Grimnir turns towards his team with a smile “Weirdly, it seems that we arrived ! This basilisk will show us the way”
Used to be with Rocky, Grimnir trusts the basilisk but remains on his guard. He follows the creature and starts a conversation “Is the library far? And how did you know we were coming?”
Continuing to ensure its gaze does not touch you, the Basilisk answers, "It is not far, we will arrive in a matter of hours. The Library was aware you were coming, and so sent me to greet you and guide you to the gates."Its answers are concise and brief. It does not appear to want to spend much time talking.
A pair of massive basalt doors mark the entrance to Gravenhollow, flanked by stone giant statues. The basilisk indicates the doors, and by pushing them inward, you can easily swing them aside and enter in. As you and you companions enter, the stone giant statues turn their heads to observe, but otherwise remain still. The basilisk instructs you to continue forward, and then hastily disappears down a side tunnel.
Walking across the threshold of Gravenhollow is like stepping into another realm. The oppressive gloom of the Underdark is replaced by light and a sense of openness that brings back memories of the surface world. The corridor beyond the gates is wide enough for ten people to walk side by side, and the ceiling’s height reminds you of the great halls of Gauntlgrym.
The corridor opens into a central well, with walkways crossing its span to the opposite side. You can barely see the ends of the level to your right and left, with doors opening into so many rooms that you doubt you could explore them all in a single day.
The ceiling is bright, with rainbows trapped in hundreds of crystal formations combining to create a warm and inviting illumination. Looking down is a dizzying experience. Staircases connect to different levels below, and you soon lose count of how far down they go.
A stout, rocky creature detaches from the perfectly smooth wall to your left, leaving an imprint of its body in the wall that quickly smooths out and fades from sight. “Trravelerrrrsss. I am Hourm. The masterrrsss arre occupied. Therre arre rroomsss forr all of you. Choose yourr own. The rresourrcesss of Grravenhollow arre at yourr disssposssal. You need only asssk.”
As he leads you to your quarters, Hourm explains a little about how the library works, summarized here for your benefit:
When you enter your quarters for the first time, you find an unfurnished room. But if you leave, concentrate on your needs, and then reenter, you will find the room fully furnished with any common amenities you could imagine suited to your tastes.
Fighting is not allowed within the library. Anyone who violates these rules will quickly be dealt with by Veldyskar, the basilisk. If they resist turning to to stone, then multiple Galeb Duhr will intervene to stop the threat.
While in the library, everyone gains the benefits of the Comprehend Languages spell. This allows you to converse with any inhabitants and read any of the library's tomes. You are not the only guests here, so it will help you converse with other gusts as well.
The library's vast archives hold all of the knowledge of the Underdark, reaching back into ancient history and leading up to present day, and even into the future. New volumes are constantly being added and cataloged. Information beyond the Underdark is not easily accessible, but possible if you have a Stonespeaker Crystal, and use it within the various archives.
Three Stone Giant librarians maintain the archives, with the help of Galeb Duhr servants: Ulthar - Keeper of the Past Urmas - Keeper of the Present Ustova - Keeper of the Future
The library is vast, but a magic infuses it. You will find that in order to get anywhere, you must simply think on it, and start walking. Within a short time you find yourself where you need to be. Should you want to return to your quarters, simply do the same, think of your quarters, and you will arrive there momentarily.
Lastly, you may notice there are apparitions that flit about the library. Do not be alarmed. The library itself seems to remember all visitors past and present, and sometimes you will find echoes of these visitors roaming the halls. You may interact with them, and doing so may be beneficial if you were in need of some specific information.
Grimnir gathers his followers and tell them to rest for the time being. "You deserved such a good rest, sleep, drink and eat. Eat as much as you can my friends, who knows when we can have good food again."
After such a long journey, Grimnir think only of one thing: a good rest in a comfortable bed. Before opening the door he imagines a nice bed, green and browns drapes, a nice series of dwarvish books. But most importantly: a personal keg of dwarf ale and some nice mushrooms growing in large pot.
This will be a best evening he had for a while. Tomorrow he will try to get some information
Oorr imagines only one thing for his room. A bed made of clouds, soft to not ruin the feathers and dense enough to hold him. And yes, a similar, smaller one for Aera as well.
Once the party is rested and gathered again in that strange place that is the library of Gravenhollow, Oorr starts brainstorming with the others:
"Very well, we have come to this place to seek answers on how we can send back the demons to the Abyss. A straight question would be 'How all this did start?' Once we know what caused it in the past, we might have knowledge of what we need to find in the present."
"I agree with Oorr. We should also ask how can we send those demons back to the Abyss. These seers might have an idea, well a vision, on how to do it."
