An unusual bequest

You sit and listen as Rosenkreutz reads through the preamble to your Great Uncle's last will and testament. Even by the standards of legal documents the language and phrasing is, like everything related to the solicitor's firm, archaic and convoluted, and you struggle to pay attention.

After what seems like an eternity, Rosenkreutz comes to the details;

"You simply need sign here, here and here and full legal ownership of your Uncle's research and magnum opus will pass to you," the lawyer states, sliding a shet of thick parchment towards you, the places for your signature marked by crosses in red ink. He hands you an old fashioned ink pen and you wince as a sharp point on the barrel pricks your finger.

You look up at him with a frown, and he spreads his hands with an apologetic smile;

"Sorry, these old pens are a bit temperamental..." he murmurs.

You shake your head, "It's fine, no harm done" you reply as you clumsily sign your name, "You say he left me his research and magnum opus? What was he some sort of scientist?" You ask. The old man gives a slight nod;

"Some sort of scientist, yes. I'm afraid such things are rather out of my field of expertise, but I do know the will was rather... hotly contested." he says with a chuckle

You shrug, you have no idea why your Great Uncle, who you'd never to your knowledge met, would leave you his life's work, or what you could possibly do with it. But, with the document signed and secured in the solicitor's files you are now the proud owner of a small wooden chest, apparently containing some sort of unspecified scientific research. Your business concluded, you are ushered out of the offices of Hohenheim & Flamel, LLP. The surprisingly heavy chest clutched in your arms, along with instructions on how to contact the solicitor's should you ever require their services.

On the train home, you open the chest, to see just what was so special about this 'research' that had your Great Uncle's will so hotly contested.