Tag: books

Report 12: Meetings (Private)

On By ravonlockeIn Journal, SvalaLeave a comment

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.

Report 2: Amberdune Bookshop

On By ravonlockeIn Journal, SvalaLeave a comment

Bookshop investigation

Location: Baldur’s Gate, Upper City, The Wide.

  • Mr. Trisfir discovers Wizards of the Wide, Coppers to Crowns, and Amberdune
  • A guard tells me of Wizards of the Wide and Amberdune
  • Ms. Lendiel acquired hot drinks for everyone, she is very kind, but investigation does not appear to be her strong suit.

Amberdune Bookshop Investigation

  • Mr. Darkfoot suggests we attempt to subtly investigate the shop and detect magic for any further exploding books. With the possibility of buying and examining any suspect books if the sellers are not forthcoming. An addendum of following the booksellers at the end of the day if nothing is otherwise discovered.
  • Mr. Trisfir, Mr. Darkfoot, and I enter the bookshop to browse, while the rest of the group observes from various other places around the market.
  • Amberdune Bookshop is a simple stall selling a variety of materials from broadsheets and penny novels to expensive hardbound books.
  • There are two patrons and two clerks, neither matching previously given descriptions. Both dusky brown skin and blue eyes.
  • Mr. Trisfir asks the younger seller, an energetic young man, for unique books.
  • The young man refers to the woman behind the counter as Ivani, she refers to the young man as Theryn.
  • They offer Mr. Trisfir The Wanderings of a Humble Aasimar, but he cannot afford its 400 gold price tag, so he leaves.
  • I approach next, noting some small transmutation on a couple of the books behind the counter.
  • Theryn offers me Fallen Tethemar for 225 gold, which I do not quite have.
  • I involve Mr. Darkfoot in the discussion at this point, and he begins to interrogate Ivani.

Ivani Interrogation by Mr. Darkfoot

  • The book came to her from collector who bequeathed a collection to the shop’s patron.
  • Ivani knows no magic nor anything about an enchantment on the book.
  • She refuses to discuss any further books from the same collection.
  • The shop’s patron will return in forty-five minutes if we wish to speak with them.

Korvala Interrogation by Mr. Darkfoot and Myself

  • The patron is a dusky woman with amber eyes and auburn hair.
  • She leads us away from the shop to a bakery patio to eat and speak.
  • She repeats that the items are from her personal collection and is suspicious of our concern.
  • Mr. Darkfoot shows her the burn he received from the one which attacked us.
  • She is genuinely surprised and invites us to speak later than evening at her home with all the special books present.
  • Shohei keeps an eye on the shop to be sure they do not skip town while we wait.

Korvala Interrogation

With all present in her home beyond the Black Gate beneath a larger building.

  • There are seven people living here, appearing to share familial characteristics.
  • Mr. Darkfoot explains more fully our reason for being here.
  • Korvala created the books with magic – creating Gingwatszems, creatures that can mimic tiny objects or animals for a short time.
  • The intentions were deceitful, but relatively harmless under normal circumstances.
  • The Gingwatszems, when not locked in a highly magical library, would simply unravel after a time and wander off.
  • Mr. Darkfoot and Mr. Trisfir insist she stop doing this as Candlekeep is the ideal place for this type of book to end up in this region.
  • They are trying to raise enough money to resurrect Nidallia, her previous patron, who was killed by adventurers.
  • She has the five original books, include one about Gingwatszems, which we ask to see, and the latter of with #13 reads while we talk.
  • #13 suggest she sell something less dangerous, but she just wants to get out of selling anything as quickly as possible.
  • Mr. Darkfoot suggests we bring the five books, some part of her fallen friend, and the money they have collected so far, to Candlekeep, and we will have Nidallia resurrected, so they can go back to their lives.
  • Korvala agrees and will bring several members of her family along.

