A Candlekeep Mystery (IC)

[DEFCON 1]

Hawthorne nods to Irony and stands up, quickly polishing off his drink and dropping off a few coins onto the bar as a thanks to the bartender for their service. "Thank you very much for your help. I shall make my way to the Pillars right now." He turns to his footman "Shedrick? Once you've finished polishing off those 6 pints of ale you seem to have ordered for yourself, how's about you see if you can rustle up any assistance in our research? The Black Dragon Gate has given us a stipend to use as we see fit, and I'm more than happy to spend it on additional eyes."

He glances around the tavern and catches several sets of those potential eyes looking at him... whether from curiosity regarding research or merely at the mention of money is unknown to him. "If you happen to see Argenti, our young Genasi companion, be sure to mention it to her. She has already proven to be a favorable travel partner so I know she can be good company. Plus she is judicious with her speech, which makes the reading and research process more bearable... not being interrupted every thirty seconds."

He realizes in that exact millisecond of the statement escaping his mouth of its potential for offense... so Hawthorne consciously does not look in Irony's direction with that last statement so as to not outwardly display any deliberate comment about her... loquaciousness. He keeps his eyes glued on Shedrick for a second, then two, then three... waiting against hope to receive some response from the man. After however long he needs to wait, Hawthorne then widens his face into a grand smile, turns to Irony with no indication of the potential faux pas he made, and with a gesture allows the tiefling woman to move ahead to the door and lead him along as though he was a puppy. "I am at your disposal, Miss Irony. Please guide me towards our destination!"

As he begins following her towards the door, he lets out a very slow and quiet breath and thinks to himself "Well, that wasn't my greatest ever... but I think I got away with it."

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Irony went on as if she did not notice the slight, telling Hawthorne as they crossed the courtyard, "It's a great idea to get on it right away, I mean, you never know what you're going to find in these books. Something might lead right to another, and soon you'll find yourself just lost in the reading of them. Here they come now! I had Graystock bring them up - it was just too much for me to carry!"[/b]

Sure enough, a dark-haired dwarf was hauling a book-cart (a glorified wheelbarrow) full of tomes of various sizes down a ramp to the right of the Emerald Door - the softly glowing green door that was the entrance to the Inner Ward, and the Library itself. A single guard, probably a mage, stood and watched the dwarf at work with an expression of concern, though he did not move to help.

"That's the Keeper of the Emerald Door." explained Irony, "There's a few of them, but that one's Svantos. Call him Keeper Svantos when he's on duty, which he is. It's his job to monitor who comes and goes from the Inner Ward, and the Library. Seekers can't go in there without the invitation of one of the Eight Great Readers. Without an invitation Keeper Svantos couldn't let you in if he wanted to."

After Graystock got the books down the ramp, Irony led them to one of the towers in the Pillars of Pedagogy, where she gave Hawthorne the key to a room with a desk, a chair, a fainting couch, a chamber pot, and a window overlooking the Sea of Swords. In addition, the room had several empty bookshelves, that Graystock and Irony began to stock with the books from the dwarf's push-cart.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Argenti had arrived at the Hearth and was considering a toned-down version of her guide's rather ambitious midday meal when Shedrick banged two tin cups together (having drank the contents of both) and said, "Hear ye! My master Hawthorne is seeking assistance as a seeker... er, he is asking for help in searching for a specific book. A reasonable stipend will be offered. In addition, should what he seeks - uh, looks for in the books - be found, he will be proposing an expedition. In this task, we may also need some assistance. As you all know, the wilds can be a dangerous place, so only the brave need apply."

He seemed to consider his final words and added, "For the expedition. One need not be brave to look for the book. Anyone here should be more than qualified for that. Uh... I mean no offense."

 

[Steve Gorak]

Ethian smiles at the master dwarf and says in an earnest and friendly manner: “this sounds absolutely fascinating! I would love to read your dissertation, but I am certain that I will be blind to the nuances that a scholar that has spent countless hours in research will be aware of. Perhaps you can tell me more, as we help the fellow over there.” Ethian smiles and nods at Hawthorne. He then continues talking to Ruz. “Surely your knowledge of the library will be indispensable to him, and you can give me some more background on your research”

 

[Leatherhead]

"Perhaps just a pudding for now, Sprig, there are details we need to discuss still." Argenti mused as the pair were seated. Though she had to admit that the goose-breast with vegetables sounded delicious.

Their meeting was interrupted before it could begin by Shedrick's timely outburst. Hawthorne and the Mining Consortium were looking for a book, which would lead to an expedition. It would be safe to assume that they were looking for some sort of buried treasures, be it raw ore, or something lost. Geb be praised indeed, this was exactly the kind of lead Argenti was hoping for, and they were even offering compensation for the trouble. By the time the warlock was done with her pudding, which also happened to be the time Sprig was starting on his crumble, she had made up her mind. She would be staying in Candlekeep for a while, and this might be the best way to use that time.

"Sprig, you are quite the thorough fellow." The genasi said as she noted how the halfling was cleaning his plates. "The people here in Candlekeep are wonderful. And I wouldn't mind helping them out a bit, while doing my research of course. Let's go with Shedrick, to see what his request is all about."

