Pizazz's Ravenloft and Beyond

"hrmpfh me no read book still no sleep hrmpfh. Ulthan grumbles about the weird sleep thing and looks at the cat for sign of sleep deprivation. Too early to tell thinks Ulthan, but also no ideas. "hrmpfh get priest look at us hrmpfh".

Quinn flits about Mordekai and then hmmm's and haaa's a bit, and then says, "Erm, lies." It hops from foot to foot for a moment. "Just know...somehow lies part of it." 

(Long rest achieved) 

Meepo is happy, impressed at this place's thoughtfullness of having snacks available in his room, and feeling quite good about everything. That is until he sees the text on his body. He frowns then, recalling the sad wizard's account of it and feeling his good mood vanish quickly. He studies the writing, trying to see if he can figure out anything magical about it...

Arcana: 18

After doing so he moves downstairs to join his companions. He frowns at the grumpy lot in the common area, moving to the table with his friends. "Why Meepo friends all look tired and grumpy?" He asks as he grins at them. "Meepo sleep good, have nice dream, and even have snacks in room throughout night. Meepo think place nice to keep rats and bugs around, just in case get hungry in night." He settles down, picking a beettle off of the leg of the table and eating it.

Meepo turns a bit more serious then. "Meepo do have problem." He says, getting the entire group's attention as he bangs a small fist on the table top for that purpose. "Meepo have curse of book." He shows the writing on his body to the group. "Meepo no know what do, but maybe go find person know more about curses, see if way remove..."

Ketch will ask Meepo to lay the book upon the table and will then cast Remove Curse upon the book.  Ketch will then check himself, and ask the others, if they feel any better.  Will ask Meepo if he still has the writing upon him.  If we don't feel fixed and Meepo shows no improvement, Ketch will cast it again on Meepo himself, as well as on his own self.  When none of this works it'll be time to go back to the room and cast Divination as a ritual and ask "How can the effects of this book be ended?"

Meepo withdraws the Sylvan book carefully from his pack to allow Ketch to attempt his spells.  The magic seems to flow off of the book and Meepo like oil on water...unable to penetrate whatever magic has infused itself into Meepo's body. 

Meepo examines the marks and his arcane knowledge tells him the same. Nothing short of a wish will be able to remove the magical mark this is now upon him and infecting his body. The affliction will continue to grow, by his assessment, and that as it does so, it will have a double edged affect upon him. Already he feels someone...akin to Sylvan kind. He can read their language....and....feels less a need for sleep, and perhaps more just some quiet time?  But....as he's discovered, he casts no reflection, and as he sits at the table for breakfast, he notices he also casts no shadow. 

None of this give him any clues about how to remove this curse....without perhaps finding another genie in another book. 

"It's not a curse," Ketch advises.  "And Gruumsh advises our only chance to save Meepo left after giving him the amulet.  Though we could always try fostering the book onto some other hapless wizard.  That sad, pathetic one from the dirty bar perhaps?  Just kind of slip it onto his person and hope the blessings go with it?"

"hrmph book place hrmpfh" Ulthan shrugs apparently lost for ideas after that...at least for now...

"I heard of the curses that could not be simply cured before. And as I recall, that unfortunate wizard was not able to get back what he lost even after breaking that "curse-that-is-not-curse". We need a wizard or a genie or anything here that can grant the Wish. That would cost, of course, money or favors, but first things first. Laffa was able to find someone powerful enough, and surely in this city, there has to be more than one person capable of the deed. Let's ask around. We already have our guide, our employer, the trader and, of course, Mordenkainen too. I think the cause warrants bothering any important person we know."

Lionel brushed a cockroach off the table, wiped his hand with the napkin, and stood up. "Do you think they noticed here we are the cause of the infestation?"

"Meepo wonder if it not better find way destroy book for good." Meepo speaks up with as solem of a look as you have likely ever seen him give anyone. "Meepo no like cursed, but Meepo no like chance others cursed either." He looks to the book. "Maybe Meepo read book, see if book have clues..." He considers. "Maybe Meepo friends find sage specialize in curses, and see if sage know about book's curse." He grabs the cockroach Lionel swiped away and crunches down on it. "Not all curse bad." He comments as he eats. "Nice snacks made by curse..."

