Erudisiasteps through and smells the sweet fragrances of the dew, feels this illusionary wind against her skin and allows herself on a brief moment to indulge in it.
"We have such little time. Let us aim the five telescopes towards the constellations which received particular attention on the star map outside. Perhaps Fistandia has left a message in the stars for us." Erudisiathen proceeds to one telescope to find the first of the five constellations.
Erudisia, with a bit of arcane focus, sees through the illusion. You are in fact in a room no more than 15’ square, with no other doors or windows than the one you entered through.
Bell will aid in the telescope spotting as best she can. (it is hard to look thru those things with glasses on!)
You each aim one of the five telescopes at the specific stars that were painted larger and brighter in the star map on the western wall of the laboratory.
Rogi also enters the knoll, rolling his eyes at the necessity to go through the motions with a puzzle. How would this help in his quest to share arcane mysteries with all the people of Faerun. Still, he points a fourth telescope at a fourth star.
Finding the correct stars is not a simple matter in this perfect rendering of the night sky over the Sword Coast. In fact, it takes time, for the stars you seek are not of particular note, nor has artistic license been taken with their scale to make identification easier. They are just small pinpoints of light whose locations you have learned in a two-dimensional rendering but which here stand among a myriad of pinpoints in a three-dimensional space. Still, after a number of tries, each of you succeeds, for each telescope seems made to point at one of the five stars. At the moment when you match the exact line of sight, the telescope clicks into place. And when the four telescopes are aimed, you notice something else.
When each telescope locks into place, its small end – the eyepiece – now points directly at the one-foot-diameter sphere of crystal upon its circular brass stand in the center of the knoll.
One telescope has not yet been touched. But to proceed, a problem must be overcome. The fifth star, Bell and Erudisia calculate, is missing from the sky. For it would be just above the eastern horizon, in the space framed by the open door, through which you still see the warmly lamp-lit laboratory. In every other direction, the compelling illusion of stars, dewy grass, and the ponderous shapes of trees rustling at the edge of the clearing.
“With your agreement, I would shut the door, and I think the illusion will show us the dawn star. But I recognise that to shut the door might feel uncomfortably familiar, and foreboding.”
Rogi’s magic hand reaches out and pulls the door shut. Instantly, it is consumed by grass extending to dark tree shapes in the near distance, and stars extending in a speckled diamond wash down to meet the horizon. And there above the horizon: the fifth star.
One of you aims the fifth telescope, and when it clicks into place, suddenly, the five stars burst into brightness, causing you to shield your eyes for a moment. But only for a moment, for their lights are directed straight into the telescopes pointing at them – and through each telescope!
A fine beam flashes out of each eyepiece and into the crystal globe in the center of the room, which begins to glow, or rather, a swirling miasma within it begins to glow, pulsing like a beating heart, once, twice, three, four, five times, then flashing outward as if in slow motion, a vertical sheet of light which now extends into space, from the horizon up into infinity. The sheet of light at first points due north, but after several moments, begins slowly moving around the points of the compass like a ghostly spatula scraping around the edge of a butter churn. There is a whirring sound like gears turning. The sheet of light rotates from north to northeast to east, to southeast, to south, to southwest, to west… ah! The beam keeps moving, but in its wake, a rectangular outline has been illumined due west, a door shape, the mirror image of the door through which you entered the room. But within the rectangle you notice a shape like a hand glowing softly where a doorknob would be, and continuing to glow for a moment as the vertical sheet completes its circuit.
When the sheet has returned to point northward, another gasp of almost blinding light, and then, as your eyes adjust, you find that the entire illusion has dispelled. Gone are stars, grass, trees in the distance. What is left? You are in a 15’ square room, in which all four walls, floor and ceiling are pitch black in color, except for the outlines of the door through which you entered, and the subtly glowing outline of the new door revealed on the west wall. The telescopes and crystal ball are the only remnants of the grassy knoll, and are now cold and inert.
