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Quest for the Holy Relics: A NeoGAF DnD Play by Post Campaign
- Thread starter ThLunarian
- Start date
ThLunarian
Member
"We had no idea where you were going," Lysa says, "Elmina and I just tracked your movements in town, and then when you left we sent a message to Scarlet. Her partner transformed into a bird and found you, watching your movements while we tracked you from behind. Once Scarlet caught up with us, we decided it was time to strike."
"And trust us," Elmina chimes in after seeing Kaff's facepalm (figurative if not literal), "We don't give a rat's tail where you're going, especially now that our employers have been axed."
"Aye," says Lysa, "And after what we saw here last night, I imagine we'll be staying far, far away from you AND that bloody cult from here on out. I'm perfectly content to stick with my gig at the Griffin." She lets a beat pass. "Well... I suppose Quintus can come and see us if he pleases." She winks at him.
"And trust us," Elmina chimes in after seeing Kaff's facepalm (figurative if not literal), "We don't give a rat's tail where you're going, especially now that our employers have been axed."
"Aye," says Lysa, "And after what we saw here last night, I imagine we'll be staying far, far away from you AND that bloody cult from here on out. I'm perfectly content to stick with my gig at the Griffin." She lets a beat pass. "Well... I suppose Quintus can come and see us if he pleases." She winks at him.
Kaff pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs. "I'm inclined to believe them. These cultists do not strike me as the type to be, ah, tolerant of failure. I cannot fathom what motivation might compell them to seek the Arm out again.
"Still, as a precaution I propose we leave them bound on the side of the road. I have no doubt they'd have slipped their bonds already had I not kept watch during the night, and if I misjudge their ability -- in which case they really ought to seek out a new line of work -- someone would be along shortly. They can claim they were spared and left undespoiled by a band of particularly, ah, merciful bandits.
"Either way, we take their possessions of value as due compensation for our trouble, we each go our separate ways, and that shall be the end of this. Should they seek to sell their information on us to some other interested party, the news of how Scarlet perished will be spread, and vice versa. Mutual benefit shall hold the tongues of all parties involved, yes?" He levels this last question implicitly at Lysa.
"Still, as a precaution I propose we leave them bound on the side of the road. I have no doubt they'd have slipped their bonds already had I not kept watch during the night, and if I misjudge their ability -- in which case they really ought to seek out a new line of work -- someone would be along shortly. They can claim they were spared and left undespoiled by a band of particularly, ah, merciful bandits.
"Either way, we take their possessions of value as due compensation for our trouble, we each go our separate ways, and that shall be the end of this. Should they seek to sell their information on us to some other interested party, the news of how Scarlet perished will be spread, and vice versa. Mutual benefit shall hold the tongues of all parties involved, yes?" He levels this last question implicitly at Lysa.
KittenMaster
Member
"I foresee no good path for these two. I fear the Arm will find out about us regardless of what we may do. We do not know where they have eyes and where they do not, but I believe a tavern would be a likely place."
ThLunarian
Member
Lysa nods to Kaff. "Fear not, your secrets are safe with us." She winks at Kaff, then looks at Sarm. "You don't need to drop us off at a tavern. We'll do just fine if you let us off right here. The gods know we've slipped out of worse predicaments."
And with that, the party parts ways with Lysa and Elmina.
Not long after resuming travel, the cloudy skies give way to a light, steady drizzle, making an already cloudy day get even drearier, and there is no sign of any civilization; only trees are present to give shelter from the rain, and a poor shelter at that. By the time the library gets within sight (a few hours later), everyone is good and well soaked head-to-toe from the trek.
The library is one of the biggest buildings any of you have ever seen; between your collective experiences, the only two buildings of comparable size have been the castle at Ruby Keep, and the coliseum at Emerald Bay Academy. It also looks incredibly ancient and sturdy, even from this distance; it's made of solid stone, and seems to have a very solid foundation. Putting it at hundreds of years old is probably an understatement, though "thousands" might be pushing it.
And as you get closer, a chilling sense of foreboding starts to creep its way into your psyche. You're not sure what exactly is making you feel that way yet, but you begin to feel apprehensive moving forward.
As you finally get within shouting distance, the source of your apprehension becomes clear. You are able to make out a dead body near the entrance to the library.
By the time you close the distance and finally reach the building's entrance, you've spotted four more bodies in the courtyard alone. Most have been mutilated with a blade of some sort, but one sports the handiwork of a mage's Evocation spells.
Stepping inside, you see more of the same. There are bodies of unarmed, unarmored citizens strewn about, and things seem to have been torn apart in here; shelves are knocked over and pushed out of place, books are strewn about, in some cases with pages ripped out; things are generally in a state of disarray.
((Here we're going to enter another skills challenge of sorts, but since I wasn't satisfied by how the last one went, we're going to modify and make this one a little more free-form.
Your objective is to investigate what happened here. I want you to describe how you go about doing that, and then if you're able to figure out an appropriate skill roll to correspond, go for it.
If you'd like to do something but you don't know how you'd use a skill for it, just describe what you're doing, and I'll figure out an appropriate skill from your list and roll it for you.
Rather than measuring successes and failures, we're going to keep going until there's a natural narrative conclusion, and I'll measure how well your checks went in aggregate to determine your final outcome.
I'll be at my computer most of the day, so I'll keep close tabs and provide as much feedback as I can, to allow for piggybacking off of eachothers' findings.
Good luck! And feel free to mix it up with roleplaying as well, of course))
And with that, the party parts ways with Lysa and Elmina.
Not long after resuming travel, the cloudy skies give way to a light, steady drizzle, making an already cloudy day get even drearier, and there is no sign of any civilization; only trees are present to give shelter from the rain, and a poor shelter at that. By the time the library gets within sight (a few hours later), everyone is good and well soaked head-to-toe from the trek.
The library is one of the biggest buildings any of you have ever seen; between your collective experiences, the only two buildings of comparable size have been the castle at Ruby Keep, and the coliseum at Emerald Bay Academy. It also looks incredibly ancient and sturdy, even from this distance; it's made of solid stone, and seems to have a very solid foundation. Putting it at hundreds of years old is probably an understatement, though "thousands" might be pushing it.
And as you get closer, a chilling sense of foreboding starts to creep its way into your psyche. You're not sure what exactly is making you feel that way yet, but you begin to feel apprehensive moving forward.
As you finally get within shouting distance, the source of your apprehension becomes clear. You are able to make out a dead body near the entrance to the library.
By the time you close the distance and finally reach the building's entrance, you've spotted four more bodies in the courtyard alone. Most have been mutilated with a blade of some sort, but one sports the handiwork of a mage's Evocation spells.
