In reply to Tegan (msg # 52):

She seems taken aback a moment by the two introductions, then simply smiles and nods.
“Ah of course, not a problem then. If it’s just a delivery, I can certainly take it here. But if you’re looking to present it to her Ladyship yourself, I can also send you up to her if you’d prefer. Either way, it shouldn’t be much trouble. I believe she is meaning to check out a bit early today anyway.”

Turning to Bartimaeus, she gives a slight bow. “Always and honor to host your order, Brother Gianakos. I trust you will have more... tact than your predecessor. And we do offer all of that and more. However, if you’re intending to stay a while, then I think an introduction with Lady Shadesworn would be quite necessary. It’s not that we don’t trust you to have pure intentions, it’s just.... well.... Brother Restim didn’t exactly leave the best taste in a lot of mouths around here and I think it might be prudent if you attained permission and a license directly from her; just in case.“

She shuffles a few things about on her desk a little uncomfortably before adding, “Did he survive, by the way? If it’s not rude of me to inquire. Restim is something of a legend around here these days. A cautionary tale, you understand. It was before my time that the incident happened. They say the shelf-imps stung him no less than a hundred times when they finally caught him... is any of it actually true? I just know we haven’t seen a representative of your order here since, so most of the scholars around here are quite certain he died or was put to death for his crime after the imps were done with him or something.”

Bartimaeus returned her bow. "He survived. The severity of his wounds was exaggerated, though your imps were remarkably thorough in their placement. I will say his penance involved a great deal of time working his way to become the Magistri Effluvivorus. Ha. Ahem. Which way to the Lady's office? Oh dear, terribly sorry, no manners at all. May I ask your name?"

In reply to Bartimaeus (msg # 55):

“Just a moment, I’ll let her know you’re coming.” She pauses for a few seconds, the fingers on her left hand twitching slightly beneath the desk as she casts some simple spell or another. Soon she is finished and points toward the staircase just to the left of the doorway you’ve entered through. “Take those stairs all the way to the fourth floor. Lady Shadesworn will be meeting you just outside her private chambers upstairs. She’s likely to bring you back down to the third floor for the official side of business, but she insisted you go all the way up, I’m afraid. She’s likely in the middle of finishing something up there and wants to work on it until the last possible moment here...”

She gives you a somewhat shy smirk before adding, “Aelli. Aelli Stormstand.”

~Shelf-Imps?~ Tegan thought to himself as he listened to the cautionary tale of the troublesome Brother Restim. ~By all the good gods, these people have given themselves over fully to heavy-handed security measures, from short-leash Writs to Imps who seemingly are tasked with guarding the dusty tomes in the Library . . . errr, Archives, I suppose this is.~

It seemed as if Bartimaeus had his sights set on an audience with Lady Shadesworn herself, although Tegan thought it rather silly to trouble such a high-ranking individual over the return of a book. As he continued to listen, however, based upon what the young woman at the desk told the cleric, a License from Lady Shadesworn was going to be necessary if Bartimaeus intended to conduct any substantial research.

~Why am I not surprised?~ the Half-Elf thought dryly. ~This city is starting to get on my nerves. I wonder if I shall need a Writ or License afore I take a piss? And whom would I need to petition for such a thing -- the Purveyor of Official Writs for Bodily Functions, mayhap?~

Tegan stood off to the side and waited patiently as the two bookish sorts -- Bartimaeus and the woman behind the desk -- continued their patter . . .
This message was last edited by the player at 18:25, Wed 25 Nov 2020.

Looking to where she pointed, he said, "Fourth floor? Certainly. And thank you, Sister Stormstand," Bartimaeus said with a smile and less formal bow, before heading off to the Lady's office.

Yshtar patiently waited as the rest of the team exchanged words with Sister Stormstand. She assessed she could have gotten in had she obtained at least some manner of official paperwork but thankfully this was not needed. With mild amusement she watched as Bartimaeus interacted with a non adventuring type. What a fraud this guy is.

"Thank you."