"You haven't read the book yet?  It could be that there be something inside the tome which answers the problems.  I do hear that wizards often put the warnings at the end...  But it is not a curse.  There is no curse that could stand against the will of Gruumsh.  If there had been a curse, it is gone...  The only answer is that these effects are a boon to the Book Bearer.  We just do not see how yet..."

"Meepo no read book yet." Meepo says with a shake of his head. "Meepo do so soon, but what think about find someone know more of..." He glances to Ketch. "Not curse. Meepo still think finding Sage who know about strange effects like these good plan."

The group enjoys a quiet breakfast. Mostly because several people leave in disgust at the bugs skittering around the place, and the rest are too tired and grumpy to make much conversation. Still though, it's a nice set of baked goods and some sort of fish creature broiled with a spicy lemon sauce. Eventually the group finds a quiet place to let Meepo read the book and describe its contents to the group.  

The Scrivener’s Tale tells the story of a selfish and amoral archfey called the Princess of the Shadow Glass, who is locked in a blood feud with the Queen of Air and Darkness, the ruler of the Gloaming Court in the Feywild. The queen is described as an intelligent, gleaming black crystal that hovers above a throne of twisted, petrified wood. The princess is cast in the role of the protagonist, yet she views everyone else as a pawn in her struggle. The tale ends with a monologue promising bloody reprisals upon everyone the princess believes has wronged her.

Exiled to the mortal realm, the Princess of the Shadow Glass finds a home in the land of humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes, and halflings. They show her true friendship, gifting her with treasures, lands, and titles. In the end, her companions (including the book’s narrator, known only as “the scrivener”) convince the princess to reclaim her rightful place as a high noble of the fey.

The details of The Scrivener’s Tale indicate that the Princess of the Shadow Glass began as a fey of indeterminate type, most likely an eladrin, and ultimately became an archfey possessing powerful magical abilities relating to shadow, glass, and illusion. The scrivener of the title has added a small bit of information about himself at the end which reveals that he was an elf named Zyrian, who wrote the book nine hundred years ago. The content of the book suggests that the scrivener was compelled to write the tale, which contains effusive praise for the princess.

"hrmpfh easy find zyrain he tell book to us hrmpfh" a bit later "hrmpfh go book place find zyrain hrmpfh".

“No reason not to consult others… Does the book talk at all about bugs and dreams though?  Truth told, I’m shocked the book isn’t wanted by those seeking such power…” Ketch says.  “We could even go to the Feywild with the amulet, could we not? Seek answers there?”

"Meepo think seek sage here, where all thinks seem be." Meepo says with a frown. "Fey Wild good next place, or Meepo think maybe seek wizard remove... Effect from Meepo." He glances to Ketch as he clearly changes out curse for effect. "Meepo doubt effects good for Meepo. Sad wizard no think good for sad wizard." He pauses as he considers. "Meepo think next step find Sage, then decide what do."

Mordekai mutters to Quinn, "Is this what you meant about the bugs being lies? Do you know about this curse? Do you know this story?"

Quinn shakes his head to Mordekai, looking clearly confused.  "Lies within lies. The bugs are lies. The curse a lie. Eating bugs not a lie. Why do you not eat the bugs, but the skinny short scaly one does eat bugs? They are sustenance are they not?"  His sudden change in subject belies his somewhat simple thoughts it seems. 

Mordekai smiles at Quinn, hiding his frustration at the absolute lack of answers or clarity, starting to regret ever picking Quinn up in the first place. "You talk in riddles, my friend. I must confess, the idea of eating the bugs does not appeal to me, but I haven't ever tasted one, or experienced the mouthfeel of crunching down on a creatures last wiggling throes of life. Perhaps I should try just once." 

Mordekai follows this comment up by NOT looking around for a bug to crunch. "Tell me, are you happy that you came with us? Happier here than hanging around outside the old giants' castle?"

Mordekai continued to talk to himself and Lionel finally decided to ask. "Mordekai, I couldn't help but notice your conversations with... something. You did not get any ... passengers in your head?" He simply did not know how to put it more delicately.

Lionel was still ready to go out to search... somebody capable to help. His first choice would be Mordenkainen, and in case he is not there - anyone from the list, but with all the book just revealed, the Feywild seemed like a good start too.

"Meepo think find guide boy." Meepo says, as he picks up a small beettle and crunches down. "Meepo hope boy have idea who in city best with... not-curses."