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As Arin opens his eyes and again feels the two hands clasping his he feels a deep sense of missed opportunity.
"All of that journey through the mind, and contact with an eternal archivist, and no closer to solving my own mysteries." He mutters to himself as he rubs his head.
He looks up to see that Wulessa is alive and well. For a while after he generally keeps to himself, seeming somewhat off (more than usual) and discontented.
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Brock shakes himself awake as he returns to his body and the real world, "Well that was unpleasant. Let's avoid getting sucked into artifacts we don't understand again, eh?"
All the same he was happy the group was alive and in one piece, once Rook was brought back. That action earned an thank you and smile to Wulessa, and Brock's forgiveness for getting them into this damn fooled mess to begin with.
He accepted Danicka's excited hug with all the awkward grace any interactions with the mousey girl usually did with a whispered "Let's get a drink after this, I want to see you dance again."
Chuckling at her discomfort and refusal.
I'm starting to like that girl, dispute myself, she's like the dim witted little sister (who can chuck magic death balls) I never had
Accepting Rooks invitation for some mercantile contacts he follows the alchemist.
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As Brock whispers something scandalous in her ear, Danicka blushes brightly, and stammers in embarrassment.
"Oh! My! Oh, I... Uh... You... Me..?"
Eventually she regains her composure enough to remark, "I won't be doing any drinking, thank you!" She blushes brightly, not quite sure if Brock still wants to socialize with her...
As Brock ends up leaving with Rook, Danicka blushes brightly again, and leaves with Prickles.
Of course he'd rather be with Rook than you! Stop feeling sorry for yourself!
With a look at Prickles, Danicka smiles gently.
"At least I have you Prickles..."
---
The next day, Danicka attempts to organize a charity fundraiser to provide food for local orphan children...
Unfortunately, Prickles scares most of the people away, and Danicka's pleas for charity fall on deaf ears in the markets of Katapesh.
Wulessa is surprised by Danicka's sudden outpouring of emotion, and awkwardly returns the hug, unsure what to say since it's probably the first time any her agents under her command have ever done that - you sense she normally exhibits a much more intimidating presence than she has shown tonight. She shifts uncomfortably at Rooks comments, but returns his smile, "Yes... Well, I have already apologised for that." She frowns, remembering something, "But I guess you were unconscious at the time. I truly am sorry, and I'm sure that you will receive a moderate bonus for your actions tonight."
___
The next Pathfinder chartered ship leaving for Absalom still doesn't set sail for another few days, but while Yaiho scouts for a tavern with plenty of meat, Forrest double checks that he and his friends still have their berths secured. Meanwhile Brock and Rook decide to strike while the iron is hot, and they return to Marqual's place to further the cause of their faction. "A partnership with The Exchange does, indeed, sound most profitable." The merchant declares as he sets down his cup of tea and takes Rook's hand, "You have a deal! I look forward to working with you both." Back at the tower, Arin wanders off, needing some time to himself after the disappointment of the archive and yet another day without the answers he seeks. Finally, finding herself all alone, Danicka decides to take an evening stroll with Prickles.
The next morning, Danicka tries to raise some money for the local orphan children. Unfortunately, Katapesh isn't exactly the most charitable of places, and until Prickles learns the 'Puppy Dog' look or the 'I'll eat you if you don't give us your money' look, it seems that Danicka's charity efforts will continue to suffer. With another day of two in Katapesh, the Pathfinders have plenty of time to spend their new found fortune on any manner of things. Finally, they set foot on Miss Adventure, a merchant ship with a figurehead of a buxom mermaid with outstretched arms, as if she is flying, and a surprisingly humourless captain. Next stop, Absalom!
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Smiling and shaking hands with the merchant Brock feels extra ambitious. He had spoken with several of the various pirates, er, sailors around the docks on the journey here and during his early explorations of it the city.
