You can make knowledge checks untrained in this place, so the limit for aiding is lifted as well. Oh and no taking 10s and 20s btw..
You may use Know(History), Know(Nobility), or Know(Local) in the outer sanctum, which includes the outer stacks/upper stacks/great chamber.
You may take 10 on the ladders.. It's only 1 roll per day for some reason..
I do have knowledge nobility and a +10 climb check, so the ladders don't scare me much.
My knowledge nobility is +7, so either way, I get an assist on the previous rolls (unless you just want to do one roll at a time since they are daily).
Cool ok so far we have Hemket, Logos, and Hadjii assisting Calla's roll for the day. Just need Marius and then Calla and we can see what yall find the first day.
Calla is impressed in this place. Never in her life she imagined it would be so vast and messy and complete at the same time. They would certainly need to speed up the search, as 50gp was not really cheap. She immediately that being in an outer sanctum demanded that an inner sanctum existed, and she instantly knew that what they were looking for was there, but they should try to find something here before forcing their way there.
Looks like Marius would auto aid, so with the +8 you all blow the check out of the water.
Calla roll a d8+int mod
Furthermore, Calla will keep Message activated between all of them, and will use Spider Climb to search the dangerous shelves.
Hadjii casts Communal Spider Climb periodically -- so everyone can get a shot at the upper racks! Consider his prepared spell used, plus he'll cast it every couple of hours using Mythic Points (I'm marking off 4MP for the day)...
The group is highly successful in your first days search. Throughout the 3 areas yall find out:
Not only does the Outer Sanctum seem to be missing quite a lot of knowledge, but some of the more interesting and secretive works seem to have been deliberately removed.
While the Outer Stacks and Great Chamber of Knowledge contain general information on Osirion’s most famous royal dynasties, information relating to less wellknown dynasties and older families is contained in the Upper Stacks.
A papyrus scroll dating from Osirion’s Second Age over 6,000 years ago references a “lost” pharaoh named Hakotep. The scroll ascribes the epithet of “Sky Pharaoh” to the forgotten ruler, and recounts his ability to “ride the stars by night.” The scroll even contains a crude illustration of the Sky Pharaoh, a figure standing upon a dais surrounded by glass and crystal. It's easy enough for the group to notice that the dais and crystals are floating, seemingly part of a vast temple that somehow sits in the night sky.
You feel there's probably still info to learn though.
As far as the Inner Sanctum goes the cleric's tell you that admittance is only gained via permission of the Governorness of Tephu, Haty-a
Deka An-Keret.
"Well, I think this lost Pharaoh really got lost in the skies... There must be some more info around here. Should we continue on here for a day, at least?? I think that maybe we should go talk to this governor and gain admittance to the Inner Sanctum. Obviously we would proceed much faster that way."
"Might as well do one more day."
assist Calla (waste of a 20)
take 10 on climb for 20.
Calla will prepare Feather Fall on this next day, just in case someone other than her fall from the shelves.
Looking closely at the picture Calla realizes that it actually depicts the technology of the Shory—an ancient empire of central Garund known for its arcane engineering and flying cities.
Another day is spent and more information is discovered. The group discovers an obscure index compiled by a previous curator of the library that lists the scroll referencing Hakotep as one of many that were copied from the personal library of the Sky Pharaoh. This collection of scrolls is held in a part of the Great Library’s Inner Sanctum called the Spiral Archive, described as a chamber resembling a vertical scroll tube crossed by a latticework of papyrus bridges.
And the outer sanctum falls in just 2 days! Remeber to spend your other 50gps for researching.
As far as gaining audience with the governor she oversees the city from the imposing Sanctuary of Nethys, which faces the Great Library’s Outer Sanctum across the wide expanse of the Plaza of the Bright Horizon. That will have to wait though as it's late when yall finish up the second days research.
That evening on your way back to the Inn Marius notices a figure hiding in an allyway as they pass by. He could swear the person was wearing a funerary mask. When he takes a second look the person is gone from sight.
Marius waves to the person with the mask, and looks at his companions.
"Well the masked cultists decided to follow us here. I think they may like me."
"Oh yes -- your appeal is quite undeniable, Mr Bergan! Perhaps we should arrange a date! Where exactly was this admirer?"
The Hadj will use Totem Transformation to become rather wolf-like, selecting the option with canine sniffing power, and proceed to the indicated spot -- trying to register the scent of the most recent occupant of that spot for future reference. If he can pick up a trail, he'll follow it:
"Well, it's nice to have familiar faces... or masks... around in a strange city." Logos quips with a grin. "We need to find that scroll room." He says softly, referring to the inner sanctum's Spiral Archive. "Someone's taken what we need home for bathroom reading. Hopefully the other room will have copies."
"I have great faith they will present themselves at the worst possible time. Should we put a bit of time to tracking them down? "
Calla replies through the message spell, preventing any eavesdroper from hearing it.
"Indeed going after them now is much better than waiting for them to come. Plus, there is the possibility that they are using us to find the next piece of Hakotep's soul. If we are able to catch them now, most of our job will be complete already, but I don't know, I'm kinda spent..."
