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"A few hours after the beginning of waking hours milady" replies a servant to Thaia as he pours Agate a glass of some pulped fruit tasting like a mix between a mango and an orange. Within a few minutes, you have all determined what your next course of action is, and grimly set on, hoping for the best but expecting the worst. The building called the Azure Halls is an immense building crafted from blue marble, which rests atop a crystalline dais with a central staircase connecting it to a stone courtyard below.
Delicately carved scrollwork adorns the exterior walls, which are inlaid with rows of sapphire. As you approach the front doors, massive affairs of wood and metal, you take in both the silver crest hanging above and the lobby beyond. The rush of water resounds from the imposing waterfall encircling the perimeter of the Azure Hall. Strings of bubbles float in the air around the Hall, faint light glowing from within the glossy orbs. You aren't challenged as you enter, yet you get the impression that this is a place where knowing someone can grease the wheels of the entire institution, especially as you take in the gnome behind the front desk, an older, somewhat snooty creature. "May I ... help ... you?" he asks in a tone that indicates it would rather do anything but.
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"We are here to research the elemental lords and their history," Pavo explains. "As one of the most eminent libraries in the cosmos, the Azure Halls would surely have the information we seek. I understand the books on the subject of the elemental lords are in the Cobalt Gallery. Would you be willing to guide us there or provide a map?"
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"Oh. Well then. I'm very sorry indeed Madam." He begins to hastily scribble something on a form he snatches from a corner of his desk. "I did not realize you were one of Mithradatha's friends. Here you go, a pass for you to enter the Cobalt Gallery" he continues, ostensibly not enticed to try and give Pavo a snooty response. He hands over the pass to Thaia with a forced grin, his eyes only furtively meeting with Ollo's as if to ask [i]"What are you doing with this psychopath?"[/b]
Gnome guards challenge you as you are about to enter the Cobalt Gallery, but presenting your papers has them nodding and letting you pass without incident. Mahogany bookshelves encircle the walls of the chamber with two rows of freestanding shelves spanning its length. Desks and chairs of varying sizes offer seating accommodation for the library’s diverse patrons. Small tendrils of mist spiral up from the vapor fountain in the middle of the room—an elegant display of anchored cyclones. An open door on the western wall empties out into a hallway, and a ladder near the eastern wall leads up to the second floor balcony. The ceiling reaches sixty feet from the floor and is painted with a mural of imperious djinn soaring in the sky. The most striking details of the room, however, are the thick clouds suspended in the air between the balcony and the ceiling. Atop these stationary clouds rest additional bookshelves, chairs, desks, and podiums.
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"If you must," Agate mutters as Pavo comes over to assist. "Just see what they've got in that case there, and then we should have an idea what's shelved up there..." She waves a hand at the rest of the room, then stops suddenly, brow furrowed, staring at one of the clouds. "...oh. What's that?"
She points up at the bookcase on the cloud, and the partly open compartment.
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"Libraries are great," Bailey says to no one in particular. "Maybe if there's time after we complete the mission, I'll come back here, s'long as we don't end up getting kicked out." He then follows Agate's hand with his eyes, leading them to the compartment. "Ooh. That seems like it could be important."
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At the harried desk clerks obvious stare, Ollo simply shrugs his shoulders with an apologetic look. As the rest of the team tramps off, he pulls a gold piece from his pocket and flips it to the gnome. "Me thanks to ye, sir." before heading off to the Gallery.
As he enters the room, he glances about at the obvious majesty and opulence of the room, but something in the clouds catches his eye. "It's a secret door up there.." he whispers to his companions. "I canno see inside it, but sumthing may still be there." With these words he too looks for a way to access the clouds.
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As you look about, you spot a tall ladder. Using it to fetch the book would turn what would otherwise be a difficult task into something much more manageable.
Once you get up to the compartment, the object within seems to be a book! You grab it and begin looking through it's pages. It looks like the same glyphs are written within on every single page.
Without throat, I roar
I can be touched
But never clutched
I am free within the skies
You cannot see me with your eyes
What am I?
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Agate takes out another pinch of salt and soot and quietly recites an incantation you've almost come to recognize.
Cantrips: Read Magic, Detect Magic, Resistance, Mage Hand
Level 1:
Level 2: See Invisibility, Web, Knock, Summon Monster II
Coming over to look at the book, she translates the glyphs for the rest of the party. "Air?" she muses. "No, wind!"
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As you speak the word "Wind" the words on the page disappear, replaced by the image of a jovial looking female gnome who bows to you all. Laughter, like a tinkle of a crystal, echoes throughout the room as the woman speaks.
"Hello gentle reader!" she asks from within the page. "How may I assist you?"
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The gnome giggles. "Silly mortals, I am Ilyralene! Lady of the Clouds and a loyal servant of the Duke of Thunder. This book is my
home and where I keep all my knowledge."
