Piotr approaches slowly, not quietly, but in case they burst it open, then with a nod to the others to be ready, he pulls open the door quickly.
Sagging shelves, held together by dust and an extensive system of rolling ladders, ring this library of husky, dull-looking tomes. At the room’s center broods a heavily worn table surrounded by uncomfortable chairs. A chandelier of iron vines dangles above. The scents of leather and old paper pervade the high-ceilinged space, but so does a distinct bestial musk.Three ratlike creatures that have tiny human hands in place of its front paws, and an unnerving human face with a toothy mouth standing in nests made out of books on top of the bookshelves give tiny growls at the party. "Dyma ein tiriogaeth ni, chi grwyn pinc yn aros allan!"
This is our home, you pink skins stay out!
Rozalia has no idea what those creatures are.
Rozalia is momentarily taken aback by the rat things, but she understands their language, although she isn't quite sure how. She steps forward.
"Listen to the pretty lady - she is trying to solve this without anyone getting hurt" - Garrosh adds, using their own convoluted language.
Rozalia blushes slightly at Garrosh's compliment. She didn't even know there was a word for "pretty" in Aklo.
"What are they saying?", Auryl asks Caraid. He never does turn around to face the boy, his eyes firmly locked on the rat things.
"The rat things want us to get out." Caraid replies, also watching the confrontation. "Mother and Garrosh are trying to convince them to help us first."
"Nid ydym yn gwybod ffordd allan o'r lle hwn. Roeddem yn sownd yma ar ôl i'r daeargryn ddinistrio ein twneli a dyma'r unig le sy'n glir o'r niwl melyn!" One of the rat like creatures with two tails replies shrilly.
We don't know a way out of this place. We were stuck here after the earthquake destroyed our tunnels and this is the only place clear of the yellow fog!
"Interesting!" Ann cooed inside his mind, she always did love odd things. Piotr did his best to ignore her, and stay near Rozalia in case they charge her.
"Regardless" - Garrosh presses on - "This is not your home, and you are invading upon the home of others" - he explains - "We are working to reclaim it - help us in doing it, and then we will help you find a way through the tunnels back to your own settlement" - the half-orc adds - "Otherwise you can leave now to try and find a way through the tunnels. Soon there will be others here, and not willing to parley I believe"
"Oh, ok. I better stop channeling feelings of wrath and anger if so ..." and like that, the motes of destruction dancing around his fingertips fall to the ground.
"Beth ydych chi'n ei olygu nad yw'n gartref i ni? Rydym wedi bod yn byw yn y llyfrgell ers oesoedd! A heb neb yn hawlio'r llyfrgell, mae meddiant yn nawfed perchnogaeth!" The spokesrat speaks up querrously.
What do you mean it's not our home? We've been living in the library for ages and with no one claiming it after the earthquake, possession is nine tenth ownership!
The rat-like creature puts her hands on her hips, exasperated. "
Dinistriodd y daeargryn ein twneli yn ôl i'n setliad.Dywedais wrthych chi o'r blaen. Rydym yn sownd yma ac ni allwn wneud twneli newydd y tu allan nes bod y niwl melyn wedi mynd!"
The earthquake destroyed our tunnels back to our settlement. I told you that before. We're stranded here and can't make new tunnels outside until the yellow fog is gone!
"That is what I said - help us reclaim the area, and we will help you get back to your settlement, either by digging new tunnels elsewhere, or finding what can be done about the yellow fog" - Garrosh insists - "I heard what you said before, and please do not try to convince me the owners of this place allowed you to freely use up books from their library for your nests. The fact you 'occupied' this room, does not mean you own it" - he growls.
With a calm voice, he then adds - "Your choice is simple - soon there will be others like us here, and more than we are. They will not want to live here with you. Either you join us now peacefully, and cooperate with us. Or sooner or later you are going to be forced out of here. And probably it will get violent"
"Does gen i ddim syniad sut i adennill yr ardal hon - dydw i ddim mor uchel â hynny yn yr hierarchaeth. Efallai y byddwch chi am siarad â fy rheolwr Ratch am yr un hwnnw, ni allaf wneud penderfyniadau fel hynny." The two tailed rat-like spokesrat replies.
