Pax glowers at the man, "That's the problem with deception isn't it. I have no idea why you would lie. Perhaps you've made deals with the demons. Perhaps you just can't help yourself." She stops and steps back, seemingly growing a bit more calm.  Still glaring she says, "Your plan seems to require us to do a whole lot of work, and for you to do a whole lot of nothing. It seems you certainly need us, perhaps more than we need you. We have a wizard of no small skill of our own. If we do this and it's a big if at this point, then it will require two things. First, you have to lose that imperious tone. You can't ask us to go achieve things you are unable to, and then treat us like some sort of lesser beings. I have a temper. I'll lose it and blood will spill. So cut it out. Second. You and your Slaad are coming with us." 

Pax pauses, waiting for the inevitable rush of complaints from both sides. 

Rhayna returns from her research. She’s too busy to notice things are getting a little heated. “Ohh, you are still here?“ She exclaims at the Drow Mage, truly surprised. “Fine.” She whispers to Kaylyn’s ears. “Whatever we are planning to do, we must do it quickly. Demogorgon is still in the Darklake, sowing chaos everywhere he goes. But, worst of all, ‘The Lady’ is very close to consummate her wedding. I don’t think that would be a good thing at all…” Then she nods at the Drow Mage, and continues whispering. “So… What’s the deal with that guy?”

"I would like to add Baphomet has also appear and not surprisingly, has found a maze to the south I believe. I'm willing to give him some credibility as an future echo vouched for him," Kirin whispers to added to the list. 

"It seems we have little choice. We know nothing else and have no others ideas of leads to stop the demon infestation.  If our information is correct we have learned how the demon lords gained access to this plane.  Events are moving quickly.   We must act."

She looks around at everyone then back at Vizeran. 

"That is quite the list.  You must have some idea where some of these are?  If events move as fast as you fear we do not have time to scour all of the underdark for such things."

She turns her attention back to the party.

"I say we go with Vizeran to his tower after we have researched all we want here.  I see no other course before us." 

(Actually, if allowed, when Rhayna requested visions from the present, can she spend another two charges to know what’s the present status for Stonespeaker Hgraam?)

 Seemed like everyone decided to believe the drow... Sekkar was waiting for the wizard's reaction to Pax's "suggestion" - very reasonable, he might say - and thought of the impossible list.

"You think them here have books that say where we can find the things? Easily?"

Rhayna: 

(I meant to include this before...)

As Rhayna is seeking answers to her questions, she notices that she is being watched by two of the echo-ghosts - both of whom she recognises. One is the gnome-mage Yantha Coaxrock, although looking a little younger than when Rhayna met her. The gnome approaches and comments on the crystal that Rhayna is using, saying she is an expert in gems and crystals, but that she has never seen the like of the specimen that Rhayna has. She asks several questions about how it works and wistfully comments on how useful it must be to assist with navigating the library, before fading and disappearing.

As Rhayna is looking for the future of Stonespeaker Hgraam, she sees the other echo-ghost that she recognises - it is none other than Hgraam himself. His age is harder to determine, but it seems he is also an echo of the past. He is looking through the same archive, which seems to be filled chiefly with echo-ghosts of stone giants. Rhayna is the only non-giant in the archive, and Hgraam looks curiously at her as she enters and speaks: Ah! A soul from the dream-lands! Welcome. What do you seek here?

Everyone:

Vizeran smiles at Pax's demanding tone, and seems to respond well to this kind of negotiation. With a slightly more mollified tone (although he can hardly resist the occasional jibe) he replies: Very well. If it hurts thy feelings so, I shall strive to be less condescending. I confess, I do need thee. I could accomplish the task alone, but to collect the components and to prepare the ritual - I fear we have not the time. I can accompany thee for a short period, but beyond that my servant Kleve will have to suffice while I return to my tower and commence preparations. Does this satisfy thee?

As for where to search... Like I said, my tower stands on the far side of the Wormwrithings, named for the purple worms that are concentrated there. I know of a nest within fifty miles of my tower. Beholders are widespread, but the nearest to my tower has his lair within the Wormwrithings, in a region known as the Vast Oblivium.

The angel feathers are problematic - I have little experience with them. If none of thee have access to beings of the Celestial Realm, then I might suggest the Gallery of Angels in the Labyrinth. I have not ventured there before, and I know not what to find. However, if Baphomet is in the Labyrinth as you say, then you are certain to also find a goristro there. They are among his most common followers. The timmask mushrooms could also be obtained there.

The last is the most difficult of all. Not only do we need to find a demon lord, but we must injure it, collect its blood or ichor, and escape. The talisman would be more potent if we could gather samples from several, but I fear one will be a sufficient burden. And I do not know the current location of any of them...

Pax scans the faces of her allies. Not seeing any strong objections, she breathes in deeply and nods to the Drow.  "Very well. I believe we agree. You will accompany us to start, then your servant here can continue on with us. Do you need to infiltrate Mezerobanzonana..ana..na....first, or only after we have gathered the ingredients? I may have an idea on this front. We have but a single Drow contact that may treat us favorably that could help. I will reach out to him once we leave the library. And I might know where to find some demon blood. There was recently a fight between the Illithid and a demon lord. We may want to infiltrate the place once more and see if any blood was left behind. If we are cautious, it may be the safest approach. Whoever won is likely beaten badly. One last thing though. Time here, is...not normal.  Is time passing normally outside the library?  You seem to indicate that if I spend time here reading, I am losing time on the outside. I was hoping to spend a bit of time....writing. Would that use up time in the real world?" 