Incidentally, you would estimate that a room behind the newly revealed west door would be in the same location that you saw through the peephole in the attic floor.
By gripping the ghostly fingers in a handshake, Meredith can pull open the door. Meredith, Erudisa, Bell, and behind them, Rogi, now stand in the doorway to behold the next room.
It is of about the same size as the planetarium, a mere 15 feet square, with flagstone floors and stone walls. It is lacking in warmth – in contrast to most of the other spaces you have traversed within Fistandia’s mansion – and instead feels impenetrable as a guard tower.
Cobwebs hang lightly in the corners and dust covers the floor, undisturbed for years, you would guess. Against the far wall, a cabinet full of bookshelves, as you saw from the attic peephole. But now that you have a better viewing angle, you notice something you did not before. The books on the shelves are bound in iron covers, which are attached to chains affixed to the shelves themselves. A chained library. The book cabinet sits atop a reading desk, or rather, a single furniture piece comprises a reading desk with the chained library atop it. Apparently, one could pull a book from the shelves and read it upon the table. But one could not remove the book from this room without breaking its chain.
An unchained book bearing the bust of Mordenkainen on its cover sits upon the desk. Lamps hang upon stands to either side of the desk, casting enough light by which to read.
(( OOC: did not know which might best touch on 'lore' ))
Bell has heard of books being chained within bookshelves before. The most treasured books in a library might warrant such protections. Bell is reminded of an account she once read, about arcane books in general, but which included the story of such a collection. A vampire who lived long ago had chained the most powerful codices in his library. He slept during daylight hours in a coffin in the basement of the manor in which he lived, and wanted to insure against the risk of theft while he was thus incapacitated. But the books were indeed stolen one day, despite the chains. For chains can be broken, their locks, picked. The point was, don't just try to protect your valuable tomes behind iron bars so to speak. Keep them out of sight entirely. At least, that was the takeaway Bell remembers.
Bell explains about the chains (( lol.... what DandDSince1973 posted )) as she has learned from teachings and readings. "... so, theft protection. But, I have also heard some stories about books so dangerous they were chained to protect the owners from the books themselves!"
Bell had been moving slowly closer to the table with the open book, keeping the table between herself and the chained volumes as she expounded on 'chained books'.
Bell explains about the chains (( lol.... what DandDSince1973 posted )) as she has learned from teachings and readings. "... so, theft protection. But, I have also heard some stories about books so dangerous they were chained to protect the owners from the books themselves!"
Bell had been moving slowly closer to the table with the open book, keeping the table between herself and the chained volumes as she expounded on 'chained books'.
Bell now stands directly in front of the table with the Mordenkainen bust-covered book upon the table top immediately before her. Erudisia, Meredith and Rogi remain outside the room looking in.
Erudisia follows. If it is a mark of value not danger, she cannot miss the opportunity to review the titles on the chained bookshelf, looking for those books which she thinks her Elemental master might most value should he learn she stood before this collection.
Erudisia advances, her eyes on the titles. Fistandia’s most treasured knowledge seems to be kept here. There are rare tomes on the sciences, arcana, and alchemy, as well as books about planar lore and the summoning of fantastic creatures.
No sooner is this discovered than suddenly, without warning, the chains flail into action with a rolling clinking sound as two ten-foot lengths of iron links whip out of the cabinet and wrap around both Erudisia's and Bell's necks! Both Erudisia and Bell are grappled! (EXCEPTION: If Bell casts Shield as her Round 1 Reaction, the attack against her misses.)
The chains now begin to pull tight!
(OOC: to escape the grapple requires an action to make a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check, DC 12)
We are now in initiative. Your situation is:
The room is 15’ square.
The Animated Chained Library is a large construct and occupies the western edge of the room.
Erudisia and Bell are in the center of the room, 5’ from the Animated Chained Library.
Meredith and Rogi are outside the room, 15’ from the Animated Chained Library.
Meredith and Rogi may freely attack the library without disadvantage and without concern for striking Erudisia or Bell in the back, because of the Library’s large size.