Stepping inside, you see more of the same. There are bodies of unarmed, unarmored citizens strewn about, and things seem to have been torn apart in here; shelves are knocked over and pushed out of place, books are strewn about, in some cases with pages ripped out; things are generally in a state of disarray.
((Here we're going to enter another skills challenge of sorts, but since I wasn't satisfied by how the last one went, we're going to modify and make this one a little more free-form.
Your objective is to investigate what happened here. I want you to describe how you go about doing that, and then if you're able to figure out an appropriate skill roll to correspond, go for it.
If you'd like to do something but you don't know how you'd use a skill for it, just describe what you're doing, and I'll figure out an appropriate skill from your list and roll it for you.
Rather than measuring successes and failures, we're going to keep going until there's a natural narrative conclusion, and I'll measure how well your checks went in aggregate to determine your final outcome.
I'll be at my computer most of the day, so I'll keep close tabs and provide as much feedback as I can, to allow for piggybacking off of eachothers' findings.
Good luck! And feel free to mix it up with roleplaying as well, of course))
Kaff quakes at the sight of the destruction, not just at the loss of life, but at the loss of knowledge. "Gods," he utters as he drops to his knees and gingerly sifts through the ruined tomes before him, "can you fathom what has been lost this day? Do you have an inkling what a single volume of this collection was worth? What a scholar or collector would have paid to possess it? We bear witness to the loss of more wealth than that which sits in the king's vault in Ruby Keep..."
((I guess technically that could be an appraise check, though he's not really trying to determine a value, just speculating...))
It would take an army of librarians a lifetime of effort to account for any missing volumes or pages, assuming the murderous vandals took anything at all. It's entirely possible this destruction serves no purpose than to obfuscate their actual goal. Given time, Kaff might be able to tell the difference, but first priority is..
"Survivors," he croaks out, clutching a random book to his chest as he rises. "We need to seek out survivors."
Without waiting for acknowledgement, he sets off down the nearest corridor in search.
((Weeeeeak. Kaff's big modifier skills are going to be tough to apply here : /))
((I guess technically that could be an appraise check, though he's not really trying to determine a value, just speculating...))
It would take an army of librarians a lifetime of effort to account for any missing volumes or pages, assuming the murderous vandals took anything at all. It's entirely possible this destruction serves no purpose than to obfuscate their actual goal. Given time, Kaff might be able to tell the difference, but first priority is..
"Survivors," he croaks out, clutching a random book to his chest as he rises. "We need to seek out survivors."
Without waiting for acknowledgement, he sets off down the nearest corridor in search.
Code:
Search check: 1d20 + 4 = 8((Weeeeeak. Kaff's big modifier skills are going to be tough to apply here : /))
ThLunarian
Member
Kaff, clearly troubled by what the party has found, finds solace in setting his sights on a single-minded goal. He takes off into the labyrinthine corridors of the library without paying much attention to what the rest of the party is saying, and before long finds himself lost, roaming the corridors at random.
The trail of bodies evaporated fairly quickly, and it becomes clear that this particular section of the building does not see much use; the shelves and books are all rather dusty, and seem to be untouched by the rampage. Undeterred by his somewhat embarrassing loss of direction, he presses on, calling out in hopes of finding someone.
"AHHH! Don't hurt me!" a desperate voice shrieks, startling Kaff from a perpendicular aisle as he passes it. He turns to look at the source, and a middle-aged woman is crouching against a bookshelf, trembling profusely. "I...I... I don't want to die...."
She seems severely overstimulated, but she is not completely gone, and may be coaxed back to lucidity if certain delicate measures are taken...
((The poor search check from Kaff got him separated from the rest of the party, so none of you are presently able to interact with Kaff or the survivor unless you choose to try and track him down first))
The trail of bodies evaporated fairly quickly, and it becomes clear that this particular section of the building does not see much use; the shelves and books are all rather dusty, and seem to be untouched by the rampage. Undeterred by his somewhat embarrassing loss of direction, he presses on, calling out in hopes of finding someone.
"AHHH! Don't hurt me!" a desperate voice shrieks, startling Kaff from a perpendicular aisle as he passes it. He turns to look at the source, and a middle-aged woman is crouching against a bookshelf, trembling profusely. "I...I... I don't want to die...."
She seems severely overstimulated, but she is not completely gone, and may be coaxed back to lucidity if certain delicate measures are taken...
((The poor search check from Kaff got him separated from the rest of the party, so none of you are presently able to interact with Kaff or the survivor unless you choose to try and track him down first))
Kaff inwardly curses his own foolishness, having forgotten that he was clad in the distinctive green attire worn by the Venca cultists when they had attacked Alydar. And now here he was, running headlong through the aftermath of yet another such assault in search of survivors in the very livery of their assailants.
Still, he is glad to have succeeded in finding someone left overlooked by the Arm's agents, and considers how to proceed... He judges that he has little hope of returning to the others and finding his way back here again. There is the option of using his signal whistle to alert them of his current position, but in the woman's current agitated state, that seems remarkably ill-advisable. She clearly requires care (physical or otherwise), and having neither curative items nor the requisite knowledge or skill, the only viable option is clearly to bring her to those that do.
How to accomplish that, however, is a puzzle in and of itself...
Kaff slowly raises his empty hands and maintains what he considers a respectable distance. "Madam," he intones in a calm, even voice, "I mean you no harm. I have just arrived with other candidates of the Wormwood Initiates, one of them a cleric. Will you allow me to bring you to them?"
Still, he is glad to have succeeded in finding someone left overlooked by the Arm's agents, and considers how to proceed... He judges that he has little hope of returning to the others and finding his way back here again. There is the option of using his signal whistle to alert them of his current position, but in the woman's current agitated state, that seems remarkably ill-advisable. She clearly requires care (physical or otherwise), and having neither curative items nor the requisite knowledge or skill, the only viable option is clearly to bring her to those that do.
How to accomplish that, however, is a puzzle in and of itself...
Kaff slowly raises his empty hands and maintains what he considers a respectable distance. "Madam," he intones in a calm, even voice, "I mean you no harm. I have just arrived with other candidates of the Wormwood Initiates, one of them a cleric. Will you allow me to bring you to them?"
Code:
Diplomacy check: 1d20 + 4 = 11ThLunarian
Member
Once you begin interacting with her and make your intentions clear, the woman immediately relaxes and stops hyperventilating, though she still looks upset. "You're not one of them," she heaves a sigh of relief. "You're wearing their armor, but you're not acting like them, at least." She does her best to stand up with some dignity. "They're all dead, aren't they?" Her face twists, but she makes a valiant effort to hold back tears, and takes a few seconds to compose herself.
She begins to lead the way back, navigating the twists and turns of the maze-like bookstores as she tells her story.
"I'm one of the librarians here," she explains. "We heard screams coming from outside like there was some kind of battle. We... we don't have any guards here. No one ever thought we'd come under attack..." She trails off for a moment before continuing. "It all happened so fast. The men in green came in here, looking for Curzon. He's the head librarian here, mind you. They started grabbing people. A few of us ran away, but they came chasing after us. I think I was the only one they didn't find."
"I have no idea what they'd want with Curzon. He was an old man, stubborn in his ways, but there wasn't anything remarkable about him. I saw him running away to somewhere else in the library once the screams started from outside, but I couldn't tell you which way he went."
Before long, you both make it back to the main lobby of the library.
((Kaff, if you see this before the others reply, wait until some more replies come in before posting again))
On Arrival
Still bearing the bandages that bind his wounds from the night before, Ivor breaks down upon disembarking the wagon with painful steps.
"By the gods, no!" After taking a dreadful view of the carnage he turns and raises his voice to the party. "Why did we let them go? Those two miscreants? You trusted them even when they bore the mark of the cult? Now everyone is dead and I could have done something!" Although he is genuine in his desire to have saved lives here, it is obvious nothing could have been done and the dwarf is lashing out in his anger. Pushing both hands through his hair he visibly shakes and grunts before beginning to walk away. Friction is starting to occur.
As Kaff begins to rush inside, Ivor steps outside to roughly unload several unneeded items from his pack at the wagon, leaving his healer's kit and 5 potions of light healing. Checking each of the bodies he inspects the wounds with his healer's skill to see if they are consistent with the rest, all the while hoping to find signs of life within the now-silent living quarters and desecrated halls.
Ivor is in a pretty bad state. With his blaming the party of the massacre here caused by his own fears that he is at fault, he will likely not respond to the others unless it is urgent.
Still bearing the bandages that bind his wounds from the night before, Ivor breaks down upon disembarking the wagon with painful steps.
"By the gods, no!" After taking a dreadful view of the carnage he turns and raises his voice to the party. "Why did we let them go? Those two miscreants? You trusted them even when they bore the mark of the cult? Now everyone is dead and I could have done something!" Although he is genuine in his desire to have saved lives here, it is obvious nothing could have been done and the dwarf is lashing out in his anger. Pushing both hands through his hair he visibly shakes and grunts before beginning to walk away. Friction is starting to occur.
As Kaff begins to rush inside, Ivor steps outside to roughly unload several unneeded items from his pack at the wagon, leaving his healer's kit and 5 potions of light healing. Checking each of the bodies he inspects the wounds with his healer's skill to see if they are consistent with the rest, all the while hoping to find signs of life within the now-silent living quarters and desecrated halls.
Code:
Rolling a 20-sided dice, 2 time(s): 13 8
Heal: 13 + 4.5 = 17.5
Search: 8 + 9 = 17Ivor is in a pretty bad state. With his blaming the party of the massacre here caused by his own fears that he is at fault, he will likely not respond to the others unless it is urgent.
ThLunarian
Member
((Ivor, not sure if your character is just convinced that Lysa and Elmina are part of the cult or if there was just a misreading, but just in case it's the latter, they weren't wearing the mark of the Cult. It was the barbarian and the Druid who were wearing the green outfits that you're familiar with; the other two were just dressed in normal travel wear. However, if you want to play it up as though you didn't believe them, be my guest!))
Ivor takes his time analyzing the carnage and keeping mostly to himself, desperately hoping for life signs.
At final count, he finds fifteen bodies between the outer courtyard and the inner lobby and immediately-surrounding rooms. There are four different types of fatal wounds: Some of the bodies' throats were slit with a dagger; a few have a rather large wound across their backs that probably came from an axe; two were stabbed from the front with the tip of a sword; and three have severe burns which obscure their face. All of the bodies still have traces of warmth, and you estimate that they've been like this for two or three hours, perhaps; no more than four for sure.
None show any signs of life, or of the potential for revival.
While inspecting the bodies, however, you recall the description of Curzon that Elric gave you before you left, and none of the bodies in this vicinity match his description. Rather than share this information with the others, you decide to look for some sort of trail, and in one of the adjoining rooms to the lobby there is a staircase; at the top of the staircase, you see that one of the bookshelves has been roughly shoved aside, a sign that the destruction was not limited to the bottom floor.
Ivor takes his time analyzing the carnage and keeping mostly to himself, desperately hoping for life signs.
At final count, he finds fifteen bodies between the outer courtyard and the inner lobby and immediately-surrounding rooms. There are four different types of fatal wounds: Some of the bodies' throats were slit with a dagger; a few have a rather large wound across their backs that probably came from an axe; two were stabbed from the front with the tip of a sword; and three have severe burns which obscure their face. All of the bodies still have traces of warmth, and you estimate that they've been like this for two or three hours, perhaps; no more than four for sure.
None show any signs of life, or of the potential for revival.
While inspecting the bodies, however, you recall the description of Curzon that Elric gave you before you left, and none of the bodies in this vicinity match his description. Rather than share this information with the others, you decide to look for some sort of trail, and in one of the adjoining rooms to the lobby there is a staircase; at the top of the staircase, you see that one of the bookshelves has been roughly shoved aside, a sign that the destruction was not limited to the bottom floor.
KittenMaster
Member
Sarm takes a look around the area and immediately notes the destruction, his expression becoming tense, channeling anger into a silence and turning it into a drive.
He grasps Ivor's shoulder tightly to stop him from storming off, and states sharply, "There is no proof it was they that did this. Did you expect your companions to agree to weigh down the wagon and put ourselves in danger?" He soon releases his grip and allows Ivor to storm off and collect the healing materials.
He grasps Ivor's shoulder tightly to stop him from storming off, and states sharply, "There is no proof it was they that did this. Did you expect your companions to agree to weigh down the wagon and put ourselves in danger?" He soon releases his grip and allows Ivor to storm off and collect the healing materials.
((Ivor is already a suspicious person, but this tragedy has him doubting things and making mistakes. He's convinced himself that letting them go had an effect on this, which is likely him trying to put fault on someone.))
ThLunarian
Member
DeadPhoenix
Member
Quintus keeps quiet as they enter the library, his mind scrambling to figure out how this could have happened... while unlikely those two women were involved in this, its not impossible. The timing of this is also suspect, its doubtful it is just a coincidence they showed up right after this happened. For all he knows, Elrin got fed up with his post and sold out his own group! And for a place that is suppose to be under the control of group like the Wormwood Institute, the security seems to be sorely lacking, but perhaps he just over estimated them. Unfortunately the answers for the question are beyond he reach right now, so he decides it best to focus on the situation right here, right now.
