You whip up a great disguise fitting the reflection and when you stand in front of the guardian it looks at you with little emotions.
The Brass Scholar speaks in Tien.
“Is the library open librarians?“
The Brass Scholar moves back and is completely immobile again.
+2 when underground, +4 vs humans, +2 vs monstrous humanoids
Looking around you see that your own reflections in the various surfaces look disappointed that you were not attacked!!
By the east stairs you spot what looks to be a wand that has a smudge of blood on it.
The faces in the mirror shards change from reflections of the Pathfinders to a laughing Tien woman.
They seem to be laughing at the Pathfinders with cruel mockery.
It's a wand of shout (24 charges)
+2 when underground, +4 vs humans, +2 vs monstrous humanoids
You investigate the wand and it is definitely not trapped. There also no other trap nearby.
|
Ikilwa, despite feeling pretty confident about no traps being nearby *does* take the extra care to look for another trigger or trap.
"Be ready to heal me if anything happens, but this one appears clear."
The bard will walk over and pick up the wand, weigh it for a second or two, then get a bright toothy grin and twirl it around their fingers!
"It's the sort of wand that Janira wishes she could use! It produces a shout that can cause great damage to people and fragile things in an arc. I'm probably the best one to use it, but we'll have to be really, really careful because this place may have a lot of ancient antique art pieces and we can't destroy art if we can possibly help it."
KeIkilwa pushes forward, looking for traps. He advances up the stairs and onto the raised section.
The shelves on the platform here serve as an index detailing the rest of the library’s collection. Unfortunately, most of the catalog seem to have been badly damaged by one or more small explosions. There is a cleared spot on one bookshelf. It appears as if something roughly the size of a bucket had rested there until recently, then removed.
A half-scorched sign hangs next to the bookshelf: Toshokan-in ga kodai no kyōkun ni tsuite kangaeru no o tetsudatte kudasai.
Please allow our librarians to help you reflect upon the lessons of antiquity.
The sign bears paintings of several Tian-Shu humans, along with names
and titles. Half are completely illegible, you can still make out the following: Sensō: Ming Lien, Uta: Zhang Kato, Heimen'uchū-ron: Jan Huo
Warfare: Ming Lien, Poetry: Zhang Kato, Planar Cosmology: Jan Huo
On the table, scattered papers include a list of books Hao Jin had checked out and speculations on where she might have gone, but it seems whoever was compiling the notes purposefully spoiled their own work. Don’t try to find her! is written large over everything else.
The notes include a list of books Hao Jin took out and then returned:
• The Manual of City-Building
• The Application of Justice in a Well- Ordered Society
• The Eagle’s Twin Hearts
• Walls and Ditches in Siegecraft
• Administering to Public Health in Large Cities
There are also some other notes, scribbled in Tien
When Hao Jin didn’t return, we pored over her research
notes and tried to find her with the library’s scrying mirror. It didn’t work, and we saw some kind of monsters instead. They pulled Jing through the mirror, then came crawling out wearing his shape and attacked us. We fled back to the main floor and broke the mirror of translocation to stop them from following.
Breaking the mirror wasn’t enough; somehow the monsters can still squeeze through each of the six shards. If they hadn’t taken Jing, he would probably know how to banish them. It seems breaking the mirror didn’t destroy its magic. If I were fool enough to challenge the monsters in their lair, I could probably just fit the pieces back into the frame.
This place isn’t safe anymore. We’re packing what we can and heading out into the tapestry to try to find a way out, or at least somewhere we can live.
+2 when underground, +4 vs humans, +2 vs monstrous humanoids
Looking down at the railing all except of Grisaia see the visage of one of the former librarians. It stares into your eyes for a moment before slowly drawing its finger across its throat maintaining eye contact the whole time.
