Report 16: Sibyl of Sseth

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Through the Village

  • After securing the docks, we made our way to the Pond Mother’s hut, one of the largest structures in town.
  • Only to find it vacated of Yuan-ti and much destroyed.
  • Mr. Darkfoot and I freed 8 caged Grippli from cages on the second floor, who were quite worried about the brood pools.
  • Heading to the brooding grounds, we find it encircled by a high wall.
  • I want to send ROK up to look, but the rogue crew dissuades me, and send an invisible Tuppance instead of my glowing book.
  • He spots 8 of the Yuan-ti, all the various types we have encountered.
  • Two of them are holding containers above the pools and watching all about.
  • Mr. Darkfoot also spies two with symbols of the god Sseth.
  • We must be extremely careful, if the containers are holding poison, it could destroy every egg in the pools.
  • Mr. Darkfoot and Shohei slip into the grounds invisibly to steal the containers right out of their hands.
  • They complete their goal, but we must quickly enter and join the fight.
  • These serpents are fierce and dangerous fighters, but we prevail.
  • The Grippli we had released from the Pond Mother’s hut help remove the bodies and set to righting the pools and protecting their young.

Temple of the Scalemother

  • We make our way upriver to the ancient temple to the Scalemother.
  • Inside, upon a brightly lit altar, surrounded by six Yuan-ti, a sacrifice of Grippli is in progress.
  • It appears that other Yuan-ti have already been sacrificed, possibly to raise whatever is in the sarcophagus beyond the altar.
  • Two more Yuan-ti Abominations, are between us and that altar.
  • We rush in to save the Grippli and stop the ritual, but the fight is long and hard.
  • We are unable to save the three sacrifices, but Mr. Darkfoot repeatedly dispells the magics to keep the ritual from completing.

Sibyl of Sseth

  • The last one to die mentions a Lady Sibyl of Sseth.
  • I remember a story of one of the Scalemother’s champions who fell to temptation and became a warlock to Sseth.
  • She became an acolyte, very much and Avatar of his will in this world.
  • When she was killed, her body tried to reform itself, so she was cut apart and her body spread and buried around this world.
  • Mr. Darkfoot looks within the sarcophagus and sees it contains part of her torso, a bag, and a dagger.
  • They debate for some time whether they could teleport in, steal her things, and get back out again, but the magics are too strong for such simple trickery.

Victory Celebration

  • We return to the village where the Grippli are reclaiming their homes and removing the dead Yuan-ti.
  • The Pond Mother is grateful and assures us trade will resume as quickly as possible.
  • We return all the stolen property we had recovered and offer our sympathy for those who fell.
  • We tell them about Sibyl up in the temple, and ask us to send advisors from Candlekeep to decide what to do about it.
  • The next day is a Holy Day for the Grippli, and they invite us to stay and celebrate.
  • It is quite a time with a massive crab boil and the children even make clay statues of some of us.

Report 15: Missing Shipments

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Disappearing Darkfoot

  • Ms. Lendiel found a book with a single faded page and asked for my opinion.
  • I could find no magical cause, the ink seemed to have simply dried off the page.
  • We went looking for other records on the same investigator, in reports of items retrieved.
  • He is in these records, but his name seems to not be used as would be natural.
  • In one of these books, I see a strange, small wisp of divine magic that quickly disappears.
  • She find no record of him searching for the Manifold of Mask, even though she finished that mission for him, and her record exists – though with no mention of him.
  • I ask if I could see the manifold, but she discusses with Mr. Darkfoot and they decide that is not possible at this time.

Gift of the Grippli

  • Ms. Lendiel gathers us all together in The Room to look at another strange book.
  • It is more of a container than an actual book.
  • This book was given to the Library by the Grippli in exchange for trade agreements, but the trade has stopped suddenly, so we must open the book and find a solution.
  • Inside are 3 hollow cylinders and a linen bag with a water droplet embroidered on it.
  • The cylinders have dwarven markings on the and symbols. The bag holds clay.
  • Rolling out the clay and then the cylinders on top of them reveals a story
  • The Frogs and the Serpents: The first cylinder told of the start of trade. The second, of the serpents attacking the frogs. The third of a vacant ruined village with serpents in the temple.
  • The group decides we must go to the Grippli and save them from the serpents, whatever they are.

