A compass

The sizable chest is mostly filled with empty air. Somehow despite all the jostling of the two men extracting it from the hole a golden compass sits perfectly in the center. Jeff takes it out and examines it. It seems like a normal, if ornate, compass. Looking more closely there was no north or south needle. Instead there were a whole set of needles labeled Je, B, A, Ja, and S. Jeff held the artefact out on his palm and the 'A' needle trained directly on you, B on Brian and Je on Jeff himself.

Jeff : "Ok, obviously this will help us keep track of each other. Ja is James and S is Samantha. It doesn't seem to even be very useful in locating our lost party members. Is that all it does?"

While the needles representing you three held tight on you the needles for James and Samantha were loose and spun lazily. Jeff seemed disappointed in his reward.

Brian : "Beats me, this game didn't come with a rule book, unless... Jeeves, are you out there?"

Out from behind a hedge the portly butler walks into view as if he was just stumbling onto the party.

Jeeves : "Yes master Brian?"

Brian : "How does this Compass work?"

Jeeves : "I'm afraid Master Pervis never saw fit to explain such matters to me."

Jeff : "Great, how are we supposed to use this thing if we don't know what it does?"

Jeeves : "The proof of the pudding is in the eating Master Jeffery."

Brian : "Looks like we're going to have to figure this out for ourselves. It's my turn, guess we'll just see what happens."

The game setup was on the soft turf a few feet away. you could have sworn it wasn't there moments ago. Brian steps over and draws two tiles. You and jeff walk over and see that he's pulled the green house and the secret stairway, both with event symbols on them.