Nothing in the library strikes the paladin as evil.
The shard is nearly blinding to the paladin, who can barely maintain his gaze upon it.
"Tell me more 'bout this Sun spirit. I've been through lotta changes lately. You think she's had a hand in that?" the big greenskin asks while flexing one massive paw and enjoying the sensation of mythic power dancing across his fingers.
Arista goes to the Paladin.
"Gregario, are you alright? Do you have an idea of where we should go from here? Sienna, do you think it's possible that Marcus came this way?"
Sienna thinks for a moment. "His notes would be in the chamber we stayed in. I really think he would come here. If we go through the library, we can reach the bedrooms."
Keeping her scimitar firmly in her grasp, Arista follows the others through the library.
Sienna moves through the library, the wood creaking threateningly beneath her feet. Most of the books are ancient, merely one touch away from dust. A few seem to be in better shape. Sienna opens the door at the end of the library, revealing a hallway beyond with a spiral staircase nearby.
Sienna nods. "We were never able to get past the door further down this hallway."
She climbs the steps at a determined pace, one wooden step shatters beneath her. "Hrm. Careful now."
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Nicatha laughs again. "I do not know her well for I am of the night while she rules the day. You can see her now walking across the sky. In these lands she be known by a strange name to my ears, Sa-ren-ae. In my homeland we call things what they are, so she be called Sun. Of all the great spirits she be known to be the kindest and the most forgiving. She also, I hear, has a temper. While not as secretive as the Moon, she has learned some subtlety in her long life. I do know one story about her that my mother heard from her mother and her mother before that stretching back until it was told by the Spider himself. All stories belong to him. A jealous spirit that one, so it be best to remember to whom this story belongs.
This story be an old story, but not one of the oldest. It stretches not to the beginning of things. It be after the Spider won all stories for himself, but it be before the spirits made their great compact.
Though a trickster and often false, Spider possesses a honeyed tongue and can convince even those who should know better to trust him. One day he saw Sun walking across the sky. She walked slower than she should and the day seemed like it should stretch out forever. The Spider went and asked,
'Sun, why do you walk so slow? If you do not quicken your pace, then you will drive all rest from the world.'
Sun replied,"I walk slowly because I have a giant pot full of all wisdom and I am giving some to all who I see, so that all can be wise in their measure.'
Spider saw that Sun did have a giant pot and it looked filled with something shimmery that smelled delicious.
'Sun,' Spider asked, 'May I have some of that wisdom it smells like all things that are good to eat.'
'Of course,' Sun replied, 'You may have some. Wisdom should be for all.'
So, Sun reached her fiery hand into the pot and put a dollop on Spider's tongue. Spider loved the taste, and his eyes were opened to things he had never understood before. But though he was wiser, Spider was no less greedy.
'Sun', Spider pleaded, 'Give the giant pot to me, and I will give a bit of wisdom to all. That way you can walk your path at the proper pace so that rest will not be banished from the world.'
Sun considered Spider's words. The pot was heavy. And stopping to give everyone a dollop from the pot was making her daily journey take much longer than it should. Moreover, Spider's words were sweet and he seemed so earnest. So, Sun gave Spider the giant pot full of wisdom but made him promise to give every one their dollop. Spider swore. Sun continued on her journey.
Although Spider swore to share, he had no intention of sharing any of the wisdom from the giant pot. Spider was a glutton and he wanted all the delicious wisdom for himself. So, he took the giant pot home with him and ate and ate the wisdom. The more wisdom Spider ate the wiser he grew and the more he saw. Spider has always been tricksy, but with his gullet full of wisdom his pride and foolishness were no longer tripping him up. His tricks always succeeded, and he stole much from the other spirits and from the peoples of this world.
Eventually, Sun heard the clamor of the spirits and the people bemoaning how Spider had stolen everything they owned. She looked down upon the world and saw it was full of poor fools and not the wealthy wise as she had intended. In her anger, she took her sword and went hunting the Spider. Though Spider was now the wisest of the spirits he had grown fat from eating all that wisdom and slow from the weight of all those stolen treasures. He could evade her blows, but each time he evaded he had to cast away some of his stolen treasures as her sword carved deep furrows in the world. Sun struck many blows at Spider, but he evaded them all and the world was scored by her wrath. Eventually, all Spider had left was the giant pot of wisdom and it was still so heavy. He was loathe to abandon it, and in his waffling, he was not able to evade Sun's final blow that shattered the giant pot of wisdom.
Wisdom went everywhere, but not in equal measure as Sun had hoped. Some are wise. Some are fools. And, Spider be the wisest fool. This is how he became the spirit of wisdom along with stories and his other gifts, but those gifts are other stories. This story be almost done.
