Legend's Fall's, the most prestigious library and place of learning in all of Riddleport. Though in a place like Riddleport, that's hardly an achievement. What use are book's and Knowledge in a haven of cut-throats and savages? Those are the thoughts that ran through many's head when they saw the help wanted sign on the few bounty boards in the city. What could a library of all things want with the dredges of this society?
What ever that might be, you've taken it upon yourself to figure it out. Whether or not it was fate or pure chance that brought you here doesn't matter. If you have traveled long and far to get here, or were here all along. What matters is you are standing at the beginning of your grand tale.
Where shall you take it?
The crisp sea salt of the sea assaults the noses of the three humanoids gathered in-front of the towering building that is Riddle-port's only Library. Even high up in the wind ward district where the building is located, you can't escape the scent of the sea. Though thankfully the stench of the city proper is lessened a good amount here. Each of them have a poorly drawn flier in their hands, as if their reasons for being here co-align.
They stand on the finely paved road, outside the buildings solid gold gates, and wall's made of silver. The emblem on the gate showing what seem's like a tree, growing under the weight of the cyphergate this city is known for. It gleams in the sunlight, as if preening under the gazes of the three beings standing outside.
But the Gate pales in comparison to what it protects. The building itself towers up 4 stories into the air. It takes up more then half the block of Garden Street & Flint Boulevard. 60,000 Sq feet of land dedicated to just this building. It's sheer size is dwarfed wholly by the fact it is also made of solid gold. Artistic lines and carved scribbles line the wall in matching formation, creating a almost fae-like whimsy. However, it seems heavily contrasted by the 20 dead tree's that flank both sides of the entrance inside the gate. Angry and Sorrowful faces are carved into the bark, staring out at a sight unseen to you. Suspicious red liquid leaking from a few of them.
Finally, there is a large sign, hammered into into the gate, which reads as the following.
"All thee who enter here, know that knowledge and answer's await you, for this is Legends Fall. A legend is defined as a traditional story sometimes popularly regarded as historical but unauthenticated , but here we can promise you 1 thing, We are definitely unauthenticated!"
a little below the carved messege, there seems to be a small edit that's...Drawn on? with...Crayon?
"oh f~%$, i f+$$ed that up, i really hope Fox doesn't see this, please don't tell fox!"
Walking through the street, taking in the city of Riddleport for the first time, Leo approaches the gate wearing his lab coat that is covered in dirt and dust from days of travel, all of his equipment and tools stuffed into an almost ripping backpack. He mouths the words on the sign as he reads them. Once done he looks around in disbelief; "Are they also uneducated. What the hell is this sign even trying to tell me?"
"Maybe this job will work out...something is better than nothing" He attempts to open the gates and make his way into the library, praying to any God that they are open today.
|
"Oh! Finally, someone with a spare hand...!" Tether blurts out at the elf man currently trying to open the gate. Her hands are full with baked goods and candies of all kinds- cookies, sweetbuns, chocolate, and sugarballs threaten to topple over onto the ground with sudden movement from her.
"Been standing here so long waiting for someone else to help me out... I'd put 'em down, but... My Vow of Cleanliness, augh, they'd be ruined!"
She offers him a big, tusk-filled grin, albeit a bit of a nervous one at the sight of his dirty clothes.
"You got the flier too? Same as me? Well, I'm Tether, what's your name?"
"Flier? no, i just need a job, sorry let me help- Leo starts taking the food that looks the most off balance until she is able to move around safely. -you out. The name’s Leo by the way, and sorry that I look somewhat disheveled but don’t worry, my hands are very much clean” Now with the travelling bakesale under control he starts backing up through the gate. ”If she is working here too then maybe my tenure at this place wont be so bad”
Once the gates are open, the gathered group hears a sharp squawk of surprise as a rugged looking man, someone who definitely doesn't look like he belongs here, hurriedly stands out of some bushes that flank the tree's and building. His hands hold a large sack, metal clinking around inside.
"Wh-What? O-Oh hello! uh...." The Dirty man stutters in clear fear, clutching the sack to his chest before trying to hurry pass Leo and escape the gated entrance.
