Lubella is able to make her purchases while Aldren paces uncharacteristically around thinking about the upcoming confrontation.
Aldren b!urts out suddenly We must be very careful.
So far we have operated in the fringe. Second hand minions. Once we get involved with group, we are jumping into bed with both feet, so to speak. This is Nox. Thrunes close advisor and who knows what else. This will be hard to keep out of sight.
We may need to move our base of operations to something more defensible. I am not sure I am ready to oppose the diabolical hoards of the nether gates at this point in my life. I will see this through but ...we'll see what happens by the Savored Sting!
He sits down with an exhaustive sigh.
Lubella spent the evening discussing plans with her colleagues and going over what they might need to buy the next morning.
"Nox is going to be the biggest threat, I think. I'm hoping we can use stealth to locate her and fight her when she's relatively alone. We don't know what lighting conditions we'll run into. Most of the Redactors are human, I imagine, so hopefully things won't be pitch black. In that case I'll be able to scout pretty well. If the light isn't so good, we'll have to rely on Talvek to guide us.
"If things go wrong, and all the enemy forces are converging on us, we might have to beat a hasty retreat. Getting ourselves killed in a desperate, last-ditch stand isn't going to make thinks better for the people of Kintargo.
"Our biggest asset is the element of surprise. The plan is: locate Nox using stealth, quickly prepare ourselves, and strike swiftly! Once she's been neutralized, we maintain the initiative and keep attacking, not giving the enemy time to organize. If we're getting bogged down, we retreat before we can get surrounded."
It took Lubella some time to get to sleep. Her mind was racing; she tried to think of all the possible things that could go wrong, and what she could do to guard against them. Finally, she fell into a fitful slumber.
She was tired in the morning. It would have been better to be well rested, but easier said than done. She was especially devout in her dawn prayers, asking Sarenrae for the wisdom to make the right choices in the battle to come, so her team-mates would all make it through OK.
After breakfast, and another review of the mission plan, she set out for the Newt Market to buy supplies. Once everything had been procured, she tried to calm Aldren's nerves.
"I agree that we need to find a new headquarters: something both bigger than the Long Roads Coffee House, and more secure. Laria's helped us out tremendously, but it's time to move on; we don't want to bring ruin down on her.
"This will definitely stir the hornet's nest. I expect we'll need to lay low for a little bit afterwards."
The gravity of Aldren's words unsettles Talvek and he spends the evening crafting a message to his mothers, apprising them of the situation in veiled terms. In the morning, he joins the others after what might well be their last night in the Wasp's Nest.
"If all goes well, might we not take that Many Steps place for ourselves, to be our new headquarters? It has a secret entrance in a building that everyone thinks abandoned, we should be pretty safe there. And it might not be something that Thrune and his agents expect."
Lubella replied to Talvek, "We'll have to see what the layout is like. We need a place where there's some secret exits that the Asmodeans don't know about. I worry about them surrounding our hideout and crushing us with overwhelming force. We're not strong enough to face their strongest warriors and devils." She thought to herself, They likely know all the ways in and out of the Many Steps Monastery. The ideal would be somewhere they don't know about yet, but how likely is it that?
"Does everyone have everything they need?", she asked her comrades.
Unless there is any other action for the evening, Rexus and Laria retire for the night. Your teams check in and report some growing support and progress.
***
The early next morning is a tempestuous one, full of heavy rain and dark clouds enduring from the night into the Dawn.. An occasional clap of thunder wakes you from your restless sleep. There will not be much light this morning, but it may not matter where you are heading.
Lubella had spent the previous night and the early morning worrying about the mission. Now she felt eager to get to the museum, so she could stop worrying and start doing. Time to get this over with.
Once the shopping is completed in the rain, your team heads across the Bleskbridge and even the guards do not seem eager to be stationed in this day. Crowds are noticeably thin and you cross in record time.
Reaching the museum front door, you find it Undisturbed from how you left it the prior evening.
Aldren trudges along in the rain, also ready to bring the fight to the enemy and either achieve victory or at least inflict some annoyance.
”Well, I guess this is it, right? No turning back now. “
He pauses as if unusually deep in thought then speaks
”My past regret was we didn't more clearly telegraph the Silver Ravens who were at work again. Maybe this time we spread word More broadly...assuming we succeed." “
Before the Silver Raven's strike team headed to the museum, Lubella returned to the Longroads Coffee house and donned her disguise (slightly different from her previous ones), taking extra care to make sure she wouldn't give a away her true identity. She also helped the others with their outfits.
