"I don't know what these little guys are, but I like them", Trevor smiles.
Don't worry, everyone. They look a little strange, but they're just iformation enthusiasts. They're likely assistants to the creator of this library."
Xallis smiles and drops to one knee in front of the creatures. "Hey there, little guys. We're just exploring and cleaning up. Can you help us learn about what this place is for, and who owns it?"
Henrika cocks an eyebrow at these unusual creatures. "How bizarre," she murmurs. "You obviously understand our speech. How about it, friends? Will you help us learn more about your master and what you are doing here?" She kneels down next to Xallis and puts out her hand for them to examine.
One of the gishvits extends its tongue and wraps in around Henrika's wrist. The tongue extends ten-feet-long and it drags her like pulling a leash towards the southern door. Then it whines and scratches against the door with its sharp legs.
From the other side of the door, you hear a voice. "One moment please."
A moment later, the door is opened by a creature that is a winged sphere of bronze and copper set with a single eye. It hovers gracefully in place and scans the room. "Visitors. I get so few of them these days. You can address me as Factor 12. I am the curator of the library archives. Have you come to make a withdrawal or to use the private reading room?"
It scowls at the gishvits. "I see you've befriended the library's vermin. Be careful around them. They are ravenous for new information. They may become aggressive if they aren't sated."
The gishvit at the door understands the curator and replies with an angry growl directed at it.
You can see into the room that the curator is in.
Cold metal lockers line the open spaces of this room. Desiccated papers protrude from the few open units, while the rest of the lockers remain tightly shut. Thick metal bolts connect additional lockers to the walls here. Some of the lockers reach up to the ceiling about twenty feet above. There is a single additional door on the western wall.
•An arbitor’s type is outsider (extraplanar, inevitable, lawful).
•Stealthy, observant, and frequently persuasive, arbiter inevitables are the scouts and diplomats of the inevitable race. Found throughout the multiverse in courts and on battlefields, arbiters keep a close eye on the forces of chaos and do their best to keep the lawful from straying, while simultaneously winning over the hearts and minds of those who might yet be saved. Though their assorted abilities make them extremely useful, arbiters see themselves less as servants than as advisers and counselors, preferring to ride around on their summoners’ shoulders and help guide their “partners” on the path of law.
•An arbiter can release electrical energy from its body. Immediately following such a burst, the arbiter becomes stunned for 24 hours.
•An arbiter has spell resistance.
•Its spell-like abilities include: detect chaos, command, make whole, protection from chaos, and commune.
•Arbiters can speak any language with their Truespeech ability.
•Although inevitables are living outsiders , their bodies are constructed of physical components, and in many ways they function as constructs. For the purposes of effects targeting creatures by type, inevitables count as both outsiders and constructs. They are immune to death effects, disease, mind-affecting effects, necromancy effects, paralysis, poison, sleep, stun, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless). Inevitables are not subject to nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or energy drain.
•Inevitables have regeneration/chaotic.
•An inevitable can speak with any creature that has a language, as if using a tongues spell. This ability is always active.
Lir doesn't seem surprised or put off by the compliment, showing she's used to it.
"I appreciate the thought, and I think I agree. I've found that scars detract from one's appearance far too much and causes too many issues."
Liraela, quickly picking up on the fact there may be valuables to recover, answers the strange mechanical looking creature.
"Yeah, we're here to withdraw. Could you show us around, show off some of the objects available?"
"Of course. As I suspected. The items remaining in the treasury are a +1 battleaxe, a +1 breastplate, a pair of boots of elvenkind, and a wand of remove disease with 5 charges. Only one item listed may be withdrawn from the library at a time."
"It used to be two," he grumbles, "but I've decided to crack down after recent thefts."
Icabhod is rather amused at the scampering books. Who is a good book? Is it you? Is it you?
The line about recent thefts halts Lir's hunger for loot, for now. Best not to anger the servant if unnecessary.
"Thefts? I'm assuming people aren't allowed to keep the items they withdraw. Do you know who stole from you? We could help you...reacquire the things they took."