Tether and Leo both notice the man is trying to get out of here quickly, his back pockets filled to the brim with something he clearly feels he needs to hide as he hurries to the now open gate. Bumping into the two of them and dropping some of the treat's.
|
|
"AUGH!" Tether cries in anguish as she sees some of her sweets fall to the floor to be ruined by the ground's filth. "H-Hey..? You're in a hurry..." The half-orc woman mutters.
She shifts the plate to one arm and uses her now-free arm to try and stop him before he can pass her, also managing to drop more sweets in the movement...
"Calm down, you seem a little jumpy? What's in the bag?"
Red, who has been shadowing Leo the whole time, speaks up when they pick up one of the treats off the ground. When they bring it up to their face, which is completely shrouded in their hood.
"Who cares? Maybe he's just eager to get the job... probably doesn't concern any of us.." and with that, they take a bite of the treat. "Name's Red, by the way.
When the Half-Orc stops him, he immediately starts to back away, eye's growing clearly panicked as he hugs the sack. in his fear however, he doe not see a small rock behind him, making the dirty man fall onto his back at the foot of the tree's. the sack falls and opens, revealing large chucks of what can only be the golden wall of the library. As well as tools that he must have used to carve it.
"o-oh no! the thief cries hurriedly, trying to get all of his stolen...wall? "You-You saw nothing!
tastes like dirt...
"Were you stealing part of the building?" Leo is stunned at what is going on to the point that Red's existence hasn't registered to him yet. "Why don't you just run out of hear before I have to figure out how to throw a bomb at you with my feet..."
|
|
Tether's attention also bounces back to the dirty man, the glittering gold of the wall catching her eye.
"Stealing the gold plated wall?" Tether says, her face slowly going from confused to stern
"Go. Now." She reprimands, like a stern mother disciplining a kid. "I don't need my hands to KICK you out of here, ya get it? So go. And empty handed, mind you!"
Quickly, the man stands and nods, eager to escape and not get beaten by these people.
...however, Red eye's are suddenly drawn to the tree behind the man. Ever so slowly, They see the anguish filled carved face slowly start to morph. the bark starts silently splitting apart in jagged lines like a....mouth. Two dark and small beady eye's stare at the thief in hate and hunger. some of the branches start to stealthily slide down the bark and reach for the mans feet.
...That's a Ent...
"Hey...what sounds like a weeping willow mixed with impending doom?"
Red turns to the dirty man as well, shaking their cloaked head, the concern from Tether and the dirty treat seemingly not bothering them.
"I heard in the grapevine that this place had a bad reputation but, already?" They drop the rest of the treat on the ground and start reaching into their bag. "So, does anyone else see that tree starting to- oohh that's no tree guys..."
"What the hell is he talking abo-OH SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDAMN THATS BIG". Leo struggles to keep his grip on the foods, causing him to drop some of them to the floor.
"I'm starting to think Sanctuary wasn't so bad after all...". He says out loud, staring biological death in the face.
"I-I-I-I'm not sure...but it is big and looks pissed" Leo looks ready to drop the food an run full speed into the library at any moment .
Red pulls out a small wand from their bag, backing up slowly and readying themselves in case something were to happen.
"THAT is an Ent... essentially a sapient tree.. but if THAT one is alive then... They look at all of the other trees. "...well we might be in trouble."
The treant takes the time given to it wisely. It's branches descend upon the thief before he can even scream. swiftly, the creature pulls the man head first into its now gaping maw head first. The thief kicks his feat as hes thrown down the tree's gullet, engorging the base of the trunk like a swollen belly.
Once the man is swallowed whole, the Treant lets out a small burp, coughing up the thief's shoes before turning its beady eye's to the three of you
"..."
After a moment of staring you all down. The Treant closes its eye's and motions its face in the direction of the door, apparently not having any quarrel with you.
"...Head on inside, and do not steal..." The Treant groans, it's eye's opening once more to inspect you.
"Thank you, sorry to disturb you!" Scooby-doos inside the library.
Red nods, picking up their bag and rushing along inside behind the other two, grabbing a few of the dropped treats and stuffing them into the pockets of their coat.
Leo closes the door behind them and slides down to the ground, eyes bulging wide, catching his breath.