Other Bookshops in Baldur’s Gate

  • Wizards of the Wide only sells spell foci and spell scrolls
  • Sorcerous Sundries is a massive tower with good security. There is an angry illusion who is not very helpful. The books (and other items) are kept behind portals, but the arcane specialists can put in requests per topic. I found a book on the interaction of the Weave with the Hells.

Resolution of the Amberdune Investigation

  • We report succcess to Whisper who allows us entry with our guests to the Hearth
  • Taking the three originals of the books, we speak to Parmac to get a meeting with Vziir’Ag
  • Vziir’Ag is strangely familiar with Mr. Ashfall who is extremely uncomfortable with the attention
  • Mr. Darkfoot explains our findings.
  • Vziir’Ag sends to the First Reader, Bookwyrm, who recognizes me.
  • He looks at the books and takes us immediately to the Hearth.
  • He recognizes them as Jackalweres, which shocks them and us, to be honest.
  • He examines all of the books and confirms the offered deal.
  • He will send for a friend to resurrect their friend in the next few days. They are welcome here while they wait.
  • We will be paid when the matter is concluded satisfactorily.

Report 1: Gathering of the Group

On By ravonlockeIn Journal, SvalaLeave a comment

Meeting convened at The Hearth. Topic: The Room. In attendance: Mr. Shohei Ashfall, Mr. Axel Darkfoot, Ms. Ysayle Lendiel, #13, Mr. Rhys Trisfir, Ms. Ember Rosewood, and myself.

Conjectures:

  • Mr. Darkfoot suggested that the Doors in the Room might lead to what you most want at the moment you opened them. Mr. Ashfall wants to recover things, but says it in such a way, that I believe he may be looking for things of value. Ms. Rosewood is looking for druids from her circle who came here and then went missing.
  • #13 suggested that there is a link between the seven of us and the Room. That it was perhaps designed by some intelligence who was looking to connect with people possessing certain traits. Traits we either outwardly exhibit or that we do not yet understand. The group is unsure what traits we all might have in common, as yet.

The meeting then dispersed to be reconvened at the Room itself.

Investigations:

  • Mr. Darkfoot tries to pick one of the locks, unsuccessfully. He reports that the lock kept changing as he manipulated it.
  • Several members of the group then began studying the magic on the doors, as though we had not thought to do that in the past year since the doors stopped working.
  • Ysayle gets everyone a drink from the tea and coffee service, but all of us drinking at once does nothing to help open any doors.
  • #13 suggests we look in the library for books on the Creators or on other rooms that had been lost and/or found. Mr. Darkfoot has a place we can start, a book called Mazfroth’s Mighty Digressions.

Mazfroth’s Mighty Digression Investigation

  • The book is located in the Research Wing of the Dragon Bones.
  • Mr. Darkfoot and Mr. Ashfall examine the book for magics and find Transmutation, but does not appear explosive or dangerous to open.
  • Mr. Darkfoot and I examine the contents, written in common, which discuss magics of various schools, the Spellplague and the nature of the weave in 150 pages of handwritten, poorly bound text.
  • An unfamiliar voice then speaks in my head saying “Need Life” over and over.
  • The book discorporated into four balls of crackling energy – orange, green. blue, and grey.
  • These balls then began to attack us.
  • Mr. Darkfoot got off some eldritch magic before one of the balls nearly killed him.
  • Ms. Lendiel was badly injured, as well, in their first volley.
  • #13 went to hide from the attack as he is not equipped for such interactions.
  • Ms. Lendiel then came to Mr. Darkfoot’s defense with her blades, as I healed him back to consciousness.
  • Ms. Rosewood summoned a small fire spirit and shot fire at one of the balls of energy, neither set any library property alight.
  • Mr. Ashfall joined the fight with a smoky grey sabre, as Mr. Trisfir began to punch them with gauntleted fists.
  • A masked and caped modron then leapt down from the shelving, destroying one orb and damaging another, saying they were here to protect organics, before disappearing in a cloud of fog once the orbs were all destroyed.
  • A report was then handed over to Fembris Larlancer to be sent up to the Great Readers.