The list of books has a common thread. They all relate to the teachings of Abadar, who is sometimes called the God of Walls and Ditches for his love of city planning, or the Two-Headed Eagle for his ability to clearly see both sides of an issue.
|
Kimiya nods when Grisaia reads everything to the group, "interesting. I don't have any experiences with those mirrors but I'll certainly be avoiding any in here. Can we just turn any shards face down?" He notices the empty slot on the shelf, "I wonder if that's where the trap was." Shrugging, he moves down the stairs to the next landing, peeking into the next room.
|
"I have no idea if such a thing would work. You would hope mirrors as portals only works if they are big enough to fit through, but it seems the previous residents found that wasn't true. We may have to go into the mirror to deal with them once and for all." Grisaia ponders the notes as she follows after Kimiya. "Hao Jin was researching teachings of Abadar when she was here. It sounds like she had some sort of city building idea, perhaps in part how to safely collect sites for the tapestry?"
|
|
Kimiya is unable to help with many of the books. When he finds the section dealing with philosophy his face lights up. "I can talk to these ..." he trails off as Ikilwa and Grisaia show how shallow is knowledge actually is. A cursory understanding won't cut it anymore, back to my studies after we finish this mission.
|
|
"You present some valid points, Kimiya! Just because you may not have had the huge educational background that some of us have doesn't mean your points are invalid or should be discounted!" Ikilwa is encouraging in a non-condescending fashion as they light up at the discussion and research between the party members.
Quinn takes his time investigating.
B3. Books on Religion: Kn religion or Appraise
+2 when underground, +4 vs humans, +2 vs monstrous humanoids
Statues and paintings depicting divine heralds, miracles, and ghosts decorate this section. Many of the books here look especially old or ornate. The bookcases in this section are covered by leaded glass doors reflective enough to be usable by soulslivers, though many of them show signs of the kobold’s attempts to obscure them.
A bundle of 12 steam mephit-head arrows were stashed behind the arrow launchers by a kobold planning to return and reset the trap, easily seen by anyone standing behind or adjacent to the arrow launchers. Ikilwa successfully disarmed the trap before it was fired, so you can take all arrows.
A shard of amber glass, one piece of the mirror of translocation, is located here!!
A rare edition of The Manual of City-Building, one of the books on Hao Jin’s list, can be found in this section. It is padlocked to the bookshelf on a heavy chain but your kobold can easily open it.
~~~
B4 Books on Philosophy: Kn local or Diplomacy
+2 when underground, +4 vs humans, +2 vs monstrous humanoids
A huge clockwork orrery occupies the center of the building’s main floor. Broken glass is scattered around the base of the device, and a large mirror frame hangs on the wall near it, empty save for a single jagged triangle of amber glass.
This broken mirror is referred to as a mirror of translocation in the librarian’s notes in the catalog section. It radiates a moderate aura of conjuration magic, and Grisoa succeeds at to determine its exact function as short range group teleportation similar to dimension door.
A shard of amber glass, one piece of the mirror of translocation, is propped against the feet of a statue in the alcove. Another shard still rests in the mirror’s frame, which hangs on the wall.
You find the most valuable documents from this section of the library. The Application of Justice in a Well-Ordered Society, one of the books on Hao Jin’s list, can be found in this section. However, this book is protected by a divine version of the fire trap spell that affects only creatures without a lawful alignment component and it’s not a problem to identify the trap and disarm it.
~~~
B5 Books on Poetry: Any perform or Linguistics
+2 when underground, +4 vs humans, +2 vs monstrous humanoids
This section showcases a great variety of book sizes and binding methods, with everything from sheet music, pamphlets, and scrolls up to weighty compilations. Art with poetic captions and works of calligraphy hang between the bookcases.
A shard of amber glass, one piece of the mirror of translocation, rests against a stack of books in the corner.
~~~
B6 Books on Warfare: Kn History, Nobility, Geography or Appraise
+2 when underground, +4 vs humans, +2 vs monstrous humanoids
A three-tiered pyramid towers above this section, the sides of each tier draped with ancient maps and flags. A gleaming scythe blade juts out from between two bookshelves in the southwest corner, and the floor beneath it sparkles with fragments of shattered glass.
A shard of amber glass, one piece of the mirror of translocation, lies on the floor.
You select the most valuable documents from this section of the library.
Designing Walls and Ditches to Resist Siegecraft, one of the books on Hao Jin’s list, can be found in this section.
The cover includes a pale green map of a walled city.
This book can be identified as inlaid with viridium.
