Inas bows.  "Thank you, my Lord Mayor.  We should look at them before we depart.  They . . . may be help us with the task you have laid before us."

Inas still looks anxious, as if he wants to immediately seek out the librarian.

Saliq does not quite bow (he is a prince after all) but aknowledges Thyrandas with a formal nod.

After Inas speaks Saliq wades in: "My Lord Mayor have the Ehridol Family said anything? The Royal Astronomer is of that household after all, and they may know him better than any."

"Am I afraid no one knows him all that well.  Most of his family was glad to be rid of him, not that he was troubled young man, but very odd, a loner, I think the only one who has ever tried to stay in contact with him was Marissa, and with little success.  He's been practically a hermit very many many years.  Self sufficient, he rarely even asks for any supplies and then only quills, books, ink, he must grow or catch his own foods.  Heaven knows what he does with the stipend we send him.  He is odd, but a good man and loyal, I fear for him, it is very unlike him to miss a deadline of any sort".

Star jugglers were sharps in Ben's experience, but who knew what they might be able to do given time and effort.

Inas responded with alacrity but a dearth of equanimity, leaving Ben a tad bit confused as to why this news had rattled his comrade, but this was not the place to speak of such things.

Instead, Ben pocketed his thoughts for now, and spoke from his own concerns.

"It seems you had us at hello M'Lord, for myself the good will of Stormhaven is enough, though I do indeed harbor some interest in said tower.
"I do have some concerns I would like to share though, particularly as we are being asked to leave the city."

Given permission Ben would like to explain about their sewer-findings, in particular the fear that two unknown young ladies may have been used as bait for some nefarious plan. He will leave it to Saliq to decide if the letter should be brought to the Lord Mayor's attention...

He will also want to look at the letters, examining anything Inas has finished with, or shows no interest in.

Rath stands nearby, respectfully silent, with his arms crossed so he doesn't have to figure out what to do with his hands. If he looks like an imposing bodyguard, so much the better. Rath is surprised when Inas speaks up, but the ranger's idea is sound ... if only sense can be made of the mad astronomer's ramblings. Rath shrugs to himself. Already he's making a mental list of the gear that will be needed to mitigate the discomfort of a two-day ride through the storm to the lighthouse.

Wondering if the storms and the pirates might have some connection to the lost communication with the lighthouse, Ben wondered if this tied in with the coded letter and the mysterious plot mentioned within. If so, it might give some clue as to what two females might have been the target of the block-monster and invisible stalkers mistress.

While waiting for his companions to finish asking questions of the Mayor, Inas seems to be bursting at the seams with impatience.

Finally, he asks the Mayor: "Does the name 'Tethi' mean anything to you, perchance?"

Lord Thyrandas listens to Ben's story, his face grave.

"You folks really have a gift for finding trouble, and eliminating it, I thank you for that.  It is troubling that whatever was going on targeted young girls.  I will have my soldiers on alert for such threats, but the city is so thick with people, they are struggling just to maintain order."

Hearing Inas' question, the Mayor looks about to say he doesn't know the name, then stops.

"Tethi, as in Captain Tethi?" said rather in disbelief.

Rath nods. He's not sure if the Lord Mayor is even looking at him.

The Lord Mayor notes Rath's nod, and moves quickly down to another nobleman still in the hall.

"Settle the affairs of those who wait as you best see fit, if you are unsure on an issue, be generous.  If they insist on seeing me, I will return and see all who wait this night." He puts a hand on the younger mans shoulder, then turns to leave by a side door, indicating you should follow.  Two soldiers fall in behind you.

Eradan Thyrandas leads you through several halls, and a few great rooms, one in particular is enormous and full of paintings, both of nobles, likely ancestors, but also of places, lakes, and skies, it is dizzying room.

At last, you reach the library, it has a cozy room, plush chairs and tables, and beyond a wall of bars, the does not seem to be a way past those bars from this room but beyond them, there are rows and rows of shelves, books, tubes, and a middle aged man, in brown robes.  The Lord Mayor speaks to him and in little time, he brings a armful of parchments, rolled in tubes for you look at, they must be passed through the bars.  Missives from the Astronomer.

As you settle in to study these, he sits.

