The only other room down this hall is the open one. Upon approaching, you find a book on a podium. As the light shines over it, it appears leather bound but there's something...off about it.
"I suppose that is true... well, at least I certainly hope so." Asa shrugs and exits the room, looking one last time over her shoulder at the grizzly display. "If not we might find a few angry undead villagers accusing us of neglect."
As they enter the new room, Asa walks up to the book. "I really hope this is just a journal. I am not convinced I would want to see what kind of spells would be found in such a place as this."
It certainly looks like it could be a spell book of some type.
Eloisa peeks into the room with the body parts. She takes a moment to Detect Magic on the room before following through the open door.
"I'm interested in learning all sorts of things. Not sure about that particular book though. It's bound in human skin." She moves up close and casts Detect Magic on the book.
The book radiates a weak aura of Necromancy.
Hmm weak Necromancy. Not exactly my specialty, but I can take a look. Any objections?"
Asa looks with revulsion on the book. "Human skin huh. Again, it certainly matches the natural ambiance of this lovely little cesspit."
Asa conjures another acid blob in her free hand, it hovers a few inches away from her skin.
"Shall I just destroy it now and spare us whatever horror fueled dementia it might contain or does anyone want to open it first?"
Asa suddenly becomes very stiff at the mention of necromancy. "I do, actually, mind. Very much so." Her voice is barely over a whisper yet it carries remarkably clearly in the room.
"Step back from the book. I am going to destroy it now if you don't mind. Necromancy and meddling with the dead is a knowledge best rooted out and purged." She points the acid blob at the book.
He shuddered at the mention of that thing being bound in human skin, a quick almost flashback of the horrible things that creature had flashed into his brain made him shiver for a moment.
"I am with her, nothing good can come from letting something so vile exist, although to play the Asmodean lawyer, perhaps letting the sheriff see it would be better. In case she wants to have someone look it over before destroying it to see what its about. But do as you will."
He began as Asa started to form the acid blob.
"I wonder if it was left here by the Chopper or if it's more recent..."
"The sheriff or maybe the father as he might have more knowledge about that kind of things than the sheriff. The Chopper didn't strike me as a spell caster type, but perception can be deceptive, I however won't rule out that the book is more recent then his death." He adds in, having regained his composure after the horrific find in the throphy room.
"But would it be safe to handle the book?" he looks to the magic orientented members.
With the previous Spellcraft roll, now that Detect Magic is being used as well, the book does not seem like it will be dangerous to handle.
You detect no traps.
"So do we want to bring the book with us for evidence and later destruction, or destroy it right here and now?"
Asa continues to look a the book with a frozen hatred. "Why expose the good father or any other kind soul in the town to this form of wickedness?" Asa's baleful glare turns contemplative for the briefest of moments as she adds, "Although if your initial assessment of the man was accurate, and the reports of lights here were not caused by that... thing... in the shrine room, perhaps it belongs to whomever is behind these recent woes." She lowers her hand a degree, but the acid ball still hovers there, ready to launch.
"I suppose the real question then, sadly, becomes if the risk of opening the book and seeing its spells prior to destroying it is worth the potential reward of identifying the person from their writing style." Letting out what sounds like equal parts sigh and groan, Asa fires the acid blob into the floor away from where her companions are standing. As the acid fizzes and sizzles she turns to Eloisa, addressing her curtly.
"You open, I will analyze. I would advise against copying from it. If a page is necessary for later comparison we can take it directly and destroy it later, though I would recommend one that doesn't have a spell for such purposes."
"I don't know much about magic, I confer with your knowledge about these things. I wouldn't mind opening it if we deem it safe and see what the contents are. Might have something to identify who it belongs to and what purpose it serves, might be what's behind the lights in the house." He responds looking to Asa and Eloisa "I'll be ready to help if anything happens ofcourse."
The book is a wizard's spellbook. It contains all first and second level Necromancy spells.
Asa ignores the contents of the spell specifics as they page through the grim book, focusing instead on the handwriting itself.
The language is Common. You can absolutely analyze it enough to get a sense of the penmanship. You'd probably recognize it if you saw it again.
Asa grunts and tuts to herself as she looks at the writing. "Common... how droll. The mark of a necromancer not learned or wise enough to record their spells in something less accessible."
"I have what I need. If the wizard braintrust behind this charming little book decides to write something else I will know." Satisfied, she turns to Eloise.
"Dic mihi, non puerilibus libro carminibus tuis. Meum est enim Thassilonian tali ratione."
"Please tell me you are not this childish with your book of spells. Mine is in Thassilonian for just such a reason."
"At any rate, if you are satisfied as well I am for destroying this cursed thing now."
"If you have enough to identify the writer I think that should be enough."
"I don't mind it's destruction seeing as it's only a spellbook. Better to know what it contained then destorying it without knowing if it was important."