"Rook, I think there is another thing we can do here to help the Exchange, there is a dockmaster that I have heard might be open to some new business, if we know how to ask."
This last bit he says with a truly malicious glint in his eyes.
The trip to the seediest part of the dock was uneventful. Well, uneventful to Brock's standards, meaning he only had to shoot one mugger, and the man might have even survived the bullet and the fall into the water, Brock didn't care enough to check.
Reaching the dockmaster in question, Brock used his war face and his nastiest smile to convince the poor man to allow The Exchange certain concessions when arriving on the docks.
Promises of profit and threats of having to return in a bad mood seemed to sway the man to Brock's line of thinking.
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Arin only takes the rest of the same day to decompress and get over himself. He decides to continue his venture spending more time with his teammates.
The next day he helps Danicka with her attempted charity auction, and he starts to wonder if his distance disposition may have done just as much harm as a snarling Prickles. No matter. Any time is good time with teammates.
"Hey Danicka, do you think we should go make sure those two don't get arrested before we depart for Absalom? You know who I speak of..."
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Disappointed at her failure to save the hungry children of the town, Danicka instead gives them some of her own coin, hoping they'll put it to good use...
"Thanks for trying to help, Arin." She stammers. "I can never understand why people don't want to help... You know? Why is everyone so selfish?" Looking around the busy marketplace she admits, "I suppose this wasn't the best place to try to find generous people..."
At Arin's suggestion, Danicka looks a little worried. "Brock and Rook, you mean? Do you think they're in trouble with the law?!" She looks worried. "Oh, dear!"
After a moment she remarks, "If he's not been arrested yet, he's probably at a bar drinking or gambling. Or maybe waking up with a few pretty women..." She seems oddly saddened at the thought.
"I suppose you're right, Arin. Whether in they're in trouble or not, we should go find our friends before leaving." She seems a little cheered at the thought. Without thinking she grabs Arin by the hand and says, "Let's go!" Then she hurries off through the city to find her terrifying, trouble-making friends.
Halfway through the trip Danicka realizes she's holding Arin's hand and blushing brightly. "Oh! I am SO sorry!" She devolves into a stammering, embarrassed mess. Eventually she clutches her broom and continues on, blushing so red she looks like she's suffering from sunburn.
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Before getting on the ship to return to Absalom and while out searching for a tavern with meat. He comes across two young slave girls being mistreated by their master. He decides to follow them with the hopes of freeing them from their cruel master, unfortunately their owner easily spots him and makes a slip with their slaves.
Yaiho continues toward a tavern a couple of hours later, annoyed he didn't get to bash the slave owners face in.
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Same faction goal as Yaiho...
Arin sprints along as fast as his little gnome legs can carry him, to avoid being dragged on the ground, through the city by Danicka.
After she finally stops, he's wringing out his hand waiting for the blood to return to it.
"Hehe, it's okay. Sometimes things get exciting."
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Rook is laughing boisterously as he returns from his business dealings with Brock.
"That is a helluva way to make a deal...you probably could have sold him some new trousers by the look on his face. The Exchange is gonna loooove this." he claps him on the back.
Then he sees Danicka and Arin behind her struggling to keep up.
"Sunnes zes hiqqch mniath, Arin?!"
He looks past them but does not see any trouble.
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Brock laughs along with Rook as they meet up with the remainder of the group.
"Cunning negotiation and crafty diplomacy have their place, but I've always been a fan of applied force as a negotiation tactic myself. I almost hope he will crawfish on the deal so I can pay him another visit, but he won't."
As they come across Danicka and an unusually flushed looking Arin, he asks "What's up? They closing the tavern early? We've got some.time vefore we ship out and I gotta find a gambling hall and some booze before we go.
I suppose I should grab alchemical ingredients for my guns first. Then drinking!"
He leers, good naturedly, at Danicka and asks, "Are you SURE you don't want to party? Rook and Arin haven't seen your sweet dance moves yet, and that was a fine evening last time... at least I think it was."