Voyage to the Grippli

  • Down at the docks, we meet Captain Miter Yans, of The Dog Ear, who last visited the Grippli and found no one to trade with. He offers to take us there in the morning.
  • Sailing is smooth until we get close, then the weather turns rainy and grey.
  • We get to the trading post, and Captain Yans disembarks with us to translate.
  • He calls out for the Pond Mother, and while we are greeted with spears, one runs off and gets us permission for us to come further ashore.
  • We are taken to see the Pond Mother through the refugee camp which has sprung up around a central building.
  • After Captain Yans explains why we are here, and Mr. Darkfoot offers her any assistance we can provide, she tells us of the attack.
  • A pack of Yuan-Ti approached with friendship and religious interests, but then drove them from their home, while keeping the warriors as prisoners.
  • She then tells us of the paths to the village, through the water, the cliffside, or the crab maze.
  • The Yuan-ti have taken her home, the temple, and the broodpools, they will not survive that loss.

The Crab Maze

  • After much discussion, we decide to go as far as possible on land and then cross the crab maze to approach the village.
  • Sending Tuppance and Darkwing ahead to scout, we count their numbers in the open: five guard the broodpools, and another nine patrol the rest of the village.
  • Utilizing the carpet and Ms. Lendiel’s ring of waterwalking, we make our way quickly and carefully all the way across the beach and the maze.
  • Unfortunately, the carpet is a little too noticeable in approaching the docks and I am spotted.
  • Combat is joined, but we hold the docks.

Report 14: Zikran’s Last Stand

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Exploring the Castle

  • The door to the castle is ajar, so we all slip inside.
  • Two eyeless Cloud Giant ghosts patrol the entry hall.
  • Mr. Trisfir calls out to them and they demand leave without plundering their halls.
  • Mr. Trisfir attempts to explain we seek only a wizard hiding here, but they do not know him.
  • There are large tapestries in the Dwarvish language along the walls here, and ROK can read them, and does quietly in my head.
  • The group heads outside to discuss the ghosts and I sit down and immediately begin transcribing from ROK’s memory of the tapestries.
  • The tapestries speak of a Duke of Aaqa, but Gazreazam says that is not him or his people.
  • When I look up again, Mr. Darkfoot and Shohei are returning from their explorations, saying they’ve found Zikran.
  • Ms. Lendiel seems to have gone missing in the meantime, but Mr. Darkfoot is not worried and ushers us back to the castle.
  • The full group of us sneaks past the ghosts and down to the basement to find the wizard.

Zikran, Water Genasi

  • When Mr. Trisfir calls out to him from the stairway and explains the reason for our visit, he calls us thieves and demands his book back.
  • A few of the group enter the room to try to reason with the man, but he, and his elemental thralls simply attack.
  • Gazreazam sends away all of the ice mephits in the room, but the larger elementals will not be swayed.
  • I must admit I spent a lot of this fight unconscious, or waking from said state to heal someone before falling again.
  • When it was over, and we were victorious, Gazreazam broke free from the book and healed all of us.
  • When we ask nothing further of him, he gives us a ring to wish upon, should we ever need his power.
  • Several members of the group decide to destroy Zikran’s elemental cannon, taking only a few small parts away with us, as well as his spellbook.

Back to Bookwyrm

  • Returning to the Library, we return Zikran’s book, as well as a new history of that Cloud Giant clan.
  • First Reader Bookwyrm meets us at the Hearth where we explain our adventures in the mountains.
  • He thanks us for our work and offers to answer any questions we have lingering in exchange for our service.
  • I ask about Miirym and the catacombs. He tells us a story about a dragon which attacked the Library ages ago, and was trapped in a binding spell as punishment.
  • Unfortunately, the binding became entwined with the Mythal and the dragon could not get free after the binder died. Eventually, the dragon died, but still, the Mythal would not release its soul, which still stands guard in the undercroft.
  • He advises us to be respectful, not move books out of place down there, that magic gets a bit strange. It is a dangerous labyrinth, so we must be careful.

