<div class="floatright">(http://cdn.obsidianportal.com/assets/165136/Sheila_Heidmarch-2-small.jpg)</div>A few minutes after Runt arrives, two women walk into the foyer, one an attractive half-elven woman, wearing wearing leather armor, with a mithral and redwood aklys and bastard sword on her belt. The other is obliviously the owner of the manor, dressed in deep blues and greens and carrying a tall decorative staff, her unusually deep voice draws all eyes but the half elf's to her as she begins to address the guests. "I apologize for the delay, as I must conclude my business with Pathfinder Azmeren," she nods slightly to the half elf to place the name," before we meet. In the meantime, though I thought you could help us with another issue." With that she leads everyone into the next room.<br/><br/>The chamber is the lodge library and study. The walls are lined with bookshelves, while several tables in the middle of the room are heaped with scrolls and books. One table however supports only an ornate cubical stone coffer covered in Thassilonian runes. Sheila notions for the party to sit around the table while she continues.<br/><br/>"This stone coffer is an ancient Thassilonian puzzle, a cunning feat of magical engineering known as a paradox box. As you'll see from even a casual investigation, what appears to be seams on the sides are only shallow grooves - there's no obvious way to open the thing."<br/><br/>Running her fingers along one of the grooves while she talks,<br/><br/>"Each paradox box has its own secret method of being opened. Essentially, a paradox box substitutes hidden catches and magical triggers for a lock. Given time, anyone clever enough could figure out how to open a paradox box, just as given time, a locksmith can open any lock. This particular box was among items recovered by Koriah during her excavation to Nar Voth from the Farscar Moutains- The scrolls next to the box are her prelimary notes on possible triggers or methods of opening it, but she's not yet had a chance to sit down and properly investigate the thing."<br/><br/>Shelia slightly smiles as she speaks her next words, her voice hopeful yet professional.<br/><br/>"So... why don't you put your heads together and see if you can't do that for me? Even if the box is empty, as I suspect it probably is, knowing the method  of opening it makes it a valuable find anyway."<br/><br/>She rises from her seat Koriah following her,<br/><br/>"I'll return shortly, and I hope to see that box open! Think of this as an audition, if you will - because the actual task I want to speak to you about soon will require as much wit as it will brawn!"<br/><br/>