The armor clad woman nodded at the desk clerk when they got the instructions to go upstairs and let Tegan and the priest of Oghma lead the way. She found it to be doubtful the good Lady Shadesworn would have any questions for her.

Tegan gave a parting nod to the young woman who had given her name as Aelli Stormstand, then turned to start ascending the stairs -- all the way up to the fourth Floor, it seemed.

~I find myself wondering what a Shelf-Imp looks like. I surely don't want 100 of them pursuing me, though, as they did the ill-fated Brother Restim. Or, mayhap 'twas only 50, if they each stung him twice -- or if three times, 33 -- or thereabouts. Still, that seems like a lot. He must have made off with a very valuable book. Or, mayhap he taunted the Imps when he foolishly judged that he had a sufficient head start on them.~

~Mayhap if I did actually not take a book -- what if I only reached out and touched it without a Writ giving me permission to do so -- and with only one finger . . . not a full five-finger touch? And I need to make sure that 'tis only a little book . . . and a thin one . . . a very thin one.~

"Are there really such things as Shelf-Imps, Bartimaeus?" he asked.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:42, Wed 25 Nov 2020.

Ascending the grand marble staircase which spirals around the entire perimeter of the archives, you find the path upward to surprisingly easy. While none of you are any strangers to a bit of physical exertion, you discover that none is needed to climb the intimidating mountain of steps ahead of you. You suspect some enchantment or another makes it effortless for anyone in the building to go up and down without having to worry about tiring themselves out. Judging by the number of elderly scholars you see mulling through the main chamber below you as you ascend, this seems like a necessity in a building of this size.

The second floor, when you arrive there, appears to be a balcony ring entirely filled with scroll cases. The center of the room is completely open, with a clear view down to the main chamber below. Some of the tallest of the ground floor’s bookshelves reach up to this floor and are eye level with you as you pass through. Looking down upon the shelves, sure enough, you spot the occasional fiendish sentinel skulking amongst the tomes. Imps with tiny purple robes perch amongst the shelves here and there; though you only see about a dozen across the entire chamber below. They seem to barely pay you any mind, but you can’t help sense the feeling of tiny, mistrustful eyes upon you whenever you look away. Numerous men and women in hooded robes similar to Aelli’s and the imps’ peruse the documents contained on this floor; often searching out one scroll in particular to bring over to a desk nearby and begin transcribing its text into a series of other languages. The work looks exceedingly monotonous, but they go about it with a practiced gusto you’ve rarely seen in the scholarly sort before.

The third floor Is another ring around the open central chamber, though this time there are no bookcases in the open space beyond the balconies. You’re high enough up now that the entire ground floor chamber is visible to you from above and the people below look like little more than dolls set in a model. This level appears to house documentation exclusively relevant to the town itself. Histories, almanacs, and artifacts of the city’s past, all laid out in a sort of open museum format. A few curators move about the various pieces, dusting occasionally stopping to eye you all as you pass by, but otherwise simply patrolling the floor in case of guests who show some actual interest in the history of Tideswallow.

As you reach the final set of stairs, a voice reaches your ears from further up ahead. “Oh, just a moment! You can wait there. Please, no need to trouble yourselves, I’m nearly there!”

Looking up the stairs, you see an elderly human woman in a soft green, fur-lined robe descending with some noticeable effort. She carries a pair of tomes with her that look thick enough to each weigh as much as Yshtar’s armor; her arms tucked underneath them as she attempts to balance them in front of her.

---

This is just a very general post of your journey up the stairs. If you wished to stop on any of the floors to look around or anything else, feel free to do so.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:50, Wed 25 Nov 2020.

Yshtar greeted the noblewoman after not really stopping at any of the stairs. She paid little attention to the worker drones and the shelf-imps whatever they were: Making their host wait would have been impolite and the danger of meddling around forbidden books outweighed any sane curiosity. As such if Bartimaeus stopped she gently nudged him to continue upward.

