Francis considers the situation and listens to the words of his companions. "We could try to bribe the guard, but I believe Amenhep is correct. The Muminofrah would still be expecting something if we get an audience with her. But what might entice her? A common bauble, regardless of value would likely be ignored. If we had something from one of the enemies that we've faced?"
Actions?
Starday, the 13th day of Desnus, 4714 AR
Weather is clear and hot (about 95 degrees) with little or no wind.
Two hours after midday.
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After a whispered conversation a short distance away, the party offers the potion to the guardsman, explaining its use. The big man shrugs, glances at the other - who gives a brief nod - and then stands aside to let the party through. "Announce yourselves to the seneschal so that he can add you to Her Excellency's afternoon calendar. If you require refreshments as you wait, you will have to take that up with him."
After a brief meeting with the fussy steward, the party learns that they can be seen in approximately five or six hours. They are advised that once their appointment is an hour away, they will be allowed aboard the barge to wait upon Her Excellency's call. Refreshments are provided, but they are not particularly cheap. They see the haty-a and her own guardsmen leave after about an hour or so and spend the rest of the time whiling the time away, taking some food and drink and watching those that meet with Muminofrah come and go. It is shortly after midday before they are called upon to board the barge, with an unnecessary warning not to approach the lions nor their handlers. A bit more than an hour later, the same eunuch slave they saw earlier in the haty-a's office pushes aside the curtains and calls out. "Her Excellency Muminofrah of Sothis will meet with Francis Thrannel and his entourage." Apparently it is too much for him to call out all the names beyond the first that was given to the seneschal - perhaps because they are not royalty or known at all within Tephu.
Within the silky curtains lay a heavy-set woman upon piles of soft pillows and sheets. She wears an elaborate headdress, fine (and very scanty) robes and is heavily decorated with precious metals and stones from head to toe. Two young and pretty female slaves lay beside her, one with an array of delicacies and drinks while the other cools her with a long fan bearing a single ostritch feather. Muminofrah languidly looks each of her guests up and down with a bold gaze - almost as though appraising cuts of meat. Her eyes linger on Amenhep for several moments longer than she does anyone else, waiting for one of them to speak, apparently...
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Amenhep bows, addressing her in Osiriani, "Hail and praises to you, oh esteemed emissary of the Ruby Prince and most honored Fan-Bearer on the Right Side of the King. I am Amenhep, champion of most holy Ra, and these are my companions and fellows in arms."
Francis joins Amenhep. Noticing how Muminofrah's gaze had lingered he delays any words until the Paladin had spoken.
"Thank you for allowing us into your presence. I am Francis Thrannel, Theologian of Pharasma, at your service of course."
After the others Soumral adds her greetings and respects to Muminofrah as well, describing herself as a wizard of Katapesh. She does it begrudgingly, but hides her true feelings well enough. Soumral adds a few elven words and phrases into the mix, aware that the ignorant and shallow among humans usually find such gilding to be terribly impressive.
Elliander gets a bit uncomfortable once in front of Muminofrah. He has very limited experience with nobles and are taken back somewhat from her appearance and see-through, hungry scrutinizing eyes. While he has been in her country a while now, he is still not as versed in their ways as the rest of his team members.
A little awkwardly, he gives her his name and presents himself as a ‘seeker of truth and ancient lore’ and ‘being against nefarious death cults’. Too late, he realizes that the people here have whole necropolis and might be for death cults in general. He tries to save face by throwing in a ‘at your service Your Excellency’, and then let’s the more well-spoken Amenhep and Francis speak.
Elliander will explain how the elixir works, if Muminofrah asks him about it.
Starday, the 13th day of Desnus, 4714 AR
Weather is clear and hot (about 95 degrees) with little or no wind.
Three hours after sunset.
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Muminofrah seems quite satisfied with the praise bestowed upon her, though she seems to find the elixir a strange offering. Again her eyes stray toward Amenhep's chiseled physique, her eyes both languid and hungry as she speaks in a throat voice. "Your presence pleases me, wanderers. Please stay for dinner tonight. I would hear more of your exploits. And of your... desires..." Again, she boldly gazes at Amenhep before carelessly waving one hand adorned with several rings toward the curtains, which the eunuch slaves holds aside for you to make your exit. The seneschal makes another appearance then, fawning over the adventurers who appear to have won the pleasure of her Excellency Muminofrah of Sothis, and offers more refreshments and comfortable places to rest and perhaps speak with others that loiter around the Palace of Gentle Reeds. They notice that payment for refreshments is no longer required, and the hours pass either slowly or quickly, pleasurably or dully, depending on the personality of the adventurers.
