Candlekeep Mysteries

Bell gives a startled 'eep' at hearing THAT name.

Erudisia steps quickly down the stairs. “I do not know your works, but we are scholars and servants of Candlekeep, which you must know of? What was the subject of your works?”

" Also.....is there a way to return these statueated wildlife back to normal."

" Also......are the Hags immune to your special sight?"

“Yes,” the medusa – née Silvarie Silversong – responds to Bell’s ‘eep.’ “Published. Perhaps you’ve heard of it. I’ll give you a hint. It rhymes with A Slice of Duty. It was a limited edition… You know, mirror on the cover? Ugh. Mirrors. I had to destroy the mirrors upstairs so I wouldn’t accidentally turn myself into stone. You’d think the snake hair would really be enough of a curse. But I have to concern myself with mirrors too. It’s really too much. 

“Are you truly scholars if you do not know of me? Of course I know of Candlekeep. But the prophecies of Aulondo the Seer which you care for did nothing to warn me of my fate. So what is the point.

“The subject of my work? Beauty.” She says the last in a tiny, quivering voice. Then her face colors in rage. It takes a minute for her to calm down.

“I suppose if you placed the stone animals in the healing waters of the pool they would reconstitute. Is Cyrena still there? I would know if she is safe or if the hags have enacted some terrible curse upon her too. My heart aches to see her… if seeing her wouldn’t mean turning an immortal elemental being into stone…

“The hags are not immune to my powers. That’s partly why they do not enter this place and merely drop morsels of food through the hole in the roof for me. That’s why the doors and windows are sealed with their special arcane resin which I am powerless to break. I would die of loneliness if not for Ripley. But I will not leave this shrine. No one else may see me looking like this. Or I will turn them to stone.”

" Oh.....yes, I do know that volume.  Isn't that how we got here?"

" Cyrena is still there, yes. She'll be pleased to know you are alive."

" Um.....in terms of food.....I have some tea if anyone can boil water?"

Meredith began carrying the small petrified animals to the pool and carefully placing them within.

" Uh....whose Ripley?"

" From what I saw before I began to turn to stone your snakes really are quite lovely little ophidian tresses, and the curse doesn't seem to have affected your cheekbones at all.......your still quite the catch.   If I had access to some sort of periapt against Petrification- and wasn't already in a rather complicated situationship I'd love to share a bottle or two and discuss religion and cats....felines are the subject of my thesis.....or anything else really."

Erudisia nods along with Meredith’s words, and as she does she writes in her book, on Little One’s page.

All still alive. Found Medusa. Friendly but grumpy. Should we bring out? May help against hags? Cruel to leave here? Hope this finds you well.

Quote from Damian_May >>

" Oh.....yes, I do know that volume.  Isn't that how we got here?"

" Cyrena is still there, yes. She'll be pleased to know you are alive."

" Um.....in terms of food.....I have some tea if anyone can boil water?"

Meredith began carrying the small petrified animals to the pool and carefully placing them within.

" Uh....whose Ripley?"

" From what I saw before I began to turn to stone your snakes really are quite lovely little ophidian tresses, and the curse doesn't seem to have affected your cheekbones at all.......your still quite the catch.   If I had access to some sort of periapt against Petrification- and wasn't already in a rather complicated situationship I'd love to share a bottle or two and discuss religion and cats....felines are the subject of my thesis.....or anything else really."

Quote from NycrolB >>

Erudisia nods along with Meredith’s words, and as she does she writes in her book, on Little One’s page.

All still alive. Found Medusa. Friendly but grumpy. Should we bring out? May help against hags? Cruel to leave here? Hope this finds you well.

“And, what did you think of The Price of Beauty?,” medusa née Silvarie asks. (N.B. - none of you ever mentioned having opened the book…) “Even my critics said, ‘It casts a spell.’ “

“Thank Sune for that at least. When you see Cyrena again, don’t tell her what I look like. Just tell her you saw me and that I miss her.”

“I have not had tea in many years…”

Meredith carefully places the mouse figurine and sparrow figurines in the water. She watches them sink into water, which gives off, as I mentioned, a subtle arcane glow. Gentle ripples arc out across its smooth surface. Behind her blindfold, Sylvarie is oblivious to Meredith’s actions.

Erudisia’s message is quickly returned. Little One’s writing is far more grammatically correct than his speech. “I am fine, and I am glad you are still alive. I found a rope in the stable, tied it to a tree, and lowered…” here the message hits its 25 word maximum.

The medusa, eyes still covered, listens to Meredith’s praise, but turns a raised brow. She doesn’t seem to be buying it, although a high Persuade could change that.

Meredith, who had been watching the statuettes for any signs of transformation while speaking with Sylvarie, notes that they now halt in their sinking. 

“Oh, Ripley?,” the medusa answers with a sigh. “Ripley is the guardian of this pool. Don’t disturb the water by the way.”

Suddenly, the figurines shoot out of the pool like pellets from a sling. The mouse impales the wall behind the pool, its head fastening into a chink in the rock. Its tail snaps off with the force of the impact. The sparrow ricochets off of a stone column, bursting into pieces with a poof of dust. In an instant, the ripples atop the pool twist into a heavy cord, and lash out, winding around Meredith’s neck. Because – that which you take to be Ripley – is invisible when underwater, it strikes with advantage. 19. If it hits, it does 14 bludgeoning damage to Meredith, pulls her under water, and Meredith is grappled, DC13.

“Cats…,” Sylvarie responds, still blissfully unaware of what is happening nearby until…

“Wait, I hear Ripley…”

If Meredith is pulled under water, she will become visibly alarmed.

(Vague pronoun reference, lol... Sylvarie /medusa becomes visibly alarmed if Meredith is pulled underwater. It probably goes without saying that Meredith, too, will show an interesting cocktail mix of emotions, alarm among them.)