"Lady Shadesworn, a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Bartimaeus nodded and shrugged his shoulders at Tegan’s question. “Hmmm? Oh, yes, of course. The cataloguing system commonly used in public archives was, well... I won’t say it was invented by them, but I will say that imps’ talent for malicious compliance earned them a place in the heart of bibliotaxonomists everywhere. They don’t get bored, and are incredibly motivated by books out of place. Devils are natural librarians.

“The real trick is reminding them to not attack readers taking volumes off the shelves. I mentioned a reader’s card earlier because possessing one signals to the imps they’ll get in trouble if they attack the reader. (And by “trouble”, I mean they’ll be placed in a forcecage facing the children’s reading room.) Brother-Cleric Restim claimed in his defense that his reader’s card had not been accurately updated, thus the attacks on him.” Bartimaeus shrugged again, signaling he was agnostic to whether or not Restim’s claim was true. “He ought to have double-checked, in any case.”

At the 3rd floor Bartimaeus bowed low to the Lady. “Good morning, Your Grace. Please accept the compliments of the Oghmanic Monastery of Q’kwarm. I am Brother-Scholar Bartimaeus Gianakos, and your servant.”
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 00:04, Sat 28 Nov 2020.

Tegan had been looking over his shoulder and eyeing the Imps dubiously as Bartimaeus explained about them, so he did not see the elderly Human woman descending the stairs until she called out to them.

He started, then recovered and sketched a bow directed at the newcomer. "Lady Shadesworn, I am pleased to meet you. I am Tegan -- Tegan Adalondor -- recently arrived from Saltspire."

Tegan could not help but notice the two books that the Archivist was carrying, and he nodded towards them with his chin. "Those look to be extraordinarily heavy, your Ladyship. Might I take temporary custody of one or both of them and slip it -- or them -- into my haversack and carry it . . . them . . . for you until we reach your destination?"
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 17:25, Sun 29 Nov 2020.

“A pleasure, to make all of your acquaintances,” she says with some noticeable effort. To Tegan’s offer, she politely shakes her head, continues down a few more steps, nearly stumbles under the weight of the books, and finally relents. “Perhaps... just one of the tomes. The last thing I want is to appear an invalid in front of the staff here. But I MAY have overdone it with these two, I fear. Trying to get everything where it belongs at once rather than making two trips, you understand... Though I would prefer it not enter any sort of extra-dimensional space. There’s still a great deal we don’t yet know about these volumes and the slightest chance that one of them might prove to react negatively to such a thing is a risk I would prefer not to take. At least not until they’re in a more controlled environment.”

Upon taking up the book she offers you, a hefty grimoire of some manner with no names or titles decorating its stone-bound cover, you realize just how hefty they really are. However, between your natural strength and the boon imparted by your gauntlets, the weight is easily manageable. The moment you take it from her, you can instantly feel the fiery gaze of a dozen beady little eyes narrow in on you from the shelves nearby.

“We’ll just be heading to the other end of this floor. There’s a reliquary there which should prove far safer than the dusty old chambers these were discovered in originally. Or the stuffy old attic we’ve been keeping them in, for that matter...” She begins leading the way down the circular hall, to the opposite end of where the staircase ascends. She walks with significantly more ease now that she only has to worry about handling one of the heavy tomes.

“So than, I am to understand you’ve a delivery to make? How wonderful! We’ve not been expecting anything new until a bit closer to Harfest. What were your names, by the by? I’m afraid I’ve never seen any of you around here before. I like to make it a point to know who’s browsing the archives for the first time.” Upon hearing Bartimaeus’ name, she immediately becomes a bit more formal. “Well, well. A pleasure to have another of your... esteemed order present once more. I trust the incidents of the past will not be repeated while you are here? Security has improved significantly in recent years.”
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:58, Mon 30 Nov 2020.

In reply to GM (msg # 65):

Tegan smiled at Lady Shadesworn's concern about the book that she handed to him being put into extra-dimensional space. "I don't really know what that is, your Ladyship. But I'm going to slip it into my haversack, and leave the flap open so that you can keep an eye on it. I understand that it must be quite valuable."

