Zirt and Darius begin sorting through the stacks of books, and Zirt is pleasantly surprised to have Rayne’s assistance. In his eagerness, Darius may have left things in slightly different places than he found them, but it’s hard to be certain. What is clear, however, is that he found a sheaf of ancient maps, depicting battle plans and troop movements during the Shining Crusade! Zirt and Rayne also note that one of the desks has a useful set of indices and bibliographies, that give them some insights into other works that might exist in the library in general.
Encarthan Maps: These maps depict Lake Encarthan, the Isle of Terror, and the nations that surround it. Of particular interest are the hundreds of hand-drawn notes and lines showing troop movements, preserving the changing plans of the brilliant generals who orchestrated the Shining Crusade.
Bibliographic References: Several relevant books have extensive indices and bibliographies
that might point to even greater discoveries.
Clue: You may use this clue to gain a +5 bonus on a single skill check made to find texts.
Enemy Analysis: This tattered, leather-bound book describes the tactical considerations that the generals of the Shining Crusade had to consider when fighting supernatural foes. It includes many ways for the rank-and-file soldiers to mitigate the damage dealt by powerful spellcasters.
Cryptic References: This text is a mess of esoteric poetry and obscure riddles. One of these entries describes a silver horn once used by Taldor, which seems to be hidden somewhere in southern Brevoy. Spending considerably more time analyzing the poem may reveal additional hints about this horn and its location.
Ruined Book: This book is a testament to why libraries should prohibit food and drink; someone spilled a beverage on it and sheepishly put it back on the shelf, where it has sat for
several months at least.
Taldan Cipher 3: This text contains an example of an encoded message that uses a common substitution cipher (in which each letter represents a different letter). It claims that “DQFIZ KPIED WZYWS QIVKO ZKXFW ZIMVT DQFXW CFPAF PDFZ VFTJF” translates to “The orcs of Tar-Baphon circle around the lake’s western edge.”
Card Catalogue: This aging card catalog system notes where one might find various types of information. The reference is somewhat dated and inaccurate.
Clue: Use this clue to learn how many clues or texts remain in any two rooms.
Hand-Written Notes: There are extensive notes scribbled in the margins of this book. These hand-written insights could be key to your next big discovery.
Clue: You may use this clue to gain a +3 bonus on a single skill check made to find texts.
Generals’ Logbooks: These journals record the perspectives of Taldan generals that led various phases of the Shining Crusade. Collectively, they provide valuable insight into challenges the crusaders had to overcome.
A Silver Horn: This text describes in detail an enchanted silver horn capable of granting courage in times of need, which Taldor used for the fifth Army of Exploration and much later during the Shining Crusade, when it was shattered into several pieces. A priest of Aroden prophesied that even if re-forged, the instrument would never sound again, and it was given a hero’s burial. The text mentioned nothing of the horn’s present location.
Taldan Cipher 2: According to this text, one common cipher involves changing each consonant into the letter that comes three places after it in the alphabet and changing each vowel into the letter that comes two places before. For example, D would become G, U would become S, and Z would become C. (Since the vowels rotate backward and the consonants rotate forward, it’s a particularly puzzling cipher to break).
Failed Prophecies: This text gives a detailed analysis of hundreds of proclaimed “ironclad” prophecies that have failed since the disappearance of Aroden. The author speculates that any prophecy made by Arodenites should be viewed with considerable skepticism.
Pleased at having found more information related to the Shining Crusade to bring to Venture-Captain Muesello, the party heads to the first hallway they entered. As they pass through the main section of the library, the Guardian calls to them, ”Well, hello. Come back with more questions for me, have you? I’m quite sure I can assist you, whatever the topic. Oh, just passing through? Very well, I understand if you want time to frame your inquiries just so.”
You cross the hallway and enter a well-lit room that holds rows of chairs aligned towards two giant chalkboards that hang on the north wall. Along the opposite wall, several shelves hold books covering a wide range of topics and an hourglass – or more precisely, a 15-minute-glass - sits atop the desk. Simple but colorful tapestries hang along the eastern wall, giving the room a bright appearance despite the lack of sunlight and the dour portrait of Grand Prince Stavian III that hangs by the door. A brass plaque on the frame of the portrait reads, “To serve Taldor, I must first learn the history of Taldor.”
Everyone pitches in to look for useful information on the classroom shelves, though Conundrum’s profound historical knowledge alone would have been enough to complete the research here. Once it’s complete, the Pathfinders make their way to the adjacent room, the recital hall.