"You have encountered a bit of ancient history, something little known or spoken of these days, but there is no reason you would know the real story, it was a millennium or more ago.  In those days, the entire coast for hundreds of miles here and the land inward where ruled by a dark empire.  Storms ravaged the lands, the coast was frozen and lands covered in snow most of the year.  The center of the empire was Greystorm Castle.  Its ruler was powerful and ruthless, but what it was isn't known. It was called Syrix.  Snakelike, magical, possibly a demon or undead, there are many stories as there usually are.  But its army which raided up and down the coast was led by a large and powerful warrior.  A huge man, named Captain Tethi.  Not the big dumb giants we see in our time, but a thinking man, strong, and cunning and ruthless, and an army of trolls, ogres, orcs.  The civilized peoples joined together and threw down this leader, smashed Greystorm Castle, and destroyed Syrix, and Tethi, and built Stormhaven Keep over the ruins of the ancient castle.  It took hundreds of years to finish wiping out the many allies of this evil empire, but civilization won out over time, as it will.  If you have found some ancient artifact with Tethi's name, it is probably quite valuable, few exist.  Return those scrolls to the librarian when you are done looking at them, and good luck in your journey, I must return to attend my court".

Digging thru the books, Ben envisions the Captain in his head, based loosely on legends and probably a false image at it's core. His vision is of a man whose eyes flicker with the certainly of death, but only for those who would face him. Powerful arms and legs, red-haired and savage at a glance, but surprisingly cultured, and infinitely tired. Left handed, though the superior of most men when he used his right, he rode a muscular black steed and crafted magic with the ease which most men breathed...

The image was, quite clearly, how Ben wished people imagined him, perhaps, or something more. Rather than dwell on his fantasies, he began to dig thru the books before him.

After the mayor has left:

"It occurred to me as the Mayor spoke that Beniz's letters may portend the return of the Army of the Scale and Fang that Lord Nightgees warned of.  Then, feeling like an idiot, I realized that Captain Tethi signed that letter 'A.  S. & F.' which can only stand for . . . Army of the Scale and Fang."

Inas looks at the letters Beniz left.

"And now we know more of Tethi, and what he is.  Or was.  While the Mayor obviously knew something about Tethi, he did not connect him or his descendants -- I don't even know if Tethi lives -- or the S and F to Beniz's letters.  Clearly, that snaky thing was Syrix-related.  I propose we look through Beniz's letters from this perspective, to see if it tells us where the real danger lies."

Inas's eyes remain on the letter the party found.

"I wonder if this is an old letter, from the prior 'occupation.'  If so, it could be that what we fought was Syrix, and this letter is from that prior era.  The Mayor described Syrix as a demon; perhaps she . . . or it wasn't really vanquished.  And what was it that the creature we freed said? -- that she was looking for lost power, a time long past, and her 'master and lover.'  Kinda fits with a 'return' of Syrix . . . and maybe she's looking for Tethi, and this is her keepsake." 

Inas looks at his companions, and a smile grows on his face.

"I know, this all sounds incredibly insane.  Which is exactly what the Mayor thought of Beniz's letters.  However, we've actually fought that block monster and have learned some of the history that might lend credence to my ramblings.  At least, it seems to fit, even if not completely.  But I say let's get to it -- Beniz's ramblings may make more sense in this light.  And then we can go charging off to the lighthouse, or elsewhere -- after I send a report to Lord Nightgees."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:47, Thu 04 Aug 2016.

There are pages and pages of scrolls, intricate, disorganized, some quite beautiful, many in more than one language, elvish, dwarven, even orcish, translations from foreign astronomers, philosophers, shamans both wise and primitive.  Mostly, the pages are either intricate drawings of star maps, pages of formulas, mixtures of star charts with figures (possibly resembling constellations), and a mix of written out notations which are part farmer almanac  (The gray sister is in ascension, next month should prove fair for planting carrots--then, not just carrots, beets also, that crossed out, all root vegetables),  part horoscope (Mother is in her glory, it is a good month to begin a family for young couples, or the red Cousin is wayward, do not take any risks with money), part weather charts,  (the three brothers continue to converge, expect more months of arguments until they cross and are on their way), He refers often to the stars (you assume) as either constellation parts, the elbow of the Taurus, or in family terms, mother, father, son, daughters, sons, cousins, etc.  and a lot of just random words of warnings, scribbled in in areas that make no rhyme or reason, things like (dire) or (unprecedented).  After an hour or more of searching, it has gained you each a headache, but little of actual use.

ooc: Check out the adventure maps for a few sample pages :-)

"A. S. And F." Rath repeats. "Hunh."