Bell is startled but is able to react accordingly by speaking a word and making a calculated gesture for Shield "Scutum!" The chain whizzes past, brushing her tender neck as she drops and rolls back toward the door.
"This wasn't my fault!" she screamed as she scrambled toward a safe distance.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
" Ok, I really think there should be a slow build up to bondage...don't you? Bad Library! How is Erudisia supposed to say the safe word with you choking her that hard?"
" Not your fault at all, Bell. Just some furniture that needs a lesson in consent!"
She fired her bow at the library aware that an arrow didn't really seem like it would do anything...
" I'm sure a clever girl like Erudisia will have no trouble at all..."
Erudisiagasps as the chains come to life and seek to strangle her. "Corellon's clu--hheryk!"
Panic could take her, unable to breath, or call out a spell, but... Erudisiafinds it doesn't. Her mind is cold, clinical, and it seems her father's famously stony face would be now her expression if she could but see a mirror, a small part of her thinks. Pragmatism, she thinks. What a delightful thing to learn about oneself.
Like the chain was rusty and she its needed oil, she slips along each link, turning in the direction of the curl somehow to find herself unwrapped beyond the final link.
Then she runs, as far towards the back of the room as she can.
((ErudisiaAcrobatics Action: roll nat 20 +2 + 1(Windwright's intuition)))
Erudisia succeeds in evading the chains and escaping the room.
Meredith’s arrow is slapped aside by one of the animated chains.
Bell’s protective spell breaks the chain and she wriggles free, but as she flees (Library Reaction: Attack of Opportunity) the chain reconstitutes itself and whips out again (17+4=21), wrapping around Bell’s ankle and pulling hard! The young wizard slams against the floor, cracking her head against the dusty flagstones (and taking 6+2=8HP bludgeoning damage) and is held tightly (grappled), at the foot of the desk.
Bell has only used her Round 1 Reaction and 5’ of movement. She may still take a Round 1 action, including trying to break free (by making a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check, DC 12). The Library has already used its Reaction this round, so if Bell succeeds in breaking free she can escape the room unhindered.
Meredith does as shes told and heads to the second telescope to do the same.....
Bell will aid in the telescope spotting as best she can. (it is hard to look thru those things with glasses on!)
Erudisia, with a bit of arcane focus, sees through the illusion. You are in fact in a room no more than 15’ square, with no other doors or windows than the one you entered through.
You each aim one of the five telescopes at the specific stars that were painted larger and brighter in the star map on the western wall of the laboratory.
Rogi also enters the knoll, rolling his eyes at the necessity to go through the motions with a puzzle. How would this help in his quest to share arcane mysteries with all the people of Faerun. Still, he points a fourth telescope at a fourth star.
Finding the correct stars is not a simple matter in this perfect rendering of the night sky over the Sword Coast. In fact, it takes time, for the stars you seek are not of particular note, nor has artistic license been taken with their scale to make identification easier. They are just small pinpoints of light whose locations you have learned in a two-dimensional rendering but which here stand among a myriad of pinpoints in a three-dimensional space. Still, after a number of tries, each of you succeeds, for each telescope seems made to point at one of the five stars. At the moment when you match the exact line of sight, the telescope clicks into place. And when the four telescopes are aimed, you notice something else.
When each telescope locks into place, its small end – the eyepiece – now points directly at the one-foot-diameter sphere of crystal upon its circular brass stand in the center of the knoll.
One telescope has not yet been touched. But to proceed, a problem must be overcome. The fifth star, Bell and Erudisia calculate, is missing from the sky. For it would be just above the eastern horizon, in the space framed by the open door, through which you still see the warmly lamp-lit laboratory. In every other direction, the compelling illusion of stars, dewy grass, and the ponderous shapes of trees rustling at the edge of the clearing.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
“With your agreement, I would shut the door, and I think the illusion will show us the dawn star. But I recognise that to shut the door might feel uncomfortably familiar, and foreboding.”