Grimnir gathers his thoughts and adds: "I think we should also ask about the two targets we were ask to find, if our soldiers managed to escort the prisoner back to the King and if Kalesi (?) is still alive and why she hasn't give any sign of life"
Later on Grimnir asks as well: - if he could have access to the brewing recipes as well as cooking recipes with mushrooms from the Underdark - if someone could have a look at Brox, as she is behaving strangely lately. - what are the news of our mushroom friends (Stool and co)
Brox has been broody in the last few days. She has been trying to activate her mycelium network, because as a myconid she should really be able to communicate in this way with other mushroom creatures.
A while back she had started to shuffle when she was walking instead of the once proud stride that used to be inherent to her imposing stature.
Now at the library, Brox lifts her head up from surveying the ground for the first time. Slowly she takes in the grandeur of the building. Slowly something stirs inside her. A bigger task, something that she should accomplish here. Then she thinks back to the myconid network and that she need to spend more time on that.
Brox walks to her room and imagines a humid, foggy forest where mushrooms thrive and prosper. Then she enters her room and falls in a deep sleep.
When she joins her companions in the morning, she only half listens to their comments about demons and the abyss. She decides to search for answers to the following questions:
- how myconids communicate - how to stop demons from affecting myconids - how to stop demons from destroying myconid habitat
The Library. I want it. I must have it, but to get it, I'll need to be a lot stronger, to kill or control its current owners and guardians. That means I'll need to keep adventuring. I'll also need to do something about those demonic incursions, lest they destroy the Library. That means I'll have to stay with the party, and I can't risk arousing the giants' suspicions by taking any of the books. Well, at least I can browse, for now.
Top priority is, as Oorr said, to figure out how the demons are getting here--I'll let Oorr start with that rumor about Menzoberranzan--and then how to get rid of them.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Oorr imagines only one thing for his room. A bed made of clouds, soft to not ruin the feathers and dense enough to hold him. And yes, a similar, smaller one for Aera as well.
Once the party is rested and gathered again in that strange place that is the library of Gravenhollow, Oorr starts brainstorming with the others:
"Very well, we have come to this place to seek answers on how we can send back the demons to the Abyss. A straight question would be 'How all this did start?' Once we know what caused it in the past, we might have knowledge of what we need to find in the present."
You all rest well, and wake refreshed in the morning. A breakfast to your exact liking is ready and waiting for you in your room, but whether it was brought there by Galeb Duhr, or prepared by the magic of the library, it is hard to tell. Either way, it is the best food you've had in months. You meet up in the hallway, and agree together to seek out information about what has happened. Oorr's questions cut straight to the source. Where did this start?
With that in mind, you set out into the library as instructed, and before long you are approached by a massive stone giant. You know this to be Ulthar, Keeper of the Past, though how you know that is unclear to you.
"Ah. Little Dreams. How nice to see more of you. It seems the library has need to divulge information from its archives, considering the number of new faces it has drawn here. You seek to understand what has come before, and that I can provide most readily,"intones Ulthar in a deep baritone voice. Brox, you are surprised to understand the words as well. Though you cannot hear the giant, what he says is communicated telepathically to you, the magic of the library taking into account your needs. You find you are also able to understand the words of your companions telepathically, similar to the spores that Grimnir can supply you with.
Ulthar leads you down a hallway, and after moments you are surrounded by stacks and stacks of books and scrolls on shelves, tables, and in drawers. You walk through a doorway with an inscription above it, which reads: "The past is a crystal, for it can be seen from many facets yet it always remains the same." A vast room of knowledge and history spreads before you. In addition to the books and scrolls, are a number of large multi colored crystals, some of which bear a striking resemblance to the one that Belwar carries.
Ulthar leads you to a large table, sized for you to stand around. He vanishes for a few seconds, but returns with a large crystal which he lays out on the table. "This is how it was..."he says. He motions for all of you to lay your hand on the crystal. When you do, you experience a vision.
An imperious drow archwizard in spider-silk robes casts a mighty conjuration spell. As the ritual draws toward its conclusion, a web of faerzress energy expands outward. The wizard seems alarmed by this, his efforts to complete the spell growing more crazed as he realizes he’s lost control.
And then, madness! Rifts open in the web of energy around him. These cracks stretch and widen, and through them come horrific fiends that scream, shriek, and howl as they are wrenched from the Abyss and cast into the Underdark.
A woman’s deep, dark laugh echoes in your mind as the drow wizard shrinks away from the demonic hordes he has unwittingly unleashed.
Oorr and Belwar, you recognize an insignia of one of Menzoberranzan’s drow houses on the robes of the wizard. Belwar, you know further that this is the insignia of House Baenre.
