Tests and Trials Game Thread

After a few days of rest Cladmir is definitely more up for some exploration and a new life of adventure he has found himself in.  During the free time, however, he would try to learn more about Kroshav religion and maybe even start praying to the "gods" he had ignored for so long.

The Librarian would direct Cladmir to Kroshav,

"I have no information on that particular order of paladins. They were not yet founded when I was cut off from the outside."

While most of the days underground pass in relative comfort and quiet reading, one day the hairs on the back of Lurn's neck stand up out of no where. Looking around the room where he is sitting in one of the commandeered Drow chairs at a desk reading he spots nothing that would illicit such a feeling. For another hour or two Lurn gets the impression that something is watching him but can't figure out why he feels that way and eventually the feeling passes.

((And because I remembered the mages had paper))

Also, in the Drow mages' room Lurn finds a few hundred pages of blank paper that he can begin transcribing a few religious tomes. As many of tomes are quite thick he'll need to make some calls on what to copy and what not to.

---

Jaq also has time to go through the mages' notes on the anti-magic box. He sees that they were equally perplexed as to the nature of the box and its properties but where quite excited as well. They had begun doing a number tests on it to see what it did but ultimately they appear to have been distracted from their work. One mage conjectured that it was a relic from the ruins of the city above ground and commented that the Librarian might know more.

There are some other notes as well regarding the other magical items recovered and what they did as well as where they went. Most are noted as being shipped off to the Drow outpost but a couple have a name next to them, including Jaq's cloak.

Kroshav will be eager to have Clad join him in training, as soon as the other fellow recovers. He would also spend time with the horses, making sure they get exercised, perhaps up on the first level where there we long straight aways.

He'd ask about a forge, but won't have his hopes up. He'll do what maintenance and repair he can to their gear to help keep himself busy.

Jaq scowls when he sees his cloak listed and the name of a drow next to it.  He hisses the name out in an angry hiss.  Then he shakes his head quickly and dismisses the anger, as it will do no good.     

Instead he pulls out the magic box, after reading the mage's notes, and goes to ask the librarian what she might know of it.   He explains where he found it, what he has found it to do, lessening the problems of a curse...and he reads her the note on it that the mage wrote.

The Librarian leans in to inspect the little box.

"I can't say I have ever seen one of these this small before. Normally they are the size of a chest, used to carry unusually powerful or unstable magical items or magical items which are not yet finished. I understand that it is an unfortunate event to have an partially inscribed item activate prematurely. They are difficult to craft and fit a very niche need so I imagine they are not common but I would be surprised if they have disappeared completely."

She lowers herself down to look at the + hole in the box.

"I have never had cause to need to open one without assistance. This one appears to need a key."

She look up from the box to take in Jaq's reception of that critical information.

"I likely have some texts that reference them, if you're interested?"

((Can I get a luck roll (d100) from Jaq and an intelligence/arcana check if he'd ask for those texts.))

Jaq nods, "Yes, I would like to read up on this."

Luck: 86

Arcana: 12

"Sounds like it would probably be very dangerous to open it if it is unfinished magic inside."

The Librarian, very happily, supplies Jaq with no fewer than three dozen THICK tomes that supposedly have references to things like the box.

"I haven't read these myself, far too esoteric for my preferences, but they are indexed as being related to items like your box."

Jaq opens the first book and finds it to be a dense, overly detailed and weirdly self congratulating cataloguing of all things magical. It reads like a first draft and is completely lacking in pictures of any kind. A quick check shows these works to all be highly specialized and Jaq gets the feeling they were written with an intended audience of one, the author.

It is going to be a tough, slow go.

At least he has some rather raunchy works in old dialects of Dwarven liven things up.

Jaq isn't going to be deterred by the fact that this will take a while.  He has the time!  

And he'll probably never have access to this many books to try to find the right information.  So he decides to just take the time and do the research.