She looks to Bailey, a twinkle in her eye. "The Untouchable Opal huh? I have collected many theories on how to smash that thing in a million billion pieces, but the one I feel is most credible involves the creation of a hammer crafted from the purest elements of fire, water, and earth. Metal from the core of Aryzul’s kingdom must be forged in fire hotter than Ymeri’s hatred and then quenched in water colder than Kelizandri’s heart. When such a weapon is applied to the Untouchable Opal, the gem should break and release my lord. Also, a similar treatment using equally powerful components might also suffice. For further reading about this subject, please refer to page 109."
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"The Concordance? It's a society of individuals who are dedicated to preserving neutrality and balance among the elemental planes. They have five leaders, which they call the Five Seats! Which sounds very uncomfortable if you ask me. Or not ominous enough. Anyway, you have the Seat of Earth, the Seat of Air, the Seat of Water, the Seat of Fire and finally the Seat of Balance, who is the one responsible for moderating discussions, overseeing the decisions of the others..."
"And the one" says a familiar voice, "who grieves that bloodshed is inevitable, as people from another plane cannot help themselves but meddle in things that will harms millions, out of sight, out of mind."
Faizura Bereket steps through the upper doorway, looking incredibly bitter and hurt by what she sees. "You spoke to our agents of being reasonable. And yet here you are, speaking to the one person whose knowledge will set this plane aflame." She steps down the stairs towards you, and once at your level seethes: "Well I hope you are happy. You'll be able to do your good deed for the year while war between forces you can scarcely imagine will tear this plane asunder" she finishes, her eyes gleaming with held-back tears.
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Alexis gives Faizura a sincere look.
"Is there no alternative? Must a either Good entity remain imprisoned for upwards of Eternity or the planes be plunged into war? In all the indefinite breadth of the Great Beyond, does it even make sense that there be only a paltry two possibilities?" She cocks her head suddenly. "Mind you, from the sound of it, the grand solution to the puzzle of Ranginori's prison almost sounds like something that some elemental mystics of proper knowledge and power might have been capable of eventually deducing anyway - the Tesseroid Mystery of Wahaladin the Younger, for instance." She considers further. "Indeed, is keeping Ranginori and the others imprisoned even a plausible policy, in the long term? We could abstain from freeing them, of course, but how long before someone else, perhaps more foolish than even we, or even malicious, does so anyway?"
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"Lady Bereket?" Pavo says with surprise. "It was you who sent our attackers--falsely accusing us of stealing from you? You ambushers could not make their case, but surely you could have explained your concerns with better eloquence and long before we arrived at the place you sent us. Was it your intent to attack us all along?
"As Alexis says, though, why are those the only two options? Why does the Concordance not work with the Society to determine how it might be possible to bring an even greater balance to the planes rather than letting evil reign."
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"Were we to combine our resources and powers, we could come to a higher point," Bailey follows up. "One at which we needn't be complacent under the rule of evil. If freed, Ranginori may yet triumph, for such a being's power stems not only from innate energy, but belief in them by others. Have a little faith."
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Faizura begins to reply when a booming voice from the top of the stairs cuts her off. "Oh aren't you people so cute with how naively stupid you are. I almost wonder if it would have been simpler to ask if anyone had seen prime material plane buffoons wandering about asking about a bound looser than it was to ask if anyone had seen a loudmouth b$+!& with a gun halfway shoved up her ass. And before you ask, yeah, that was easy as all s~!%."
The sylph standing at the top of the stairs smirks condescendingly at you, flanked as he is by a winged horse which paws at the ground angrily and a bat-winged creature with pale blue skin.
"My Lord Hrushura has heard of what you are doing. Mark my words: We'll turn not just this plane, but your "cage-of-retards" plane and every plane we can touch into a maelstrom of destruction before we let you release Ranginori, the Kitty in the Cage. And if you f!~@os think you can escape me..."
"I'll grab the pegasus and the mephit. Deal with that loudmouth." mutters Faizura to you all, before bursting into flight, and streaking straight past the assembled Hrushurites.
Round 1
Ollo
Air Elemental
Pavo
Agate
Challisier
Alexis
Blaizin' Bailey
Thaia
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Agate pulls out her crossbow as she dodges around tables and chairs to look for a clear shot. She holds the crossbow up as she chants a quick incantation,
Cantrips: Read Magic, Detect Magic, Resistance, Mage Hand
Level 1:
Level 2: See Invisibility, Web, Knock, Summon Monster II
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Round 1 - 2
Ollo
Air Elemental - Readied action
Pavo
Agate
Challisier
Alexis
Blaizin' Bailey
Thaia
Pavo does not detect any substantial amount of evil as he focuses on the Sylph. Said sylph blows a kiss at Agate, waves his hands and a cloud of fog materializes, obscuring the view for most of the Pathfinders.