| Other Names | - |
| Category | Tool |
| Magical Strength | Average |
This marvelous chest is 24 inches wide by 18 inches deep by 12 inches tall. It is fashioned of deeply stained oak and gold clasps. It has an intricate lock and a matching golden key. Has a dial on the front with 20 glyphs.
Its lid bears three large gem studded metal dials. Each dial is encircled by 60 diamond chips. Next to each diamond chip is a number, 1 through 60.
The three dials can be turned and doing so will cause them to slowly rotate with a mechanical clicking sound. The dials are stiff and can only be turned slowly. Each dial can be turned and set to any one of the 60 positions. Considering there are 3 dials, there are a total of 216,000 possible combinations.
This decorative metal chest was created by the master mage, Ulhuru (oo-LOO-roo) many centuries ago. Little is known of its construction, enchantment or the history it has seen. Should any mage or priest call upon higher powers (through spell or prayer) the Powers that be will cough up this cryptic response:
Ruled by numbers was Ulhuru, likewise is
his chest
Robbed by thieves, he crafted this that precious few can best
All his holdings here he kept inside a single box
Which guards his treasures while yet lacking clasps and keys and locks
Surely mathematics was his primary delight
And nothing more than humble numbers keep his wealth from sight
Strong blows will not avail you for this chest is sealed tight
And opens for whoever uses wisdom over might
Unlike a normal combination lock, this locking mechanism has multiple combinations. In fact, out of 216,000 possible positions, there are 160 combinations that will unlock the chest. However, this chest is enchanted such that it has 160 different interiors. Each “interior” is a tiny pocket dimension anchored to the chest, occupying the same point in space and time, but slightly out of phase with the rest. They are, in effect, virtual spaces. In order to bring one of these dimensional interiors into phase with the outside world, it’s combination must be dialed in. Obviously, only one interior can be dialed in at a time. When one interior is dialed in, the other 159 are out of phase and their contents are elsewhere, unseen and inaccessible.
Therefore, this chest is not limited to one set of contents. Different “interiors” can have different things stored in them. The contents of the chest will vary depending on which interior you set the dials for.
The chest can only be opened when one of the 160 correct combinations is dialed in. The dials cannot be turned when the chest is open.
It can be quite startling for a would-be thief to see an object placed in the chest and then see the chest opened later to reveal it is empty.
So, what are the 160 “correct” combinations? It’s simple. Or rather, it isn’t. Ulhuru, the genius sorcerer that created the Iron Chest, was a mathematical prodigy and loved prime numbers. He worked them into much of his magic including the creation of this wondrous item. Ulhuru created this device to serve him as the ultimate treasure chest. To foil thieves, he created a chest that required a fair degree of mathematical skill to solve. The 160 correct combinations are all composed of prime numbers between 1 and 60. To further complicate matters, each dial only uses a subset of those prime numbers.
The first dial uses every other prime. The second dial uses every third prime. The third dial uses every fourth prime.
The table below demonstrates the possible combinations using the three dials. The first column shows all prime numbers between 1 and 60. The last three rows show the individual “correct” numbers for each dial.
|
All Primes |
2 |
3 |
5 |
7 |
11 |
13 |
17 |
19 |
23 |
29 |
31 |
37 |
41 |
43 |
47 |
53 |
59 |
|
Dial 1 |
- |
3 |
- |
7 |
- |
13 |
- |
19 |
- |
29 |
- |
37 |
- |
43 |
- |
53 |
- |
|
Dial 2 |
- |
- |
5 |
- |
- |
13 |
- |
- |
23 |
- |
- |
37 |
- |
- |
47 |
- |
- |
|
Dial 3 |
- |
- |
- |
7 |
- |
- |
- |
19 |
- |
- |
- |
37 |
- |
- |
- |
53 |
- |
Therefore, the list of correct combinations would be:
 |
3,5,7 |
|
3,5,19 |
|
3,5,37 |
|
3,5,53 |
|
3,13,7 |
and so on.
There are 160 such correct combinations. This is less than 0.1% of the 216,000 possible combinations that are available using all three dials.
Ulhuru had a remarkable memory and did not create any means of determining the current contents of the chest or the combinations to retrieve them. He simply remembered where he put things in the chest. The fact that the chest lacks this particular feature has frustrated many of its owners since Ulhuru’s demise.
Each virtual space is about four times larger than the size of the chest. Regardless of what is placed in the chest, it always remains light. The chest is tough and can take a lot of punishment before breaking. Once broken, all items are lost in ethereal space. Finding them will be difficult in the extreme.
None.
 |
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This page last updated Monday, October 08, 2007. Copyright 1990-2008 David M. Roomes.