After the vision, Ulthar looks uneasy, and peers into the eyes of Brox, Grimnir, and Belwar. "You... are not well. I will call for help,"he says, before loudly calling for Veldyskar. Mere moments later, the basilisk you met when entering this place scuttles in from a side tunnel behind a pile of papers and crystals. Ulthar points to the three party members afflicted with indefinite madness. Veldyskar nods, and then scuttles over to Grimnir, still averting its gaze. Laying a claw on the hem of Grimnir's robe, it utters a phrase, and a wave of light passes over monk. The Greater Restoration takes hold, and Grimnir is released from his madness.
"I can only do one each day," admits the basilisk. Ulthar nods and thanks Valdyskar, who retreats for the time being.
Brox has been broody in the last few days. She has been trying to activate her mycelium network, because as a myconid she should really be able to communicate in this way with other mushroom creatures.
A while back she had started to shuffle when she was walking instead of the once proud stride that used to be inherent to her imposing stature.
Now at the library, Brox lifts her head up from surveying the ground for the first time. Slowly she takes in the grandeur of the building. Slowly something stirs inside her. A bigger task, something that she should accomplish here. Then she thinks back to the myconid network and that she need to spend more time on that.
Brox walks to her room and imagines a humid, foggy forest where mushrooms thrive and prosper. Then she enters her room and falls in a deep sleep.
When she joins her companions in the morning, she only half listens to their comments about demons and the abyss. She decides to search for answers to the following questions:
- how myconids communicate - how to stop demons from affecting myconids - how to stop demons from destroying myconid habitat
Ulthar turns back to the crystal. This time his gaze looks to Brox, and he once again asks everyone to place their hands on the crystal. Once done, another vision appears.
A cavern of peculiar beauty opens up before you, with lights of every color shining from the pure essence of life, diffused and amplified by the glow of faerzress. The glow pulses, and you can feel the life in the cavern rotting away, bursting with infection. A mushroom grows in the center of the cave, ever larger and taller, pustules forming and seeping as its stem thickens and its cap reaches to the cavern’s ceiling, forming a vast fungal tower.
Two myconids approach the site in awe, not minding the carpet of rot under their feet. You sense their minds come alive in wonder, and as they kneel in worship, you know they are doomed. A voice sounds out within clouds of spores that fall like snow. The voice tells the myconids to prepare for a gift unlike any they have ever known.
You recognize Sovereign Phylo as one of the myconid, and the other is a younger Yestabrod, though how you know that is not apparent. This appears to be the emergence of Zuggtmoy's influence within the Myconid colony.
Ulthar's eyes turn to Grimnir. Without speaking, another vision of the past erupts in your minds.
The smell of blood fills your nostrils as you wander a maze of Underdark tunnels, moving with purpose as your giant hooves crush stones underfoot. Faerzress light reveals that your shadow is monstrous, suggesting a hulking beast with a crown of horns. With your bloody glaive, you carve a swath through a forest of towering zurkhwood mushrooms that stands in your way. The tunnels beyond would confuse an ordinary mind, but you instinctively know the path you must walk. Every step brings you closer to a magma-filled chasm, lodged in which is an enormous contraption of metal and stone — a weapon capable of reshaping the Underdark itself.
This vision seems unlike anything you've experienced before, and you find it confusing, but Ulthar continues passing his gaze amongst, landing at last on Belwar. Another vision.
In the heart of a alien cavern glistening with slime, scores of mind flayers gather around an enormous brain resting in a pool. The brain is dead. You can hear the illithids’ incomprehensible thoughts as they mourn its passing. One word echoes louder than the others: Cyrog.
Suddenly, faerzress bathes the dark and twisted hall in purplish light. A rift opens, and a hulking, horned figure that reeks of putrescence steps out. It raises a skull-tipped wand and points it at the dead elder brain. The elder brain begins to pulsate, and you see intermittent flashes of purple light under its rotting flesh. The mind flayers are aghast as the elder brain speaks to them once more, telling them that Orcus has saved Cyrog, and commanding them to follow it into undeath.
Belwar, the stench of Orcus is in your nostrils when you come to from the vision. You are unsure of why this vision was given, but together you are all in agreement. A drow of House Baenre somehow released the demon lords from the Abyss. You've encountered a few already, but there are others, and they are sewing their chaos through the Underdark.
Ulthar nods, and removes the crystal from the table. When he returns, he looks to Belwar once more. "You have a crystal yourself. Once per day you may ask a question and hold the crystal up. Depending on which archive you are in, past, present, or future; you will receive a relevant vision such as these. There is much evil at work here. I pray you are able to work against it. You should go tomorrow, and speak to my brother, Urmas, about the present,"bids Ulthar.