"How fresh must the blood or ichor of a demon lord be? We had a run in with one in a mindflayer nest.   We killed the elder brain and escaped as the mindflayers turned on the demon lord. Some of it's blood or ichor must have been left behind.   Perhaps we can collect it if it is safe to sneak in get it?"

Kaylyn asks. 

Pax looks at Kaylyn, then frowns, “Ya. Good idea.”  She shrugs. 

"Did not Orcus himself appear in that colony? I would say proceed back with caution for sure," Kirin comments, "For a Demon Lord to react must mean it was quite important,"

When Rhayna hears about “Angel feathers”, she retrieved a spell scroll from her backpack. “Does a scroll of Planar Ally helps with the celestial component?” She shows the scroll. “Though we may need help with the bargain part…”

"Well, I have this Crystal Ball that I can use to cast scrying.  I can look to see if the mindflayers have left the colony and even maybe see if blood and ichor is left.  I can then teleport there and collect the needed materials and then a day later teleport back.  If we are going to Vizeran's tower I would prefer to go there first.  That would increase the chances that I reach the destination needed.  Having been there helps, a lot.  I could also teleport back to Mantol-Derith to see if that gnome has a central eye stock of a beholder."

Turning to Rhayna, "The god you serve, could you beseech them using that spell to send us an angel that we could bargain 3 feathers from?  We might be able to afford that." 

“Yes, of course. Hopefully The Goddess will answer my prayers, as I cast the spell. Though, I would prepare a Plan B, and also, perhaps, cast the spell out you the library. You know… In case things do not go as planned.” Says Rhayna, putting away the scroll.

(Darn, forgot to post about Hgraam.)

”Greeting Stonespeaker.” Says Rhayna as she shows the crystal that he gave her. “Do you know me? Your future self gave this crystal to me. I am actually here to research regarding the Demon Lords that have invaded the Underdark, and also, about you. Stonespeaker. I would like to know if presently you still resides in the Cairngorm Cavern.” Rhayna prays to Selune for a positive answer.

Kirin takes a moment to try and destress, "This is really beyond what I believed my trip to the Underdark would ...  entail," Kirin let out a sigh as he tracks his memory and connecting what dots he can, "Gallery of Angels in the labyrinth, There's where Bahopmet has posted up as mentioned but it seem to holds many of the items we could need if we wish to do minimal stops in the underdark,"

The echo of Hgraam pauses and thinks after Rhayna's greeting before replying in his familiar slow gravelly tones: A soul from the dream-lands. How interesting! Tell me, dream-soul, what is your opinion on dreams? While one dreams, one does not normally realize one is dreaming. On more rare occasions, the dream may be contained inside another dream with the very act of realizing that one is dreaming, itself, being only a dream that one is not aware of having. whether it is possible for one ever to be certain, at any given point in time, that one is not in fact dreaming, or whether indeed it could be possible for one to remain in a perpetual dream state and never experience the reality of wakefulness at all. Whether you are real or no, your coming here is as a tremor through the bones of the earth. The day will come when I will remember you. This is what the stones tell me.

==========================================

Vizeran seems to have lost much of his tone of superiority now as the topic turns to more serious strategy planning, and he offers his answers or opinion on the various topics discussed:

Acquiring Gromph's notes can be the final task - it may be better that way. The talisman will need to be placed in the city, as that is the location where the summoning originated from, so we can obtain the notes at that time.

Thou says Orcus did battle with a colony of mind flayers? Curious. If thou knows the location, then that may be a suitable place to begin. Kleve can transport us to locations that we know, but teleporting into or out of faerzress can be erratic. What means does thou use?

The requirements for the ritual include the central eye of a beholder, not one of the peripheral stalks.

Summoning a celestial may be a simpler solution than seeking the Gallery, but the gods are fickle and may send a featherless messenger and demand steep payment. Still, it may be worth the effort.

The passage of time continues while in the library, but as you see from the echoes, it flows in many directions, like ripples in a pond. I have not spent much time researching the phenomenon but I note that time moves slower within the guest rooms. I believe this is to facilitate reading, allowing a patron to collect various volumes at once and peruse them within their chambers without expending exorbitant time. As an estimate I would say the dilation is in the order of five hundred to one. You could read or write or sleep or perform any activity for eight hours while barely one minute passes in the usual time flow.

Pax nods, "In that case, I have some important work to do in a guest room. I should only be a few minutes. I'll return to continue strategizing shortly..."  

She heads to one of the guest rooms....eager to do some work before they leave this place...

Pax recalls descending several floors to arrive at their present location, and yet only climbs one set of stairs to find herself outside the room where she stashed her armour and other belongings. The desk remains equipped with all manner of scribing materials.

(The usual cost of scribing is waived, as all materials are magically supplied. Each 16 hours of scribing requires an eight hour rest. Each eight hours of time spent in the room only expends one minute of time in the library)

Rhayna tries her best smile and replies to Hgraam. "I will also remember you Stonespeaker." She is sadden that she did not receive the answer she was hoping for. "Perhaps, we shall meet again." She bows low, and goes back to the group.

====================================================

As Rhayna puts away the scroll, she stumbles upon something that she had forgotten. She pulls out a glass vial, and in it, there is cotton swab with one tip covered with black ichor. "Aha!! Perhaps, this might help with the demon lord blood part." She shows it to Vizeran. "If I am not mistaken... Well, I haven't done the proper hematologic tests you see... At any rate, I believe this is blood from the Demon Lord Fraz-Urb'luu."