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"Magic Lion can come fight with Tim if he wishes. Tim has strong magic book you could join with." The large man offers the lion.
"It is like Mother always said, "When you're magically beholden to the truth and all you have to say are mean things, it's best to say nothing at all."
Wadsworth looks to the Lion and bows, "Indeed, Ser Glorymane. We are most thankful."
"A proper vessel would have to be something that a great Taldan hero would carry. Something befitting the name of Guardian. Oh, do any of you have a shield on you?"
"That seems suitable. Come back when you are done and I will put my essence into that shield."
The next area seems to be small and simple quarters that are sparsely decorated with only simple furniture and a stoic portrait of Grand Prince Stavian III.
A brass plaque on the frame of the portrait reads, “In the end, loyalty is its own reward.”
There is a single occupant in this room. She is an older woman with a cloth blindfold over her eyes. "Greetings students. What may I ask are you doing down here while the performance is going on?"
She seems to frown at your lack of grace. "Tell me what are you doing here? Are you even Lion Blades? Why shouldn't I scream for the guards?" She asks accusingly.
"Glorymane sent you? I suppose I can hear you out. What do you want? What are you looking for?"
"Are you looking for anything in particular? Like a history text or a 'fighting demons for dummies' type of book?"
"Alright I think I know a good place to start." She gets up and fishes out some keys to open up a door.
Five broad desks line the walls of this study room. Each work surface is covered with stacked volumes brimming with page markers as
well as numerous open books.
"Well this study room may have some answers. But it would be wise to put everything back where it is since others use this room regularly."
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"Indeed, Ser Glorymane also expressed interest in relics through which he might aid the cause. Perchance there may be references for such things back here as well?"
-Posted with Wayfinder
You are able to find a single text.
Encarthan Maps
These maps depict Lake Encarthan, the Isle of Terror, and the nations that surround it. Of particular interest are the hundreds of hand-drawn
notes and lines showing troop movements, preserving the changing plans of the brilliant generals who orchestrated the Shining Crusade.
You notice that loose pages in one of the cases seem to flutter slightly, almost as though a draft were blowing over them.
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"I would say the northern journey of the Shining Crusade maps here are magnificent." Wadsworth says, beginning to to take actual notes.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Niko walks over to investigate the suspicious bookcase. As he does so, the books starts rising up and flying around the room, swarming around him as it were.
This is very obviously a book swarm. Standard swarm traits and construct traits. They deal bleed damage as they give you papercuts and as they are made of paper, are vulnerable to fire.
Niko's flask of acid hits the books and the pages sizzle as some melt away.
In retaliation the books surround Niko and he gets multiple paper cuts.
Henry hits a majority of the books and knocks most of them down to the ground, but the swarm is still up!
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"Lord Timothy," Wadsworth states, drawing his more mundane violin, "I do believe some literary pun involving tomes is in order, yes?" He puts the instrument to his chin and begins to play.
Begin Inspire Courage and draw a Violin (not the expensive one.)
-Posted with Wayfinder
Niko misses books while Wadsworth starts inspiring!
And Tim rushes in and smashes mos of the remaining flying books. What books remain fall to the ground, inert.
General Logbooks
These journals record the perspectives of Taldan generals that led various phases of the Shining Crusade. Collectively, they provide valuable insight into challenges the crusaders had to overcome.
A Silver Horn
This text describes in detail an enchanted silver horn capable of granting courage in times of need, which Taldor used for the fifth Army of Exploration and much later during the Shining Crusade, when it was shattered into several pieces. A priest of Aroden prophesied that even if
re-forged, the instrument would never sound again, and it was given a hero’s burial. The text mentioned nothing of the horn’s present location.
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Two rows of tall bookshelves flank the imposing yet beautiful wooden desk that presides over this room. Over the door hangs a portrait of Grand Prince Stavian III, portrayed wearing an especially smug grin. A brass plaque on the frame of the portrait reads, “A cunning lie is never told twice.”
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Wadsworth approaches Henry, "This horn may be a proper route to take for our request from the crown. If there's one set of clergy I would expect to get an appraisal wrong, it would be one of Aroden's."
-Posted with Wayfinder
Enemy Analysis
This tattered, leather-bound book describes the tactical considerations that the generals of the Shining Crusade had to consider when fighting supernatural foes. It includes many ways for the rank-and-file soldiers to mitigate the damage dealt by powerful spellcasters.
You also find a secret door and that the secret door is trapped!
And Niko successfully disables the trap!
Cabinets with two tall drawers each line the east and west walls of this room. A relief carving of a lion’s head dominates the south wall, hanging imperiously over a low stone step. Six freestanding statuettes of lions in various poses stand atop the furniture.
The filing cabinets in this room house dossiers on Lion Blade agents past and present. Examining the documents in their entirety would take weeks, but even a cursory search of the papers shows that Taldor’s most infamous spies maintain a presence in nearly every nation of the Inner Sea region and in numerous nations that lie beyond.
Niko easily finds the secret door behind the lion's head. The stone step below the door has four shallow, cylindrical recesses that are the same size as the base on each of the six freestanding statuettes scattered about the room. Finding the secret door also reveals that the step acts as a combination lock—though rather than locking the door, it seems ready to trigger some other device should someone open the door without disarming it. Each miniature lion is portrayed in a different way to symbolize a particular virtue. One crouches as if preparing to ambush its prey. The second is roaring as it leaps at prey. The third wears a yoke that is chained to a large block that the lion strains to pull. The fourth wears a tiny pair of spectacles and reads from an ornate scroll. The fifth is draped in the flag of Taldor. The sixth sits erect and wears a crown.
Being from Taldor you know that the lions represent Cunning, Bravery, Perseverance, History, Loyalty, and Nobility respectively
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"Ho! Hey! What were those saying beneath the Emperor again? You were taking notes, right?" Henry asks the others.
Henry also explains to Niko, "Those lions represent Cunning, Bravery, Perseverance, History, Loyalty, and Nobility."
"By the way, Niko, do you know how to reset that thing when we come back out?"