A badly-wrapped package.

[eternally_aggrieved]

A brown paper package sits on Ahrotahn's desk in Relto. It shakes and wobbles, giving the general impression that it is grievously annoyed.

Comments

[all_the_worlds_have]

It can't be pushed any further in than 'flush with the edge of the box.'

[calledtoventure]

She takes a closer look at the separated eye seal.

[all_the_worlds_have]

It appears to have slid open on a small notched track. Even close examination under lenslight reveals nothing extraordinary.

[calledtoventure]

Does the key fit into the notch? How about the other end of the key?

...Come to think of it, the wrong end of the key has a round hole through it. Can that be used to turn the safe-dial on the left-hand side?

[all_the_worlds_have]

The key does fit in the notch! The hole in the key doesn't fit around the safe dial though.

[calledtoventure]

Can the key be turned in the notch?

[all_the_worlds_have]

Yes, but it doesn't seem to cause anything to happen.

[calledtoventure]

Hmm.

Through the lens, the shelf seems to open into a hollow space. If she slides the shelf in partway, can that hollow space provide the room necessary to fit the key into the cross-shaped hole?

[all_the_worlds_have]

It appears that the key - once placed into the notch and turned - slots into the cross-shaped hole when the shelf is slid inward! As the key vanishes into the keyhole, there is a small clatter of machinery, and the drawer beside the shelf unlocks. A smaller cabinet key sits inside on a bed of red velvet.

[calledtoventure]

Success!

Does the cabinet key fit the keyhole in the upper right corner of the front side?

[all_the_worlds_have]

Yes, it does!

An enameled brass star sits inside the simple wooden box. As soon as Ahrotahn picks it up and withdraws her hand, the vault door closes again, and the keyhole splits, the two parts sliding apart to expose an intricate pattern of slots in the box. Whatever key the keyhole fits now must be exceedingly eccentric.

[calledtoventure]

She inspects the star more closely, and examines both the star and the pattern of slots through the lens.

[all_the_worlds_have]

Neither look unusual at all beneath lens-light, but the star has a small mounting-peg on the back.

[calledtoventure]

Is the peg of appropriate shape and size to be inserted into one of the slots?

[all_the_worlds_have]

No. The slots are all joined together and clearly intended for a single key, though one of very eccentric make.

[calledtoventure]

Does the star fit into the slot on the top of the box?

[all_the_worlds_have]

Why yes it does.

A series of panels slide inwards as the star slots into place, opening up the top of the box to reveal:
A ring of four small statues of knights, all but one holding a weapon.
A safe-dial.
A small brass knob with a corner cut out of it and a pattern of two concentric squares.
A note, with the initials "AS" on the top leaf of the paper.

[calledtoventure]

She reads the note, first.

[all_the_worlds_have]

"June 21st:

Take note of this date. It is the most significant in human history. I have done it!
A human subject was required. The catalyst was my own body!
Fatigued by my studies, I entered the chamber without disabling the mechanism. When I regained consciousness, I had succeeded!

The condensed fifth element is beyond curious, being neither quite energy nor matter. I have already made great strides in its study, specifically in how it refracts the light.

As its discoverer, I suppose I will have to name it: but nothing yet suggests itself. No matter. Tonight, I open the wine!"

[calledtoventure]

She affixes the safe-dial to the safe. (How is it labeled? With numbers, or something else? Or not at all?)

She examines the knights, dial, and knob through the lens.

Can she move the knights at all?

[all_the_worlds_have]

The knights do not appear to wish to shift, but she can just see some sort of gem or glass wedged in behind the one that has no weapon.

The safe-dial is marked with a single pointer. The safe has six catches around its outside edge: two adjacent catches are marked with a single dot and a pair of dots, but the rest of the catches are entirely unlabeled.

Nothing is revealed by her observations through the lens.

[calledtoventure]

She turns the dial to the one-dot catch, then to the two-dot catch.

If that doesn't work, she turns it clockwise one full rotation, clockwise further until the one-dot, then counterclockwise to the two-dot.

If that doesn't work, she turns it counterclockwise one full rotation, counterclockwise further to the one-dot, then clockwise to the two-dot.

[all_the_worlds_have]

The catches unlock as Ahrotahn turns the dial to them, but as soon as she comes to the third catch (proceeding clockwise), the previous two catches relatch.

[calledtoventure]

She turns it to the one-dot, then clockwise directly to the two-dot, then counterclockwise back past the one-dot to the unlabeled catch directly counterclockwise of the one-dot.

[all_the_worlds_have]

It unlatches.