Aranea still hasn't mentioned that she heard the rhythmic sound, almost like a heartbeat, as well, and she is not sure she wants to. Who knows if her new companions would turn on her? It's what she would do if she were in their positions after all. The gnome's plan seems best. It's time to leave this place and fulfill the mission provided to them by the first book. There has already been one death, and she knows there are three more books left. She shudders at the implications. Three more books, three more probably dreadful encounters to survive.

"I agree. It's best if we return to the baron and leave this place before more worms return."

She turns to Qinro, the latest addition to their party. "Are you able to carry the woman's corpse on your back?" 

Glugrug takes a moment to clear his head after the fight. "Well meet Qinro," he says to the centaur. "You fought well. I would be honored to battle at your side."

At the explanation of the "echo fever," Glugrug nods. "I briefly heard a pounding sound inside my head while we fought the first re-animated ones. It has been gone now for quite some time." 

Glugrug helps move things about as needed and nods in agreement at the plan to return the baroness's body to its home. 

“I can carry her just fine, just fashion a way for her to stay on my back without falling off and we will be off.  Let’s head out of here!”  Qinro agrees with the plan and bends down to allow her on his back.  Due to his build, he can carry the load of a larger creature.

As soon as you step back out of the front doors of the manor you quickly find yourselves in the room with Barron Henrik. You explain everything that has transpired since you left him. About the bodies that you saw around the manor, including the fact the some of the bodies were then somehow reanimated. Though you fail to mention that his wife had been reanimated as well. Grateful for the recovery of his wife's body. Baron Henrik rewards you by knighting you, and giving you 150 gold pieces each.

Then world begins to fade away and you find yourselves back in the library. However, you find the 150 gold pieces are still in your pocket. Additionally, find that Kysken is no longer here and Qinfro is here instead.

(Gain a level.)

(and a long rest? :) )

(yep)

Jerick is feeling much better after being teleported back to the library.

He checks for the coin and is quite pleased that it made it out of the nightmare. Perhaps this little adventure isn't all bad... he thinks.

Jerick then moves to the table with the books and uses mage hand to open the Masque of the Worms to the last page with text, to see what it says.

"Haha!" Glugrug says as they arrive at the library. "Success!"

Though he had some dreams of taking advantage of the knighthood, he wonders if in fact the trip to the masque was little more than a very lucid dream or very skilled illusion. But then he feels the heft of the coins in his pocket. Hmm...

Then, he eyes the book that Jerick is manipulating, as well as the other books on the table, looking at the titles once more. 

The last page of the Masquerade of Worms talks about how the death of Baroness Elenor affected Baron Henrik. How after losing both his wife and daughter he spiralled into a pattern of destructiveness and cruelty.

It goes on to mention how authorities eventually made their way to Moldavia Manor and arrested Lebrim for his part in the death of his father, Baroness Elenor Rennet, and the rest of the lords, ladies, barons and baronesses.

It also mentions a little child, a girl, by the name of Jennie Alsby who had been found hiding in the staff housing. She had been hiding since before the masquerade hoping for her mother to return to her. However, when her mother didn't show up, Jennie decided to return to the manor. There she saw the bodies left lying around the manor, including the body of her mother. She then went back into hiding for fear of her own death. Jennie also went on record complaining about a 'loud heartbeat', but no one else heard this sound.

Glugrug sees that the next book is called Valley of the Gilded Tower, which seems to be a slightly shorter book.

Jerick says, "Figures. The true heroes aren't in the history book. Well, let's see what this book has in store for us."

He glances at the hourglass then uses mage hand to open the Valley of the Gilded Tower to the first page.

Following his rest and additional study, Glugrug realizes he has deduced some new ways to tinker with magic. 

He looks at the group, seeing who is most likely to fight with a standard weapon rather than spells or such things. His eyes settle on the rapier and hand crossbow wielded by the shadowy woman, Aranea. 

"If you give one of your weapons to me for a time, I can improve it, imbuing it with magic that may be helpful on our next...mission I suppose you might call it."

Following some quick work on Aranea's weapon, he looks on as the deep gnome opens up the book, looking to read the first page. 

