Eberron - Echoes of the Past (Inactive)

Game Master Dennis Harry

library first

"Let's go check in on the young lady," says Caelan.

As the group winds through the streets, he huddles close to Erix and speaks for his cousin's ear.

"To the library, then. Let's make haste!". Artival was excited for his mission to begin and for another chance to bring glory to House Deneith.

Erix nods and replies quietly to his cousin."Aye, that makes sense. Let's see if we can pick up some on our way."

Out loud, he agrees with the others "Yes, checking in on the young lady first should be our priority, just in case"

"Who better to ask the Sergeant for a book than a librarian? Let us see this young lady."

Seeing no sense in arguing the point, Gauntlet will follow everyone to the library.

Sharn - City of Towers - 998 YK - the Eighth Day of Dravago - The Two Year Anniversary of the Treaty of Thronehold - Sharn Library

Gauntlet, Pink-Eye, Caelan, Erix, Viorr, & Artival

Soon enough and without incident though with quite a few stares at Pink-Eye, your group arrives at the Library of Sharn. None of you have been here before, generally the Houses conduct research through the scholars of Morgrave University. The building is gorgeous and is located on the level below Morgrave in the city.

As you step into the bullding you can see that to get to the shelves you first need to pas by the reference desk, almost like a security desk but instead of manned by and armed guard, it is manned by a young man in robes. He looks up and your group, heavily armed and armored with a hulking Minotaur, though his eye betray a sense of panic his body and words hold up. "Good day, how may I help you?"

Pink Eye gives his version of a toothy smile and says we are here to see a young lady named Ama about a matter of interest to her. Tell her it ia in relation to "those met on the bridge" a good name for a group if nothing else.

Caelan leans forward with a charming smile and says, "It's nothing bad, I promise."

Sharn - City of Towers - 998 YK - the Eighth Day of Dravago - The Two Year Anniversary of the Treaty of Thronehold - Sharn Library

Gauntlet, Pink-Eye, Caelan, Erix, Viorr, & Artival

The man looks up at Pink Eye and then over at Caelan, "Very well. Head into the back then and look for the Head Librarian Atiel, he sent her somewhere on Library business earlier today".

As you walk through rows and rows of tomes and scrolls and books you find a mid sized office full of yet more of the same with a kind faced elder human sitting behind a desk. He looks up at you all, "Can I help you Gentlemen?" His eyes linger over Pink Eye for the longest as if he would ask more questions but refrains for the moment.

Erix gives a respectful nod in the way of greeting "Hi, we're looking for a young librarian assistant by the name of Ama. We were told to ask Head Librarian Atiel of her whereabouts"

Worried that the library staff might misdirect them on purpose in order to protect the woman, Gauntlet tries to clarify.

"We mean her no harm, I assure you. We merely need to contact her about a specific book. Nothing more."

Diplomacy(Untrained): 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (7) - 1 = 6

Unfortunately his ability to creep people out with his emotionless voice and unnatural aura render him useless in this regard.

Arrival draws himself up to his full height and explains to the librarian, "We are on House business, if you wouldn't mind to go collect the girl. Thank you," he announced.

Sharn - City of Towers - 998 YK - the Eighth Day of Dravago - The Two Year Anniversary of the Treaty of Thronehold - Sharn Library

Gauntlet, Pink-Eye, Caelan, Erix, Viorr, & Artival

The man stands as he is pelted by comments and questions, "I am Atiel. I fear I cannot produce anyone, House business or not young man. She is currently out on Library Business, perhaps if I know what House is seeking her I can tell you what you wish to know". His eyebrows raise as Gauntlet speaks though he doe snot seem overly off put by the Warforged.

"I'm a member of House Orien, as is my cousin, Caelan."

Caelan nods and slides his tunic slightly off his shoulder to show his dragonmark.

Sharn - City of Towers - 998 YK - the Eighth Day of Dravago - The Two Year Anniversary of the Treaty of Thronehold - Sharn Library

Gauntlet, Pink-Eye, Caelan, Erix, Viorr, & Artival

Atiel raises an eyebrow, "There seem to be an awful lot of you if you are just here to deliver the dear girl a message or a package. Still, if you are on House business I can direct you to where she will be today.

I sent her to the local Watch station to look further into some business connected to one of our patrons. If you head over there now you may well be able to catch up with her before she leaves. I assume that afterwards she will head home for the day to rest and then come back here fresh for tomorrow".

Caelan and Viorr, you are both familiar with the location of that Watch station, it would probably be a 15-20 minute trip from here to there.

Pink Eye swears in his language with a growl and looks to see who lnows where they are going and without further ado will follow at brisk pace to the watch tower...

all along the watch tower said the Minotaur to the thief...

