The whole group has gathered together in the Shrine of Aroden to celebrate Arael's liberation and the success of the still unnamed group of aspiring do-gooders in freeing their leader. The table today is filled with all kinds of food and drinks, brought from the group's members.
As you arrive, there's a lot of talking going on at the table. The "rebels" discuss about their name, their uniforms, and those who were there share with the others tales of the events that took place yesterday. There's great excitement, and when the four members of the rescuing party take a seat, the group cheers to them. Arael and Janiven join in the celebration, with genuine smiles on their faces.
When the "afternoon dinner" is over, everyone of you has already told the story of how he contributed to Arael's rescue at least five times. Suddenly, Arael's voice stops the chatting and tries to draw the group's attention by clearing his throat loudly.
"Brothers and sisters, children of Westcrown, it's such a wonderful thing for me to be here along with you tonight. I would like to thank each one of you for risking his own life to rescue me from the Hellknights. I suppose you can easily imagine what would have expected me if not for you help. But when we got together, when we created this group, I knew there was a lot of potential in each one of you. Seems like I was not wrong. Yesterday we showed to our city, but first of all to ourselves, that we can oppose injustice. Thank you!"
Everyone applaudes Arael's speech as the half-elf makes a brief pause to wet his lips with water.
"Our achievement was a great one. We managed to teach a lesson to the Hellknights without getting our hands too dirty. Now it's extremely important that everyone of us understands that we need to lay low for a while. Hellknights will search for us without a doubt, but bureaucracy will prevent them from taking any official action. So we really need not to draw any unwanted attention to our lives. Go back to you previous lives, work as you're used to do and come here at any time. But for a while we won't be taking any overt actions."
This round of applause is much less loud than the previous one, as the group is instinctively inclined to great and risky deeds and cannot help but take Arael's word as an unnecessary break from their grand plan of restoring Westcrown to its now forgotten glory. But Arael is widely respected, and no one dares opposing his will. Janiven nods to the half-elf words, as do the others once they understand the leader won't compromise on this point.
"Well, now that our future plans are clear, at least for the upcoming future, I hope you'll enjoy this party!"
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Catina is silent and somewhat withdrawn during Arael's speech. She can see how each of them was willing to risk their lives, but she still felt that she did not deliver her fair share. In essence, she had been more of a liability than a help. She applauds his speech out of courtesy, but not because she's drawn into his words. His plan for them to lay low for a while suits her just fine.
--
After Arael's speech, Catina makes an effort to seek out Mathalen, although she takes her time to get there, dithering on what to say. "Mathalen, I've been meaning to speak with you. About what you said the other day... I didn't really understand what you meant by purification..." She gives an awkward laugh. "I'm still not sure I do. But I think, if you mean like stripping away all the things that are ugly, to show the beauty underneath... I can relate to that. It's like what we're trying to do with the city, isn't it? Nurture and protect that which makes it worth living here, while confronting all the things that make Westcrown a bad place. That's like a purification, isn't it? I suppose that's also what Shelyn would teach us; that there is always good and love, a center of beauty in everything and everyone, once you look past everything that may obscure it. I'd like to believe that people have the opportunity to redeem themselves, no matter what they've done..." Her voice trails off for a moment. Was she thinking about Faustinia, and the cold calculation with which she shot the armiger? Or about the armigers themselves, and the hate that radiated from their captain?
Catina fiddles with her bracelet, uncertain how to broach a different subject. "There's... also something else I wanted to talk to you about. You said you meditated a lot, right? Is that like... like the monks from Vudra? My papa told me about them once, when I was little. He also said that they could move as fast as the wind, never there when a strike was about to land." She looks at Mathalen, unsure whether she'll be laughed at. "I was... Well, I nearly failed everyone when we were rescuing Arael, because I was struck down straight away. And so I was wondering..." She doesn't quite have to courage to voice her question, but leaves it hanging in the air. "Never mind, it's probably just silly stories..."
Going back to normal life sounded wonderful to Lorenzo. he owed time to his sisters and his boss and he was looking forward to doing both. Besides he had a lot to think about.
He wondered if he would keep in touch with his new companions, not just this extended group but with Catina, Faustinia, and Sev. They had just met but had gone through a lot together. it felt like they'd known each other for much longer.
After the speech was over, he neared the burly blacksmith, "Did you get a chance to take a closer look at the weapons? Although Arael has asked to lay low, I still think we could do some weapons training. I know I could use the practice; are you still up for that? Will anyone else be joining?"
--------
He later got close to Arael and reminded him about the formal teaching in the Lady's faith, "Are there special prayers or hymns that you learned outside of the Acts? I'm afraid all of my instruction comes from that holy book."
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Faustinia explains to the various rebels how she unleashed her magic on Arael's captors, recounting especially how the gruff hellknight leader slipped up in her grease spell. She tries to avoid talking about what happened at the end.
Faustinia is relieved to hear that Arael recommends laying low for a while, despite the general disappoint among the group. She makes her way though the party, trying to avoid the more intense and rowdy members of their little group of do-gooders. Catching a rich glint of light, she weaves through the crowd and finds Tarvi, her jewels impressive as always. "Good evening, Tarvi," Faustinia starts, glad to have a conversation away from the crowd. "I trust you're enjoying the celebrations. It must be very exciting to have Arael back; I'm quite eager to speak with him myself later." Pleasantries out of the way, she smiles and reaches into her bag. She pulls out an older looking book with geometric designs on the cover and presents it to the jewelers' child. "I thought you might like to take a look at this. It's an older text, but it contains a good start for understanding the fundamentals of magic. That is, if you're still interested," she adds, raising an eyebrow. "I do hope my notes in the margins aren't too illegible."
Mathalen smiles warmly as Catina approaches and listens to her with great attention. As Catina weaves the pattern of her speech, the woman’s face clearly displays her awe. Catina’s words are so beautiful to her that Mathalen almost seems to get carried away by the speech, as a castaway cradled by slow waves. “Yes, yes! That is precisely what I meant”, Mathalen says as Catina speaks about the way she intended the concept of purification. “So you think it’s possible. Well, I think it too. That’s the reason why I’m here. Purify myself as I work toward purifying my home city. There’s something poetic and heroic at the same time in it, don’t you think?”
When the conversation moves on to monks from Vudra, Mathalen appears surprised that Catina knows about them. “Well, you father must have been a wise and cultured man. Indeed I know something about them. Long ago, a friend of mine gave me a book about Vudran meditation techniques, and since then I couldn’t stop thinking about that. I’ve been meditating for such a long time, hoping to purify myself. You know, I just want to become a better woman. To reach self-perfection, which in my case may not be that much of perfection, but all in all, you see, I think that each one of us should be proud to reach his own perfection, regardless of how poor that perfection may seem if compared to others’. Unfortunately, I’m not nearly as fast as Vudrani monks, and not half as wise. But I’m learning and I hope that my body will follow my mind’s progresses. Would you…” Mathalen slightly hesitates, but then she smiles and finds the courage to make her proposal, “Do you think we could meditate together, sometimes? I’d like to share this spiritual journey with you, Catina. You’re…You’re just special”. Although such a kind attitude was kind of unsuspected from Mathalen, always so serious and strict, the woman seems like she’s opening her heart to Catina. “You know, I never found anyone interested in these things and I…well, I think it would be…nice if I has someone accompanying me in this internal journey. Perhaps we’ll also find out a way to become faster and hone our physical skills…”
---
Ermolos greets Lorenzo with a strong pat on his shoulder as the paladin approaches. “Of course I’m in, mate. I just can’t wait! All my life spent crafting weapons, and I don’t even have the faintest idea of how to wield one in combat. Besides, it seems like our whole group could benefit from some of us knowing how to swing a sword, so…Well, I’m in!” Ermolos pauses for a few moments to look around himself. “And I know for sure Yorith will be in as well. We discussed about it before you arrived. We’re ready! Do you think we can start tomorrow afternoon, after work?”