Meeting with V’ziir-Ag.

Also present: Daral Yashenti. Absent: Mr. Ashfall.

  • Two other books have similarly exploded: Dark Hunger & The Fallen Tethamar
  • Previous attacks were managed by Lesser Readers.
  • All are books recently received from supplicants.
  • Two of whom, Valor (Dark Hunger) and Yalerion Highscroll (Mazfroth) are still here and can be questioned.
  • We are requested to investigate and resolve the matter.

Valor Interrogation

  • Tiefling woman (blue), 6’3″
  • Arrived 13 days ago
  • Book purchased in Baldur’s Gate, Upper City, unknown bookshop of questionable character offering 1st edition books
  • Booksellers: Pale, dark-haired man & quiet, stern woman
  • Asked for a good book for trading, but did not specifically mention Candlekeep
  • Unable to pay for the book she came here for without her trade, she is working off her debt reshingling the Hearth.

Yalerion Highscroll Interrogation

  • Human, late 20s, worshipper of Oghma
  • Arrived yesterday
  • Book purchased in Baldur’s Gate, Upper City, The Wide, in a “really neat” bookshop with Dune in the name
  • Bookshop is in a back alley, and has lots of 1st editions
  • Shopkeepers: A very friendly man
  • Asked for rare of 1st edition books – bought the nicest looking one
  • Read the book on the way here
  • Traveled in a caravan and spoke about the book
  • No one else in the caravan seemed to have shopped at the same store

Gate House Inquiry

Avowed: Whisper.

  • Check in records for all three included Baldur’s Gate, but no further location information.
  • 13 Books have come in from Baldur’s Gate in the last month.
  • Note made to be more aware of books from there and to look out for Dune bookshop.
  • #13 has shelved three of the books.
  • We and other Avowed recover all 13 books that have not yet exploded.
  • All seem to be safe at this time.
  • V’ziir-Ag approves a mission to Baldur’s Gate for further investigation.

Travel Report

  • Supplies included walking boots, tents, bedrolls, and a pack animal are acquired.
  • Day One – Quiet. Sleeping on the ground is more uncomfortable than the Room.
  • Day Two – Quiet. Goodberries taste a lot better than hardtack.
  • Day Three – Quiet. I should have bought a horse.
  • Day Four – Quiet. It is raining now and we’re sleeping on rocks.
  • Night Four Addendum: Rats! Giant Rats attacked us in the night! Mr. Darkfoot said there was also a wererat in the forest. #13 hid, as is appropriate, and Mr. Ashfall was slow to respond to the danger. Ms. Rosewood’s fire spirit is also useful for healing. Mr. Trisfir was a good ally in this fight.
  • Day Five – We have arrived in Baldur’s Gate and taken rooms in an inn.

Candlekeep

On By ravonlockeIn Journal, QuillLeave a comment

Spymaster!!!!

We went to Candlekeep!!! He kept his promise and we went to the LIBRARY!!! They wouldn’t let us go in to see all the books, but then we did and it was so cool! And people go missing inside their own houses and we can read any book we ask for and they made copies of books for us, too!!! Spymaster it was so cool!!! And now we have a mage’s own house for ourselves, to take with us wherever we want, until we find her. She’s not really there, she’s left the plane, I guess. Red wants to use it for robbing places, but I just want to go inside and read all the books! And play with all the kitties! I need to learn how to make proper books and then I can just copy all her books. She has so many books and we can read them all!!! It’s like we brought Candlekeep home with us!!! Or at least part of it!

Right… proper report. Sorry.

We met the Gate Warden Callum Strongbranch, and he said our books were good enough – I gave him a book on stray cats of Waterdeep from Abena over at the Homeward Bookshop. She writes down all the cats she helps. So many cats, so I made a copy of it to take with me. They’ve never seen anything like that before.

