A Wish Upon a Shattered Star

Game Master Dragoncat

The faceless stalker waves at Azura as she enters the room. "Hello there!"

"So books about cultures and facts, like history?”

"Among other things, yes." The creature continues to put books on its new bookshelf.

A more thorough investigation of the bookshelves reveals that the creature wasn't lying about its interest in culture: just about every bookshelf is packed with texts regarding cultures from many races and peoples. And even some books that are decidedly mundane in nature.

”Oh wow.” Zev lets out as he looks over all the books.

”That’s probably because the bear was hungry. Did you ever try feeding them?”

Ulfr ponders for a moment. I didn't.

Saersha was quite pleased with the end of the creature and their recovery of the "crown". She quickly cast a spell to examine it and noted that it had an aura about it. She looked at it closely when Ryn complimented her and barely managed a response of, "Thank you."
spellcraft: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16
Sadly she came to the conclusion that she didn't know what the thing did yet. She was too hung up on the idea of matching crowns. "I can tell you it's magical but beyond that I don't know. Maybe if I could look at both together it would help."

As they pressed on towards the sound of the hammering Saersha found herself increasingly curious. When they found the source she was shocked. She didn't know what the faceless stalker was on sight but the fact it was a shapeshifter was intriguing beyond all measure. "She couldn't help but ask, [b]"You're a shapeshifter? No wonder you would be interested in those kinds of topics." She approached it cautiously as she continued, "Are there any particular areas you prefer to study?"

Noting the interesting conversation with a tone of amusement, Ryn returns Azura's look of hesitation and follows her in, remaining close in case this was some kind of trap. "This really is a pretty amazing collection."

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16

"This really is a pretty amazing collection."

"Oh, thank you! But I feel it is still lacking something..."

"You're a shapeshifter? No wonder you would be interested in those kinds of topics. Are there any particular areas you prefer to study?"

The ugothol looks at Saersha and pauses for a moment, its head tilting. "Oh, I am interested in any scrap of knowledge I can find. For now, I do not know as much about magic, religion or other races that are not human as I have hoped."

"Any particular reason you seek that kind of knowledge?" Ryn asks.

"I find it all to be quite fascinating, really." The ugothol picks up another book and holds it in its claws. "Sometimes I find it, sometimes I barter for it."

"So, uh, how long have you been here? Have you met the mite who calls himself King ZUGGA?" asks Azura warily.

"So, uh, how long have you been here?"

The question causes the faceless stalker to pause and think. "I..."

After a few moments, it shakes its head. "...goodness, I do not know. Decades, perhaps? I mean, you are the first..." It trails off for a moment before starting again. "...well, first non-violent visitors I've ever had."

"Have you met the mite who calls himself King ZUGGA?"

"Yes." The ugothol replies, its tone flat and irritated. "And I sincerely wish I had not."

While the group converses, Natalya wanders over to the alcove with the runes carved around it. When she approaches, the runes glow violet and start to spark, causing her to jump back.

"Er, I wouldn't touch those if I were you." The creature looks in the sorceress' direction, visibly flinching.

"Do those runes alway do that?" Ryn asks, looking at the violet glow.

"Only when you approach them without saying the command word first." The ugothol approaches the alcove, staying well away from its mouth. "From what I've discovered, this bit of stonework is actually a portal--one that connects to the city above."

"It is how I have been able to assemble my book collection."

This whole affair has Ulfr's mind in knots. Such a monster, and there was really no other way to describe it physically, was interested in history? And non-violent? He states at the books and ponders. Was he different. Could he be different?
The mind reels!

"...did you see a book you liked, sir?" The faceless creature scratches its head.

Ulfr points to The Savage Side of Me. What is that one about?

The ugothol walks over to the bookshelf and takes the book out. "This? From what I understand, it is an account of a Chelish colonist in Sargava: a simple clerk who ends up lost in the Mwangi Expanse and is forced to build himself anew in the harsh, unforgiving wilderness. He becomes a fearsome survivalist and warrior, but decidedly lonely and borderline mad, making overtures to local tribes with mixed success."

