"Alright, I'll try the opposite then. Let's just make sure you're ready and unmarked before we continue." Anita takes a moment to brace herself before turning the dials to Low Ethics, High Morals. In a low voice she said, "Be safe Lindaer."
A city of iron watches over a lake of fire, tortured souls being shoveled as combustible. You see imps extracting horrible fatty blobs from fresh arrivals, and those blobs animating as their own devilish entities. You see deals made and honored, the pain of the cost and the punishment of those who renege. And you feel a taste of such utter disdain for everything, such a fierce, cold and ruthless power that it makes your blood freeze in your veins.
A heat you can't perceive burns at the back of your eye.
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Lindaer looked away. Shaking slightly he wreathed his hand in fire and touched his face, making the pain go away. ”Such Power. Beautiful in its own way. Give me a moment.” He refused to admit the swirl of emotions from actually seeing what awaits after death. It was too much to take in at once. ”The other eye.”
Vernon mutters to himself, "Ethics. Morals. Good and Evil. Law and Chaos. Is that thing real?" He stands ready to pull Lindaer away if needed.
You don't know this place, but you know of this place. The Abyss is impossible to describe: if Hell was a place of cruel, ruthless power, in the Abyss there is nothing but a will to defy, defile and deface all of creation. You feel minds believing in dozens of contradictory ideas with all of their hearts, you feel inane acts of violence that nevertheless increase something's power. Here the unthinkable is thought, here the outrageous is allowed, in such a display of radical freedom that nothing of oneself or others is ever respected. In Hell souls were tortured and traded for power, here they are subject to every imaginable practice just to see what happens. Here is a place for those who defy every law and custom just out of spite, consequences be damned.
Both of Lindaer's eyes are glowing with green light.
"Both green. Looks like any evil plane will work." Hireath swallows hard. "Guess it's my turn. Just leave the setting there; no point in changing it."
She's shaking as she takes her seat. Not because she's afraid of whatever she sees hurting her. No, Anita and Lindaer were both physically fine after looking through the telescope; she trusts that she will be as well. Nor is she afraid of being mentally scarred by the experience.
She's terrified she won't be.
There's fiendish blood in her. She tries to forget it, tries to act as normal as a young woman with horns and a tail can, but tieflings have a reputation for a reason. Evil is quite literally in their blood, and while they may be capable of choosing otherwise, it's a taint they can never fully be rid of.
Hireath puts her eye to the telescope, terrified that she's going to see the scenes that so horrified the others, and a part of her soul will say yes. Yes, that is how it should be.
As she watched, Anita prepped herself at the controls, ready to flip them to Elysium should Hireath start reacting negatively. She hoped the tiefling wouldn't suffer too much.
Not knowing what else he could do, Vernon just stands by to assist if needed when Hireath sits at the device.
You don't know this place, but you know of this place. The Abyss is impossible to describe: there is power, but it's justwild and raw malice, in the Abyss there is nothing but a will to defy, defile and deface all of creation. You feel minds believing in dozens of contradictory ideas with all of their hearts, you feel inane acts of violence that nevertheless increase something's power. Here the unthinkable is thought, here the outrageous is allowed, in such a display of radical freedom that nothing of oneself or others is ever respected. Souls are subject to every imaginable practice just to see what happens. Here is a place for those who defy every law and custom just out of spite, consequences be damned. Your eye is burning with a pain that is not yours.
You feel drawn to this place, a call for your blood, body and soul. Something there is always hungry, always calling. Nothing notices you through the Brass King, but an extraneous thought growls in rage that you belong. And yet you feel somehow reinforced in your self-determination, as if the rage that pervades the Abyss was strengthening your own defiance of your fiendish heritage. There is something about your soul here, and you can't bring yourself to look away.
Hireath gasps while looking through the telescope. Her hands clutch the ocular and she lets out a pained gasp
Hireath stares in a strange mixture of fascination and revulsion. Unbidden, the thought occurs, I wonder if my ancestor is here? I wonder...
Her eye burns, but she barely notices. There's so much pain in the Abyss that her own physical pain seems irrelevant.
