As Thorion opens the book, the text inside is all in a language he doesn't know, and each page is written in the same unreadable langauge.
With a deep breath Thorion casts a spell that will enable him to understand most all languages and then once again attempts to confirm that the book is genuine.
Thorion casts comprehend language, and it somehow makes it even harder to read as the text of each character now is rotating between it's original character, a number, and one of it's possible translated words or ideas....
The sheriff attempts a strong facade, but it is futile. The deputies and magistrate can plainly see that he is just as affected as they.
"It seems a bitter night has passed over us all," he addresses the lawmen and women. "If it were only the night terrors of children, it would be easy to dismiss, but this is plainly something else. Something worse."
He pauses, both to steel himself and reconsider the wisdom of openly broaching this subject.
"It's a sure bet that folks'll be ornery today, scared and on edge," he continues. "The same could likely be said about everyone beneath this roof right now, but we don't have that luxury. For the people under our care, the people we care about, it again falls to us to be better, stronger.
"Expect trouble today. Back each other up. Don't be foolish by going it alone."
Deputy Hawks:
Hawks adds
"I'll say, a lot are on edge;
Old John is rallying for an investigation and all info about any secrets the this office knows and this time a lot of folks are wanting it,
They are even wanting to storm the Vale itself and destroy what ruins are in there.
But also you have some woodsmen saying not to destroy ruins and that some ruins are safe.
It's starting to cause some strife in town, luckily no fights yet.
I even saw Payday walking down the street as if something inside him broke, I don't know if he'll do anything crazy until this is all over.
Ms Schrödinger and Mr Hildrinsocks both came in scared and both mentioned a man in blue and white in their dreams telling them
"The Hidden One has awakened from it's slumber, and is working itself free."
and that Mr Hildrinsocks remembers him from his home town before it's destruction.
After hearing that you can say it scared me even more.
Like who or what is this Hidden One, even it's lack of a name scares me.
Like is this thing is so evil, you shouldn't speak it's name."
Deputy Sara:
Sara after hearing Hawks' words adds in a scared voice
"Lady Cirthana was here a few minutes ago and also told me her dream of a man in blue and white saying the same thing.
And that all her children had the nightmare.
In fact even Mr Wang's whole family had nightmares,
even his wife almost went into premature labour from the fright of her nightmare."
Baleson adds
"I didn't have any nightmares, but it must of been one hell of a thing judging from some folks faces.
Let's find out who had nightmares and who didn't, their maybe a connection or pattern of who got the nightmare.
We should also see if there are any other connections of anything in those nightmares even if it's scary to remember them."
Thorion unable to read the book puts it down on a nearby table in frustration.
As it was just like in the dream, he couldn't read it.
Luk then tries reading it himself.
Luk uses comprehend language and read magic in attempts to read it
"I'm sorry, my friend.
But this book's content's are out of our reach, we'd need to either know this ancient language or use something like tongues to read it."
after a moment
"Wait his book must be really old, but why is it still in such good condition, even the pages are clean and readable in a way.
Now it could be a form of preservative magic, one that is even better then the preservative spells used in the archives in Absalom."
Then Luk turns to Thorion and asks
"What else did you see in your dream or nightmare?
As it might point to the key for this book."
The sheriff rolls his eyes towards the tribunal's ceiling, caught somewhere between amused and frustrated.
"They think we know secrets about those ruins?" he muses. "We're as in the dark as they are."
Corin refrains from adding that he and his deputies are likely as scared as the locals, too.
"Well, we can't have folks blundering off into the woods as part of some frightened mob. Those woods are dangerous enough without any sort of 'hidden one' hiding out there."
He sighs before stating the obvious course of action.
"I'd hoped never to visit them ruins again, but folks want answers, and they won't rest easily without them. I don't doubt that Darion has the heart to join me on another damn fool adventure, even if it isn't the smart thing for him to do. The two of us won't be enough, though.