As evening settles over the land and the heat of the day begins to ease beneath the twilight skies, only the party is left as all the other guests take their leave. The eunuch slave they'd met earlier invites the adventurers aboard the barge once again, and the aroma of exquisitely cooked food caresses their nostrils. Muminofrah's scantily clad slaves serve a tagine of River Sphinx perch cooked with olives from huge silver tureens, along with grapes, huge loaves of bread and copious amounts of barley beer and mint tea. Coyly batting her heavy eyelashes, Muminofrah invites Amenhep to sit beside her on a luxuriant cushion, exhibiting an almost adolescent kind of ardor over the solidly built paladin as the party eats, drinks and speaks into the night...
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As he waits for dinner, Amenhep eagerly engages the party (or anyone who will indulge him) in games of Senet.
Amenhep dresses for dinner in a pared-down version of the elaborate clothes favored by Osiriani nobles. He treats with Mumiofrah warmly but somewhat reservedly, engaging her just enough to keep her interested in what the party has to say (but perhaps more pertinently interested in him) though not enough to truly indulge her. Though paladins of Ra have no true commandments towards chastity, the life of some vain noblewoman's plaything was only slightly better than battling Apep upon Ra's solar barque for eternity.
On further reflection, that might be preferable to the life of a noble pet.
"Gracious lady, we seek access to the Spiral Archive for information about a foe of the empire of old, perhaps one that threatens to awake once more. A cult behind the recent disaster in Wati claims to worship a being known as the Forgotten Pharaoh, perhaps the long-lost Sky Pharaoh Hakotep I. The haty-a denied us access, but perhaps your sway can convince her."
He looks into the woman's eyes, suppressing all his desire not to, and says with a winning smile, "Just think, if this Forgotten Pharaoh a truly fearsome foe that my companions and I must vanquish, think of how the annals of history will speak of the elegant and magnanimous woman who helped them to find the crucial information that we need."
Soumral doesn't eagerly engage. After changing into a simple but strategically revealing gown of thin, pale yellow cotton, she finds a place to safely lounge, watch, and listen while having a couple of drinks.
It's not that Soumral dislikes all social events. It' just these kinds of things that bore the crap out of her. Nobody is interesting or has anything worth a damn to say.
However, if she overhears any snippets of conversation that aren't tedious, she will weigh the risks of talking to the person who utters them. If she thinks she can easily disengage again if the person proves her faint hope to be false, she might go for it.
Elliander initially finds it a bit awkward to just relax. They are losing time after all. The heat is bearing down on them though and he soon sees the others of his team start loosening they armor and eventually donning other clothes. The duskblade does not have much in the way of finer, light clothing, but one of the servant hands him a long length of cloth, he’s supposed to wrap around himself instead.
Elliander takes off his armor, and he can feel it smells of sweat. Maybe it’s indeed polite to get himself cleaned-up. Asking for some water, he cleans himself somewhat, before realizing people around him are staring at him. Maybe with disgust, or at least with some sneering. He looks ridiculous with sunburned parts of lower arms and legs, but otherwise very pale, almost white in the skin, where his protective clothing has covered him from the sun. He doesn’t have Amenhep’s dark brown skin or the golden glow of Soumral.
Still wearing his smallclothes, he hastily tries to wrap the cloth around him, making a mess of it. He finally decides to make a knot of the excess fabric he can’t figure out how to attach properly. Looking up, he can see that Muminofrah watches him like he was some kind of strange animal, before turning her attention back to Amenhep.
Elliander blushes somewhat, but his face has by now at least got some sunburn, so it’s not as visible as if he’d be back home.
The Biter grows more and more impatient with his fumbling and encourages him to look at the nobility in general and Muminofrah in particular. It wants him to engage in the conversation. Elliander doesn’t really know the protocol here, and starts out by supporting Amenhep’s dialogue with nods, before cautiously adding some comments. He mostly responds to questions from Muminofrah, but if encouraged he will tell her about their quest or even tell her about his homeland.
