Nautica the lost Heir

It has been so many years since the princess has been missing, your initial search and asking around is fruitless, borderline frustrating....
Bullock: If I can't see or get a hold of any of Nautica's personal belongings, her mother or father's scents may help me identify her as family, I know mom is dead, but there may be things of hers left behind still holding a scent. I'll see what the date is, to try to judge how long I've been in the hells, not sure if time was moving the same. I'll also see if there's a mage that will transport a few things for me to Adovax, I still owe him and have the means to pay him back now, a couple rings of Wish should cover the debt, I'll package them and have another mage put a spell of non detection on the package so whoever I hire to take the package doesn't get greedy and take off with the goods.
DM: Spell cost +20%, you are perceptive enough that the guards are probably not going to just let you walk into the palace.
Bullock: Yeah, I wasn't going to try to just walk in the palace, I was going to see if wherever the reward was posted would have any information or be able to get me somewhere I could search/sniff for clues. I avoid the city Guards for a bit and find some water to wash off some of the stink of the Hells and a tailor to make me some clothes to at least make me look presentable before i let the guards find me.
Bullock: If it's not illegal to carry weapons I'll have my chain in a bag at my side and javelins in a quiver on my back. I'll see if I can find out if the rumor of the reward for nautica is actually true, I'll go to the pallace and ask to speak to a steward
Locals know the emperor is good for the reward. The guards req you're weps to enter the palace.
Yes: You are greeted by an elderly man.
Bullock: I've no trouble handing over my weapons to enter the palace, I'm never completely unarmed with my horns unless they want those blunted too.I bow to the elderly man.
Sir, I'm inquiring about embarking on a quest to find the Emperors lost daughter. I've heard there is a reward, though that is secondary to the challenge of searching for a soul that may need help. Is it possible to see anything that belonged to the child before she was taken, any special toys or the like that are still around? I've skills of observation and resources that may not have been employed in previous searches.
DM:
The old man scrutinized you carfuly for several minutes. Then sends order's to bring the box.
After a time; several servents bring an oak box made of Tall Oak with symbols you dont recognize. The old man tells you that you may look but not touch the contents, you will not breath a word of what is within to another living soul, or be put to death by order of the emperor. We will never open the box to you again.
Contents:
A blanket with the words "Jessica" embroidered (You get a faint but specific scent)
An empty potion vial (smells like a putrid potion was held within)
A cube made of precious medals and jewels
A bell made of silver
A unique broken arrow tip with blood on it. (no scent)
Bullock: I commit both scents to memory and examine all contents carefully without touching them, "May I ask who Jessica is or was?" Is it a childs blanket or an adults? Guessing the potion is what the mother killed herself with but not going to ask.
After a few moments of examining contents, and the box they're all held in I thank the Steward. "I hope to find the Emperors daughter safe, and I'll not speak of these to anyone."
Is there any scent on the box besides the stewards? if these are items of his child it's possible the Emperor has handled it some?
DM: The Steward says "The childs true name, it helps us weed out frauds and fakes keeping it secret. Doutful No one that has seen the contents has ever returned.... goodby" They close the box and leave you to leave.
No other scents within the box.
Bullock is curious about scents on the outside of the box, sometimes people who have a connection to a child like a parent, or possibly someone who hurt the child might touch the box once in a while.
Bullock visits an apothecary/chemist and see if I can find anything in his shop that might smell like the stinky vial, and ask him if there are any less reputable dealers that might sell products less savory so I can smell them too, See if I can find what was actually in the Vial.
I'll also describe the scent to the apothecary, maybe they would have an idea by smell if they've smelled it before.
DM: You do pick up a distinct scent. that has made contact consistant outside the box. Raching an alchamy lab you discover that the potion; The owner says he will let you snif potions if you haul a bunch of crates around for him.
The potion sent is very old, you cant place it exsactly but it falls under transmutation types (similarly smelling)
Bullock hauls crates for the Apothecary and asks him for a list of possible potions with that type to peruse later. Then, figuring it's unlikely to run into the smell from the outside of the box in a city this big he heads outside the city to toot the horn.
DM: Takes forever because the city is so huge. But you make it out of the city. The main roads are almost as busy as travelers and traders head to and from the captial city.
Category:Adventures