"I don't dare try to drag Kinshara out of retirement, and that Thorion fellow likely doesn't know us well enough to risk his life on something like this. Anyone new roll into town? I'd heard from Ludwig that more adventurers have been venturing north from Olfden. Of course, it might be too much to hope that any of them would show up right on our doorstep, ready to help."
Baleson replies
"I do hope anyone who's entered town is willing to help.
We should tell folks to stay out of the woods until this is settled, though I can say Mr Kreed would likely complain about the stop in production.
Though with Payday in the stat he's in, he'll either not care about enforcing Kreed's will or go nuts on folks.
Now we should also find out as much as we can and sort it,
I ask do this, do these nightmares have any order or pattern, or is it pure chaos in who got them and or it's contents?
So far I think there is a pattern, but I don't know enough yet to see it.
The other question will be how much time do we have, if this is trouble in big bold letters that's coming in like a storm."
Darion glances around the room of mirrors looking for clues related to his dream
He tries to make any magical connections to what he observes
you also see a large "λ" symbol in a circle in various parts of the room when it seems newest, and flashes of images showing bricks with the current runes being laid against the walls to complete a new magic setup with what the room had and it gets layered with another set of bricks as time paces.
And there are times when you swear one man that you dreamt of trying to stop the project is looking at you as if he knows.
Darion leaves and goes to find Luk. After finding him Darion discusses his new found information about the room of mirrors with Luk including his dream about it and the bricks
Darion runs and finds Luk and Thorion in the Achives of the Kirk.
And Darrion sees a book on the table with a large "λ" symbol in a circle on the cover.
You fell asleep last night and dreamed this nightmare.
Walking through the woods of the Vale and comes upon some ruins with a darkened sky again in open plains, he walks into the ruins through a pair of double doors but as he does he hears a voice say
"What clings to you?
Bear it—you cannot.
Accept it—you cannot.
But hidden—it is from you.
Recite its name."
After a while you take a right turn into the hallway and takes a left at the end of a hall and finds stairs going down, and sees the ruin's lower level with Kobolds running about though a bit jittery as if on high alert, as he walk down the hall it suddenly goes pitch black after walking a few steps he finds himself
suddenly in a dark world with a darken sky and open plains with few trees with a canyon before him.
Milton peers into the canyon, but the fog inside the canyon hides it's bottom. As he gaze into it, he can feel something gazing back at him.
As the fog subsided he sees think large chains in the canyon walls, and a large pair of glowing violet eyes, that feel unimaginably cold, and fear grips him hard.
As the fog further subsides he sees the glowing eyes were eyes of a huge human like skulls with two pairs of glowing violet eyes.
but he also read something on the things skull
"The Hidden One,
The Ruler of the Void and of Shadows."
After reading it, the thing looked angry and roared loudly sending fear through his whole body and waking him up having also soiled himself.
You woke up during the night from hearing people scream from their nightmares all over town,
Though the freakest part as you listened during the night was that it was as if even the forest and it's inhabitants were also having nightmares.
As you both go around town in the morning, you can tell folks are talking about nightmares, and it's scaring even more people.
at some point as you walk about you hear a sweet sounding woman's voice say "go to Sheriff Droven."
When you get to the work site, you find most of everyone there wondering what is going on, and you even hear that Payday looks as if he's seen a something that scared the crap out of his mind.
Milton the forman asks if you could see sheriff Droven about what is going on.
Gur approaches ... and asks Do you know what happened last night? I woke up to several of my neighbors screaming. I checked to make sure it wasn't an attack, but even the woods were shrieking. It was very odd.
After talking to his forman, Gur heads to the the sheriff to see why he summoned me.
Gur goes down to the sheriff's office and sees that it is a bit busy at the moment.
Gur waits patiently, knowing his height will get noticed. If nobody stops, he will ask the next person he sees, Hey, my foreman at the mill sent me here to find out what's going on?
Deputy Leon:
Leon sees Gur and then answers him
"I don't really know myself, seems something bad is coming and no one really knows the source or how to stop it.
The Nightmares some folks had last night are even scaring me."