Knowledge (Local): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15

"Gentlemen, I believe I know where this local watch-station is. Follow me?"

Sharn - City of Towers - 998 YK - the Eighth Day of Dravago - The Two Year Anniversary of the Treaty of Thronehold - Watch Station

Gauntlet, Pink-Eye, Caelan, Erix, & Viorr

As you step outside Artival pauses, "I will wait here in case you miss the woman and she travels back here".

Artival's suggestion sunds reasonable and so the rest of you head to the Watch Station.

Gauntlet was indeed correct, he led you quickly and efficiently to the Watch Station. On your travels, the residents of the District give Gauntlet dour looks, it seems that the word of a Warforged killer has spread since the murder of last night. A few well placed stares from Pink-Eye though close any mouths whose tongues seem ready to wag.

At the front gate of the Station two guards are posted.

What do you do?

Gauntlet drops back and whispers to the d'Orien brothers.

"You should do the talking here I think. Representatives from the various Houses get more respect in such establishments than do solitary individuals."

Sorry...still here. I'll be caught up by tonight! Carry on!

"Good day, watchmen," says Caelan. He raises a hand and speaks in a familiar tone. "My name is Caelan d'Orien, and this here is my cousin Erix d'Orien. Along with our entourage, we are hoping to speak with a miss Ama, whom we were told was currently assisting with some library business at this watch station. We have some business to conduct - nothing bad, I assure you."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16

Sharn - City of Towers - 998 YK - the Eighth Day of Dravago - The Two Year Anniversary of the Treaty of Thronehold - Watch Station

Gauntlet, Pink-Eye, Caelan, Erix, & Viorr

The guards look at each other and then look back at you, "Another group with important business eh? I am afraid that you will have to wait here for now. Sergeant Dolom is already with them".

The second guard points to a bench across the street, "You and your", he looks the Minotaur up and down "Companions can wait over there. I assure you that they will come out of this exit when their business is concluded".

Gauntlet will clomp over to the bench, judge it unfit for his weight, and stand next to it with his arms crossed. He settles in to wait for the girl to come out.

Viorr gives Gauntlet an apologetic grin as he takes the spot on the bench that the warforged declined.

Sharn - City of Towers - 998 YK - the Eighth Day of Dravago - The Two Year Anniversary of the Treaty of Thronehold - Watch Station - All Together Now!

For a tedious 30 minutes you wait and watch the front entrance. Classes get out and the area near the Watch Station becomes a place of hustle and bustle for a while. Soon enough things settle down and you finally spot Ama stepping out of the Watch Station.

Ama, you exit the Watch Station to a familiar sight, the mercenaries or whatever they are from the night before are seated across the street from the station, mostly standing near a bench. The motley crew is hard to miss what with a Warforged a Minotaur!

A bemused smile grows on her face along with a raise of an eyebrow to see the group that had dealt with the Professor's murderer. "Seeing all of you here makes me think that this is not just a coincidence, is it? I owe all of you drinks anyway for what you've done." She took a few steps closer to the group, folding her arms in front of her after smoothing her robe. "So, do you have business with me?" She was surprised to see the group, but considering her prior company, she was also certainly more disposed to treat them familiarly.

perhaps we could find someplace not in the street and private which we could talk?Pink Eye stands up from leaning against the building and smiles a big toothy grin...

'So much secrecy lately..' Ama sighed softly. "Unless any of you are possessed of a residence or are on good terms with an innkeeper, there's the possibility of the gardens or park, but other than that..." Ama trailed off, realizing that she did indeed know a place and it worked well with at least informing her boss of what had been discovered. "...Actually, I do. Some of the study rooms of the Library are relatively private, as well as large enough to house this many people of statures such as you and your companions."

She looked over the rest of them, and raised both eyebrows. "Will that do?"

Gauntlet gestures casually, but his reply seems stilted and strange, emphasizing his odd nature.

"Lead the way my Lady. Round and round we go...where we eventually stop is...wherever we end up."

"That ought to do nicely, Miss. Lead on"

The walk to the Library of Sharn was as long as they remembered, and Ama moved ahead to greet the receptionist on duty with a smile and a hug, the slight, silver-haired scholarly young man exchanging quiet words with her for a minute. During the exchange, some curious looks were given to the entourage that she had, as he adjusted his spectacles. Her response to his quiet questioning was that she only shrugged a little, and made a gesture further into the library, giving him a reassuring smile and a placating gesture. When he did not look too reassured, she laughed softly and kissed him gently on his cheek.

Any of the others approaching the table catch the end of her words, "...worry too much Percy. I'll be just fine, and back shortly." Turning to them, she smiled, seemingly heartened by the exchange, and gestured into the library.

"Please follow me and tread softly."