"That's right — today we kick things up a notch!", Lubella replied to Aldren.
After making sure they weren't being watched, she entered Hocum's Fantasmagorium, and checked around to make sure that everything was as they left it the day before. She knew that things could certainly go wrong, but felt it important to go in with a confident attitude. She reassured Aldren, "It won't be easy, but the Silver Ravens will be victorious! We held off taking credit for the Red Jills until now, but after today, it's time to spread the word of our crime fighting deeds. We're going to get the attention of the Thrunies anyway."
Talvek attempts to disguise himself as a Qadiran human, using astrip of cloth as a turban to hide his horns and colouring his skin as if sun-kissed.
Once inside the fantasmagorium, he applies the silversheen to his rapier.
Inside the museum, nothing has changed since you left a dozen hours ago or so....
Proceeding to the statue of Aroden and enacting the precise steps outlined in the book, “Turn the eye to spell the name of the Master of Masters.”
Descending the stairs and peering into the room at the bottom...
A wrought-iron spiral stairway descends from the ceiling into a massive library. Bookshelves, both freestanding and wall-mounted, rise up to a ceiling forty feet above. Ladders on tracks allow access to the higher shelves, yet few books and scrolls remain here. Bloodstains mar the floor here and there, and some of the shelves bear what appears to be recent battle damage. A strange rune inscribed in a circle decorates the floor.
After making sure that nothing had been disturbed, Lubella took off her chain shirt and hid it among the costumes, in the room to the left of the entrance. When they manipulated the statue to reveal the staircase, she gave Arcos the scroll of mage armor to cast on her. She cast her communication spell, so she could whisper to her team-mates, and recited the incantation to make the blade of her scimitar glow brightly,
She said to Talvek, "Red, maybe you should go first, since you can see in the dark. I must carry a light to see; I'll follow you. Blue, you can be behind me, and Yellow, with your heavier armor, you can bring up the rear. I'll leave it up to you if you want to carry your own light sources."
Before they descended, Lubella went over the plan one last time,"We're going to try to use stealth as much as we can to locate Nox, and try to engage her when she's relatively isolated. We don't want to fight the entire monastery at once!
"When we meet Nox, I'm going to try to grease her glave and make her drop it. Who wants to throw the tanglefoot bag, in case my spell doesn't work?"
Once everyone was in agreement, the halfling woman pulled her bandana up over her nose to conceal her features, and followed Talvek down the stairs, trying to make as little sound as possible.
Talvek quickly drains the contents of a small vial before descending, then takes point as instructed, confident that his disguise will keep his identity hidden. As Lubella asks about the tanglefoot bag, he extends a hand.
Trying to keep quiet, he descends the iron staircase and looks around.
The party makes final preparations and then descends the 50' long stairs.
Talvek peers into the room (see the spoiler above) using his darkvision. He is able to see the room is dimly lit, and is full of the described rows of bookshelves partially filled by dusty tomes and scrolls.
A strange rune inscribed in a circle decorates the floor.
You recognize the rune on the floor as the Master’s Rebus—a rune sacred to Irori.
No occupants are visible in the room, nor do you hear anything at the moment.
Lubella hoped that this area wasn't being used right now; her light would be a giveaway in an otherwise pitch-black area. She whispered to Talvek, "Red, can you check around to make sure we aren't being watched? I'm afraid I can't exactly sneak around when I'm carrying a light."
She moved forward and looked at the rune on the floor.
She whispered her comments, "This is a rune sacred to Irori; we must be must in the Archivists' library." She looked around, noting the signs of battle, and the sparse shelves. "I fear that the Sacred order of Archivists may be no more."
"I cannot see or hear anyone." whispers Talvek. "There are a lot of shelves here, and some blood stains. Not a lot of books or scrolls left, I suppose someone took them."
At the mention of books and as Lubella steps into the room, there is a sound...a rustling of leaves...or papers.
HALT! I am the guardian of this place. Let it be known you are intruders and can proceed no further into this complex.
You do not see anyone speaking, but the voice sounds like it originates from around the shelf marked in purple.
Turn back and you may be spared. Proceed and I will destroy you.
