"Ballroom," sighs the hunchbacked librarian. He points northwest. "Downstairs, right at the end of this hall. Zyblina is there, and the cauldron. But you don't know how to unfreeze her, do you? What do you think I do here?"
"Kelek has charged me with researching time-freezing magic, so he can break the spell on the wizard and get his staff of power. Warduke, that helmed nincompoop, is Kelek’s bodyguard, but he’s a cold-hearted mercenary who works for coin. Maybe you can buy him off. It's certainly not loyalty keeping him here."
"Yes, Zybilna treated the jabberwock like her pet. She would regularly invite it in to feed from her cauldron. It continues to visit the palace even now that Zybilna is frozen in time."
"So no one knows how to save the queen?" Titaani asks, despair in her voice. "And we don't have any money to bribe Warduke. Will he accept anything else?"
”Thank you for talking with us,” says Ben, “What else can you tell us about the palace—it looks like there was maybe an explosion and a detached turret from outside? Maybe we will find answers in the Queen’s personal library—which way is that?”
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Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
The librarian scoffs at Matilda's question. "You think I just know that? You think I haven't spent hundreds of hours trying to solve that? Feh!" He brushes Matilda away by gesturing with the back of his hand.
"Money..." he responds to Titaani. "I never understood the coin system anyway. You're on your own with the 'money' stuff."
"That helmed knight was battling Kelek and Warduke in the study, I'm told," he answers Ben. "Warduke used his horn to punch a hole in the wall and sent the knight hurtling through it. But then an instant later, the palace was frozen in time. Warduke and Kelek were later released from temporal stasis by the Hourglass Coven, I was told."
"The secret library! Yes. Good idea. It's over the Carriage House." He points due south. "Zybilna keeps her most prized books in it. But you have to go all the way around the Court of Storms to get to it. That means through the Ballroom – I'm not sure that there's another way around – up the stairs, and through the Flooded Hall. Hold on..."
He pulls out a quill and scribbles some titles on a piece of parchment before handing it to Ben. "These books might interest you..."
The titles read: The City That Waits The Faceless Lord I, Lyzandred Kingdom of the Ghouls The Many Masques of Mith Nadir of Nessus Prophecies of Explictica Defilus Thingizzard’s Night Balloon
"You are most kind, good librarian," says Ben, gratefully accepting the slip of paper. "We will do the best we can to help the Queen. Might there be a knock or some kind of signal we could arrange if we need to consult you again once we leave?" asks Ben, trying to fix the locations of the locations of which the librarian speaks in his head.
To his friends, he asks, "Is there anything else we should ask?"
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Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
"Zybilina's Black Book? I am not sure what being in that book might signify or if any of us would be listed inside it. What type of people have their names are in her book?" asks Ben, somewhat confused.
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Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
"Are people writing stories about us already?" Titaani asks excitedly. "I always knew we would be the stuff of legends! Also, the chime you heard came from this," she holds up the chime, "You should really unlock your doors, it's quite unfriendly to lock people out, you know."
The hunchbacked librarian guffaws at Titaani's comment. "I'm not here to make friends, young lady. And nobody is writing about you. Zybilna's book is a ledger of castle permissions. If your name is in it, the doors unlock. Otherwise you have to use the crowns, or whatever that thing is." He gestures toward the chime. "I doubt Zybilna would approve of that. In any event, the League of Malevolence seems to be listed in the book these days."
"Ah, we have been blessed by roses, but not unlocked doors. Perhaps we can change that should we rescue the Queen," says Ben. "Thank you for your aid," he adds, backing away from the library.
"Shall we continue on our current path, collecting gems as we may, or should we double back and try to get to the Queen's library by other means?" he asks his companions.
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Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
"Maybe the gems are the crowns he was talking about," Titaani mutters, a little embarrassed by the librarian's reply. "I think we should continue on our current path so we can find more of them. Oh, or we could go to the library, fetch the books, and read them on the way."
"Good thought about the gems, Titaani," says Ben, "We should try them as we approach doors to see if they can save us uses of the chime. And here I had been thinking they were related to awakening the Queen somehow."
"If we go back, we will probably have to go outside and get to the upper walkway somehow to access the upper level," says Ben, trying to puzzle out the architecture here, "So maybe we keep going here, dealing with the Malevolents as needed. We'll have to deal with them one way or another, and if they are defeated before we read the books, that is probably fine. I don't have a strong opinion, though, so we can do either."
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Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
" Can we cross out names in the book do you think? Though.....we can probably handle these League people we've disposed of two of them already...", Matilda shrugged. " Lets stay up here for a while yet."
Matilda heads north up the hallway, followed by Ben. Down the short hallway to her right, she sees another circular, decorated chamber featuring another spiral staircase (upward) with a golden handrail, and another set of double doors beyond it.
But she continues northward, and tries the door on her left. Locked. A marble cameo depicting a hart wearing a crown is mounted above it.
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Wisdom save: 18
“Shhhhhh…we’re in a library.” Pud says in an exaggerated whisper while he tries to stifle a giggle.
He listens intently as Ben and the librarian go back and forth.
Pud clears his throat. “eh hem. This, jabberwock, is it an ally of the queen?”
Pronouns: he/him/his
Pud - lvl 7 Human Artificer - Alchemist (The Wild Beyond the Witchlight).
