heavy object and poses himself to throw it at the rune covered mirror.

Perhaps we should send this bloke a clear message then shouldn't we luv?

[DSIGFUSS]

Nethaniel feels like he is lost in Time and Space, pondering the right and wrong of breaking this potentially portent piece of occult paraphernalia.

ooc- Hey Raiko... We still on man?

[Decrepit]

"So, Nethaniel," Caroline says coyly. "What's say you and I leave all this occultism behind and find us a good, stiff drink somewhere? It feels like we've been here for ages."

[DSIGFUSS]

Nethaniel winks at Caroline....

That sounds like a brillaint idea! In just two snogs on a blarney stone thopugh luv! First let me have at this relic so our shop keep cannae do any more damage to you and all the other lovlies in the world.