The books here cover chemical science and alchemy. A character who examines the charts and formulas and makes a successful DC 13 Intelligence check determines that the main goal of the research here was to transmute various materials into gold. Judging by the numerous scorch marks and acid burns on the furniture, the laboratory was the scene of several spectacular failures.
Bell's theory regarding the clay figures is, upon examination, proven correct. The four figures range from a rudimentary, barely humanoid shape to a small, winged body so lifelike that it almost appears to be a real creature akin to Cumin or Coriander, that is merely asleep. A character who makes a successful DC 13 Intelligence (Arcana) check can tell that these are figures used for creating homunculi, but I am giving Bell automatic success and full confidence in her theory.
Bell stands and turns slowly... taking in the laboratory and all it's bits and bobs. Her eyes finally land on the book, Joy of Extradimensional Spaces, leaning on a beaker.
"Stand back, everyone. Let my unseen servant get the book... and, hopefully, not set off any traps doing so."
Bell will instruct the servant to carefully obtain the book without disturbing the beaker or other items on the table and to bring it back to her.
The servant floats to the book, and although the beaker tips over when it pulls the book up, proving Meredith's original assessment that the room was free of traps, it then carries the book without further incident back to Bell. The tome is a match for the other two 9x12" volumes, and on its spine is embossed the letter B.
Erudisia smiles at Meredith’s joke … or at least she assumes it is a joke. She looks around the room to see if there is any further passageway from the room that they have entered, or else whether they must return to the labyrinth.
Bell hears all the discussion of the homunculus room and what might be next. She goes over to an empty spot at a table and pulls all the books they have collected so far.
The book from the parlor with Matreus. The book from the Alchemical/Star Chart room. The One from the Chained Library of (now destroyed) books. And this latest from this room.
Four books. Bell had to smile. She remembered taking the book from the parlor but never really examined it and the spine.
The other three were ingrained in her memory now... T, L, B... how could she have forgotten to look at Matreus' book?
(No one has taken a book from the Parlor, have they? My notes indicate that the party went immediately upstairs then downstairs without searching. Perhaps I missed it. But if I did not, we can say that after the tip from the homunculi and while passing Matreus’ unconscious form on the way to the basement, you do a quick search and find a Joy of Extradimensional Spaces book on the floor. Matreus dropped it when the imp stung him. It bears the letter “I” (for imp) on its spine. If I missed it, then this is the book Bell finds in her pack.)
"CuminandCoriandersaid there were two books down here. Let's keep looking. Maybe with five letters of the seven we can figure out the word," Bell said as she repacked the volumes back into her backpack.
The door at the base of the stairs opens easily and beyond it Erudisia sees another corridor, at right angles to the one whose end she now stands in. This next corridor again holds two closed doors. One at the end of the hallway, and one centered in its right wall. This corridor smells mustier than the first, although its walls are wood-paneled just like the first.
(To be clear, there are now three unopened doors: One remains unopened near the end of the first hallway, plus two more have now been discovered in the second hallway.)
Bell leads the way back to the corridor accessed by the door at the base of the stairs which Erudisia found twenty minutes ago (in game time). The corridor holds two closed unexplored doors. One is at the end of the hallway, and one is centered in its right wall.
"If the verbal 'word' is "Liberty" -- we can try it back up at the parlor. For now, let's finish looking at the rooms down here before we head back up. No sense running up and trying it if we might have to run back down here for the other books..." Bell gives a half shrug as she lays out her argument.
Smells of alcohol and brine waft out immediately. Bell’s magical light, from over the bard’s shoulder, draws wedges on the room’s floor and ceiling, and a rectangle on the far wall, all edged by darkness. Glass vessels, large and small, are visible, standing in rows on the floor and tables against the far wall. Something seems to float within each container.
Meredith watches with trepidation, worried she had missed something....