This room’s well-worn wooden floor sets it apart from the others. The west wall is lined with shelves that support books, a variety of instruments, and dozens of rectangular baskets that contain loose sheaves of paper. Several chairs are pushed against the wall, and a portrait of the Grand Prince hangs to east, surveying everything in the room with magisterial authority. A brass plaque on the frame of the portrait reads, “Persevere, persevere, persevere!”
Magical Assistance: Some of the bookshelves bear a minor enchantment that aids researchers, such as briefly granting the benefits of read languages or creating an unseen servant to aid in collecting documents.
Clue: After the PCs roll skill checks to find documents, any of them may reroll the check before learning the result.
Hidden Gem: Right next to one great discovery, you make another incredible find!
Clue: Use this clue when you or another PC discovers a clue or text to find one additional clue or text, if any remain in the room. (If attempting to use this in a room that doesn’t have any more clues, it doesn’t count; this clue can be used again in that case.)
Encarthan Maps: These maps depict Lake Encarthan, the Isle of Terror, and the nations that surround it. Of particular interest are the hundreds of hand-drawn notes and lines showing troop movements, preserving the changing plans of the brilliant generals who orchestrated the Shining Crusade.
Bibliographic References: Several relevant books have extensive indices and bibliographies
that might point to even greater discoveries.
Clue: You may use this clue to gain a +5 bonus on a single skill check made to find texts.
Enemy Analysis: This tattered, leather-bound book describes the tactical considerations that the generals of the Shining Crusade had to consider when fighting supernatural foes. It includes many ways for the rank-and-file soldiers to mitigate the damage dealt by powerful spellcasters.
Cryptic References: This text is a mess of esoteric poetry and obscure riddles. One of these entries describes a silver horn once used by Taldor, which seems to be hidden somewhere in southern Brevoy. Spending considerably more time analyzing the poem may reveal additional hints about this horn and its location.
Ruined Book: This book is a testament to why libraries should prohibit food and drink; someone spilled a beverage on it and sheepishly put it back on the shelf, where it has sat for
several months at least.
Taldan Cipher 3: This text contains an example of an encoded message that uses a common substitution cipher (in which each letter represents a different letter). It claims that “DQFIZ KPIED WZYWS QIVKO ZKXFW ZIMVT DQFXW CFPAF PDFZ VFTJF” translates to “The orcs of Tar-Baphon circle around the lake’s western edge.”
Card Catalogue: This aging card catalog system notes where one might find various types of information. The reference is somewhat dated and inaccurate.
Clue: Use this clue to learn how many clues or texts remain in any two rooms.
Hand-Written Notes: There are extensive notes scribbled in the margins of this book. These hand-written insights could be key to your next big discovery.
Clue: You may use this clue to gain a +3 bonus on a single skill check made to find texts.
Generals’ Logbooks: These journals record the perspectives of Taldan generals that led various phases of the Shining Crusade. Collectively, they provide valuable insight into challenges the crusaders had to overcome.
A Silver Horn: This text describes in detail an enchanted silver horn capable of granting courage in times of need, which Taldor used for the fifth Army of Exploration and much later during the Shining Crusade, when it was shattered into several pieces. A priest of Aroden prophesied that even if re-forged, the instrument would never sound again, and it was given a hero’s burial. The text mentioned nothing of the horn’s present location.
Taldan Cipher 2: According to this text, one common cipher involves changing each consonant into the letter that comes three places after it in the alphabet and changing each vowel into the letter that comes two places before. For example, D would become G, U would become S, and Z would become C. (Since the vowels rotate backward and the consonants rotate forward, it’s a particularly puzzling cipher to break).
Failed Prophecies: This text gives a detailed analysis of hundreds of proclaimed “ironclad” prophecies that have failed since the disappearance of Aroden. The author speculates that any prophecy made by Arodenites should be viewed with considerable skepticism.
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"Yes, I do! So far we've seen three brass plaques with mottoes... but we need four if we're to figure out which virtues we need to put into the holes by the secret door. It's just like the old game my cousin Razprtnikrin and I used to play... but I wonder if the order matters... and I don't suppose we can ask the nice lion, because he might be upset!"
Though Darius struggles with the organizational system in this room, Zirt’s musical training comes in quite handy. Not only does she discover that the texts in this room are organized according to major musical scales rather than the Taldan alphabet, but she has just picked up one interesting text when she discovers another right beside it!