 

[FitzTheRuke]

OOC: I had meant to post this picture earlier...

Spoiler: Emerald Door

 

[KahlessNestor]

Ruznami Warmaker
Candlekeep
Afternoon
Round 0

Ruznami sat up a bit straighter at the elf’s flattery. No one ever wanted to actually read his work. But the elf might be right. He might not be able to understand it

The proposal to aid another Seeker in his hunt for information was given, and the dwarven scholar contemplated it. He was between projects at the moment, and it sounded like an opportunity to possibly get out of the monastery. Ruz had never been outside the walls of the library before. And if it was a mining operation, it was likely to have dwarven influence in it.

“I will assist you,” Ruz volunteered.

***

Spoiler: Actions and Rolls

Save:
Move:
Free Object Interaction:
Action:
Bonus Action:
Reaction: Opportunity Attack, Absorb Elements
Concentration:
Conditions:
Inspiration:

Spoiler: Mini Stats

Ruznami
Initiative: +2
Perception: +0
Speed: 25
AC: 15
HP: 26/26 HD: 4/4d6+2

Archimedes (Owl familiar)
Initiative: +1
Perception: +3 Advantage, Darkvision 120
Speed: 60 (fly); 5 (walk)
AC: 11
HP: 1

Prepared Spells
Cantrips: Blade Ward, Booming Blade, Fire Bolt, Lightning Lure
1) 4/4 Absorb Elements, Magic Missile, Protection from Evil and Good, Shield
2) 3/3 Arcane Lock, Mirror Image, Scorching Ray
Rituals
(1)Alarm, Comprehend Languages, Detect Magic, Find Familiar, Identify
Spellbook
(1) Absorb Elements, Alarm, Comprehend Languages, Detect Magic, Find Familiar, Identify, Magic Missile, Protection from Evil and Good, Shield
(2) Arcane Lock, Mirror Image, Scorching Ray

Spoiler: Party

Hawthorne Grandview - male Human rogue inquisitive
Kaliban - male deep gnome psi-warrior

 

[VLAD the Destroyer]

Kaliban listens to Shedrick's spiel. He was not much of a research but getting out and into an adventure was tempting. He comes to a decision and speaks up.

"I am not much of a researcher but I will assist where I can. Plus I can be of service for any expedition that is required."

 

[FitzTheRuke]

With the extra hands sorting through books, Hawthorne found the book he was looking for on the following afternoon. The book, bound in black leather with “A Deep and Creeping Darkness” embossed on the thin spine, showed minimal signs of wear and tear (other than a few pages creased through carelessness and a spot here and there). The work was neat though not flawless and contained notable spelling errors and ink blotches. Ruznami judged that it was not the work of a professional scribe.

A Deep and Creeping Darkness told the tale of a mountain village whose residents went missing over the course of several months. The book presented a series of vignettes allegedly collected from “those who were there” - survivors, traveling merchants, and (in second-hand accounts) residents of nearby settlements. It was unclear whether it was a fictional tale, folklore, or true history. The contents seemed factual, but the language was extravagantly dramatic.

Vermeillon, established after settlers discovered a platinum vein in the mountainside, did a booming business in both the raw ore and the refined metal for about a decade. Due to the rough terrain and the harshness of the climate, the village never grew large. It intermittently hosted a succession of traveling merchants who came to the village for a week or two, sold and traded their wares, then left again. The nearest civilized settlement was three days’ ride on horseback down the mountainside. The inhabitants named in the book included Mayor Lei Duvezin, a kind and talented dwarf smith named Tormun, and his wife, Blenyss.

Dated seventy years ago, an explosion rocked the platinum mine, collapsing the tunnels and burying workers under tons of rubble. Sixty miners were underground that day. Over thirty of them died in the initial collapse, and the instability of the tunnels made rescue of the others slow and dangerous. The miners who survived the collapse were trapped for days or weeks before they were rescued—or perished in the deep, alone and terrified. Sixteen came out alive. Eleven were never found.

In the wake of the catastrophe, another horror plagued the village as people began to disappear, starting with the survivors—not all at once, however. One or two would vanish in a single night, then a tenday might pass before the next disappearance. These unexplained disappearances terrified the remaining miners. After all the survivors either disappeared or fled, other villagers began to vanish. The villagers tried to protect themselves by sleeping with weapons and taking shifts on watch, but nothing changed. Traveling in groups didn’t help, since a companion might vanish while even briefly out of sight.

With no one willing to keep the mine open and the disappearances leading to fears that Vermeillon might be cursed, merchants and other travelers stopped visiting the village. The end of the patchwork story claimed that the village was still there, though whether anyone would still inhabit it was a mystery. The volume’s writer mused over the decline of the village, speculating about the fate of its inhabitants. They wondered whether it would be worth hiring adventurers to see if anything remained of the village—particularly the platinum ore. Sketched on the back of the last page was a rough map of the village’s location, with directions from the closest mountain town, a place called Maerin.

 

[Steve Gorak]

"How very fascinating! Who want to go on an excursion to find this village?" Ethian says, half in jest, half serious. Looking at Ruz, he adds: "We'll have plenty of time for you to give me background on your thesis"