“…which isn’t a bad thing at all, Lorenzo” says Arael with a reassuring nod answering Lorenzo’s question. “The Acts teach us all of that is needed about Iomedae’s life and her glorious deeds. There’s no better place to take an example from. No special prayers nor hymns truly needed. Of course, they help us to remind the importance of our values, but they are by no means necessary. All the Inheritor asks is our faith. Is to follow her example with true heart and genuine trust. But I can see you’re eager to learn more, so…I promised both Fiosa and Yorith to teach them something about Iomedae in our spare time. Maybe you can join us? We’re going to meet together the day after tomorrow, in the afternoon. I’d be glad if you could join us.”
---
“Good evening, Lady Faustinia”. Tarvi is clearly polite and well educated, and accompanies her greeting with a pleasant smile. “Actually yes, it’s good to have Arael back. Although as I see it, it’s even better to know that we’re actually able to mutually protect ourselves. By freeing Arael, you showed us that we’re not alone in this endeavor, and that if we were to get in trouble, there will be someone to help us out.”
When Lady Faustinia shows her the book, Tarvi’s eyes instantly fixes themselves upon the text. “Oh, thank you so much Lady Faustinia. I can’t tell you how much I longed for such an opportunity. I promise I’ll make good use of this book, studying it night and day without rest.”
The conversation is suddenly interrupted by Gorvio’s appeance. The man bows elegantly to Lady Faustinia, kisses her hand with savoir-faire and then does the same with Tarvi, before taking his leave. “I’ll leave you to your conversation” he says as he leaves.
Tarvi seems to be unable to find a good way to restart the conversation. “Well, uhm…Oh, yes. Lady Faustinia, I’m so grateful for your gift. I was wondering, though…Perhaps I’ll need a tutor or something? I mean, someone to watch over me while I start studying magic. I’d love you to be that person…I greatly respect and admire milady, and for a lot of reasons…So, would you like to follow me, when you happen to have some spare time? We could meet here, and I could show you my progresses.”
Ermolos greets Lorenzo with a strong pat on his shoulder as the paladin approaches. “Of course I’m in, mate. I just can’t wait! All my life spent crafting weapons, and I don’t even have the faintest idea of how to wield one in combat. Besides, it seems like our whole group could benefit from some of us knowing how to swing a sword, so…Well, I’m in!” Ermolos pauses for a few moments to look around himself. “And I know for sure Yorith will be in as well. We discussed about it before you arrived. We’re ready! Do you think we can start tomorrow afternoon, after work?”
---
As the conversations ensue, the Shrine of Aroden echoes with the words of the group of aspiring do-gooders. The group’s members seem to be going along very well with each other.
Suddenly, Janiven approaches each one of you, politely waiting for you to end your conversation before saying. “Hey, pardon to interrupt this nice conversation, but Arael wants to see you, in private. He has something for you. Would you please follow me in his study?”
You all accept to follow Janiven in Arael’s study, a small but tidy room with a fine desk and recently repainted white walls. Arael sits behind the desk, busy examining some papers. As he spots your arrival, he greets you and invites you to take a sit on one of the chairs placed in front of him. Janiven lays against the wall. “Welcome again, my saviors”, he starts, “I’ve asked to see you here for a reason, and I’ll soon return you to your friends in the common room. I said we need to lay low for a while, and I saw in your eyes that you agreed. Well, it’s kind of hard to explain, but there’s a slight difference between laying low and doing nothing at all, and I know you wouldn’t agree to my proposal if you identified the two concepts. So, what I meant was that we need to do nothing as a group, although I think that you four should be doing something. And something very important. First off, we need to return those horses to Gorvio’s uncle. I hope you can easily attend to that”.
“We were unable to return them in time yesterday night, so we rented a barn for them in a nearby inn, the one Yakopulio works in”, clarifies Janiven.
Arael nods to the woman. “Apart from this, I’d like you to continue building you reputation as city heroes. I know you need to hone your skills and work on your teamwork, and I think that only by working together you accomplish that. Listen, there’s a masked woman calling herself “Bluehood” who offers a reward for any shadow beast killed if the slayers drop its corpse on the garbage stoop outside the tavern across from the old Lerounge estate. By killing a shadow beast, you’ll learn how to fight them, solve a problem for the city, improve your reputations and, last but not least, earn some gold with which you could improve your gear. We need to lay low for a while, but I’m sure hard times will come, and when they will, you’ll need a better equipment. Of course, take your time and plan your actions with caution and patience. Do you think you can do this?”
Several watches the others having conversations and socializing and finds himself anxious. He's spent much of the last night in a corner waiting for orders that he knew wouldn't come. He waited for someone to tell him to clean, or to grab food from the kitchen, bit no one does because he's not a slave anymore.
It's still difficult not to stand in some dark shadow and remain silent. He'd been trained well and now it seems that training was getting in the way.
Silently he stalks the edge of the gathering until Janice calls to them. He wordlessly scolds himself for his nerves and swears to strike up conversation next time.
When Arael tells them to kill a shadow beast he nearly chokes, but he sees the sense in it.
"H-how much gold is the reward?" He asks, "A-and do you have any tips a-about h-how to fight the shadow beast?"
He looks at the rest of his group as he talks. "We only just ran from one the other n-night. N-now we'really expected to kill one?"
He's not against the idea but wonders why suddenly they'll be able to kill it when they had to flee so hastily just days ago.
Catina keeps up a smile and goes along with Mathalen's enthousiasm, even as she tries to figure out what the woman means. Purify herself, as well as the city? But there's all kinds of things wrong with the city, but not really with her. Is there?
She laughs at hearing her papa called wise. "Well, he was very cultured." She stops suddenly. She had tried not to think about them too much for all those years. Were they dead? Or just gone? "Err... He was an opera singer, and he tried to learn a bit about the pieces he would perform, the period and places. Maybe he just made up most of it to soothe my curiousity, I've always thought... But it seems like this at least was true." She matches Mathalen's smile, more at easy this time. "Yes, I would like to spend some time together. I think what you call meditation is just like prayer, is it? Being still and opening yourself to the divine, thinking about what could be better in the world? I'd like that..."
At this point, Janiven approaches. Catina says her goodbyes to Mathalan and follows Janiven into Arael's study. She stays in the back, near Janiven. She regards Arael as he speaks, trying to make sense of her own feelings. When he had come to talk to her those past few weeks, it seemed that he was the sole person she could be comfortable with. And she just now realized that she had wanted to claim him for that. She knew now he had an entire group to look out for, and it made her feel slightly sad. Jealous even? She takes a deep breath and tries to think of the other people she's met because of Arael. It was selfish to expect him to just be there for her...
She's jolted out of her reverie as Arael explains his plans for them, and recovers less quickly then Sev does. "A shadowbeast? Really?" To turns to Janiven. "Like the ones you've fought?" She tries to picture the battle and shivers. "We'd have to go out at night to find one?" Once she shock has worn off, other questions push to the fore. "This woman - masked, you said? - why would she offer such a bounty? Is she calling out to daredevils to watch them march off to death? Or does she want someone to make a statement? Someone like ourselves? Could this be a trick, of sorts?"