Milton wakes and changes his clothes and paces around until dawn. He then goes out into he town and hears of all the nightmares. The only calming thing that morning was a voice saying "go see the sheriff". Milton pauses, That may be a prophetic word that. The only soothing thing on this awful morning, someone telling someone else to go see the sheriff. I think I will too.
Milton walks in the sheriff's office and see how busy it is. He waits his turn and tells the deputy, "I had one of those disturbing dreams as well. So ruins out in the woods with kobolds under it, then it turns to a fog filled canyon with a large horned skull with violet eyes and writing on it."
Deputy Leon:
Leon replies to Milton
"Yeah that sounds like it.
The fact that a few whole families had it is unsettling."
Milton looks the Deputy straight in the eye with his own bloodshot eyes, "Is anyone looking into this? What can be done?"
Sheriff Corindus Droven stops dead in his tracks upon the first step down from his office. It takes a considerable amount of willpower to keep his jaw from going slack. No sooner has he stepped out the door of the tribunal to begin recruiting allies for his expedition but he finds two...uncanny candidates speaking with Leon on his proverbial doorstep.
Milton looks the Deputy straight in the eye with his own bloodshot eyes, "Is anyone looking into this? What can be done?"
"You can bet that someone's looking into it," Corindus announces, rediscovering some confidence as he remembers his position. He takes the final steps down to the dusty road and speaks more directly to the newcomers, pointing a thumb at himself to emphasize his point.
"Sheriff Droven. Good day to you," he introduces himself, proffering a hand - which he comes to regret as the company ogre's broad palm engulfs his.
"As for what can be done, I'm looking to round up a posse to investigate those old ruins. The way I see it, in the best case, we prove that these bad dreams are just that and nothing more. And if there does turn out to be something in there, haunting our folks, well we'll just have to find a way to get them to knock it off," he says, proudly clapping a palm upon the hatchet head hanging from his belt.
Milton looks at Corindus hard for a moment and satisfied he smiles and extends his had, "The name is Milton McMurray. I've worked with Lady Cirthana here in town and she has said good things about you. I will volunteer to help investigate this. I've a feeling I won't be getting much sleep until this "Hidden One" is taken care of."
What is this book Luk? Thorion? It is very peculiar
Darion notices that a crowd is beginning to build near the sheriffs office and after speaking with Luk and Thorion he decides to inquire as to the commotion.
Luk replies
"It is a book that has been hidden here for a very long time, Thorion and I had a dream of finding this book in the archives, it was hidden in spot with magic.
As the Kirk was unknowingly build over some ruins and this became the archive when it was discovered since they needed a place to store records and paperwork.
What is more puzzling is that we can't read it, even with read magic and comprehend language spells."
Good day, Mr Drovan. If you would like my assistance with your posse, I will be happy to help. I will just need to send a message to my foreman that I will not be at work today. Gur gives one firm shake making sure it is not too firm.
"Well, I'd certainly thank you both for your help," the sheriff says, tilting his head up to look Milton in the eye, then further yet to look Gur in the eye.
"Take your time and make your preparations," he bids his new allies. "After all, I need to check in with my wife before I depart. What's more, there is one more man I need to recruit: Mr. Holdfast. He has accompanied me on several such adventures, and I trust our odds better with him at our back."
Milton nods and says to the Sheriff, "I'll return with all my gear. When and where shall we meet?"
Thank you for the opportunity. Gur first goes back to his foreman and says that all the dreams were similar, and the sheriff is forming a posse to investigate the ruins, and I was one of the recruits. After explaining this to the forman, he heads back to his home to gather his adventuring supplies.
Milton and Gur get back to the sheriff's office ready to go.
Luk I’ll be honest. This book scares me. The fact that you can’t read it even with magic is disturbing. And Thorion is this book of particular interest to you? Do you know anything about it? Perhaps we should do some research on this book and symbol before we try anything else magic wise on the book.
Darion looks to the other two men for something. Approval. Comments. Answers?
Thorion:
"This books my be the missing book I've been looking for, but can't confirm it due to it being unreadable."
