Tests and Trials

[Rodgeir]

Kroshav knows that a naga is a really big snake with a not snake face. He had a few kids books on one when he was...older than a kid that Sir Tarneth had got him. Nellie Naga and her heroic adventures! Nellie was super nice and helped everyone but needed help from her friends, Olle Owlbear and Ulla Unicorn, because she couldn't open doors and stuff very well. Her worst enemy (other than door handles) was people being mean and another naga named Ned that was a jerk. There was a part in the back of the books, that Kroshav mostly skipped, called "Learn more about Naga". He is pretty sure it said they were nice and protected things but some weren't nice and wanted to take things. Both types lived forever and could never die, but that didn't come up much in the stories.

Mikram looks on at the reunion and babbling and says to Lurn (though Jaq understands),

"Ye are a lucky group. What are ye planning on telling her? And what about me, we was told not to come down here."

((Jaq knows Mikram is a duergar and not a mountain dwarf and I think anyone with any experience with dwarves would know that. They are excedely rare in the Duchy and the dwarven kingdom but there are a few about topside, mostly north of the Duchy.))

Before the group can talk more the nearest golem says in a female voice, very similar to its normal voice but less flat,

"Bring them to me Jaq."

The golem then turns and begins leading the way. The golem, and Jaq, lead the way down an increasingly rough tunnel that only has two cross tunnels that disappear into the darkness without revealing anything if interest beyond many more golems, standing like statues but with stone clubs and shields. After a few minutes of walking the golem stops before a stone door and steps aside to let Jaq and the rest move in. There is a faint light around the door and an odd smell.

The heavy door opens to a huge cavern, or what is probably a huge cavern. It is hard to be sure, mostly due to the stacks and stacks of books blocking the view forward and to the side. There are a half dozen small paths and one large cutting through the stacks of books and the small paths are filled with moving golems. The wide path is mostly clear golems but a few do proceed on some errand or other. It smells a bit odd, mostly old books but something else. Also there is a hint of the smell of food, which is welcome to all the empty stomachs, most of all Mikram who urges Lurn forward.

The golems ignore the small party as it moves through (unless someone tries to touch a book, then they will quickly react to stop that). If anyone is interested enough to look the piles of books appear to have been gathered into some sort of odd order. Books on religion, in old common and elven, then books on holy wars that eventually turn to military journals that turn to travel journals that turn to biographies.

Turning a small corner they party finds its in a large open space in the books. On the far side of the space a large snake is coiled, face away from the group. Lifting itself up it turns and looks to the group with a very humanoid face, a rather nice face. Not exactly friendly but with kind eyes that have a tinge of sadness.

She says in the voice of the golems, or rather all the golems seem to have her voice,

"Welcome to what is left of my archives. I now must decide what to do with you, but first," She turns her head to a pile of food and says, "Eat. You must be quite hungry following your ordeal."

The pile of food is literally a pile of food. All types of food...just mooshed together. A loaf of bread with a cob of corn through it sticks out from a side and a cooked fish looks to be fixed into some sort of brown sauce under what might be a cherry pie.

"I will have water brought."

She looks at the filthy state of the group and clarifies,

"For drinking. Also, don't touch the books."

If anyone tried to touch the books on the way she will give them a glare.

She repeats everything in dwarven for Mikram and her eyes linger on him longer than the rest but he is happy to ignore her gaze and drag himself to the food pile, if Lurn doesn't put him there quickly enough, and start eating like he hasn't seen food in a week, which given his state is probably not unlikely.

[NotStickFigures]

Before the group can talk more the nearest golem says in a female voice, very similar to its normal voice but less flat,

"Bring them to me Jaq."

-----------------------------------------------------------
"We are on our way." states Jaq and looks at the golem and gives a smile.

He then begins talking on the walk back.
"So, the librarian can see and hear, and now I learned, talk through the golems. Pretty interesting, isn't it. Joe, don't touch the books you will see. She is very protective of them. Which makes sense, her being an ancient and powerful head librarian of all this..." He then lets his words trail off, not knowing what else to say to prepare the rest for what they are about to see.

[spiderwrangler]

Kroshav seems almost giddy with excitement to see Nel-- to see the Naga.

((Does the food look... appetizing? Like a banquet table without the table and platters, or more like a pile of trash?))

[The Lost]

”Ah was wond’ring where all tha books be! This looks ta be more o a prop’r lib’ry. She can seethrough tha golems?! Does tha mean tha golem we had she saw through too?”