Lorenzo's image of a normal life vanishs quickly. He echoes everyone's concern, "You are telling us to do exactly what you told us not to do not too long ago."
He nods to Catina, "She's right; we would have to go out at night and hunt. I have no skill in hunting and I don't think anyone else has."
He looks at Janiven, "And you told that we were no match for a shadowbeast. So did our performance freeing Arael change something that we are not aware of?"
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Faustinia smiles at Tarvi as she pledges her commitment to learning. "I am quite familiar with that urge to study deep into the night, Miss Tarvi. That said, please don't think me hypocritical for warning you against nonstop study. You'll need to sleep sometime, my dear! Indeed, rest is key to refreshing the mind so that you can hold the arcane knowledge of magic in your head."
Faustinia is about to continue when Gorvio interrupts, balancing the forwardness of his interjection with his displays of politesse. Lady Fasutinia accepts these with grace, although she bears a quizzical look as the man leaves, leaving an awkward air before Tarvi restarts. "I believe there is a lot of potential in you, Tarvi," Faustinia responds with a warm smile. "I think I shall be spending more time here in the near future, and I would be glad to teach you what I know. As I believe I mentioned before, I am still a beginner myself. However, with study and a keen mind we shall both enter into the study of magic together. Ah, I see Janiven coming--I expect she will want to steal me away for something, but in the meantime, be thinking about what kind of magic you would like to study."
---
Faustinia blinks a few times and tilts her head slightly at Arael as he makes his request, allowing only these subtle motions to indicate her bewilderment. "To kill one of these shadows would be quite the undertaking. The others here make very good points--do you think we're ready for that sort of thing? Even if we manage to hunt one down, and even if we manage to kill it, and even if this isn't some sort of trick, then how is our reputation supposed to benefit? We don't even have a name yet! I believe uniforms were mentioned as well--will those protect us from being recognized and arrested for breaking curfew, do you think?"
Arael smiles reassuringly after hearing the group's concerns. "Each of you is right, my friends, but there's one thing we don't agree upon: I'm firmly convinced that you'll be able to slay a shadow beast. There are several types of shadow beasts, and I think you should aim to the lesser among them, known as shadowgarms. That it perfectly within your range, trust me. I know what you can do."
Arael stops for a moment, allowing Janiven to chime in. "I've seen what you can do with my very eyes, and trust me, I believe Arael is right. Lorenzo, you ask about what is changed in you. All I can say is that now you're used to fight together. Besides, there's a lot of difference in hunting down a shadow beast and being attacked by one when you've just fought two Hellknights' patrols, several torbles and some sewer goblins in an unfriendly environment. You can slay a shadow beast. You just need a plan and...information."
Arael smiles and nods at Janiven. "Janiven is right. You need information. Westcrown library should have what you need in order to find information on shadowgarms. You should look into the Bestiarius. You know, that heavy enciclopedy including 89 tomes on all sorts of creatures. I believe shadow beasts are included in volumes 2-6, in which aberrations are analyzed. You should look into those books to gain all the information you need. Besides, Janiven knows how to fight a shadow beast thanks to her personal experience, and I'm sure she'll be glad to share her insight with you".
Janiven nods with a proud smile. "Listen", ensues Arael, "I know you're not completely aware of your potential just yet. But trust me, doing this will gratly benefit your self esteem. You need to know what you're capable of. And yes, Lady Faustinia, your reputation will benefit from this. Bluehood is an influential person in the city, and earning her trust could be very important for us all. I know her personally, I know who's the woman behind the hood. I can't reveal that secret to you, because that knowledge could put you in danger. But trust me, she's a kind heart, and just like us, she's trying to improve Westcrown. As for breaking the curfew, well...You don't need to stay out for long. Study a place, target a particular shadow and wait for it there. Then, go out quickly and take it out. I believe this won't take you more than 5 minutes at most. Besides, as you know, dottari do not patrol unlit roads at night, so no one will disturb you. Any other questions?"
Lorenzo cocks his head and looks to his companions, "I guess we become hunters then. And shadowbeasts hunter nonetheless."
He looks at Janiven, "Ok, so when will you teach us what you know about these beasts? Do we need special weapons to hurt them? Anything we should be aware of regarding their attacks?"
He adds, "I realize that Lady Fuastinia will probably gather some interesting information from the library but there's nothing like first hand experience."
Catina is impressed by the amount of information Arael has already. "So, people have been studying the shadowbeasts? And we know about them? Then why hasn't a concerted effort been made to drive them out? Or to strike at the weak ones like we're supposed to do, to get rid of those at least?"
Like Lorenzo, the tiefling seems to take it as a given that Lady Faustinia will lead the efforts at the library, and turns to the noblewoman. "I might be able to help in the library. From what Arael tells, we have a pretty good idea what we're looking for anyway..."
She looks back at Arael again when the topic of Blueohood comes up. She gives him a piercing look, realizing that he knows even more people than just their group, and that all kinds of intrigue might be involved. "If we study a place, and try to target a particular shadow - a Shadowgarm as you said - how do we know one of those will be there. And not any of the stronger ones?"
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"I suppose a trip to the library is in order, then," Faustinia says as she warms to Arael's plan. "I would welcome some assistance Catina...And, Lorenzo, you would do well not to discount the value of recorded knowledge so quickly." she quips, giving him a teasing smile.
She also smirks at Catina's questions. The girl's instincts toward help and caution are admirable, of course, but Faustinia can't help but be amused by her naivete. "Many people are well aware of bandits, Catina, but it's rare to find those who are willing to take the risks to seek them out and wipe them out. Even hellknights would struggle to put together a force to do so, and their resources are not infinite. Try to imagine how many others you know who would be willing to go out and search for shadow beasts like we plan to. If anything is to be done about it, our best bet is to prepare well and strike quickly."
Sev listens carefully as Arael gives them the information they need to research their target.
Beastiarius, volume 2-6, got it. He's still not what good he'll be when the time comes, but he can at least help research. He's suddenly thankful that he was taught to read and write, not many slaves had that privilege. He takes a moment to marvel at Arael's knowledge, hoping one day he could be that resourceful.
"I c-c-can help in the library!" The halfling says eagerly. "A-and once we have the information we need, we can p-put Janivens combat lessons to use." He hopes he sounds helpful.
"Because not everyone has the courage to do so, Catina", explains Arael with a smile, "besides, not everyone is as powerful as you are". The half-elf then nods to Faustinia's argument, showing his agreement.
"I can give you the info I have right now, Lorenzo", chimes in Janiven. "Shadowgarms are lesser shadow beast, and as such they are not so hard to hit and fight, if compared to greater shadows of course. Still, they're far more dangerous, than, say, a Hellknight armiger. You won't need a specific type of weapon, as far as I know. I tried fighting them with all kinds of weapon, and they all work good. What I know is that magical light somehow hurts shadowgarms, although they're not particularly vulnerable to natural bright light. If exposed to magical light, they seem to grow slower and lethargic. Watch out for their slime, though. If you're coated by it, you'll become much slower, and if you stay in contact with the slime long enough, you'll even end up paralyzed. It seems like natural bright light somehow burns away the slime, allowing you to regain your natural speed over the course of a minute or so. I usually avoid getting too close to the creature, in order to prevent if from coating me in its slime. Its shadow claws are incredibly fast, and if you don't manage to avoid them, then you're in trouble".