Francis cleans his equipment and armor and stays ready to return to the mentioned dinner. He isn't truly hungry but the smells of the expertly prepared meal change that. Seeing that Muminofrah wants Amenhep beside her Francis does his best to provide some entertainment, speaking of the encounters that the group had worked through back in Wati, the involvement of the Silver Chain gang and the Ka pulse that had 'raised' all of the dead from the Necropolis.
Seeing her interest is Amenhep Francis may exaggerate Amenhep's feats in the battles. (Only a little as he doesn't want him directly disagreeing with him.) When he gets to the team coming here he will mention that they were tracking the criminals that appear to want to raise more undead here, and will comment that they seem to be seeking a Pharoah from legend, and while public records indicate that the tomb does not exist, the criminals had new records that indicate the Pharoah did exist and the tomb does exist.
His voice gets grim as he adds, "The Haty-a says that the Forgotten Pharoah is a myth and seeking the information would be a waste of time. However, an esteemed leader such as yourself obviously knows that every myth has a grain of truth that started the story. Perhaps the tomb did exist but has been buried buried for centuries under the sands of the desert. If it remains buried there is no danger. But if there is a buried artifact similar to what was found in Wati, and it is unearthed like there? The chaos that happened in Wati could be repeated here as all of the buried dead in this area are raised to attack the living here."
Then he takes a drink of wine and smiles, "But if we can locate the information that we need and stop these criminals, none of that can happen. Pharasma says that the dead have earned their place in the afterlife. They should be left alone!"
Moonday, the 15th day of Desnus, 4714 AR
Weather is partly cloudy, a bit humid and very warm (about 92 degrees) with only a slight breeze at times.
Two hours after sunrise.
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Muminofrah shakes a finger at Amenhep, her mouth set in a flirty pout. "Pretty words, mighty warrior. But do not think you will so easily escape, for I do enjoy a good chase. It makes the game so much more delightful." After Francis speaks up, she waves over the seneschal. "Bring me paper and pen." She commands, and as the man hustles away to accomplish the task, Muminofrah gazes languidly at each of the party, again allowing her eyes to linger on the paladin. "Your words have moved me to action, for it all sounds most intriguing and very exciting. I only require you to keep me informed as to how this story progresses." A wicked smile plays across her lips as she reaches over and strokes Amenhep's dusky cheek.
Fortunately, the moment is disrupted as the fussy seneschal brings paper and pen, and she turns her attention to him. "It appears that my friends will require access to the inner library here in Tephu. It is called the Inner Spiral, I believe, yes? Write up a request for a three day pass beginning Moonday and attach my royal seal." The man nods and hurries away as she returns her attention to Amenhep. "You, I think, shall be the one to deliver these reports to me, yes? Let my men know where you are staying so that I can send you messages when required. Take the letter I've had written on your behalf to Deka on the morning of Moonday, and I'm certain she will allow you all whatever access you require. I look forward to our next conversation." Again, she bats her heavy lashes coquettishly and offers her plump hand for the paladin to kiss in an obvious dismissal. The seneschal already has the letter written and stamped with the royal seal as the party makes their way out of the lavish estate, and they return to the Inn of the Desert Winds where they have secured rooms for the night - which passes uneventfully. The following day is Sunday - a day of rest and relaxation during which government offices are closed, and so the party must take their ease on this day and wait until the following day.
Early the next morning, the party takes the letter to the haty-a after Deaconess Sekek allows them to see her after only a short wait once she is shown the letter signed by Muminofrah. Deka An-Keret reads the letter handed her as the adventurers wait a short distance away from her desk, her dark eyes scanning the paper for what seems to be quite a long time. Then, her lips pressed together in a firm line, she snaps the letter back into the hands of Sekek and turns her gaze to the party. "Very well," she says coolly, then opens a drawer in her desk and pens a short note on official-looking parchment before handing that to Deaconess Sekek as well, who then gives it over the Francis. "Give that to the curators in the library. It allows you access for three days. Now, if that is all?"
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Francis accepts the parchment from Sekek. He pauses for a moment looking at the Deka. He hands the parchment to Amenhep and quietly says to his friends, "Please give me a moment. I'd like to thank the Haty-a Deka An-Keret privately."