The Half-Elf's curiosity got the better of him as soon as he had the volume in his hands, and he turned it this way and that, examining it. Other than its weight, there did not seem to be anything remarkable about it -- at least to Tegan's eye. One he had looked it over, he slipped it into the haversack that hung on his right hip.

When the Head Librarian -- at least that was what Tegan reckoned her to be -- spoke of his making a delivery, he nodded. "Aye, your Ladyship. I have another book in my haversack that I am delivering at the request of Master Ixvil Hangvor. He sends his regards, by the way. He would have delivered it himself, but he was leaving town this very afternoon."

Tegan felt the corners of his mouth lifting up in a smile as he observed Lady Shadesworn's reaction to learning who Bartimaeus was, and he quickly lifted a hand to mask his amusement. However, the Half-Elf knew the cleric to be quick-witted and glib, so he felt certain that Bartimaeus would safely land on his feet, so to speak.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 01:40, Tue 01 Dec 2020.

In reply to Tegan (msg # 66):

She motions for you to hold a moment as you open the haversack. Her expression is still friendly, but her voice has a much sterner tone to it now as she addresses you. “I really must insist, young man. The properties of these books haven’t been fully appraised yet. Their weight, especially, is unaccounted for. Big as they are, no simple tome should be this heavy. If it is, in fact, carrying within it an extra-dimensional space of some sort, like your bag is, mixing the two could cause some rather... catastrophic reactions that I would prefer not occur within my archives. Please. Leave it out of the bag for now.”
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 02:32, Tue 01 Dec 2020.

"My Lady, my presence here is best explained either by Abbot-Cleric Iliopoulos's hope that I may restore the former and rightly-mourned relationship between our institutions through my discretion and tact; or by him granting a favor to Steward-Librarian Protopapas, relieving his office of the chronic and sustained gadfly of primary source document requests. Only in the latter case might your enhanced inventory management be tested."

Bartimaeus smiled at the thought, shrugged, and said, "I estimate the prior probabilities of the latter as no greater than one-in-three, and tenure is worth such risks."

As Shadesworn had turned her attention to Tegan and her tome, Bartimaeus quieted himself and allowed the Lady to direct the conversation as she desired.

In reply to GM (msg # 67):

It had never dawned on Tegan that the interior of his haversack was some sort of . . . ~Extra-dimensional space -- is that what she calls it?~ He found himself staring blankly at Lady Shadesworn, not having the faintest inkling what "extra-dimensional space" was. ~I expect that this all makes more sense to Bartimaeus. I'll have to ask him about it later, and hope that he uses small words when he explains it.~

Rather than admit to his ignorance, the Half-Elf simply nodded his assent to the Librarian's insisted-upon course of action. "Of course, your Ladyship. It shall be as you requested. I shall carry the book."

Then another thought occurred to him. He cleared his throat a trifle nervously and remarked "The book that Master Hangvor entrusted to me -- I'm thinking that if a problem was going to occur by reason of my placing it in my haversack, it would have already happened. Do I have the right of it?"

In reply to Tegan (msg # 69):

To Tegan, she simply turns with a kindly, reassuring smile. “Thank you. Truth be told, I’m likely just being overly cautious. But we’ve had incidents in the past with artifacts like this, so it’s best not to take chances.”
She thinks on your quandary a moment, then adds “Indeed. I’m quite sure whatever it is he’s sent you with, it’s a far more mundane bit of reading than these. Still, we can look into that matter once we’re in the reliquary. There are wards in place there to keep accidents from damaging the other parts of the collection here. It makes it an ideal spot for studying newly-recovered bits and bobs that we’re yet unsure about.”

To Bartimaeus, she merely laughs. It’s a soft, gentle sound; clearly the chuckle of a woman whose had a great deal to laugh about throughout her life. “For what it’s worth, Brother Gianakos, what happened all that time ago is no more than water under the bridge to us. Your predecessor made a silly mistake and paid for it in the most immediate fashion possible. As far as I’m concerned, any bad blood that may have sprang up between our organizations ended right then and there when the imps descended upon the poor fool. Either way, you and your friends are most welcome as fellow inquirers into the mysteries of the world.”

