|
As Triana speaks, again the sound of shrieking emanates from her backpack.
Kelnea takes a moment to save a handful of books. There are too many to successfully recover, but in his effort he pulls up a volume entitled A Traveler's Dictionary: Translating Sylvan to Common. Thinking this might be useful he pockets it.
He follows Gaz and Triana upstairs as the rest follow as well.
|
|
Triana barges her way up her stairs, the rest of the party in tow. As she re-enters the scriptorium above the main library, she again sees the large chamber crammed with desks and lecterns designed for copying scrolls and manuscripts. Along the north wall, a tall, broad shelf sags with sheaves of parchment, while near the exit to the south, a stack of ceramic jugs stands near a wall-mounted racks of quills. Two bays of windows on the west wall offer an impressive view of the Lodge's greatest landmark, Skyreach Tower, while the eastern windows overlook the library's main stacks.
As Triana enters, a rack of ink jugs collapses and the bottles roll out, smashing into Triana's entire body. She wipes away the multicolored ink to get a better view of the room.
[spoiler=Triana]Take 1d4 damage.
Virml (or at least who you used to think was Virml) is nowhere to be seen. Instead, Kreighton Shaine stands amid towers of texts, scrolls, and scraps of paper working on some kind of research. With Triana's accident upon entry he looks up from his work and simply says, "Oh my..."
Most curiously though is the large crocodile standing in the middle of the room.
|
When Kelnea is able to get into the room (he's following, apparently, so Triana and/or Gaz can do something first), he will address Kreighton Shaine.
"OY! Master Shaine! 'Member me?! I spent a lot of time studying under you here!"
"Also, what's with the big crocodile there?
"Or is it an alligator? What's the difference?"
"Who knows?"
|
|
Triana will look at this very puzzled--then it hits her--if the fox could imitate Virml, could it imitate Kreighton Shaine?
What's one thing we know about Master Shaine? Puns....he hates puns!
"Master Shaine, we found the treatise on puns you requested!" She will produce the screaming book , "it must know what's inside it from the sounds it's making."
|
As they all stomp in Gaz does his best to keep him mouth shut. He mostly tries to act normal and hang to the side in a 'totally not trying to get a good tactical position..' kind of way. While the bluffs are underway the middle aged man looks around the room in feigned boredom, putting out the vibe.
|
|
Kelnea calls out to Master Shaine who responds in a little bit of a panic, "Ah yes, it's Kelnea isn't it? Have you all finished? You caught me in the middle of some organization; that rotten Virml shirked his responsibilities again and only half completed the task I gave him!
Kraine looks frazzled, and grabs a book from the stack, putting it front of him and caressing the book before opening it. "I'm going to have to have a talk to him once I'm done trying to fix this waterlogged mess! Have you finished removing the water from the library? Are the books safe? If not, you still have work to do!"
Triana wipes away what must be gallons of ink and paint from her head. When she speaks, Shaine can be seen mouthing from across the room over the cacophonous screaming, "Whaaat?" He seems to be pointing to his ears, indicating he can't hear Triana speak. Considering Gaz can barely hear Triana speak at this moment, it's not surprising Shaine is struggling too. He appears very interested in the book she has in hand though, and eagerly holds out his hands towards the book.
With him is a alligator. Or maybe a crocodile now that you think about it. Perhaps it's a grand caiman? Some wizards use those as familiars, and familiars can get bigger.
Don't think you know everything about Shaine! And I'd appreciate it if you didn't metagame this (You got a +6 on your Sense Motive and still failed).
|
|
"Whoa! Easy there with the ink Triana! You're going to ruin Master Shaine's office! Sorry sir, we saved most of the books, I think, only one room had trouble. We just that Virml though, poor bastard is having a horrible day. You know all of this is coming from some huge f@*~ing magical carp and fairy dentists?" Gaz replies while giving Triana a weird look, Where did all this crap come from? NO way I'm touching that book.
As Master Shaine reaches for the book Gaz steps between them "Hey man, this is definitely cursed, I wouldn't mess with it until we can figure out what's going on to Triana."
|
|
"Master Shaine, I am exhilarated by this new you. Getting your hands dirrty by copying a book? You never do that! Never! I remember being told that was work for the initiates and now here you are doing the job yourself! You truly are the master of masters. Or, are you? Because I don't believe you are. Not at all."