He sent us to the House of Rest. Even their Inn is magical. It’s way bigger inside than the building is. A really friendly librarian, Sprig Summerfoot came then and asked us all what we wanted to read so he could gather all the books for us. Everybody but Red had come, but not everybody had an idea what they wanted. Some of us just wanted to see the Library, but Sprig said we weren’t allowed. So, we picked a bunch of random topics to read about and ate, drank, and went to the spa while we waited.

They wouldn’t let me take my… calligraphy kit into the reading rooms, have to pay for copies of the books, they said, not allowed to make my own. I read about Kenku myths and took notes on that weird Luskan tech for Mary Mouse. He really wants to make some of that stuff himself. But really, we came here to figure out why there are worms in Nevi’s bag of holding.

Sprig says that the book Mary Mouse needs was borrowed by a guy named Matrius, and written by a lady named Fistandia. Both of them have disappeared. Fistandia a while ago, but Matrius just a couple days gone. He says maybe we can help find him, and then we can look at the book. We agree, so after we get done reading, we go to bed to rest before going inside.

A new guy, Parmack meets us the next morning, and he lets us go inside the Library. We can’t look around too much, but it is Amazing!!! So many books, and it’s so big and pretty and… Oh. Sorry. Matrius had gone to Fistandia’s lab to try and find her, so Parmack took us there. She had lots of books and scrolls and all sorts of things in her room. Including the book Mary Mouse wanted – The Joy of Extra-Dimensional Space. It has some other guy on the cover though, Nevi says it’s Mordenkainen, or something like that. I start looking at the books, but Nevi gets real focused on Matrius’ notes and then looks up and says Scepter and a door appeared in the middle of the room.

I wrote a quick note to Parmack and slipped it under the door to him before we all went through the magic door. We found Matrius right inside, and he seems really happy to see us. He couldn’t figure out how to get back out. He has a little statue he wants to check out and invites us to look around for Fistandia. He runs out the door and we heard him scream as the door slammed shut behind him.

The tower we’re in is really cool, but some of the boys want to go outside and play in weird purple mist. That seems like a bad idea, and it is, but Nevi gets really stuck on it for a while. Then we start looking around and we find so many books and kitties! They’re really nice kitties. Well, most of them are, anyway, and… oh… Some of the books aren’t so nice either and attack us. But they figure out that she hid the keyword to get out on the spines of seven books, and this place was a gift from her goddess Mystra. There are two odd little men in the kitchen and Nevi said they should be able to talk, but they can, and they were really nice. They said the faerie dragons in the garden aren’t very nice, so we avoided them. But we found lots of cool books and tools and even a room full of monsters in jars. Orange decided to keep the biggest one to display at the Cabaret, but Nevi said we shouldn’t take too much since a goddess made this place. They still took some alchemy stuff, though.

We also had to fight a chair, and a toad demon, and a bookcase, and some hands. That was really strange, but the Big Guy said they might have animated because of all the magic. Some swords attacked us, too. It’s a strange place, this magic tower, but not too dangerous. There was a really cool room with all the stars in the sky, plus five extra stars that opened an extra door to chained books. They attacked us, too. Orange wanted to break the whole bookcase, but I wouldn’t let him. They looked like important books.

But we found the word to get out, Liberty, and went back outside. Matrius got killed while we were gone. Apparently that statue was a little demon. Silly mage, the imp was pretty squishy. Mary Mouse, Nevi, and Orange got held back as we all left the magic house. By Mystra? She told them we could borrow the house until we find Fistandia and that she’s on a different plane. The librarians were happy we figured things out, even if Matrius got dead, and offered us each any two books we wanted, too. I’m going to copy books from the magic tower, too. She has lots of good books.

Anyway, I’m home again if you need anything.

~QS

Swimming, Books, and a Party

On By ravonlockeIn Journal, TristiaLeave a comment

The investigators question us, but things come round to normal. Families are safe and school is about learning again. Everyone is sure that the Lake holds important spells for them, and thus begins our next adventure.