Arael listens to Janiven with a relaxed smile. "See, Janiven developed quite a knowledge of shadow bests, hasn't she? I hope you'll do the same. If you don't have any questions, you should now go and take the horses back to Gorvio's uncle before the sun goes down."
Lorenzo made mental notes of all Janiven said while a plan formed in his head.
"So if we approach these beasts in the dark and then suddenly lit up the place, that would be great, right?"
He looked at Faustinia, "You could that, right? Or we could buy sunrods. I have even seen a magical pebbles that give off light. We could wrap them in really dark cloth and then just unwrap them."
He was rambling, "You all know what I'm talking about?"
Catina blushes when Arael calls her brave, although his remark that they are powerful just seems boastful of him, and she gives him a critical but not unkind look. When Janiven tells of the Shadowbeasts, she pays close attention, trying to remember as much as possible.
She looks at Lorenzo, unsure. "I've been taught the prayer of light. But it's really one of the simpler prayers and one of the first that acolytes are taught. Surely that will not actually harm the shadows. Or will it?" She looks at Faustinia with admiration. "But I'm sure Faustinia has more knowledge about these magical items you talk about. Maybe she herself can even call magical light bright enough to slow the creatures."
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Faustinia nods to her comrades with confidence. "I can certainly produce light with magic. It's a trifling effort, although I must prepare for it. If light of any magical nature will suffice, no matter its power, then I can handle that." She takes a moment to think, creasing her brow. "I'm not sure what kind of rocks you speak of, Lorenzo--certainly I could cause one to light up for a short time. In any case, you're right that wrapping them sufficiently would certainly be an effective tactic if we planned to rely on surprise. Sunrods, I'm not so sure. They may be simply alchemical in nature. While certainly the effect is splendid in its own sense, it may not be properly magical."
Faustinia then gives a casual shrug, relaxed and pleased to be a font of knowledge and opinion. "We have several methods at our disposal, in any case. Arael is right that we have experience working together now, and hunting down a single creature on our own terms is certainly more favorable than fleeing through the sewers or assaulting a guarded convoy. I, for one, have confidence that we can do this if we prepare properly." She stands, and gives a benevolent smile to everyone assembled. "So, shall we meet at the Westcrown Library tomorrow? To avoid suspicion, perhaps we should stagger our arrival. Let's find each other inside by noon tomorrow, then? I don't want to hold up the horses' return to Gorvio's uncle--it was kind of him to lend them to us and I don't want to get the man in hot water. Nor do I want to keep receiving his strange attentions, if that's what he was trying to be passive aggressive about earlier..." she mutters under her breath.
"St-staying far away shouldn't be too hard for me. And I c-can see really well in dim light, I might actually be able to help ambush the shadow creature if we find one!" Sev blurts out when Janiven gives her advice. He's so eager to be helpful he forgets to be nervous and he pats his bow subconsciously.
"Is there anything Sir Lorenzo and Lady Catina can use to prevent themselves from getting s-slimed? Maybe a powder or something on their clothes and armor?" He recalls using similar tactics in the kitchens when he helped.
He listens as Faustinia crafts a plan to meet at the library and he suddenly realizes he's never actually been there before.
"U-um, wh-where is the library? C-can anyone g-give my directions?" As soon as he makes his request he starts to shake again, worried he might anger someone. "O-or maybe show me on a map?"
Catina nods to Faustinia's suggestion. "Yes, I think we should all go. The book may have drawings, and it will help all of us to know what these shadow-creatures look like. It's never quite the same when we have to describe it." She's reasonably sure where the library is, but leaves it to Faustinia to explain, since it's her idea. "I have prayer late in the morning, but I should be there sometime around noon," Catina says, immediately correcting herself, a bit embarrassed, "or sometime shortly after noon, at least."
She reaches into her pouch, and takes out the four tiny pieces of jewelry they found in the sewer. She holds them out for Faustinia to take. "Arael mentioned we would need money for better equipment. Do you think you could pawn these off somewhere, or sell them?" She sighs, secretly thinking about the dressmaker but sure that the money would be better spent on new equipment as Arael suggested.
With that done, she turns to Arael and Janiven, a serious note to her face. "I think we're ready to go to the stables. Will we meet back here tomorrow, to discuss what we learned with you?"
The plans to go to the library at noon sounded fine to Lorenzo. He had spent time there doing to upgrades to one of the large rooms and remembered the place fondly. Lots of history there.
However, something in his head clicked, "Listen, this is taking out more and more of my time and my boss is not going to be too happy. I suppose I could ask for some extended time off but I need money to support me and my sisters."
He looked about the group, "Would it be Ok if I take some of the money we make from the sale of those items to support my family."
He turned to Janiven and Arael, "Could you hire me? That way I can be here anytime day or night. My weekly wages are 2 gp; is that too much for the organization?"
Upon receiving directions Sev made plans to meet the rest at the Library sometime after lunch. He was particularly eager to go, the only library he'd ever seen was the one inside the grounds and his access to books had been pretty limited. Though he had to research the shadow beasts, knowing where the library was would mean the rest of it's subject were open to him to read some day, and the idea was a little overwhelming.
"You can have h-half my share of the money we f-found Sir Lorenzo!" Sev offers. "I still have most of the m-money I had w-when I l-left home, I shouldn't need all of it." He briefly wonders if that's true. He'd purchased things for his masters but he had no idea if that was representative of the rest of Westcrowns citizens. When he hears what Lorenzo asks for as wages his eye's widen. Just two gold? That's all he needs for wages? The idea that he worked his whole life for free when the Drovenge's could have easily afforded him a weeks pay turns his face red.
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"Ah, yes, I imagine that not everyone has reason to frequent the library as often as myself," Faustinia observes, before giving Sev straightforward directions. "We'll meet there tomorrow, then. Again, I think we should follow the same protocol that we do with the safehouse: staggered arrivals so as not to raise suspicion."
She receives the jewelry that Catina hands her, taking an appreciative look at the pieces. "Hm. Yes, I believe I can take these somewhere. Perhaps Tarvi's family's business would be interested... In any case, yes, some extra funds would be quite welcome for our efforts."
Faustinia frowns in thought as Lorenzo asks for a wage. "I'm sure that whatever funds I can get for these jewels will cover that sum, Lorenzo. And the sooner we destroy that shadowgarm, the sooner we can collect on its bounty. If I can find a buyer in the morning, I can give you your share at the library. For now, we should return those horses. It's nearly sundown."
After bidding farewell to both Arael and Janiven and to all the other members of the still unnamed group you’re part of, you go get the horses from the Inn where they were left. The inn owner orders his stable boy to give you the horses back and you ride through the city streets, headed to Gorvio’s uncle stables. It only takes you 15 minutes to reach the stables near the city gates. As soon as you arrive, you can see the stable entrance, open to the street.
Inside the stables, together with a busy stable boy, there’s a handsome but arrogant-looking man berating Jacovo, Gorvio’s uncle, for not having a certain kind of horse available.
“There they are, my lord” says with an apologetic tone Jacovo, his face painted in surprise and gratitude for your arrival. “These are the horses you asked for” the man says, addressing the arrogant man. The latter gives a critical look at the horses as you dismount before getting closer for further inspection. He examines the horses’ legs, their hair, their eyes. Then, shaking his head, he turns to Jacovo, with an angry expression clearly on his handsome face. “You useless sanctimonious. You borrowed MY horses! They’re tired and wounded, can’t you see?! This evening I must perform The Elopement of the Dowager Princess, featuring a scene wherein the princess and her handsome lover—played by me, of course— flee the city pursued by the king’s horsemen. And because of you, dolt stable owner, I’ll use tired horses. Unconceivable!”
