Elbesamiya finds herself overcome with the negative emotions of the Lower Planes archive, even after the investigation moves on. With the knowledge that a code is hidden in the tomes, even the nameless researcher’s haphazard and inexplicable investigation choices do not throw off the party, some of which you realize were left by earlier patrons of this library in the margins of books. Once Patrick has all of the code pieces before him, it is a simple matter to translate it. The decoded message indicates a hidden passage in the Astral References section further down the hall, along with the location of a hidden catch to open it.
Elby (Damage: 6, Crushing Despair)
Bon Jon (Damage: 15, Reflex against Fire, Reflex against Engulf, 1 poison dose)
Patrick (Damage: 1)
Daratar
Mun
Radiarch
Creeping along the hall, Daratar comes up to the first doorway to see a plaque bearing the title Demiplane References. Moving past it to the end of the hall brings him to the last section of the archive, Astral References. The small library feels unusually claustrophobic, with its looming shelves rising higher than the room is wide. Books are scattered across the floor, though none of them appear damaged. Rather, this library looks like it was hastily searched.
Darata simply follows the hidden messages instructions and removes a slim tome from the shelf to reveal a button on the wall. With a soft click the bookcase swings out quietly like a door. An ancient spiral staircase—just barely wide enough for a person to traverse—lies behind the hidden door and ascends at a steep, unlit incline. Scratched into the stone walls is graffiti in dozens of languages. At the top of the staircase, a stone archway opens into a cramped vault with four-and-a-half-foot high ceilings held up by squat, stone columns. Dozens of small nooks line the walls of this confined space, filled with musty old pillows, dust-covered books, and ancient cobwebs. Old candles, long unlit, sit in pools of congealed wax alongside empty lanterns. Two low-ceiling corridors lead off in opposite directions. The entire secret space gives the impression of being a refuge from the rest of the library, a quiet place to study or socialize that has long since been forgotten.
Elby (Damage: 6, Crushing Despair)
Bon Jon (Damage: 15, Reflex against Fire, Reflex against Engulf, 1 poison dose)
Patrick (Damage: 1)
Daratar
Mun
Radiarch
Bon Jon (eventually) feels the poison coursing through his veins!
A single pair of footprints in the dust leads down the leftside winding corridor.
Near the back of the network of tiny rooms, in an area cleared of cobwebs of cobwebs, a a chalk diagram covers the floor, surrounded by a ring of candles that still burn with heatless flame. An enormous tome—the Libram of Forgotten Dreams—lies open atop the diagram. Past the circle, near the back of the room, lays a scroll, a cloak, two pouches, and an amulet of polished obsidian beads.
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Daratar will check to see if the owner of the footprints is still around, and if not, if he can spot where they may have gone.
He will also see if he can work out what is going on with the chalk diagram, the book and the candles.
Lastly, if he doesn’t spot any potential threats, he will also carefully cast detect magic to see what, if anything, is magic in the room and if he can work out what it does.
Daratar detects magical auras on the cloak, scroll, and two pouches. Looking at the setup, it is clearly a ritual circle of some kind. The Libram of Forgotten Dreams appears to have notes written into the margin with the same handwriting as those found in the sealed wing.
Daratar recognizes the cloak of resistance +4, a scroll of breath of life, and two pouches of dust of darkness.
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Daratar directs an approving nod at the two pouches of dust, before beckoning his allies into the room.
"Looks like our friend has left us some more notes in that book." he say's pointing to the Libram of Forgotten Dreams. "I've also found this pile of really nice magic items."
The witch proceeds to explain to his allies what the magic items do, before examining the non-magic obsidian beads more closely.
Examining the room further, Daratar notes that dust has not begun to accumulate on the items, nor the tome in the circle. The candles do not appear to be normal candles, making them unhelpful in determining the passage of time.
As Daratar and Patrick finish reviewing the notes in the margins, the candlelight gradually grows to an unnatural intensity. Soon, a shimmering form of golden light blossoms into being, gradually resolving to a Garundi woman in regal robes and with the symbol of a winged eye hanging around her neck. The apparition first takes on a stern, chastising countenance, raising one hand in the air as if to castigate everyone in the room. Then, as her luminous eyes register her many guests, she adopts a less aggressive posture.
