Tests and Trials Game Thread

((I would hope his education was better!))

8 Extremely late to the party.  I blame sleeping. XD

Greatly confused by the turn of events, Lurn is too shaken to even put current events straight in his mind.  "Er, above...  Well, we found nothing on our way here.  It was just a big mountain and then the golem we followed stopped, and we found a boulder blocking the staircase leading in.  And to our south was, uh, the um...  The Dunky.  The Ditchy?  Er, it's one big place, with a couple small ones all the way south."

(Lurn's memory is evidently as good as mine right now.)

((Yep, about that much haha!))

Lurn doesn't think he has ever heard of anything like that. Honestly, all places are small compared to Balyon, really, and one kingdom is just as backward as any other considering Balyon's enlightened status as a republic.

The Librarian looks incredulous at Lurn's confused answer.

"The Dinky? What type of nation is the Dinky that it doesn't have records of -? Surely the dwarves of the western Thalmiirs haven't forgotten, do they not speak of -? They were friends of -, helped in its construction. The elf tribes that dwelt in the great forest?"

She looks at Jaq,

"I do not know how long I have been down here but surely no longer than a generation, perhaps two, of your people. Do they not speak of the city of -? They were not friends, preferring their forests, but they were not hostile."

((She is referring to the Thalmiir mountain range that makes up the NW portion of the Duchy's border. I think Jaq has the most relations with the Dwarves and they haven't ever spoken of any city south of the mountains they helped build except Stenrek (which was once one of their fortresses), and he doubts they would miss an opportunity to crow about their work.

Jaq and Cladmir also know that most elves currently living on the continent are descendants from the wave of immigrants that came with the conquest. The elves that were here before were from earlier, smaller groups of immigrants, the earliest migration being the 'wild' elves that arrived at some point in the distant past. Jaq hasn't heard of any forest elves in the Duchy but Cladmir has seen a few in Firth and heard they live in Firth's northern forests and in Ranwei's.))

(When the Librarian gets to the point of where she is going to say the city name, does she just weirdly not say it, like it is some strange magical thing stopping her, or is it she is saying something we don't understand)

((When she says the name it seems like she is actually saying the name but to you it sounds like an incoherent, quiet mumble before returning to normal volume.))

It seems like a light finally happened in Jaq's mind.

"Librarian, I think there is some sort of magic going on, though it seems your memory may have been exempted from it.  Whenever you say the name of the city, either you aren't allowed to say it, or we aren't allowed to hear what you are saying.  The rest of what you are saying is normal, but then it becomes a really quiet muffled word we can't understand.  But only when you are saying the name of the city.  Afterwards your voice is back at regular volume and we can understand you again."

Then another thought comes to Jaq.  "Do you have a book, or a map that we can see that would have the city's name and location on it?  Maybe we can see it that way, or if we can't we will know there is shenanigans going on."

 The Librarian nods slowly.

"That would be an explanation. The golems are mostly in their recharge period now but once they have completed it I will have maps brought. That will be only a short while."

She then simply sits and stares at the party unblinking, unmoving. If not interrupted, she'll remain this way more than what would be considered 'a short while '.

((Doing anything during the charging period?))

(Is it time that we can do a long rest yet?    ((For those exhausted folks)) )

Not much that can be done in the meantime, but Lurn will inspect his shield for any damage it's incurred.  The muddy corridor wouldn't be a convenient place to work out any dents even if he had the tools, but he can at least check for damage in the meantime, and he has patience aplenty.

((It'd still be around lunch time but you could certainly rest.))

Lurn's shield has a few more dings and scratches but is serviceable. Mikram would give it a look as well and ask, in Dwarven,

"Ye'll be leaving me here when ye go? Only been on the surface once before and... It was disturbing."

(( Sorry got caught up with the post-holiday work. ))

While Cladmir had some idea about this history of the local area, he did not really catch on about the magic interference until Jaq mentioned it.  Being a career foot soldier who rarely volunteered information unless asked (or unless the order given was so bone-headed that fatality was guaranteed and speaking up and risk being immediately sent to latrine duty was preferred) Cladmir did not say anything except puzzling quietly why the librarian would be worried about something south of the border.

It may be lunch time but considering that Cladmir is still at exhaustion level 2 he's more than happy to have a quick meal and find a quiet corner to [long] rest.

Lurn nods to Mikram, "If that's your wish.  I'm not worthy enough yet to call upon powers adequate to restore your legs, but since I'll be looking to establish exchange between the temples and the librarian I'll try to arrange for someone who can do so to visit.  I owe you a great debt for your help, so it would be unacceptable if I did nothing for you."