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"I believe the word is inconceivable," Faustinia quickly corrects the actor. Recognizing a familiar face, she slightly tilts her head toward the man. "You're Thesing Umbero Ulvauno, aren't you?" she asks. "Yes, definitely! It's always exciting to see a rising star out in the city," she comments, giving Thesing a polite smile.
She approaches Jacovo with the same smile, plus a look of mild embarrassment. "My good man, I'm terribly sorry we could not return your fine horses earlier." Turning to Thesing, she says, "Apologies to you as well. Your frustrations are understandable, and I must insist you direct them not at this poor stable owner but at me. It's my fault that the horses have arrived without the proper time to rest, not Jacovo's."
Catina recognizes the man, and grinds her teeth, slinking back into the hood of her cloak to hide it. That pompous buffoon. He thinks he could play the lead in the Elopement? Hah! And what kind of language is that. "Unconceivable". I'm sure he keeps using that word, but don't think he actually knows what it means.
With Faustinia taking the lead, Catina stays silent. She had wild plans to spin a wild tale, make it seem like they had actually taken out the horses for the benefit of this man, but she holds her tongue, thinking about all the things she could have done and said.
--
Lorenzo stands a little taller and echoes what the others have said. "They are right, my lord. If anyone is to blame, it is us and not Jacovo."
He adds, "Is there a way to fix this? Perhaps bathing and rubbing down the horses for you?"
"I c-could g-g-groom them if you wish? Do you need to ride all of them for the play? Do they need to g-go very far? Maybe we could figure out which one is strongest and you can ride that one?"
Sev offers his help meekly, standing close to Lorenzo, worried that Thesing might lash out at any of them. He hopes his assistance can mollify the man.
Thesing goes through all kind of facial expressions as you speak to him. When Faustinia corrects him he becomes angry, than he grins satisfacted when the noble woman recognizes him, then turns angry again when the woman takes the blame for the poor conditions of the horses. When this version is confirmed by Lorenzo, the actor gives a disdainful look to the paladin and shakes his head at his offer, then when Sev speaks, he looks at the halfling with something between pity and disdain.
"There's no compensation for what you've done! This fool's greed led him to borrow you the horses to make a few coins more. That's inacceptable! And there's no time for your desperate attempts to save my day! Unadmissible! Untolerable!"
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He certainly is a changeable fellow. He's lucky he can sing, or I doubt anyone would tolerate his moods for very long.
Faustinia can't help but smirk at Thesing's intellectual posturing, but she manages to compose herself enough not to laugh. "Dear sir, why don't you simply borrow some other horses for the night? It's not as if the audience will be looking at your mount when they have the opportunity to pay attention to your handsome face during the performance," she reasons keeping her tone friendly. She suddenly turns to Lorenzo. Normally Faustinia would deal with this fool herself, but she wants to see how Sir Mancini handles him. The young paladin is perfectly friendly and hardworking--fine traits for anyone, if a bit dull--but if he wants to live up to the nobility in his veins, he needs to know how to smooth the ruffled feathers of puffed up egos like Thesing.
"Isn't that right, Lorenzo?" she adds.
Lorenzo did not know who this person was but it was obvious that this person thought of himself as important.
And taking a cue from Faustinia, it appeared that he was some sort of performer.
When asked for his opinion, the paladin added, "Of course. She's right. Any other horse will do. You may even want to do away with the horse altogether."
He shook his head, "No one is going to pay to see horses, my lord. it is you who they come out to see."
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Catina feels her hands clench into her fist, hidden in the folds of her cloak. He's even more obnoxious than I thought. He doesn't even consider the good that we put those horses to. I bet he chose to become an opera singer for the fame it would bring him, and not really because of the plays. Bah! Fuming and brooding, Catina silently thanks Faustinia and Lorenzo for staying civil and handling the situation.
Thesing seems to be particularly vulnerable to flattery, and Lady Faustinia's and Lorenzo's joined diplomatical forces somehow appease his anger. "You're right, my dishevelled friend. No one will be paying attention to the horses when I'm on stage!" Thesing laughs to himself, and with his usual arrogance makes arrangements for the groomed horses to be sent to one of the outdoor theaters in town for his performance.
When Thesing takes his leave, without bothering too much to bidding you a respectful farewell, Jacovo thanks you with kindness.
"Oh, thank you for saving my from that arrogant little actor. Gorvio told me you could be trusted, and now I've seen it myself. If you need horses for rent in the future, come over here and we'll see what we can do. Until then, farewell. And give my regards to Gorvio when you see him, he's so rarely around here these times".
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Catina watches the man leave with the horses, first uttering some non-complimentary language, than taking a deep breath and muttering to himself. "No, Catina. This man has devoted himself to the arts, no matter for what reasons. I'm sure a lot of people enjoy seeing him on stage, and maybe they will appreciate the opera, either from his performance or from his betters. That's enough."
Having calmed herself, she turns to Jacovo although she keeps her distance out of habit. "Thank you for lending us the horses, Master Jacovo. They are fine animals, who have helped us well in our work today. I am sorry that we put you in a difficult situation because of it. We will tell Gorvio not to forget his family." With a friendly smile and a small bow, she leaves the horse trader and her new friends.
--
Back at the temple, Catina takes a quick supper and spends an hour after that in quick prayer. She thanks Shelyn for bringing all these new people into her life, and for the opportunity that had to free Arael. She confides that it actually feels nice to be around people that seem to think she's normal, even if it takes some getting used to. Finally, she promises to look after her new companions, to hopfully give them the chance to do as they intend, to make Westcrown a better place.
After her prayer, she heads to her small private quarter. She looks around and realized that it had been three nights since she last slept here. "Arael said we have to keep up our normal life. Might be difficult to juggle both, but I hope I can manage." Despite feeling sleepy, Catina seats herself at her small desk with her diary, taking the time necessary to write about the past few days' events before heading to bed.
--
The next morning, Catina has difficulty getting up. After a quick breakfast and communal morning prayer, Catina prepares herself for a morning full of chores around the temple, having to make up for the past two days when she was largely absent. She has to choose between having lunch and changing clothes, which means she finds herself running through Westcrown once again to make it to the Library around noon, this time with a grumbling stomach. She buys herself a quick bite at a market stall with the excuse that Faustinia had told them to stagger their arrival anyway, and finally makes it to the library around a quarter after noon.
Even without getting a definitive answer from Arael, Lorenzo had made up his mind. He was going to ask for an extended leave from his work so he could dedicate himself fully to this new endeavor. He could not pass up the opportunity to learn about Iomedae.
He counted the gold he had saved up and determined that he had close to a year's worth of wages. So he would wager that he would earn money with his new companions but he was in no hurry to do so.
The next day, he woke up with a definite mindset. It took him some time to convince his boss that he needed time off but he promised that he would check in periodically. He told him that he had met some people that were going to teach him about Iomedae. The dwarf wasn't happy but recognized that Lorenzo had made up his mind.
At about noon, he sauntered inside the library, ready to do his part in searching for information. He still had everything that Janiven had told them written down and wanted to confirm the information. Not that he didn't trust Janiven but a second source of information would be preferable.
Thoughts of hunting a shadowgarm occupied his mind...