Quintus casts detect magic and begins searching for any magical clues.
Quintus casts detect magic and begins searching for any magical clues.
Code:
Search: 1D20+5 => [ 2 ] +5 = 7
Arcana: 1D20+14 => [ 14 ] +14 = 28ThLunarian
Member
As Quintus ruminates over who might be responsible for this mess, he focuses on his magical senses, and a few things become apparent.
Number one, the burn victims were most certainly victims of a magical assault, as the signature of a Fireball spell is clearly visible all over them.
Number two, there is a magical aura trail leading directly through the lobby. You're unable to tell which direction it started from, but one end goes out the front door, and the other goes up a flight of stairs in a room adjacent to the lobby. The trail looks like it was left by a very powerful magic item - similar to the trail that you're currently leaving with the magical boots you're wearing, but on a different... frequency, you might say.
Number three, for what it's worth, any valuable magic items that the victims may have had on them have already been picked clean by the perpetrators.
Number one, the burn victims were most certainly victims of a magical assault, as the signature of a Fireball spell is clearly visible all over them.
Number two, there is a magical aura trail leading directly through the lobby. You're unable to tell which direction it started from, but one end goes out the front door, and the other goes up a flight of stairs in a room adjacent to the lobby. The trail looks like it was left by a very powerful magic item - similar to the trail that you're currently leaving with the magical boots you're wearing, but on a different... frequency, you might say.
Number three, for what it's worth, any valuable magic items that the victims may have had on them have already been picked clean by the perpetrators.
DeadPhoenix
Member
"Looks like I've found a trail... I'm gonna go follow it up these stairs, see where it leads me."
Quintus heads up the stairs, further splitting the party because that is always a good idea.
((Not sure what I should roll here, maybe survival for tracking but that doesn't seem right, so just going with Perception for now, let me know if something else would make more sense.))
Quintus heads up the stairs, further splitting the party because that is always a good idea.
((Not sure what I should roll here, maybe survival for tracking but that doesn't seem right, so just going with Perception for now, let me know if something else would make more sense.))
Code:
Perception: 1D20+5 => [ 10 ] +5 = 15Retracing his steps through the labrythine halls with the librarian, Kaff attempts to put aside his abject horror and turn his keen analytical ability to the current scenario, but he is finding it a struggle to compartmentalize all this.
The battle at Alydar had been just that, a battle. The City Guard met the Arm steel on steel and while the Arm had succeeded in making off with the Mayor's daughter, they had paid a price in blood and manpower. This, though... This was abject slaughter. Kaff had seen murder before -- he was from Ruby Keep, for gods' sake -- but nothing with this degree of methodical malevolence.
As they start to enter the perimeter of violence, Kaff discretely interposes himself in the librarian's line of sight between her and the victims. Soon it becomes impossible to spare her the sight, and he abandons his effort accordingly.
They emerge in the lobby as Quintus starts to head upstairs. "I've, ah, found a witness. Hopefully she will be able to shed some light on what happened here and take the guesswork out of the equation."
The battle at Alydar had been just that, a battle. The City Guard met the Arm steel on steel and while the Arm had succeeded in making off with the Mayor's daughter, they had paid a price in blood and manpower. This, though... This was abject slaughter. Kaff had seen murder before -- he was from Ruby Keep, for gods' sake -- but nothing with this degree of methodical malevolence.
As they start to enter the perimeter of violence, Kaff discretely interposes himself in the librarian's line of sight between her and the victims. Soon it becomes impossible to spare her the sight, and he abandons his effort accordingly.
They emerge in the lobby as Quintus starts to head upstairs. "I've, ah, found a witness. Hopefully she will be able to shed some light on what happened here and take the guesswork out of the equation."
DeadPhoenix
Member
Quintus nods to Kaf, "You guys get on that, I'll check this out and be right back." and heads up the stairs.
((Also, what all of those items from the last battle did everyone take? I got the bracers and Sarm got the wisdom thing, did anyone take anything else? Also what type of Crossbow was that exactly? Wondering since I might use it if no one else needs it, +1 is always nice even if i don't use it much.))
((Also, what all of those items from the last battle did everyone take? I got the bracers and Sarm got the wisdom thing, did anyone take anything else? Also what type of Crossbow was that exactly? Wondering since I might use it if no one else needs it, +1 is always nice even if i don't use it much.))
((Thought Ivor wanted the bracers? Don't think anything else outside of the wisdom thingy and the boots were claimed, I guess it's all just sitting in the wagon waiting for us to get to town to sell.))
Kaff shares what the librarian told him with everyone else, that they were here looking for Cruzon, who's fate us currently unknown. That concluded, he turns to her and asks, "I know this is horribly trying for you, but it is vital that we determine whether or not Cruzon is among the dead. Do you know how many people were here at the library today? Hopefully we can muster a crude head count. Any information of the perpetrators would be useful as well. Numbers, physical descriptions, weapons of choice. They have outflanked us at every turn thus far, and we are in dire need of intelligence."
Kaff shares what the librarian told him with everyone else, that they were here looking for Cruzon, who's fate us currently unknown. That concluded, he turns to her and asks, "I know this is horribly trying for you, but it is vital that we determine whether or not Cruzon is among the dead. Do you know how many people were here at the library today? Hopefully we can muster a crude head count. Any information of the perpetrators would be useful as well. Numbers, physical descriptions, weapons of choice. They have outflanked us at every turn thus far, and we are in dire need of intelligence."
DeadPhoenix
Member
((Ivor wants the bracer for when he takes the Duelist class, which I imagine won't be happening for at least one more level, so I believe he actually took the leather armor +1.))
ThLunarian
Member
((The crossbow is a Light Crossbow +1, forgot to specify there. The unclaimed magical items were that and the Cloak of Charisma, I think. Quintus got the Bracers and the Boots, Sarm got the Periapt of Wisdom, and Ivor got the Leather Armor +1.))
The interaction with another person, along with the realization that the immediate danger has passed, seems to have done wonders for the poor librarian's state of mind. She nods, bracing herself to inspect the slain victims.
After a few moments, she says to Kaff, "Curzon is not here. They either caught up to him elsewhere in the library, or otherwise took him with them. As for their numbers and descriptions...." She sighs. "I started running as soon as it was clear they were coming inside, so I can't say for sure, but it seemed like there were five, maybe six. The ones I caught a glimpse of were wearing green armor, like yours. All were men. The best physical description I can give is that one was a human with light skin and black hair. I think I also saw an orc while they were chasing down those of us who tried to flee. They were all speaking in Common, I remember that too." She pauses and bites her lip, trying to remember more. "I'm.... I'm sorry I can't be more helpful."