The four of you continue along the curved corridor, tracing a path around the perimeter of the archives main chamber, until you finally reach a set of heavy brass doors set into the marble wall. There is a good bit of space between the doors and the nearest exhibit on either side, as though space has been specifically set aside to ensure nothing is too close to the entrance of the reliquary. “Ah, here we are. She looks over at Bartimaeus and Yshtar a moment as you all approach the doors. “My apologies, but seeing as young Master Adalondor and I have our hands a bit full here, would one of you two mind getting the doors?”

“Certainly, Lady Shadesworn,” Bartimaeus replied, and went to open them.

Yshtar has been silently observing the others' conversations with Lady Shadesworn so far pondering whether to pretend to be hired muscle only here to protect the books or the rest of her traveling companions. For now she decided to stay back and let the others take lead. She noted the apparent dangers of the books, and defences of the establishment with a professional face.

"With pleasure."

The two of you push open the heavy metal doors, their weight now clearly attributed to the reinforced nature of their interior as you step into the room beyond. Thick iron bands and fittings crisscross over the finely crafted embossing on the inside; something that looks to have been added long after the brass portion of the door was forged, carved, and engraved. They don’t really fit with rest of the door aesthetically, but you don’t doubt their effectiveness as a means of deterring entrance. Or exit.

The moment you step inside you get the unmistakable feeling of being somewhere... off limits. It feels a bit like stepping into the vault of a bank or a monarch’s private safe. Still, nothing apparent jumps out at you as being a threat.

The interior of the reliquary is a stunning mix of brass and iron architecture, with the brass clearly setting the foundations while the iron was added atop it some time later as a means of keeping the fine craftsmanship free of wear from whatever goes on within. Numerous locked alcoves line the walls, while iron cages rest overtop of what you can only assume to be priceless artifacts, tomes, and intriguing pieces of physical history. Much of it likely pertains to the city itself in some way, but you’d imagine anything this grand must have some pieces relevant to the world at large as well hidden away in it.

At the far end of the room is a large stone desk, ringed from the back by a semi-circular altar-like structure that was clearly moved into the room at some point. Large runes are set into the spires of it, giving it the look of some manner of standing stone circle. The desk itself has a similar sigil engraved upon its face. They all sit still and silent. Inactive, if they ever had any activity to them in the first place. Both the standing stones and the desk look wholly out of place amidst the metallic surroundings.

Lady Shadesworn heads over to the desk, placing the book she’s been carrying carefully upon a small brass pedestal about halfway between the doors and her destination as she passes by. “Well, that’s a weight off my shoulders then. Both figuratively and quite literally. Please, come in. We’ll speak in here a moment, you can make your delivery to me directly rather than going through the mess of retainers downstairs, and then you’re all free to browse the archives to your hearts’ content.”

She gestures toward the same pedestal she just set the first book down on. “Master Tegan, you can rest that one right atop its twin here.”

In reply to GM (msg # 73):

Tegan had been busy admiring the metalwork in the room when Lady Shadesworn began speaking. ~By all the good gods, I wish that Mains was here to see this. He would really be impressed by this metalwork. I wonder if this was done by Dwarven smiths? They are reputed to have developed techniques that they jealously guard from the eyes of non-Dwarves.~

He was more than a little relieved when Lady Shadesworn directed him to place the volume that he had been carrying for her atop the book that she had already placed atop the pedastal.

Since these books could apparently react with their surroundings in the most unexpected manner (well . . . unexpected to Tegan, in any event), the Half-Elf was also anxious to get rid of the second volume that he was carrying, and the sooner the better.

He was inclined to just pull the book that he was delivering on Master Hangvor's behalf from his haversack and thump it down atop the fancy desk, but for all he knew, doing things in a logical and reasonable manner (such as, for example, placing a heavy object in his haversack so that it could be carried more easily) would violate some obscure rule of magicka, causing great consternation and harm.