"Although I am loathe to admit my failure, there was a recent theft 532 years ago. In that encounter, a wand of shocking grasp and a ring of protection +1 that were entrusted into my care were stolen by a rat. According to my information on Golarion mammals, rats typically live for approximately 2 years in the wild. The probability that the thief is still alive is 0.001%. If you borrow an item out of the treasury, please return it within the decade. With the exception of the stolen items, only one item may be removed from the treasury at a time. If you attempt to steal any items, I shall be required to stop you by force. These are the only stipulations."
"If you do come across the stolen items, returning them is not your responsibility."
"Although I am loathe to admit my failure, there was a recent theft 532 years ago. In that encounter, a wand of shocking grasp and a ring of protection +1 that were entrusted into my care were stolen by a rat. According to my information on Golarion mammals, rats typically live for approximately 2 years in the wild. The probability that the thief is still alive is 0.001%. If you borrow an item out of the treasury, please return it within the decade. With the exception of the stolen items, only one item may be removed from the treasury at a time. If you attempt to steal any items, I shall be required to stop you by force. These are the only stipulations."
Trevor causally places his hands, one of them wearing the new ring of protection +1, behind his back.
"Speaking as a cleric, the breastplate and the wand of remove diseases sound fascinating" Trevor inquired.
Both excellent choices. Let me know which one you decide on. If you need to examine any of the items for any reason, you may use the back room to do so."
The back reading room consists of a circular wooden table and several chairs arranged in the center. The rest of the room is bare of distractions and utterly silent.
"The wand is the most universally useful item. That gets my vote."
He paces back and forth, trying to get rid of the gaggle of books following him, while keeping an eye on Factor 12.
"Especially because he mentioned rats. Who knows what kind of diseases run rampant down here?" she shudders exaggeratedly.
He paces back and forth, trying to get rid of the gaggle of books following him, while keeping an eye on Factor 12.
The gishvits seem to sense that Tychus is trying to shake them and they think its a game. Three of them start following Tychus around.
Factor 12's singular unblinking eye stares back and is slightly unnerving.
"The wand is the most universally useful item. That gets my vote."
"Very well. One moment please." Factor 12 spins around and floats over to one of the lockers. He produces a key and unlocks it. From within he withdraws the wand and brings it over to you. "As requested. May I have your name or the name of your party so that I can record who has borrowed it?"
Assuming you give a name (real or fake, Factor 12 doesn't question it), you are free to take the item and go. However, when you move to leave the library, the gishvits all rush in front of the exit doors and bar your passage.
"Oh dear. I warned you about that. The gishvits want more knowledge." says Factor 12. "Luckily a good story should sate them. Once they've absorbed enough new knowledge, they'll wander off to digest it. That'll keep them in a torpor for at least a few years if not longer."
"Well, I certainly have plenty of stories to tell, from my time in Indapatta. Nagas, glorious hei-uh..." she pauses, not wanting to say the word 'heist' in front of the library's guardian.
"Adventures. Plenty of adventures and excitement!" she finishes, smirking. "Perhaps it's best that I don't be the one to share a story, on second thought."
Xallis lets out a chuckle at the sight of these little creatures. "So, who would like to tell a story?"
Navia nudges him with her elbow. "You should let me tell them about my home plane. Oh. Oh! You should tell them about the first time you summoned me!"
He purses his lip and tenses up. "Really? I think it's a little too visceral for their tastes. Besides, it felt like a dream, and some of it might have been a half-remembered metaphor, or..."
The eidolon rolls the blackened spheres that are her eyes. "Pfft. You didn't sound this reluctant about it in your journal. You wrote it all down like a man possessed!"
The summoner timidly glances back towards the rest of the party, giving them an opportunity to chip in.
Henrika looks around at the room and scratches the side of her head with the flat of her blade. "Perhaps, we could fell two birds with one stone by telling Factor 12 and the gishvits about how we came to be here, and then perhaps our host can tell us something about the strange circles we keep finding in these rooms?"
Liraela claps her hands in delight.
"Wonderful idea! A shame I didn't think of it. Would that be acceptable, Factor 12?" she says, looking over at the curator.
Sounds delightful! Alas, I am not very skilled with oratory.
You share your story with the arbitor and the gishvits. Afterwards the gishvits wander off to various places in the library and revert back to being indistinguishable from a regular book.
Factory 12 responds to your inquiry about the circles. "Unfortunately I can not help you with that question. My task is only to maintain the library which consists of the four rooms on this wing of the archives. I have not ventured forth from this area to observe these circles that you are describing. If you had arrived 2000 to 1500 years ago, there would have been more foot-traffic through the area. The last human visitor to the library before you arrived was a senator by the name of Eros Glendower 1000 years ago. And the only living intruder after that, besides the gishvits and a few insects, was the rat that I previously mentioned. However the fauna texts in the library give no indication that rats are capable of drawing and performing mathematical calculations."
"Factory 12, may I please take out the wand of remove disease, please?" Trevor asks.
"Factory 12, may I please take out the wand of remove disease, please?"
"Very well. One moment please." Factor 12 spins around and floats over to one of the lockers. He produces a key and unlocks it. From within he withdraws the wand and brings it over to you.
"Factory 12, may I please take out the wand of remove disease, please?""Very well. One moment please." Factor 12 spins around and floats over to one of the lockers. He produces a key and unlocks it. From within he withdraws the wand and brings it over to you.
[ooc]Whatever it is, feel free to roll an aid on behalf of Xallis and/or Navia. He fully supports this idea!
Trevor approaches one of the napping gishvits and nudges it awake. He promises plenty of stories and adventure and the gishvit yips excitedly at the prospect. It leaps into Trevor's arms and reverts back into book-form, allowing Trevor to take it with him.
You move into the hallway and stop at the fork between the north and west doors.
Tychus frowns at the decision to bring the Gishvit along for the journey.
"You'll have to be careful what you say around that thing. The last thing we need is our own words used against us."
Letting out a gentle sigh, he nonetheless gets ready to resume their misadventures. He looks at the western door, then glances down the hallway.
"Which way? This door is already here. Or we take the long trek down the hall."
Trevor approaches one of the napping gishvits and nudges it awake. He promises plenty of stories and adventure and the gishvit yips excitedly at the prospect. It leaps into Trevor's arms and reverts back into book-form, allowing Trevor to take it with him.
Trevor held the seemingly sentient book up. "Let me see? I know. A name worthy of you. Biblio. Your name is Biblio!" The cleric pets the strange outsider, content.
"Biblio? That's a wonderful name. I'll be happy to share some stories with it when we're done with this whole mess." Extremely satisfied with the results of their last little encounter, Xallis and Navia march with their allies towards the next unchecked door. Crossbow loaded, the summoner signals to his eidolon to check for trouble and then lead the way.
Xallis and Navia inspect the large metal door covered with chalk circles and mathematical notes. Navia doesn't hear anything and the only thing she smells from the other side of the door is dirt. However, Xallis detects magic (enchantment) on the door so he beckons Liraela over to take a look. She checks it but merely shrugs, so Navia attempts to open it.
A magical effect triggers on Navia and Liraela. Liraela shakes off the effect but Navia does not. Navia's senses become warped and the hallway suddenly seems to stretch endlessly in both directions. Navia is overcome with panic and the feeling of no hope of escape. Luckily Navia maintains her sanity enough to not hurt anyone.
The symbols on the door continue to glow and Navia seems to still be under its effect. Using her rogue's intuition, Liraela brushes her hand over the door and smears the circular symbols. Once the lines are broken, the magic dissipates and Navia regains her senses.
Finally able to open the door, you do so.
This ten-foot-wide hallway leads north for roughly forty feet before abruptly ending in a wall of dirt and broken wood. A door exits to the west.
Icabhod can make a Knowledge (Engineering) check and/or Liraela can make a Perception check on the hallway.
The collapse has destabilized the ceiling here and there is a risk of it falling. Liraea could probably secure it with a Disable Device check (basically a trap).
The collapse has destabilized the ceiling here and there is a risk of it falling. Liraea could probably secure it with a Disable Device check (basically a trap).
Trevor holds Biblio next to the other nobles, waiting for a more expert opinion on who best to proceed.
Nothing to worry about here. Hopefully we can get out quick.
Liraela doesn’t look like she quite understands the need to keep the small book-like creature, but doesn’t say anything about it.
”Are we sure this place is actually as safe as it implies to be? It doesn’t seem to be what we think it is.”
”Uh, actually, that ceiling is nowhere near safe. Here, let me mess around with some things and see if I can make it safe to progress.”
Quite the good eye, you would do well doing security work, keeping people out that is.
"I uh, usually spend my time on the other side of the security business, but the compliment is appreciated regardless." she replies, her voice obviously hiding a lot of things she probably shouldn't mention at this very moment.
Liraela safely secures the hallway so rubble doesn't come collapsing down on your heads and you proceed through the next doorway.
A graying wooden reception counter extends from the eastern wall, overshadowed by a faded, curling portrait of a group of several Taldan nobles. Comical alterations adorn the portrait, with red and green markings adding in stink lines, ridiculous mustaches, and other odd embellishments. A door exits to the west, while another door exits to the northeast.
A short, red-scaled reptilian humanoid is rummaging behind the counter when you enter. When he sees you coming he quickly ducks behind the desk then peers cautiously over the edge. He squints and shields his eyes from your light source. Slowly he raises his hands above his head and stands up. He utters a greeting in a language you don't understand. Seeing that you don't understand him, he tries a second language, and then a third. Unfortunately, none of you understand any of them. He sighs and shakes his head.
He holds up a finger, indicating for you to wait. Then he hefts a bulging sack up onto the counter and pours out the contents. He begins arranging a series of vials and minor magical items neatly on the counter and then holds his hands out wide to present them, like a merchant showing off his wares. Then he points to himself and says, "Mimips." Then he waves his hand over his items again.
Mimips wares can be found here. He can communicate the price well enough by indicating if you are offering enough for the item. It is clear that he is asking for slightly more than these items would cost you at a standard market in Oppara.
•A kobold’s type is humanoid (reptilian).
•Kobolds are creatures of the dark, found most commonly in enormous underground warrens or the dark corners of the forest where the sun is unable to reach. Due to their physical similarities, kobolds loudly proclaim themselves the scions of dragonkind, destined to rule the earth beneath the wings of their great god-cousins, but most dragons have little use for the obnoxious pests.
•Kobolds are sensitive to light.
•Kobolds speak Draconic.
Upon entering the room, Tychus keeps his crossbow at the ready. Not trusting this new creature, he tightens his grip, to the point that his knuckles go white, but doesn't outright aim at the Kobold.
Upon seeing it lay it's "wares" on the table, he gives a disapproving tut.
"Clearly hawking it's stolen goods. No good can come of this." he says in almost a whisper, and more to himself than anyone else.
Henrika seems curious about the tiny dragon humanoid. She nods and smiles to it, encouraging it to demonstrate its wares, trying to mimic its expressions and gestures to convey understanding. Then she tries to "ask" it how it got to this place and if there is an exit somewhere ahead. She points at Mimips and makes a walking movement with her forefingers and then points down to indicate this room, adopting a questioning face.
Mimips seems to follow what Henrika is asking and takes out a red marker that looks suspiciously similar in color to the alterations drawn on the picture behind him. He draws a crude drawing on the floor of the surrounding area.
On his map, to the west, he draws a circle with a house in it. To the north, he draws a ghost. And to the south where you came from, he draws a question mark.
"Clearly hawking it's stolen goods. No good can come of this."
Tychus' intuition is good. These are probably stolen or foraged goods.
He'll mostly check the room for any other dangers.