Report 13: Bookwyrm’s Request

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The Book That Wouldn’t Open

  • First Reader Bookwyrm brought me a while marble and blue leather bound book that he has been unable to open and asked me to look into it.
  • Mr. Trisfir and I attempt to Identify the book, but only find that the lock itself is an incredibly intricate abjurative spellworking which is keeping the book closed.
  • It also seems to be keeping something locked away inside the book.
  • There is no key or command word that we can decipher, but some process by which the book may be opened.
  • We request a scroll of Legend Lore from the bindery to learn more about it.
  • It is called Zikran’s Zephyrean Tome.
  • In researching Zikran, we discover he is a recent elementalist interested in giants and the elemental planes, especially cloud giants and their flying castles.
  • This book is a traveling tome, a spellbook, so perhaps leaving the library might help us learn more, away from the wards.

Gazreazam

  • As we fly out on the magic carpet, I keep detect magic up to watch the book.
  • Magic begins to build and the title appears on the cover, before a burst of energy bursts the padlock apart and the book open.
  • A purplish gas emits forth, followed by the body of a man made of gas and sparkles, or rather a Djinn.
  • He introduces himself as Gazreazam and says he was enslaved by Zikran and trapped in that book.
  • Zikran must still be alive, as the spell has not broken, so he asks us to help free him.
  • He gives us a description of a cave down along the Sword Coast where he had last been with Zikran. Mr. Darkfoot believes it to be south of Baldur’s Gate.
  • We discuss what to do back inside the Library, where the book slams shut and locks again.
  • Questdrone says their are universal laws which must not be broken and a prohibition against slavery is one of them. I wonder if this is somehow different from a wizard’s familiar, but no one really wants to have that conversation.
  • I message the First Reader, and he agrees we should work to set the Djinn free.
  • Most of the book itself is about trapping Djinn and Gazreazam’s behavior.

Zikran’s Cave

  • It takes us a couple of days to get down to the coral reef Gazreazam mentioned as a landmark for the wizard’s cave.
  • Ms. Lendiel and Mr. Darkfoot fly out to the reef, to look back at the coast for the cave.
  • It is underwater for the most part, so we work out safe ways for us all to get down there at low tide
  • The first things we find are a couple dead half elves with deep claw wounds, healing potions undrunk. Killed too quickly, and by a dragon from the looks of it.
  • Gazreazam never saw a dragon with the wizard.
  • The next room has destroyed furniture, but intact books and scrolls.
  • Music begins to play from somewhere, and as we begin to look around, a voice rings out from beyond a doorway.
  • “Who dares entreat upon my lair? Present yourselves so you may be judged.”
  • In the next room, a laboratory with a stone dais, holding a horde of wealth and a huge, bronze dragon.
  • He introduces himself as Zelapharn, and after being convinced that we are merely here looking for Zikran, makes us promise to tell no one.
  • He does allow us to investigate for traces of Zikran.
  • The books in the first room are ship logs and navigation charts, his collection.
  • In the lab, we find Zikran’s things – a journal, a map of the Cloudpeak mountains with an area marked near an old giant’s castle.
  • We also find schematics for an elemental air cannon.
  • We thank Zelapharn and give him a gem for his horde before taking our leave.

Castle in the Mountain Valley

  • Horses secured in the foothills, we trek up the mountains through an unnatural storm.
  • Mr. Trisfir keeps me from falling to my death, but I really need to research a sheltering spell.
  • We are woken in the middle of the night by a pack of shapeshifters that followed Questdrone back from scouting.
  • Their leader, once dispatched, is found to have a large, intricate transmogrification tattoo on his back. I copied it down to take home with us.
  • Their lair has a number of corpses of unwary travelers and a handful of useful items they must have scavenged. I now own a lamp that will float around with me when I need it.
  • Another day on, we find a giant castle in a cleft where the storm calms significantly.
  • The castle appears quite ruined, especially in the higher levels, as though it crashed here.