-------
Meanwhile, Quintus ventures upstairs to follow the magical aura, and notices a sullen Ivor going in a similar direction.
While following the trail, Quintus notices that it's not consistent with the imprecise pattern of pushed-over shelves and felled books that Ivor seems to be trying to follow. The aura is going in a very linear path, through a door and a long hallway. Finally it leads to a dead-end room with walls that are completely covered in books... and the aura appears to pass directly through one of the shelves.
It doesn't take a genius to deduce that there must be some kind of secret door here, but unfortunately this sort of thing is not Quintus's specialty, and he seems to have arrived at an impasse.
-------
Ivor's trail has led him in a different direction upstairs. He noticed Quintus come up and go in a random direction that didn't seem to make any sense, but he was probably still too upset to exchange any words with him.
It's clear that whoever was here, was looking for something or someone specific, and they had no qualms with tearing the place up however they could in order to find it.
Before long, the trail of destruction leads Ivor to a modest office. The door had been forced open from being locked. It contains no fewer books than any of the other rooms, but there is a desk in the center, and a name plate that has been knocked onto the floor says "Curzon Bex, Library Curator."
There are clear signs of a struggle in here. Beyond the books laying about everywhere and the toppled chair, a cursory once-over reveals that some of the books have been magically damaged, and there are specks of red blood (though not in large quantities) here and there.
The interaction with another person, along with the realization that the immediate danger has passed, seems to have done wonders for the poor librarian's state of mind. She nods, bracing herself to inspect the slain victims.
After a few moments, she says to Kaff, "Curzon is not here. They either caught up to him elsewhere in the library, or otherwise took him with them. As for their numbers and descriptions...." She sighs. "I started running as soon as it was clear they were coming inside, so I can't say for sure, but it seemed like there were five, maybe six. The ones I caught a glimpse of were wearing green armor, like yours. All were men. The best physical description I can give is that one was a human with light skin and black hair. I think I also saw an orc while they were chasing down those of us who tried to flee. They were all speaking in Common, I remember that too." She pauses and bites her lip, trying to remember more. "I'm.... I'm sorry I can't be more helpful."
-------
Meanwhile, Quintus ventures upstairs to follow the magical aura, and notices a sullen Ivor going in a similar direction.
While following the trail, Quintus notices that it's not consistent with the imprecise pattern of pushed-over shelves and felled books that Ivor seems to be trying to follow. The aura is going in a very linear path, through a door and a long hallway. Finally it leads to a dead-end room with walls that are completely covered in books... and the aura appears to pass directly through one of the shelves.
It doesn't take a genius to deduce that there must be some kind of secret door here, but unfortunately this sort of thing is not Quintus's specialty, and he seems to have arrived at an impasse.
-------
Ivor's trail has led him in a different direction upstairs. He noticed Quintus come up and go in a random direction that didn't seem to make any sense, but he was probably still too upset to exchange any words with him.
It's clear that whoever was here, was looking for something or someone specific, and they had no qualms with tearing the place up however they could in order to find it.
Before long, the trail of destruction leads Ivor to a modest office. The door had been forced open from being locked. It contains no fewer books than any of the other rooms, but there is a desk in the center, and a name plate that has been knocked onto the floor says "Curzon Bex, Library Curator."
There are clear signs of a struggle in here. Beyond the books laying about everywhere and the toppled chair, a cursory once-over reveals that some of the books have been magically damaged, and there are specks of red blood (though not in large quantities) here and there.
((What the shit, no idea how I missed the loot being divvied up that way. I swear I read every post : / ))
Kaff nods and thanks the librarian for what information she could provide. He makes a mental note that so far all the cultists encountered have been human or orcish, an interesting fact even if he cannot determine its relevance at this point.
While awaiting the others to complete their own investigations, he starts searching through the books, both ruined and intact. He asks of the librarian once more, "I have the seed of an idea... Do you have any particularly well know and rare items in the library? The more highly sought the volume, the better it would be..."
Kaff nods and thanks the librarian for what information she could provide. He makes a mental note that so far all the cultists encountered have been human or orcish, an interesting fact even if he cannot determine its relevance at this point.
While awaiting the others to complete their own investigations, he starts searching through the books, both ruined and intact. He asks of the librarian once more, "I have the seed of an idea... Do you have any particularly well know and rare items in the library? The more highly sought the volume, the better it would be..."
ThLunarian
Member
She nods. "Curzon was -- IS, rather; I suppose I should stay positive -- very interested in rare artifacts. When he took over here (which was before my time, mind you), he took it upon himself to start a collection of historical treasures and converted an entire wing of the library into a public museum. Most of it is ceremonial armor, some old crowns of kings long past.. that sort of thing.
"I never knew for certain, but I'd always just assumed that he had his own private collection, as well. This library is riddled with hidden doorways and secret passages, and it's entirely within the realm of possibility that Curzon appropriated one of those secret rooms for something like that. Oh... but if they got what they were looking for, and they must have if they left, then that means Curzon is probably..." Her face twists in anguish before she can finish the sentence, and she quietly sobs to herself, politely turning away any attempt to console her.
The books you've been perusing, by the way, seem to be about entirely random non-fictional subjects ("History of Ruby Keep's 5th Era"; "A Traveler's Guide To Dragons"; "Basket-Weaving for Buffoons, 2nd Edition", etc), and it doesn't take you long to determine that they were organized alphabetically by the author's names, and they just happened to be knocked off their shelves in the same stroke. Their content almost certainly has no relation to what transpired here.
DeadPhoenix
Member
Quintus eventually returns to the lobby and informs the group of his findings, "There is almost certainly a secret door back there, but how to open it, and what lies beyond I can not be sure of quite yet, but I do believe it will be worth investigating further."
Kaff attempts to belay the librarians fears for Cruzon. "I am only working with supposition here, but I would gamble that Cruzon is still alive, though he likely may currently be in the clutches of hostile forces. They will want information from him, and I have reason to believe that precautions have been put in place to prevent Cruzon from being able to disclose that information, if our dealings with one of his associates is any indication. He shall retain his life until they find a countermeasure to his safeguards, though I doubt he will be comfortable in the meantime."
None of these books are quite suitable for the nebulous plan taking shape in his mind. Perhaps Cruzon's alleged private library might contain an appropriate candidate? Gesturing to Quintus, "Lead on. If we can't outwit a hidden door, then mayhaps a tactical application of brute force will do the trick."