Mikram listens and then nods,

"Aye, do ye do owe meh."

Conveniently having forgetting that without Lurn and the rest he would likely have died here.

((Would Cladmir eat rations or ask the Librarian for food?

If everyone else is just waiting for golems and the map I'll speed on to that.))

After what must have be an few hours the Librarian abruptly says, like she only paused to take a breath,

"I will send for the maps now."

She leaves for a couple of minutes and returns with a pair of golems. One is carrying three books and the other a few scrolls. The Librarian surveys the dirt caked party and floors and says,

"I will show you the maps. No touching is needed."

She has one of the golems gently open a scroll that turns out to be a map of the continent with political boundaries noted. It is clearly different from any maps the party would have seen of the current boundaries.

Lurn is pretty sure the map is upside down and he can't really understand where everything should be. He normally starts from Balyon and goes from there but it looks like they missed it? Kroshav notices that the Duchy isn't there and the south of the continent is a bunch of smaller places and the text is so small to fit that he can read it, and if he gets closer to see the golem pulls it gently back so he never actually gets closer. He can see there is no Balyon on the map and he is kinda fuzzy on everything that is north of that but notes the Shining Kingdom (bad guys) looks small? (On top of what Kroshav sees) Jaq notices the dwarves have territory out to Stenrek in this map and the forest's shape is different than today, extending south and west past the city. None of the northern countries are familiar except the Shining Kingdom. Cladmir has seen a map like this before with pre-conquest borders. Not really of much interest then or now.

Kroshav and Jaq are quickly able to find the general spot just south of the eastern Thalmiir mountains they think they are in. It looks...unremarkable and empty. Noting Lurn and Cladmir's confusion, the Librarian has the golem lift a thick stone finger and point towards a nondescript spot of forest and mountain. Looking closely the spot does seem to have been slightly smudged. Four more maps are presented showing different views of the area and all show the same thing, which is nothing. One, a much closer view of the area, shows a temple that is probably the corrupted one the party visited.

((Let me know if you have any questions regarding the maps))

Staring at the map for a while, Jaq thinks for a bit before asking a few questions.

"The library here, is very remote, far from any cities.  Has that always been true?   If so, why did they build it out here?"

You were earlier asking about a city that we could not hear you say the name for some reason.  Stating we should remember it and it's peoples as they 'were not friends, but not hostiles either and lived in forests as a preference.   Can you point out on this map where this city is?" 

He then advises what he can for her what changes he knows have happened on the map.  He says that up north he only knows of the Shining Kingdom and that it is now much bigger and he hasn't heard of the other lands that are listed up there.

He also explains that the dwarven lands are now smaller and that the forest also is much smaller. 

(( Cladmir will be eating some food from the ration for now. ))

Since Cladmir has seen similar maps before, he was not too interested in those details, instead his attention was drawn to where the golem was pointing at and he became fixated to a point of completely zoning out what everyone else may be discussing.  For quite a while Cladmir was left puzzled at the gesture.  Eventually it dawned on him of the possibility that he has not been considering until now.

"We're *south* of the mountain?" he finally said.

The Librarian's eyes widen when Jaq asks where on the map the city was and she has the golem point harder.

"There. Where it is pointing. It says clearly -. The elves lived, mostly, in the forests. The city was filled with all races, albeit a majority were human. This library, the biggest in -, was built on the northern side of the city as it provided expansive views of the forests and city itself to those in the upper floors. Floors which I understand are gone."

She listens patiently to Jaq's updates but says,

"I will note that down somewhere later, but now we are talking about -. Surely you see it?"

You really don't.

She gives Cladmir and even more bewildered look.

"Of course, where did you think you were?"

((Also, magical items:

brooch of shielding

ring of swimming

instrument of illusions

living gloves

Claws of the Umber Hulk

))

Jaq puts his hands up in front of him, palms up in a motion like, 'how do I explain this properly?'

"Yeah, lotsa magic happening I think.  What I see on the map where the golem is pointing is....nothing really.  No city, no name listing what it is.  Just a bit of a smudge maybe if I look really, really close.     And outside of here. When we got here.  We are not in a city of any sort.  Something happened here since you have been down here inside your library."

"I think we should go check outside again, as Kroshav's horse heard something walking about out there earlier.  We will make sure it is safe.  And then you should accompany us outside for a moment and take a look outside.  It might give you some perspective as to what is all going on."

Quote from Cladmir >>

(( Cladmir will be eating some food from the ration for now. ))

((Lurn still has like eight goodberries from when he made a batch to feed Charlie.  One of those will do Clad right.))

"I know I'm not good at maps and such, but even I can tell something odd is happening when what should be a city is blank."