He waits until his friends have left the room and faces Deka An-Keret directly. "I do mean to thank you. I don't know the politics of your city, your temple or your library, and obviously don't know enough of the history of our country. You are obviously the master of this arena." He pauses a moment, obviously thinking about his words, but does continue. "All I seek is information to stop what I, what we feel is a serious danger to the all living creatures. The undead terrors that we faced in Wati.... My words would be a pitiful attempt to explain any of it. I know that you are the master of your library and almost certainly know everything that is in it. That said, we don't seek more myths and legends about the Sky Pharaoh Hakotep 1. All we seek is the information that we will need to stop the Cult of the Forgotten Pharaoh. With your knowledge of your library, you could guide us to that knowledge."
"If we succeed in this, with your guidance, then of course you can have all of the credit for leading us to victory. We won't mention anything that we found to anyone without first discussing it with you. And, if we find anything of historical significance, we will bring it here to your library where it obviously should be stored." He pauses, watching for a reaction from the Deka.
Francis, give me a Sense Motive check, please.
Deka An-Keret's eyes narrow dangerously as she regards the cleric of Pharasma. "Save your honeyed words for Muminofrah. Your platitudes are meaningless to me." It almost seems as though she intends to say something more, but instead she only gestures, and the guards move toward Francis, obviously intending to either escort him out willingly or drag him out, if necessary.
But the cleric saw something in the haty-a's eyes when she spoke. Something beyond the obvious anger. There was also fear...
Francis holds his hands up as the guards approach. "I'll leave then." He turns to leave and walks out with a dignified step. Without pausing he adds, "I don't 'honey' my words. I find honesty more important. Thank you for your time."
"Like I said before Francis, absolute b@++@" Sourmal comments as they walk away.
Soumral takes some time to check through the spell books they've collected recently, making sure she's completed all the spell transcriptions she intended are complete before the books go on the market and become out of reach.
Otherwise she spends time idling in the shade and updating her journal with entries regarding recent events while drinking chilled wine to stay cool.
Francis considers the haty-a's body language, certain that she normally wouldn't have given that much information. She was an experienced political leader, unlike him. He stays quiet though until he is back with his friends, and out of any possible earshot. He motions everyone to gather close so his voice won't carry. "There's more to this Soumral. She knows what we might find. And I think there's something dangerous about the information that we seek. The haty-a shut me down even though I offered her total control of the information and an option to claim the victory for her church. But, I read something on her face that her make-up and political experience couldn't cover. I don't know what we'll find, but I feel that it is something that she fears. Don't discuss anything that we find if there is anyone around to hear it."
Elliander uses the waiting time to take strolls through the city. He tries to learn more about it and its history. He also replenishes some of his provisions to be ready once they can act again.*
When they get the letter from Muminofrah and can go back to the library, Elliander can sense that they’re not really welcome there by Deka An-Keret. The haty-a reading the instruction in the letter even makes the situation bordering toxic. The duskblade tries to keep a low profile and close to the rest of the team, as if to expect hostilities.
Francis explains his thoughts to them, and they likely need to be careful. Too bad they could not get full cooperation from the officials at the library. The library is so big and he feels they’ve already lost time.
Moonday, the 15th day of Desnus, 4714 AR
Weather is partly cloudy, a bit humid and very warm (about 92 degrees) with only a slight breeze at times.
Two hours after sunrise.
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When they enter the Great Library on the morning of Moonday, the curators look over the signed document signed by Deka An-Keret and lead the party toward the back of the huge building, toward the immense, circular bronze door decorated with a single hieroglyph of an eye engraved in the center. Another curator, this one an older man with skin like rough parchment approaches to meet them and withdraws a bronze key from a pocket and slips it into a small hole in the center of the eye, turning it clockwise four times. Despite his age and thin arms, he then slides the door - a solid disc that is about six inches thick and looks as though it must weigh a solid ton - with absolutely no effort into the left-hand wall. He drops the key back into his pocket and bows slightly to the party. "The Inner Spiral is warded against intruders, but with the letter you bear you should come to no harm. Carry the letter openly before you, and Tholurtu will not trouble you, nor will the invisible guardians within the Winding Path. When you are ready to return, simply open the door, as the key is only required to enter, not to exit. May Nethys grant you wisdom in your quest for knowledge."