None of these books are quite suitable for the nebulous plan taking shape in his mind. Perhaps Cruzon's alleged private library might contain an appropriate candidate? Gesturing to Quintus, "Lead on. If we can't outwit a hidden door, then mayhaps a tactical application of brute force will do the trick."
KittenMaster
Member
((Argh, so many huge posts and such a fast pace. It's gonna take me awhile to catch up and figure out what to do.))
ThLunarian
Member
((Sorry about the fast pace. It's partly because I'm on vacation and should be out and about, but an injury has forced me to stay stuck in my room, with nothing to do but be on the internet. I'll try to slow things down a bit))
KittenMaster
Member
Sarm was far too busy scolding Ivor to be able to contribute much to the search. He moves about the room, kneeling down beside each body to respectfully close the eyes of each victim, and hoping that they will receive better than they might have deserved in the living realm.
He soon catches the gaze of Kaff and the librarian. He stands up, and listens silently without yet contributing his own word to the dialogue between the two. Finally, after having the opportunity to speak, he begins to speak in a dulled tone, "It is because of the desire for this relic that many have died today. For me, it is a terrible shame that relics of good so greatly motivate evil." He soon remembers what Pelor had spoken to him, and comes to realize that this is what he means by what he can't stop, and directs his gaze to the librarian "But my motivation is even greater to protect the few that I can." He then agrees to go to where the secret room should be.
He soon catches the gaze of Kaff and the librarian. He stands up, and listens silently without yet contributing his own word to the dialogue between the two. Finally, after having the opportunity to speak, he begins to speak in a dulled tone, "It is because of the desire for this relic that many have died today. For me, it is a terrible shame that relics of good so greatly motivate evil." He soon remembers what Pelor had spoken to him, and comes to realize that this is what he means by what he can't stop, and directs his gaze to the librarian "But my motivation is even greater to protect the few that I can." He then agrees to go to where the secret room should be.
ThLunarian
Member
((You guys are going to need Ivor to get through the secret door, so we'll just chill until he is able to post))
Taking note of the mess and destruction in the room, Ivor decides to take a closer inspection of the damaged books. In particular the ones damaged by magic are raising his curiosity. Could they have been specifically singled out to be affected by these spells? And is there anything that could reveal to him the last few days for Curzon Bex and the library? A diary perhaps, or a travel log...
He sets to work leafing through the pages of the books that were damaged by the enemy mage, or mages. Piecing together pages silently and checking the books left in Curzon's personal desk, Ivor hopes to find anything of use.
Code:
Rolling a 20-sided dice, 2 time(s): 1 11
Search: 1 + 9 = 10 (critical failure, fucking awesome :/)
Gather Information: 11 + 2 = 13((Ah, sorry. The failure to find anything here will probably force him to come back to the party in a sulk.))
Ed: ((I need to go to bed, guys. 23:54 BST here. Sorry for holding things up.))
ThLunarian
Member
((No worries dude, we all have lives. The last thing I want is for anyone to feel pressured here. Just get to it when you can 
))
Having found the end of the trail, Ivor does his best to give things a thorough once-over. The great majority of the books he finds seem to be pretty irrelevant, but he DOES come across one hand-written journal.
As you flip through it, though, it all seems to be gibberish. The words themselves make sense, but they don't seem to fit into any discernible sentence structure. It becomes evident fairly quickly that the journal is written in some kind of code, and right now you're not able to decipher it.
You take it for further analysis later on, disappointed that your trail didn't turn up anything substantial, and you run into Kaff, Sarm, and Quintus as they all come up the stairs, going in the same direction that you saw Quintus go earlier.
))Having found the end of the trail, Ivor does his best to give things a thorough once-over. The great majority of the books he finds seem to be pretty irrelevant, but he DOES come across one hand-written journal.
As you flip through it, though, it all seems to be gibberish. The words themselves make sense, but they don't seem to fit into any discernible sentence structure. It becomes evident fairly quickly that the journal is written in some kind of code, and right now you're not able to decipher it.
You take it for further analysis later on, disappointed that your trail didn't turn up anything substantial, and you run into Kaff, Sarm, and Quintus as they all come up the stairs, going in the same direction that you saw Quintus go earlier.
KittenMaster
Member
((Sarm should be coming too.))
((Waiting to see what Ivor's needed for.))
With the coded journal in hand, Ivor looks up from the writing desk and sees the party approaching. His examinations of the books had helped to take his mind off the slaughter that has occurred, the puzzle giving him a chance to cool down although the disappointment of not finding solid clues sticks with him.
Grasping the book tightly, he reunites with them. "Welcome to the office of Curzon Bex my friends, though only blood and ruin are within." He holds the journal up with a disappointed expression. "I hope one of you is good with code as this is all I have found. What have the rest of you found? Please tell me there were survivors?"
With the coded journal in hand, Ivor looks up from the writing desk and sees the party approaching. His examinations of the books had helped to take his mind off the slaughter that has occurred, the puzzle giving him a chance to cool down although the disappointment of not finding solid clues sticks with him.
Grasping the book tightly, he reunites with them. "Welcome to the office of Curzon Bex my friends, though only blood and ruin are within." He holds the journal up with a disappointed expression. "I hope one of you is good with code as this is all I have found. What have the rest of you found? Please tell me there were survivors?"
Kaff nods in acknowledgement of Ivor rejoining the group and waves a hand to the librarian "We've found one survivor, and she says Cruzon is not amongst the dead, so there's hope we may yet find another. Quintus has detected a hidden door, which is certain to yield something interesting. They always do...
"Regrettably, while the areas of my expertise are varied, they do not include cryptonography."
"Regrettably, while the areas of my expertise are varied, they do not include cryptonography."
ThLunarian
Member
((The appropriate roll to detect the mechanism for opening the door (and then opening it) is Thievery, just so you know.
And Decipher Script could be used to decode the book. If someone has the skill and cares to use it, it would take a series of rolls over a number of days. That's probably for when the party is somewhat less pressed for time, though.))
And Decipher Script could be used to decode the book. If someone has the skill and cares to use it, it would take a series of rolls over a number of days. That's probably for when the party is somewhat less pressed for time, though.))
Kaff leafs through the coded journal and frowns. It's clearly an item of great importance, but as he had stated, he has no training in deciphering script. He could probably gauge its worth at auction (not much), and almost certainly render judgement on its authenticity with a comparitive sample of Cruzon's handwriting, but deriving meaning from the seemingly random characters within is beyond him. He hands it back to Ivor with a shrug bespeaking his impotence in the matter. "If we cannot make sense of it ourselves, we should retain it until we find someone who can. Or perhaps we can find another use altogether for it."