Once convinced the book wasn't going to cause anyone to explode or become a zombie she looks at the book with interest. All those spells about to be lost. The binding of the book is evil, but the spells themselves are not.
"Though not my area of study, I would not turn down the opportunity to copy these spells into my book before it's destroyed." She looks pained at the knowledge that may be lost with the destruction.
A look of almost disgust crosses Asa's face. "Why in the hells would you want to remember anything found in this wretched place?"
Asa forms another acid ball in her free hand, but she keeps it pointed at the patch of floor she previously hit.
"Even you must admit that some knowledge is best left forgotten... especially any tied to the commission of such atrocities as we found in the other room." Asa gestures back toward the trophy room with her falcata.
"You have a good point Asa, but the spells themselves didn't cause those atrocities. It was the spell user. It's the knowledge that I'm interested in not the physical book. Especially not the binding." she shudders.
"Rip the pages out you wanna save and destroy the cover. The golden middleground, if you can agree to that both of you." The Desna Knight suggests to the two women, not knowing if that would have any effect on the pages being torned out of it.
Asa makes a sound like the combination of a cough and a snort. "The spells chosen to be recorded within are a visible window into the mind and soul of the person involved in this... horror. The fact she or he picked necromancy as their school of choice is almost telling." Asa spits.
"Knowledge is power, it is true, but some things are inherently dangerous to know, let alone record for posterity." She locks eyes with Eloisa, a hard glint within them that barely masks a trace of pain. "Even if you never try to use these spells to prolong your life past when Pharasma should have normally called you to judgement... even if you were never to try to command the dead or undead... can you guarantee that the next person reading the knowledge you preserved would be so noble?" Asa sighs, and closes her eyes.
"Fine. Do what you will, but guard your wicked knowledge well. If your sparing it from the flame this day produces further horrors, by your hands or not, be assured that I will track you down and force you to remedy them. I care not how old you are on that day." Lobbing the acid blob at another empty spot of the floor, the woman walks out of the room without a further word.
The knight follows Asa out of the room, when he catches up with her he puts a hand shoulder to get her attention. "Spare me a moment Asa. I can sense you have something against the content of that book, and I will not feign to know how you feel about that kind of magic. We are all on edge about what we have found down here, but better to let it out on whatever lives here. I might not be the best person to say this, but I will say to put some more trust in your travel and fighting companions, we will handle ourself much better down here if we put our trust in each other. "
After a short break he adds "When the time comes I might put enough trust in all of you to remove my mask in your company." as if to emphasize what he said.
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To Eloisa “Desna’s teaching would say that as we explore the world we must use the tools given. This book of knowledge could be such a tool but be on guard, if there is a spell of dark nature leave it be."
After a moment, missing their conversation, Rast follows Asa and the Knight out of the room.
"Shall we move on. I am sure this place will provide more difficult choices and we should face them while fresh.
Rast repositions his armor, making sure that Desna's symbol is well visible, and then adjusts his mace. Still uncomfortable he prays for "light" on the end of his mace.
"Best to keep the darkness at bay."
The other hallway leads to a set of stairs. The stairs go even further downward. Light is hard to come by here, but thankfully, Varak has his holy symbol shining defiantly in the encroaching gloom.
As you descend, you begin to hear the sound of moving water. The stairwary opens up into a cavern. The cavern floor is slightly sandy, and you can see why. The cavern leads out to water, which strikes you as odd for a second until you remember Chopper's Isle is, in fact, an island, close enough to Sandpoint for a bridge but not connected by land. Depending on when you were there, you might have had to swim, but luckily, it's low tide right now. There are two paths out of the cavern. Down the left path you can see the barest hint of sunlight. That's likely a way out to the surrounding waters.
The right path is dark, beyond the boundaries of your light.
Asa flinches reflexively at the Knight's touch but forces herself to unclench the fist around her blade. "Turnabout is fair play I suppose." With an impassive face she listens to the man as he speaks.
"You are right, the author and any of his or her minions are better targets for my blade than those we came down here with. Still, that woman is playing with proverbial fire by allowing that book's knowledge to continue on." Asa sighs, seeing Rast approach. "Cleric, some among your calling can channel the energies of your gods. Do you have such a gift?" Mentally bracing herself, she adds, "Perhaps it is best that I show you all where my hatred for necromancy and its byproducts comes from."
Eliosa looks upset at Asa's abrupt departure. Is it worth upsetting a companion for this? I don't know. Maybe they are right, maybe this knowledge is too much for me. I might not be able to use it, but I just can't let it be destroyed. There's so much to learn. She quickly flips through the book and cuts out half a dozen pages before sighing and blasting the book with a force missile in hopes it will damage or destroy it.
The Knight takes the front going down the stair case, he walks over to the dark path holding the light infused starknife up to see, how far he can see before going inside the path. "I'm just going to check how far in this goes."
