me: ou settle into the difficult task of picking the lock. You make an excellent attempt (d100=92). You are not able to pick the strongbox, but you get a sense that it has a very easy lock. About a -120 difficulty lock (in thief-lingo). As you push your lockpick into the lock mechanism, you hear a buzzing noise coming from within an enruned modwir strongbox. Something darts out of the strongbox and settles at the lock opening! A tiny translucent insect with a large eye etched on its shell flutters there momentarily, then scuttles about and faces away from you!
An etched translucent scarab focuses the eye etched into its back towards you! An etched translucent scarab stares into your eyes. CS: +161 - TD: +21 + CvA: +13 + d100: +95 == +248 Warding failed! The translucent scarab suddenly transforms into a horridly grotesque image, inducing utter terror in your soul! A gut-wrenching fear twists deep into your soul. You turn pale and then fall limp to the ground, killed by some inconceivable fear! You become solid again. The brilliant luminescence fades from around you. You sense that your attunement to the minds of others has ceased. It seems you have died, my friend. Although you cannot do anything, you are keenly aware of what is going on around you...
You mentally give a sigh of relief as you remember that the Goddess Lorminstra owes you a favor.
...departing in 10 mins... Chittering noisily, the translucent scarab disappears once more into the strongbox. Roundtime: 20 sec. Joshua: fascinating