The room looks safe, depending on how much you can trust a kobold. But you don't see any other threats.
Trevor steps forward, bowing courtly before the scavenger. The cleric looks at the crude map and orients himself to it.
The caydenite examines the southern door.
Mimips gives Trevor a big toothy smile.
Trevor checks the door opposite the counter.
A wooden hallway suddenly gives way to a stony cavern. A series of two sharp slopes lead south, eventually ending in a sudden hole. Roughly half the width of an adult human, the hole descends into the darkness, winding off in a gentle western curve.
The nobles in the party side with Tychus on the kobold matter. Lord Botoles says, "This creature is clearly a thief and a vandal. And I've heard that kobolds are regarded as one of the evil races of Golarion. He's being friendly because he knows that he's been caught and is outnumbered. Why don't we just run him off back to where he came from?"
Mimips senses Lord Botoles' displeasure but doesn't understand his words.
Trevor walks back to the kobold and asks, "Mimips?" Then the cleric pantomimes a cup in his hand and drinking from it.
Mimips shrugs and holds out a hand to accept a drink.
"I think we should leave him alone." Liraela says, taking a stern look towards Lord Botoles. "He has as much right being here as you have, after all. I don't think you even know where we are, and yet you act like you own the place? I don't think so."
It's clear there is a lot she's leaving unsaid, but she takes up a somewhat defensive stance in front of the counter and the kobold.
"You don't know they're stolen for sure, and even if they are, he clearly deserved them more." she says with a smirk, lightening up a bit from whatever had darkened her mood.
Alas, I can not understand him, but perhaps the flying eye fellow can? We could inquire if he speaks the required language and if he would be willing to be a translator.
Trevor takes out an extra cup from his pack, and fills it with caydenite created water, and hands the cup of wine to the kobold.
"You don't know they're stolen for sure, and even if they are, he clearly deserved them more."
Lord Botoles backs down. "Hmph. Very well."
Trevor takes out an extra cup from his pack, and fills it with caydenite created water, and hands the cup of wine to the kobold.
Mimips cautiously sniffs the drink then gives it a taste. Satisfied that it is safe, he downs the rest of it. He looks over his displayed items and picks up a vial. He hands it to Trevor and mimes, Don't drink.
Alas, I can not understand him, but perhaps the flying eye fellow can? We could inquire if he speaks the required language and if he would be willing to be a translator.
Trevor takes the vial of acid, carefully put the vial to his heart and bows, showing his gratitude. The caydenite refills the cup, then carefully puts the vial away.
Once the kobold's gift was stowed away, Trevor addresses the nobility.
"Ah! See! The simple act of sharing a drink can help bridge the gulf of language and cultural barriers. Blessed be Cayden!"
The cleric's iridescent eyes almost glow with religious pride.
"You don't know they're stolen for sure, and even if they are, he clearly deserved them more."Lord Botoles backs down. "Hmph. Very well."
As the group exits Mimips's stall, Trevor walks next to Lord Botoles.
""Lord Botoles, a thought to sip upon: the uncertain future awaits us on the surface. To navigate the tumultuous political climate in Taldor, we might find ourselves compelled to forge alliances beyond the conventional bounds of society. Individuals like Mimips. It may determine the difference between Life and Death in the coming days."Trevor bowed his head. "Something to consider, Lord Botoles." The caydenite look to the other nobles as well, hoping they took his words to heart.
""Lord Botoles, a thought to sip upon: the uncertain future awaits us on the surface. To navigate the tumultuous political climate in Taldor, we might find ourselves compelled to forge alliances beyond the conventional bounds of society. Individuals like Mimips. It may determine the difference between Life and Death in the coming days."
Trevor bowed his head. "Something to consider, Lord Botoles." The caydenite look to the other nobles as well, hoping they took his words to heart.
Diplomacy (Charming): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (3) + 11 = 14
"Highly unlikely. I just want to get out of here."
As the group exits Mimips's stall,
You move towards the northeastern door. Mimips rushes over to the door and waves his hands frantically, warning you away.