Some of the boys haven’t really learned to swim before, so Maribeth tries to teach them in the shallows while Klyce heads out to the middle, I sit on the Dock, and Remy stays clear of the water. After Nat lowering me down from that window so softly, I’ve been working on ways to lift people up with the air, too, so I keep an eye on the new swimmers, in case they need pulled out. Remy notice something magical triggering when Dalish goes under and starts flailing, but a desire to live keeps him from investigating too thoroughly.

Watching the center of the lake for Klyce after he says he’s going to do a Rope Trick below the waves is a little nerve-wracking, but he eventually comes to the surface and says he found something. Unsure what it is, he invites everyone out to take a look. Maribeth goes out to the center to keep an eye on them, but doesn’t dive down. Remy and I stay dockside, the water freaks him out, and I know I won’t be any help.

It takes a while before they all pop back up again, and most of them are bleeding, but the spell they learned is apparently really cool. Cool enough that Klyce convinces Remy to go swimming, and Maribeth goes down, as well. I guess it’s called Alter Self, which wasn’t what they were after, but is probably better. The boys then ponder trying to drown again, to see what happens. Klyce thinks it’s ridiculous and not worth the risk. Eventually, they decide not to test the school’s protective magics.

Next, we head to the Library because Nat and I want to look up information on dreams. Mine haven’t gone away, despite everyone elses disappearing after the big fight. The rest of the group go looking for spells, as usual. Maribeth climbs a little too high and knocks over an entire bookshelf, which starts a chain reaction. Between Nat and myself, we manage to stop the tumbling. We’ve never been so glad there isn’t a Librarian in there. The books on dreams are just as dry as every history book we’ve found here, so there’s no hep there.

Remy and Gerhardt find words on a shelf, and thus ensues a very strange scavenger hunt between shelves, the card catalog, and weird old books. I think at one point they squeezed an orange over a book, and then threw dirt on it. Eventually, they ended up with eight books all together and when they opened it they found the spell for Nystul’s Magic Aura. Seems a rather boring spell to me, for all the trouble it was, but Dalish thinks it could be rather useful, or at least fun.

That night, we all get fancy invitations on our doors to Philomena’s Birthday Party on Saturday. She even left fancy clothes for Nat and Klyce. Klyce was Not happy about that, and threw them into the hallway. Given our station, and our families, everyone but Klyce decides we have to go, and work on what gifts to bring her.

With Nat’s family being so far away, I ask if Nat wants to get ready at my house and ride with me to the party. This does not please my parents, but when do I ever? Nat doesn’t wear what Philomena provided, but a suit brought from home. Philomena’s estate is HUGE! And Oliver is here! Oh, he’s so Cool. I couldn’t possibly Talk to him! He’s talking to all the cool upperclassmen.

We hang out like we usually do. Maribeth asks about getting a job at Klyce’s bakery. She’s very worried about her mother. Klyce gives her a very hard lesson in wealth and the lack thereof. Poor Maribeth, I’m sure it’ll all be fine. Even if her brother is a jerk. We wander around the house a bit, enjoying games, fingerfoods, and drinks until Philomena finally shows up.

She welcomes everyone very politely while her parents look on, as only indulgent parents can. Philomena invites us to go riding, and even though I’m in a fancy dress, I have to go. It’s been so long, what with the servires being so creepy. Dalish and Gerhardt come with me, though, so I don’t have to be alone with her. It’s quite a lovely ride, such grounds her family has!

When we get back, everything has gone crazy again! Nat runs out to us yelling about a dead body in the conservatory. Philomena is so angry at him, like he’s the one who did it. We all head inside to see what is going on. Philomena at our heels, until she grabs Klyce and drags him angrily away. I have no idea what that is about, but then the police arrive, declaring that they will take care of everything. Thank goodness.