James moves into the room and cast a spell at "Master Shaine"
|
|
Shaine can barely hear anything over the sound of the screaming book, but he does respond to Gaz, "I have too much to do here Gaz, please continue looking for anything that may help me."
Suddenly, James saunters into the room, you can barely hear his accusations over Triana's book's screaming. He points at Shaine before letting out a magic missile.
Shaine grunts, his face twisting into the appearance of a very angry Shaine. "My student, it appears you wish to challenge your master? Perhaps that will make you die even faster. NOW GIVE ME THAT BOOK!"
Kelnea
Shaine (3 damage)
Wellentänzer
James
Tusmina
Triana
Gaz
Crocodile
Amarantha
|
|
Kelnea begins moving on James to get him to calm down when Shaine. Shaine's face twists and his hair grows longer. Moments later you discover yourself face-to-face with a rather upset looking Kitsune, "How dare you spoil my plans! I was so close to finding him! I must know the answer, and you can't stop me!"
Kelnea stops in his tracks and moves instead towards the Kitsune, double moving. The Kitsune, with Kelnea in his grill, begins casting a spell defensively.
Kelnea's eyes grow wide in fear, he begins to flee. The Kitsune draws a bow.
Wellentänzer
James
Tusmina
Triana
Gaz
Crocodile
Amarantha
-----
Kelnea (Frightened)
Shaine (3 damage)
|
|
Gaz lands a solid hit and the crocodile grunts from the blow. It continues on.
Wellentänzer moves, doesn't say anything, just moves. Nobody has any clue what she's doing. Her lizard licks itself as it has not been commanded.
After some chastising James fires off a ray of frost that strikes the far wall feet away from any valid target.
Triana moves past the crocodile, to the Kitsune on the far side of the room, ready to engage.
The Kitsune points to the corner of the room, and the Crocodile responds immediately. Stepping gently and without issue over everything in the room, it parts the desks like a sea of reeds. It's five foot step place the crocodile in front of Wellentänzer.
It begins its assault with a massive bite, tearing into Wellentänzer's flesh and staggering her.
It's massive jaws wrap around her torso, and she finds herself grappled by the enormous creature. It clings to her as it tucks in its legs and rolls rapidly, once, twice, three times, twisting and wrenching Wellentänzer in his jaws.
The screaming can be heard throughout the library as Wellentänzer is left a bleeding pile of flesh on the floor.
Amarantha
-----
Kelnea (Frightened)
Kitsune (3 damage)
Wellentänzer (22 damage, prone)
James
Tusmina
Triana
Gaz
Crocodile (16 damage)
|
|
Kelnea looks at the Kitsune, and then to Amarantha, then starts screaming as he flees the room. Lucky for him, the crocodile is currently chomping on somebody and does not take an AoO.
The Kitsune looks terrified at the huge scythe and wiggles his fingers in an attempt to get off another spell.
Triana looks at the fox, then to the crocodile, then to Gaz, and then back to the Fox. At this point she begins laughing so loud, between the screaming from the book, and the laughing from Triana the party is fairly certain the sound must be carrying all the way up to the great hall.
The fox turns and walks straight up the wall and onto the ceiling to flee out of the reach of most of the party.
Wellentänzer continues to bleed onto the stone floor.
James
Triana (Prone, Laughing 3 rounds)
Gaz
Crocodile (16 damage)
Amarantha
Wellentänzer (23 damage, prone)
-----
Kelnea (Frightened, 3 rounds)
Kitsune (3 damage)
|
|
"Holy S@&@! GET THIS THING UNDER CONTROL DAMN IT!"
Gaz steps forward and swings down on the reptile again. She bleeding out, I don't even think she has bones anymore.
Gaz is horribly distracted by the gore, 'It's happening again... just like with the Mer'yak Ta'ishi.. oh the walk of shame when you're horde's all dead.'
|
|
James flees...
Gaz swings hard at the crocodile, but misses, as does Triana's Javelin.
The Crocodile drops its non-moving prey and turns around towards Gaz.
The first bite chomps onto his sword arm, drawing blood. The crocodile tries to pull Gaz down, but the man, strengthened by his fury, barely resists the attempt. It swings around with its huge tail, but it clears Gaz by several feet.
Wellentänzer stops bleeding, her corpse clearly dead on the floor.
Amarantha
Wellentänzer (24 damage, dead)
-----
Kelnea (Frightened, 3 rounds)
Kitsune (3 damage)
Triana (1 damage)
Gaz (6 damage)
Crocodile (16 damage)
|
|
Amarantha points her icy finger at the Kitsune on the ceiling.
