"Well, was your book always of the transforming, man-eating variety?" she began.  "If it was, it would make this investigation much shorter." she added cheerfully with a smile.

"Just a few people looking into the mystery of some man-eating books."  Ysabell replied lightly with a smile.  "Care to help us out and answer a few questions?". 

Garmus opens his mouth to start yelling at the tiefling when Ysabell steps in and takes over the conversation.  He glares at the cleric and adds a "Hmphf."

"What the Hells are you talking about?" the tiefling yells from the roof. "What book? Who are you guys?"

Eralynn looked at Nameless, and gave him a scritch under his chin. She made some funny faces at him.

"The Dark Hunger ya ninny!  Now get yerself down here ta answer our questions before I come up there and drag ya down!"  Garmus shouts at the tiefling.

Eralynn jolts as Garmus yells. She never got used to that. She took out her sketchbook and started doodling. The tiefling moaned loudly, and then began to descend from the roof to approach the group.

"The Dark Hunger?" she asked, looking Garmus up and down. "That's the book I turned in to get into this place. What about it, short stuff?"

Garmus steps up to the tiefling..."who ya callin' short, harpy?"  He growls.

"You and you're bearded mothe-"

Oh shit oh shit. Eralynn's eyes bugged out comically. Think fast. She stepped between them. She held up her hands. Whoa! Wait! Then, she held up a finger. Wait. She scribbled something on her sketchbook and showed it to the Tiefling. Her arms alone could twist Eralynn like a pretzel.

Will you please help us? The book you offered attacked us today. We're trying to find out where you got it from.

Eralynn patted Garmus on the shoulder, and gulped loudly, hoping not to get her ass kicked.

Raastin stepped forward, an easy smile on his face, strategically placing himself somewhat between Garmus and the tiefling. "Yes, as our friend here says, um, well, writes. Our beef is not with you, my friend. It seems that book's title is a little more on spot than expected. It truly is quite ravenous," he says, offering another smile. "As picky as these Keep folk are about their books, you wouldn't want that book's antics coming back to you. Right? So, just tell us where it came from and maybe we can find out why it's so dark and hungry."

Persuasion: 22

20

"Chsshh. I couldn't care less about your quest or what the books do once I turn them in. However, it sounds like you're trying to get me to reveal information. But not with that roll. A little coin goes a long way. Might help me remember. Know what I mean, toots? Cough it up."

Eralynn looks at the camera as if she was on The Office.

"Are you sure you don't want to help us?" Ysabell asked sweetly.  Perhaps a bit too sweetly; as if trying to cover up another less "sweet" emotion.  As she spoke, it may have been a trick of the light, but Ysabell's scythe seemed to move ever-so-slightly towards the Tiefling.

• Intimidation Roll: 19

7

"Oh, really? You're gonna kick my ass right here in front of all Candlekeep? You forget the rules here? You all might get me in a fight, but one thing's for sure, i'm gonna put my fist right through your face, sweet cheeks. So. We can do this the easy way, or that hard way."

Eralynn shook her head no, giving Ysabell a wry glance. She began digging in her backpack for money.

Ecko gives a joyful look upwards. He had been preoccupied with fixing up another mechanism that he haphazardly throws behind his back into his patchwork sack. His expression fades when he realizes the more open folks were angrily speaking towards each other. Understanding Eralynn's implication, Ecko reaches into his bag and rummages around for something. He triumphantly retrieves the dangling, mechanical beholder embroidered with flashy lights and proudly holds it in front of the Tiefling like a child would its first drawing. He clicks a button with his thumb and it whirrs to life, eyestalks buzzing and blinking up.

If that doesn't impress the Tiefling, Ecko will throw a very hurt look and procure 2 gold pieces from his coin pouch. 

"What the hell is this?" she asks, curious, but not convinced, looking at Ecko's device.

"Coins," Raastin says dryly, offering a smart-alec smirk. "You didn't say how you wanted them...just that you wanted them. Now, about that information you have?"

"Quiet, you." Valor says to Raastin. Then, turning back to Ecko, she takes the contraption. "Thirteen days ago, I arrived at Candlekeep with The Dark Hunger, a series of nearly incomprehensible notes about Hadar, a powerful yet inscrutable entity that lives among the stars. That stuff interests me. Don't judge. I purchased the book from a market stall in the Wide, a bustling marketplace in the Upper City of Baldur’s Gate. I don’t remember much about the stall because I didn’t want to stay in the Wide for too long, it's not the most reputable corner of the marketplace. After finding the information I needed, I prepared to leave three days ago. That’s when the Avowed informed me that my gift, The Dark Hunger, had revealed its true form, attacking and destroying a wizard’s homunculus. The wizard killed the monster before it could harm anyone else, but not before it turned into a spider and tried to scuttle away. When the monster died, no trace of it was left behind."

"Hmm curious..." Ysabell commented after hearing Valor's story.  "We still have to find a Yalerion and hear their story but it seems to match what we've experienced so far.  One last question if you don't mind: We are you still here?  It sounded like you were planning on leaving a few days ago."   

"Yes. The Wide reeks of greed. It makes me sick. I am still here because I offered to do chores when I heard the book was a monster, to make amends. If you have no further questions I shall be on my way."

Quote from CrispyDM >>

"Yes. The Wide reeks of greed. It makes me sick. I am still here because I offered to do chores when I heard the book was a monster, to make amends. If you have no further questions I shall be on my way."

"That is all I needed to know thank you."  Ysabell responded as she looked over at her comrades to see if they had anything else to add.  Little nameless also meowed twice in a way that could've sounded like "Thank you" if we really wanted it to.

Once Valor had returned to their work, she looked to the others and said, "Shall we continue on to Yalerion?  It would be quite unfortunate if he was killed by another man-eating novel before we could question him..."   

Garmus stands with his arms crossed, a scowl on his face and says nothing as Ysabell looks over at the group.  He stares after the tiefling as she leaves, giving her the stink eye.   "Let's go."  He grumbles, stomping off.

Eralynn smiles at Nameless and gives him a head scratch. 

She nodded at Ysabell. I think that's a good idea! 

Garmus, I think she liked you!