A New Type of Treasure!

I've been visiting a certain dark maze of tunnels and corridors in Ephebe for quite some time now, sometimes with deadly consequences. While in those tunnels I've had more fights with smugglers than i can remember, and encounters with a smuggler captain that end up with taking an iron key from his dead, cold fingers and opening a chest with sundry bits of treasure and some money. But in my visits, I had also noticed that hidden somewhere amidst this maze of passageways there sometimes appeared a special room, hacked into the rock, with yet another treasure chest that I always found ransacked. Today I was determined to see if I could find it. I upped my visual sense to high mode and put myself to looking through every nook and cranny, and something indeed happened! I found the place... and a bunch of smugglers that tried to kill me for my daring:

[dingy tunnel]

Some tunnels are made by merry dwarves, singing as they work. Some tunnels are made by a peaceful underground river, patiently wearing away the rock over millennia. This tunnel looks as though somebody just glared at the rock until it decided it was better off elsewhere. Shadows linger in every corner and sharp rocks squat on the floor, ready to trip the unwary adventurer.

There are no obvious exits.

search walls

You start to search around.

You examine the ground carefully and notice some rocks that look like they have been moved recently. Shifting them aside, you reveal a hole in the ground.

A demented smuggler, a devious smuggler, two dastardly smugglers and a smelly smuggler run out of the shadows.

You notice the demented smuggler falling over his feet while trying to sneak round you and decide to teach him a lesson.

The demented smuggler looks confused.

You notice the devious smuggler falling over his feet while trying to sneak round you and decide to teach him a lesson.

The devious smuggler looks quite confused.

You notice one of the dastardly smugglers falling over his feet while trying to sneak round you and decide to teach him a lesson.

The dastardly smuggler looks confused.

You suddenly hear a noise behind you and turn around to find one of the dastardly smugglers preparing to backstab you. You take the opportunity to launch a pre-emptive attack.

You notice the smelly smuggler falling over his feet while trying to sneak round you and decide to teach him a lesson.

Hp: 2926 (2926) Gp: 277 (442) Xp: 442285

The dastardly smuggler shoves you.

You scratch the dastardly smuggler's head with your sea serpent fang.

The demented smuggler, the devious smuggler, two dastardly smugglers and the smelly smuggler move aggressively towards you!

Your concentration wanes and you stop watching your surroundings as intently.

What followed was a brutal, bloody but mercifully brief battle, which ended with all the smugglers dead, and with the ground flowing with blood. I was finally able to climb down and discover what was awaiting beneath!

d
[hidey hole]
@
A small hollow has been hacked into the rock here, barely big enough to stand up in. It is bare and devoid of decoration save some scratchings on the floor. The only access is through a narrow hole in the ceiling. A couple of handholds have been cut into the wall underneath.
There is one obvious exit: up.
A large wooden chest is on the floor.
l chest
This large chest is made from driftwood, worn and weathered by the tides and the wind. It is secured by a large cast-iron padlock. The chest looks heavy and is almost big enough to fit a human in it.
It is in excellent condition.
It is closed.
open chest
You open the large wooden chest.
l chest
This large chest is made from driftwood, worn and weathered by the tides and the wind. It is secured by a large cast-iron padlock. The chest looks heavy and is almost big enough to fit a human in it.
It is in excellent condition.
The large wooden chest is almost empty except for a golden serpent necklace and a gold and pearl diadem.
It is open.
get all from chest
You get a golden serpent necklace and a gold and pearl diadem from a large wooden chest.
u

Coming up, I still had to confront further bunches of smugglers until I finally managed to reach a safe spot, and take the opportunity to inspect my loot. This is what I had rescued from the well-hidden chest:

l diadem

This golden diadem fits snugly round the head and makes the wearer look terribly wealthy and important. Held together by golden chains the diadem is comprised of two solid gold side pieces and a gold mounted pearl front piece. At the back of the diadem a clasp holds the chains together allowing the wearer to adjust it to the size of their head. As well as the large pearl at the front of the piece, smaller pearls are inset all the way around.

It is in excellent condition.

l serpent necklace

This golden necklace is segmented, almost seeming to slither and writhe across the neck of the wearer. Scales are intricately picked out over the whole of the surface, allowing it to exactly mirror the sinuous contours of a real serpent. Its eyes have been fashioned out of emerald, contrasting with the otherwise understated decoration of the rest of the piece.

It is in excellent condition.

Quite an exciting set of events! I was quite lucky to get through it unscathed! I do need to become somewhat more perceptive, though...