Meredith, gripped with the spirit of endeavour, said quickly, " Shut it!"
Rogi’s magic hand reaches out and pulls the door shut. Instantly, it is consumed by grass extending to dark tree shapes in the near distance, and stars extending in a speckled diamond wash down to meet the horizon. And there above the horizon: the fifth star.
One of you aims the fifth telescope, and when it clicks into place, suddenly, the five stars burst into brightness, causing you to shield your eyes for a moment. But only for a moment, for their lights are directed straight into the telescopes pointing at them – and through each telescope!
A fine beam flashes out of each eyepiece and into the crystal globe in the center of the room, which begins to glow, or rather, a swirling miasma within it begins to glow, pulsing like a beating heart, once, twice, three, four, five times, then flashing outward as if in slow motion, a vertical sheet of light which now extends into space, from the horizon up into infinity. The sheet of light at first points due north, but after several moments, begins slowly moving around the points of the compass like a ghostly spatula scraping around the edge of a butter churn. There is a whirring sound like gears turning. The sheet of light rotates from north to northeast to east, to southeast, to south, to southwest, to west… ah! The beam keeps moving, but in its wake, a rectangular outline has been illumined due west, a door shape, the mirror image of the door through which you entered the room. But within the rectangle you notice a shape like a hand glowing softly where a doorknob would be, and continuing to glow for a moment as the vertical sheet completes its circuit.
(reminiscent of planetarium shows from the 80s…)
When the sheet has returned to point northward, another gasp of almost blinding light, and then, as your eyes adjust, you find that the entire illusion has dispelled. Gone are stars, grass, trees in the distance. What is left? You are in a 15’ square room, in which all four walls, floor and ceiling are pitch black in color, except for the outlines of the door through which you entered, and the subtly glowing outline of the new door revealed on the west wall. The telescopes and crystal ball are the only remnants of the grassy knoll, and are now cold and inert.
Incidentally, you would estimate that a room behind the newly revealed west door would be in the same location that you saw through the peephole in the attic floor.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Bell giggles behind her hand. "Fistandia liked puzzles to be certain."
Turning in a slow circle, Bell hopes to find another book randomly placed in this revealed room...
(game log) Perception: 2
Spinning in place just made Bell dizzy.
Meredith heads over to grasp the glowing hand....
Even if others pitch in to help, no books are found within the black confines of the planetarium room.
By gripping the ghostly fingers in a handshake, Meredith can pull open the door. Meredith, Erudisa, Bell, and behind them, Rogi, now stand in the doorway to behold the next room.
It is of about the same size as the planetarium, a mere 15 feet square, with flagstone floors and stone walls. It is lacking in warmth – in contrast to most of the other spaces you have traversed within Fistandia’s mansion – and instead feels impenetrable as a guard tower.
Cobwebs hang lightly in the corners and dust covers the floor, undisturbed for years, you would guess. Against the far wall, a cabinet full of bookshelves, as you saw from the attic peephole. But now that you have a better viewing angle, you notice something you did not before. The books on the shelves are bound in iron covers, which are attached to chains affixed to the shelves themselves. A chained library. The book cabinet sits atop a reading desk, or rather, a single furniture piece comprises a reading desk with the chained library atop it. Apparently, one could pull a book from the shelves and read it upon the table. But one could not remove the book from this room without breaking its chain.
An unchained book bearing the bust of Mordenkainen on its cover sits upon the desk. Lamps hang upon stands to either side of the desk, casting enough light by which to read.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
" Is that to stop thieves or to stop the books escaping?", Meredith said quizzically.