When you leave the cavern, you wander down tunnels seeking the path back to your rooms. While passing along an outer walk way, you find an Ilithid browsing the stacks. The outline of the creature is hazy, and you realize this is one of the Echoes that Hourm mentioned. The Ilithid turns to face you as you approach, and bows. "Greetings, fellow knowledge seekers. I am Xetzirbor. I do hope you are finding what you wish within the annals of the great library of Gravenhollow. I myself am looking for information on how to save our dying elder brain Cyrog. What of your own labors, hmm?"
It's unclear to you if this is an echo of the past, present, or future, though you recall the vision of the past you just received.
Grimnir mind becomes clearer and he understand now that he was under the effect of the faerez. After talking a few minutes with his companions, describing each other’s visions, he summurises :
“So, let me make this simple...A powerful Drow wizard from the House Baenre of Menzoberranzan seems to have open a gateway to the Abyss, unleashing demons hordes in the Underdark. Demon’s Princes are also now in our realm. Zuggtmoy seems to control the myconid and Orcus have landed in an Illitith Nest, turning their Elder Bain’s undead. In my vision, I was a Minotaur I think and I saw a machine made of metal and stone that could reshaping the Underdark itself. That’s a lot of information.”
“We should seek Urmas about the Present, maybe ask where is this wizard, this machine and the different Lord Demon”
When you leave the cavern, you wander down tunnels seeking the path back to your rooms. While passing along an outer walk way, you find an Ilithid browsing the stacks. The outline of the creature is hazy, and you realize this is one of the Echoes that Hourm mentioned. The Ilithid turns to face you as you approach, and bows. "Greetings, fellow knowledge seekers. I am Xetzirbor. I do hope you are finding what you wish within the annals of the great library of Gravenhollow. I myself am looking for information on how to save our dying elder brain Cyrog. What of your own labors, hmm?"
It's unclear to you if this is an echo of the past, present, or future, though you recall the vision of the past you just received.
Grimnir is unsure of this. He remembers tales of his Oma from his young days, about these creatures from the Dark, enslaving Dwarves and eating their brain. Shivers run though his body but using his meditation, calm himself down. "Greeting Xetzirbor, it is quite extraordinary to meet someone like you here. It seems that all timelines mix here. Are you from our past ? I'm afraid we saw a vision of you community being enslaved by Orcus - the Lord Demon."
When you leave the cavern, you wander down tunnels seeking the path back to your rooms. While passing along an outer walk way, you find an Ilithid browsing the stacks. The outline of the creature is hazy, and you realize this is one of the Echoes that Hourm mentioned. The Ilithid turns to face you as you approach, and bows. "Greetings, fellow knowledge seekers. I am Xetzirbor. I do hope you are finding what you wish within the annals of the great library of Gravenhollow. I myself am looking for information on how to save our dying elder brain Cyrog. What of your own labors, hmm?"
It's unclear to you if this is an echo of the past, present, or future, though you recall the vision of the past you just received.
Grimnir is unsure of this. He remembers tales of his Oma from his young days, about these creatures from the Dark, enslaving Dwarves and eating their brain. Shivers run though his body but using his meditation, calm himself down. "Greeting Xetzirbor, it is quite extraordinary to meet someone like you here. It seems that all timelines mix here. Are you from our past ? I'm afraid we saw a vision of you community being enslaved by Orcus - the Lord Demon."
"Orcus!?" exclaims Xetzirbor, as the book he was flipping through drops from his hands and thumps on the floor. "I have to get back!" He runs away and quickly disappears out of sight down the corridor.
Unsure of what to make of it, you end up back at your rooms, and spend the evenings contemplating what you saw today, and how your visit to the Keeper of the Present might be best utilized.
In the morning, you again find a nice meal prepared and waiting for you. Veldyskar is waiting in the hallway when you emerge, and he glances back and forth from the feet of Belwar to the feet of Brox before eventually going up to Brox, and curing her madness with another utterance of Greater Restoration. The basilisk then makes his exit, but not before a knowing look at Rocky.
During breakfast, Oorr starts to wonder: "So, we know how it started? How can solve the problem now, without having to defeat every single Demon Lord?"
You concentrate on the halls of the present and begin your journey through the stacks of the library. You turn a corner to find a long single hallways with books lining the walls stretching up hundreds of feet. Galeb Duhr push carts around, both retrieving and returning books to the shelves. Rather than ladders, they seem to be able to utter some soft words to the books, and the ones they need float down, while the ones they return float up. After a brief exchange they confirm that the halls of the present are just down at the far end of the hall. Which you cannot see clearly.
