Orst is still snoring soundly when the door to the room opens. A man clad in robes made entirely from embroidered cloth-of-gold with a crimson belt, sash, and cape stands in the doorway flanked by half a dozen Elder Readers. Sten Dhoro is among them.

"On your feet for First Leader Tethtoril," one of the Elder Readers declares in a booming voice.

The man in golden robes cringes.

"No, no, as you were, friends. You've had a difficult journey." First Leader Tethtoril's smile is warm and sincere as he turns his gaze to Zina and Kanon. "And some of you have had precious little sleep."

He steps into the room and the Elder Readers fall in behind, standing straight with blank expressions.

"I've heard that some of you have interest in the knowledge we offer here at Candlekeep," Tethtoril continues. "And I say you've certainly earned it. As you already know Elder Reader Dhoro, I will assign him to guide you personally to the lower candles. For many reasons, I must limit access to the mid and upper candles, but those tiers are mostly reserved for obscure volumes in rare languages. I doubt they would be of much use to you."

As he speaks, he makes eye contact with each of you - minus Orst, who is still snoring.

"One word of advice, though. I suggest the utmost caution among certain of the high profile individuals who are staying here. The famous and powerful can be impatient, curt, and indelicate. Best to avoid them altogether."

Zina stuck her tongue out at Pettilaen in response to his taunts. "First things first, you're... going... to... let... me... explore... this... library," she licked the last of the frosting off of her fingers. "Then we can get on to whatever other adventures you have planned."

As soon as the door opened and Zina spotted the man in fancy red robes, she was on her feet. The gnome  stayed at attention even after the First Reader assured them they could remain sitting. The illusionist couldn't believe that she was in the presence of First Reader Tethtoril! This place kept getting cooler and cooler. The mention of obscure volumes in rare languages made her heart skip a beat, and she decided she would have to work on convincing someone to take her there. Maybe she could bribe Kanon.

"Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity, sir," Zina dipped a little in an awkward half-curtsy. "Candlekeep is a treasure trove of knowledge, and it is an honor to be here."

"First Leader, what I would like to find are those who came here from Beregost associated to the Song of the Morning so that I can speak to them. I was not there when the city was attacked, but on my way back. It has been the only home I know and I would like to find some that I know are here now. There is nothing else I want at the moment."

She wouldn't have been able to concentrate on a book if she tried. Too much lay at stake for hundreds of people, maybe thousands. She only wanted to read a book if it had the answer to how to kick the enemy where it counted.

The booming voice of the Elder Reader made Pettilaen jump slightly, but he didn't stand, per Tethtoril's request. These acolytes and scholars didn't impress Pettilaen nearly as much as they swooned Zina and Kanon. Perhaps it was just the smell of old tomes that didn't excite him. Moving towards Orst, he shakes the old dwarf vigorously, attempting to arouse him from his sleepy stupor. He wanted some action and exploration, and exploring a library only slightly intrigued him.

The hobgoblins, on the other hand, intrigued him, as did Orst's mention of building a keep. Adding his voice to the voice of his comrades, he spoke up, "Yes, the vast amounts of knowledge would be most welcomed by some in our party, but for me, there are more pressing and urgent matters. Hobgoblins are warring across the surrounding countryside, as you no doubt know, and it will take a significant amount of force, or a well-aimed smaller amount of force, to disrupt their plans and drive them back to whatever hole they crawled out of."

"What knowledge do either you, Elder Reader Dhoro, or anyone else at Candlekeep have on them and their tactics, and their motives? It would seem the head guy here at least knows divination magic, since he foresaw us coming, so surely someone here should be able to do some magical reconnaissance to aid in the oncoming battle." The playful and cheery gnome was gone today, replaced by a much more focused and serious one.

Kanon stands at attention in the presence of the Elder Reader. He tries not to even look at him, averting his eyes after merely glimpsing his robe. Kanon attempts to speak up, as he's got a whole slew of things he wants to ask, but all that comes out is a slight squeak. He immediately purses his lips and awaits the Elder Reader's response to his companions' inquiries. 

"Hmmmm... Straight to the meat," the First Reader says with a laugh. "Well, let me tend to your inquiries in turn."

His eyes turn to Portia.

"My Lady of the Dawn, your folk from Song of the Morning are indeed safe within the walls of Candlekeep. They are not permitted within the Inner Sanctum, however. I believe you will be best served to seek them in the lower barracks and the candles to which you have access. They are working tirelessly to assist us in assessing the threat from the south and determining its exact nature."

Next his gaze locks on Pettilaen.

"As for your assertions, Master Gnome, I would counter that there is no more pressing or urgent matters than knowledge." He smiles broadly and arches as brow. "As for myself, the Keeper of Tomes, the Elder Readers, and all other servants of Candlekeep, the search for knowledge on the evil surging toward our doors remains ongoing. We believe the hobgoblin forces, specifically, are operating in service to a dragon named Balagos from Amn. We've heard tell they appear to be seeking for something, but have not yet discerned what it is or why they want it. If we are correct about the connection to Balagos, however, it is important that he not find it. He is already a significant evil within Faerun. Whatever he's about cannot be good for us."

He takes in a deep breath and closes his eyes as he exhales slowly.

"But there is much to do on this lovely new day and, as you have said, there is no time to lose. When 'Old Orst' is sufficiently awake and aware, please pass on that First Alchemist Maelor awaits him in his office. Anyone here in the Inner Sanctum can direct him there."

He backs up toward the door, prompting the Elder Readers to filter out first.

"Until we meet again, enjoy your visit to Candlekeep and savor your rest while you have it. I suspect the days ahead will be long indeed."

With that, he turns on his heels and exits, walking quickly down the corridor and out of sight.