Anita recognizes what happened to Hireath, having happened to herself not so long ago. She turns the dials to High Ethics and Middle Morals. Partially as an experiment and partially out of curiosity, hoping nothing too bad will happen.
Hearing the gasp from Hireath, but not seeing her move, Vernon yanks her away from the eyepiece.
Hireath experiences a flash of gray and desolation before she's physically pulled away from the telescope. Her hand still clutches the eyepiece, blood draining away from the strength of the grip.
Hireath doesn't let go of the telescope. She swallows hard. "Thanks Vernon. I appreciate it. I...that..." she shakes her head, unable to find words.
Unfortunately that was only one eye. Before what she's seen can fully sink in, she forces herself to look through the telescope again with the other eye. Don't think don't think don't think justgetthisoverwith...
Once the tiefling comes back to herself Vernon relaxes and smiles at her. He can see that she isn't comfortable with the next step and keeps a "comforting" hand on her as she moves her other eye to the lens.
After the Abyss, what you are seeing is peaceful. Too peaceful. Here is rest even beyond death. Here is the loss of self, and the loss of everything else. There is nothing here other than oblivion, and those who turn a wheel of entropy, increasing nothingness against existence. You feel your mind aching to sleep, but you struggle to keep awake, For the moment, you succeed.
This plan is Abaddon, where souls are slowly ground into nothing and destruction. It's a lifeless plane representing entropy and oblivion.
Hireath looks away from the telescope immediately. She has no desire to spend any more time looking through it than she absolutely had to.
"Well, I suppose that was more...peaceful...than the other options." She laughs shakily and with more than a hint of hysteria. "Whatever you changed it to...it shows oblivion now. Nothingness. Just nothingness, and those who desire only to spread that nothingness to everywhere."
She wraps her arms around herself as she steps away from the telescope. Focus. Calm down. It's over.
"That's...that's probably enough. Like I said earlier Vernon, Anita, you don't have to look. Lindaer can do the talking, and I can always snatch the book if talking doesn't work. You two could always wait outside with the guards."
"Very well, Hireath. Just don't be afraid to call on us for help." Anita sighs in relief but quickly catches herself. She once again lifts the bag of coppers over her shoulders and opens the door for the rest of her companions.
The kobolds yap excitedly as the pair appears, and hand paper masks with eye holes to them.
The kobolds in the hall look to be mostly sleeping already, leaving only a couple of guards standing guard rather groggily.
The obese dragon is sleeping on a pile of copper as you arrive, her face hidden by the paper mask. "Huh? And who are you? New students looking for the book?" she yawns.
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”Most gracious and magnificent of mistresses, it has been but a blink of an eye to one as long lived as yourself, but it is humbling to once more be in your presence.” Malkaer bowed deeply, laying on the flourishes or someone used to sucking up to authority. Authority, that is, which could have you killed on a whim.
Once he had finished ingratiating himself, he motioned to the coins.
”I apologize profusely on how long it has taken, but you were most exact in your demand of coinage. I have brought it to you, matching your specifications with care. For the use of the book, and your patronage, it was time and effort more than well spent. But I would not take up more of your time. I shall return it to your kobold servants immediately so that it might take its proper place in your hoard.”
Hireath stands there awkwardly with the bags of coins, firmly keeping her mouth shut. Lindaer's got this. I'd just make things worse if I tried to talk.
Anita waits just beyond the kobold's territory wondering how Lindaer and Hireath were doing. She looks over to Vernon with a worried expression. "Well, Vernon? Should we just wait here for them or shall we risk the Brass King again?"
Vernon shuffles his feet, trying to stay quiet. "I think we wait, at least for now. Just listen and be ready in case they call for help. Hope they don't anger the dragon...."
"You did, didn't you?"
The overweight lizard wobbles towards you, extending one claw to rip open one of the sacks, looking delighted as the copper spills on the floor in a metallic, clinking cascade. "This looks... sufficient, if barely. But I have no memory of you, dark human, or the one with you, or your scent. When did we meet?"