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"Our pleasure, Jacovo," Faustinia replies to the man with a little bow of her head. "I'm sure we're all happy to help you remedy a problem that we helped cause in the first place. We'll send your regards to Gorvio, of course."
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Leaving the stables, Faustinia says her goodbyes to her fellow secret rebels and starts home. Lorenzo did well. It's good to see he's more than just a sword, she muses. If he can handle Thesing, I'm sure we're in good hands. Poor Catina, though! I never thought I'd hear that girl speak poorly of anyone, but that fool would have tested anyone's patience...
Once home, she puts away her traveling gear and sets in for a night of reading. The entire evening could have been rather pleasant--the encounter with Thesing was already less of an annoyance and becoming just an amusing story in her head--until she remembers the shadow she's agreed to hunt. It's not so much that she has to face the creature, but thinking about killing it makes the image of the slain armiger flash through her head. The pooling blood and the bolt piercing the ground... Faustinia stares into space for a little while until she accidentally pours hot tea onto her lap and her book, jarring herself back into the present. She mutters a curse, sets the things aside and cleans everything up with a bit of magic. She takes a deep sigh and decides to go to bed early.
---
The next day she wakes up early and unrested. Up even before her house servants, she makes herself some coffee and studies her spellbook, trying not to think about a lingering sense of dread and guilt from an unremembered dream. After a light breakfast, she leaves a note for the majordomo about going out to run some errands before heading out into Westcrown. She strolls through the market, finding a merchant to pawn off the jewels Catina handed her, then walks over to the library nearly an hour early. With time to kill, she seeks out the histories. Of course, the Thrune-approved books are full of the latest propaganda, but at least some of it is entertaining, and it was always prudent to know which version of the past one shouldn't contradict in front of the authorities.
On the way back home, Sev marveled at Lady Faustinia's tact. It was really something how she used the actors own ego to turn the situation around.
Could I ever do that? He wonders to himself as he recalls all of his stuttering and meek conversations over the last few days. Yes, I have to. If I ever want to be seen as an equal and not just some ex slave.
With a frown he enters the shrine and goes about cleaning. He found it relaxing to do some of the same chores he'd had as a slave. The routine was almost comfortable and it helped him think. Most of his thoughts were of shadow beasts and fleeing them through dirty sewers full of strange mushrooms.
He reflects on his archery and realizes it's been coming in quite handy these last few days, but he wants to be more useful to the group. He'd offered little in the conversation to Thesing, he'd been too afraid to say almost anything at all.
When he finally retired for the night, he started imagining ways he might have dominated the conversation. How, if he'd been a braver halfling, he could have even put Thesing in his place. His dreams that night were a strange mix of shadow horses and loud screaming actors, but in the morning he found himself almost excited for what came next. It was a feeling he'd never really experienced it.
Remembering the directions, Sev left early and made his way to the library as deliberately as possible. He kept to the shadows, or the very edge of the roads so as to be seen as little as possible. He avoided any other slaves that might have been around, not wanting to be recognized. He was sure the Drovenges were looking for him and he didn't want to make it easy.
I hope I'm not too early. He thinks as he arrives and enters the building, looking for the rest of his group.
The Old Library of Westcrown, previously known as Royal Library or The Great Archives, is an imposing building towering over Rego Sacer. Its awe-inspiring pillars of white marble are carved with floral swirls and decorations, and its façade, although turned gray due to decades of neglect, is still wonderful. The building is partially ruined and its façade has fallen to disrepair long ago, precisely when House Thrune moved the capital from Westcrown to Egorian. Although only a pale shadow of its former glory, the building is still an imposing one, and can be seen from every corner of the Rego. Built following the Old White canon characterizing most of Westcrown’s oldest districts, the Old Library stands as a lonely and silent guardian of what remains of written culture in the City of Twilight.
Once considered to be the most complete and rich library of Cheliax, and for a certain period of the whole Inner Sea region, its collection has been gradually but systematically undermined over the course of the years, with the rarest books being moved to Egorian. What remains certainly still makes up for an impressive collection of books and tomes of all sorts, although many of those texts have been amended by the Asmodean Inquisition.
Once you get inside the library, you’re quickly welcomed by an old librarian with a dusty robe which has lost its original purple and blue shades long ago. “Welcome to the Grea…To the Old Library. How can I be of assistance?”. The mean wears a pair of round goggles which he frantically adjusts on his nose.
You’re currently in the main hall, a large and airy chamber with blue, shiny marble floor and several pillars sustaining the ceiling. Inside there’s an absolute silence. A huge wooden door allow access to another room further into the building but it is currently closed. Apart from you and the librarian, there are several orderlies busy with cleaning the shiny floor.
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Faustinia puts away the histories she's picked out and meets the others at the library entrance at noon. She greets the old librarian with a polite nod and introduces herself. "Hello, and thank you for your welcome. My colleagues and I..." she starts, gesturing to Lorenzo and Sev before frowning and turning back to the old man. "Apologies, it looks as if we're one short. Once she arrives..." Faustinia trails off, content to wait until Catina joins them.
Once everyone is gathered, she addresses the old man again, "My colleagues and I are looking to do some research. Would you be so kind as to point us toward the bestiaries?" she asks casually, taking time to admire the grand old architecture.
Even though Catina is quite late, she can't help but stop at the sight of the imposing building and to marvel at its grandeur, appreciating it for what it is now and imagining how much better it would have looked.
She enters the library and blushes when she finds the others all together, waiting for her. As Faustinia addresses the librarian, Catina leans in to Lorenzo. "I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting. But she did say we had to stagger our arrival, right?" She knows she's late, but this seems like a plausible cover for her tardiness.
Sec has often felt small, but as he passes the giant pillars and into the entrance of the library feels almost invisible.
He eyes the buildings state of disrepair and frowns. Why would they let this happen to such a beautiful building? He wonders while he looks around for the rest of his party.
Finding Lorenzo and Faustinia, he follows them inside and marvels at the blue marble floor and the intense silence of the room. He walks softly and tries not to breathe too loud, not wanting to interrupt the silence.
He waits quietly while Faustina asks her questions.
“I suppose you’re looking for the Bestiarius”, says the librarian with an inspective tone as he fixes his glasses on his nose. “Are you looking for a particular tome?”. When you answers to him, he says: “Good, then follow me”.
The old librarian leads you past the large wooden doors, opening them with caution to ensure not to disturb those studying in the reading room. The reading room is wide and airy, holding several large tables where people can sit down and read. All around the reading room are tons of huge bookshelves towering over the room. Several ladders are placed on each side of the room to allow librarians to search for the tomes they need without having to climb atop the bookshelves themselves. The old librarian points you to one of the empty tables in the room without speaking a single word before approaching another, younger librarian and whispering him something.
As you take your sit, you notice that the reading room is currently accommodating four readers. Two of them are reading a huge tome at the same table, and looks like scholars: one male and one female, they are wearing similar blue robes and reading the same book. At another table is sitting a darker figure, covered in a black mantle, with a wide-brimmed hat placed on the table next to the large tome the man is reading. Finally, there’s a handsome-looking man in his early fourties with raven hairs and a single white lock of hair. He’s wearing a fine red robe with golden embroidery and is looking your way squinting his eyes. Faustinia recognizes him as Nicklod Starweather, her mentor in arcane learning, the man who followed her first steps into the world of magic. Nicklod’s eyes have a haggard, feverish look, although Lady Faustinia is pretty used to it, having spent some time with him in the past and knowing that that look in his eyes is normal for him. As soon as Faustinia notices him, Niclkod gives her a small smile and nods at her to greet her.
