Tests and Trials Game Thread

Sword's approval of Kroshav's plan goes beyond words.

Ernos glances at the weird hot water hole, then puts it out of his mind, "Can't say with word, only show."

The bugbear regards Ernos a moment before nodding and gesturing outwards.

"Yes. Go."

She'll wait for the party to start moving before falling in behind, but won't insist on being last if someone decides to take up the rear.

Using the hole as a guide point for about where they are Kroshav changes directions and starts heading what he figures is more or less due south. South is pretty easy to figure out fortunately since there is a pretty clear slope down that direction, even under the snow. Another twenty minutes of trudging finds the party standing near the stairs down, only a sole golem looks to be keeping watch. It remains motionless but does address the party tonelessly,

"You found another companion?"

"Yes, we did.  She needs refuge and I think can give us information on a big problem in the area you should be made aware of.  Do you mind if we all come in?"

"I don't like closing access to the library, unless it puts the books in danger. Does her coming in put the books in danger?"

For her part the bugbear is looking around trying to determine the source of the Librarian's voice since the golem appears more like a statue than a moving creature.

"Possibly.  Not by her.  But...she is being hunted by a green dragon and her group of followers.   We met this dragon and she states the forest nearby is her domain.   We tried to make sure she could not see us come back here by coming back and night and in the snow storm.  But even without letting her in, I think this dragon may be a problem for the library in the future."

The golem is quiet after the explanation but the golem seems to slouch ever so slightly before saying.

"Fine. Bring her in. Chromatic dragons are always of concern."

The party enter to find things more or less like they left them the day before. There has been some cleaning but marks of the most recent fight remain. An additional golem, missing a leg, stands sentry propped against the wall down the stairs.

The bugbear looks around the size and darkness of the archives, her eyes narrowed in consideration. The further down you go the more pleased she looks but also more concerned with her position in the group, hanging further and further back.

((Going down to the drow floor or some where else?))

Ernos follow along with where the group decides to go, but does turn and call over his shoulder to the bugbear, "Big place safe, owner talks through statues.  Don't get lost."

"Why did your other friend not come along with us?" Jaq asks casually.

The bugbear only looks after Ernos as she creeps after him and the rest. To Jaq she says,

"You no kill both if trap."

"Well, yeah....That is true.   But we don't like that dragon any more than you do."   He takes a breath.  "No trap."

The bugbear shrugs at Jaq's assurance, still looking around.

The party come to the Drow floor and see Mikram sitting talking to the Cap'in in dwarven. Jaq hears they are discussing work for the new golems. Near them is a pile of food, shiny red apples, perfect loaves of bread, various cuts of meat, bread bowls fill with creamy soup. It looks like it could be from a picture. Knowing what they know about the Librarian, it probably was.

Mikram and Joe both look up to greet the group but pause on seeing the bugbear. Joe asks,

"Ye have foun' a new buddy?"

The bugbear only has eyes for the food though.

Cladmir took position behind Kroshav -- ready to backup whatever the paladin says, but couldn't help but eye the food also -- especially the soup.

Jaq walks up to the foodstuffs and grabs a larger loaf of bread.  "This stuff looks really good, the librarian makes it, and it is fine to eat, but it is not really all that tasty."   

He breaks the loaf in half, takes a bit himself, making a show of swallowing it, and then hands the other half over to the bugbear.  

Jaq bites into the loaf, which thankfully no longer has partially congealed sludge inside its gorgeously baked exterior. Unfortunately, the Librarian seems to have gone a bit too far in the other direction and it crunches like toast, if toast had been dropped in sand and somehow absorbed it all while sucking out any bread flavor. The show of swallowing it is a real show as it takes some concerted chewing to get it broken up entirely and down. Looking down at the bread it even looks almost right on the inside, but definitely a bit too glittery.

The bugbear takes the half a loaf and considers it, then Jaq, then the rest of the party before taking a big bite. If the consistency bothers her it doesn't bother her enough to not take another big bite and then another, between a large drink from a bag she is carrying, before continuing to eat in silence. When the loaf is gone she says,

"Bad. Bread bad. Use dirt?"

She extends a hand for more though.

Cladmir saw Jaq bravely ate the bread so he too moved to see what the soup tastes like.

Cladmir quickly finds out the soup is only vaguely liquid and tastes like sucking on a shirt sleeve. It has chunks that probably don't need to be dwelled upon but are far spongier than anything he has had before. They do, surprisingly enough, vaguely have a slight nearly discernable flavor of... celery?

Considering what the Librarian made yesterday, it's an improvement. Sort of.

The bugbear watches Cladmir's eating with rapt attention before grabbing an apple. She takes a bite, spits it out, ponders the inside of the apple, then takes another bite.

Kroshav sighs and reaches for some bread and an apple. Maybe if he focuses on how good they look, he can forget about the taste and texture. While he'd rather real meat, he finds the Librarian's attempts at vegetarian fare less offensive, even when it manages to taste meaty.

((JOE HAS HAD PRESTIDIGITATION THIS WHOLE TIME??!?!?!))

((AND ERNIE!?!?!))

((Ya, not sure why no one is using it!))

The bread is as described above but the apple is a unique experience on its own. It is far, far too easy to bite into. Like biting a ripe banana in its skin but without any of the bitter and sweet. Its insides are a uniform white, no seeds or core to be seen. It tastes like water left in a metal bucket too long.

Her last attempt was better, and it at least tried at including the core and seeds.

The bugbear finishes her apple and asks,

"How find?"

She waves all around.

"Why dragon not know?"