"Your not the only one this book is scaring.
I'm at a loss as to what this book could be, but maybe the right spell could make it readable."
Luk points to both the large "λ" symbol in a circle and circle itself,
"I've not seen this symbol before, so I have not even a hint to it's contents.
For all we know it's some gentleman's journal."
Thus, the married duo combine their strength and haul the riverboat ashore so Mary can inspect the flat-bottomed hull, looking for cracks in need of pitch.
"Everyone in town had the same nightmares," he sighs to his wife once he's caught his breath from the herculean effort. "Most of them saw those old ruins, too. I've assembled a posse to investigate. If there's something wicked down there, we'll put an end to it. I won't have it creeping and scaring the children any more."
After visiting his family, the sheriff returns to town with his pack stuffed and his steel sharpened. He looks for Darion to recruit his old friend before meeting up with Gur and Mr. McMurray.
Corindus meets up with Gur and Milton, and go looking for Darrion, whom might be on the verge of a truth.
Luk perhaps if we discover the origins of this symbol then that will lead to further understanding concerning the book. Darion looks at both men quizzically concerning the symbol on the book.
Also remember the room you I I were studying. I had some sort of nightmare about it then just a little while ago I was there at the room and I think I saw some sort of vision that lead me to think of a possible way to disable it If Luk is interested in talking further about the mirror room then Darion will insist on a private discussion.
"You had a nightmare as well, well I guess nearly everyone's gotten one, each the same and yet different."
hearing you found the keystone to the room.
"If you found the keystone for that room then we could disable it, but it might still be best to see how the keystone is the keystone in that room."
"As for the symbol it might be best to know and find out more about the language it came from to get an idea as to its meaning."
The sheriff's timing is poor, arriving just as the learned men's conversation turns to the business of "private discussion."
"You again speak of matters well above my head," Corin calls, clapping a hand upon Darion's shoulder and perhaps giving his erudite friend a spook, "so I am hesitant to interrupt, but it seems that adventure calls to us yet again."
Corin takes a step back, and his eyes dart to his two new companions before turning back to Darion.
"I'm rounding up a posse to investigate those ruins and hopefully put folks' worries to rest," he declares.
Milton nods when he sees Luk. "It is good to see you again. I feel many may turn to the church for help with these nightmares. I feel called to investigate this ruin and will be unable to help at the church."
Luk perhaps I will aid our sheriff here if you can investigate more into the strange book and the symbol on its cover
Darion turns to Corindus I was wondering when some sort of adventure or exploration would be necessary. With all these nightmares occurring perhaps now is the time. What supplies should we gather prior to leaving. Also I should like to say good bye to my family first
Gur waits outside. Hunan homes are not built for his dimensions.
"Which old ruins with the two statues or the old monastery?
As both were in the some of the nightmares I'm guessing.
I'll do what I can to get some answers, but it'll be very difficult without one that knows this tongue.
It may even require I contact a few other places and see if they can find characters like the ones in the book or on the cover.
Which in and of itself could call trouble to come here."
Milton tilts his head for a moment, "I had not heard of another ruin. I was talking about the monastery. Could I have a look at the book? I have a bit of knowledge about languages."
You can tell the character set is over 33 characters, and that every character works in many ways, working as a character to make a word, a number, and even many meanings for each character.
You some how manage to get the understand a fragment of the large "λ" symbol on the cover with it's name being,
Lam, Lamed, or Lamba,
with meanings of; Teach(ing), Yoke, To Bind, Rod, Authority, tongue, and a numerical value of 30.
Milton takes a look at the book and whistles. "I've never seen anything like this. I can tell you I can't read it but I know a few things. There are over 33 characters and each has several ways it works; they can work as characters to make a word or be a number and each can have many meanings. That symbol on the front is called Lam, Lamed or Lamba and can mean Teach(ing), Yoke, To Bind, Rod, Authority, tongue, and a numerical value of 30. That book is going to take a lot to try and decipher and we don't currently have time."