Beyond the open door, a set of old limestone stairs descend into darkness that is broken by torches set into the walls every forty feet or so until the rest of the corridor is lost from sight.
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Noticing that the door into the heart of the library is locked but is apparently possible to be opened from the inside without the key, Elliander wonders who is working inside there. The man letting them in only names some that will hopefully not attack them, but albeit a relief, it’s not much in the way of service or assistance. He asks the man: ”Is there anyone inside here that can aid us in our search? Our research has been approved by both the honorable haty-a Deka An-Keret and Her Excellency Muminofrah of Sothis. We got the instinct impression that both of them would be grateful, if we found what we’re looking for as quickly as possible.”
The scribe shakes his head slightly in answer to Elliander's query. "The Inner Spiral can be quite dangerous to those that would trespass unlawfully within, and I have allowed access to none within the last few days. My only advice is that you may find the Spiral's Heart daunting in appearance, though I can assure you the bridges are quite sturdy. However, keep in mind that care must be taken in crossing them as you seek out whatever you have come to find. None here may accompany you in your quest for knowledge, as Nethys dictates that acquiring hidden answers will test both the body and spirit of those that search. Luck to you in your pursuit."
He bows once more, and then waits for the adventurers to descend the steps after taking a respectful step backward.
Amenhep readies himself to head into the library, murmuring a quiet prayer to Ra before venturing into the darkness.
Soumral moves along into the library with everyone else. She saves her grumbling until she's out of the scribe's range of hearing, but only for that long.
"It's just a f+~~ing library. 'Nethys dictates that acquiring hidden answers will test both the body and spirit of those that search'" she mimics in a mocking voice.
"As if finding something in this poorly organized trash fire of a library isn't going to be taxing enough enough on its own. Great way to spread the faith: 'looking for answers will get you killed. Go home.' A*%@+~+s."
Moonday, the 15th day of Desnus, 4714 AR
Weather is partly cloudy, a bit humid and very warm (about 92 degrees) with only a slight breeze at times.
Two hours after sunrise.
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The party makes their way down the limestone steps as the door booms shut behind them. Their way is lit by the torches set in their sconces, burning with what proves to be a heatless flame - not surprising, given that this place is a library, after all. Soumral grouches irritably as they reach the floor, and the adventurers see that the corridor continues forward into a hexagonally shaped room about sixty feet away and a side passage leading right about twenty feet in front of them.
But in the next moment, something extremely large and hairy moves stands up from where it had been squatting motionless in the room ahead. The brown, shaggy-furred beast stands on slate grey hooves, its head resembling that of a maniacal horned ape as it opens its fanged mouth and speaks in a deep, rumbling voice. "If you are talking about me, elf girl, your name will join those upon my wall of fallen heroes that have foolishly trespassed within these halls." The creature's gimlet eyes rove across the others in the hall, its nostrils flare as its next words are spoken with a wild eagerness. "As will the rest of you..."
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Amenhep presents the letter that allowed them access, ”You will not slake your bloodlust this day. We are not trespassers here. Our presence is backed by the writ of law.”
Francis steps up as the guardian makes itself known. "No guardian of Nethys. She was commenting about a bad phrase that the scribe spoke before letting us in here. We are not trespassers. We have written permission to be here, to seek information about the Sky Pharaoh Hakotep 1 and prevent the release of a dreadful curse. Our permission is recorded in a letter from Haty-a Deka An-Keret. You may review it to confirm my words."
He holds the letter out to be seen.
Moonday, the 15th day of Desnus, 4714 AR
Weather is partly cloudy, a bit humid and very warm (about 92 degrees) with only a slight breeze at times.
Two hours after sunrise.
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The daemon grunts in obvious annoyance, but doesn't otherwise stop the adventurers from continuing onward after taking a long look at the document. With a snort, it returns to the pentagonal room at the end of the hallway and crouches down again - perhaps waiting for someone it can tear from limb to limb. The passage east curves gently to the south and east before straightening out again for a short distance, then begins a mildly steep switchback leading downward for some distance before again straightening out in a mildly curving hallway that bends left sharply and abruptly terminates.