"Nothing gets the blood pumping in the morning faster than facing your mortality.... Looks at the snacks and realizes that a non-zero amount are missing. Leo looks to Tether, Sorry that I offered to help just to end up dropping some anyways."
Red pulls two of the treats out of their pockets, showing one to Tether while taking a bite out of the second.
"I picked up a few, if you want them back, they're probably pretty good under all the dirt.
Whilst those two are talking, Leo takes a chomp out of a cookie and sits there in amazement. ”Wow, this might be the best thing to enter my mouth in 100 years, I REALLY hope we get to work together so I can keep eating this stuff.” Now that he has calmed down, Leo starts to take a look at the inside of the library, trying to gauge whether or not this place is as lavish on the inside as it is outside.
"I don't see what the problem is, they were only on the ground for a little... They shove the other one back into their coat and take in their surroundings. "Well we're here now, wonder if the people inside are as friendly as the ones outside..."
Dendar is currently walking through the front end of the library with a book in his hands looking very befuddled, "Aww man... I don't remember where this goes, maybe Thanatos can put it back for me. But then again I cant just wait this is supposed to be cleaned by the time Fox sees me again. Oh no more people to move books." Dendar walks to the front where the adventurers stand.
"Greetings townsfolk! And welcome to Legends Fall, if you have any questions I... might be able to assist you." Dendar looks visibly scared for them to ask questions.
once the group manages to get inside, they are greeted with a completely different atmosphere then the one outside with the Treant's. Rows upon rows of shelves containing tomes, books, scrolls, line the area neatly. Countless animated ladder's drive countless scholars(and a few brave kids) through the halls towards the books they so desperately want. All around, multiple tables dot the area, scholars with books stacked 10 high.
High in the open air of the high floor's, a Tengu flaps his wings, soaring up to a crow's nest and perching on the side of the railing. black beady eye's peering down at you all with a unexplained curiosity. His attention is taken however when a Red haired woman calls to him from the second floor.
"CHAK! GET OVER HERE BRO! I'M ABOUT TO BEAT MY RECORD IN HOW LONG I CAN HANDSTAND!" The lady shrieks excitedly, before pulling what seems to be a mask down and hurrying out of view. The Tengu, now named Chak, vaults off his perch and also flies out of view to the second floor.
Before they can even process that, A incorporeal figure floats up through the ground in-front of the three overwhelmed prospects. It's Shark mask face turns to stare at each of you for a moment with it's beady yellow eye's before tuning to float away. A group of 8 coffin's float ominously behind the creature as it meet's up with a smaller teenager. A boy with shocking Blue hair and a stoic face. Lifting the boy onto one of his coffins, the spirit floats out of sight.
Suddenly, a man in priest robes, with spiky blond hair, runs around a corner with a s%&+ eating grin on his face, dull blue eye's show a large amount of malicious satisfaction as he barely escapes a cascade of flaming charkrams.
"gotta do better then that oh brother of mine!" the blonde shout's, his tattoo-like whisker mark scrunching up at his satisfied grin, headless of the fact his robs are slightly on fire.
"F#*# YOU!" a identical Blonde with the same face and tattoo's shouts from the top of a book shelf, another flame growing in his hands. It's easy to see why he's mad. he has multiple genitalia drawn on his face. the testicles drawn around his eye's and the penis drawn over his nose and mouth. the second blondes more life filled eye's blaze as he flying tackles his apparent twin, both rolling into an aisle and out of sight.
Almost immediately, a nearby door opens and a duo of people holding a Nagaji under their arms like a battering ram walk through. one dressed kinda like a hobo, and the other in what seems to be a construction contractor outfit along with a shiny hard hat. The Nagaji seems strangle content in this position however.
"dang tooten Yoshi, you can't be using all the hot water! we needs that stuff" the man in the hard hat explains to the Nagaji, who just blinks like he's been told to stop eating. The man in the hard hat only sighs at that. "...back me up here Phil?"
"f%&& you Harry, it's BILL...! the hobo growls as he helps Harry pull Yoshi up the stairs and out of sight.
.....
Then a Half Elf in a bathrobe approuches the three of you, asking something...?
Confused as hell
”Um,hi. I’m Leo. I would like to speak to the owner if they are available.”