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”I am not surprised that you do not recognize my scent. I did not speak when last we met, much to my great shame. It is why I insisted on being the one to bring your tribute, to rectify my poor choice. And I do humbly apologize on how long it took to collect what lies before you. If I have your leave, I will collect the book. And will return when next I have proper tribute to add to your hoard.” The smooth tongued drow rambled.
The Book Wyrm snarls in delight. "Finally, someone who can show proper manners and respect where it is due. You may have Astral Fires and the Endless Sea, hatchling, upon your word that you shall return it once you have presented it to Hair and Heart of Silver."
Upon your return to the main hall, your escort wakes up an elderly kobold and whispers something in his ear. The second one approaches the pedestal in a precise, rehearsed path avoiding floor tiles, overstepping almost-invisible wires and crouching for no apparent reason. As he returns, he hands you a book bound in blue letter, the title Astral Fires and the Endless Sea engraved in silver on the cover.
Hireath bows, (somewhat clumsily), to the Book Wyrm. That was amazing! I didn't know Lindaer could talk like that. She takes the book from the elderly kobold with a smile, then digs through her pack for the library card for Astral Fires and the Endless Sea.
Hireath hands him the card. "Well, I think we're done here. Let's rejoin the others." She's nearly bouncing with excitement as they leave the hall. Upon seeing Anita and Vernon, she grins and shows them the book. "The Book Wyrm accepted our tribute. Let's get out of here so we can discuss our next steps."
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Once safely away, Lindaer finally allowed himself to smile. ”That was almost as scary as the time I accidentally tripped a priestess of...” He stopped himself, remembering that devil worship was frowned upon on the surface. ”...anyways, we have two books now! That is a relief. So. The question is now, do we sell one of them or hold onto both for the glory? I wouldn’t risk the dragon’s ire for failing to return them unless the reward was great, though.”
When the pair return Vernon grins at the sight of the book. "Wrap that up safe in a pack! And we probably should guard it so none of the others can steal it. The kobolds will let others in and they'll see the card. When we get close to the end of the week any team still needing a book will get desperate!"
"Hireath. You mentioned a lightning redirector? Did Leonard mention why they are building it? Maybe one of the books is guarded by something that shoots lightning? That would be dangerous to find...."
Anita seems honestly impressed things went as well as it did. "Very well done! Lindear, Hireath, I think this clinches our place in the Academy, at least for now. Come, let us return to our dorm."
”I’ll talk to Leonard. He said the redirecter was a project they came up with after the previous club president was struck by lightning, but that doesn’t mean there might not be other uses.” Hireath is clearly a little giddy over having the first book in hand. ”I think we should just keep this book on us. Attacking other students is forbidden, so it should be safe in our packs. Anita, do you want to hang onto it? You were the first to brave the kobolds after all.”
Still grinning, Hireath hands the book to Anita, (or anyone else who wants it). ”Yes, let’s go back to the dorm. We can head to the club meetings once we’ve had a chance to discuss our next steps.”
"Thank you Hireath. I think I have an Idea that can help us in the coming days." Anita takes the book in her hands, carefully inspecting the cover and design. She had a lot of work to do, but hopefully it would be worth it.
The way back to your dormitories holds no surprises for you. The air is cold and damp, and the Music and Artificing Clubs are going to be in session soon.
"I'll head off to Artificing Club then. Maybe Leonard will have some insights about the other books. Shall we meet back here once the clubs are over?" Hireath gives the rest of the group a wave as she heads out the door, a spring still in her step.
Only Tuesday and we already have one book. This is going great!
"And I'll head to the Music club. Don't mention the book, but I think I'll ask Sven how his group is doing. Maybe I'll mention getting run out of the room full of kobolds for not wearing some stupid paper masks.... Could be funny if they've encountered them!"
It was strange, Anita almost could not believe she was holding on of the three books they needed. In a way she felt relieved, but another larger part of her was filled with anxiety. it was much more difficult to retrieve the book from the Library than it was to take it from her. She had to take steps to make sure it was as protected as possible.
She set to her writing desk, pen and ink ready to work overtime. With flick of her wrist, she cast Scrivener's Chant to copy Astral Fires and the Endless Sea into the blank duplicate. It would take quite some time, but she had prepared all the ink she needed. Hopefully the decoy would come in handy, or perhaps it was better that it didn't.