((Using Enhanced Weapon infusion to make the weapon Aranea chooses +1 to attack and damage.))

Having been transported back to the library after talking with Baron Rennet, Aranea is relieved that she can no longer hear the dreadful heartbeat she heard in Moldovia Manor. Hopefully the echo fever or whatever it was Count Lebrim mentioned would not be toying with her mind any longer. She is quite surprised but pleased to find that the gold they received from the Baron still existed in the realm of the library. Whatever this strange adventure was, it was at least profitable. Such things as coin were useless at the monastery but since beginning her life in the world outside those hallowed halls, she found she enjoyed the finer things in life that coin could buy.

When Glugrug mentioned he could improve one of her weapons, she eyed the hobgoblin with newfound respect. At first she did not trust him because of his race, but she found that he was a capable warrior, and she was glad he was in their party. Not that she had anything against the gnome and the centaur, of course, but she was reassured by Glugrug's strength and size. 

"Thank you, Glugrug. I truly appreciate it," she said, with a slight bow, handing him her rapier. 

Qinro looks on with interest, seeing the Masquerade of Worms book he says "That's it!  That's the one we read, and went through that dreadful place.  I so glad that you came along, I'm so glad that I ... survived."  He puts his head down at this, a wave of guilt comes across his face.  "I emerged stronger than before.  Lets have a look at that second book, shouldn't we?  I see you are opening it up, what does it say?"

This time when you go to open Valley of the Gilded Tower you see that there are now words on the page.

Baron Henrik Rennet lies ill in his bed. He is restless after yet another dream of his late wife Baroness Elenore. In his dreams, he sees a vision of his wife telling him that her remains must be placed in the ancestral mausoleum of her family. However, with Henrik having fallen sick, he is too weak to move her remains himself. Additionally, his man servant tends to his every need whilst doctors, who wear beak-nosed masks, monitor his health.

Four adventurers arrive in the black draped chamber of Baron Henrik who instructs them to take the containing his wife's ashes to her family's mausoleum. Only then would his wife finally be at peace. In return, the Baron promised them a deed to a keep and its surrounding acres. The adventurers accept the quest and the make way to the mausoleum.

Once more the library fades away from around you and you find yourselves traveling on horse back. On either side of you are hills which are overgrown with fragrant flowers creating patterns across the otherwise green grass. The sky is decorated with golden clouds and you can see a tall ivory tower, capped with a golden roof, standing just inside a dense forest.

The road that you are traveling down soon passes by a cottage where you can see an ancient looking man lurking just side. He wears a brown work apron and hold a rake.

"Evening," the man calls as he spot you coming along the road.

"Good evening.  We are looking for the Rennet family mausoleum, is it in that tower ahead of us?  Do you know of the Rennet family?"  Qinro looks to see that his companions are with him and who is carrying the ashes of Baroness Elenore, are they in my backpack?

(Although, I suppose Qinro isn't actually on a horse?

"Rennet?" the man replies. "No, that mausoleum belongs to the Underwood family. Yes, a long line of nobles reside in that tower. Well, after their death, that is."

Aranea blinks with disorientation as the library melts away from her once more. She finds herself on horseback, a lovely gray mare. She studies the gilded tower. It may not be the mausoleum for Baroness Elenore, but judging by the title of the book it's their destination nonetheless.

"What can you tell us about the Underwood family?" she asks the man. 

Jerick just waits impatiently, but plans to follow wherever Aranea, Qinro, and Glugrug lead him.

 "Well," the man begins. "I have been the caretaker of the grounds around the mausoleum for many years... Don't go into the mausoleum... I have not seen anyone around here in thirty years... It's too dangerous... I think the last of the family was a little girl called Rennet. I don't know what happened to her."

((Is he speaking in 2 voices?))

Qinro says "I'm sorry, we are tasked with taking the ashes Baron Rennet's wife to the mausoleum to put her at rest.  We must go on despite the danger to accomplish our task.  How far is it to reach there?  Is there anything in our way to reach it?"

After hearing his response, Qinro gallops on toward the tower unless there is something unexpected.