Obtain the Containment Chest

Type: Main Quest
Region/Scope: Onadbyr → The Emporium

Overview

The party possesses a containment chest, an artifact capable of suppressing a powerful magical item while it remains inside. However, it is currently contaminated by whatever was stored inside it previously, rendering it unreliable.
To safely contain the cursed Crown, the chest must be cleansed or restored, and the only known place with the tools and arcane infrastructure to accomplish this remains the highly protected Emporium vault.

If the party wants to reach the cursed Crown, they must complete these steps.

1. Retrieve the Key That Opens Any Lock
2. Obtain the Containment Chest
3. Secure the Royal Architect

Objectives

1. Identify the nature of the contamination inside the chest (“the demon dragon figurine”).
2. Break into the Emporium, which contains the equipment or arcane means needed to cleanse or neutralize the contamination.
3. Restore the containment chest so it can suppress the Crown for transport.
4. Determine whether the chest can safely hold only one magical item at a time and the consequences of violating that limit.
5. Account for additional risks related to the Emporium’s vault structure, including multiple doors, timed mechanisms, and hazards described by Ricio.

Role in the Story

• This quest remains one of the three major prerequisites for retrieving the Crown.
• Without a fully restored containment chest, the party cannot safely handle the Crown’s magic.
• The Emporium break-in is now understood to be more complex than previously assumed, adding new logistical considerations to the heist sequence.
• Session 13 emphasizes that the Emporium’s vault is not just secure but dangerous, requiring preparation to avoid repeating the calamities that befell Ricio and Arathia.

Source

• Ricio Tane – Explained why the chest is contaminated and why only the Emporium can help.
• Lord Signmonder – Reinforced the chest’s necessity in the Crown operation.
• Reesio (Session 13) – Provided firsthand knowledge of the Emporium vault’s structure, warnings about traps, and keys that may (or may not) still function. Also mentioned Master Rayenburg, the master of the Emporium, who is connected to the vault’s defenses but whose involvement will be detailed in a separate quest.
• Party Discussion – Ongoing planning about how to use the key, how to approach the Emporium, and concerns over the chest’s single-item limit.

Notable Moments

Session 8 - Acquired

• The party learns the chest can only hold one magical item at a time.
• Concerns arise over storing both the figurine and the Crown.
• Discussion begins on whether the master key can be reused.
• The Emporium is recognized as the city’s most secure vault.

Session 13 - Ongoing

• The Party finds Ricio in the Library and he provides critical intelligence on the Emporium vault:
  • Two vault doors
  • Four switches required to initialize access
  • A ten-minute timer to enter the vault after the switches are activated
  • A forbidden element labeled “DO NOT TOUCH THE PAINTED CLOCK”
  • A teleportation circle that transported Arathia to a chamber containing a massive anti-magic crystal
• Ricio believes Master Rayenburg is tied to the Emporium’s internal dangers, but details will be addressed separately when the party pursues him.
• Ricio provides the party with duplicate vault keys and a cologne of dispelling, which may help bypass wards or traps.
• Later, in the Lucky Leap, Reesio was found tortured and restrained. After being freed and stabilized, he reaffirmed his request to capture Rayenburg alive.