The ray of frost blasts into the fox. He growls in response.
Kelnea flees out the door and down the staircase...
The Kitsune smiles as he watches the party become separated, "What do you call a group of humans without any chance?" he quips as he draws and arrow and aims it at Amarantha.
He giggles with delight as the arrow strikes the wizard, "You!"
Wellentänzer (24 damage, dead)
Triana (1 damage)
Gaz (6 damage)
Crocodile (16 damage)
Amarantha (2 NL damage, Will save (DC 11) required)
-----
Kelnea (Frightened, 1 rounds out, 2 rounds back to entrance of room)
Kitsune (7 damage)
|
|
Gaz smiles and rubs the blood dripping down his bitten arm into the woven leather straps that comprises the hilt of his great sword. It thickens and becomes sticky in his hands, "Foolish fox-boy, the pain makes me stronger! Once this pet of yours yields I'll show you the error of your petty illusions."
Gaz grits his teeth and another blow descends onto the reptile.
|
|
She'll then take a 5' towards wherever the javelin that missed earlier lands
|
|
Gaz lands another enormous blow on the crocodile. Blood spurts out of the creature onto Gaz, but curiously, rather than dying on a heap on the floor, it disappears from existence.
Triana's javelin also finds its target. The blow is just enough to stab into the Kitsune's heart, and the fox falls to the floor in a pile, still breathing, but bleeding.
On the Fox, you see another scrap of parchment stuffed into his belt . On top of the stack of books he was examining you find yet another . These six fragments seem to be all from the scroll.
|
|
Gaz comes out of his rage and turns to Triana, "Nice throw! Let's uh, give me a moment.... Let's binds this little bastard and wake him up, see what all these was about."
Gaz will then proceed to tie up the fox man. Once that is done he channels energy.
"Ahh, alright that feels better. Now wake up f&%*er."
|
|
Gaz wakes up the bound creature, and after only an extremely modest amount of wiggling the Fox looks up at him as his face forms into an enormous grin, "Haha! Well done in my capture, however temporary it may be!"
He stops fidgeting and sits calmly, "Well, I see you found the rest of the fragments. Trying to figure out how it all happened? I mean if I can't figure out what to tell that wet behind the ears no-brained fish, I'm sure you can't figure it out. But then again, I'm sure I'm much smarter than you."
His grin gets wider. "So, what now that you've caught me? I once escaped from a prison, and while I may be tied up now, I'm sure I can again! After all, no one shall catch me who can’t catch my name!”"
He is clearly baiting you to try to figure out the answer to the riddle because he seems to have to know the answer. He REALLY want to know the answer to the riddle.
|
|
Gaz sits down and rubs his temples.
Bloody hell.. ok, So the Worms eat the dead, the birds eat the worms. The croc eats birds, and fish, and people. Birds also eat birds... but Gormandelle also bites the croc with it's teeth? FTW? The chef works with fish, or people if you're caught stealing... then the wyrm eats people, and serves the man his sons? THIS JUST GOES IN CIRCLES! EVERYONE JUST EATS WHATEVER THEY GET THEIR MOUTHS AROUND!" Gaz groans with his face in his hands.
"I have a few thoughts..but first, how many guesses do we get?"
|
|
The fox shrugs at Gaz, "I failed once and was imprisoned. But then again, I was being challenged by the greatest of the Fey. You are just mere mortals trying to figure out a riddle in some damp library that is CLEARLY too hard for you. I mean if the master cannot figure it out, I'm sure you can't either!"
|
|
"Greetings my daughter, I did not expect to see your kind here. I am Mistress Koi, and I am afraid what happened here is my fault, I should have been more careful in watching my charge. I am just but one of the denizens of The Name of the Fox a dreadful poem about, Whatsisname - that dreadful haughty fox. I can't believe I let him go!"
"Eons ago, during the Age of Anguish, we were written onto the page by my fey creator, who trapped my charge for insulting the creator. Oh how he outwitted me! A fiendishly clever magical ruse of some sort, and now he runs riot through the vaults below. I wish only to flush out his wet fur."
"Perhaps you can help? I needn't continue to try to drown him if somebody were to try recover him, and the fragments of the poem that tore apart when we came into being. Does this sound like a deal?"
Triana taps her foot impatiently.
I doubt it's Whatshisname.