"I could say it, but the words only convey some of it. There are things that must be witnessed to be fully understood. Tell me, how familiar are you with vampires?" A grim smile plays upon the woman's lips.
"Well, we now know how things could have come and gone here without leaving much trace in the house above. Should we see where it leads out to on the island?" Asa gestures to the sunlight passage with her falcate.
He listened to the interplay between everyone quietly. It was clear they wanted to destroy the evil book, and personally he agreed with that.Ordinary Magic was...enough of a dangerous thing to worry about, the thought there were spells that were inherintly evil left a bas taste in his mouth. As the others moved forward he paused and picked up the remains of the book throwing it in his backpack.
If questioned I'll explain its evidence. This is an investigation.
He thought to himself and hurried to follow the others.
Asa looks a bit scared at Rast's statement, but also determined. She waits until everyone is in the room, including Eloisa.
"Am I really sure this is a good idea? No. But they need to know. If only so they know how not to heal me if we run into something nasty down there."
Bracing herself both physically and mentally, the woman sticks out her arm. "Rast, please channel as little of your healing energies as you can on my outstretched arm."
Even bracing for it and knowing what will happen, Asa can barely contain the scream as her arm suddenly blackens under the holy rays emminating from Rast's symbol. "Stars alive that hurts...."
Taking a second to compose herself and draw in breath, Asa hold up her arm next to the light sources for all to see.
"This is why I hate necromantic magic. This is why I hate the undead, and any who would pretend to control them." Asa says through gritted teeth.
"Do not be fooled. Vampires are not merely the stuff of bardic tales and cheap novellas. They exist. They hunt. They kill. And worse than kill, sometimes they condemn those yet born to be outcasts from their own families and bloodlines."
Asa turns to Rast. "Those thus cursed are known as 'dhampir', and they inherit many of their vampiric 'progenitor's' weaknesses and strengths. Such as being burned by positive energies when channeled, yet healed by negative ones."
Asa winces as she lowers her arm. "In answer to your question, Rast... no, you did nothing wrong. I will always react such to positive holy energies. The only reason that I do not quake and have trouble with sunlight is the blessings of a similar cleric when my mother was dying giving birth to me." Asa smiles sadly, this time allowing her too elongated canines to show. Turning to Eloisa, she adds, "So if I have to get you to help with whatever necromantic nightmare spreads from your spellbook, expect me not to have physically aged too much from now." Asa's laugh is not unkind, but it fails to mask a lot of pain.
"Now we see if they attempt to kill me like the monster my 'mother' is..."
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Shaken doesn’t even to cover Rast at this moment.
But if you are injured how do I help you?
I must remember not to channel in a way that will hurt Asa. This complicates things greatly.
I am sorry that was probably a selfish question. Umm are you ok? Can you eat normal food?
Shut up, that was another stupid question, I have seen her eat, I think.
Eloisa looks a little shaken, but determined. "You can follow me all of my days. I don't plan to do evil with these spells." She thinks for a few moments. "Inflict that's how you would heal her. That happens to be a spell from the Necromacy school. Would you allow us to do that Asa? Use a spell such as that to heal you?"
Asa lets a breath out that she had not quite realized she was holding in.
"Yes Rast, I do eat normal food. Some of my... kind," Asa spits after the word, wincing, "can take sustenance on blood as well, though I have never tried to do so. I think I would rather starve, personally." She shudders at the thought and looks up at Eloisa.
"You are correct. Negative energy from spells like 'wound', be they granted by deific blessing or arcane study, have the same healing properties on me as they would on an undead creature."
Asa closes her eyes. When she opens them, they are almost pleading.
"Quaeso, mihi quod non intelligere dum persequuntur. Et ratio dubitandi quia parum iusta notitia volens propter seipsam. Maiori mihi curae est quid facerent discipule illam, aut discipulus, aut qui procurat fur surripere carmine libellum tuum."
"Please understand me when I say that I am not trying to persecute you. I have little reason to doubt that you are just desiring knowledge for its own sake. I am more concerned with what your apprentice might do with that knowledge, or their apprentice, or some thief that manages to steal your book of spells from you."
Asa grimaces. "I hate my nature, but it does make it easier for others to fling negative energy at my opponents in combat. Well, assuming they are living. I will heal naturally over time, but if someone wants to expend some negative energy on my wounds... well, I would be thankful."
The knight is amazed, might not be the right word in this circumstance but he can't think of a better word, by what just happened. "I never thought the stories form Geb were true." "She is more brave then me, I would not be ready to trust my secret so soon, but hers would have been reveal when the priest channeled at a later point.
Back in the cave "Sure let's take a look outside to see where exactly we are, but I also want to explore this dark path see where it leads. If these tunnels could lead straight back into Sandpoint I'd like to close them off for good. He says as he steps beside Asa