He turns his efforts to trying to uncover whatever mechanism it is that opens the hidden door, meticulously picking through the shelving and desk, praying that it is a mechanism and not something magically sealing the passage.
He turns his efforts to trying to uncover whatever mechanism it is that opens the hidden door, meticulously picking through the shelving and desk, praying that it is a mechanism and not something magically sealing the passage.
Code:
Thievery check: 1d20 + 6 = 10"A survivor... So this wasn't all for naught. Madam, we will do our very best to bring you somewhere more secure."
As the party shows Ivor where they suspect a door is hidden from them, the rogue takes a good look at the room. Not having visited this one before, the gradual build up in magical aura is a subtle one although one a magic user would detect comparatively easily. The trail eventually points to --((How is this door disguised? Is it behind a painting of someone important, a bust or bookshelf? This'll help me describe how the door is unlocked.)) Having some...experience in locating secret stashes in homes ranging from enormous mansions to one-room domiciles, it is clear from the arrangement of the decorations in this room that Quintus was correct in his deductions.
"Madam," he says to the librarian, "Are you aware of anything within here?"
Twirling his lockpicks between his fingers he gets to work, hammering at the walls for hollow spots and cutting into the plaster with a dagger.
((People keep beating me to my actions because of my shitty internet. We should co-ordinate this really or claim posts because people are invalidating my wordy posts. Sigh.))
As the party shows Ivor where they suspect a door is hidden from them, the rogue takes a good look at the room. Not having visited this one before, the gradual build up in magical aura is a subtle one although one a magic user would detect comparatively easily. The trail eventually points to --((How is this door disguised? Is it behind a painting of someone important, a bust or bookshelf? This'll help me describe how the door is unlocked.)) Having some...experience in locating secret stashes in homes ranging from enormous mansions to one-room domiciles, it is clear from the arrangement of the decorations in this room that Quintus was correct in his deductions.
"Madam," he says to the librarian, "Are you aware of anything within here?"
Code:
Thievery: 20 + 11 = 31 (no screenshot because my iPaperweight isn't working.Twirling his lockpicks between his fingers he gets to work, hammering at the walls for hollow spots and cutting into the plaster with a dagger.
((People keep beating me to my actions because of my shitty internet. We should co-ordinate this really or claim posts because people are invalidating my wordy posts. Sigh.))
ThLunarian
Member
Quintus leads the group to a room which appears to be a dead end, and points to a book shelf which he seems to be certain contains a hidden door of some kind.
"I've only been in this room maybe once or twice in all the years I've been here," the librarian (who has mentioned that her name is Linka) admits. "If there's a hidden door in here, Curzon kept it secret from me."
Ivor takes a close look at it, and in mere seconds he is able to identify a hidden mechanism behind one of the books. Even when unable to see it clearly, his nimble fingers are able to trigger the mechanism with ease, and a lock is moved out of place. Suddenly the lefthand side of the bookshelf swings inward.
There is only a single room on the other side of the shelf, perhaps twenty feet on each side. The walls are made of stone (the same stone that the outer walls are composed of), and the floor is marble, just like the rest of the structure. A display case that was made out of glass, but currently looks shattered, stands in the middle of the room. A cushion stands atop a waist-high pillar amid the glass shards, with nothing on it.
Lying pitifully on the ground next to the pillar is an old man. He is dressed in robes, and is covered in blood. He is just barely breathing, and what breath remains is shallow and inconsistent. Sarm attempts to tend to his wounds, but he is a very old man, and these injuries are grievous, and have been allowed to fester for too long; he is beyond even magical healing, and will die at any moment.
"Oh, Curzon!" Linka cries out in distress, running to the old man's side.
"Linka... not much time. Must give these men... a message..." He meekly attempts to push her aside, and makes a motion for everyone to gather around. Once they do, he makes a speech, and brashly cuts off any attempts to interrupt him.
"Vecna's cult stole Ioun's Monocle," he says, as fast as he can form the words. "They're trying to get all the artifacts. I don't know why, but the relics must be protected." He makes a strange motion with his hands, and then continues, "The rest of the Initiates are now allowed to tell you all they know. Elric can give you more information. But..." He gasps for air. "The Monocle... it will make it much easier for them to find the rest. You've got to hurry..."
Curzon passes away. It's only been about thirty seconds since you entered the room; it seems like you got here just in time, in terms of hearing what he had to say. ((Hint: He was still alive when you got through the door because you got a natural 20, Ivor. Nicely done ))
For Quintus:
DC 15 Knowledge Religion
"I've only been in this room maybe once or twice in all the years I've been here," the librarian (who has mentioned that her name is Linka) admits. "If there's a hidden door in here, Curzon kept it secret from me."
Ivor takes a close look at it, and in mere seconds he is able to identify a hidden mechanism behind one of the books. Even when unable to see it clearly, his nimble fingers are able to trigger the mechanism with ease, and a lock is moved out of place. Suddenly the lefthand side of the bookshelf swings inward.
There is only a single room on the other side of the shelf, perhaps twenty feet on each side. The walls are made of stone (the same stone that the outer walls are composed of), and the floor is marble, just like the rest of the structure. A display case that was made out of glass, but currently looks shattered, stands in the middle of the room. A cushion stands atop a waist-high pillar amid the glass shards, with nothing on it.
Lying pitifully on the ground next to the pillar is an old man. He is dressed in robes, and is covered in blood. He is just barely breathing, and what breath remains is shallow and inconsistent. Sarm attempts to tend to his wounds, but he is a very old man, and these injuries are grievous, and have been allowed to fester for too long; he is beyond even magical healing, and will die at any moment.
"Oh, Curzon!" Linka cries out in distress, running to the old man's side.
"Linka... not much time. Must give these men... a message..." He meekly attempts to push her aside, and makes a motion for everyone to gather around. Once they do, he makes a speech, and brashly cuts off any attempts to interrupt him.
"Vecna's cult stole Ioun's Monocle," he says, as fast as he can form the words. "They're trying to get all the artifacts. I don't know why, but the relics must be protected." He makes a strange motion with his hands, and then continues, "The rest of the Initiates are now allowed to tell you all they know. Elric can give you more information. But..." He gasps for air. "The Monocle... it will make it much easier for them to find the rest. You've got to hurry..."
Curzon passes away. It's only been about thirty seconds since you entered the room; it seems like you got here just in time, in terms of hearing what he had to say. ((Hint: He was still alive when you got through the door because you got a natural 20, Ivor. Nicely done
))For Quintus:
You still have Detect Magic up and running; the old man is actually wearing some magical gloves, and something - probably a rod - is emitting a magical aura from his pocket.