You walk for 10 or so minutes, the hallway never looking like you're progressing much, when you come to a tall figure browsing the stacks of books. The Galeb Duhr seem annoyed that he is there, but they retrieve books for him all the same. The man is beautiful by any standard, but in an almost disturbing way. You can see that he is adorned in the finest silks and fabrics, yet everything looks to be a darker hue than you would expect. Almost as if he is a living shadow. He takes a book, and you notice each of his hands has six fingers. He mutters dismissively, "No, not this one,"and hands it back to the Galeb Duhr. His countenance is that of royalty.
When you get near him to pass by, his gaze rises to meet yours, and his lips seem to curl slightly, as if amused. "Say now, adventurers? Tell me, what area of the Underdark do you hail from?"
Brox takes a sigh of relieve as the fog of the faerzress is lifted. Suddenly her infatuation with mushrooms slips away and her mind clears, making her realise that she has not been focusing on the problem at hand.
She asks Oorr to recount the events of the day before from the library of the past. The situation seems dire. Even the drow summoning these creatures clearly lost control and wouldn't be able to help.
Brox answers to Oorr: "It feels to me that we might just have to do that. Defeat them one by one, and making sure all portals are closed and no new demons come in after them." She seems still distracted and not fully able to hold her concentration long.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Grimnir listen to Oorr and thinks about the visions he had. "This machine made of metal and stone that I saw, could it be a weapon? Could that help us? We should ask the Stone Giant of the present".
Later on, Grimnir stood in front of this noble. This shadows made him think that, like the illithid, this humanoid could be from the past. "We are actually coming from the surface but we are sent by King Bruenor on a perilious quest. Who have I the pleasure to talk to ?"
OOC: Would Grimnir know of a famous noble man with six fingers? History: 3 + 2 (if you allow guidance)
Continuing to ensure its gaze does not touch you, the Basilisk answers, "It is not far, we will arrive in a matter of hours. The Library was aware you were coming, and so sent me to greet you and guide you to the gates." Its answers are concise and brief. It does not appear to want to spend much time talking.
Chapter 11: Gravenhollow
A pair of massive basalt doors mark the entrance to Gravenhollow, flanked by stone giant statues. The basilisk indicates the doors, and by pushing them inward, you can easily swing them aside and enter in. As you and you companions enter, the stone giant statues turn their heads to observe, but otherwise remain still. The basilisk instructs you to continue forward, and then hastily disappears down a side tunnel.
Hourm
As he leads you to your quarters, Hourm explains a little about how the library works, summarized here for your benefit:
When you enter your quarters for the first time, you find an unfurnished room. But if you leave, concentrate on your needs, and then reenter, you will find the room fully furnished with any common amenities you could imagine suited to your tastes.
Fighting is not allowed within the library. Anyone who violates these rules will quickly be dealt with by Veldyskar, the basilisk. If they resist turning to to stone, then multiple Galeb Duhr will intervene to stop the threat.
While in the library, everyone gains the benefits of the Comprehend Languages spell. This allows you to converse with any inhabitants and read any of the library's tomes. You are not the only guests here, so it will help you converse with other gusts as well.
The library's vast archives hold all of the knowledge of the Underdark, reaching back into ancient history and leading up to present day, and even into the future. New volumes are constantly being added and cataloged. Information beyond the Underdark is not easily accessible, but possible if you have a Stonespeaker Crystal, and use it within the various archives.
Three Stone Giant librarians maintain the archives, with the help of Galeb Duhr servants:
Ulthar - Keeper of the Past
Urmas - Keeper of the Present
Ustova - Keeper of the Future
The library is vast, but a magic infuses it. You will find that in order to get anywhere, you must simply think on it, and start walking. Within a short time you find yourself where you need to be. Should you want to return to your quarters, simply do the same, think of your quarters, and you will arrive there momentarily.
Lastly, you may notice there are apparitions that flit about the library. Do not be alarmed. The library itself seems to remember all visitors past and present, and sometimes you will find echoes of these visitors roaming the halls. You may interact with them, and doing so may be beneficial if you were in need of some specific information.
Grimnir gathers his followers and tell them to rest for the time being. "You deserved such a good rest, sleep, drink and eat. Eat as much as you can my friends, who knows when we can have good food again."
After such a long journey, Grimnir think only of one thing: a good rest in a comfortable bed. Before opening the door he imagines a nice bed, green and browns drapes, a nice series of dwarvish books. But most importantly: a personal keg of dwarf ale and some nice mushrooms growing in large pot.