The room that she leads the group to seems to be one of the larger rooms, roughly twenty feet square, with a table in the center of the room, and some empty shelves along one side. Light is provided by a window, set high in the wall, with a couple of covered rods set into the table. The furnishings are solid, and well-worn, though none seem able to accommodate the weight of the larger individuals of the group.

Sharn - City of Towers - 998 YK - the Eighth Day of Dravago - The Two Year Anniversary of the Treaty of Thronehold - Sharn Library

As Ama shuts the door she looks at the group expectantly awaiting the purpose that they have for seeking her out. The room is so quiet you can hear a pin drop.

"My lady Ama, we have been hired by House Cannith to retrieve a rare book. One with a special cover as I understand?"

Gauntlet looks over to his new friends and hopes one of the others can explain better.

"It's a formulary book but it has an intricate design on the cover - a very unique motif. May be inlaid with metal - I'm not sure. But I think you would recognize it immediately if you'd seen it. Anyway, it... may have something to do with the awful business on the skybridge the other night? Regardless, it was something that... maybe you'd be interested in?" Caelan says with a pleasant smile.

Erix quietly follows the others, keeping an eye for trouble. Once they get within the room at the library, he searches it, looking for any means to spy on them. Taking 10(or 20 if allowed) on Perception for a total of 15(or 25). Basically looking for any spy holes or such to listen in on the conversation.

If any ask him, he replies "Considering everything we've been through the last few nights, I'm not taking any chances"

Erix, you find nothing, this room is secure at least from non-magical spying.

"The Professor's journal had a cover that the other guys that were in there with me took a rubbing of. I'm not sure how relevant that is, but there's that." Her eyebrows lowered as she frowned. "Odd that House Cannith sent two groups for similar things, but what do I know?"
______________________________________
Sorry, I thought more people were going to chime in.

Balinors hairy @!#¥, those idiots hired others to do this and they are ahead of us! Perhaps Ms Ama you might wish to come with us on this adventure and actually see what all the noise is about and learn what yourbprofessor was killed for?

Gauntlet speaks up despite his normal taciturn nature.

"Don't put it past a House to masquerade as another, or just possibly there is another faction of Cannith involved here.
I trust Micky P's ability to vet his contacts. Ours was definitely Cannith or we never would have had the meet in
the first place. These others could be lying, or are dupes at best for another house or even a rival country desperate
to steal these ancient secrets out from under Cannith's nose."

Ama chewed on her lip a little as she considered. 'It is risking my life, but then again, just doing my job as a Librarian nearly killed me, so that's doing me no favors... The Professor did seem like a good man, as well as the possibility that I'm probably safer with this group than on my own, as a potential "loose end". Besides, I might as well have an adventure, right? Live a little before I die?' That last thought came with no small amount of sarcasm, but short of leaving town, her options were limited.

Sighing, she nodded to the Minotaur that had posed the question. "It does seem that I would be safer— relatively— in your company. I am not incapable, though my strengths lie more in knowledge than combat. I do have some facility with the Arcane as well, if you do not have anyone with that proficiency, either." There was some reluctance in that admission, though.

"I am Amara Vivaeris Freewater, recent graduate of the Arcanix, with a focus in the arcane arts in respect to the element of Water." She swept a bit of a curtsey as one would do in a proper setting, and stood. "May our association be borne aloft on fairer tides than our meeting. Who might all of you be— formally, that is?"

"Caelan d'Orien, retired soldier of the Last War and general ne'er-do-well of House Orien," says Caelan in his usual easygoing way, with a bow and a flourish.

Pleased by this woman's ability to accept the strange, Gauntlet does not hesitate.

"I am called Gauntlet ma'am, and Sharn has been my home since the war. I am a minor arcanist myself, but my abilities are different than most."

"Viorr of Valenar, Miss. " The elf touches his forehead with a finger in a small salute.

"Erix d'Orien, cousin to Caelan. I run deliveries for my House."

men call me Pink Eye for my one eye with the pinkish mote, what my name is in my language is not pronouncable by humans

Sharn - City of Towers - 998 YK - the Eighth Day of Dravago - The Two Year Anniversary of the Treaty of Thronehold - Sharn Library - Afternoon

With introductions complete, Ama reveals to her new acquaintances what she discovered in the journal of the Professor.

It appears quite clear that if this schema is anywhere, it is the dark underbelly of Dorasharn Tower.

Do you want to get provisions and delve into the depths of the Tower the next day? Gather information perhaps in the meantime?

"Looks like we need to delve the tower then. The darker areas of lower Sharn are not to be tread lightly. I should be fine as I am,
but you all will need to obtain food and other supplies for such a dangerous outing. Also, does anybody know anything of Dorasharn Tower?"

Knowledge (Local): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17