Great. So much of for sneaking in undetected. Still, Lubella wondered about the nature of this guardian; she asked the voice, "Who do you serve? Irori, or someone else?"
The voice speaks.
I serve the one who commands me. Depart at once or face the consequences of your actions.
Aldren casts invisibility on himself and moves into the room.
Lubella responded, "OK, I command you to let us pass through! We'll depart this way." She started moving towards the double doors to the west that she could see in the dim light.
Trying to determine if the guardian was posted here by the Asmodeans, she looked over and said to the voice, "This sanctuary seems to have been looted; were you supposed to be preventing that?"
"Uhh, I don't think that's what he means, Lubella." Talvek interjects. He speaks to the air, addressing the voice. "Who is it that commands you? For how long have you been guarding this place? It is a shame that most of the books and scrolls are gone, I bet they were full of remarkable knowledge."
The voice grows louder and more stern. Coming from a large tome on the shelf.
HALT! You do not command me! You have been warned.
The book moves...then literally flies 20' off the shelf. It appears to come apart, with the bindings separating from the covers, and the ribbons and stitching loosing ancient pages into the air.
HALT! You shall not proceed. I am charged to stop all intruders. And do not even think about touching any of the remaining books. Enough damage has been done already. You have been warned.
The book cover continues towards Lubella after briefly looking in Talvek's direction as he attempts to intercede.
long ribbons flutter about and the book-man waits...
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Lubella stopped when the book flew off the shelf. It seemed that her fears of an invisible guardian stationed here by the Asmodeans were unfounded. This seemed more in keeping with some sort of construct, made my the Archivists.
She addressed the tome in a conciliatory manner, "I was worried that you were placed here by those that attacked the library, but it seems I was wrong.
"We came here looking for the Sacred Order of Archivists, but it seems we are too late. It looks like something terrible happened here. I'm very sorry for you loss.
"We are friends of Lady Portia Victocora's son. We had hoped to find her here unharmed, but alas, that was not to be. Do you know if any of the Order survived? If some have been taken prisoner, we might be able to rescue them.
"We wish to pass through this library, and punish those responsible for this destruction. We understand that they have taken over some chambers near here (perhaps beyond the doors), and turned them into something called the Many Steps Monastery. It's possible that we may be able to find some of the volumes stolen from this place and return them. We also found a few books upstairs; whether any of those came from here I don't know."
I know naught of this Victocora and only a little of the Archivists I have overheard since I arrived. I will not allow you to pass beyond the stairs or tamper with any of the remaining tomes and scrolls. You should depart immediately.
Lubella sighed and whispered to the others, "I don't suppose constructs are very flexible in their thinking; get ready!"
She stalled for a few more seconds to give her comrades a chance to prepare. "I was hoping that we could find a non-violent solution," she told the talking book.
Silly mortal. As much as I would enjoy letting you pursue the Asmodean Redactors, I cannot. I offered you a non-violent solution. Depart.
Aldren considers whispering to Lubella (via message) but then worries the creature will overhear at this close distance.
.
=== init - round -1===
17-Lubella(), Aldren()
13+Creature()
13-Talvek() , Arcos ()
Lubella edged her way slowly to the doors, ready to parry the guardian's attacks if need be. She told it, "I'd prefer not to fight you, but I will if I must."
Defensive Abilities clever defense, DR chaotic; Immune poison; Resist cold , sonic ; SR
Weaknesses vulnerable to fire
Special attacks include memory drain and read thoughts
..
Aldren does something, but none of you are able to see him.
You hear Aldren's panicked voice from over closer to the book stacks and the creature.
Hey! It's trying to get into my head! and he calls upon his goddess.
The creature stands still...waiting.
=== init - round -1===
17-Lubella(defense), Aldren(invis,duplicated)
13+Creature(readied?)
13-Talvek() , Arcos ()
"A scrivenite... Blue, if you have any fire magic, now's the time." Talvek shares his insights with the rest as he moves towards the creature.
"Let's dance, then."
As Talvek moves into position, a purple ribbon lashes out at the Tiefling.
You chose unwisely.
vs AC+Parry
Talvek attempts to parry the ribbon with his blade
Parry
But he is unable to block the lashing by the lashing.
plus Will save DC16 or lose a point of INT as well
=== init - round -1===
17-Lubella(defense), Aldren(invis,duplicated)
13+Creature()
13-Talvek(-2hp, will save?) , Arcos ()
Arcos shakes his head, "Apologies my friend. All I've got is lightning."