Extended exposure to the inlay is hazardous, though removing the inlay, covering it with a thin layer of lead, or leaving a note for later readers can negate the danger to other Pathfinders who review the PCs’ recovered books.
You also find a magical scythe.
~~~
B7 Books on Medicine: Kn Nature, Heal or Appraise
+2 when underground, +4 vs humans, +2 vs monstrous humanoids
The medicine section overlooks most of the library from an elevated platform in the back corner of the building. The backs of the bookcases are plastered with anatomy diagrams and shadowboxes containing a wide variety of neatly labeled pressed leaves and flowers. Carefully preserved skeletons hang near some of the diagrams. The books here cover diseases, injuries, poisons, curses, and even mental afflictions, and healing them through alchemical, mundane, and magical methods.
The remains of several mostly-eaten kobolds have been piled in the southeast corner of the Medicine section.
Among their discarded belongings are a pair of trapspringer’s gloves a scroll of mage armor, and two potions of cure moderate wounds.
A shard of amber glass, one piece of the mirror of translocation, is propped up on a bookshelf.
A swarm of ants attacks you here but you can fight them off.
You select the most valuable documents from this section.
Administering to Public Health in Large Cities, one of the books on Hao Jin’s list, can be found in this section.
Unfortunately, the copy in this collection is a fake, full of inaccurate information and not worth returning to the lodge.
|
|
"Someone that's NOT Ikilwa should be picking up those mirror shards, maybe spread them out among people until we're sure we've got them all. We might have to put the mirror back together to fix everything."
"Oh, rot-ore!" the kobold begins then stops. "No-scales call it 'viridium'. It's a bad metal. Don't see this very often. It causes you to get sick and start losing limbs and guts if you're not careful with it. Burning doesn't help, best option is lead-lined box if you have it. Definitely need to warn people about that!"
Ikilwa looks at the Public health book, scans a few pages, then shakes their head and is *about* to fling the book in frustration when they realize that even that would be destroying art, so they very carefully, slowly, and deliberately place it in an inconvenient location that is not the carrying bag.
"Worthless. If someone wants to double-check for amusement is okay, but doesn't match writing style of other books, is more like someone pretended to be somewhere and wrote huge epic pile of sewer solids about it."
"It was so horrible the ants didn't even want to eat it. or use it for nesting materials!"
The Eagle Knight then pulls out a healing stick, and motions for others to do the same if they have them.
After dealing with the library’s construct guardian, you found a list of books that Hao Jin checked out and returned, along with a mysterious warning not to look for her.
You visited each section of the library, dodging traps and filling a bag of holding with the most interesting books to return to the Society. The sections on the main floor are Religion, Philosophy, Poetry, Warfare, and Medicine, each of which held a different trap.
A small group of soulslivers inhabiting the library watch your progress and attempts to lure you into the kobolds’ deadly traps.
To access the sixth hidden library section where information on the planes is cataloged, you must collect and reassemble the pieces of a shattered magic mirror.
After a while you figure out the mirror is the key! When the mirror is assembled, it hums with power. The brave adventurers step through ...
... in the center of the room, two staircases descend to a lower level set six feet below the main floor. A glass railing like the ones in the rest of the library encircles the lower level.
A large mirror is inlaid into the floor on the lower level and surrounded by bookshelves set into the walls, with standing mirrors in the corners. On the upper level, fragments of broken mirrors sparkle in the aisles between the shelves, and in the corners, folding screens partly conceal more private spaces.
The party emerges not from a single mirror, but each from a different mirror.
The group is not alone. Three smooth-featured, humanoid creatures that appear to have skin made entirely of mirrored glass also inhabit this space.
"Seems we've found their lair. Don't look none too happy about it." Quinn snatches up a potion from his belt and drinks it down.
~
Quinn takes an extract of heroism and Ikilwa multiplies himself.
~
All the soulslivers start to cast something and suddenly you see several mirror images around them.
They then move towards you!
~
Quinn
Ikilwa
Soulsliver, orange, 4 images
Soulsliver, red, 2 images
Soulsliver, blue, 4 images
Grisaia
Kimiya, 5 images
Drinking his other potion, Quinn fades from sight as he steps to the corner of the shelves.