I have no idea how to reclaim this area - I'm not that high up in the hierarchy. You might want to talk to my boss Ratch about that one, I can't make decisions like that.
"Ac yn wir, nid yw'r perchnogion yma i brotestio, felly mae ceidwaid yn chwilio, fel petai." Another of those rat creatures adds, while giving a shrug.
And well, the owners aren't here to protest, so finders keepers, so to speak.
"Eithr - mae yna bethau ofnadwy sy'n llechu yn y niwl melyn ... byddai mynd i mewn iddo yn golygu ein marwolaethau." The third rat-like creature chips in.
Besides - there are horrible things that lurk in the yellow fog...to go into it would mean our deaths.
"Very well, will you find Ratch? It is urgent we speak" - Garrosh requests - "And you are wrong regarding finders keepers - it is not how it works. We are here in the name of the owners"
Garrosh explains the gist of the conversation to his companions.
"Huh, Rodent Refuges." Piotr is happy through they probably won't have to fight them.
"They do need to stop doing that to books though." Ann insists. Interested at the oddity, but horrified as only a bibliophile can truly be at the damage to reading materials.
"Arhoswch yma, byddaf yn cael Ratch." The ratspokesperson agrees. "Cam, rydych chi'n cadw llygad ar bethau." She tells her fellow ratcreature.
Waih here, I'll get Ratch. Cam, you keep an eye on things.
She then scampers down the bookcases to a small tunnel in the North and after a while, 2 dire rats squeeze through, followed by another rat creature with dichromatic eyes, one red, one grey eye, wearing a red cloak. The rat creature addresses the party in heavily accented common. "So you say you are here on behalf of the owners and seek our aid, surfacers?"
"We were not looking for your aid" - Garrosh replies - "But I believe now we have met, we can cooperate, and all come out winning" - he adds - "I am Garrosh"
Caraid keeps up his translation until 'Ratch' turns up and makes it unnecessary.
"The exact words were help us reclaim the area," The rat creature points out. "If that is not seeking our aid, what would that be?"
The rat creature eyes the party measuringly. "You may call me Ratch."
"Hey Ratch, not to take us from the questions at hand, but have you been in the hospital all this time, do you know what happened here?"
"We were living in this library for a while...shuffling forth between our settlement down below and here, then the earthquake cut us off." Ratch answers. Then his eyes open wide with ghoulish fascination. "I'll tell you that this was no ordinary quake though...it was caused by an ancient evil being unleashed on Golarion."
"Oh, well that isn't good." both the Tataru siblings say at once.
Piotr smiles at that, then says to Ratch "Garrosh, is right by the way. Either the bad things in the fog and taking over this place wins, or the normal owner of the place manage to take it back. Either way, neither will take kindly to your people claiming this place as your own. Though I have no idea how we'd be able to clear your..." he pauses looking over at Caraid "Actually, he might be able to do something, if you tunnels are wide enough."
"Well, you say you represent the normal owner, and we are talking at the moment," Ratch says calculatingly. "And they say knowing is half the battle won."
"How about this? We get access rights to the library at all hours and you help us clear the yellow fog, and in return we can keep watch for you while you rest here and I'll tell you what I know about that ancient evil," Ratch proposes. "You'll also be granted free passage throughout the rooms we hold."
Piotr looks to the others, shurgs "Sounds reasonable to me. What do the rest of you think?"
Caraid nods, he's finding the whole thing slightly surreal but the rat-folk seem to be offering reasonable terms...
"This seems like an amenable arrangement. I'm inclined to agree."
"Agreed from my end" - Garrosh nods - "But once this is all sorted, you will have to leave the library definitely. Assuming we can sort it..."
"But we like living in the library, that's where all the books are. "He waves a hand, "Yes, we might have made a bit of a mess, but the nights are cold, and we'd usually sleep underground, but that isn't an option for us now."
In any other time, on any other day, Auryl would have laughed at the woman's apocalyptic statement. He raises his head and stares at the ceiling whilst uttering a prayer in silence. An ancient evil now haunts Golarion. The proof of it is all around you, but don't let it take root in your heart. There, only Her fire can burn.
