Martha's not surprised Agon has heard of her. She had been a fearsome villain in her day; she thinks back - shakes her head. 'If I could do it all again now, being older and wiser and knowing what I know...', she confides to the Sage. '...I wish I could say I would never follow the same path. But the young can be ambitious and unprincipled - history is full of their misadventures. In any case, I barely remember that part of my life anymore, it feels like a different Martha.'

Martha pores over the lich notes with Agon, her delight at being accepted by the Mage forgotten now that she has access to this fascinating research. She reads it eight times, but still she's missed something. She brings herself back - remembers what it was like to be the Scale of Tiamat so long ago. 'Look!' She realises. 'We missed something. See the way he's written that word - he's thinking of something else. The essence of Io was the clue.' It was thinking about her past that has given her the inspiration.

Perception Check CRIT 49!

09:14, Today: Martha rolled 65 using 2d20+25+d6 with rolls of 16,20,4.  Perception check, guidance of past  & memory 1000 lifetimes.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:25, Mon 15 Feb 2016.

Needless to say, the professionals who ran this place where tough nuts to crack. However, Gromley had charmed his way with a 'foot in the door' so to speak. The closer was his summoned chest of personal effects...including the elvish wine he kept for such situations. After a few drinks and a empty bottle-the librarians where more than willing to find what he asked for...and something extra on the side as well.

OOC-
09:04, Today: Gromley Underhill rolled 48 using 1d20+30 with rolls of 18.  Endurance.

Sonliin headed towards the most restricted section of the library, to the very bottom most storage area that had the dust of millennia coating the books. Using his floating hands to carefully open the fragile scrolls and turn the pages of the tomes, he started to research the possible location of the artifact and to see what security measures were placed on the arrow. "Hum" he thought, "This looks like some notes from a scholar that helped store it."

09:25, Today: Sonliin rolled 40 using 1d20+24 with rolls of 16.  History.

As he was expecting it, Darratheir was of almost no use in this library. Even if he was one of the best suited to gather the hard-to-get books, now that they had them, he couldn't help but staying there like a statue while the others were reading the books more and more to find that little word which could make the difference.

Not really at his ease in this closed area, he started to go back and forth between the alleys of the library and it became clear that his presence was disturbing to most of the scholars that were looking at him with a disapproval gaze now.

16:49, Today: Darratheir Burnedbear rolled 45 using 1d20+32 with rolls of 13.  Intimidate.

Sonliin started the decisive phase by simply finding out what the most restricted section of the library was. They were initially denied entry, despite Sonliin’s good standing. However, the prowling Darratheir soon scared away many scholars in neighboring areas, and Gromley then rather cleverly out-drank the remaining scholars, ensuring that nobody would disturb the scholarship therein.

Sonliin found the right books, finding notes from a scholar that helped place the artifact. Unfortunately, the fellow appears to have been mad—until Martha cracked the code in the language, leveraging her understanding of the Queen Dragon’s ways. Agon then calculated from this the essential truths they needed.

To safeguard the Arrow and ensure that the accord would last, Erathis, Ioun, and Pelor wove a great ritual in four parts, one for each of the deities and a fourth representing their collaboration. Each of the gods warded their seal in their own way. Pelor forged his into the form of a great bell that would announce the coming of dawn and set a garrison of angels to watch over the bastion constructed to hold it. Erathis bound her seal into the very flagstones of the largest market square upon the mercantile earthmote and neighborhood of Methion. Ioun secreted hers away within the Sealed Library, a cloistered haven hidden within the fabric of the domain, where a trusted few researched sensitive projects for their lady. The fourth seal, protected by the first three, rests under the constant storm that marks the Salts district. It is accessible only should each of the others be undone. Even so, the gods set a terrible foe from the Dawn War to guard the Arrow from any who would disturb it.

Now, the key questions for the party: can they find and “break” (deactivate) the seals that prevent access to the Arrow—and can they convince the citizens of Hestavar to let them?

At the very least, though, Zog helps with the immediate problem of the party’s trespassing. He convinces several of the officials in the library that the whole business in question was in fact in memoriam of Bahamut, and that causes the librarians to quiet their protests—for now.

You succeeded at the skill challenge! What do you do?

Zog, who had changed shape to resemble an older sage to negotiate with the librarians, shifted back to his "normal" form to talk to his allies.

"Well, it seems to me we should go speak to the servants of Ioun to begin. Perhaps we can reason with them and remove that obstacle, and perhaps enlist their aid in speaking with the adherents of Erathis and Pelor."

'I agree. Erathis, Pelor and Ioun have their three greatest temples on this plane, and all three would want to help us defeat Tiamat. Even through the three deities have retreated for their meeting, their high priests might be inclined to help.'

'Alternatively', she considers without enthusiasm, 'We could try and find this god-meeting and confront - I mean discuss with - them directly. But that might be a lot trickier. In any case we should begin with Ioun'.

'Athearsauriv, exarch of Ioun', she addresses the avatar in the library. 'You know what must be done. Can you provide us with advice?'