While mostly focusing on copying the writing, Anita got a skimming look of the contents of the book as well.
Hireath finds her way to the Alchemy laboratory. There is no alchemical equipment in sight, likely it has been stowed to make room for the contraption that occupies the lecturer's dais. A mass of copper wires, pipes, dials and crystals of a size between a gnome and a dwarf is surrounded by a handful of students. Leonard beams when the new arrival enters the room, his eyes still showing signs of sleep deprivation.
"Well, I think we are all here, so perhaps we should introduce ourselves, I am Leonard- you know, you all met me before, but it never hurts to be thorough. I'm a second year student and deputy head of this club while Susanna recovers from an unfortunate encounter with the galvanic forces."
He motions to the boy on his left, a very young dwarf with a still short beard.
"I'm Keodrak Silverhand, pleased to meet you. I'm a servant of Brigh, the Whisper in the Bronze. He is the god of invention and discovery, if you haven't heard of Him, and I'm a second year too. If you get hurt while working, I can patch you up somewhat."
Then it's the turn of a green-haired gnome. "You can call me Skrib, Jofur, Bob, or just 'you'. Hi all, hello hello, Leo and Keo know me already but I don't know you two others. I'm an alchemist, and as you can see I still have my eyebrows which means that either I'm a very good one or Keo is a very good healer."
You can practically hear the dwarf rolling his eyes.
The next to speak is the halfling girl who arrived wet at Caladrel's lesson, and it looks like she came straight from an unfortunate foray into the Library. There are cobwebs in her hair, her cloak shows acid burns and one of her legs is bandaged. She forces a smile. "I'm Barsine, first year, I hope to reamin one for a bit, heh heh. Heh. Uhm. I'm an apprentice wizard, and I joined mostly because they told me there were some nice people here..."
"Don't worry, Barsine, this club is open to anyone, and I believe in everyone's potential and abilities." says Leonard in his best impression of an encouraging tone, before motioning to Hireath.
Ellis is tuning a violin by the time you enter, and a dozen of other students are either waiting or taking care of their instruments by the time you enter. Sven holds the flute you saw in his pack earlier. Vernon still feels some residual hostility from the brothers.
"It looks like everyone is here now." Ellis says, retrieving a small block of pitch and taking care of his bow. "Our club tradition on the first meeting is to start some improvisation together, then when I point at one member the others will let them have a brief solo. This way we can focus on our strengths and weaknesses, and decide the best way to play together. If you don't have an instrument with you and want one, you can borrow one from the storage room over there."
Hireath rather likes Barsine, (or at least feels sorry for her), and she doesn't want her to fail. After the introductions are over she heads over to the halfling. "Are you okay? Remember there's an infirmary if you need healing." She hesitates, then adds, "I know we're rivals and all, so you have no reason to trust me, but...if there's anything I can do to help let me know."
"Lovely to have you both!" cheers Leonard. "Now, I'll introduce you to our current work, my Lightning Redirector! It's a device for channeling galvanic energy directed at the user back to the origin: the next time you are the target of a lightning bolt just wear one of these and the caster will be in for a nice surprise."
The device looks utterly uncomfortable to carry around, but he doesn't mention that.
"Or, I mean, it would work like that. It's still not [i]technically[i] working as intended, and I feel that a pair of fresh eyes will do nothing but good. So, how about you take a look and tell us what you think, without bias? Of course, you can ask for any explanation."
Barsine whispers in your ear. "Thank you, I'll go later. I just had some bad luck with a bunch of... nevermind, you'd laugh. But we may be getting close to one of the books."
Ellis looks at Vernon quizzically. "Well, of course the point is to have fun. If you're a total beginner, let's see what we can do. Can you at least improvise? Otherwise tell us some songs you know and we'll work them into our routine."
Hireath looks over the Lightning Redirector. It's far more complicated than the machines she's used to, but she thinks she understands the general idea. This part is basically a lightning rod to make sure the energy hits right here, then it circulates through here to shoot it back...okay, I think I get it. So what's missing?