"Let's cross that bridge once we get there. For now, this arrangement seems to work, and it is nice being able to have a conversation that doesn't involve madness and violence."
"All agreed then." Piotr sums it all up. "Tell us about the ancient evil." Ann holds her breath in worry about what they'll hear.
"This thing, called as the Tatterman, was called into the world by a wandering Kellid witch called Adriahnah, or commonly known as the Brairstone witch, and legend has it that together they caused the Thrushmoor vanishing, seven hundred years ago," Ratch explains."He lives by many names, the Shredman, the Every-all, the Final Dream..." Ratch looks nervously over his shoulders as if someone or something might be watching, then whispers in hushed tones, "As befit of a servant of the King in Yellow."
"He is a relentless hunter - once he has turned his eye on his victim - he will not stop until his victim is dead. Many souls seeking the peace of sleep have only found death by his hands." Ratch describes.
"And you believe the recent earthquake to be related to this?" - he inquires - "How so?"
"Tatterman… our dreams..." Piotr feels Ann's fear in his head. "Is that what we've been experiencing as we sleep?"
"You see, with every psychic disturbance there will be a corresponding ripple on Golarion, like how a butterfly flapping its wings in Minkai can cause a Sandstorm in Qadira," Ratch explains. "And this evil was so great that the Earth Mother cried out in despair at his release."
Ratch nods at Piotr gravely, "He hunts in dreams indeed...and those he kills never awaken."
"I don't understand. A butterfly in Minkai caused the earthquake?" Piotr rubs his head. "I can't see how just us few have any hope against something like that... but if we can make the fog go away we can get these people out at least. Do you know anything about what is lurking around these rooms."
"Nevermind," Ratch remarks sardonically. "I've always thought that too much metal squeezes the juices out of one's brain." He spreads his hands helplessly, "But who am I to comment about pink skin ways?"
"The rooms behind are offices of sorts, but no, we haven't explored very far. Not after Genny nearly got grabbed by something in the yellow fog," Ratch replies.
"I can't see how just us few have any hope against something like that... but if we can make the fog go away we can get these people out at least. Do you know anything about what is lurking around these rooms."
"Agreed Piotr - we take this one step at a time, and focus on the tasks ahead of us" - Garrosh nods.
"The rooms behind are offices of sorts, but no, we haven't explored very far. Not after Genny nearly got grabbed by something in the yellow fog," Ratch replies.
"I guess it is time we moved forward - maybe check those double doors up ahead" - he adds, moving up to the doors to listen for sounds or any other distinctive features.
"Adriahnah is a story." Caraid says, looking at his mother somewhat nervously. "Mother used to tell me stories about her if I didn't go to bed on time... She's not real?"
He doesn't sound entirely convinced...
"No, she's not real. At least, I hope not," Rozalia says, worry in her voice.
Both Rozalia and Garrosh don't really have any inkling on what Ratch is talking about. At least on the inprmotu history lesson, Ratch could have been telling fairy tales about a boy and a beanstalk.
Garrosh thinks the name of the King in Yellow has something to do with the Dark Tapestry.
Garrosh finds the double doors not locked nor trapped and he does not hear anything behind the doors either.
"You'd be surprised at what's real and what's not."Ratch says knowingly. "Most pink skins don't even want to admit that there are whole wide worlds out there beyond Golarion."
"Again, not all of them are friendly, so perhaps it's for the best."Ratch remarks.
Piotr shakes his head at the nonsense, then moves to the door to open it slowly.
This L-shaped hall runs from a collapsed space in the west to a small waiting area. Garrosh, Kilarra, Auryl and Caraid notice mucus like smears on the floor. Garrosh determines the antiseptic smelling smears form a trail that runs between the rooms.
Next to the northern door is a nameplate that reads "Administrator Eliege Losnadro"
"I would rather leave no unexplored areas behind us, but still... We need to check this" - the half-orc growls.
"Maybe the Administrator knows what happened to us?" Caraid asks. "They're the ones who keep papers right?"
The door is not locked nor trapped and Garrosh does not hear anything at the door.