"It is apparently something called a 'memoir'. The author was rescued from the Expanse by a band of adventurers and returned to civilization, only to find that he has almost nothing in common with his old friends anymore, and that he is incapable of adjusting to his old life." The creature's tone turns pensive and it taps its 'chin' with a claw.

Ulfr nods. His thoughts are scrambled, confused. He has always walked the path of Rage, perfection through the loss of self in animalistic fury and instinct. But what had he actually enjoyed more, that or using that same magic to aid others?
WEAKNESS! His orc heritage cries. Yet, in the midst of its protests, a calm center emerges. Was NOT being a raging beast... ok?

"The merchant who sold it to me told me it was quite popular in Andoran & Galt."

"And this one?" says Azura as she peruses the stacks and spots the two copies of The Harpy's Curse.

"That?" The ugothol wanders over to Azura and looks over her shoulder. "Ah, that is a novel about a harpy queen whose heart is broken by a haughty mortal prince, and the curse she lays upon his family line until he makes amends or hunts her down."

"I understand it was popular enough to get a stage adaptation. To be honest, it did not strike me as being very good."

"Are any of them illustrated?" Zev asks as he looks at the spines of the various books.

The ugothol points at the dozen copies of the uncensored Eleven Acts of Iomedae.

”Those certainly are. Assuming you are comfortable with... explicit content.” The creature mumbles. ”I suppose that was why the merchant was so eager to get rid of them... he did mention something about the church not being fond of them.”

"Oh?" Zev says as he reaches for a copy before stopping and turning to the Ugothol, "May I?"

"If you wish." The creature turns away from the book. "The other religious texts have pictures, too."

Ryn raises an eyebrow. "Well that definitely sounds interesting,"

"...er... the books or the portal?"

Zev eagerly, though carefully removes one copy of the book from the shelf. Turning it over in his hands he looks it over before carefully opening it, "Wow." Gently pawing at the edges of a page to get it to turn he occasionally brings a finger to trace a line of words before he goes back to paging. "Oh this is lovely," he lets out as he comes across the illustrations, tilting the book at different angles to get the best view. "I wonder if this is what Miss Saersha's spellbook is like?"

The ugothol looks away. "I still do not understand why so many people are so beholden to their *ahem* urges."

"Cause it feels good. It makes you feel lots of good things when you're with someone, during and after. Makes you feel wanted, makes you feel safe. It's comforting." Zev rambles as he looks through the book. "It might not be that way for everyone, but that's what it's like to me."

The creature shrugs. "I have no knowledge of such things. The only urge I have ever felt is that of hunger."

It starts to twiddle its claws. "Speaking of which... I don't mean to impose, but I haven't had anything to drink today."

Azura smirks and says, "How about it, Saersha? Is your spellbook more like a smut-book?"

She unlimbers her pack and says, "I have some water here with me. It's reasonably fresh, if you like."

The faceless creature looks over at Azura and tilts its head. "Water would be alright. It's more of a snack than blood, but it'll do. Thank you."

It pauses. "...er, that's not a problem, is it? That I subsist on blood?"

"No? I occasionally eat meat, and I don't even have the good graces to ask permission of the pheasant. It's not like you tried to bite someone without asking," says Azura.

Zev shrugs. "Uh, do you kill the people you drink from? Or does it just take a little? Or do you prefer animals?"

This is all bordering on the surreal for Ulfr and he just listens to the conversation with a blood-sucking monster for a moment as half of his mind wonders if he's really any different.

Ada had been wandering around the library completely oblivious to the conversations going on around her. She begins muttering under her breath as she catalogs the books. "No this order doesn't work at all. The memoirs should be next to the biographies not across the room. The Histories and the weapon books should be near each other."

She starts reshelving them in an order that makes sense to her. She nudges everyone including the stalker gently out of the way as she catalogs.

That is until Erras gets bored and starts to play with Zev's tail like a toy. Pouncing on it as it twitches. Then Ada looks up and notices the tail. "Havey you always had that?"

Profession Librarian: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (2) + 11 = 13

"No? I occasionally eat meat, and I don't even have the good graces to ask permission of the pheasant. It's not like you tried to bite someone without asking."