Just as Zirt is lifting the two texts up to display her triumph, she pauses, noticing a brief surge in the music coming from upstairs. She can feel the piece building to another thunderous crescendo, though it is several minutes away, she thinks.
Esoteric Alphabetization: This library uses a strange system for organizing its texts: it alphabetizes its texts based on the progression of major musical scales instead of using the Taldan alphabet.
Clue: You may use this clue to grant a +2 bonus on all checks made to find texts in a single room for the rest of the scenario.
Taldan Cipher 1: This text describes a cipher in which one must read the message backward, reading only every third letter; all other letters are ignored. The example the book provides is “RMNEB SISWD IILPL OTRSES,” which means “soldier.”
Magical Assistance: Some of the bookshelves bear a minor enchantment that aids researchers, such as briefly granting the benefits of read languages or creating an unseen servant to aid in collecting documents.
Clue: After the PCs roll skill checks to find documents, any of them may reroll the check before learning the result.
Hidden Gem: Right next to one great discovery, you make another incredible find!
Clue: Use this clue when you or another PC discovers a clue or text to find one additional clue or text, if any remain in the room. (If attempting to use this in a room that doesn’t have any more clues, it doesn’t count; this clue can be used again in that case.)
Encarthan Maps: These maps depict Lake Encarthan, the Isle of Terror, and the nations that surround it. Of particular interest are the hundreds of hand-drawn notes and lines showing troop movements, preserving the changing plans of the brilliant generals who orchestrated the Shining Crusade.
Bibliographic References: Several relevant books have extensive indices and bibliographies
that might point to even greater discoveries.
Clue: You may use this clue to gain a +5 bonus on a single skill check made to find texts.
Enemy Analysis: This tattered, leather-bound book describes the tactical considerations that the generals of the Shining Crusade had to consider when fighting supernatural foes. It includes many ways for the rank-and-file soldiers to mitigate the damage dealt by powerful spellcasters.
Cryptic References: This text is a mess of esoteric poetry and obscure riddles. One of these entries describes a silver horn once used by Taldor, which seems to be hidden somewhere in southern Brevoy. Spending considerably more time analyzing the poem may reveal additional hints about this horn and its location.
Ruined Book: This book is a testament to why libraries should prohibit food and drink; someone spilled a beverage on it and sheepishly put it back on the shelf, where it has sat for
several months at least.
Taldan Cipher 3: This text contains an example of an encoded message that uses a common substitution cipher (in which each letter represents a different letter). It claims that “DQFIZ KPIED WZYWS QIVKO ZKXFW ZIMVT DQFXW CFPAF PDFZ VFTJF” translates to “The orcs of Tar-Baphon circle around the lake’s western edge.”
Card Catalogue: This aging card catalog system notes where one might find various types of information. The reference is somewhat dated and inaccurate.
Clue: Use this clue to learn how many clues or texts remain in any two rooms.
Hand-Written Notes: There are extensive notes scribbled in the margins of this book. These hand-written insights could be key to your next big discovery.
Clue: You may use this clue to gain a +3 bonus on a single skill check made to find texts.
Generals’ Logbooks: These journals record the perspectives of Taldan generals that led various phases of the Shining Crusade. Collectively, they provide valuable insight into challenges the crusaders had to overcome.
A Silver Horn: This text describes in detail an enchanted silver horn capable of granting courage in times of need, which Taldor used for the fifth Army of Exploration and much later during the Shining Crusade, when it was shattered into several pieces. A priest of Aroden prophesied that even if re-forged, the instrument would never sound again, and it was given a hero’s burial. The text mentioned nothing of the horn’s present location.
Taldan Cipher 2: According to this text, one common cipher involves changing each consonant into the letter that comes three places after it in the alphabet and changing each vowel into the letter that comes two places before. For example, D would become G, U would become S, and Z would become C. (Since the vowels rotate backward and the consonants rotate forward, it’s a particularly puzzling cipher to break).
Failed Prophecies: This text gives a detailed analysis of hundreds of proclaimed “ironclad” prophecies that have failed since the disappearance of Aroden. The author speculates that any prophecy made by Arodenites should be viewed with considerable skepticism.
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Studying the brass plaques, Rakshara's eyes widen and he says, "I know which order the lions go in. First is the history lion, second is the cunning lie, third is the persevering lion, and last is the loyal lion. There are little clues hidden within them." Rakshara grins, showing his wickedly sharp teeth.
