The Vault

by Educated Guess

V-90: A Small Metal Key

Item Number: V-90
Designations: Unsolved, Harmless, Contained
Administrator: Director Barton
Lead Researcher: Director Barton

Procedure: V-90 is to be kept on a magically-reinforced leather strap around Director Barton’s neck. It is only to be removed if a viable matching lock for V-90 is found, and only then with the permission of the Director and two (2) other members of Administration.

Note: We need to figure out what V-90 goes to. It might only be some demi-god’s personal locker, but there’s also the chance that it goes to some kind of secondary Vault. As such, I’m giving this project top priority. All agents and personnel, in addition to their current assigned tasks, are required to read all information related to V-90. That includes studying the pattern map. You look at those lines, and you look at them good. If you see anything like them out in the field, or find something that seems to be made of the same kind of metal, don’t submit it through the usual channels. Bring it straight back to me. I’ll even fill out the paperwork for you afterwards. -Director Barton

Description: V-90 is a small key, approximately 2.5 inches in length. It appears to be made of bronze or a similar alloy, but no tool or method has been able to remove scrapings for testing. V-90 has proven incredibly resistant to any attempt to bend, melt, or otherwise damage it.

V-90 has no apparent physical “teeth”, as normal keys do. To the naked eye, V-90 appears to be a small bronze rod with a handle at one end. However, thaumaturgical mapping shows that V-90 constantly projects a massive cone of energy down its shaft, measuring approximately 15 yards long, and 7 yards across at its end-point. This cone is not a solid projection, but is comprised of approximately nineteen (19) “tendrils” of energy, which curl, split, and branch off in a variety of recurring patterns resembling no known magical locking systems. The detail of this pattern is so small as to be almost undetectable - as such, full mapping of the pattern has been cancelled. The incomplete mapping is available on request from the Order archives.

---

Addendum V-90-1: Agent Martinez requested use of V-165 to attempt to complete the pattern map. Request was granted by Archduke Montagne.

Note: There might be something in there if you look deep enough, but we don’t know how deep this thing goes. If it takes longer than three months, I’m putting Martinez back in the field. -Director Barton