Interesting in the prospects of this odd communication Joe tests it out by waving at the golems. ”Ahoy! Jaq told me nay ta go through tha books but Ah hope Ah can get thachance ta read some, miss head libari’n.”
When the books appear she loooks at the golems ”Are these be okay ta read?” If the golems give her the affermative, she goes to pick out the one about travel journals.

Joe picks up food that would be easy for her to hold, like apples and bread. “Thank ye miss head libari’ fer yer hosptal’ty.”

Joe looks a bit embarrased when the naga points out how badly in shape they are. ”Donna worry Ah’ll get us clean’d.” Joe will cast presigigitation to get the group clean (multiple times if she has to) gritting her teeth while doing so and cleaning herself last to clean all the blood from her hands.

[Rodgeir]

((Pile of trash without the flies, but everything is edible in the pile. Or near edible.))

One of the golems nearest to Joe will answer her,

"You may be given a chance to read, first our interview. And your cleaning."

Joe pulls out some bread that has been soaking in apple sauce, twofer!

After a couple minutes a golem arrives with a small stone trough of water.

The naga considers the trough and the party before seemingly deciding that is how people drink and the golem sets the trough next to the food.

[The Lost]

"Aye, Ah willnae disturb tha book then." Joe munches happily on the bread with applesauce on it.

Joe looks at the naga in disbelief when the stone trough is brought up before conjuring a glass and filling her new cup with the water to drink from. "...Ye donnae get out much huh?"

[Rodgeir]

The librarian does seem pleased that Joe is eager to read but looks at the cup with vague recollection before shaking her head,

"It has been many, many centuries."

Mikram dunks his head in the trough and guzzles water and then belching and returning to the food with careless abandon.

The Librarian observes this silently, but with perhaps a bit of vindication in her expression.

[Dlover]

Before setting out, Lurn gives Mikram a shrug, "Even if you were told not to come here, you hardly had I choice. I was the one who carried you here, after all."

--

Presented with the food, Lurn gives a bow to the naga, then carries Mikram over to the pile, "Thank you for your kindness. We have been through some hardships, so at the moment I can offer you nothing but my gratitude." While the others set to eating, the large man sets to his pre-meal prayers (Purify Food & Water, though I don't expect poison or rot). At the end of his prayers, he casts his eyes about and speaks to the naga, "Please do have patience with our dwarven friend here. He has been held prisoner for a great deal of time, and like as not would have died to lack of water within a couple of days. It is in the nature of the living to have no restraint for things needed to continue living." The firbolg frowns slightly at Mikram's enthusiasm, "Though I do worry that such indulgence after starvation will bring about illness. It's remarkable he can so easily stomach food and drink."

Helping himself to some food, Lurn chews while he limps about to Joe's side. Swallowing the food, he kneels beside her, "Show me your hands. I've not the magic left in me to restore them, but I've enough medical knowledge to assess you, at least, and with luck provide some assistance to ease your struggles. If nothing else, I've one good hand so you need not damage yours further."

[The Lost]

”Centuri’s? Do ye wish ta go out in tha world with us? Aft’r we get rid o tha drow?”

Joe shakes her head slightly at the libarian, more amused then annoyed at her validation.


Joe shows lurn her hands and the several holes in them.

[Dlover]

"Assuming we can or should kill off all those drow is something of a jump. Cruel as they are, we have seen nothing of them but defending their own territory. While I will fight them as necessary, and don't approve of how they mutilate prisoners, I cannot fault them for their hostility."

[The Lost]

"Ah call bull malark'y. Thay were nay def'ndin' thar territ'ry, they grabb'd us from a diff'rent area n put us 'ere ta be tortured. It also sound like tha thay also be threatnin' tha head libar'an, ye know tha one tha has the most claim o tha area? It's a feckin' library nay a territ'ory fer tha drow."

[Rodgeir]

The naga gives Lurn a slight nod at his words of gratitude and looks wholy unconcerned by Mikram's behavior.

((Lurn can roll a medicine check on that eating's potential impacts.))

The Librarian listens with interest to Lurn and Joe's conversation interjecting,

"To my knowledge the Drow control all of the archives except this level and have done so since they forced out the duergar to whom I ceded control of the archives to following a fair amount of conflict... A long time ago. Your companion," she casts her gaze to Mikram who is laying next to the food pile wheezing and moaning, "has likely more claim than I to the floors above."

She pauses and adds,

"They have been threatening me, as did the duergar. Granted they are more subtle than the duergar were."

Her gaze becomes distant and she holds perfectly still for a few moments then refocuses on the party.