Apart from the readers and the two librarians already mentioned, there are two more people in the reading room. One of them is a teenager librarian who’s busy keeping his eyes on the readers, while the other is a much darker figure. The man wears a black leather armor beneath a cozy black hood. He’s also wearing an iron mask and a wide-brimmed hat. The man gazes upon the readers and the librarian with arms crossed, leaning with his back on a tall bookcase.
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After a short time spent waiting, the older librarian returns with the books you asked for. He places them on your table with the assistance of his younger peer and leaves the reading room.
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Clearly out of comfort zone, Lorenzo does his best to become useful.
He asks Faustinia what to look for in the tomes and is glad to have been taught to read. Reading had come in handy when Oleg taught him to read plans and drawings.
But this is different. Fascinating given the subject matter but difficult given the language that the author has selected.
Still, he trudges on, always keeping his eyes on the black-masked figure.
He removes his nose from one of the tomes, "So, did you find anything useful?"
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, nope, nada :)
Catina, still slightly out of breath from having to hurry to the library, feels like every breath is way too loud for the quiet library. She tries to stand as still as possible, afraid to disturb the peace. She lets Faustinia do the talking and meekly follows to the reading room.
In the reading room, she takes a good look around at the imposing bookcases and the other people present. The teenage librarian earns a quick smile from Catina, while a quick look at the masked man in black is enough for Catina to avert her eyes and try to ignore him. He makes her deeply uncomfortable. Is he another Hellknight? She doesn't dare ask any of the others and does her best to keep as quiet as possible.
When the librarian returns with the requested books (What would multiple be called: Bestiariusses? Bestiarii?) she sets herself to the task, trying to find the relevant chapters and hoping to absorb as much of the knowledge as possible. She occasionally points out a page to Faustinia with a questioning look, asking whether she's on the right track. Still, the occasional look at the masked man is enough to keep her silent as a mouse, which really hampers her ability to cooperate on their research.
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Faustinia mouths a 'thank you' to the old librarian before starting in on the books. Spotting Nicklod, she returns his smile and nod; she's relieved to see a friendly face, but her stomach feels nervous and queasy at the thought that he might question who her companions are. She puts the thought aside, deciding to trust her mentor and focus on the task at hand.
She pulls out one of the volumes of the Bestiarius, and starts in on her research. She helps the others as best she can - showing Lorenzo how to find indexes and answers Catina's questions as well as she can. The work is a little slow, since she's not used to coordinating this kind of research effort with multiple people, especially not this many untrained young people without a lick of formal scholarly experience. The hairs on the back of her neck bristle, too, under the careful watch of the iron-masked inquisitor. She mutters to the others to be careful, and not to speak too loudly, nor too quietly or conspiratorially.
Finding this research undertaking more frustrating than she counted on, Faustinia takes a small break at one point and makes her way to Nicklod Starweather's table. She whispers, "Hello Nicklod. Listen, I'm working on a research project right now and my associates aren't very well trained in these things. If you have a spare moment, would you be willing to lend a hand?"
Sev follows behind his companions fully expecting to carry the weight of whichever tomes they before remembering once again that he is no long a slave. Climbing into his seat, he finds himself quite eager to open one of the books and scour it for information.
I hope i can be of use! He thinks nervously, looking at the others to see if they've found anything while he flips the pages. He checks the indices of each book and skips to the relevant section where he keeps he carefully reads over each and every word, making sure he absorbs everything he can.
The research proves harder than expected for the group of Wiscrani wannabe heroes. The Bestiarius is far more complicated than they had thought initially, since (as the group soon finds out) the relevant information regarding each creature are scattered across different tomes. Moreover, even when the information about a single creature are pieced together, the reader is forced to go back to other tomes in the series to learn more about the creature’s type and subtype in order to gain insight into its functioning.
These problems reveal themselves to be too much for both Catina’s and Lorenzo’s scholarly ability, and the two end up taking too much time away from Faustinia, preventing her from succeeding in her research. Forced to follow her companions through the research, explaining them how to approach a book and the correct methodology to use, and also to answer their question, Faustinia is left with too little time to perform her own research, and she ends up not finding anything useful about shadowgarms apart from a general description.
Thereby, the circumstances seem to benefit Sev: the shy halfling, not wanting to draw attention to himself and maybe too discreet to ask Faustinia about his doubts, has all the time he needs to perform his research, and he proves quite adept at that. Taking advantage of Faustinia’s general insight about shadowgarms, the halfling manages to piece together several sources and in the end he turns up a significant wealth of information.
From Bestiarius, tome III, pp. 146-150.
Shadowgarms are strange monsters from the Plane of Shadow, where they function as lowly predators and pests somewhat akin to the Material Plane’s coyotes, leopards, and similar hunting mammals. Yet to a creature unfamiliar with the workings of the Plane of Shadow, the shadowgarm is a hideous and frightening beast. Generally lairing in ruined sections of towns or dead-end alleys clogged with refuse during the day, they come out at night to prey upon creatures that stray too far from the safety of light. These aberrant predators “leak” into the Material Plane anywhere the Plane of Shadow’s influence is strong. Small groups of shadowgarms are occasionally seen lurking in old graveyards where undead (particularly shadows) are known to reside, and anywhere that has strong traditions of shadow magic tends to have a healthy population of shadowgarms lurking in out-of-the-way areas as well. The typical shadowgarm measures about 4-1/2 feet long and weighs approximately 90 pounds, their bodies being strangely light, composed of a spongy dark matter and seemingly wisps of shadow itself. Some, however, grow to be much larger, though shadowgarms of all sizes prove especially adept at blending in among the shadows and detritus of their hunting grounds or crawling into crevices it seems creatures of their size would not be able to squeeze.
From Bestiarius, tome IV, pp. 477-479.
Strange beings with a little-understood physiology, shadowgarms prove endlessly hungry, taking sustenance from shadow as if it were water and drawing nutrition from the flesh of other creatures as their only source of food. Shadowgarms can eat and digest any sort of animal matter, from flesh to bone, converting them into little more than smoke and shadow. A creature left to a shadowgarm to feed upon leaves behind nothing but trappings of metal and similarly solid accessories. A shadowgarm’s physical form seems strangely fluid, proving slightly malleable and generalized. No two shadowgarms appear exactly alike, and even individuals of the race seem to gradually change, all the faster in areas of deep shadows. Regardless of their endless, fluid alterations, they retain three primary clawed appendages, which serve them in consuming meals and fighting. Their number of feelers or tentacle-like legs, however, is constantly in flux, numbering but two or three one moment and then multiplying to dozens the next. Shadowgarms do not have a mouth and hardly have heads to speak off—possessing only slight knobby protuberances that seem to have little role in guiding their motions. When ingesting matter, they slowly dissolve their meals, their bodies breaking down any organic substance they choose by resting upon their meal for a matter of moments. The entire process might be likened to a body-wide ingestion process similar to that of a fly, as matter is dissolved and subsumed by the shadowy hunter’s bulk. Once every several months, the urge to mate descends upon shadowgarms like a mass racial insanity. At this time, their natural aversion to their own kind is overwhelmed by a need to procreate. Shadowgarms are hemaphroditic, but cannot fertilize themselves— when a shadowgarm gathering begins, these creatures congregate in groups of up to a dozen, remaining in close proximity to each other for days at a time. The cycle that drives shadowgarm gatherings is nothing connected to the Material Plane—most scholars have been unable to determine what pattern the timing follows, if indeed there is a pattern at all.
From Bestiarius, tome IV, pp. 479-482.
Although shadowgarms are quite active at all times on the Plane of Shadow, the realities of the Material Plane force them into the niche of nocturnal predator. Yet despite their hatred of light, they seem to need it in some strange way. Observers have noted that the creatures prefer to stand in actual shadows, rather than just in darkness, and seem to savor the ever-changing nature of the shadows themselves. It may be that shadowgarms abhor total darkness as much as light, though neither bright light nor utter darkness causes them physical harm. Most shadowgarms’ hunts take place under the light of the full moon, or in the shadowy hours of dusk or dawn. In cities where shadowgarms are common, they naturally gravitate to sewers or narrow alleys. This allows them the easiest way to quickly strike at unwary victims from above or below. They do not build any sort of true nest or lair, preferring to remain constantly afoot in search of new prey. As shadowgarms have no fear of falling, they often clamber up to corners and niches at the tops of tunnels or just under rooftop overhangs, both to avoid any bright light that might be shining down from above and to lie in wait to ambush unsuspecting prey that walks underneath. This leads to the discovery of shadowgarms in truly unexpected and unnerving places, like in bell towers, within attics and crawl spaces, and even hidden amid cracks and loose shingles in old roofing. More than one child’s tale of boogiemen or strange shapes lurking outside their windows might actually be attributed to the daring nocturnal wanderings of shadowgarms. Shadowgarms are incredibly territorial, and usually do not nest together except during their mating gathering. Shadowgarms immediately confront one another upon meeting. Pickpockets and other street urchins often share wild tales of shadowgarms battling fiercely in the alleyways and nighted dens, fighting with raw savagery instead of their more customary stealth. Some canny streetfolk use this territorial nature to trick competing shadowgarms into fighting each other, giving wanderers out after dark enough time to move through territories infested by these lurking hunters without being attacked. Of course, this tactic doesn’t work well in areas where large numbers of shadowgarms are known to skulk, as directing one’s attention to avoid a single hunter might prevent a traveler from noticing other predators lying in wait in the shadows. On rare occasions, a shadowgarm might take to the seas, stealing aboard a ship at dock and hiding in the hold. Once at sea, such hunters emerge nightly to prey upon the ship’s crew. Since a shadowgarm melts away into shadow and fog when it dies, leaving no evidence of a corpse behind, this might be one explanation for mysteriously derelict ships found adrift on the waves with nothing living on board.
From Bestiarius, tome V, p. 12.
Shadowgarms are aberrations of the extraplanar subtype.
Aberrations (Bestiarius, tome I, pp. 15-28): An aberration has a bizarre anatomy, strange abilities, an alien mindset, or any combination of the three. An aberration usually possesses the following traits:
• Darkvision 60 feet.
• Proficient with its natural weapons. If generally humanoid in form, proficient with all simple weapons and any weapon it is described as using.
• Proficient with whatever type of armor (light, medium, or heavy) it is described as wearing, as well as all lighter types. Aberrations not indicated as wearing armor are not proficient with armor. Aberrations are proficient with shields if they are proficient with any form of armor.
• Aberrations breathe, eat, and sleep.
Extraplanar subtype (Bestiarius, tome XXXII, pp. 158-171): This subtype is applied to any creature when it is on a plane other than its native plane. A creature that travels the planes can gain or lose this subtype as it goes from plane to plane. No creature has the extraplanar subtype when it is on a transitive plane, such as the Astral Plane, the Ethereal Plane, or the Plane of Shadow.
From Bestiarius, tome VII, pp. 345-348.
Light fixation (Su) Although a shadowgarm is not particularly harmed by bright light, it prefers dim lighting. Magical light, on the other hand, causes a shadowgarm to grow slow and lethargic. Whenever a shadowgarm is within an area of bright light that is magically created, it is staggered.
Shadow Slime (Su) A shadowgarm is coated with a thin layer of oily black slime. Whenever it strikes a foe, it transfers a swath of this cold black slime onto the creature struck. This slime causes a growing numbness and lethargy in the bodies of those it coats. Each time a creature takes damage from a shadowgarm’s claws, the creature struck must make a DC 13 Fortitude save or take a cumulative –2 penalty to its Dexterity score. A creature whose total Dexterity penalty equals its Dexterity score is paralyzed and blinded as long as the penalty remains in effect. All accrued Dexterity penalties fade an hour after the last time the victim was affected by shadow slime, but any new shadow slime resets the recovery period. Exposure to bright light of any sort causes the Dexterity penalty to lessen by 2 points per round until all of the shadow slime is effectively “burned away” by the light. A shadowgarm is immune to the effects of its shadow slime and the shadow slime of other shadowgarms.
From Bestiarius, tome VII, pp. 348-349.
Spell Resistance A shadowgarm is naturally resistant to weak spells (SR 7).
Once the research is over, three hours already passed. Lady Faustinia didn’t need to ask Nicklod for his help, and although she was right about to approach her mentor to ask for his assistance, when she finds out that Sev has managed to gather a true wealth of information about shadowgarms, she gives up on that idea, well knowing that it may draw the unwanted attentions of the Asmodean Inquisitor.
With the knowledge they came here for finally in their possession, the aspiring do-gooders of Westcrown leave the Old Library. Nicklod smiles at Faustinia and bids her farewell with a nod accompanied by a smile.
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The fish stew really hit the spot after a long day at the library. Lorenzo was as tired as a hard-day of breaking stone with a sledgehammer. It was probably the tension of the masked man looking at them and his own inability to be much help.
He smiled at Sev as he shared his information, "Good job, Sev. Much better than I was able to do. OK, so we need light to work in our favor. Perhaps we can suddenly reveal one or more sources of light."
He looked at Faustinia and Catina, "You both can conjure up lights, right? Any other 'sudden' sources of light we can obtain?"
He continued, "What about that slime? Is that like poison? Can we buy something to help prevent its effects? At least for those of us who will get up close to this thing."
Catina is quiet, almost sullen on the way back. Research had been a frustrating affair for her, constantly having to ask Faustinia and turning up nothing useful to show for it. The only thing that lifts her mood slightly is that it was Sev who eventually managed to dig up useful information. And much of it, too. She recognizes that this is what the scared halfling may need to come out of his shell, and is sure to praise him for it.
--
In the hideout, Catina listens with intent on what Sev related, looking shocked at hearing of the Shadowgarms' ecology, and secretly intrigued by what he's learned of their procreation rituals.
Lorenzo's immediate attention to the creature's strength and weaknesses put an amused smile on Catina's face. "Yes, Lorenzo. As I said, though, it's only the simplest of prayer that grants light. Still, from what Sev told me, that may be enough. The light should also help to burn away the slime, if one of us is hit by it."
Catina's own thought took a different direction from Lorenzo's. "There's one comforting thing in all that information: Shadowgarms seem to hate each other, so the chance that we'll have to face more than one is pretty slim." She further digests the information, and tries to form a picture of where the attack should take place. "It's graveyard, or a place steeped in shadow magic, right? I don't know about the latter, but the graveyard are well-known. And we could take refuge in a nearby church or rectory to hide until we stop one." She looks around. "This was a church once. Maybe it attracts them, although... No. We wouldn't want to jeopardize the location of the safe house. Maybe we can find an old or abandoned graveyard in the Parego Dospera. Sev and me could go there tomorrow, see if we can find any suitable locations that will shelter us, with clear view of a graveyard."