For her part, the Librarian seems pleased that people are reading her books, though Jaq and Cladmir both notice that she's stationed a golem near wherever the lent out books are.

Mikram would join Jaq in reading the burlesque dwarven novels.

((Okay, so that process is going.

Who is going out on the excursion out? Anyone speaking the drow?))

Jaq will gladly have Mikram around when he is trying to learn more about the old dwarven language and ask for his help when he gets stuck on words.

But he will get sick of all the reading eventually, so he will gladly head out on the expedition outside.

While reading he thinks of another question or three for the librarian:  "The city the we cannot understand the name.  Who were the main habitants of the city?  What races?  How many people used to live in the city?

After a few days of rest (to rid of the lingering exhaustion) part of Cladmir day would be to learn what he can about Kroshav's paladin order from the Dragonborn, and also assist him with the cleaning and caring of the horses.  The rest of the time he would spend it getting familiar fighting with the magic warhammer.  As for the books in the library, are there books of human languages here?  In all manner of topics?

As far as exclusion goes -- where ever Kroshav goes Cladmir will attempt to follow unless Kros asks him not to.

She answers Jaq,

"I have a few histories on the founding of - but actually have more that critically analyze it. It pains me to consider how much was lost in the upper floors."

She sighs,

"In any case, they were initially largely refugees and rejects from the squabbling kingdoms. Later and alliance with the dwarves and other improvements attracted a more educated and affluent set of inhabitants. I arrived with the later influx."

"It was diverse, the majority were humans but there were significant numbers of dwarves, halflings and gnomes. There was a dragonborn enclave near the east gate and a smattering of elves."

"I would need to see if there is something with an accurate accounting, more suited for the Hall of Records honestly, but approximately seventy thousand in the city proper and another ten in the surrounding area owing some allegiance to the city."

To Cladmir she'll get whatever books he requests in common. They all use old-timey common but its hasn't changed so much in most causes that they are unreadable. A few are a bit challenging, particularly those with large amounts of slang, but Cladmir is used to deciphering changes in slang between countries so he is able to muddle through.

((Looking for anything specific?

Is anyone going to clear the snow and poke their head out before an excursion?))

Cladmir is hoping to see if there are any books that deal with local history or folklore that may refer to the mysterious city either directly or in passing using some other name to get some insights.  The hope is that maybe some tangential information can be gleaned that way.

Since what Cladmir is trying to do may quality as investigation I would like to roll dice and see what comes of that!  And yay for not being exhausted anymore!!!  XD 

Int (history/investigation):  11

The Librarian assures Cladmir the books he receives include references to the city and it's founding but Cladmir doesn't notice anything. Some stories do read a bit off though, like things are missing but nothing he can put together.

During the week of recuperation those that happen to be on the fifth floor hear the occasional shouts of the Drow prisoners, the Librarian has opted to using their own cells to keep them in for now. She doesn't appear to be in any sort of a hurry to do anything about them either, a pair of golems stationed outside their cells like statues.

((And since someone would likely eventually bother to check during the week, or weeks you are in the library-))

While going through the rooms where the lower ranking drow had their bedrolls the group recover Lurn's mother's necklace along with a number of other small, valuable items and coins:

• 8 small gems (10 gp a piece)
• 3 medium gems (25 gp a piece)
• An embroidered silk handkerchief (25 gp)
• Small silvered mirror in a well painted frame (25 gp)
• 17 pp, 190 gp, 120 sp, 230 cp

"All right.   I want to see the outside a bit!  Who wants to come along?   I am interested to see how bad winter is in these parts.  My guess, 3 feet of snow."    With a shrug and a big smile he admits, "Though I don't know why I think that, it could be warmer here than at home, for all I know."

"Then, if we find the area near the entrance safe, we can take the horses outside for a bit, I'm assuming that they'd enjoy that.  And if it is not horrible out, we can try to find that basement of the other building that had several levels of basements."

"I'm game, Charlie in particular would like to be able to run a bit, I think."