“Heavens blessed,” she whispers. “You’re not the same guests at all, are you?” While clearly some form of spirit, there is no visible malevolence in this phantasmal woman’s eyes. Rather, she overflows with a palpable aura of compassion and concern. “My name is Aliyas Ardenvaugh, I am—I was—curator of this wing of the Forae Logos. It... It’d been so long since I’ve seen another soul. Now so many guests in just a short time! How unusual. Are you peers of the woman who was here? Three-twenty-two?” She wrinkles her nose at the name.
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Daratar raises an eyebrow at the sudden appearance of the Garundi woman, before realising his manners and bowing polity. "It's nice to meet you Aliyas Ardenvaugh, I'm Daratar."
"We're certainly not peers of the woman you mentioned... at least not as far as we know... but we are seeking her. Are you able to tell us about her, what she looked like and what she was doing here?"
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Patrick is very interested in that book. Maybe if he travelled to the Dimension of Dreams, he can finally get revenge on the entities that keep interfering with his dreams and turning them into something not very nice.
When the woman showed up, Patrick stepped back and started to cast something defensive believing her to be hostile. He still remained wary though as she spoke.
As Patrick reflexively begins to cast, he realizes that he forgot to concentrate against the wild magic. Thankfully, it seems that this secluded archive is outside of the primal zone covering the sealed wing.
"Yes, that poor girl. She came here, fleeing a fight she did not start. I offered her comfort and compassion, but she refused both. I could tell she was troubled, but she preferred the company of the libram more than that of another wayward soul. She wore that cloak for most of her time here, but she was pale and dark-haired. As an elf, I could not even guess at her age.”
"“A lantern? Oh my, yes—a grim-looking thing! It flickered with such an unusual light, and she would talk to it, ask it questions. If it
responded, I could not hear.”
“I did not see the battle—merely heard it—so I cannot offer a first-hand witness. She called them ‘Criers.’ She was terrified of them.” Aliyas pursues her lips for a moment before continuing. “She performed a powerful and complex ritual that shunted her sleeping mind into the Dimension of Dreams. It did not send her into any one particular person’s dream but rather into the raw psychic essence of that plane— into the untempered echoes of memory between dreams.”
The woman shakes her head. "The ritual put her to sleep. Eventually, her body and possessions simply faded away. I feel she was drawn somewhere else by powerful magic.”
“If you wish to follow 322, I would be proud to offer assistance! I once studied the Libram of Lost Dreams when I was alive, you see, and I am familiar with the rituals therein."
"Hardly. I am closer to the attendants of Aroden than the restless dead. Still, my form can be easy to mistake as a restless spirit."
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"If you would be able to assist us in following 322 that would be very much appreciated." says Daratar.
The wayang pauses, as if mulling over something in his head, before continuing...
"Do the notes that she made in the Libram mean anything to you? She mentioned a Professor, a woman, a crone and black stars in addition to the Criers. From the sound of it she is trying to escape from the Professor and the Criers are trying to take her back, but the crone woman has contacted here via her dreams and has promised to help her escape in exchange for the lantern?"
"You also mentioned that she talked to the lantern and asked it questions, do you remember what she talked to it about? Maybe that could provide further clues about what she is planning?"
He pauses again.
"Also 322 is a very odd name for an elf."
"None of what she noted makes any sense to me. It seemed more reminders for her personally than any helpful messages. She seemed to ask the lantern for advice on the ritual, questions of arcane study and magical insight. The only question that was not practical in nature was 'do you forgive me?'" Aliyas smiles sadly. "I agree, whoever named her that did not have much regard for her as a person, I feel."
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”This elf is certainly very intriguing…”
”Its just occurred to me that we’ve not explained why it is we seek her… We believe that the lantern she carries was involve with the death of one of our colleagues and we’ve been tasked with finding out how and why…We have followed her this far, but it seams that she has already left. We don’t know where her body has gone, however, we do at least know where her mind went.”
Daratar turns to the rest of the party.
”Unless anyone can think of any other leads or questions, I concur with Patrick… I think we may need to use the rituals in the book to follow her…”
”I’m more than happy to help, but are you sure you are ready? Some of you appear asleep on your feet.”
"Of course. 322 slept here as well, when she was not studying the libram. She would also sometimes cry, though quietly. It was...difficult to listen to."