Dendar's eyes widen because that's exactly what he didn't want to have to deal with, "Uhhh, ummm well I don't know exactly where she is. Were a little busy at the moment. What was the reason you needed her?"
Dendar thinks to himself sadly, "Oh no!! She's gonna ask me if i finished my cleaning! I'm mince meat!"
"I would like to try an apply for a job here but I didn't realize how many...characters...work here already" Leo seems to show a disdain for the rowdy people he heard just moments ago but is doing his best to put on a straight face for this gross half breed.
"For a library, this is awfully noisy..." They just stare at all the scenery has to provide, brushing their blonde hair away from their face. They speak up from the back "What kind of library IS this anyway?"
Dendar glances around as if he'd never realized how rowdy it was in a LIBRARY, "Ohh well i mean everyone helps out in their own special way. This library is just like any other, books of spells history incantations and otherworldly novels... Uh I'm Dendar by the way, probably right to introduce myself if we might be working together. I am Fox's sorta kinda right hand man, I can see about going to grab her and uh... your not gonna tell her about that sign outside right? And the uhhh... the paper? I mightve over extended the pay grade a bit?"
"Yea sure I wont say anything to your boss, I didn't catch your name by the way". Leo stands up looking for a clean place to set down the food in his arms.
|
|
"Nice to meet you Dendar, I'm Tether... I never really looked at the payment, actually, let's see..."
She fishes the flier from her pocket with her free hand and peers down at it
"Ah, yes I see... mhm... yes...." She says slowly, trying to hide the fact that she can't actually read. "It shouldn't be an issue......"
Dendar clears his throat in a sigh of relief, "Uhh it's Dendar, my boss' name is Fox but I mean she dosen't need me to tell you that. Did you guys wanna place that stuff down on a table and wait for me to find her? I don't know where she is exactly but someone has to know. Uhh wait here ok?" Dendar waits for a reply.
Red slowly looks down at the flier, hoping that the hood that hides their face also hides their disappointment.
"Yea, whatever you say, guy." After this they saunter over to a table and sit down.
"Yea, thanks". Leo, now knowing that Tether is okay with the stuff being set down onto the table does the same thing. He then starts looking around at the books in the library, careful not to stray too far away from the rest of the group.
"This place is massive, I used to go to this one library back at home when I was younger and that would classify as a ghetto compared to this place!"
"Oh boy thats good to hear! We try to keep it as up to date and... cleeean... as possible! Be sure to tell Fox that it'll surely flatter her. Wait here!" , " I need her on a good side to deter her from me" Dendar starts to walk away and yells out"Owlbearto!!!" before a burly bear with a owls face comes squirming from underneath a table.
"What do ya need Dendar?" The owlbear retorts after heeling next to the druid.
Dendar looks around and at the table the owlbear just shifted, "Oh man something else to not fix...", He then says to the owlbear. "Help me sniff out Fox boy I have no clue where she is"
The owlbear visibly confused that Dendar wants to seek his boss out nods and begins trailing off with the druid nose to the floor.
The Atmosphere of the place is fast paced, the antithesis of a Library. however, none of the patrons really seem to care...
When Leo turn's a corner to explore a little more, he runs into the blonde twins, rolling around on the ground and choaking the life out of each other...but it seems like the one in red, with the drawings, is winning.
------
Owlbearto catches Fox's scent of expensive perfumes and aphrodisiacs, it leads the duo up the stairs all the way to the fourth floor and directly to her room, luckily the fourth floor is barred to civilians, so its nice and empty, without distraction.
Red just stares at Dendar and Owlbearto.
"I..." They rub their eyes and look again "A talking... owlbear... Okay." They turn to Tether and Leo, sounding genuinely confused. "This is NOT the environment I expected when I was thinking about working at a library... So lively. I think I like it a little more than what I expected though, what about you guys?"
Leo is confused by everything going on around him. However since no one else seems to mind, he decides to just not care either.
"I second that, but I really don't care as long as I can make enough to survive. It's better than nothing, Besides, I wouldn't mind working at a place with so much here for me to read on my off time."
" oh no shes in her room... i could just go back downstairs and let Turt do this... MAN UP DENDAR!" Dendar knocks on the door and says veryyyy softly.
"F-fox?" he waits for a reply.