"Well, it's funny you mention that..."

"Uh, do you kill the people you drink from? Or does it just take a little? Or do you prefer animals?"

"I can drink from animals, but it's not even nearly as filling--or palatable--as drinking from a humanoid. I try not to drink that much. Don't want to make myself sick and have it all come back up, you see."

"Normally, I hunt in the dangerous parts of town. That's one of the redeeming qualities of human cities, I've found." The ugothol's slit-mouth quirks into a smile. "There's never a shortage of those who prey upon the weak to feed from."

Zev gives an amused smile once Ada scoots him out of the way so she can go about rearranging the books.

"Hmm? Hey? Hey!" he lets out once he realizes he's being attacked, though he doesn't do much more thank jerk his tail a different way as the bored kitty plays with it. When Ada turns her attention to him he pauses before closing his eyes and letting out a sigh, his tail hanging low. "It comes and goes," he starts, which was technically the truth, "I'm now a Werewolf though, so don't worry about getting infected or cursed while you're around me. At least with Lycanthropy. I'm a Witchwolf, my grandparents were Werewolves."

He stops and opens his eyes. "Which granted, that admission probably undoes the whole 'don't worry, I'm not a Werewolf' bit."

"Normally, I hunt in the dangerous parts of town. That's one of the redeeming qualities of human cities, I've found." The ugothol's slit-mouth quirks into a smile. "There's never a shortage of those who prey upon the weak to feed from."

Zev shifts his head from side to side, lips pursed. He really couldn't argue with that.

Zev's admission shakes Ulfr out of his stupor. Huh? So, you're 1/4 dog? Huh. This day just keeps getting weirder...

"I don't know the exact halving and whatnot you would use for it, but yeah."

Ryn can't help smiling. This was undoubtedly the most interesting and outright enjoyable group she'd ever been a part of, odd revelations and all. The sheer surreal nature of having a conversation about diet, the nature of hunting sentient beings and why people indulged their needs while Ada, cataloged their host's quite fascinating library, pretty much justified every reason she could ever have had for adventuring.

"In that case, I'd say fulfilling your need for food is pretty much a service to the people who might have fallen victim to your meal should things have gone differently."

The creature pauses, unsure of how to respond.

"...that's, well, rather kind of you to say." It finally replies. "Does that mean I may drink from one of you?"

"Uh, sure? If need be." Zev offers.

Uhhh. You're sure, Zev? Ulfr says in a concerned tone.

Azura blinks several times, then says, "Well, I kinda need my blood, but if you feel like you can donate some, I can keep some healing magic on hand. Ada on one side and me on the other, I think we can keep you alive, Zev."

The ugothol walks up to Zev. "Thanks very much!"

Its slit-mouth opens up a bit, and three fleshy tube-tongues extend from it--one of them larger than the other. One clinically sticks into the crook of Zev's elbow.

The witchwolf feels momentarily light-headed before the creature withdraws its tongue and draws them back into its mouth.

"Hmm. Rather bitter. Never tasted blood like yours before, sir."

Zev takes 1 CON damage.

"Incidentally, have any of you been by the cleansing pool yet?"

Azura watches with a mixture of fascination and a hint of fear, worried that perhaps the creature will do real harm to Zev before they can stop it; but the witchwolf seems to bear up under the 'donation' stoically, so she relaxes slightly.

"We've seen a few pools of vile, dirty water..." she says, "but nothing I would call a 'cleansing pool,' I think?"

"Oh? Well, the cleansing pool is just to the east of the--" The faceless creature swallows in discomfort. "--old torture chamber. Just past the gibbering lunatic in the cell."

"Its waters are capable of restoring vigour and health to anyone who partakes of them."

"Oh. Well, perhaps that will help Zev to feel better quickly!" says Azura hopefully. "This blood loss isn't the kind of thing I can easily fix up with one of my rudimentary healing magics. But he'll be right as rain with a little rest." She pats Zev on the shoulder affectionately.

"So um... what's the story with the 'gibbering lunatic in the cell'?"