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The huge man covered in metal shifts uncomfortably as the discussion ranges on, then eventually blurts out, "Maybe this manuscript we were sent to retrieve has something to do with how the ghost of the fey came to be here now. Something must have summoned it here recently - what other event occurred or item recently returned? Maybe, like the forests of my homeland, this place requires a wildfire to thin out the undergrowth and old trees and allow new growth to occur..."
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"Fire is often surprisingly effective versus the undead." Strang observes. "And though her presence is indeed unusual, her behavior is entirely within the norm."
"Let's find someone with more information. Perhaps we can narrow down our timeline, or possible mitigating factors, with more information from the monks." He heads towards the door.
The Master is once again under the control of Jathyl.
A malachite statue dominates this shadowy hallway. It depicts a serene woman with seven eyes, sitting cross-legged and reading a book. Benches line the walls.
As you enter, the statue says in a feminine voice “I see thieves!”
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"Save your entreaties, Chaul." Strang says, placing one hand on the cleric's shoulder. "It is not the ghost... just a minor magical effect triggered to react to an external trigger."
He pauses for a moment before adding, "Though one has to wonder the purpose of such, unless its to warn someone else..."
He glances around, cautiously.
"Hello? Monks? We come in peace?" He mutters, not exactly intended for anyone ears but their own.
The statue repeats itself. “I see thieves!” It has only been a few seconds since it last said that.
“I see thieves!” It seems to repeat itself every few seconds.
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An audible sigh can be heard from within the armored man's helmet. "By Vecna's left nut, you lot talk more than politicians!" Grim exclaims as he pushes past them into the library, his greatsword ahead of him in a ready position. Blue electricity arcs and sputters along its edge, lighting the area around him and warning others of the deadly purpose of the blade.
A winding balcony corkscrews up this library, spiraling seven times before it reaches the roof some eighty feet above. Bookshelves line every wall from floor to ceiling, brimming with crumbling tomes, tablets, and scrolls. Shafts of light descend from the stained glass ceiling, sparkling with paper dust. Two modest desks stand in the brightest light, each with a chair, a pile of tomes, a sheet of blank parchment, and an inkpen. The air here feels unnaturally dry.
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Strang glances upwards, at the sounds of someone on the upper balcony.
"Now this is more in my purview." He says, almost whispering, at the sight of all the books, tomes, and scrolls.
"Just the sort of place one could spend weeks, just reading." He adds wistfully.
"Everyone must be upstairs." He adds. "Someone's up there, anyway. Certainly not our ghostly friend Jathyl, if we can hear them moving about."
"Hello?" He calls... then promptly gets distracted looking at the titles on the nearby shelves.
There is a slight pause before you get any response.
During that pause, the statue repeats itself once again.
A strong woman's voice calls out from over the entrance "All of you sheath your weapons immediately and come to the center -- away from our books -- where we can see you. Then we can talk."
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"Oh dear." The doctor mutters, as the voice calls down from above, sounding not particularly friendly.
"We are not here to cause any troubles." He calls back. "We merely came looking for a stolen Manuscript. Your compatriot outside mentioned you have been the victims of similar theft. Though the trick with the statue simply calling anyone who happens by a thief, hardly seems an appropriate countermeasure."
He will step out further, looking up to see where the voice is coming from.
"Doctor Menes Strang." He offers. "We believe we have sorted out the source of both of our troubles, though would not mind a little peaceful discourse, to try to work out the specifics. I believe we can help each other."
The Gebbite woman is staring intently at those of your group who have shown yourselves.
I have not put them on the map since not everyone has seen them.
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Lurgh moved forward, showing his empty hands, not that it really mattered to Lurgh, he almost never used weapons anyways.
I am unarmed, though as one familiar with monastic training and the art of spellcasting, especially so with fire magic, I must warn you that I am still quite dangerous. The only surety I can offer you is the fact that I am being up front about my abilities. Oh, and don't bother asking me to discard my spell components. It's blood magic, so I don't require them."
I have not put them on the map since not everyone has seen them.
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Grim spots the owner of the voice from above, and speaks directly to her and her companions. "Come now. We can clearly see you up there. Come down and let us continue this conversation face to face. We are men and women of action. Stealth does not become us."
The Gebbite woman is staring intently at those of your group who have shown yourselves.
Although they are tense and unsure, you think they can be reasoned with. The Gebbite woman seems to be looking for signs of something and not finding it in your group, which you judge is a fortunate thing.
Johann enters the room with no weapons drawn.
The woman steps to the edge of the balcony where she can be clearly seen.
She is a Gebbite woman with a jet-black ponytail that is tied back with a blue hair fastener decorated with an open hand, Irori's holy symbol. She has no weapons or armor on. Her robe also has the symbol of Irori decorating it.
She announces "I detect no evil in you and you claim not to be thieves. I am Pradnyara, a disciple of Irori. Tell me more of your purpose and what you know of our problems."
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"I am Chaul, priest of Saeraen, Silver Crusader and Pathfinder. We came originally in search of a book that had been recently stolen. Divination pointed to it being on this island."