Grisaia's armor spikes can only distroy a mirror image.
Kimiya hits the soulsliver once and can make it bleed!
The glitterdust does not blind the evil spirit!
~
The smooth-featured, humanoid creature appears to have skin made entirely of mirrored glass and look at you.
The two soulslivers push back Grisaia and Kimiya into the mirror and Grisaia is hit and about to be absorbed and trapped!
The last soulsliver moves to Ikilwa and attacks with its scimitar but misses!
Knockback (Ex) Once per round, the barbarian can make a bull
rush attempt against one target in place of a melee attack. If
successful, the target takes damage equal to the barbarian’s
Strength modifier and is moved back as normal. The barbarian
does not need to move with the target if successful. This does
not provoke an attack of opportunity.
Mirror Crash (Ex) Whenever the soulsliver’s knockback ability
moves a creature adjacent to a mirror or other reflective surface
(including mirror shards) the creature must succeed at a DC
18 Will saving throw or become trapped in the mirror for 2
rounds, similar to being trapped in a maze spell. A creature
trapped in a mirror in this manner may attempt a new saving
throw at the start of its turn each round to escape the mirror.
When a creature escapes or is freed from a mirror, it appears in
the nearest open square to the location it was in when it was
trapped in the mirror.
Quinn
Ikilwa
Soulsliver, orange, 3 images
Soulsliver, red, 2 images
Soulsliver, blue, 3 images, -14 NL, -1, bleed 1
Grisaia, 18 Will saving throw, -6
Kimiya, 4 images
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|
"It's very important when dealing with this sort of thing to know what their weaknesses are. Don't use Acid or Fire, and they hate being shattered like glass. Don't let them copy you, because they always get things backwards..." Ikilwa begins as they raise their shield and attempts to take a whack at the one in front of them.
Seeing Grisaia aided by her goddess, Quinn decides to ignore Ikilwa's orders, quietly moving to aid the kobold as he studies the soulsliver for weaknesses.
Ikilwa misses with their blade but they can destroy an image!
Grisaia's will is too strong to be absorbed by the mirror. The new ally aims well but only destroys images insteading of hitting the mirror being!
Quinn moves forward!
Kimiya viciously strikes but also these attempts are in vain and only destroy images.
~
The smooth-featured, humanoid creatures push back Grisaia and Kimiya again! Again Grisaia is hit and about to be absorbed and trapped!
The last soulsliver full attacks Ikilwa with its scimitar and cuts deep into Ikilwa chest!
Inspire Courage +2
Quinn, invisible
Ikilwa, -16
Soulsliver, orange, 1 images
Soulsliver, red, 1 images
Soulsliver, blue, 1 images, -14 NL, -2, bleed 1
Grisaia, 18 Will saving throw, -12
Kimiya, 3 images
Finally in position, Quinn strikes out from surprise, attempting to skewer the sliver from behind!
Again Grisaia's will is too strong to be absorbed by the mirror and her attack and her ally's Glaive attacks can destroy the last mirror image and shatter parts of the mirror being!
Quinn moves to attack and hits with his sword cane!
Inspire Courage +2
Quinn, invisible
Ikilwa, -16
Soulsliver, orange, -15
Soulsliver, red, 1 images, -22, sickened 1 round
Soulsliver, blue, 1 images, -14 NL, -2, bleed 1Grisaia, 18 Will saving throw, -12
Kimiya, 3 images
Ikilwa Underfoot can really slash across the soulsliver's leg!
He then destroys the last image!
Kimiya strikes out and the first strike hits an image but the second hits with such force that it leaves the mirror being shaken.
The smooth-featured, humanoid creatures push back Grisaia and Kimiya again! Again Grisaia is hit and about to be absorbed and trapped!
The last soulsliver full attacks Ikilwa with its scimitar but it is in vain!
Inspire Courage +2
Quinn, invisible
Ikilwa, -16
Soulsliver, orange, -15
Soulsliver, red, -29
Soulsliver, blue, -46 NL, -3, bleed 1, shaken
Grisaia, 18 Will saving throw, -18
Kimiya, 2 images