Report 12: Meetings (Private)

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Meeting with the Keeper of Tomes, Janussi.

  • The Servitors were unaware of my and Mr. Darkfoot’s books when requesting the removal of magical items upon entering the Tower of the Keeper.
  • Keeper Janussi seems to be familiar with each of us, even down to foods from our homelands.
  • He speaks to Mr. Trisfir about where he awoke after falling asleep in his room centuries ago. Neither one of them knows why that happened.
  • The Keeper also speaks with Ms. Rosewood about her amulet that keeps her fire from harming the Library and its contents.
  • He notes that we all feel a bit like Shohei’s home, and asks him a bit about that and he tells the Keeper about the Death Knight we fought.
  • He wonders with #13 about who Questdrone might be.
  • He asks me about my home, but I deflected the conversation to the Book of Kurth that Mr. Trisfir was still carrying.
  • The Keeper is also aware of Mr. Darkfoot’s family line, and spoke to Ms. Lendiel about her work with the Library.
  • He does agree to trade our Manual of Gainful Exercise for one reading, by me, of the Tome of Understanding, provided I do it immediately after this meeting under strict supervision.
  • Ms. Lendiel asks about the item she brought to the Library, and the Keeper regales us with a tale of the late, elder, Mr. Darkfoot who was first sent to find the Manifold of Mask. He believes that it, used properly, could reveal a trove of Mask.
  • Shohei asks if his brother is still alive, and the Keeper discusses a few methods of finding out the answer to that question, but gives no definitive answer.
  • I ask about the mythal from my dream and he tells of Mystra’s ban on their creation because of the power they can confer upon mortals. He tells me that true mythals were created by pre-Netherese Elves. He says that books about these mythals might be found in the catacombs, but that it is dangerous to go there. He offers to speak to Merriam and will let me know when I may attempt it.
  • After finishing up, I go read a very interesting book for several days.

Repository of Knowledge

  • My book seems to be waking up more, so it is high time for a chat.
  • It manifested as a half-elven man with biofocal lenses, and shoulder length hair, wearing a robe of sorts. Transluscent and blue though it may be, it is not the man from my dreams.
  • They do not seem to know who they are or why they looks that way.
  • Claims to be a Repository of Knowledge, and asks to be called ROK.
  • I ask if they are a person trapped in a book or just a book and show them a mirror to see themself.
  • They fill out a bit more upon seeing what they look like, but do not recognize themself.
  • I ask why they brought me to The Room, but they say they it was automatic or programmed, not a willful choice.
  • They believe they were previously a construct though now they are conscious.
  • We work together to cast Identify upon the book, and find it is called Oghma’s Watch, an indestructible artifact, that can be used to manifest them and through which I can cast magic written within.
  • It seems to be part of my magic, but then, how is ROK sentient?
  • ROK does not know about my dreams, but encourages me to continue taking risks to become great.
  • They are also suspicious of Mr. Darkfoot’s book.
  • We agree to just manifest them as a book in front of the others for now.

The Questdrone

  • The Questdrone came to The Room when we were all gathered one evening.
  • He said #13 sent him because things were getting too dangerous around us, and Questdrone was better able to handle such things.
  • He claimed to be defender and protector of the Library, and thus had access to all the rooms when questioned about his ability to enter Our Room.
  • Mr. Trisfir thinks he might be #13, but that’s silly, they don’t speak or act the same at all.
  • He believes he would be more helpful in our quests than hanging around the library waiting for danger and is willing to reveal himself to those that send us upon these quests.
  • Mr. Darkfoot does not trust him, even though #13 gave him his swords to better protect us.
  • He comes along on our shopping trip to Baldur’s Gate, but I think Mr. Darkfoot is still suspicous.