He pauses.
"We landed, and your master of monks set his apprentices on us. We managed to restrain them... mostly. Unfortunately one suffered fatal wounds that I was not able to treat in time. We have also found your priests who have had their will drained by what appears to be the ghost of a dryad, who may or may not realise she is dead. She is collecting paper artefacts, presumably ones she thinks were made from trees harvested from this island."
The Gebbite woman frowns. "I was told that the priests were in seclusion..."
She pauses a moment to think. "You said the master was under the influence of this ghost?" The frown becomes more pronounced.
Turning, she signals to the other two near her. They step forward from their hiding locations.
Looking to Chaul and Dr. Strang, she admits "It seems we have much to discuss." Having said that, she turns and starts walking along the balcony down towards your group. After a moments hesitation, the other two follow her.
Meanwhile, in the background you can hear the statue make it's pronouncement three more times before it finally quits.
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"Though your master is indeed suffering from a powerful compulsion," Strang offers, trying to alleviate her worry somewhat. "We were able to suppress it for a time. He was able to fill in some of what was going on... but once we told him we would not be able to keep the compulsion at bay for more then a few minutes, he asked we bind him once more, so he would not hurt anyone."
"But I think the main question, that should answer many of our questions is simply this." He points towards the east, and the temple. "When did you cut down the tree that resides in the temple? If it was just over a year ago, then that is likely the catalyst that started this whole unfortunate incident."
At Dr. Strang’s question, the woman says “No, that tree was cut down long before that. The Monastery of the Unremitting Tide was founded about 200 years ago, and that is about when the pillar would have been created.”
She then turns to the two monks with her and asks “Is there anything of note that happened about a year ago?”
The two other monks discuss it. There were a few illnesses, several documents they consider notable came in, they had to start importing all their lumber and paper, and one of the priests arrived just under a year ago.
The woman asks you “Is the Master or any of the other monks in need of healing? Is there anything that can be done to release the Master from this ghost’s Influence?”
When Chaul asks about the history of the island, Pradnyana replies “Most of what is here are texts about history.” She is very familiar with the stacks and helps you find the information. In that research, Chaul finds a 4,000-year-old legend of a dryad whose dedication to her forest's survival was so strong, she sacrificed herself to save it from Geb's necromantic blight.
Johann does not find any parts of the Fleshforged Manuscript in the library, but there are a huge number of places in here to search.
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Strang can't help but look a little disappointed that his theory proves inaccurate.
"Why did you have to start importing lumber?" He asks, picking up on the woman's comment.
"As for the influence, it will fade with time. A week or two perhaps? Depending on when he fell under her spell." He offers. "The others will definitely need aid, though I think we will need to deal with Jathyl first... that's the ghost."
"None of your members will be safe until she has been laid properly to rest. Or at least her essence returned where it belongs." He frowns in thought. "But at the moment, the only way we can think to do that, is to possibly restore the last of her forest. You've cut everything else down. She let slip that there might be a seed though."
"Though it would have to be near," He looks thoughtful, glancing around. "And have been around since before the monastery was built. Is there anything here that is part of the original island? We'd be looking for a seed, like a cone most likely, so easily concealed. But it would have to have been here since well before the buildings went up. Do you have any records of the monastery's construction? Perhaps there's a clue there?"
He stops suddenly, frowning. "Like the tree..." He muses, before glancing back at the others. "Could it be there?"
When asked about the imports, one of the monks shrugs and says “We ran out of lumber on the island.”
Pradnyana asks “Where are the ones who need healing? I would like to tend to them.”
Looking at Dr. Strang, she asks “After that, would you like us to help you search the stacks for anything we might have on ghosts?” She gestures to the stacks.
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The doctor frowns slightly. "Which tree did you cut down last? That might have been our triggering event. It seems likely your destruction of what she gave her life to protect, is what set this all in motion."
"We already know about ghosts." He adds, at Pradnyana's offer. "What we seek is a way to lay this particular ghost to rest. It is too late to stop you from destroying the forest... but perhaps we can start a new one... we just need to locate this seed."
"At least that's our current working theory." He adds, with a faint smile.
He looks at her thoughtfully. "I do not suppose any of your members are skilled in the druidic arts?"
"And your people do not need healing, their injuries are more mental, than physical. They will need more restorative care. I can help with that in the morning... but first we must deal with the spirit you have managed to rile up. She has been using your people like puppets all year... and could likely continue to do so."
The two monk look at each other, baffled. Then they look to Dr. Strang and say “It was just some tree, like all the others that used to cover this island.”
“We took it to the workshop so we could make it into paper. Much more useful in that form!”
When asked about druidic arts, they say “One of the brothers who left was a gardener.”
Dr. Strang manages to find the topmost section of the Fleshforge Manuscript in a pile of other incomplete documents on the third tier of the balcony.
The 'quiet area' that the master mentioned covers roughly half the ground floor of the library but none of the balcony levels, centered on the northeast corner. It is very noticeable since there is no sound in the area.
When Dr. Strang uses Detect Magic, he detects an aura in that area.