Quinn - lvl 4 Human Ranger - Hunter (Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk)
"Ballroom," sighs the hunchbacked librarian. He points northwest. "Downstairs, right at the end of this hall. Zyblina is there, and the cauldron. But you don't know how to unfreeze her, do you? What do you think I do here?"
"Kelek has charged me with researching time-freezing magic, so he can break the spell on the wizard and get his staff of power. Warduke, that helmed nincompoop, is Kelek’s bodyguard, but he’s a cold-hearted mercenary who works for coin. Maybe you can buy him off. It's certainly not loyalty keeping him here."
"Yes, Zybilna treated the jabberwock like her pet. She would regularly invite it in to feed from her cauldron. It continues to visit the palace even now that Zybilna is frozen in time."
"So no one knows how to save the queen?" Titaani asks, despair in her voice. "And we don't have any money to bribe Warduke. Will he accept anything else?"
Horatio stays outside, barely able to follow the conversation.
Ben:
”Thank you for talking with us,” says Ben, “What else can you tell us about the palace—it looks like there was maybe an explosion and a detached turret from outside? Maybe we will find answers in the Queen’s personal library—which way is that?”
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
" As Sis said. How do we unfreeze stuff?", Matilda said from the doorway.
The librarian scoffs at Matilda's question. "You think I just know that? You think I haven't spent hundreds of hours trying to solve that? Feh!" He brushes Matilda away by gesturing with the back of his hand.
"Money..." he responds to Titaani. "I never understood the coin system anyway. You're on your own with the 'money' stuff."
"That helmed knight was battling Kelek and Warduke in the study, I'm told," he answers Ben. "Warduke used his horn to punch a hole in the wall and sent the knight hurtling through it. But then an instant later, the palace was frozen in time. Warduke and Kelek were later released from temporal stasis by the Hourglass Coven, I was told."
"The secret library! Yes. Good idea. It's over the Carriage House." He points due south. "Zybilna keeps her most prized books in it. But you have to go all the way around the Court of Storms to get to it. That means through the Ballroom – I'm not sure that there's another way around – up the stairs, and through the Flooded Hall. Hold on..."
He pulls out a quill and scribbles some titles on a piece of parchment before handing it to Ben. "These books might interest you..."
The titles read:
The City That Waits
The Faceless Lord
I, Lyzandred
Kingdom of the Ghouls
The Many Masques of Mith
Nadir of Nessus
Prophecies of Explictica Defilus
Thingizzard’s Night Balloon
Ben:
"You are most kind, good librarian," says Ben, gratefully accepting the slip of paper. "We will do the best we can to help the Queen. Might there be a knock or some kind of signal we could arrange if we need to consult you again once we leave?" asks Ben, trying to fix the locations of the locations of which the librarian speaks in his head.
To his friends, he asks, "Is there anything else we should ask?"
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
"Yes, yes, knock I suppose. Are any of your names in Zybilna’s black book? What was that annoying chime, anyway?"
Ben:
"Zybilina's Black Book? I am not sure what being in that book might signify or if any of us would be listed inside it. What type of people have their names are in her book?" asks Ben, somewhat confused.
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
"Are people writing stories about us already?" Titaani asks excitedly. "I always knew we would be the stuff of legends! Also, the chime you heard came from this," she holds up the chime, "You should really unlock your doors, it's quite unfriendly to lock people out, you know."
The hunchbacked librarian guffaws at Titaani's comment. "I'm not here to make friends, young lady. And nobody is writing about you. Zybilna's book is a ledger of castle permissions. If your name is in it, the doors unlock. Otherwise you have to use the crowns, or whatever that thing is." He gestures toward the chime. "I doubt Zybilna would approve of that. In any event, the League of Malevolence seems to be listed in the book these days."
Ben:
"Ah, we have been blessed by roses, but not unlocked doors. Perhaps we can change that should we rescue the Queen," says Ben. "Thank you for your aid," he adds, backing away from the library.
"Shall we continue on our current path, collecting gems as we may, or should we double back and try to get to the Queen's library by other means?" he asks his companions.
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
"Maybe the gems are the crowns he was talking about," Titaani mutters, a little embarrassed by the librarian's reply. "I think we should continue on our current path so we can find more of them. Oh, or we could go to the library, fetch the books, and read them on the way."
Ben:
"Good thought about the gems, Titaani," says Ben, "We should try them as we approach doors to see if they can save us uses of the chime. And here I had been thinking they were related to awakening the Queen somehow."
"If we go back, we will probably have to go outside and get to the upper walkway somehow to access the upper level," says Ben, trying to puzzle out the architecture here, "So maybe we keep going here, dealing with the Malevolents as needed. We'll have to deal with them one way or another, and if they are defeated before we read the books, that is probably fine. I don't have a strong opinion, though, so we can do either."
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
" Can we cross out names in the book do you think? Though.....we can probably handle these League people we've disposed of two of them already...", Matilda shrugged. " Lets stay up here for a while yet."
Where do you head, next?
Matilda heads up to check the next set of doors up from the library...
Ben:
Nodding his goodbye to the librarian, Ben follows Matilda on their methodical search of the castle.
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Matilda heads north up the hallway, followed by Ben. Down the short hallway to her right, she sees another circular, decorated chamber featuring another spiral staircase (upward) with a golden handrail, and another set of double doors beyond it.
But she continues northward, and tries the door on her left. Locked. A marble cameo depicting a hart wearing a crown is mounted above it.