"I have a few thoughts to which lions are which, the lion with the spectacles is the historian, the one with the yoke is the persevering one, the loyal one may be the one with the Taldan flag and I believe the one of the cunning lie is the one about to ambush. What do the rest of all of you think?" His strange phrasing is made even stranger by his lilting Vudran accent.
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So, for the first of them, the loyal one, it says "To serve Taldor, I must first learn the history of Taldor, then in the second "A cunning lie is never told twice. Then for the third one, the persevering one, "Persevere" is said three times, and then for the last, "In the end, loyalty is it's own reward."
Having collected the rest of the information needed to solve the lion-based combination lock, the party returns to the file room, with the building crescendo Zirt noticed providing a thrilling background to your simple passage through the library. As you cross through the main library chamber, the lion’s head can be heard humming stentoriously, though somewhat inaccurately, along to the music.
Once back in the archives, the Pathfinders study each of the small statues again for a moment, to confirm the intuitive leap made by Rakshara. The odd-looking, odd-sounding tiefling then collects the four statuettes and studies the steps under the carved lion's head that form the combination lock. It's clear to Rakshara that in the land of Taldor, where one's position matters greatly, that the first lion must go on the top step. He places them in the small recesses on the steps, in the order he thinks will work: History, Cunning, Perseverance, and Loyalty.
There is a moment of quiet, then a soft click can be heard and each of the steps settles by a finger’s breadth. Nothing else happens, and it appears the combination has worked. You’re able to swing the lion’s head aside, though its bulk means that the door doesn’t open fully. There’s enough room, however, to slip behind it and enter the next room.
The secret door leads to a fairly large room. Chests of expert craftsmanship line the walls, and on the far side of the room stand two bookshelves burdened with yellow-paged tomes and sundry ancient trinkets. Banners and tapestries cover nearly every inch of the walls, each representing long- dead nations or depicting conflicts left un-chronicled. A quick perusal of the titles in this room reveals that Taldor keeps some of its most dangerous texts here, including primary, unmodified accounts of events from millennia ago, original versions of laws since replaced, records of foreign policy debacles quickly silenced in the interest of decorum, and remarkably objective (and sometimes empathetic) biographies of enemies of the state.
Some of the more intriguing titles include The Unexpected Truth of Aroden's So--‐Called "Death"; Yes, the Aboleths Did It and Here's Why; The Secret Threat of Sarusan; and Why the Eye of Abendego Endures. As Pathfinders of an inquisitive stripe, your attention is particularly drawn to a black-bound tome entitled The Decemvirate: An Exposé of the Masked Leaders of the Pathfinder Society.
Darius and Conundrum display their profound knowledge of historical lore, and are quickly able to locate some of the most valuable texts, in terms of the changes from how their facts are commonly accepted today. While they search and eagerly compare notes, Rayne rummages about among the array of artifacts in the room, and comes up with something interesting indeed: a heavy bronze shield, decorated with a lion’s head in the same style as the Guardian’s. The shield has little intrinsic value, but Conundrum can’t help but think that it might serve as a worthy receptacle for the magical essence of the Guardian.
Just as the party concludes their research in this most hidden of chambers, Zirt’s musical training once again comes in handy. She notices that the loud burst of music from a few moments ago has faded, and a new one is building, but with a different feel to it. As the orchestra's mighty kettle drums grow in volume, Zirt can feel in her musician’s bones that the performance is building up to a final crescendo before its climactic conclusion!
Grave Consequences: This is a thin journal that explores the origins of Tar-Baphon, studies the circumstance of his lichdom, and analyzes what the author knew of his necromantic techniques from the perspective of a scholar searching for a weak spot in the Whispering Tyrant’s defenses.
Lines of Succession: This long scroll details the rules of succession throughout the history of
Taldor. It also highlights times when the nation chose an heir in a way that was an exception to the rules. This matches the description of what the Pathfinder Society is tasked to recover for Princess Eutropia.
Esoteric Alphabetization: This library uses a strange system for organizing its texts: it alphabetizes its texts based on the progression of major musical scales instead of using the Taldan alphabet.
Clue: You may use this clue to grant a +2 bonus on all checks made to find texts in a single room for the rest of the scenario.