Bell racks her brain... Arcana: 14 / History: 11
(( OOC: did not know which might best touch on 'lore' ))
Bell has heard of books being chained within bookshelves before. The most treasured books in a library might warrant such protections. Bell is reminded of an account she once read, about arcane books in general, but which included the story of such a collection. A vampire who lived long ago had chained the most powerful codices in his library. He slept during daylight hours in a coffin in the basement of the manor in which he lived, and wanted to insure against the risk of theft while he was thus incapacitated. But the books were indeed stolen one day, despite the chains. For chains can be broken, their locks, picked. The point was, don't just try to protect your valuable tomes behind iron bars so to speak. Keep them out of sight entirely. At least, that was the takeaway Bell remembers.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Bell explains about the chains (( lol.... what DandDSince1973 posted )) as she has learned from teachings and readings. "... so, theft protection. But, I have also heard some stories about books so dangerous they were chained to protect the owners from the books themselves!"
Bell had been moving slowly closer to the table with the open book, keeping the table between herself and the chained volumes as she expounded on 'chained books'.
Bell now stands directly in front of the table with the Mordenkainen bust-covered book upon the table top immediately before her. Erudisia, Meredith and Rogi remain outside the room looking in.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Erudisia follows. If it is a mark of value not danger, she cannot miss the opportunity to review the titles on the chained bookshelf, looking for those books which she thinks her Elemental master might most value should he learn she stood before this collection.
Erudisia advances, her eyes on the titles. Fistandia’s most treasured knowledge seems to be kept here. There are rare tomes on the sciences, arcana, and alchemy, as well as books about planar lore and the summoning of fantastic creatures.
No sooner is this discovered than suddenly, without warning, the chains flail into action with a rolling clinking sound as two ten-foot lengths of iron links whip out of the cabinet and wrap around both Erudisia's and Bell's necks! Both Erudisia and Bell are grappled! (EXCEPTION: If Bell casts Shield as her Round 1 Reaction, the attack against her misses.)
The chains now begin to pull tight!
(OOC: to escape the grapple requires an action to make a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check, DC 12)
We are now in initiative. Your situation is:
Round 1
Players may post actions in any order.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
(( Oh hell yes!))
Bell is startled but is able to react accordingly by speaking a word and making a calculated gesture for Shield "Scutum!"
The chain whizzes past, brushing her tender neck as she drops and rolls back toward the door.
"This wasn't my fault!" she screamed as she scrambled toward a safe distance.
" Ok, I really think there should be a slow build up to bondage...don't you? Bad Library! How is Erudisia supposed to say the safe word with you choking her that hard?"
" Not your fault at all, Bell. Just some furniture that needs a lesson in consent!"
She fired her bow at the library aware that an arrow didn't really seem like it would do anything...
" I'm sure a clever girl like Erudisia will have no trouble at all..."
BA- Bardic Inspiration 1d6 to Erudisia.
Attack- Attack: 4 Damage: 5
Erudisia gasps as the chains come to life and seek to strangle her. "Corellon's clu--hheryk!"
Panic could take her, unable to breath, or call out a spell, but... Erudisia finds it doesn't. Her mind is cold, clinical, and it seems her father's famously stony face would be now her expression if she could but see a mirror, a small part of her thinks. Pragmatism, she thinks. What a delightful thing to learn about oneself.
Like the chain was rusty and she its needed oil, she slips along each link, turning in the direction of the curl somehow to find herself unwrapped beyond the final link.
Then she runs, as far towards the back of the room as she can.
((Erudisia Acrobatics Action: roll nat 20 +2 + 1(Windwright's intuition)))
Round 1 Results (partial)
Erudisia succeeds in evading the chains and escaping the room.
Meredith’s arrow is slapped aside by one of the animated chains.
Bell’s protective spell breaks the chain and she wriggles free, but as she flees (Library Reaction: Attack of Opportunity) the chain reconstitutes itself and whips out again (17+4=21), wrapping around Bell’s ankle and pulling hard! The young wizard slams against the floor, cracking her head against the dusty flagstones (and taking 6+2=8HP bludgeoning damage) and is held tightly (grappled), at the foot of the desk.
Bell has only used her Round 1 Reaction and 5’ of movement. She may still take a Round 1 action, including trying to break free (by making a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check, DC 12). The Library has already used its Reaction this round, so if Bell succeeds in breaking free she can escape the room unhindered.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer