//------------------------------//
// Preliminary Report 
// Story: The Vault 
// by Educated Guess 
//------------------------------//


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Order of the Iron Star



Preliminary Report: “The Vault”
Case Agent: Shelly Farthing
July 5th, 374 A.E.

The site now dubbed as “The Vault” is located inside Mt. Bucktooth, in the western half of the Unicorn Range. The interior appears to be hoof-made, but the stone is completely seamless, and there are no imperfections that could normally be associated with hoof-carved tunnels. It is currently unknown who or what constructed the Vault.
The components of the Vault are as follows:

1. “The Door”
The Door lies under an overhang near the peak of the mountain. It measures approximately 17 feet high by 11 feet wide. When closed, the Door is indistinguishable from the rock face. The Door has a complex magical locking mechanism, and when this mechanism is tripped incorrectly, the Door retaliates with a bolt of magical energy. When unlocked properly, the Door slides down into the ground. It cannot be closed manually from the outside. There appears to be a mechanism for closing the Door from the inside, but researchers have so far been unable to crack it. For now, the Door only shuts itself automatically when at least one (1) being has entered and exited, and even then will not close if any other beings remain inside.

2. “The Lock”
The Lock is a circular segment of tunnels, measuring 17 feet high by 11 feet wide. These tunnels are comprised of long, descending sections, connected at 90-degree angles by square landings which measure 11 by 11 feet. The first two segments of tunnel from the door are not part of the Lock. The Lock begins once a being has passed the second landing. At this point, they are trapped in the Lock, and will remain in the same connecting set of four (4) tunnels and four (4) landings, no matter how long they travel, or in which direction, until such a time as the Lock is unlocked. The spatial impossibility that this presents is currently under investigation.
The Lock appears to be able to distinguish between beings working together, and beings that are separate. Groups of beings will remain within the same instance of the Lock, even if they enter at vast intervals, currently known to be at least up to one hour apart from each other. However, when a being or group that designates itself as “separate” from a being or group already in the Lock enters, the being(s)/group(s) will be unable to see, hear, or make physical contact with each other. It appears that the Vault creates extra instances of the Lock for additional groups/beings. The effect of the Lock ends when the correct route is walked, and the door to the Keyhole is opened.
Following the events of Incident 03 and the disappearance of Agent Pendergast, no more than five (5) beings are allowed to enter the Vault at any one time, and these beings are required to be on very good terms with each other. As a safety precaution, all agents are advised to mentally identify themselves as Loyal Servants of the Three Crowns when entering the Lock, in order to prevent future incidents.

3. “The Keyhole”
The Keyhole is a small, cylindrical, dome-roofed room, 22) feet in diameter. The only features are two doors, 17 feet high by 11 feet wide, directly opposite from each other. One leads into the room from the Lock - the other exits into the Core. The door to the Core is lined with a sentence of runes. These runes have been identified as the same language used in many ancient texts with unidentified authors. The runes read, approximately, “Let they who opened the door open themselves.” Interestingly, it is not actually necessary for the being who opened the Door to be present in order for the Keyhole to be passed through.
After several tests, the door has shown itself to be semi-sentient. It will only open if it judges the being/beings before it to be “pure.” The easiest way to do this appears to be to convince the door that you have no desire to actually open it or take anything from within. If the door deems that a being is worthy, the rune for “pure” will appear on the door, and it will open.
Following the events of Incident 02, indentured criminals and other beings that could be considered “impure” are no longer to be used for any activity within the vicinity of the Vault.

4. “The Core”
The Core is an open-centered cylindrical chamber that measures 110 feet in diameter by 385 feet high. It has thirty-five (35) levels, including the ground floor, but not including the entry platform. Each level is comprised of a circular ledge which extends out from the wall 11 feet. Each level has a certain number of openings spaced evenly around the circumference of the chamber, leading into rooms of various sizes.
These rooms contain a variety of pedestals, platforms, mannequins, and, in some cases, pools for holding various objects. These rooms are always perfectly cubical and never intersect with each other, even when they should, either logically, mathematically, or spatially. Attempts to tunnel through the walls and floor between adjoining rooms have thus far failed. At the time when the Vault was opened by the Order, only [REDACTED] objects remained in their chambers.
>Levels 1-11 each have thirty-three (33) openings, each leading into a room measuring 11 by 11 by 11 feet.
>Levels 12-22 each have twenty-two (22) openings, each leading into a room measuring 22 by 22 by 22 feet.
>Levels 23-33 each have eleven (11) openings, each leading into a room measuring 33 by 33 by 33 feet. These rooms appear to have never been designated for any objects.
>Level 34 has seven (7) openings, each leading into a room measuring 77 by 77 by 77 feet. These rooms appear to have never been designated for any objects.
>Level 35, the bottom level, has three (3) openings, each leading into a room 121 by 121 by 121 feet. These rooms appear to have never been designated for any objects. On the floor, in the center of the main Core chamber, is a large stone statue, approximately 11 feet high, that appears to have once held six (6) unidentified spheres, with five of the holders evenly surrounding a sixth, higher one. The purpose of this statue is yet to be determined.

The Vault was discovered by the Order when a series of powerful artifacts surfaced, both on the black market and in various illegal activities. The origin of these artifacts was traced back to an abandoned warehouse in Whinnyapolis. When it was raided, the wanted criminals Shift Key and Gaston Molyneux were captured, along with several of the remaining unsold artifacts. They revealed the source of their items to be the Vault, and gladly told Order agents its location, and instructed them in the operation of the Vault’s components.
The Misters Key and Molyneux are currently being held as indentured consultants until such a time as the known remaining artifacts are captured.
The current known items will be detailed in further reports.

Case Update 1:
September 2nd, 374 A.E.
Shift Key and Gaston Molyneux have been indispensably helpful in locating many of the more troublesome artifacts thus far. As such, Viscount Monroe and Viceroy Cooper have scheduled a hearing to discuss their upgrade to paid consultants.
However, it is the opinion of Case Agent Farthing that the pair should not be allowed any such freedoms. She would like to remind any Order members voting at the hearing that Shift Key and Gaston Molyneux have still never revealed where the profits from their original black-market auctions are being kept, and thus, are not to be trusted.

Case Update 2:
October 1st, 374. A.E.
Shift Key and Gaston Molyneux were granted paid consultant status by a vote of 7 for and 4 against.

Case Update 3:
November 11th, 374 A.E.
Shift Key and Gaston Molyneux escaped from their quarters in the Order base in New Unicornia. The means through which they did so are currently under investigation, but they appear to involve a security guard that gave them more basic supplies than he was authorized to. Their current whereabouts are unknown.
Case Agent Farthing would like to advise any Order agents studying this case in the future to remember that criminals are criminals, no matter how charming and helpful they may be.