Taldan Cipher 1: This text describes a cipher in which one must read the message backward, reading only every third letter; all other letters are ignored. The example the book provides is “RMNEB SISWD IILPL OTRSES,” which means “soldier.”
Magical Assistance: Some of the bookshelves bear a minor enchantment that aids researchers, such as briefly granting the benefits of read languages or creating an unseen servant to aid in collecting documents.
Clue: After the PCs roll skill checks to find documents, any of them may reroll the check before learning the result.
Hidden Gem: Right next to one great discovery, you make another incredible find!
Clue: Use this clue when you or another PC discovers a clue or text to find one additional clue or text, if any remain in the room. (If attempting to use this in a room that doesn’t have any more clues, it doesn’t count; this clue can be used again in that case.)
Encarthan Maps: These maps depict Lake Encarthan, the Isle of Terror, and the nations that surround it. Of particular interest are the hundreds of hand-drawn notes and lines showing troop movements, preserving the changing plans of the brilliant generals who orchestrated the Shining Crusade.
Bibliographic References: Several relevant books have extensive indices and bibliographies
that might point to even greater discoveries.
Clue: You may use this clue to gain a +5 bonus on a single skill check made to find texts.
Enemy Analysis: This tattered, leather-bound book describes the tactical considerations that the generals of the Shining Crusade had to consider when fighting supernatural foes. It includes many ways for the rank-and-file soldiers to mitigate the damage dealt by powerful spellcasters.
Cryptic References: This text is a mess of esoteric poetry and obscure riddles. One of these entries describes a silver horn once used by Taldor, which seems to be hidden somewhere in southern Brevoy. Spending considerably more time analyzing the poem may reveal additional hints about this horn and its location.
Ruined Book: This book is a testament to why libraries should prohibit food and drink; someone spilled a beverage on it and sheepishly put it back on the shelf, where it has sat for
several months at least.
Taldan Cipher 3: This text contains an example of an encoded message that uses a common substitution cipher (in which each letter represents a different letter). It claims that “DQFIZ KPIED WZYWS QIVKO ZKXFW ZIMVT DQFXW CFPAF PDFZ VFTJF” translates to “The orcs of Tar-Baphon circle around the lake’s western edge.”
Card Catalogue: This aging card catalog system notes where one might find various types of information. The reference is somewhat dated and inaccurate.
Clue: Use this clue to learn how many clues or texts remain in any two rooms.
Hand-Written Notes: There are extensive notes scribbled in the margins of this book. These hand-written insights could be key to your next big discovery.
Clue: You may use this clue to gain a +3 bonus on a single skill check made to find texts.
Generals’ Logbooks: These journals record the perspectives of Taldan generals that led various phases of the Shining Crusade. Collectively, they provide valuable insight into challenges the crusaders had to overcome.
A Silver Horn: This text describes in detail an enchanted silver horn capable of granting courage in times of need, which Taldor used for the fifth Army of Exploration and much later during the Shining Crusade, when it was shattered into several pieces. A priest of Aroden prophesied that even if re-forged, the instrument would never sound again, and it was given a hero’s burial. The text mentioned nothing of the horn’s present location.
Taldan Cipher 2: According to this text, one common cipher involves changing each consonant into the letter that comes three places after it in the alphabet and changing each vowel into the letter that comes two places before. For example, D would become G, U would become S, and Z would become C. (Since the vowels rotate backward and the consonants rotate forward, it’s a particularly puzzling cipher to break).
Failed Prophecies: This text gives a detailed analysis of hundreds of proclaimed “ironclad” prophecies that have failed since the disappearance of Aroden. The author speculates that any prophecy made by Arodenites should be viewed with considerable skepticism.
With their research tasks complete and the end of the evening’s performance approaching, Rayne carries the shield as the party makes their way back to the Guardian’s chamber. As they walk in and approach the stone lion’s head, the Guardian lets out a considering, ”Hmmm, what have we here?” in his deep, stony voice.
”How very resourceful! You seem to have found a receptacle that might be worthy of me,” he continues after a moment of admiring the shield. ”And not only that, but it seems to have once held a truly great enchantment, similar – though less powerful - to that which animates me. If you’d be so kind as to hold it with the grip facing me…” The Guardian takes the shield in its massive mouth and is silent for a moment (for which at least some of the party are very grateful).