Sun was aghast and tried to gather the shards of the giant pot, but it was too late. Spider fled. Sun was left with the shards of her giant pot and she could hear the spirit of destruction rumble in his prison. All those blows had awakened him, and now that he was awake he started to send his terrible children into the world.
This is why Sun now has learned patience and circumspection. She would like to fix all things that are broken, but she now knows that her actions have a great effect on the world. So now, instead of fixing things or bring her wrath down on those who disappoint her, she encourages those who want to be better to become better. Do you feel like you are becoming a better man, Skaar? If so, it might be because the Sun has been watching you."
When the tale's finished, Skaar finds his attention drawn back to the dark-skinned beauty and her pale almost luminescent eyes. "If she's watchin' I hope she likes what she sees", he answers.
"I think I know what Drago likes bout you", he adds a moment later. "And it's not just yer ass", he finishes with a raucous laugh.
Whispering an arcane word, Sādhanā's eyes alight with a silvery glow as she scans the library for magical auras.
"If he was drawn deeper he was probably called the same way others seeking power are drawn by these things.
Nicatha shares in Skaar's laughter for it seems to the orc that she loves to laugh, but she also shook her head. "Like so many things, my ass be a mystery to the son of Chalandra. I will not sleep with any man how wants me to be his supper. I be no man's meat. Besides, I am sworn to the spirits."
With a smile she redirects the conversation back to Skaar, "I think a better question be whether you like yourself better? Are you at peace with your past and your nature? Just because something is savage doesn't make it wrong. The jaguar not be wicked for hunting at night."
She indicates the bracers with a glance. "I can look in your eyes and tell that you've faced a lot. A memento such as that may keep your mind in the past."
She leaves the room, allowing Drago to inspect the bracers.
Sādhanā catches the sight of two books which seem to be magically preserved against ravages of time. They are easily within reach, but, judging from their covers, seem to be mundane.
Upon Elena's return, he offered his enchanted bracers to her, "Thank you for bringing sustenance. Take these, they shall help keep you safe."
The big orc grunts and nods. "I still got a lotta work to do to make up for it, but my past is my past. No good's gunna come by torturin' myself over it and there's plenty that still need me. 'Sides, you never know what kinda things you put in motion just by tryin'."
"What do you think 'bout my nature?"
Stowing the books,Sādhanā moves forward, urgent to get to the destruction of the shard, a bad feeling rising in her gut.
She looks a little disappointed, but more worried for Drago than anything.
The party ascends the stairs into a hallway, two doors on each side. Faded and disintegrating tapestries line the walls. Sienna looks upon them with mild shock.
"They weren't like this before..." she gasps. "We stayed in that room on the right."
The tiefling points to the farthest door on that side of the hall.
Nicatha smiles demurely in response. "I have just met you Skaar I would not presume to speak of the content of your nature. But, I do sense that you -- like Drago -- have felt conflicted about what you perceive to be your nature. I merely council that you need not be afraid of yourself."
The door creaks as Gregario tries the handle and then falls to the floor with a crash. The wooden door breaks into several pieces at his feet. Inside the room is an assortment of various odds and ends. Sienna pushes past the paladin.
"Our equipment and food is ruined..." she says, crestfallen. "Marcus' journals are still here, though."
She picks up one of them and it turns to dust in her hands. "What is going on here?"
"No more than a week ago," Sienna says, bewildered at the state of the items in the room.
"%&%&#!" Sādhanā swears, her worst fears confirmed. "We need to destroy the shard and get out of here now! Time is flowing differently here and while we're doing this, years could be passing by outside."
She sends a questioning thought to Oblivion hoping for any input or confirmation of temporal energies.
Inside the other door, Gregario sees gathered food stuff, most of it looking fairly new. There are some gathered reeds laying against the far wall, as well.
Coming to stand beside Gregario, Sādhanā whispers a phrase, her vision shifting into the metaphysical spectrum.
Skaar studies the woman, looking for some kind of motive in her flawless but mysterious features. "I was in Brassport a few weeks back. Do you know what happened while I was there?"
Nicatha tilts her head to the side as if listening. "I know that you fought a battle against many foes. I know one of your companions fell, a priest. I know you became more than you were. But what be your real question, Skaar?"
Nothing strikes the paladin and magus as either magical or evil in this room. The logical conclusion is that the things here have been brought in quite recently.
Gregario checks the southern room, but finds nothing in there except for some refuse that had been left for so long that it is unidentifiable. A sturdy, though cracked desk sits against the wall.
"That was a f$$+ing scrap alright... But after somethin' was different. I was different. I'm stronger and not in the normal way", the big greenskin explains while flexing a bulging arm the size of the oracle's torso. "I can do shit I never could do before."
Everything is the desk is ruined, except for a tarnished signet ring. It bears a simple crest.