<div class="floatright"><div style="text-align: right;"><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Lydia's sword</div><div class="spoiler_body">(http://i.imgur.com/Yxd4Ckd.jpg)</div></div><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">the chainmail</div><div class="spoiler_body">(http://i.imgur.com/VzvQiuF.jpg)<br/><br/>(http://i.imgur.com/CkYPYQ4.jpg)<br/><br/>(http://i.imgur.com/cd6ns0v.jpg)</div></div></div></div><br/>Her hand closing on the bag, she smiles and blows a kiss to the eye bot.  A quick inspection shows indeed a variety of useful survival gear inside.  She took a moment to poke through the bag to find everything neatly packaged inside bits of oil cloth, apparently to keep them water tight till they were needed.  Some of the items were immediately obvious, like the two small wax candles, the flint and steel with small box of oil soaked cotton to start a flame, the spool of heavy twine, that if braided could be used for rope, the stick of chalk, the two empty water skins, and the tightly rolled bedroll.<br/><br/>But then she came across the box containing the strange items.  The first three small sticks with some material atop one end.  Sniffing it she smelled a acrid bit of chemicals and realized these were an alchemical preperation she’d heard of but never seen.  Tindertwigs could be struck against anything, even a finger nail, to produce a flame that would burn for thirty seconds or so, even underwater or in the middle of a downpour.  Very expensive, which must be why there were only three.  Certainly the flint, steel, and cotton tinder would be good enough in most cases.  The second item was even more baffling.  A clay jar, stoppered with a fine white powder inside.  At first she had no idea to it’s use, but then found a small drawing on the underside of the wide cork stopper that showed a crude drawing of the powder being sprinkled on what looked like a cartoonish piece of meat.  Whatever it was, it wasn’t salt, it was too fine for that.<br/><br/>Stoppering the jar for now she repacked her bag and moved to the dwarven rack.  Selecting a sword that looked to be her size she lifted it and found it balanced like no blade she’d ever held before.  The weight was light, but the blade was obviously expertly crafted.  The handle, pommel, and cross piece were all wooden, but inlaid with bronze and etched with dwarvish script.  The blade itself had a shimmering to the metal that spoke of two metals fused together in alloy.  There was a scabbard with it, and a leather strap that would allow her to strap it across her hips or across her back, however she felt more comfortable.<br/><br/>The chainmail was the obvious second choice, even though it didn’t look to protect quite as well as one would hope, it seemed to be very finely made.  Only as Lydia took it from the mannequin that she realized it was actually two pieces.  The top, finely crafted and silvered rings woven into what could only be described as a ‘halter top’ fashion, and the bottom into a skirt that went long down the front and back, yet slit on the sides almost all the way to the top where it connected.  As she removed the halter top a scrap of paper fluttered to the floor, it had been beneath the haltar and the mannequin.  She picked it up and read it, finding it a small note.<br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote"><em><strong>“Whichever contestant dons this armor should know it’s power and it’s past.  It was found inside the dungeon in the year 87pi by the contestant Brouj Brekeinwile, who wore till she made her way out on one of the lowest levels.  She credits it, and it’s magical powers, as the only reason she survived.  She also claims that the magic only works when worn directly against the flesh with nothing above it and nothing below it.  It has been worn since, and contestants have found it to be mundane protection if worn over their other clothing, but it does seem to be true to grant magical protections if worn as directed.  Scholars claim that this armor is magical, but it’s latent powers only seem to manifest inside the dungeon.  So further testing can not be done.  Use this item as you see fit.”</strong></em><br/></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/>This left Lydia with a strange choice, did she eschew modesty in favor of a magical advantage, or wear it over her uniform, and just accept whatever mundane protection it might offer?