Taking the group aside, she speaks to them quietly without anyone else hearing. 'We should consider another possibility - that even these three nice gods wouldn't want mortals to get a weapon that can kill a god.' Martha is suspicious of divine motives. 'Don't you think it's suspicious that all three are conveniently 'in a meeting' at the exact time we need them most?' she shares; but she's quick to backtrack and apologise if anyone in the party takes offence at her dark views.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:27, Tue 16 Feb 2016.

"The Sealed Library of Ioun would be the place to start in my opinion. We might find additional information on the other seals there." Sonliin said.  "As for the Gods all having a meeting at the same time, it could be that they are busy dealing with other mischievous misdeeds that Tiamat is cooking up to keep them from focusing her attention on her. Or, they want us to deal with the problem ourselves to see if we are worthy."  he added

"That is an excellent point." Agon said. Martha was right that the gods might be willing to go to great lengths to keep a legendary weapon like the Arrow of Fate out of the hands of mortals.  "We will be judged by our actions, or lack thereof. While the Gods hesitate, I propose we break these seals and retrieve the arrow. I will beg for forgiveness once Tiamat has paid for her crime against the order of the universe."

'I like your attitude Agon; The time for conference is over. I agree it's time to act swiftly and clearly. Our fates - and perhaps far more than that - are in our hands alone.'

'Good idea Sonliin, let's go there immediately. Do you know the way?'
This message was last edited by the player at 12:32, Tue 16 Feb 2016.

It was good to finally know where to look to get the Arrow of Fate. Defeating Tiamat was now a closer possibility than it had ever been. If at first Darratheir stood behind the group while they were discussing the possibilities - he was new to this group and had difficulties to find his own place because of his appearance - but when they started to settle on a direction to take, he came closer to the others. "I agree that we should start breaking this seal without referring to the gods. If they are willing to let us get the arrow, they will not interfere. If they prefer to keep it out of mortals hands, then they will send their guards to stop us." He stopped a few seconds, looking at the reactions before adding. "And whatever their choice, I will get this Arrow. I owed Tiamat this pleasant look. I had like to return him the favor."

Martha looks into Darratheir's eyes and nods - each recognises a kindred spirit. The dragonborn knows he can depend on her.

Zog nods his assent. "Now, just the matter of finding a secret library, it seems. Shall we ask the exarch over there, for starters?"

"Odd that one tiny arrow could kill something so massive." He shrugged. "Are we sure this is on the up and up? There might be other things at play here."

"That might explain why they went to so much effort to protect it." Sonliin said.

Athearsauriv walks over after having been addressed by Martha. "I did not follow what you wish done. I would like to assist you on your errand, but I do not understand how I should do so. What do you seek to do as your next action?"

Zog turns to the exarch. "Good exarch, can you show us the way to the Sealed Library?"

Darratheir nodded to what Zog asked. "I agree with him. It would be of great help to use if you could help us to find this Sealed Library."

'Exactly'. Martha gladly explains everything to the exarch - how the party met, what they hoped to achieve, what they had discovered about the bone arrow and the trials ahead of them, in extreme detail. Since they plan to tackle the Sealed Library first, the exarch may be able to point them in the right direction and/or offer them advice.

The exarch nods solemnly. "My lady created the Sealed Library, a structure itself hidden within the fabric
of the domain. Trusted scholars and devotees of the goddess that are tasked with conducting sensitive research on their lady’s behalf are granted access to the sanctum to pursue their work. A number of doorways lead to and from the library, enabling the scholars within to move about the city and collect whatever materials they might need. Occasionally, creatures devoted to the pursuit of knowledge are shown these secret ways, but only those that have earned the full confidence of Ioun and can be trusted not to reveal what they know."

He smiles beatifically. "Sadly, I do not have actual access to the library. I have never needed to do so. I can, at most, perhaps make some introductions to a couple of people who may know where it is, but you may need to find your own way into the library."

He nods to Sonliin. "Your presence will certainly help."

Sonliin nodded in agreement. ""The path to knowledge starts by opening the book." one of my teachers said when I was in school." he said to the group. "I guess the first person to speak with would be the head librarian as they are most likely to have done research there. They might be able to allow us access or speak kind words to someone that does."

The exarch agrees to introduce you to the head librarian. This turns out to be an ancient-looking elf who looks at you all with the greatest of suspicion...

How do you get him to open up to you? Social skills obviously apply, but many other non-Intimidate skills could also be used.

Martha peers suspiciously back at the librarian through her glasses. 'Hi. I'm Martha. And I'm with a bit a bunch of paladins and a sage and a funny little bloke on a flying thing and a dwarf.' She coughs. 'Umm. And we want to get into the Sealed Library to break a seal that Ioun created, but in order to help Ioun kill Tiamat.'

She looks around at her new friends, adjusts her glasses. 'So, can you help us? The little bloke is very convincing if you need convincing, but frankly common sense would indicate you'd want to help us defeat Tiamat. And they all look obviously heroic and paladin-like, and you have probably already heard of Sonliin.' She takes off her glasses and wipes them carefully. 'Unless you'd rather stand in our way? In my old job I used to deal with difficult librarians all the time.'

Harald turned half away and muttered; "THAT I can believe!"

'Yup' Matha explains, matter of fact. 'I built a special place to retrain them.'