This will be a best evening he had for a while. Tomorrow he will try to get some information
Currently Playing: Regdus Ironfist (Greyhawk) Lvl 1 Storm Sorcerer ; Goraseth Drerjoxian (Icespeak) Lvl 3 Paladin Oath of Glory; Lerak (The Wild Beyond the Witchlight) Lvl 3 Barbarian Wild Magic
In Pause: Grimnir " Shadow-Feet", Lv 11 Owner of "The Basilisk & the Monk" (OotA) - Kurma Kappa, Lv 8 Priest of Oghma (ToA)
Currently DM'ing: Princes of Apocalypse >> Tomb of Annihilation
Oorr imagines only one thing for his room. A bed made of clouds, soft to not ruin the feathers and dense enough to hold him. And yes, a similar, smaller one for Aera as well.
Once the party is rested and gathered again in that strange place that is the library of Gravenhollow, Oorr starts brainstorming with the others:
"Very well, we have come to this place to seek answers on how we can send back the demons to the Abyss. A straight question would be 'How all this did start?' Once we know what caused it in the past, we might have knowledge of what we need to find in the present."
"I agree with Oorr. We should also ask how can we send those demons back to the Abyss. These seers might have an idea, well a vision, on how to do it."
Grimnir gathers his thoughts and adds: "I think we should also ask about the two targets we were ask to find, if our soldiers managed to escort the prisoner back to the King and if Kalesi (?) is still alive and why she hasn't give any sign of life"
Later on Grimnir asks as well:
- if he could have access to the brewing recipes as well as cooking recipes with mushrooms from the Underdark
- if someone could have a look at Brox, as she is behaving strangely lately.
- what are the news of our mushroom friends (Stool and co)
Currently Playing: Regdus Ironfist (Greyhawk) Lvl 1 Storm Sorcerer ; Goraseth Drerjoxian (Icespeak) Lvl 3 Paladin Oath of Glory; Lerak (The Wild Beyond the Witchlight) Lvl 3 Barbarian Wild Magic
In Pause: Grimnir " Shadow-Feet", Lv 11 Owner of "The Basilisk & the Monk" (OotA) - Kurma Kappa, Lv 8 Priest of Oghma (ToA)
Currently DM'ing: Princes of Apocalypse >> Tomb of Annihilation
Brox has been broody in the last few days. She has been trying to activate her mycelium network, because as a myconid she should really be able to communicate in this way with other mushroom creatures.
A while back she had started to shuffle when she was walking instead of the once proud stride that used to be inherent to her imposing stature.
Now at the library, Brox lifts her head up from surveying the ground for the first time. Slowly she takes in the grandeur of the building. Slowly something stirs inside her. A bigger task, something that she should accomplish here. Then she thinks back to the myconid network and that she need to spend more time on that.
Brox walks to her room and imagines a humid, foggy forest where mushrooms thrive and prosper. Then she enters her room and falls in a deep sleep.
When she joins her companions in the morning, she only half listens to their comments about demons and the abyss. She decides to search for answers to the following questions:
- how myconids communicate
- how to stop demons from affecting myconids
- how to stop demons from destroying myconid habitat
The Library. I want it. I must have it, but to get it, I'll need to be a lot stronger, to kill or control its current owners and guardians. That means I'll need to keep adventuring. I'll also need to do something about those demonic incursions, lest they destroy the Library. That means I'll have to stay with the party, and I can't risk arousing the giants' suspicions by taking any of the books. Well, at least I can browse, for now.
Top priority is, as Oorr said, to figure out how the demons are getting here--I'll let Oorr start with that rumor about Menzoberranzan--and then how to get rid of them.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Tooltips (Help/aid)
You all rest well, and wake refreshed in the morning. A breakfast to your exact liking is ready and waiting for you in your room, but whether it was brought there by Galeb Duhr, or prepared by the magic of the library, it is hard to tell. Either way, it is the best food you've had in months. You meet up in the hallway, and agree together to seek out information about what has happened. Oorr's questions cut straight to the source. Where did this start?
With that in mind, you set out into the library as instructed, and before long you are approached by a massive stone giant. You know this to be Ulthar, Keeper of the Past, though how you know that is unclear to you.
"Ah. Little Dreams. How nice to see more of you. It seems the library has need to divulge information from its archives, considering the number of new faces it has drawn here. You seek to understand what has come before, and that I can provide most readily," intones Ulthar in a deep baritone voice. Brox, you are surprised to understand the words as well. Though you cannot hear the giant, what he says is communicated telepathically to you, the magic of the library taking into account your needs. You find you are also able to understand the words of your companions telepathically, similar to the spores that Grimnir can supply you with.