DC 15 Knowledge Religion
Ioun is the Goddess of Knowledge, and is a Neutral god. She prefers to keep to herself, but isn't particularly secretive. That may be one of the reasons that her library is so isolated from the rest of civilization.
DeadPhoenix
Member
Quintus shows little emotion for the scene as he moves to pick the magical items from the corpse and identify them, "These will surely be helpful in our quest..."
Code:
Spellcraft the rod or w/e that is in his pocket: 1D20+14 => [ 12 ] +14 = 26
Spellcraft gloves: 1D20+14 => [ 8 ] +14 = 22
Religion: 1D20+5 => [ 14 ] +5 = 19ThLunarian
Member
The gloves are Gloves of Dexterity +4, and the rod is a Lesser Metamagic Rod of Maximize.
((The Rod allows you to Maximize any spell of Level 3 or less, three times per day. Maximize means that any numerical value that would normally be determined by dice, automatically deals maximum damage. So for example, something that would deal 3d6 damage, instead deals 18.))
Linka watches disdainfully as Quintus loots Curzon's body, and then starts quietly sobbing to herself.
As the mage appraises the gear, Ivor quietly pulls him aside and whispers. "Tact, Quintus. Tact! Don't you see what you are doing? The man has only just passed, he clearly meant a lot to people. Give a person some time before you loot them." The rogue isn't angry, just disappointed.
KittenMaster
Member
Almost nothing of what the man says registers in his mind, the Cleric sprints forward to kneel down towards the man, "Hang on! I..." But the man is taken from him. Despite all reason, he wanted the chance to try and heal him. He shakes his head and closes the man's eyes just like everyone else, and then speaks to the librarian, "...Forgive me... Please... I have said things I could not uphold..."
DeadPhoenix
Member
Quintus whispers back "The trail goes colder the longer we wait and these items will surely be of use to us, we can morn the dead when we have time." then turns to the rest of the group and says, "We best get a move on, now that I know this Monocle was taken from here, I should be able to track its magical aura at least far enough to give us an idea of which way these fiends went."
((Probably keeping the rod, unless Sarm has a lot of dice rolling spells(I actually don't have many myself...) but while Quintus could certainly use the dex gloves, I imagine someone else needs it more(I forget, who had Weapon Finesse?)))
((Probably keeping the rod, unless Sarm has a lot of dice rolling spells(I actually don't have many myself...) but while Quintus could certainly use the dex gloves, I imagine someone else needs it more(I forget, who had Weapon Finesse?)))
ThLunarian
Member
The trail indeed is still hot, and based on the slow rate of aura dissipation (it's still visible even now, hours after the item left the room), you're confident you'll be able to track it for a good while.
Linka looks at Sarm with puffy eyes and sniffles. "Thank you, kind sir, but... but I'm afraid there's nothing you could've done. I am at least glad we were able to find him and hear his last words. It would have been a terrible tragedy for him to die alone."
She seems to overhear Quintus's whisper (since I imagine he's not working very hard to keep it quiet) and says, "If you're leaving, may I come with you? I'd rather not stay here... alone right now."
((Sarm could use the rod to maximize his healing spells inside of combat. Or Quintus could easily start learning and preparing damage-dealing spells. Either of you could make pretty good use of it.
Once everyone has had a chance to chime in on Quintus's suggestion to start tracking the Monocle, we'll continue on))
KittenMaster
Member
((My healing spells are maxed outside of battle anyway... I suppose if I re-prepare my spells to include Inflict Moderate Wounds I am basically doing 16 damage if I had the Rod and Inflict Serious Wounds is a Level 3 spell, which would do 24. This is all without caster level bonuses, of course.))
((Kaff uses Weapon Finesse and uses DEX over STR in general, could definitely use those gloves.))
Kaff paces a circuit around the room while he contemplates the situation. He had hoped that being inducted into the Wormwood Initiates would have been significantly more illuminating than it has been, but he only has marginally more information to act on than before.
"Not to impune on Quintus' gallantry," he begins, "but I think immediate pursuit of this monocle is not the best course of action.
"Consider the following," he says counting off each point on a corresponding finger. "The Arm has demonstrated extraordinary intelligence gathering capabilities, we could very well be running headlong into an ambush. We know not how fast they're moving, even if we can ascertain the direction, it may not even be possible to catch them. We know thanks to Linka here that the party that raided the library likely outnumbered us, and that's not even considering there may have been more she didn't see. Speaking of Linka, she needs to be delivered to safety, we can hardly take her along in chase of her would-be assassins. Furthermore, Cruzon told us we need to speak to Elric.
Kaff stops his pacing to deliver his final analysis. "In my estimation, our course of action is clear. We return to Alydar with all possible haste. Linka can manage from there. We tell Elric of what has transpired. With luck, he will know the locations of the remaining relics, and we can attempt to secure them before the Arm does. If we are fortunate, they will bring the monocle to us."
He coughs nervously into his hand. "Well, that is, ah, my view on the matter."
Kaff paces a circuit around the room while he contemplates the situation. He had hoped that being inducted into the Wormwood Initiates would have been significantly more illuminating than it has been, but he only has marginally more information to act on than before.
"Not to impune on Quintus' gallantry," he begins, "but I think immediate pursuit of this monocle is not the best course of action.
"Consider the following," he says counting off each point on a corresponding finger. "The Arm has demonstrated extraordinary intelligence gathering capabilities, we could very well be running headlong into an ambush. We know not how fast they're moving, even if we can ascertain the direction, it may not even be possible to catch them. We know thanks to Linka here that the party that raided the library likely outnumbered us, and that's not even considering there may have been more she didn't see. Speaking of Linka, she needs to be delivered to safety, we can hardly take her along in chase of her would-be assassins. Furthermore, Cruzon told us we need to speak to Elric.
Kaff stops his pacing to deliver his final analysis. "In my estimation, our course of action is clear. We return to Alydar with all possible haste. Linka can manage from there. We tell Elric of what has transpired. With luck, he will know the locations of the remaining relics, and we can attempt to secure them before the Arm does. If we are fortunate, they will bring the monocle to us."
He coughs nervously into his hand. "Well, that is, ah, my view on the matter."
"This is a difficult decision to make. With the monocle the cultists have a head start on finding the relics but Linka really must be taken somewhere safe first. Any time we spend in Alydar must be short for we risk losing the relics before this hunt has even begun. At least we have one of them here, lest the cult remove Quintus' feet!"