[spiderwrangler]

Kroshav selects some food and begins eating.

"They really don't seem to like you. They kept asking if I worked for you, but I hadn't met you yet, so I didn't knwo who they meant. I think they've done some really unpleasant stuff to folks up there."

[The Lost]

"Hmmm sounds like both o em maybeh an issue. Ye got tha layout of tha place n where tha dwarf n drow be locat'd at?"

[Dlover]

Medicine: 1D20+8 = [7]+8 = 15 Mikram's wheezing is something of a concern.

"We were in the archives when they took us out of the spider den, and we did get into a fight with the spiders, which from what Mikram has told me are a sort of holy animal to them. We can't claim to be without blame for the conflict."

Looking over Joe's hands, Lurn frowns, "I can see why you hate them so much, though. They certainly did quite a number on you. I don't have the medical supplies to treat this sort of damage."

[spiderwrangler]

"I have some healing left, Lurn, if you need me."

[The Lost]

"Who tha feck uses spid'rs as a feckin' guard dog. Feck it doesnae excuse what that did. Thay feckin hung meh upside down...what woulda happen if ye didnae find meh?"

Joe nods and sighs "Tha dwarf looks like thay got it worse though. Ah ammnae goin' ta let em get away with tha. Besides Ah need ta get me spellbook back, n only way ta get it is ta face tha drow. Unless ye be willin' ta shill out many coins worth o ink n paper n find me another wizard ta copy from. Or me nay able ta cast id'ntify, detect magic, leam'nd's hut, o other spells Ah've put in that...."

Joe looks at her hands "Ah'm not sure if tha'll help..."

[Dlover]

"We'll be able to fix your hands, but it will take a considerable amount of healing magic. We're all spent, so I don't know if Kroshav and I together could achieve enough right away. The success of the treatment will just depend on whether we're given safe refuge."

"I do understand you want to get your belongings back, too. I was lucky to find my shield, or I would be useless. We have to be cautious, though. We don't know how many drow there are, and that drider alone is a threat, even if we get a chance to recover."

[spiderwrangler]

((Is Mikram's cough a disease, or just damage? Kroshav should have 10 HP of LoH left, and has a second level spell he could cast cure wounds at for 2d8+4, so can manage 16-30 HP of healing, range reduced by 5 if there are any diseases to purge. Is the damage to Joe's hands something more than what regaining HP can fix then?))

[The Lost]

"We need a plan ta take down tha drow. We maybe able to lure some away n focus on a few at a time. Isnae goin' ta be easy but Ah think we can do it."


arcana (drider): 1D20+5 = [12]+5 = 17

Joe mutters under her breath. "Of course they'd fork spid'rs."

[Dlover]

(We'd have to get Joe back to full HP to fix her hands. So, up to 38, from a current 2. I forgot you got healing spells as well as LoH, so we might have enough together? KO her for Lurn to cast Cure Wounds at level 3, putting her at 29 to start, then you'd just need to get an extra 11 on her. So we could fix her hands up now, if we use up our spell slots.

As for the cough, I believe it was from the "lungworms" disease that Kroshav cured when we first met back up. Other than that it's just time and healing to recover, as well as regaining general healthiness.))

[Rodgeir]

The Librarian's gaze shifts to Kroshav as the the dragonborn selects some mustard glazed sweet breads.

"The feeling is mutual, but what the Drow do on their levels is no concern of mine despite my personal misgivings. I simply don't have the resources to risk dealing with them."

Lurn guesses the wheezing is related to likely intense stomach cramping Mikram is probably experiencing. He may need some magical healing but he's a dwarf and they do tend to be able to tolerate more than most.

Despite her misgivings Joe knows drider are not created through Drow and spider intimate relations. She isn't clear on the details but does know it is an intentional transformation, from Drow to drider.

((Mikram's lungworms are cured but he does have four levels of exhaustion to work through. And no legs.

Correct on getting Joe her hands back.))

[Dlover]

"You alright over there, Mikram? Give me a wave if you need help."

[spiderwrangler]

"If we could wipe them out, would you want that?"

[Rodgeir]

Mikram let's loose a truly impressive belch and slides of to the over mound of food. He gives no wave as he weakly scrapes food over to him. He doesn't seem to be enjoying it anymore but doesn't seem to be willing to stop either.

The Librarian considers the question for only heartbeat,

"From what I understand, they are from a nearby city. Killing those here will bring only more. Unless you are proposing trying to kill enough that they wouldn't come back?"

She looks to Mikram,

"He may know more about their home? We never moved far past the years of conflict."