And so he waited for Lady Shadesworn to tell him how to handle the book that he was delivering to her, and *exactly* what to do with it.

~Bloody hells. If she tells me to squeeze it between my butt-cheeks and jump 'round the room three times like a big hop-toad--  "Counterclockwise, Master Tegan, counterclockwise  -- and mind me well on this, lest you rue the consequences" -- why, I just might do it. These magicky goings-on have me entirely flummoxed.~
This message was last edited by the player at 03:20, Wed 02 Dec 2020.

~~ Something is off, ~~ thought Bartimaeus. ~~ Truly off. ~~

His eyes moved over the displayed items. ~~ ...Riches... ~~

Looking at the pattern of ironmongery laid over the brass his thoughts flit to, ~~ Is she hedging out Faerie's Sidhe Queen and the Inganic Grand Sultan through metallurgical alchemy? ~~

The number of concealed relics confused him. ~~ What treasures inside are hid from view here, of all places? Having breached the archives' defenses, what contingencies are in place to deter further larceny? ~~

Walking down the corridor, Bartimaeus noted the disparity between metal and stone: ~~ Artifice versus naturalism? But ... the runes... ~~

Throughout he stayed quiet, listened, watched, and thought.

---

OOC:
Bon soir, DM. For your skill check menu tonight, our scholar has prepared a fine selection of skills ranging from awareness of surroundings, to insight into magical functions, to antiquity and theology. In the event you find the flavor of one offering pairs well with another, I encourage you to explore your palate. Not knowing what thing might be noticed, the options have remained open to you. Bon appetit.

22:25, Today: Bartimaeus rolled 18 using 1d20+5.  Religion.
22:24, Today: Bartimaeus rolled 10 using 1d20+5.  History.
22:23, Today: Bartimaeus rolled 14 using 1d20+5.  Arcana, thing 1.
22:23, Today: Bartimaeus rolled 12 using 1d20+5.  Arcana, thing 2.
22:23, Today: Bartimaeus rolled 22 using 1d20+2.  Perception, thing 1.
22:22, Today: Bartimaeus rolled 4 using 1d20+2.  Perception, thing 2.

In reply to Bartimaeus (msg # 75):

Tegan: Placing the book down, you find the sense of relief that sweeps over you almost palpable in the air. Whatever these tomes are, there seems to be some rather powerful magic connected to them. It is unlikely that such things should floating around for just anyone to read. As such, your hardly surprised when an ornate iron cage like those surrounding similar artifacts in the room slowly rises from the floor around this pedestal, enshrining it in a latticework of metal that seams together weave together and lock at its zenith.

As the cage locks itself, Lady Shadesworn calls you over to the desk. “Now then, Master Tegan, you had something for me, yes? And from Master Hangvor of all people? How lovely! I’ve not had much time for casual visits lately, I’m afraid, elsewise I’d have gladly stopped by the library myself if he’d merely informed me.” She takes a seat behind the desk and awaits you there.

---

Bartimaeus: The room is a veritable veritable treasure trove of artifacts, mysteries, and hidden knowledge. If ever there were a place in the city that you could spend the rest of your life, this would sure be it.

The first piece that catches your eye is a leather robe, decorated with writing across every visible inch of its surface. At first you fear the material to be human flesh, tanned and engraved (hopefully after the poor soul expired, but just as likely not...). However, a closer inspection reveals it to be bear-hide, turned to leather through a primitive process not practiced by hunters and trappers in this region for decades, if not centuries. An antique, and one which currently holds a detailed account of an entire tribe’s lineage and history. The writing becomes impossibly small in places and would require a great deal of time to work out, but what you can see describes the sounding of a series of fishing colonies along the coastline of the Vethrethil Basin; likely an archaic descriptor of this part of the Eastern Coastline, though you can’t really be sure. Mention of jagged spires cutting the surface of water makes you immediately consider the Fiendfall Reef out in the harbor.