Ulthar leads you down a hallway, and after moments you are surrounded by stacks and stacks of books and scrolls on shelves, tables, and in drawers. You walk through a doorway with an inscription above it, which reads: "The past is a crystal, for it can be seen from many facets yet it always remains the same." A vast room of knowledge and history spreads before you. In addition to the books and scrolls, are a number of large multi colored crystals, some of which bear a striking resemblance to the one that Belwar carries.
Ulthar leads you to a large table, sized for you to stand around. He vanishes for a few seconds, but returns with a large crystal which he lays out on the table. "This is how it was..." he says. He motions for all of you to lay your hand on the crystal. When you do, you experience a vision.
Oorr and Belwar, you recognize an insignia of one of Menzoberranzan’s drow houses on the robes of the wizard. Belwar, you know further that this is the insignia of House Baenre.
After the vision, Ulthar looks uneasy, and peers into the eyes of Brox, Grimnir, and Belwar. "You... are not well. I will call for help," he says, before loudly calling for Veldyskar. Mere moments later, the basilisk you met when entering this place scuttles in from a side tunnel behind a pile of papers and crystals. Ulthar points to the three party members afflicted with indefinite madness. Veldyskar nods, and then scuttles over to Grimnir, still averting its gaze. Laying a claw on the hem of Grimnir's robe, it utters a phrase, and a wave of light passes over monk. The Greater Restoration takes hold, and Grimnir is released from his madness.
"I can only do one each day," admits the basilisk. Ulthar nods and thanks Valdyskar, who retreats for the time being.
Ulthar turns back to the crystal. This time his gaze looks to Brox, and he once again asks everyone to place their hands on the crystal. Once done, another vision appears.
You recognize Sovereign Phylo as one of the myconid, and the other is a younger Yestabrod, though how you know that is not apparent. This appears to be the emergence of Zuggtmoy's influence within the Myconid colony.
Ulthar's eyes turn to Grimnir. Without speaking, another vision of the past erupts in your minds.
This vision seems unlike anything you've experienced before, and you find it confusing, but Ulthar continues passing his gaze amongst, landing at last on Belwar. Another vision.
Belwar, the stench of Orcus is in your nostrils when you come to from the vision. You are unsure of why this vision was given, but together you are all in agreement. A drow of House Baenre somehow released the demon lords from the Abyss. You've encountered a few already, but there are others, and they are sewing their chaos through the Underdark.
Ulthar nods, and removes the crystal from the table. When he returns, he looks to Belwar once more. "You have a crystal yourself. Once per day you may ask a question and hold the crystal up. Depending on which archive you are in, past, present, or future; you will receive a relevant vision such as these. There is much evil at work here. I pray you are able to work against it. You should go tomorrow, and speak to my brother, Urmas, about the present," bids Ulthar.
When you leave the cavern, you wander down tunnels seeking the path back to your rooms. While passing along an outer walk way, you find an Ilithid browsing the stacks. The outline of the creature is hazy, and you realize this is one of the Echoes that Hourm mentioned. The Ilithid turns to face you as you approach, and bows. "Greetings, fellow knowledge seekers. I am Xetzirbor. I do hope you are finding what you wish within the annals of the great library of Gravenhollow. I myself am looking for information on how to save our dying elder brain Cyrog. What of your own labors, hmm?"
It's unclear to you if this is an echo of the past, present, or future, though you recall the vision of the past you just received.
"Drow. Of course it was drow. I hate drow."
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
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Grimnir mind becomes clearer and he understand now that he was under the effect of the faerez. After talking a few minutes with his companions, describing each other’s visions, he summurises :
“So, let me make this simple...A powerful Drow wizard from the House Baenre of Menzoberranzan seems to have open a gateway to the Abyss, unleashing demons hordes in the Underdark.
Demon’s Princes are also now in our realm. Zuggtmoy seems to control the myconid and Orcus have landed in an Illitith Nest, turning their Elder Bain’s undead.
In my vision, I was a Minotaur I think and I saw a machine made of metal and stone that could reshaping the Underdark itself. That’s a lot of information.”
“We should seek Urmas about the Present, maybe ask where is this wizard, this machine and the different Lord Demon”
Currently Playing: Regdus Ironfist (Greyhawk) Lvl 1 Storm Sorcerer ; Goraseth Drerjoxian (Icespeak) Lvl 3 Paladin Oath of Glory; Lerak (The Wild Beyond the Witchlight) Lvl 3 Barbarian Wild Magic
In Pause: Grimnir " Shadow-Feet", Lv 11 Owner of "The Basilisk & the Monk" (OotA) - Kurma Kappa, Lv 8 Priest of Oghma (ToA)
Currently DM'ing: Princes of Apocalypse >> Tomb of Annihilation
Grimnir is unsure of this. He remembers tales of his Oma from his young days, about these creatures from the Dark, enslaving Dwarves and eating their brain. Shivers run though his body but using his meditation, calm himself down.