To the right is a small room containing three desks and a handful of uncomfortable-looking chairs - apparently the curators of this inner sanctum of the Great Library don't want any would be scholars getting too comfy with their precious books. Straight ahead is an astoundingly odd sight. The corridor opens up into a wide, circular chamber - and instead of a floor, a vast well lined with row upon row of books, scrolls and parchment plummets downward. Below, flickering flames gently illuminate the chamber in its soft light. A flight of narrow stone stairs (naturally with no guardrail) descends in a spiral along the inner walls of the shaft, which is crisscrossed by a lattice of slender, impossibly thin bridges.
The party notes two things beyond these features of the area. First, a figure sits in the small room to the right. Clad seemingly head to toe with dark silks (a style of dress that is common to a few cultures of Osirion), the stranger has a small pile of books stacked upon the desk at which they are sitting. Their back is to the door, but they do not stir as the party stops outside the short hall leading into the tiny chamber. Within the Spiral Archive itself, for what else could the vast library be called, two visitors move along the staircase and even the papyrus bridges - apparently on business of their own...
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"It seems there are other visitants to this library. Perhaps we should see what they are here for?"
Elliander’s previous impression of the library being unfriendly to researchers is strengthened here. Not only had the haty-a been very reluctant to let them do the research at all (despite them having a good reason for it), the bookshelves in the outer part of the library were ridiculously unsafe to try to climb and now there were murderous monsters here to attack the unwary visitor. How could anyone do any meaningful work here, without constant worry or anxiety?
When they get further inside, the duskblade can see that the Spiral Archive seems to burrow itself down into the ground, like a large, deep well. His first though is that it’s stupid to risk all these valuable scrolls and books being destroyed by water by storing them this way. He then suspects that the land here is very dry, so flooding or ground water seeping in might not be an issue, but anyway … it’s weird.
His thoughts are interrupted when he spots two other individuals that are not dressed as the library officers outside. These two do not initially turn to look at the entered team members, so they are hopefully not more bloodthirsty guards. Other researchers perhaps? Elliander wonders if they can be the competing cultists trying to find a lead here too. He grabs the hilt of his sword, trying to be careful as they enter further in.
Amenhep speaks out loud what Elliander is thinking.
While the daemon presented no trouble in the end, Soumral is persuaded the library can't be treated as a "civilian" environment. She uses one of her wands to augment her protections.
She thinks that as a general rule it might be best to leave other people to their work undisturbed, But the pair walking about aren't settled and working, and may know their way about the place some. They could be a useful exception.
She points out the pair.
"If they've been here long at all, they may know something of the layout here. We could ask them for some directions?"
Devin has been prospecting for scrolls and such using detect magic, but he's unimpressed with all the books and records - so much wasted effort with no one reading them. When the newcomers come in, Horek nudges Nevitash and says quietly "We got company. We ain't getting paid to bodyguard the lady, but she is our ticket back out, as she still has the pass-letter... Maybe we should head back there."
Moving forward a little, Elliander suddenly stops when he sees there is also someone in the little room to his right.
Francis stops at the entrance to the spiral, concerned about the search. He isn't really scared of heights, but knows that he isn't really a good climber.... Noticing the strangers already searching the shelves he quietly reminds them, "The cultist's might still be searching. Those might be associated with them."
He mutters to himself, "A ring of featherfalling would sure help me feel more comfortable!"
Soumral considers for a second.
"Could be. But if they are and they want a fight, we might as well get it over with. If they are and they instead try to hide it, we might find out something more about what they're searching for. That would be helpful. We should assume they are ahead of us in whatever this is. It's the rational position to take."
Amenhep approaches the two half-orcs, a wide smile on his face. He is friendly of course, but is careful not to betray exactly why he is in the libary, "Good day! I cannot help but notice fellow seekers of knowledge. I am Amenhep, sacred warrior of Ra, and these are my esteemed companions."
The figure at the table in the side chamber doesn't even flinch as Amenhep's voice rings out, though the two half-orcs bouncing slightly along the papyrus-crafted bridges certainly hear the armored paladin.
The Spiral's Heart is well-lit, all the way down to the floor far below. About 150' below, or thereabouts. Though there are criss-crossing bridges the entire length that lead downward or straight across to the circular walls that appear to house thousands upon thousands of tomes, scrolls and other such.