Hadjii goes wolf form and sniffs around the spot Marius points out. There is the scent of a man present, but it is fading fast. Following it back down the alley you come to a tee. Right or Left?
left!
Hadjii moves left and quickly looses the scent..
"Oh, well, unless you have something else under your sleeve, we better go get some rest."
Hadjii quickly realizes he went the wrong way, and races back to try to pick up the trail going right:
He picks its up and continue's to follow it. With his keen nose he is easily able to keep up with the scent as it heads for the docks. Once at the docks however the scent gets intermingled with all the other scents in the area and he loses the trail.
Hadjii whispers back to Calls (Message spell should still be going):
"I believe our masked friend is going to report our location to his cult! Perhaps if we can intercept the cultist boarding the next ferry to Wati, we can buy ourselves some time before the rest of them know where we are!"
Hadjii will use another minute or two of Totem Transformation -- this time using the option that increases his speed -- and race for the ferry docks. Hoping this burst of speed allowed him up to catch up with with the spy, he'll look over the folks boarding the next ferry.
anyone here look like a cultist? They may look surprised to see one of their quarry here, looking for them!
You see noone on the ferry that looks like a cultist.
"I don't think they are going to report to Wati, Hadjii, but quite the opposite. They have a base of operations here. Unless you think there is a secret door close to the spot where you lost the scent, I'm too tired to help. Maybe during the day we can fly around and look after them?"
Logos looks thoughtful. "If we could use some spells to make others look like some of us, we might be able to hire someone to walk around looking like one or two of us, while one or two of us looked like someone else.. Or while Hadiji flew around as a bird and watched from above. With some luck, they might be able to follow the cultists back to their base by looking like someone or something else. The cultists will be looking for us, not people who don't look like us..."
Back to the Inn?
The group makes it back to the inn without any peeping toms along the way. The next day comes early..
So? Head to try and talk with the governor? Go looking for cultist? Get some ice cream? Need a direction..
Marius goes and gets some ice cream before trying to get an appointment with the library director.
The ice cream is especially satisfying on such a hot day. The kids look at you with envious eyes as the frozen treat is just to dam expensive for any of them to afford..
As far as getting an appointment with the Governor yall head to the Sanctuary of Nethys to speak with Deka An-Keret, who is also the city’s high priestess of Nethys, and governor.
As yall enter the Sanctuary you are greeted by a yound preistess. "Good day, I am Deaconess Sekek. How may I help you today?" She nods at Marius. "Well met brother."
Logos buys a 50gp worth of ice cream from the vendor, and hands it out to the kids.
On the way back to the inn from the docks that evening, the Hadj purchases some berries and casts a couple of GoodBerry spells ( Goodberries); he spends the remainder of the evening scribing another CLW -- donning the mask as soon his he's secure in his room, and wearing the mask to sleep, so he remains attuned to the mask's powers.
In light of Logos' comments about searching for cultists as a bird, Hadjii foregoes his traditional morning flight: he'll save that transformation, ready to use in case another cultist is spotted. Instead, he'll start off the day as an ordinary-looking dog. At breakfast, the little doggy will explain:
"Instead of spending the day in the sanctum with you guys, I'll wander around the streets outside the library in this innocuous form, perhaps I will spot a cultist or two spying on us, and with any luck I can follow them back to their headquarters -- without them knowing it!"
On the way there, the little hound scampers ahead of the party, sniffing around at everything (in the classic doggy way) -- on alert for spies who may be waiting to intercept them, or already at the library waiting to note their arrival:
If he spots one, he'll make sure they don't spot him:
and he'll follow 'em around:
"Make sure you don't end up on a kebob as the lunch special. I've heard stray dogs are the staple of the kebob sales."
The group stands before Deaconess Sekek minus Hadjii.. She is starting to have a puzzled look on her face as noone has yet to respond to her question..
"Umm, we're doing some research on the Sky Pharaoh and think we need to take a look at the Inner Sanctum. "
"So we would like to talk with the Governor, to gain access to the library, please." Calla pretends to smile, but she's not very good at that when not selling her goodies.
"I would like to request a meeting with Deka An-Keret for the purpose of finding out information in the inner sanctum of the library, and to add some information there as well."
"Yes, it would be much appreciated if we could arrange to visit the inner stacks."
She listens and then frowns a bit as the topics of interest are discussed. "I will speak with the Governess and relay your interests but know this, she is a very busy woman and likely will not have time to speak with you. If you all could return tomorrow there will be an answer. Good day to you all."
Hadjii, it doesn't take long for the group to come back outside. You were able to make a few pases around the building and surrounding areas, but you did not notice any cultist looking folks.
Sure you can. That took all of a 1/2 hour.
Let's go into the Great Chamber of knowledge again, but this time researching in the other part.
Calla will also look after some written rules about this library, cause she want to know the penalty for... trespassing... But of course she is not asking anyone...
Breaking and Entering comes with a pretty steep penalty if caught. However with enough gold a first time offence could prob go away easily. Not saying the legal system is corrupt, but if you paid the fine than it would most likely be a wrist slap depending on what you did. As far as searching the Outer Sanctum you have already gained all the knowledge on the Sky Pharoah thats there.. If you have other subjects of interest let me know. If your just scopeing the place out for a break in let me know.