He then releases it and, as he does so, the shield’s patina recedes, leaving a bright and burnished surface, almost mirror-like in its clarity. At the very same moment, the Guardian mutters an exclamation of surprise, ”Well, how very interesting! The orle – the border on the inside of the shield, in case you were unaware - is inscribed “Glorymane.” I’m happy to tell you that Glorymane is my real name – and a name I share only with true friends.”
Glorymane goes quiet again for a brief moment, as if studying the magic of the shield, then says, ”Some of my essence has been transferred to the shield, and it now houses a spark of awareness. Through it, I will happily assist any of you, so long as the cause is just or the potential for glory great.”
Zirt can tell that the climactic finale of tonight’s performance is still approaching, and it seems to be at least a few minutes off.
"To be honest, little one - and I don't say this often - I am uncertain how that will play out," Glorymane replies to Zirt. "I've no wish to leave this place entirely, as I have so much wisdom to impart to future generations of Lion Blades. But I do wish to see more of the world. Perhaps one day you or one of your companions, or someone else who wishes to live a grand tale, will bring back that shield and it will share with me all it has seen. And in the meantime, a part of me will live a new life out in the wide world. And perhaps I will have some sense of its adventures as they unfold."
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"If nothing else, I'd like to make sure the room with the fire has been looked at again - assuming we have time at all..."
"Indeed, it has been a pleasure to converse with you. I'm glad we can be of some small service in allowing a part of you to see the world and will certainly try to return as fortune allows"
"Zirt, do you think I'd have time to tidy the study rooms we were in before the concert ends? I don't think we left any mess behind but I wouldn't want to inconvenience Iliyena at all."
The Guardian bids you all a fond farewell as you set off to clear evidence of your presence here as best you can. Zirt estimates that perhaps ten minutes remain in the evening's performance, leaving Conundrum enough time to scan the ancient books room and a couple of others for traces of your passing. He wipes a few scuff marks off the pristine floor, sets books more evenly on a shelf or two and erases the chalkboard in the classroom where Rakshara and Rayne played an inconclusive game of tic-tac-toe while the others carried out their research.
After Conundrum moves quickly through some of the rooms the party has visited and clears away evidence of their research, Zirt announces that she’s pretty certain there are only a few moments left in the performance.
Hurrying up the spiral stairs by which they entered, the party passes back through the secret door into the rare books room, pulling the door closed behind them. Greeting them is the rather odd sight of their own illusionary doubles, sitting silently at the large table in the center of the room and leafing through illusionary texts. As Rakshara considers the interesting experience of seeing his own double, sitting doing something that he himself is unlikely to ever do, the music reaches its final crescendo, then stops dramatically.
At Conundrum’s urging, each of the Pathfinders moves quickly to the table and collects the magical cards, causing the illusions to vanish. A few brief moments later, there is a polite knock, knock at the door, which opens immediately after, admitting Tobias the librarian. ”Ah, good, I see you’re already up and making ready to leave,” he says graciously. ”As I’m sure you heard, the evening’s musical performance has concluded, and we’ll be closing the library now. I trust your research was successful?”
Given the weaponry some of the party are carrying (and perhaps the fact that a junior librarian may never have seen the more secret parts of the Library of the Lion, where the bronze shield was found), Tobias doesn’t seem to notice anything out of the ordinary about the shimmering shield now housing Glorymane’s essence. He gives everyone a moment to collect their belongings, setting a couple of books back on the shelves and raising a puzzled eyebrow at how few books seem to have been disturbed in the evening’s research. He shrugs and says, ”Ready? Please, follow me, and I’ll come back and lock up in a moment.”
The grand entrance hall is once again thronged with concertgoers, commoners making their way down the front stairs to begin their long walks home and nobles jostling for pride of place as they await the arrival of their elegant carriages at the steps of the Kith. The party makes their way back to Venture-Captain Muesello’s bait-lodge, where he has been anxiously awaiting their return.
”Come in, come in!” he says quietly though excitedly as the returning Pathfinders arrive at his door. He absent-mindedly reaches a hand up to still the bell on the door, not wishing to draw late-night attention to the front behind which he hides the Taldan lodge. Once everyone is inside, he asks eagerly, ”So, tell me, what have you found? Anything of importance about the Shining Crusade? You weren’t discovered in the secret library were you? How did my little illusion cards work out?” He takes a calming breath and says, ”Forgive me, I’ll pause in my questions and give you all a moment to respond.”