Arcos slings some lightning at the scrivenite, in keeping with his statement.
Arcos hurls a bolt of lightning into the melee before Talvek gets too close to the creature...
Talvek feels some of his memories stolen from his mind as he moves in and stabs the bookish creature
”I apologize but you left me no choice. Also, I must inform you I was required to alert the Asmodeans of your presence here.“
for
The second ribbon misses and he lands his blade but it does not seem to scratch the strange pages composing the body. (DR)
=== init - round 2===
17-Lubella(defense), Aldren(invis,duplicated)
13+Creature(-2?)
13-Talvek(-2hp, -1int) , Arcos ()
"So you ARE a tool of those who despoiled this place!", Lubella denounced the so-called guardian. She spoke an arcane word of power and swiftly closed with the creature, striking with her scimitar.
As Lubella moves in to slash at the creature, it speaks to her, but does not take the opportunity to lash out at her.
I would consider myself more of a deceived victim of these miscreants. But in retrospect, 'tool' probably suffices.
But even flanking with Talvek, the creature seems to anticipate her moves and dodges the small blade.
Aldren decides he will get into the action and pops out of invisibility...well two of him do actually.
So you were playing the patsy!
He swings his morningstar at the creature.
for
But he too finds it hard to land a solid blow on the shifting, swirling papers.
====
In response, the bookish creature replies to Aldren.
So there you are! I could detect your jumbled thoughts, but not see you.
You will make a fine addition to my journal.
Two of the purple ribbons seek targets to either side.
On Lubella DC16 WILL or lose 1 INT
On Aldren DC16 WILL or lose 1 INT
Both ribbons hit their marks...
=== round 2 ===
13-Talvek(-2hp, -1 int) , Arcos ()
==== round 3 ====
17-Lubella(-1hp, save?), Aldren(-1hp, duplicated, save?)
13+Creature(-2hp)
"Aargh, you'll pay for that!", Lubella cried. She spun into her martial dance, stepped to the side, and coordinating with Talvek, slashed at the collaborator.
"Oh no, poor victim. You had your chance to redeem yourself." Talvek has no sympathy for the creature, and moves to flank it with Lubella, whipping his rapier at it again.
Talvek moves into position opposite Lubella. The two slash and stab at the swirling creature.
Lubella, even with the flank, is unable to land her blade.
Talvek stabs the creature directly into it's bookish face causing the smallest of scratches (1 dmg after DR, no crit)
He prepares to retaliate if the creature lashes back.
Aldren tries to improve the situation...with a heavy smash of his own.
Leave us ALONE!
But his heavy weapon does no noticeable damage to the book-head.
Um, guys...
=== round 2 ===
13-Talvek(-2hp, -1 int) , Arcos ()
==== round 3 ====
17-Lubella(-1hp, -1 int), Aldren(-1hp, duplicated)
13+Creature(-3hp)
Arcos continues his lightning slinging, striking a blow on the book-being.
Arcos blasts again, having similar effect. Another small burn appears on the creature's bindings.
It looks at Arcos
You seem to be the one I need to deal with first. A caster like you I am sure could fill volumes of my journal!
It flies 5' toward Arcos but lashes again at Aldren and Talvek.
Aldren for pop!
Talvek for
The first ribbon is directed at Aldren's face, but it fortunately strikes and pops his copy.
Now, that was most unfortunate, but I can better see you!
Talvek uses his blade to parry the incoming ribbon, setting himself for a riposte. Some of the blade actually cuts into the ribbon.
=== round 4 ===
13-Talvek(-2hp, -1 int) , Arcos ()
17-Lubella(-1hp, -1 int), Aldren(-1hp)
13+Creature(-7hp)
"Blue, can you flank with me?", Lubella called out. She followed the ribbon creature with her dance steps, timing her strike to conbine with her friend's flanking movment.
Aldren activates his copycat and a shimmering duplicate of himself reappears as he moves into flank with Talvek.
Not so fast, book-head! You need to worry about all of us!
for
Landing his blow solidly, but the heavy head of the weapon does not even leave a mark on the creature.
Arcos steps in and tries to hit the beast with a close-range ball of lightning.
"Ugh! How can paper be so tough?" Talvek grumbles in frustration as he flails at the tendrils almost uselessly.