The next piece that grabs your attention might have been a sealed tome bound with a hefty lock, but even as you are looking at it your attention drifts to the standing stones behind the desk instead. Something about their make and arrangement seems... off. As though they were assembled incorrectly when they were brought in here or that some are missing. You can’t put your finger on it, but the perfectionist in you is POSITIVE the way they are currently arrange is inaccurate to their original placement wherever they originated. The sigils are easy enough for you to understand, though. Interlocking knots of vines. A cauldron giving birth to a pair of grand trees. A moon waning into a gibbous. These are standing stones of a pantheon that once held sway in the southern reaches of the continent; though you’ve never heard of it reaching so far east as where modern-day Tideswallow lies. The cauldron rune you are quite familiar with from your studies, as it is a creator deity’s persona seal. The central standing stone and the one that has been repurposed into the desk are both massive, inert runestones honoring the Dagda. He Who Brings Joy and Sorrow. Plenty and Famine. Life and Death on a Whim.

Fascinating... but irrelevant to your current searches. Such gods have been dead for centuries.

---

Yshtar: Books and old scholars trinkets hold little interest for you. You are not a fool, however. You know they have a worth to them. That knowledge and power go hand in hand. You have been through enough to know what terrible strength a learned mage or a studious wizard might wield... still, there is little of interest as you look around...

Until finally your eyes catch sight of it. In the corner of the room back the way you came, there stands a sword that appears to be entirely forged from the purest silver you’ve ever seen. It stands nearly 7ft in length, propped up by a series of iron stands and laid behind a pane of thick glass. Its entire face is completely coated in what appears to be an entire novel’s worth of lettering. You can’t read the words, but they descend down the blade in a beautiful cascade of calligraphy that practically calls out to you from where the sword rests. Whatever this heirloom is, it is bathed in such a blissful aura of positivity that you find the corner of your mouth beginning to twitch into an involuntary smile at the mere sight of it. You know full well that the warm glow emanating from it is little more than light from surrounding lamps reflecting off its lustrous surface. Yet for the briefest moment, you could have sworn it were being illuminated by some inner light stemming from the blade itself.
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:48, Wed 02 Dec 2020.

In reply to GM (msg # 76):

~The bars of that cage look to be made of iron or steel -- I wonder how they make it rise up out of the floor like that? And where is it kept whilst it is out of sight -- "under" the floor, so to speak?~ Regardless of the details behind the sudden appearance of the cage that had risen around the two books that had been placed on the pedestal, Tegan was glad to be rid of the book that he had been carrying in his arms. He couldn't put his finger on it, but the tome somehow had a stench of evil about it, and he wiped the palms of his hands on his tabard, as if to rid them of a layer of mud or grime (although there was none to be seen).

When Lady Shadesworn spoke to him, Tegan turned away from his study of the iron cage. "Ah, yes -- the book from Master Hangvor . . . I have no idea what it is all about, but he said something about it having been 'misplaced'."

He lifted the volume that he had been carrying in his haversack and set it down gently atop the Librarian's desk.

In reply to Tegan (msg # 77):

She pulls it across the desk, clearly curious what sort of find would warrant sending a trio of newcomers all the way here with it. Now that you are not distracted with surroundings or the bizarre events unfolding around you, you finally get a good look at the cover. The book appears to be titled “Sights of the East Shores” and it appears to be a traveler’s companion, a sort of guidebook to cities along the eastern coast of Veltria. Tideswallow is almost certainly listed amongst its pages, but the book itself looks far too ordinary to require attention from the Archives.

Nonetheless, Lady Shadesworn takes it, pulling it across the wide stone desk between the two of you in order to get a better look at it. “Well now... I don’t know what I was expecting, but this certainly i-“ As she opens cover of the book, there is an immediate hissing of air and a sudden silence while a look of shock crosses her face. Then, a fraction of a second later, the entire back of the room where the two of you sit/stand is engulfed in a massive fireball, centered on the first page of the now-open book.

---

Go ahead and roll a Dexterity Saving Throw when you get the chance, Tegan. Bartimaeus and Yshtar are far enough from the desk that it won’t engulf them, but you are right on the cusp of it.