Meredith:
The books here cover chemical science and alchemy. A character who examines the charts and formulas and makes a successful DC 13 Intelligence check determines that the main goal of the research here was to transmute various materials into gold. Judging by the numerous scorch marks and acid burns on the furniture, the laboratory was the scene of several spectacular failures.
Bell's theory regarding the clay figures is, upon examination, proven correct. The four figures range from a rudimentary, barely humanoid shape to a small, winged body so lifelike that it almost appears to be a real creature akin to Cumin or Coriander, that is merely asleep. A character who makes a successful DC 13 Intelligence (Arcana) check can tell that these are figures used for creating homunculi, but I am giving Bell automatic success and full confidence in her theory.
The servant floats to the book, and although the beaker tips over when it pulls the book up, proving Meredith's original assessment that the room was free of traps, it then carries the book without further incident back to Bell. The tome is a match for the other two 9x12" volumes, and on its spine is embossed the letter B.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Meredith squinted at the books, " I think they were attempting to alchemically refine gold......not sure why...."
Erudisia smiles at Meredith’s joke … or at least she assumes it is a joke. She looks around the room to see if there is any further passageway from the room that they have entered, or else whether they must return to the labyrinth.
(What letters do we have? B and L and one more?)
( We had T and L)
Bell hears all the discussion of the homunculus room and what might be next. She goes over to an empty spot at a table and pulls all the books they have collected so far.
The book from the parlor with Matreus. The book from the Alchemical/Star Chart room. The One from the Chained Library of (now destroyed) books. And this latest from this room.
Four books. Bell had to smile. She remembered taking the book from the parlor but never really examined it and the spine.
The other three were ingrained in her memory now... T, L, B... how could she have forgotten to look at Matreus' book?
(No one has taken a book from the Parlor, have they? My notes indicate that the party went immediately upstairs then downstairs without searching. Perhaps I missed it. But if I did not, we can say that after the tip from the homunculi and while passing Matreus’ unconscious form on the way to the basement, you do a quick search and find a Joy of Extradimensional Spaces book on the floor. Matreus dropped it when the imp stung him. It bears the letter “I” (for imp) on its spine. If I missed it, then this is the book Bell finds in her pack.)
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Meredith looks at the four letters and frowns, " Its a word that will release us right? I have a suspicion I might know what it is....."
( If a roll is needed- Investigation- 12
Otherwise-
LIBERTY.
)
)
"Cumin and Coriander said there were two books down here. Let's keep looking. Maybe with five letters of the seven we can figure out the word," Bell said as she repacked the volumes back into her backpack.
No Investigation roll is needed. Meredith is free to act upon this theory.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Bell leads the way back to the corridor accessed by the door at the base of the stairs which Erudisia found twenty minutes ago (in game time). The corridor holds two closed unexplored doors. One is at the end of the hallway, and one is centered in its right wall.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Meredith is staring off into space than finally blurts out, " Liberty."
" Could that be the word?"
“It’s our desire certainly. But seems so dissimilar to Sceptre,” says Erudisia.
"If the verbal 'word' is "Liberty" -- we can try it back up at the parlor. For now, let's finish looking at the rooms down here before we head back up. No sense running up and trying it if we might have to run back down here for the other books..." Bell gives a half shrug as she lays out her argument.
Meredith nodded and pointed, " Which door next?"
"The end one? If there is nothing of note (and nothing attacking us), we can do the 'center wall door' on our way back out and up?"
Meredith moved to the end one as ' instructed' and opened it.
Meredith opens the door at the corridor’s end.
Smells of alcohol and brine waft out immediately. Bell’s magical light, from over the bard’s shoulder, draws wedges on the room’s floor and ceiling, and a rectangle on the far wall, all edged by darkness. Glass vessels, large and small, are visible, standing in rows on the floor and tables against the far wall. Something seems to float within each container.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Meredith looks excited, biological specimens!, she wondered if any were related to her area of research, she headed in and began looking around.
Bell starts muttering to herself about the shadows and the smell and the 'things' in the jars and bottles.
She reaches over and touches the largest item in the center of the room.
Light