Elder Reader Dhoro returns to the doorway once the First Reader is out of sight.

"If one of you will wake Orst and deliver the First Reader's message," he says, gesturing toward the dwarf who has fallen asleep again after Pettilaen's vigorous shake, "we can be on our way..."

"A.... a d... dragon?" Pettilaen stammered. He looked down at his rapier. I'm gonna need a bigger sword.

Yet Pettilaen was both surprised and impressed by the First Reader and Candlekeep's vigilance in learning about this newfound evil. He had assumed they were just bookworms, too absorbed in their books and vain quests for knowledge to pay any attention to the outside world and its machinations and dealings. He nodded his head and bowed slightly out of respect as Tethtoril left the room.

As Dhoro is the only one left standing, he mentions. "It seems pretty obvious this Balagos fellow was looking for that gem. What else could it have been? Maybe Malark has some answers or clues on the matter, considering he's the high priest... Dawnbringer, I think is the term? Anyway, he's the top man at the temple in Beregost." Turning to Portia, he adds, "Which would make your request to speak with him all the more necessary, given the information he might have regarding all of this."

"Kanon, Zina, you two are the bookworms of the group. Have you heard or read anything regarding this dragon, Balagos?" He slowly closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, nearly forgetting about Dhoro. Addressing him now, he asks, "Of course, you would probably know more on the topic then they would regarding this dragon, if you're willing to share. Likewise, while I doubt you've made any progress with the 'soul gem', I'll still ask for any update you might have on the matter."

Pettilaen went over to the nearest chair and sat down on it, burrowing his face into his hands as he combed his fingers through his hair. He was either quickly crashing from the sweet cinnamon roll's sugar, or he was being swept up into some much, MUCH bigger than him. Probably a bit of both. Yet, deep down inside, excitement stirred with him. This is the stuff of legends. 

Kanon snaps out of it and looks around the room. A small grin begins to spread across his face, growing significantly with each passing second. When Petti asks about the dragon, Balagos, Kanon is quick to show off what knowledge he has, "Balagos is also known as The Flying Flame and fancies himself the ruler of Faerun. He has no problem hunting down other dragons to take what he needs for his immediate goal. Quite a mean one..." 

At the direction of Elder Reader Dhoro, Kanon attempts to wake up the sleeping Orst. "Master Orst," Kanon whispers as he administers soft pushes, "Master Orst, Elder Reader Dhoro is here and wishes to speak with you." 

Orst rouses slowly, smacking his lips.

"What's that?" He asks, groggy. "Dora what?"

"Elder Reader Dhoro, Master Orst. You missed the meeting with First Reader Tethtoril. It was amazing!!" Kanon offers the dwarf a cinnamon bun as he comes to. "First Alchemist Maelor is waiting for you already," he adds. 

"Now I'm going to have to research Balagos too," Zina muttered to herself. "And gems."

"Can you point me in the direction of the illusion section?" Zina asked Elder Dhoro as Kanon worked on getting Orst up. "And sections pertaining to Balagos. And sections about the Red Wizards of Thay. And sections that you think have the coolest stuff."

Orst nods as he accepts the pastry.

"Ye lads and lasses go on," he says. "Old Orst can find this Maelor fellow once I've tended to... morning things."

He attempts a reassuring smile, but it turns into a wide yawn.

Kanon stretches and looks around the room, finally realizing the fatigue starting to set in. He stifles a yawn and shakes his head.

"It'll be best to allow Elder Reader Dhoro to show us the way, Zina," Kanon says. "He's a master of Candlekeep and can help us find anything we're looking for."

"You won't come with us, Kanon?" Zina asked, a note of panic in her voice. She didn't know Elder Reader Dhoro, didn't know if she could trust him. "I get that you don't know where everything is, but don't you want to explore the library a little bit?"

"What??" Kanon scoffs, "Of course I'm coming! One rule you should always follow beyond any rule - Never use fire. Not even for light. A second rule: Handle all books with delicacy, as some are more ancient than the most ancient of dragons. You might want to wear gloves," he adds, glancing at her sticky fingers. 

Pettilaen snorts, seeing Kanon's light touch stir the dwarf wide awake. I softened him up...

With Orst awake now, Pettilaen approaches him. His presence would do little good within the library, and he'd certainly get lost or find trouble if he wandered on his own. "Master Orst," he appeases, "if it's alright with you, I would like to tag along with you as you speak with First Alchemist Maelor. I think my presence and skills could be better spent assisting you than drudging through old tomes in the various libraries here." He smiles, hoping for a confirmation to his wishes. He was certain he'd go stir crazy if he sat in the library all day.

"Sure, sure," Orst replies to Pettilaen. "Ye're more than welcome. Just don't... Procure... Anything."

Elder Reader Dhoro arches his eyebrow at the procure comment, but says nothing. Instead, he sweeps his arm outward as if inviting those who are coming with him to do so.

"We will visit the Lower Candles first," you can hear Elder Reader Dhoro say from the hall, his voice a bit stiff and formal, "if that suits your pleasure."

"That does suit my pleasure," Zina grinned, licking the last bits of frosting off of her fingertips. "If there are specific parts of the Lower Candles that deal with illusion magic or the Red Wizards of Thay, I'd like those pointed out to me."

"I wouldn't mind learning more about Balagos as well." 

Kanon follows behind the others, happy to be in the familiar environment once again. It was barely two weeks since he left. He didn't really think he'd be back so soon, but as circumstances dictate this was the best place to be. He thought about the defenses of the keep. No one could possibly take the keep, could they? No, that'd be impossible... even for an ancient dragon.

He allows his thoughts to wonder as the Elder Reader guides them through the halls.