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"My d-dancing?" Danicka stammers. She blushes bright red. "Oh, I don't dance. Well, I mean, I think I might have danced, but, I don't usually dance that is, and I... Well, I was so sick last time and then I woke up without my--"
Danicka stops right in the middle of her rambling sentence and blushes even redder. She looks very upset about something. "And... I... I don't remember that night, and what's the point of having fun if you can't remember it... Right?"
Clearly that's not what she was in the middle of saying.
"I'm not drinking alcohol. But, I'd be happy to come with you? If you still want me too?"
Danicka looks at the ground, clearly nervous that you only want her company when she's drunk...
The boat trip back to Absalom passes pleasantly, the fact that the temperature gets more tolerable with each passing day certainly helps. By the time you disembark from the Miss Adventure it's crew are significantly poorer thanks to Brock's luck with their favourite games of chance, and it's captain is considerably happier because his crew no longer have enough funds to make a nuisance of themselves while in port. He bids you all farewell, envisioning a quick turn around and no missing crewmembers, as a frantic looking halfling bumps into Yaiho and falls on her rear. "Oh, sorry, sir! I just- Woah!" She looks up with wide-eyed awe, staining her neck to look at Yaiho's face. It's the middle of the night, but you can see her face clearly with all the lanterns around the busy docks. "You're huge! Wait a minute... You're Yaiho aren't you!?" She says excitedly as she hops back to her feet, "I'd recognise you anywhere, and, and you must be Brock!" Although she looks at Rook, "There are all sorts of rumours going around about what you did to those Aspis agents in Thuvia. The other initiates say that you..." She puts a hand to her stomach, "Well it's graphic! Anyway, Venture-Captain Kreighton Shaine is in urgent need of help, and he sent me to find some. I kind of got a little lost, but you're all fully fledged Pathfinders right?" She asks looking hopefully at each of you, "He specifically said 'Get me a real agent! I've had all I can stand of you initiates for one day.' So what do you say? Will you come back with me to the Grand Lodge?"
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On the boat Rook kept himself locked in his one of the storage closets for quite some time. An odd mixture of spells and a moderate amount of localized explosions made much of the crew uncomfortable.
"DAMN! THAT ISN'T ANOTHER ARM!" Rook is heard yelling after one of the more intense explosions followed by sounds like a tiny dinosaur shrieking.
The next ten minutes sounds like the room is being turned upside down as insults and shrieks are exchanged. By this time a small crowd has gathered around his room and the mood is tense as Rook steps out accompanied by a small flickering creature peaking out of the bandanna atop his head.
"No, I am not going to use these people as test experiments, you pest!" he mutters under his breath before addressing everyone gathered, "No, the ship is not on fire and NO you cannot keep staring at me...or I will make Needle here bite your eyes out." he yells before storming off.
Yeah, I just made up Needle on the spot. No, I am not calling you Mhazruko the Magnificent...how do I end up with a ridiculous brain tumor like you.
As he is walking away the creature seemingly disappears as the bandanna falls back into its natural place.
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Rook is seemingly more distracted as their contact meets them after disembarking and among his normal collection of vials is a small chalkboard. "Yeah little guy, Brock...Brook...Rook...where do we get paid?"
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During the trip back, Yaiho decides it was time he learned how to properly brew some tea. Unfortunately for the his companions, he used them as test subjects. Lets just say the first few brews had 'unique' flavors. But eventually the brews started tasting like tea until Yaiho became fairly good at making a good cup of tea.
The only time he stopped testing his tea was when Rook's commotion brought him to investigate. When he saw the little thing hiding under the bandanna, Yaiho speaks up. "Food?"
Being told Needle wasn't food, he went back to making tea.
----
Exiting the ship, he looks down at the Halfling bumps into him.
"Yaiho is Yaiho. Yaiho also Pathfinder. Full Pathfinder." Yaiho puffs his chest out in pride.
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Brock spent the long voyage as he always did, alternatively drunk or gambling, with the occasional sleeping and eating mixed in.
Rooks pronouncement and strange ... unveiling came during a rare time when Brock was both awake and lucid, and ilicited a grunt from him.
Was that thing growing from his head? Who knows. Adopting vicious desert dogs, going creepy possessed sweaty speaking in tounges, eating people, alchemical experimentation on yourself... who would have thought that I am the normal one of this group. That's a scary thought.... But at least bot boring
Reaching land and extremely happy to be in his relative home town, Brock looked forward to some time to revisit his old dives and stomping grounds, but of course the Pathfinders had to ruin his plans, as usual.
Ignoring the halfling's potentially fatal failure at recognizing his greatness, Brock decides to be magnanimous in his mercy and respond.
"Yes, our fame does proceed us and we will happily come with you ... as long as we get paid. You did bring an advance... right?"
Smiling his sardonic smile he enjoys the discomfort he causes.
at least I didn't shoot on principle, even Danicka can appreciate that
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Forrest breathes a heavy sigh of relief as the ship takes to sea, leaving the slaving nation for more amenable waters. At least we got to teach a few slavers a lesson. A small drop in the bucket compared to the mass of injustice in this place. He takes off his heavy scarf and throws it overboard, into the ocean. He calls after it, "Begone, and all that you represent. " He sheds his outer coat also, stuffing this into his bag. Once again he looks his normal self, shirt unbuttoned to the point of being almost inappropriate with the hint of his old slave brand showing beneath the fabric. "Ahhh, I look forward to some cool air again. Let is hope Absalom isn't going through a dry spell. All these deserts have me tired of the heat. "
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Days later, he follows the commotion toward Rook's closet. Seeing the small creature atop his head, he cocks his head to the side. Huh. This might be weirder than ol' McSweats. Is that his brain?! Thoroughly creeped out, he rushes back to the deck, eager to do anything but face this weird little dragon. I'll work with it soon, but not today. He shivers a little.
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Forrest waves goodbye to the captain of the Miss Adventure , wishing him good speed on his following journey. He then runs down the gang plank, eager to be home again. Smiling at the halfling, he asks, "What is your name, initiate? " He frowns a bit that she recognizes Yaiho. Always stealing the honor with that darn hammer of his. It's not my fault I'm not eight feet tall with rippling green muscles all across my body! The little man sighs. Some of us must use finesse and speed to survive. He shakes his head, more ready than ever. "Take us there, young one. We are rested and ready. " He looks at Brock pointedly. "Well, some of us are rested. " He laughs loudly and picks up his bag, eager to be off.
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As the others finally convince Danicka to follow them to the bar, a cat crosses her path. Prickles barks ferociously and takes off after the wily little beast. "Wait!" Danicka exclaims, waving her arms. "Come back!"
She races off after Prickles, in an effort to stop him from eating the local wildlife. "Cats are not for eating! ...Anymore! Prickles? Please?"
Soon the panicked wizard is gone, saved from more embarrassing escapades by her vicious dog.
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During the voyage, Danicka attempts to train Prickles. Unfortunately, her commands sound more like begging and pleading, and her attempts to scold the vicious dog are a stuttering, terrified mess. By the end of the trip it's clear that Prickles is the master in the relationship. Luckily, he doesn't bite anyone during the trip. A fact which Danicka seems very proud of.
She spends a lot of time with Yaiho, tasting all of his tea, trying to help him improve his methods, and teaching him a bit about plants that are both delicious and beneficial.
She's not sure how much Yaiho picked up of her lessons, but she is happy to see he's improving. As is her stomach!
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Whenever any loud noises come from Rook's lab, Danicka lets out a shriek and jumps about a foot. Embarrassed every time, she blushes brightly and reminds herself to be brave. Only to jump and scream again next time.
When the particularly strange noises occur, Danicka jumps and shrieks. But as the noise continues, with shrieks and loud voices, she nervously creeps over to his door.
With a big gulp, she knocks on his door. "Rook?" she squeaks. "Are you a-a-alright?"
Suddenly the door bursts open and Rook's speaking to some kind of monster under his hat.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKK!" Danicka shrieks. She stumbles back, bumping into Prickles and Yaiho, and screams again. She scurries to hide behind her big, green, friend, breathing frantically and looking pale. Slowly, she peeks out around Yaiho, only to have Rook threaten her with having her eyes bitten out.
She shrieks again, and scurries off down the hall, slamming her cabin door. She leaps into her bed, calls Prickles up onto it with her, and sits in her bed, breathing rapidly, and looking terrified.
She doesn't come back out of her room until they reach Absalom.
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When they make port, Danicka is the first to hurry off the ship and onto the streets. She studiously avoids looking at Rook--still worried he'll sick a monster on her to eat out her eyes--and cringes as she has to walk past him.
She's out in the street and past a pathfinder before the initiate starts fawning over Yaiho, and Rook.
Three times a hero and still no one notices me...
Hanging her head in disappointment, Danicka starts to turn and head off down the street. It didn't sound like they wanted her.
Still, she was going the same direction... Her lodgings were at the Grand Lodge... What harm would it do to walk with them?
As the others take the lead down the road with the initiate, Danicka trails behind them, broom clutched in one hand and the other on Prickle's spiky fur.
"Excellent! You've really saved my bacon." She pales a little at the suggestion of an advance, tempted to hand over some of her own coin as Brock smiles down at her, but thinks better of it. "I'm Klenchalk, Lile Klenchalk, Sir." She says to Forrest with a slight curtsy, "Follow me!" She rushes back through the docks, into the Foreign Quarter, through the grounds of Grand Lodge itself, to the doors of an outbuilding where there are several wet barefooted footprints on the porch. "Just ask inside for payment. And be careful, it's slippery in there." And with a smile, she adds, "Good luck!"
Once inside, you are greeted to quite a site. "I have no love of puns," announces a peeved Kreighton Shaine, the Master of Scrolls in the Grand Lodge, "Yet it cannot go unremarked that the Overflow Archives have begun living up to their name." The pale elf gestures across the library's stone lobby toward a pair of shut double doors from beneath which water steadily seeps. He is only one of the midnight visitors bearing witness to this disaster. Next to Shaine, Paracountess Zarta Dralneen stands with folded arms, glaring at an initiate whose hair and clothes are utterly drenched. All three speak at once, but Shaine’s shrill voice rises above the din. "Magical shenanigans in the archives are prohibited, especially this soon before the Grand Convocation!"
"Let us prioritise," Dralneen suggests. "Are the artefacts within the vaults in danger?"
"How should I know?" Shaine barks back. "This delinquent initiate—what was the name? Wormell?"
"Virml, sir," replies the sodden Pathfinder.
"Virml says he sneaked into the archives on a dare," summarises Shaine, painfully emphasising the initiate’s name with scolding disdain. "Presumably, he thought the holdings would be harmless. Instead, in his naivete, Virml triggered some dormant curse or other. So, yes, thanks to Virml here, the archives and the vaults below continue to flood, threatening all the books therein." Miserably, Virml holds up an armload of soggy manuscripts. "I salvaged a few, sir." Sighing, Shaine leads Virml towards the stairs. "Take them up to the scriptorium. Start making dry copies." Then, turning to survey the rest of the room, he continues issuing orders. "The remainder of you should wade in there and plumb the origins of this deluge. Stop it, if you can. I must report this debacle to my colleagues and begin organising the cleanup." Abruptly, he seems to notice the paracountess for the first time. "What are you doing here, Dralneen?" Zarta smirks and shrugs. "Unlike you, Shaine, I love a good pun."
The Master of Scrolls glares at you with eyes that might burst at any moment. "Well, why are you just standing there? Lile didn't just send me more initiates did she? I need someone who actually knows what they're doing! Find me a plumber!" As the Venture-Captain continues to vent his frustration, the poor drenched initiate starts creeping toward the scriptorium, looking grateful that the spotlight is on someone else for the moment.
Zarta Dralneen chimes in with a calm, almost playful tone. "Now, now, Kreighton. Be gentle. Don't you see these are just the sort of people you're looking for..." She turns to you, her seductive smile and predatory gaze sending shivers down your spine, "Aren't you, my darlings?"
The Master of Scroll snorts. "What they are is here, when they ought to be in there saving my scrolls from ruination!" The head of the Dark Archive ignores Kreighton's latest outburst and instead keeps her gaze on you as she summons Virml back, just as he's about to get away. "I'm sure you have questions before you start, yes?" She threads her arm through the soggy initiates' as soon as he gets close enough, "And I'm sure Virml here could provide some answers too if needed. Couldn't you my dear?" She asks, squeezing in close.
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Forrest is speechless. First he stares at Zarta, then at the flooding door, then back at Zarta. She is as beautiful as the stories say. And as deadly, I am sure. We best do well on this mission. I would much prefer her favor than her displeasure. He smooths down his beard and stands up straighter. "Umm... Miss Zarta? Er... Paracountess Zarta? Do you have any idea which artifact may have started this mess? " He quickly looks at the floor, embarrassed at asking such a stupid question.
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"Aren't we? Yes, we are just the sort of people that fix problems for large sums of coin!" Rook says returning his own gaze that only hints at seduction when he mentions coin.
These missions keep getting more dangerous. Oh well. What...oh you again?
Use the chalk so others can deal with you...
He turns to the others but before he speaks Needle emerges from underneath his bandanna.
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Brock groans as their next assignment is once again cleaning up some mess that some moronic mages managed to make.
"Why can't you magic users just leave well enough alone." he grumbles under is breath.
As the woman, oh yeah, now we're talking, approaches the the initiate he simply looks at the door, the water, the initiate, the door, the water.
"What the hell?"
I'll have to leave my musket behind, all that water will make it useless
Noticing Rooks Dragon thing do its ... thing. what the hell?!
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Earlier...
Arin spends most of his time on the voyage in his cabin, in solitude, both resting and contemplating what he and his team went through in the dream. The mission had them running a little ragged, so he decides the extra rest might give him some clarity of thought. It also gives him some very lucid dreams...
He's running down a shadowy hallway. The floor is made of tiles of shifting light. He keeps running and the hallway keeps getting longer. Until he remembers Wulessa. He's no longer in the hallway but instead in a large circular room. She's standing in front of the scrolls of the archive. He runs to her but before he can reach she disappears and additional, glowing runes begin to appear on the scroll.
The entire sequence repeats a handful of times, and then he gains the awareness that it's not the first time. He starts running the other way to escape the never-ending passage. After what seems like hours (or maybe it's just a few seconds), the passage disappears and he's in a dark room with Wulessa. She has a contrite look on her face. She holds out a hand, open palm up to present a light, airy flame to Arin. He reaches out to touch it...
When he wakes up his body feels like it's burning up, but quickly cooling down. He gets an idea. He holds onto the feeling of the flame, and calls out to his unknown benefactors in his mind, in abyssal. As he watches himself in the mirror in his cabin he witnesses the change. First his eyes turn bright white, then his hair starts to form into a flickering flame. Soon his face melts into the cool flame and immediately after his entire body. It last just a handful of seconds and then the flames dissipate, leaving the little gnome as before...
Later...
When Arin comes down the plank from the boat he doesn't say much to his teammates. He politely greets them and waits to see how they respond to the nervous halfling, knowing that in the routine sequence of events they'll end up at the lodge and with a new mission. He'll wait for the right time to tell them about his newfound... talent?
Present time...
Arin watches Virml slink away. This might be another nasty cleanup job, but it beats sitting and copying soggy archive text. When Zarta pulls him back, Arin follows up Forrest's question with his own.
"So what was this dare? Was it to sneak a look at a particular artifact or to get into a specific area of the archives?"
He smooths down his beard and stands up straighter. "Umm... Miss Zarta? Er... Paracountess Zarta? Do you have any idea which artifact may have started this mess?" He quickly looks at the floor, embarrassed at asking such a stupid question.
"Well aren't you adorable." Zarta says with a mischievous grin, but Shaine butts in and reports, "Our delinquent initiate here is vague on the details. But clearly, some unclassified item in there must have borne a well-concealed curse." Virml sheepishly relates, "I...I merely picked up a wee scroll, read part of it aloud for fun—some kind of riddle about birds and fish? And then it flew to bits in my hand, and I caught the quickest glimpse of a handsome man...and then ker-sploosh! I washed out here!"
"Yes, we are just the sort of people that fix problems for large sums of coin!"
The Master of Scrolls blinks indignantly at Rook before launching into a rant about saving knowledge for knowledge's sake, but Zarta Dralneen interrupts with a smile, "Oh, I agree, Shaine, there’s no reason to compensate capable people for their risk and hard work, especially when they came of their own accord to help at this late hour." Unsure how to respond—but now self-conscious about seeming like a tyrant—Kreighton Shaine starts verbally backpedalling, "Well... I suppose it wouldn't hurt if you kept some of the treasure you rescue. But really, knowledge is the true currency here!" Zarta smiles again and gives Rook a wink.
"Map?"
Shaine doesn't even flinch on seeing the dinosaur appear, "Map!? There's no time to draw a map!" He exclaims, throwing his hands up in exasperation, "Just go where the water's flowing from, and stop it." He points at the door and starts tapping his foot impatiently, Dralneen interjects. "Of course, like any library, there are still quiet areas if you desire a little... extra privacy. But the Overflow Archive isn't too big a building; you should be fine without a map, my darlings."
"Did some monster be summoned for Yaiho to defeat?"
To Yaiho, Virml just sheepishly shrugs.
"So what was this dare? Was it to sneak a look at a particular artifact or to get into a specific area of the archives?"
"The other initiates just dared me to sneak in and return with proof... Anything, and... Well, I thought this looked harmless and fun until I read it." Virml says as he produces a dripping fragment of a scroll. Shaine snatches the parchment and hands it over, saying "It appears to be one of the rhymes from The Name of the Fox. It's an odd little scroll of Varisian doggerel, scripted in Sylvan. There’s nothing remarkable about it—"
"Nothing until now, perhaps?" quips Zarta Dralneen.
___
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Danicka follows behind the others unnoticed. She watches them go to the new mission. Even the ones who weren't invited.
Should I... do that to? Just go?
The initiate didn't want me. That might be rude!
As she walks past, intending to let Prickles play outside, she steps in a pool of water. It's seeping out from the door the others entered, of the outbuilding.
How curious! Perhaps she should check it out.... Things might need cleaning. And she does have a... broom?
Ugh, I'm an idiot! Just follow them already.
"Come on, Prickles."
Danicka enters the room last, much later than the others thanks to her inner debate. The others were talking, but the room... This was...
The Overflow Archives! Flooded! Oh, dear!
"Y-y-yes, sir! R-r-right away, sir!"
Oh! The poor BOOKS!
As Master of Scrolls begins to yell, Danicka yelps loudly, and scurries towards the door to the archives with Prickles. But, as Paracountess Dralneen begin to speak, she blushes and looks very nervous. She makes me feel uncomfortable...
Suddenly, Rook's monster flies out from his hat. Danicka let's out a shriek and covers her eyes. "I haven't been staring!" she squeaks.
After a moment without pain, she scurries closer to the door, not wanting to be anywhere near the terrifying dinosaur. But, as Arin reads the scrap of parchment aloud, Danicka listens closely.
"Oh, my..." she mutters.
Looking between the others and the door, she clutches her broom tightly in her hands. They had to hurry.
Prickles stands guard beside his pet, watching the others with suspicion. Suddenly, food flies out of one of the tall-one's hats and swoops around the room. His pet shrieks in fear. So he barks loudly at the food from his place at his meek pet's side.
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Forrest smiles at the Paracountess, completely enamored. At least the initiate isn't stuck in a mindscape. Cursed scrolls are the darnedest things. He looks at the Master of Scrolls this time. "In case there is anything in there which is... unpleasant, we are going to need to defend ourselves. That can get messy. " He looks at Yaiho briefly.
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Brock secures his musket in oilcloth and straps it tightly to his back, making sure his powder horns are tightly capped then draws his war pick.
"Well I guess it's time to get wet."
Thinking about the conversation Brock does not bring up the most important part I suppose you can keep some of the treasure inside until they enter the archives.
Sounds like license to loot to me, I bet Rook will agree
Instead he simply faces the door as says, "I'm ready."
Noticing Danicka and Prickles he winks at her and whispers, "I hope Prickles doesn't mind getting wet"
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Oh no. I scared the poor girl...Needle get back in here.
Rook secures the chalkboard back down as Needle crawls under the bandanna and disappears. He allows Yaiho, Brock, and Forrest to lead falling back with their back line.
"My apologies for what happened on the boat. It...is hard to explain but...let's just say an experiment did not turn out the way I expected. Needle is back inside anyways." he explains to Danicka and Arin as he taps on his cranium. As they walk he mixes a few vials together and fills his spears reservoir for the upcoming adventure.
Yaiho pushes open the large doors and leads the way into the Overflow Archives. This spacious library is a damp catastrophe. A lake of dark water clogged with books, scroll cases, and a few overturned shelves obscure the floor. Steps descend into the brine from the western doors, while at the east end of the room a spiral staircase rises from the water to a mezzanine above. The same metal staircase must descend into a basement below as well, for the water there burbles downward in a dark, lazy whirlpool. As the door closes behind you, you can hear the initiate scurry off upstairs to start copying the scrolls as ordered, Shaine stomp off mumbling about the youth of today, and you can feel Dralneen's assessing gaze on your backsides.
The spiral staircase sits upon an elevated masonry foundation about 1 foot in height, preventing the water from immediately flowing down to the lower level. From there the stairs rise about 10' to the floor above. The northeast corner of the room remains in disrepair, perhaps never having been quite rebuilt in full following damage during the massive earthquake that rocked Absalom over a decade ago.
Massive gouts of seawater, a sporadic cascade of water spurts and gushes down from the mezzanine, just south of the staircase. The flow appears substantial, but neither the waterfall nor the whirlpool poses much of a threat, but tiny creatures might be pulled by the current and swept down the stairs.
Two birdlike creatures—one owl-faced, the other resembling an albatross—have converted a mahogany bookshelf into a fishing boat. The pair are casting their crude fishing rods near the spiral staircase and bickering about something.
"It's mine, I saw it first!" The owl proclaims, "But it was on my rod." The albatross retorts. "Yeah, well, the Hell Knights say that possession is nine-tenths of the law. I'm not giving it back." The owl says as he folds his arms and sticks out his tongue at the albatross. "That's not what that means! Nine out of ten Hell Knights are possessed by devils, that's why they're soo stuffy... Now giveitgiveitgiveit!"
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Rook's heightened senses kick in as the get into the archives. Scanning the room for sources of the water and drainage...
...he is able to spot a clogged drainpipe which might alleviate some of the problem.
You are up. Needle. Fly high.
"Hold, those are gathlain...I hate fey. They probably have some tricks up their sleeves." he whispers to the group.