After Inas unrolls his elaborate theory, Rath nods. "Does sound crazy. I'm glad you spelled it out, 'cause I was thinking along those lines." He squints and half-heartedly puruses the letters of the astronomer, but it's insane and boring, so he ends up pacing the library in case any ghasts or snakes jump out of the stacks.

After awhile as Rath paces while the others study the scrolls, Rath notices that the librarian is frowning at him, but says nothing.

Ben continues to glance thru the notes, but finds nothing of interest...

Inas tires of reviewing the strange ramblings, and they begin to make his head hurt.

"OK, there doesn't seem to be much here.  But, we are in a library -- I wonder if there's anything else in here that will shed some light on the AS&F."

Rath stops his pacing, and with a troubled look slowly approaches Inas. Rath squints awkwardly and stumbles through a short, half-remembered recitation of nonsense. He ends with a blessing that he chokes out of his own constricted throat: "May Pelor soothe your wounds." And he lays his hand on Inas' back. The light from the library lamps catches on Rath's sun pendant in a blinding flash.

A sharp, sear pain lashes Inas like a whip, but the pain does not linger. And no one is surprised more than Rath that Inas' bruises fade and lacerations close beneath the power of the prayer.

Rath steps back, averting his gaze. He scratches his neck. "I ... uh. I didn't know I could do that."

OOC:heal 8 hp from CLW.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:05, Mon 08 Aug 2016.

"Well, thanks . . . I hope that's something you can continue to do.  But we're all hurt; shall we pay our recuperation costs out of our 'treasury,' per usual?  And then,"

Inas moves his chair out from the table, signaling he's done looking through the gibberish and ready to leave.

"we should pursue whatever avenues we individually have to gather information about the Army, and I must send a message to Lord Nightgees.  I don't know what that does to our planned departure, though."

Saliq looks up from the baffling notes and rubs his temples, trying to will away a headache. "I'm afraid it is incomprehensible to me. I can ask at the Wizard's Guild but I agree we should explore other avenues. Perhaps the temples? Pelor is the god of the sun and Melora the sea and thus patron of sailors - I doubt they have true astronomers but they know more of the movement of celestial bodies than we do and the church of Pelor at least holds us in good regard."

"More regard than I knew," Rath mutters. He stumbles through another prayer, this time for Ben, and sends pain and healing lancing through him, which is probably distracting Scristos from his research.

Once more for Inas, then, very reluctantly, one for himself before exhausting his divine gifts for the day. Well, if they're actually divine.


Healing: Rath 7, Inas 4, Ben 2.
08:32, Today: Aldo Rathmus rolled 7 using 1d8.  clw Rath.
08:32, Today: Aldo Rathmus rolled 4 using 1d8.  clw Inas.
08:32, Today: Aldo Rathmus rolled 2 using 1d8.  clw Ben.

An appraising eye, as is Ben's norm, glances at Rath. He normally appraised gems and other treasures, but as he has matured the young thief had learned that the value of people is also useful to understand. The warrior, once a simple bladesman of much skill, had also become more complex.

As had Ben, he had to admit.

The gods seem to have taken an interest in their doings, he hoped their gaze continued to smile on them.

"My prince," he said to Saliq, "why do we not all retire to my mothers kitchen, certainly some meal or another is nigh, and my sister pines during your absence."

They had been working quite hard.

"I suggest we corral our remaining resources and assets this evening, then head out in the morning. Would our journey best be made by land or by ship? A lighthouse, one assumes, is near the ocean."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:01, Wed 10 Aug 2016.

"By land, I think," Rath answers quickly. "It's a short ride, and the seas are rough."

"Agreed.  Land."

Inas looks about for blank parchment.  Ben had seemingly invited the entire group, but he felt a duty to summarize recent events for his fellow rangers.  Perhaps it was something that could be done as (or after) they dined?

I will post in a new thread next, a re-cap of the evenings events as you each go about your own tasks, if you want to play out dinner at Ben's mom, please post in that new thread.  Otherwise, I will begin the next adventure shortly thereafter.