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As Conundrum looks around to ensure no one other than the Venture Captain is present, then begins to pull out the notes and papers collected during the mission and assembling them on the table he says"I believe that we achieved everything we had set out to do. Upon finding the entrance to the secret library, we descended into an complex with a number of rooms and researched them quite thoroughly."
"Some of the highlights are: we located a deeply secret archive that contained highly sensitive texts many of which have not seen the light of day in millennia. One in particular will be of interest to our patron as it deals extensively with the Taldoran succession. In addition we found numerous valuable and insightful first-hand reports on the successful tactics employed in the Shining Crusade. I hope these notes will prove useful. I would also point out that the library is the secret base of the Taldoran spy network in Golarion and that the archive had notes on every spy in their global network - it might be worth a follow up visit as we did not have time to examine those materials."
Conundrum smiles - "And I believe that we completed our objectives without leaving many clues as to what we looked at and where. That said, both the Guardian of the library and one of the Librarians - Iliyena - guided us around the back room. We had told her that we Lion Blades. She is none to fond of the Administrator and might be worth making further contact with."
”What, really? How exciting!” Muesello says as Conundrum hands him the sheaf of notes. The Venture-Captain seems to forget anyone else is in the room for a moment as he studies what the party has recovered from the library, so immersed is he in what he’s reading. As he studies the notes, he mutters to himself, ”Oh, a pincer movement on the eastern shore of the Lake, how unexpected…and the Crusaders would form a staggered line to be less vulnerable to the enemy’s spell attacks…until the Tyrant’s forces began to send lightning bolts down the…” Rayne shifts his weight impatiently after a few long moments of this, causing Muesello to look up, his eyes widening as if he’s surprised there are others present.
”Wha…? Oh, I’m sorry, so sorry! This is tremendous work, I congratulate you all on a job well done! And you convinced those inside that you were Lion Blades? Oh, that could be very useful indeed, as will the other information you’ve retrieved!”
Waving the notes in front of him, he says, ”I’ll send your discoveries on to the Grand Lodge, where they’ll be studied and combined with other information we’re gathering. That will all go into a report to be sent to Mendev. What you’ve found could give us a vital edge in resisting the invasion that threatens all of Golarion! Amazing the things you can find in a library, isn’t it?"
Soon afterwards, Venture-Captain Muesello dismisses you, with more words of praise and gratitude and assurances that Lady Gloriana and the mysterious patron of this mission will be quite pleased and impressed with the Society's achievements in the Library of the Lion.
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Conundrum shares his decoding notes with Musello:
the code to be broken was:
K-Y-V-W-K-C-E-C-O-O-M-I-M-E-C-G-G-C-Q-F-C
3 possible cyphers were found...
Cipher 1
read the message backward, reading only every third letter; all other letters are ignored. The example the book provides is “RMNEB SISWD IILPL OTRSES,” which means “soldier.
K-Y-V-W-K-C-E-C-O-O-M-I-M-E-C-G-G-C-Q-F-C Would mean:
Q-G-M-O-E-W-K
Seems like nonsense
Cipher 2
changing each consonant into the letter that comes three places after it in the alphabet and changing each vowel into the letter that comes two places before. For example, D would become G, U would become S, and Z would become C
A B C D E F G H I J K LM N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Y E Z A C I J K G M N M S T U V W S Y Z A B C
Unless they mean this is the decoding cypher, not the encoding cypher… Soldier would be
V-M-O- Vowels are an issue…Y could be an A or a V (A and V both convert to Y and E and Z convert to C)
K-Y-V-W-K-C-E-C-O-O-M-I-M-E-C-G-G-C-Q-F-C Would mean:
H-A-S-T-H-E-B-E-L-L-O-F-J/O-B-E/Z-D/I-D/I-E/Z-N-C-E/Z
J/O-B-E/Z-D/I-D/I-E/Z-N-C-E/Z
OBEDIENCE
Seems like the right decoding is probably HAS THE BELL OF OBEDIENCE - an incomplete sentence so possibly a fragment of the total message, but likely the correct encryption.
Cipher 3
DQFIZ KPIED WZYWS QIVKO ZKXFW ZIMVT DQFXW CFPAF PDFZ VFTJF” translates to
Theor csofT arBap honci rclea round thela ke’sw ester nedge
K-Y-V-W-K-C-E-C-O-O-M-I-M-E-C-G-G-C-Q-F-C Would mean:
C-B-N-A-C-K-F-K-I-I-…
Seems live Nonsense