"Greeting Xetzirbor, it is quite extraordinary to meet someone like you here. It seems that all timelines mix here. Are you from our past ? I'm afraid we saw a vision of you community being enslaved by Orcus - the Lord Demon."
Currently Playing: Regdus Ironfist (Greyhawk) Lvl 1 Storm Sorcerer ; Goraseth Drerjoxian (Icespeak) Lvl 3 Paladin Oath of Glory; Lerak (The Wild Beyond the Witchlight) Lvl 3 Barbarian Wild Magic
In Pause: Grimnir " Shadow-Feet", Lv 11 Owner of "The Basilisk & the Monk" (OotA) - Kurma Kappa, Lv 8 Priest of Oghma (ToA)
Currently DM'ing: Princes of Apocalypse >> Tomb of Annihilation
"Orcus!?" exclaims Xetzirbor, as the book he was flipping through drops from his hands and thumps on the floor. "I have to get back!" He runs away and quickly disappears out of sight down the corridor.
Unsure of what to make of it, you end up back at your rooms, and spend the evenings contemplating what you saw today, and how your visit to the Keeper of the Present might be best utilized.
In the morning, you again find a nice meal prepared and waiting for you. Veldyskar is waiting in the hallway when you emerge, and he glances back and forth from the feet of Belwar to the feet of Brox before eventually going up to Brox, and curing her madness with another utterance of Greater Restoration. The basilisk then makes his exit, but not before a knowing look at Rocky.
During breakfast, Oorr starts to wonder: "So, we know how it started? How can solve the problem now, without having to defeat every single Demon Lord?"
You concentrate on the halls of the present and begin your journey through the stacks of the library. You turn a corner to find a long single hallways with books lining the walls stretching up hundreds of feet. Galeb Duhr push carts around, both retrieving and returning books to the shelves. Rather than ladders, they seem to be able to utter some soft words to the books, and the ones they need float down, while the ones they return float up. After a brief exchange they confirm that the halls of the present are just down at the far end of the hall. Which you cannot see clearly.
You walk for 10 or so minutes, the hallway never looking like you're progressing much, when you come to a tall figure browsing the stacks of books. The Galeb Duhr seem annoyed that he is there, but they retrieve books for him all the same. The man is beautiful by any standard, but in an almost disturbing way. You can see that he is adorned in the finest silks and fabrics, yet everything looks to be a darker hue than you would expect. Almost as if he is a living shadow. He takes a book, and you notice each of his hands has six fingers. He mutters dismissively, "No, not this one," and hands it back to the Galeb Duhr. His countenance is that of royalty.
When you get near him to pass by, his gaze rises to meet yours, and his lips seem to curl slightly, as if amused. "Say now, adventurers? Tell me, what area of the Underdark do you hail from?"
Brox takes a sigh of relieve as the fog of the faerzress is lifted. Suddenly her infatuation with mushrooms slips away and her mind clears, making her realise that she has not been focusing on the problem at hand.
She asks Oorr to recount the events of the day before from the library of the past. The situation seems dire. Even the drow summoning these creatures clearly lost control and wouldn't be able to help.
Brox answers to Oorr: "It feels to me that we might just have to do that. Defeat them one by one, and making sure all portals are closed and no new demons come in after them."
She seems still distracted and not fully able to hold her concentration long.
Grimnir listen to Oorr and thinks about the visions he had. "This machine made of metal and stone that I saw, could it be a weapon? Could that help us? We should ask the Stone Giant of the present".
Later on, Grimnir stood in front of this noble. This shadows made him think that, like the illithid, this humanoid could be from the past. "We are actually coming from the surface but we are sent by King Bruenor on a perilious quest. Who have I the pleasure to talk to ?"
OOC: Would Grimnir know of a famous noble man with six fingers? History: 3 + 2 (if you allow guidance)
Currently Playing: Regdus Ironfist (Greyhawk) Lvl 1 Storm Sorcerer ; Goraseth Drerjoxian (Icespeak) Lvl 3 Paladin Oath of Glory; Lerak (The Wild Beyond the Witchlight) Lvl 3 Barbarian Wild Magic
In Pause: Grimnir " Shadow-Feet", Lv 11 Owner of "The Basilisk & the Monk" (OotA) - Kurma Kappa, Lv 8 Priest of Oghma (ToA)
Currently DM'ing: Princes of Apocalypse >> Tomb of Annihilation
History: 24
OOC: I think maybe I might've heard of him.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
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